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Are you making the most of Sunday?

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What to do before…

1. Get there early

Life is busy. And complicated. And whilst some of us find it easy to be punctual, let’s be honest, many of us don’t. Turning up late is, of course, better than not turning up at all, but better still is getting to church early enough to welcome others. Such occasions sound like miracles, but they do happen. Try it. It’s hard to get the children out of the house at any time of day. Many of us know this. It’s also hard to walk away from a Sunday afternoon with friends or to get up off the sofa whilst watching the sport. But when visitors arrive to find nobody here to welcome them, it doesn’t create a great impression!

2. Say hello to people

We enjoy catching up with friends at church. It’s part of our life together. But we also want to have an eye for newcomers. We want to give them space (some may prefer to sit at the back or on their own to begin with) but we also want to introduce ourselves so that they feel comfortable with us and know what’s going on. This is especially helpful when people come with children and want the reassurance of knowing where the crèche is and what provision is made for children. Genuine, relaxed hospitality breaks a lot of preconceptions. And it’s often what brings people back.

And don’t worry if you forget names. We all do. Ask people again in a friendly way.

3. Think about where you sit

To make the most of the formal part of our gathering, it’s worth thinking about where you’re going to sit. You may have children in with you for part of the service, in which case you’ll want to think about where’s best for them to sit in order to engage with what’s happening at the front. Or you may have guests with you, in which case you might want to sit near friends so you can introduce them. Or you may see a visitor or a family you don’t know, in which case choosing to sit with them so that you can say “hello” and welcome them is a great thing to do. It may not seem like a big deal, but if we come to church thinking about how to serve others, then thinking about where we sit and who we sit with is a sensible thing to do.

4. Pray for what is about to happen

Let’s begin with praising God for his grace, then let’s pray for all of us, that our hearts will be receptive to God’s Spirit as he speaks to us through God’s word. Pray for the preacher, the musicians, and others involved in leading the service: that God will be glorified through them and that our faith in him will be strengthened. And pray for conversations afterwards, that they would be helpful for building each other up. So often when we pray for God’s help we find we go home having had one or two really significant conversations.

What to do during…

1. Listen actively

Listen carefully to what God is saying to us in his word. Think carefully about what you are hearing and what you might need to change in your life as you respond to God’s word. People ‘in the pews’ also have an enormous impact on those who are teaching and leading. Communication is always a two-way process. Eye contact, body language and other basic responses make a big difference to the sense of engagement during the service. Our active listening will also infect others with enthusiasm for God’s word, just as our fidgeting or lack of engagement will distract them. Unbelievers amongst us will also pick up that these ideas are worth listening to if they see rows of regulars tuned in, soaking up the Bible and taking notes.

2. Sing with ‘heart’

Singing is a chance for us to praise God for who he is, what he has done and what he is now teaching us, and for declaring what it is we believe. We sing because our God and his salvation are too wonderful just to talk about. The way we sing is a demonstration of our heart’s devotion to God, both for God’s sake, and for the sake of others who will be encouraged to see us abandoning our inhibitions for the sake of praising God. It doesn’t matter whether we are good or bad at singing, or whether or not we raise our hands or close our eyes. What matters is the heart.

And while we’re on the topic of volume, let’s hear ‘AMEN’ loud and clear. You do agree with the prayers, and earnestly wish for God to answer them, don’t you?

3. Get with the programme

At a church like St John’s there’s a lot going on. That means we always have plenty to cover in our Noticesheet – guest events, away days, social engagement ministries – and lots more. Many of these need your practical help and many of them simply need to find their way in to your diary. If one of you is busy in crèche or helping with the children’s work that doesn’t always happen! We can serve one another by engaging with what’s coming up over the next few weeks, by talking to others about it (enthusiasm is usually contagious) and by encouraging people to join us at a particular event. Rather than being consumers who browse the menu for what’s on offer we can behave like brothers and sisters who support family events.

4. Look for ways you can help

‘One body, many parts,’ means we all have a part to play. Which means if something needs doing, don’t always leave it to someone else! This might involve logistics (shifting chairs, closing doors, clearing up the mess) but more often than not it will involve people. That’s where we most need to be on the ball. If a baby is crying and mum & dad aren’t sure whether to step outside or where to go, we can help them. If a new family don’t look very sure of what’s happening or don’t have anyone to talk to, go and say hello – and introduce them to others. Whatever it is, don’t just leave it to someone else.

What to do after…

1. Talk about God’s word

Beware of the ‘hairdresser’s conversation’ – the kind of one-to-one discussion that is mechanical, superficial and empty. Many of us are uncomfortable starting up ‘spiritual’ conversations. We shouldn’t be, but we are. If we get the ball rolling, however, others will pick it up. Asking “what did you think of the sermon?” is a good place to start. You can ask that of anyone, regardless of how long they’ve been at church or what they might think about the Christian faith. You can then add, “wasn’t that a great point about…” and the conversation flows from there. When something’s grabbed your heart it’s a good thing to share it!

