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NEWSLETTER - December 2021
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I grew up in the countryside. At times the evenings could be very dark. On a moonless night without the aid of a torch it was easy to walk into a ditch or into a hedge. On one occasion I remember walking into the corner of our house because I just couldn't see where I was going and suddenly whack and a nice bruise to show for it later on.
A light, even a small candle, can make a world of difference.
The Bible tells us that John the Baptist came to bear witness to a light that was coming into the world. It began to shine in Bethlehem when Jesus was born, just a babe in Mary's arms. It was the tiny candle beginning to light up the surroundings. In later years Jesus declared "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness." A light, now stronger than the noonday sun, was now blazing forth.
This light is the joy and hope that Christmas declares. A Saviour has been born. A way has been provided to lead all men and women back to God. Jesus calls us to come to him, to stand in the light. Where are we? Without Christ, the Bible says we are in darkness, off course, like me on a moonless night.
Let God's word (the Bible), guide you into the light of his love for you.
As Christmas fast approaches, I would like to invite you to read the accounts of Jesus' birth and life. If you turn to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew in the New Testament, you will find the accounts of the Shepherds, the Wise Men and much more on the life of Jesus.
As you begin to read, ask God to shed his light upon your reading, so that you will not walk in darkness as to who Jesus is, but will find him for yourself to be the Saviour of the World.
Joy Finnimore
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On 23 November, there was a special baptismal service for Alex and Jasmine. Click here to watch the entire service.
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Looking ahead
Sunday Services 10.30am
5th December - Pastor Bill
12th December - Peter Coggins
19th December - Carol Service
26th December - Pastor Bill
School Assembly - Inkberrow
Thursday 2nd December - Bill, Joy & Rodney
Memorial Service for Geoff
Friday 10th December at The Windmill Community Centre, Rye Grass Lane, Redditch B97 5YE
Hall open at 1pm
Service starts at 1:30pm
Prayer Meetings
6th & 20th December at 11.00am
Home Group Meetings
Thursday 9th December 6.30pm - Redditch
Tuesday 21st December 6.30pm - Droitwich
Please contact our Pastor for details of venue and directions. Tel: 0777 946 7079
Time 4U
Thursday 2nd December 11.00am meeting at Hillers for coffee and time out. Telephone 07817 191401 for further information and directions
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Listen to this lovely Carol by clicking or tapping the image below.
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Joy to the world
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Memories of a
Christmas Past
As a child at Christmas time nearly eighty years ago we would chant:
"Christmas is coming,
The goose is getting fat.
Please put a penny in the old man's hat.
If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do.
If you haven't got a ha'penny.
God bless you."
Adults would often say: “Christmas is for children” but I suspect the observation was more an attempt to deflect attention from the excesses that adults look forward to rather than a concern to make the season special for children.
In all the festivities, whether for young or old, there was little or no mention of the real meaning of Christmas. I recall the aggravated exclamation of an adult relative: “Why do they have to bring religion into Christmas!” The comment was provoked by a Christmas card with a Scripture verse his family had received. That was seventy plus years ago; attitudes have changed little since except that there are rather less clear references to Christmas; cards later referred to Xmas and now many simply carry the phrase “Season's Greetings”.
Even if a card carries a picture of the nativity the historic event is robbed of its true significance by a sentimentalised portrayal of the manger scene. The unconverted heart has and always will seek to sentimentalise, water down or dispose entirely with the message of Christmas but this is not surprising because that message demands a change of heart, a change that no one can make unaided.
An American folk carol has the words:
"I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
Why Jesus my saviour was born for to die,
For poor ordinary sinners like you and like I?
I wonder as I wander out under the sky."
Those words ponder the true meaning of Christmas; Jesus was born to die, not to become a sentimental picture on a Christmas card.
Before my own conversion at the age of Nineteen I, like so many, thought only of the feasting and merry-making of the season. But then, in October 1957, I had a profound encounter with Jesus Christ when my life and whole outlook were transformed. I recall my feelings so clearly when just two months later during my first Christmas as a Christian; a sense of awe gripped my soul as I came to understand the great mystery of the incarnation and I wondered, not why Christ was born but rather why He died for me?
The profound changes in my life and thinking were impressed on me by an incident that Christmas involving two friends; Mic and Gordon, who I had known since school days. At this time Mic and Gordon were in the army doing their National Service but my own call-up was deferred by my apprenticeship training and I only saw them when they were home on leave; as they were the week before that Christmas.
When I met them I told Mic and Gordon about my conversion but they weren't interested. A few days later in an effort to get more response from them I invited them to join a group of us from church carol singing round the streets in the local area and to my surprise they agreed. However, that invitation was naïve, as I was soon to realise.
Mic and Gordon didn't meet up with me before the carol singers set out as arranged and I was disappointed, but they caught up with us shortly after and I thought “great!”. However, Mic and Gordon had visited a few pubs before they joined us and were topped up with more than their fair share of “Christmas spirit”. They joked and laughed as we sang and joined in with irreverent school-boy versions of the carols. Eventually I had to leave the group with them and took them to Mic's home where I unsuccessfully tried for over two hours, in their semi-inebriated state, to convince them of their need.
Mic and Gordon never became Christians and that embarrassing experience taught me that it takes more, much more, than reason and argument to convince a sinner of his need. It is a work of the Holy Spirit as I realised upon reflection of my own conversion experience.
Sixty plus years on from my first real Christmas the sense of awe at the realisation that “Jesus my saviour was born for to die” still grips my soul and I rejoice as I sing Wesley's words;
" Hail, thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free!
From our sins and fears release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee."
Brian Cox
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Listen to this lovely advent Hymn by clicking or tapping the image below.
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The Thrill of Hope
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Our Carol Service this year is Sunday December 19th. Please share and make a note in your diary.
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You can find all our Hymns in one place on YouTube. If you have a YouTube account, subscribe to our channel and click the notification bell to receive updates on our uploads. And don't forget to 'like' our videos if you enjoy what you see.
Click here to view our complete Hymns playlist.
Click here to view of Playlist of Christmas Carols
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Catch up with services from last month
or just watch again.
Complete services with hymn videos can be viewed by
clicking the videos below.
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his Sunday our Pastor will be preaching on "Listening to The Holy Spirit". In Revelation chapters two and three we read seven letters addressed to seven churches and in each letter we read this phrase , "He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches." The Holy Spirit still speaks. We will take a look at this seven times mentioned phrase. Come and hear what we can expect when The Holy Spirit speaks.
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This Sunday our Pastor will be preaching on “The church with everything”. In the first century in what is today Turkey, the city of Laodicea was home to a church that saw itself as self-sufficient. That church had everything or so it thought. The Lord Jesus exposed its true state. We read about it all in Revelation chapter 3. What message is here for the church today? For churches in Redditch? Or churches in any place?
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This Sunday Tom Davenport will be preaching on “Praying like Paul, seeing like God.’ If you could pray like an apostle, what would you pray? On Sunday we will listen together as Paul, the great apostle, prays for a small and insignificant church in part of what is now Turkey. Listen as he turns the lights on to help them both see the future better and see what’s going on around them as God sees it.
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This Sunday our Pastor will be preaching on ” The church with a reputation”. Based on the letter to the church in Sardis in the first century, we take a look at what Jesus said about it. Everyone had heard of the Church at Sardis. It was alive! It was throbbing with activity. Perhaps looking in, other churches would like to have the reputation Sardis enjoyed, and rank in the top ten! In reality something was not right about it. The Lord’s verdict ……come and hear what this says to today’s church.
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