The talk from the Carol Service

The talk from today's Carol Service is available online here.

Carol Service

Farewell Ann

God bless you Ann as you move on to continue serving the Lord at St Luke's and St Paul's.

Thank you for everything!

Nativity - 16th December 2012

I am the true vine - Sermon from Sunday Evening 9th December

The sermon from Sunday evening 9th December is  online here.

Jesus said "I am...I am the true vine

John 15:1-17

Knitted together - Sermon from Sunday Morning 9th December

The sermon from Sunday morning 9th December is  online here.

Ephesians 4:1-16

CATH Sleepout

Well done to Nicola, Johan , and Faye for completing the sleepout in aid of Chester Aid to the Homeless (CATH), one of Chester’s leading charities, founded in 1972 to provide help and support to the area’s homeless people.

Hennies Blog for December

Dear All,

Advent Greetings! Advent means 'coming' or 'arrival' - a season of quiet and joyful expectancy as we wait, watch, & pray for the arrival of God's Son into the world - Immanuel - God with us. And also as we prepare for the second coming of Christ at the end of time, when He will return to judge the world, and make all things new.  As we are so aware, the season of Advent can be so easily taken over by the frenzy of Christmas, that it gets completely lost in the midst of the tinsel tunnel. At St. Mark's we have already had our Christingle Service, and Nikki and I this morning are taking the Christmas story into Lache Primary School.

So can I encourage all who read this blog to try and embrace the season of Advent, if only in part. I think Advent is a good time to reflect back on the year, a spiritual audit if you like, and ask ourselves how are we doing as disciples of Christ?  What spiritual disciplines have we become complacent in? How is our daily prayer life and reading of the Bible?  Our giving - is it really generous and sacrificial in response to what Jesus has done for us, and given usl? Do others see Christ in us, in our forgiving, in our loving and in our sharing of faith?

Over the past two days we have had the privilege of being ministered too by Ash Kotecha, at the 6.30 pm service on Sunday, and last night, a brother in Christ with the ministry of healing and evangelism.  And he asked 'how could anyone not share the love of Christ with others'?  My personal bible reading this morning is entitled 'Love in Action' - telling the story of how Ananias was used by God to go and lay hands on Saul and restore to him his sight.  Ananias was a man of deep and perfectly natural spirituality, and was someone who regularly held conversations with Jesus - and because of this, was free to question his commission with Christ!  But because he was in constant communion, he heard again the mission Jesus had for him, and was obedient to that call.  He took a great risk - knowing Saul had been on his own mission to bind up all believers in Damascus (Acts 9). However, when he arrived at the house to which Jesus had instructed him to go, he laid hands on him, and said, 'Brother Saul', Jesus has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit' (v. 17). What a transformation, from an ardent opponent to a brother in Christ.

Love in Action - and there cannot be a more amazing love in action than what we wait and watch for this Advent season.  The love demonstrated to us by the Incarnation - the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ - the Word made flesh who came to live amongst us. 'He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God' (John 1: 11 -12). Jesus sent by God to us, to restore our sight, and transform us into brothers and sisters in Christ. Love in Action says to us this Advent and Christmas season, you cannot keep this love to yourselves, as individuals, or as a gathering of God's people, the church, it is a love that must be shared. The prayer accompanying my bible reading today reads, 'Teach me, Lord, the importance of seizing every opportunity to be a help to someone on their journey towards faith'

There are many opportunities to share the love of Christ with others, perhaps by inviting a friend, family member, neighbour, work colleague or college/school friend to one of the different services that St. Mark's is offering over the next few weeks.  Or why not invite them to Messy Church this Thursday, 6th December, in Lache Community Centre, or to the festive Christmas cafe on Thursday 20th Dec in the Link @St. Mark's? We cannot share God's love in our own strength, but only in, and through, the power of the Holy Spirit. So as you wait and watch, pray to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, so that you are equipped and empowered, to go out and put love into action this Advent, and Christmas season.

'Loving God and making His love known'.

May you have a blessed and joyful month of waiting and watching, in anticipation of great celebrations this Christmastide.

