The Messenger Parish Magazine of St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich with St John the Evangelist, Byley The Empty Tomb March 2013 50p Service plan for March 2013 3rd March– 3rd Sunday in Lent 8.00 am Middlewich Communion 9.15 am Middlewich Communion 11.00 am Middlewich All Age Worship 11.00 am Byley Morning Praise 4.00 pm Middlewich Bereavement Service 10th March– 4th Sunday in Lent, Mothering Sunday 9.15 am Middlewich Communion 11.00 am Middlewich Morning Praise 11.00 am Byley Family Service 2.30 pm Middlewich Baptism 6.30 pm Middlewich Confirmation (Bishop John Hayden) 17th March– 5th Sunday in Lent 9.15 am Middlewich Communion 11.00 am Middlewich Communion 11.00 am Byley Morning Prayer 6.30 pm Middlewich Church @ 28 24th March– Palm Sunday 9.15 am Middlewich Communion 11.00 am Middlewich Morning Praise 11.00 am Byley Communion 2.30 pm Middlewich Baptism 6.30 pm Middlewich Palm Praise Thursday 28th March– Maundy Thursday 7.30 pm Middlewich Maundy Thursday Communion Friday 29th March– Good Friday 2.00 pm Middlewich Good Friday Meditation 2 31st March– Easter Sunday 9.15 am Middlewich Communion 11.00 am Middlewich Family Communion 11.00 am Byley Communion No Evening Service on Easter Sunday Healing Service each Tuesday at 9.30 am Communion Service each Thursday at 9.30 am St Michael’s Church Office 28 Hightown, Middlewich, CW10 9AN 01606 738005 Office hours 10am-2pm Monday-Friday Office Manager : Beth Deakin [email protected] For further contact details please see p20 … FUNCTIONS AT NUMBER 28 All the rooms at Number 28, which is opposite the Church, are available for rent when not being used by the Church. The rooms seat between 8 and 60 people, are well appointed and would suit private functions or business meetings. A full commercial standard kitchen is also available. Go to the Number 28 Website www.at28.org/roomhire to see details, or phone the office on 01606 738005. 3 Wednesday Group within the Circle of Care Where Listening Matters Come and Join us for Afternoon Tea @ Number 28 On the second and last Wednesdays in the month St Michael’s provides an opportunity for you to spend time with people who care. We offer a friendly place, afternoon tea and chat, also a lift for those who need one. Listening matters at Number.28! We have a quiet room where we will listen and pray with you (but only if you wish). So please come and join us. For more information Contact:- Elaine Reynolds on 01606 832596 or Merle Ikin on 01606 832636 There is always someone available to pray with you after services. Just ask. It’s good to pray! Equally, if you would like someone to come and pray with you at any time speak to : Sylvia, Elaine or Sue Ikin. 4 From The Rector: Dear Friends, I want to begin with some words from the late David Watson describing the cross on which Jesus died. It’s the picture of violence – yet the key to peace A picture of suffering – yet the key to healing A picture of death – yet the key to life A picture of weakness – yet the key to power A picture of punishment – yet the key forgiveness A picture of vicious hatred – yet the key to love A picture of supreme shame… ...yet the Christian’s supreme boast! For many people the Christian faith, or religion as some like to say, covers many things. It brings comfort and peace, meaning and purpose. It teaches us to be kind and compassionate, patient and good. It has for several centuries been at the very core of English society, so much so that many people call themselves Christian without really understanding what that means. The stories of Good Friday and Easter Day lie at the very heart of the Christian faith. Here in the cross and the empty tomb we come face to face with what human life is fundamentally about – God’s love. That love however is not presented in a free and easy ‘sugar daddy’ style, for not only is God love, but he is also holy and just. That is why Easter Day must be preceded by Good Friday. You cannot bypass the cross of Christ. St Paul speaks of this in the opening chapter of his first letter to the church at Corinth. We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called … Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:23-24). Today we can read in place of the Jews the religious establishment, and that includes much of the church, for whom the death of Jesus on the cross is an unwelcome intrusion into an otherwise comfortable system of moral teaching and comforting words. For the Gentiles we can see the secular, non-Christian society in which we live, for whom the story of Jesus death is literally a foolish notion. But the truth of the matter is this – there is no eternal life without the forgiveness of the cross, no place in heaven without receiving the mercy of God at Calvary. There is not reconciliation between man and God, unless we first unite ourselves with Jesus Christ at the cross. For it is the cross of Christ, and no other place, where we find the power and wisdom of God at work. 5 So forget the chocolate eggs, fluffy bunnies, spring flowers and newborn lambs. If you do not recognise your need for forgiveness and come to the cross of Christ seeking God’s mercy and love then Easter will be an empty, meaningless experience. As the old saying goes – No pain, no gain! Yours in Christ Simon Drew All For Christ + Christ For All A five year strategy for St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Middlewich Back in November of last year the PCC and the staff team spent some time thinking about a longer term strategy for St Michael’s Church. The overall desire was to see growth both physical and spiritual. Since then our prayers, reflections and discussions have led us to develop a five year strategy based around the five areas of discipleship, mission and resources. Over the next few months we will seek to share that in a short series of articles. The strategy strap line & mission statement are: All For Christ + Christ For All Committed to Discipleship, effective in Mission, and faithful in Stewardship So what do we mean by committed to discipleship? To be a disciple of Jesus is different to being a believer in Jesus. There is more to it than being part of a Sunday congregation. It is best illustrated by looking at Jesus and his 12 disciples. For three years Jesus went around Palestine, teaching, healing, and performing miracles. Great crowds followed him (see the feeding of the 5,000 for example). But he only chose 12 disciples in those three years. Men who put aside businesses and family duties to follow him, to be with him, to witness the great events and to learn from him. There were good times and bad times on the road but they stuck with him (well 11 of them did!). After his death and resurrection Jesus sent the remaining 11 out to ‘make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19). Not converts, not believers but disciples! So they did. It took perseverance, sacrifice and effort, but they went and made new disciples. They were committed to the process because they knew and loved Jesus Christ. We are still called to become disciples of Jesus today. Discipleship is about relationships, about a relationship with Jesus, and a relationship with others. It is through relationships that we learn and grow in our Christian faith. With that in mind we have a 5 year discipleship aim: 1) A minimum of 50% of the active adult worshipping congregation to be engaged in discipleship groups. 2) As Christians we need to encourage one another in our daily lives, read the bible together, and support each other in prayer. Will you join us as together we commit ourselves to being disciples of Jesus Christ? 6 When you die, 10 things GOD won't ask you: 1..... God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation. .2..... God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home. 3..... God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet. He'll ask how many you helped to clothe. 4..... God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it. 5..... God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability. 6..... God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend. 7..... God won't ask in what neighbourhood you lived. He'll ask how you treated your neighbours. 8..... God won't ask about the colour of your skin. He'll ask about the content of your character. 9..... God won't ask why it took you so long to find Him and ask Him into your house. He'll lovingly take you to heaven and not to the gates of Hell. 10..... God won't have to ask how many people you passed this on to.