This kind of conversation is very normal amongst Christians who have come to church to build each other up. We want to be about more than just coffee and polite conversation on Sundays. We want to ask about more than simply ‘how was your weekend?’ And talking about God’s word is a good place to start. Give it a go! Our conversations can be as much an opportunity for ‘Bible ministry’ as the sermon.

2. Pray with others

Use the time after the service to meet people, ask about their concerns and pray with them. This may look a bit odd to newcomers at first – pairs of bowed heads all around the building – but they will know that we love each other, that we take the Christian life seriously and that we trust God’s providence. As a general rule, it’s usually a good idea to pray with someone and as a church it would be great to turn more of our conversations in to prayer each week. Why not try it?

Ask if you would like to chat and pray with someone. This might simply be in response to an encouragement from the previous week or something in the sermon, or it may be about a particular issue for which prayer and counselling from one of the pastors would be appropriate.

3. Engage with newcomers

Newcomers tend to leave fairly quickly so we need to move fast by identifying visitors and introducing ourselves to them immediately after the service ends. This is everyone’s responsibility. It’s about being intentional: make sure newcomers are welcomed properly by you and by your friends, and maybe introduce them to one of the staff. Ask them if there is any particular information they would find helpful to have (crèche, toddlers, Pathfinders, Homegroups, giving etc). Think of what happens when you ask where the asparagus is in the supermarket: you are taken to it. So take them to someone who knows. You may have to postpone catching up with friends until after the newcomers have been cared for, but this is part of serving others.

4. Encourage others

If you can, hang around afterwards to encourage others, whether in deep conversation or just through being a good friend. Perhaps pray each week that God will direct you to one person for a conversation that will encourage them. Of course, we have busy lives and lots of responsibilities. And children only add to that. And of course there will be Sundays when we simply cannot hang around for long afterwards. But let’s try to be people who serve by hanging around for the good of others, rather than consumers who drift in late and slip off early – dipping in and out only when it suits us.

The more we grasp this, the more we’ll enjoy it, because the biggest encouragements in the Christian life usually come in the form of people – which means spending time together.

Adapted from material produced by Dundonald Church, Wimbledon – with thanks!

Any spare time?

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Waiting in an airport lounge for the flight? Sitting on a beach bored of the blockbuster novel you brought? Lying awake in a foreign timezone?

Well how about reading a book of the Bible? Here’s how long you will need for each:

IMG_5081

(Thanks to desiringgod.org!)

Joining Reform

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Reform are currently having a membership drive, and we are encouraging as many people as possible to sign up. The reason we are supporting them in this is because they support traditional orthodox Anglican churches like ours by standing up for us. They are frequently the spokespeople for the Conservative Evangelical position, and they do that with great eloquence and persuasion.

However, without a larger membership, they risk being portrayed as minor and marginal.

So would you consider joining Reform?

It’s for everyone, not just clergy. And it’s simple. Click here, and fill in the online form.

Alternatively, if you click here, a form will be downloaded, and you can print and fill it in, ready for sending.

If you need more information about them, go to their website (here). There is full information about everything they stand for, and recent media campaigns they have waged.

ReformLeaflet

The infamous floor: FAQs*

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What is the reason for the delay in finishing the work?

As Nigel has reminded us – most recently in his sermon on James 4 – the Lord is sovereign over all things, and it is his will and desire for us to trust Him and wait!

And what is the technical reason for the delay?

The timber floor cannot be laid on the still slightly damp sand-cement screed base which has been prepared.

Why is that?

Like all manufacturers of timber flooring, our supplier (Junckers) cannot guarantee that the floor will not warp and twist unless the moisture content of what it is laid, and the surrounding air, on is within certain humidity limits.

How far away is it from the target moisture content?

We are looking for numbers from the readings of ‘less than 3’ for the floor, and 35-75% humidity in the air. The general trend at 12 sample points continues to be downwards, but 10 of the 12 are still (as of 8 July) in excess of 4. The air humidity has been within acceptable limits for some time.

What has been done to dry the floor?

The heating has been on almost continuously since Easter, with windows open to ventilate the warm moist air from the building. Since early July a large fan has been used to force ventilate the space.

Why wasn’t the time it takes to dry the floor anticipated?

There are ‘rules of thumb’ for screed drying based on the thickness of the screed. Some of the screed is thinner, and that has indeed dried. But most of the floor is 70-80mm thick. We knew it would take time, but every building is slightly different.

Is there anything in the existing building that could be slowing the drying?

The very thick existing walls of the church are certainly damp, and old buildings work not with damp proof courses, but with walls that ‘breathe’ moisture in an out on a cyclical basis. One theory is that the heating is drying the walls  too, but quickly saturating the air and so slowing the moisture drying from the screed. The other theory is that the screed is like a ‘sponge’, actually absorbing moisture in the air as quickly as it dries. Frustrating as it is, neither architect, nor contractor, nor flooring supplier, nor screed manufacturer can say with certainty what is happening to our floor!

What about sealing the screed, so that the moisture won’t affect the wood?

That is possible. There is a worry about the effect of leaving moisture in the screed, as it may not be healthy for it in the long term, that is, it may break down over time. That risk is probably small in our case. So there are liquid products available that prevent moisture from evaporating at a rate which would endanger the wood, and we are pursuing that as an option.