Hennie

Christingle Service

Pastor Nadarkhani at CSW conference

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was a special guest speaker at For Such a Time as This, CSW’s National Conference in London on 10 November, where he thanked those who had prayed and petitioned on his behalf during his incarceration in Iran for almost three years.

"It is the opportunity for me to share about what the Lord did for me and to thank you because you supported me by your prayers, you supported my family in a very difficult time,” he said.

“My prayer is I ask the Lord to bless you for what you did for me as a small member of the body of Christ. Today my presence here is the will of God and the result of what your prayers did for me.”

Pastor Nadarkhani also spoke at four services at Holy Trinity Brompton on 11 November, and will shortly be returning to his family in Rasht, Iran.

The pastor was sentenced to death for apostasy in 2010 but released on 8 September 2012 after a court appearance in which he was acquitted of apostasy but found guilty of evangelizing Muslims. Although he was sentenced to three years imprisonment, he was released as he was deemed to have already served his time.

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, "It was a pleasure to welcome Pastor Nadarkhani to our conference and to hear his testimony of faith and perseverance, and of his love for God, for his family and for his nation. His quiet courage, integrity and lack of recrimination cannot fail to have inspired anyone who heard him to deepen their own commitment to their faith.”

Healing service this Sunday

This Sunday 2nd December at 6:30 - Healing service and Communion with guest speaker Ash Kotecha.

Ash was raised a Hindu but came to Christ in 1979 after a dramatic out of body experience. He went to Bible school where he met Sharon his wife and they have one daughter Esther.
 Ash worked as an assistant pastor and eventually in 1987 pioneered a church in Central London. The church grew to around 200 people and in 1997 Ash and Sharon handed over the church as God was calling them to the evangelistic field.
 Ash’s healing ministry began soon after his conversion as he faced tremendous persecution from family and friends.

Sermons from Sunday 25th November 2012

The sermons from Sunday 25th November are available to listen online here.

Values of our vision Malachi 3: 6-18
I am the resurrection and the life John 11: 17-27

Sermon from Sunday Morning 18th November 2012

The sermon from Sunday morning 18th November is online here.

1 Corinthians 12: 1 - 11

Remembrance Day Sermon 11th November 2012

The sermon from our Remembrance Service on Sunday morning 11th November is  online here.

Romans 5: 1-11

Sermon from Sunday Evening 11th Novenber 2012

 The sermon from Sunday evening 11th November is  online here.

Continuing in our evening teaching series on Jesus said “I am… I am the good shepherd John 10: 11-18

Hennie's Blog for November

Dear All,

Apologies for being a few days late - though I see I wrote last year's on 7th November - so perhaps this is God's timing and not mine! As I write this from my new desk (very pleased with it - and thank you Kevin for putting it together!), I look out of my study window and watch the birds devouring their bird seed, and the leaves turning golden brown - confirmation of Autumn and soon to be Advent.  Meanwhile a certain four legged friend is happily asleep, no doubt somewhere where she shouldn't be!

This morning, as some of us gathered together for Morning Prayer in the Side Chapel, we were reminded from our NT reading from Revelation that, 'let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches'. And I have been so encouraged during this past month as  we, at St. Mark's, I believe, are becoming eager to desire the spiritual gifts that God longs to give us for the building of His Kingdom, and having our ears open to what He wants to say to us.  I think that has been very evident from the Prayer Ministry Team now meeting regularly before the 11 am and 6.30 service to listen to God, and to hear what the Spirit may be saying to us, corporately and as individuals.  I praise God that He spoke to Jill Pearson at New Wine about raising up this area of ministry - she listened, she heard, and she acted!  Talking about New Wine another reminder that the very early bird rate ends on the 30th November, and it would be so good if a number of us all went together again next August. 

