Unmissable Offer!

1 Jul 2019 • Articles

To the lovely people in the Uttoxeter Area

“REVEALED: there are new offers now live! Unmissable offers for the whole family.”

This is the announcement of one of the promotional emails from a local store that dropped into my inbox today! If only we could use it as an announcement of our Christian faith. At this time of Pentecost the Holy Spirit became available to the disciples- and remains available even through July and August and beyond! Revealed: this offer of power from God is both the new thing that we all need, and the power of God that has been recycled through many disciples. For those of us who lead services, it is an ongoing challenge to ensure that what we say about God is true to the Bible(recycled truth), and newly relevant to our daily lives, and speaks to each member of God’s diverse family.

Performers are particularly aware of the influence of the audience, a choir singing to a generous enthusiastic audience are much more likely to give of their best. When giving a talk at work it is so much easier to help people if they are open to finding the information useful. Equally members of the congregation can underestimate the influence they have from the pew, and how much difference their friendly offering makes, small kindnesses can have a surprising effect.

As an Area of Churches working together there are always changes, and sadly we will be saying goodbye to Rev John Jukes and Denise at the end of the summer. We thank them for their ministry in the Uttoxeter Area and wish them God’s blessing in all the exciting new opportunities which come their way in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Change is always happening; in the workplace, in politics in our family lives, and it can be unsettling and sometimes unbelievably tough. However, whether lay or ordained, we all have opportunities to reveal God’s love to others and to live in this somewhat dysfunctional, but very blessed extended family that is the Body of Christ.

Through the summer we can hopefully look forward to sunny weather, some holiday time with family and friends and also find some time to pray and reflect on our part in God’s everyday ministry as revealed through the Holy Spirit to us in a changing world.

With best wishes

Lucy

Lucy Toyn Reader in Uttoxeter Area