Although I can’t quite put my finger on why this should be, it feels as though we’re entering a new season at St Thomas’ Bradley.
Part of this, I think, is a sense that God wants to move many of us on in our faith this year. I sense that he’s preparing to call new people into leadership roles and desiring that – as a Church – we grow in our commitment to Him.
At our meeting in January, the PCC will be using a tool to discern how effective we are at growing disciples in our Church. It’s one thing to be a place where people are happy to gather, worship, and enjoy each other’s company, quite another to be a place where people are set on fire for God and nurtured to become tomorrow’s evangelists, teachers, prophets, and missionaries.
If you’re thinking that this couldn’t possibly be you, be reminded of Romans 8.11: “the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you.” In his strength, any one of us can be anything that God calls us to be!
There will also be some new things happening this year. After 5 or 6 years, our monthly Sunday afternoon service “Open” will be replaced with a more interactive Bible study. This will take place on the third Sunday of each month at 7pm. We’re calling it “Bible 101” and we’ll not only be studying specific texts, but also learning how to get the most out of reading our Bibles.
We’re also starting a monthly Café Church meeting on the first Monday evening of each month, beginning in March. This will enable us to discuss a variety of topics over food. More on this in next month’s newsletter.
Finally, after much thought and prayer, we’ll soon be offering a twice-weekly drop-in called Jars of Clay. We think this will happen on Tuesday mornings from 11-12 and Thursday evenings from 6 to 7. This initiative stems from our last Parish weekend theme and acknowledges that although we have the treasure of Jesus Christ within us, on the outside we can be a bit broken and cracked, hurting, and struggling. At Jars of Clay there’ll be people to talk to and pray with, and the kettle will always be on! We’re aiming to start this at the end of February.
I wonder what God has in store for each of us in 2025? My prayer for you is that of Paul for the Church in Ephesus. Ian
Ephesians 3.16-21 :-
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.