We are profoundly grateful to our gracious and generous God for all the blessings He lavishes upon his children.
We are full of thanksgiving for all the hard work and commitment of so many in our two churches who worked so hard or offered themselves so unstintingly to contribute to the success of the week. There were more than 550 people at the total number of events (apart from students at Latimer Community Arts College, Bishop Stopford School and Barton Seagrave Primary School). Over 60 copies of "Me, a Christian?" (the evangelistic booklet) were taken during the week. Many people valued the informed contacts and chats with the Cornhill Team; to whom we offer our unreserved thanks.
Now we must look forward. We must pray that the seed of the Word of God, which was sown, will bear a lot of fruit. We must pray that the evangelistic booklets taken, are read and that real believing faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour is the outcome.
The opportunities at Latimer Community Arts College were particularly valuable. Our challenge, now, is to try to maintain the good work commenced there, in particular the voluntary midday lunchtime meeting. The Christians on the staff at Latimer should have a key role in this. We believe that the next step would be a short series of Basic Christianity sessions, perhaps 5 or 6 in number to be run weekly at lunch times between now and Easter.
For those who came over the Church or Church House threshold for the first time, we must now invite them to other appropriate events and services. Our Sunday Morning sermons are deliberately focussing on Jesus,: "Who is He?" he replies by saying "I am the Good Shepherd: I am the Bread of Life: I am the resurrection and the Life" etc. etc. - a sermon series with newcomers and enquirers especially in mind.
As I write, I can't help thinking of Paul's words:- "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do; forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus"
(Philippians 3 v 12-14)
with love,
Martin Perris, Rector