Looking back over October it has been a very exciting time at St. Mark's.  The month started by us hosting the Open Doors Roadshow which was a very powerful evening as we were reminded of the incredible faith of the Persecuted Church.  Eddie Lyle came with his committed and tireless team, together with Pastor Fawzi who shared with us the reatlity of being a follower of Christ in his country, and  relayed some amazing testimonies.  I hope and pray that our experience of that shared time together, will motivate us even more to pray, support, and act on behalf of our brothers and sisters, who in many parts of the world are in fear of their lives because of their love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Also during October we held our first CAP (Christians Against Poverty) course offering help and advise to those wanting to know how to  budget  finances more resourcefully. Our four CAP money coaches were very encouraged by those who came on the course, and will now be thinking and praying as to when and how we can offer this course to the wider community.  Please join them in prayer.

Our Alpha course also started in October and again we are very encouraged by the number of guests attending - made up of regular members of St. Mark's, as well as guests who saw the banner and are enquiring about the Christian faith.  We have also been blessed by different people offering to cook, serve and wash up, and to lead and help in the small groups.  Please continue to pray for the course, and especially for this coming Saturday when we join with other churches for the Holy Spirit Away Day. May everyone attending encounter the power of the living God.

October is the month when we celebrate Harvest - thanking God for all His good gifts - and we did so with St. Mark's Autumn Bash. Another opportunity of opening the church to the local community, and collecting food for the local charity Save the Family.  Thank you to all who gave their time in organising the event, gig, and Sunday worship.

There is much more I could share, but as I come into land October was also the time when we said goodbye to Adam and Kate as God leads them on to new pastures.  We had a great evening thanking Adam for all that he has done ministering to the children and young people, and also celebrating his 30th Birthday.  A very big thank you to all of you who were involved in so many different ways, from the catering to the very creative entertainment!  We wish them well, and do continue to keep them in your prayers.

And as God leads Adam and Kate to new pastures, so he continues to lead us.  I re-iterate what I said last month following a picture that was given of 'a piece of knitting as all one thread'.  Let us pray that we all might be knitted tightly together as we too move forward into new pastures.  Crossing into a new place can be very frightening, and as we begin to put the Vision into practice, and put the words into action, I know that, for some, it won't be easy, in fact for some it will be very painful, and fearful.  But it is the perfect love of God that drives out all fear, and as we looked at the peace of God last Sunday I think He wants to reassure us that His peace is for all of us, and especially for such time as this.

'Now may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of us.'  (2 Thessalonians 3: v. 16).

With love and prayers, Hennie

D'Biz Cafe opens this Friday

New this Friday D'Biz Cafe at St Mark's Church.

Find us on facebook

And follow us on Twitter

A free to enter Drop in café

for young people in Year 7 to 11.

Why not drop in and chillout or play some cards. Maybe
even get on Lache FM with our video and radio projects.

Enjoy some Hot Chocolate or home-made cakes and snacks!

7 – 8:30pm @ St.Marks Church

International Day of prayer for the Persecuted Church

Sunday 4th November is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

We invite you to use this special prayer each day in November.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You that You sent Jesus to set the captives free.

Thank You that in Christ, we are free.

Grant freedom to all Your children around the world who are living under the grip of discrimination, persecution or oppression.

Renew their strength as they wait and hope on You.

Lift them up on wings like eagles so that they may not grow weary or faint.

Show us how we can serve them as Jesus would have done.

Help us to be Your hands and feet in bringing them freedom and justice.

Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen

Please take time to visit the display in the Link where we invite you to encourage a brother or sister in Cuba. Break off a link of the chains hanging there to read their story. Take it away with you.

Could you pray for that person every day in November?

Could you write them a letter and post it to the address on the chain. Cards to use and a sample letter can be found on the Mission desk.

New Wine 2013 - Super Early Bird Discount

Experience renewal, fresh vision and new ideas at New Wine’s Summer Conference 2013.

A group from St Mark's will be going!

Saturday 3 August – Friday 9 August

Newark & Nottinghamshire County Showground, Newark.

Book before 30th November

to get the supper early bird discount.

The Church is designed by God to be the ‘light of the world’

(Matt 5:14) – to shine brightly and influence our community 

and culture.

In an age of consumerism that has given rise to immediacy, 

sound bites and twitter feeds, now is the time for the church 

to go Deeper:

• Deeper into the presence of God.
• Deeper into the eternally relevant word of God.
• Deeper into the multiplication of inclusive communities of grace.
• Deeper into the unreached sectors of society with the transforming power of God’s love.

