George recently spoke on change at a Wednesday night Home group meeting. One of the things we have seen since we arrived here is how much is changing in the church – all the time! Have you taken a look at our program lately? All sorts of new things have been added in the last year. One of the exciting new things we are doing is partnering with the Bear church from the high street, and ‘Sure Start’ to run a parent and toddler group on a Thursday afternoon in our church hall, and Friday morning in their church hall. If you know anyone who might be interested in coming, please feel free to pick up a leaflet from the table at the back after the service.
Another thing that has changed is to do with our buildings. The Café has been sold, and so has the Princess Louise Institute (the ‘Old’ building). Last night at the Prayer Meeting, Karen felt a word from God for us as a church as we face the future, and the changes we have been experiencing, but especially in regard to the situation with the buildings. I’ll let her share it here in her own words:
It feels like with the sale of the Old building that we are in a physical and literal way loosing territory. I was led to the Prayer of Jabez in I Chronicles Chapter 4:10:
“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.”I feel that we should be praying this prayer for our church. Even if we loose territory in the physical God can increase our territory spiritually and also our influence in the community. At the moment our building is used by the Waldron Centre on Wednesday mornings and also by the Bear Church on a Thursday afternoon and then by the Eden church Sunday afternoon and Thursday evening. I also feel that we also need to pray that we do not become a “pain” to the Shaftesbury Society because we refuse to sign a lease. Jabez name means “Pain”!!
God bless!
Dale and Karen
just to clarify - 24 Troutbeck Road and the cafe were sold not by our church but by the Shaftesbury Society itself who technically and legally owned all the premises. All monies went to them as far as I'm aware. Now the Princess Louise Institute, the "old building", has been sold but this time it may be that we are given a small amount of the proceeds to spend on the remaining premises, perhaps on enlarging the flat or renovating the "hidden garden". Please note that the Shaftesbury Society is massively in the red and understandably must be looking at every available way to reduce their debt. Check out the Society's wonderful work by clicking the link to the left.
Posted by: Alan | June 03, 2004 at 01:30 AM