Back To School...

... and back to blog posts!

It has been a long time since either of us wrote anything on our blog. And despite the vast amount there is to tell you, I don't have a vast amount of time to write about it. However I am aiming to begin doing a monthly update of family matters and due to a change of circumstance at work (see below) I have some hope of managing to do it!
I've called this "Back to school" because I really didn't want to call it "Another go at keeping our blog up to date" or whatever the last entry was called! But also because the kids have gone back to school and this time Rebekah has gone with them. She is now 4, far to cute (in my humble opinion) and in reception class full time. Reuben (7) is now in year 3 and Joshua (10) in year 6 and off to secondary school next year! Much of the last two weeks has been visiting various secondary schools' open days. It has been very interesting doing the rounds, especially with the perspective of being a primary school governor. This time next week we will be making our choices. At the moment Helen, Joshua and I are all in agreement as to which one ought to be our first choice. More next time.

Meanwhile life at church has been moving at pace this year. It has been a real joy to welcome more people into the church and see the church growing. It is a blessing that as the church grows its welcoming and genuinely caring atmosphere remains. We appointed two young men as deacons towards the start of the year. They are settling into their roles well and taking some of the strain of practical stuff around the church away from the elders. (The elders are loving it!) Speaking of elders, we have a new elder in the form of a new assistant pastor. Simon Pethick has been placed with us for the last 3 years while studying at Oak Hill Theological College. Quite remarkably we have been able to appoint him as assistant pastor starting September. This has made an enormous change to my working week and means a whole lot of work that seemed constantly on the back burner is now getting done (like blog updates!).

Another new development at church is "Connected" our new Sunday evening meeting. It is a little different, and we hope will begin to take off. It has been really good to welcome new people in to discuss the truth of the gospel and impact the gospel has and ought have in our lives. Watch this space as we seek to move this new work forward.

There is loads more I could say, but I am going to sign off for the moment. Please get in touch if you want to know any more. I hope that you will find these little updates useful!
God bless you,

Chris

P.S. Here's a final photo for you to enjoy of my gorgeous wife!

10 years married

Here is a picture of us as we went out on our 10th wedding anniversary. Just using it to see if my blogger ap is now working properly!

Sporty day

Had a good time today. On hols in Dorset. Spent the morning at Jubilee Field in my parents' village. Here's a pic of the boys playing football where I used to play football when I was their age. Rebekah  had fun on the slide playing with a couple of girls also visiting grandparents I think.

Then late morning and into the afternoon I took Josh out for his first ever turn on a big adult golf course. Double my par was his par. We played ten holes and tied 3-3! I need a rest now.

In the background of the picture is the village church. Through the ministry of the rector and this church I became a Christian 19 years ago!

New blog old blog

Decided to start a new blog to cover church and pastoral stuff. Going to try and use this one to update on family news. See how we go. Have downloaded a new app for my phone which should help a bit.

Resurrection Day

We've been in Peru for almost a week now (more on that at a later date) but I thought I really should say a little about last Sunday at SJWRBC. It was Easter Sunday and we had a very blessed day. We reached the end of Mark's gospel, which we've been looking at for just over a year now. Great to see Jesus promise to be raised back to life attested to by eyewitnesses, and alive to bring forgiveness for us and entrance into the kingdom of God for all who repent and believe. We had a few new faces looking for a church and a number of visitors for Noon's baptism.

It was great to baptise Noon on Easter Sunday. He has been with the church for a few years now and a Christian a little longer than that. We heard how the Lord had led him to faith and then how he came to desire baptism and be a working part of this church. It is a joy to see the Lord working his grace out in the life of an individual, adding them to his church and challenging them to love and good works. May the Lord bless Noon and his churches across the world, that the fame of the Lord Jesus would spread and many been given the knowledge of his great love.