Each year the New Wine Summer Conference provides the opportunity to take our hearts deeper into the love of God through worship; our minds deeper into the truth of God through teaching; and our wills deeper into the mission of God through prayer and challenge.

Add to that the excitement of family and friends camping and caravanning together in the glorious English countryside!

So come and join us in Summer 2013 to go deeper with God and bring change to our nation.

• Encounter God in heartfelt worship

• Learn through his Word and from his Spirit

• Be renewed to know him better

• Be healed and transformed in body, mind and spirit

• Get equipped to serve him in new ways

• Gain fresh vision from what he is doing elsewhere in the world

• Be part of something that’s bigger than any local church
Check out the New Wine web site for more info or to make a booking.

Home Group Notes from Sunday 21st October 2012

An encounter of a different kind... with transformation

Acts 9:1-19

You can read the passage here.

 

What is your own faith story – did you have a moment when things “clicked” in terms of belief in Christ (either in a dramatic fashion like Saul or something more gradual)?

How do you think Ananias felt when he was asked to go and lay hands on Saul?

To welcome Saul into the church meant forgiving him for what he had done to so many Christians - what’s the hardest thing about forgiveness?

Saul seemed a very unlikely person to become a Christian or to be welcomed into the fellowship of the church – are there people that you look at and think “well, there’s no point praying for or welcoming people like that”?

Sermon from Sunday Morning 21st October

The sermon from Sunday morning 21st October is online here.

The final part in our morning teaching series on "An encounter of a different kind" An encounter of a different kind #6 - with transformation Acts 9: 1 – 19a

Sermon from Sunday Evening 14th October 2012

 The sermon from Sunday evening 14th October is  online here.

The third in our evening teaching series on Jesus said “I am… I am the gate John10: 1-10

Home Group Notes from Sunday 14th October 2012

An encounter of a different kind... with openness

Luke 19: 1-10

You can read the passage here.

1. What would be your response if someone asked you what was the most exciting thing about encountering Jesus?

2. Can you relate to this quote , 'I finally realised that my greatest fear is not being alone; it's being vulnerable?

3. What do you think an 'open' church should look like?

Sermon from Sunday Morning 14th October 2012

The sermon from Sunday morning 14th October is online here.

This Sunday we continue in our morning teaching series on "An encounter of a different kind" An encounter of a different kind #5 - with openness Luke 19: 1-10

Home Group Notes from Sunday 30th September 2012

An encounter of a different kind... with thankfulness

Luke 17:11-19

You can read the passage here.

What most strikes you from the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers in Luke 17? How do you think the different people in this story are feeling?

What are you most thankful for today?

What might be the ways in which you could put into practice leading a more thankful life? Are there things you already do or could start doing that help you live more thankfully? What do you struggle with in this area?

Sermon from Sunday Morning 30th September 2012

The sermon from Sunday morning 30th September is online here.

This Sunday we continue in our new morning teaching series on "An encounter of a different kind" An encounter of a different kind #4 - with thankfulness Luke 17:11-19

Hennie's October blog

Dear All,

This time last year I can remember beginning my blog by saying that I had been walking Chanty in shorts with the temperature reaching as high as 25 c (rather rare for October). This week walks have been in waterproofs and wellies - and some days waders would have been more appropriate than wellies with a month's rain falling in a few days, and temperature falling as low as 12 c!  

Well that is the temperature of the English weather, but I believe the spiritual temperature of St. Mark's is quietly rising. And I think this started this time last year following our first 24 hours of prayer which we had from Friday 30th September to Saturday 1st October, in preparation for our Parish Weekend Away later in October.  And of course we have just finished our second 24 hrs of prayer which we held from Friday 28th to Sat 29th Sept focussing on putting our Vision into Practice.

