News
Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies….
Important news about the future of the church and God’s work in Lostwithiel, look under sermons for the details and spiritual background.
The River Church is closing down, last public service, Sunday 4th May 2008
…..but there’s more to come……God is doing a new thing in Lostwithiel !
Pam Jarrett and Emma Julian going out to India for a couple weeks from 12th April - please pray for them, as temperatures are well over 40*C in the shade.
Intercessory Prayer changing days to a Wednesday, 1.30p.m. at Hilary’s for about an hour and a half.
EASTER
Special EasterCrunch - there’s a mystery to solve !
10.30 a.m.
23rd March
in the Scout Hall
(off main town car park, Lostwithiel)
All are very welcome
Believe that Isaiah 62 is prophetic for the River Church and Lostwithiel at present.
28th Feb. Graham recording a week’s worth of Thought for the Day at BBC Radio Cornwall.
w/b 25th Feb. Richard and Graham in Fowey College each day this week doing assemblies.
Where are we going ?
Exerts from a recent Pastor’s letter to the church:
……We all need to be loving and caring pastorally for each other, all of us - which is Biblical anyway, and many of you are doing that which is great. There is no spare energy in the church for passengers and spectators, so don’t be one. Give and love as the Lord has given to you, not thinking about what others should do for you, but what you can do for others.
I will re-emphasise again, the ‘Church’ is the body of true believers in Christ…..
….You will get out of a service what you bring to it….
…..If you come expecting it to be no good you will switch off, if you come with a critical spirit you will leave frustrated, if you come with a genuine desire to give your all to God in worship, and to seek God with all your heart, then it is likely you will meet with God and be blessed.
Make it an aim to pray before you come to a service and to be in a right attitude – you might be amazed at the difference it can make, I know from experience. We are not in the business of pandering to people’s wants and preferences. That has to do with the flesh, our self centred sinful nature, which we need to die to. Worship Services are not about us, they are about the Lord ! ….
…..As I said at the beginning of the year, we are in a pioneering, church plant situation. We are not looking for transfer growth from other churches, but for conversion growth of the un-churched.
Our attitudes, and what we hold precious culturally, will have to change if we are to grow in this way.
Obedience to God’s mission to spread the Gospel and make disciples, means sacrifices will have to be made by all of us…….
……I spoke about how we needed to die to our own wants and preferences, to see God’s purposes fulfilled, how we need to get rid of our prejudices, think outside the box, listen to the Holy Spirit, be open to new things, and not be constrained by past experience of church. …..
…..Different ages, different backgrounds, different experiences, even different ideas, but one heart and mind to seek God and His kingdom for Lostwithiel and the places where we live.
To proclaim the Gospel, to make disciples, to see Jesus glorified and exalted - we may have different ideas about how to do that, but we need to be united in working at this together.
It’s all about Him, not us, and in these difficult days before Christ’s return we need to remember that all the more, to ‘fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen’ – primarily on Jesus Himself.
There is no perfect church fellowship, all have their weaknesses and struggles, but a church fellowship is largely what you and I make it by our commitment, we are the Church…..
…..We all have a role to play and gifts that God wants us to use for His glory.
“Accept one another then, as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” Romans 15:7.
Our relationships need to be marked by grace, not judgementalism. Pray for more grace.
Before we point the finger at others, we need to examine our own life and heart before God.
Are you doing the things which make a church glorifying to God ? Is your attitude right ?
The enemy accuses, divides, deceives, and destroys - I have seen that activity at work recently.
We need to stand firm in Christ and not give into satan’s temptations, not to be like the Israelites in the wilderness, who when things got tough and weren’t going as they expected, complained and rebelled. God is calling us at this time to a deeper commitment to Himself. To survive with our faith and love intact, and be victorious in what is to come upon the world, we need to do this.
And to see God’s purposes fulfilled for this part of Cornwall, we need to do this.
As the song says, ‘This is no time for fear, this is a time for faith and determination’.
Be determined to live in grace, be determined to love, determined to trust, determined to give all you are to Jesus Christ, and to serve others in His power.
…..A good place to start is in prayer, humbling ourselves, seeking after God, allowing Him to examine our hearts and repenting where we need to – this is something for all of us to do !
……Some people have forsaken ‘church’ because they find it too painful or tough, and say you can be a Christian without being part of a local fellowship (not a Biblical view). Or they hop from one church to another looking for a perfect church that doesn’t exist, becoming more disillusioned and bitter. Why should we expect everyone else to be perfect Christians when we are not perfect ourselves ?
- it makes no sense.
We are all sinful people, who have come to know the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Do we really believe that, have we really accepted that reality ?
For the sake of unity (as well as our salvation), it’s vital that we do. It’s all of God’s grace.
Biblically, I am 100% convinced that Church, God’s people together (not separate) in Christ, is central to God’s purposes for the world. These are tough times and require us to be strong and courageous. To not forsake the love of God. To “not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but to encourage one another”. Church is what you and I make it to be by following the head, that is Jesus Christ, and letting the Holy Spirit flow through us, serving others.
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity amongst yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 15:5,6.
New Sunday Programme
In every month :
1st & 3rd Sunday – Informal Worship Service, with communion.
Includes Sunday School for under 11’s.
2nd Sunday – Family Service.
4th Sunday – “The Crunch”
Special Magazine Style Program.
5th Sunday (where there is one)
– Spiritual Creative Arts Program.
Fit For Life
Pam and Rita are trialing this course. If you are interested in holistic eating, then why not give Pam a ring and join them 01208 873305.