Well, here it is, my last sermon at Bearwood Chapel. And the context is not only that this marks our last day with you but also we are coming to the end of one year, starting a new one. This new year will be very different for most people to previous ones. We usually enter… Continue reading Lord for the years
Tag: Bearwood Chapel
The Accidental Church Planter (Part 2): The unexpected plant
It was a Saturday afternoon in early January and we had opened up the building for a half day of prayer. Towards the end, a cluster of people walked in. I knew two of them because they were regular attendees by now. They introduced us to the other couple. Jose and Patti were Mexican refugees… Continue reading The Accidental Church Planter (Part 2): The unexpected plant
The Accidental Planter (part 1)
Back in 2011, we had a series of church members meetings and an way day to tackle the theme “Space to Grow”. The Chapel building holds about 100 people, we can get up to 120 in at a squeeze with some overspill into the foyer. In reality the true, comfortable capacity of the building is… Continue reading The Accidental Planter (part 1)
“God has been so good to us”
We sat by the bed-side and leaned in close to listen. The lady was struggling to speak and it was hard to hear but the words came out oh so clearly “God has been so good to us.” It was hard to hold back the tears. We were visiting for a membership interview. The older… Continue reading “God has been so good to us”
“Who are these people?” … “These are our neighbours”
It was meant to be the year of street parties and festival. We were celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee year. However as is often the case, plans were disrupted by a summer wash out as the heavens opened. Some events were scaled back others cancelled. But we persisted in our organisation of a “Chapel Street Party”… Continue reading “Who are these people?” … “These are our neighbours”
The Promise: Christmas 2020
Here’s an update on our plans for Christmas this year. The Government have now confirmed that churches can re-open buildings for public worship regardless of which tier you are in (we opened on Sunday). Although singing remains against guidance in doors, it is now permitted outdoors. This has opened up the possibility of outdoor carols… Continue reading The Promise: Christmas 2020
The Promise
For those who follow the church calendar, we are entering the season of Advent. For those who like special calendars with a piece of chocolate each day, we are entering the season of Advent. Personally, I enjoy the build up to Christmas. I love carols, I love buying and squirrelling away presents, receiving cards and… Continue reading The Promise
New Horizons
Our time with Bearwood Chapel is coming to an end and I will complete my time with the church on the 31st December 2020. You may be aware that due to severe financial constraints, the Chapel has had to make its staff team redundant. There is a reminder there of the constant challenges that even… Continue reading New Horizons
Harvest Festival
It’s our annual Harvest Festival this weekend. Normally, we would be welcoming everyone to a packed Chapel building for a big service together and we would gather in collections of food. However, we are not in normal times. However, we still want to celebrate God’s goodness to us, have a sense of the whole church… Continue reading Harvest Festival
Moving out of lockdown – update
Over the summer we have been opening up the Chapel building every Sunday morning for a few people to come along and watch the service together. We have continued to provide a live stream service from different homes over that time. Today, we had our first go at running a live service from the building… Continue reading Moving out of lockdown – update