There were various different prayer stations where one could focus on Our identity being in Jesus Christ; Our purpose: 'Loving God and making His love known'; Our values - valuing the Word of God and the use of God's spiritual gifts, seeking to become a more open, prayerful, loving, thankful, forgiving, generous and encouraging community for the glory of God; and Our Vision - to be a church called to be God's people, to worship, serve and grow, and to see lives of all ages continualy transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit by deepening our relationship with God, growing our relationship with one another, and developing our relationship with the local community and wider world.  It was a powerful time of prayer as we took time and space to be with God; to listen to Him, to hear from Him, and be ministered to by Him through the work of the Holy Spirit.  People arrived in very different places spiritually, emotionally and physically, but many commented that they really felt the presence of God, and heard Him speak into their personal lives, and into the life of the church.

I have had time today to reflect on what many people felt God saying, and who recorded what they heard by writing in the various notepads that were distributed around the church.  There are number of common threads which I would like to share, and ask all who read this blog to pray into them, and let me have your thoughts. 

A real desire that personal lives, and the life of the church be filled with the Holy Spirit; a recognition that it must be God's will and not ours; a number of people felt God calling them to 'TRUST IN HIM'; an understanding that it is our responsibility to bring people to God, not someone else's; a real desire for the church to be inclusive of all people; and to be humble, honouring others, living in harmony, and respecting others; a greater generosity of hearts within St. Mark's of time, talents, resources and money; not to do things in our own strength but believing that nothing is impossible for God; and how God would love us to love Him with the outrageous love that He loves us with.  These are the common threads, but I thank God for every scripture, prayer or thought that He gave to those who came throughout the 24 hrs.

A word was also shared yesterday in church which I feel God is wanting us to take on board, especially in the climate of change that we are presently experiencing.  When praying about the Church's Vision someone felt God was calling us to be 'All One in Christ Jesus' with the reassurance we are all children of God through faith (Galatians 3: v. 26 - 29). And with this scripture came this picture - 'a piece of knitting is all one thread. Each member of God's family at St. Mark's are individual stitches carefully knitted together. If the stitching is loose there will be gaps which represent divisions between people. If we are tightly 'knitted together' divisions are lessened and we will be effective, interdependent and 'All one in Christ Jesus'. Let us pray that we all might be knitted tightly together as we move foreward into new pastures.

The other area of ministry I would like to draw your attention to is Alpha.  During September we prayed for a number of houses, streets, and cul de sacs, and delivered invitations to Alpha around the Boundary Lane area of the parish. A number of us also attended the Alpha Accelerate Day held at Northgate Church for a day of worship and teaching aimed at those running an Alpha course, with input from Holy Trinity Brompton, London - and was much appreciated by those who attended from St. Mark's. On Thursday 27th September we had two tables at the Alpha Celebration Meal held at the Show Boat, Chester, where over 200 people heard a very powerful testimony from a guy who had been converted to Christianity through the Alpha course while in prison.  Let us pray for all the Alpha courses starting shortly in Chester, and especially ours which starts next Wednesday 10th October.  Pray for the team, especially Geoff Belton, pray for those who have signed up to come; pray for all who have volunteered to help in the catering, serving, welcome, and washing/clearing up.  Pray that lives of all ages will be transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Lastly, I heard a well known Canadian, Guy Chevreau, talk last Tuesday at the Link Up Churches Retreat. He was talking about the vital signs of a healthy church, and he emphasised the importance of generous hearts & healthy prayer lives - especially praying in the secret places. So let's keep on praying in our private lives, and corporately as a church  - Jesus said, 'when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father'. (Matthew 6: v.6).

May God be close to you this month.


Hennie

24 hours of prayer - video

A video from the 24 hours of prayer is available to view

For a High Definition version of this and other videos 

from St Marks check out the "Video Channel" above

Sermon from Sunday Evening 23rd September 2012

 The sermon from Sunday evening 23rd September is  online here.

The second in our new evening teaching series on Jesus said “I am… I am the light of the world John 8:12-20

Home Group Notes from Sunday 23rd September 2012

An encounter of a different kind... with obedience

Luke 5:27-32

You can read the passage here.

Whom do you empathise most easily with in the story of Luke 7: 36 -50, and why?

Why do we find it so hard to receive God's forgiveness?

What did you make of Hennie's interpretation of the woman's act of anointing being an act of worship? And what impact should it have on us at St. Mark's as a worshipping community?