If we were to use a floor seal of this kind, or the floor were dried naturally, how long would it then take to finish the work?

The contractor has indicated he will need 6-8 weeks to get back to site and finish the work. After the floor has been laid, there are more decorations to complete, and the audio visual installation also needs to be finished.

What has PCC decided about this?

PCC have been kept informed. At the July meeting, there was a long discussion about the options open to us to bring the problem to a conclusion. It was agreed that the team could actively pursue the option to use a suitable floor seal, provided the contractor and suppliers agreed to its use – that is, could guarantee the floor would not warp. We are currently in discussions about this option.

 If you have any other questions, email Helen, and if John or Dave can’t answer, they will try to find someone who can.

 

 

*FAQs = ‘frequently asked questions’, as Helen, Dave and John will attest to…

Important Notice about Crosslinks Annual Meeting

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NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE BELOW:

Fearless Evangelism, Bold Partnership
Archbishop Emmanuel Egbunu

The Crosslinks Annual Meeting – Knutsford
Speakers
Emmanuel Egbunu (possibly via video – tbc) – Fearless Evangelism
Alan Purser – Bold Partnership
Andy Lines – Crosslinks Annual Report
 
(NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE!)
The events will be held at St John’s Toft, Toft Road, Knutsford, Cheshire
(A link to the Toft webpage can be found here, and a map is included at the foot of this page.)

Archbishop Emmanuel Egbunu, Archbishop of Lokoja, Nigeria, is flying to the UK especially to be with us for the Crosslinks Annual Meeting. He will be talking about fearless evangelism in Nigeria. Alan Purser will be encouraging us to stay in bold partnership with people like Emanuel and Andy will be summing up the year for Crosslinks and looking ahead.

Please book your free place online here.

Timetable for the day:

3pm Garden Party
Meet mission partners and Crosslinks supporters over refreshments in the garden

4pm Speakers
Egbunu Archbishop of Lokoja, Nigeria – Fearless Evangelism
Alan Purser – Bold Partnership
Andy Lines – Crosslinks Annual Report
5.20pm Close
6.30pm St John’s Knutsford evening service, to which we are all invited!slider Crosslinks

Anglican Teaching on Marriage

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Nigel writes:

‘In the light of the introduction of controversial legislation to redefine marriage to include same-sex relationships, I invite you all to remind yourself of the Church of England’s teaching on marriage. This helpful PDF document (prepared by Rev Stephen Trott) presents the teaching  clearly, together with the implications of the new legislation.’

Speech to the January Planning Committee

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Speech to Cheshire East Northern Planning Committee 22 January 2014

Submission in favour of the proposals

My name is John Lee – a Chartered Architect for 20+ years, Senior Lecturer at Manchester School of Architecture; and for today’s purposes, Churchwarden at St John’s Knutsford. I speak for the church in favour of the proposals.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
When I was here last, I noted the Committee’s interest in hearing about St John’s Church – a strong, active and committed community in Knutsford of over 300 people – 180 ordinary families, old and young. And the Committee’s interest in those families commitment to community (and the town) by paying to restore their parish church – £540,000 and counting.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to go to look at St John’s. I described how the wish of those people is to relocate the windows to bring the church building back to life – inside and out. I am sure that having done so you will appreciate for yourselves why it is necessary.

In the short time available, I would like to remind the committee of the matters that should properly be at the heart of making a decision today.

1 The works already have the equivalent of Listed Building Consent   This was covered through the process of Ecclesiastial Exemption and the faculty jurisdiction. Only after 11 months of consultation with every heritage body did the Chancellor of the Diocese (a highly experienced circuit judge) weigh his decision and grant permission.

2 The works now need Planning Consent (according to CEC)   And the correct test of our proposals according to Section 55 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 is whether they materially affect the ‘external’ appearance of the building. (Not the interior). I remind the Committee that the stained glass windows were behind protective grilles, and some will have new protective grilles. No material change.

Despite the TCPA 1990, the Planning Department’s ‘Further Report’ includes comments on heritage, technicalities of window repair, and internal changes which stray away from the substantive issue of whether the proposals materially affect the external appearance. Those comments should (with respect) therefore be disregarded in your decision.

Again: this is a project with huge community support, real community money, and (now) specialist legal and planning advice. The proposals have the equivalent of listed building consent; we the families of St John’s, in so far as it is needed, request planning permission to relocate the windows.

Thank you.

BREAKING NEWS … Window relocation approved!

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What a tremendous answer to prayer today! Against the Officers’ recommendation – this almost never happens – the Committee a few minutes’ ago voted to APPROVE our application to relocate the windows!

We are so thankful to God that the vision for the building reordering is going ahead intact and as our architects have designed it.

More news to follow on Sunday…

Will it change or not?: Bibles

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No, the Bible won’t change!

But the Ministers have been carefully considering how we might read God’s word during our services. There is a practical need to replace the pew Bibles used in the new space, as many are tatty and damaged. Using a projector for the Bible passages is not satisfactory, for one important reason: it will never feel quite as ‘real’ and powerful as a physical book in the hand. In addition, we have found there to be technical problems with verse numbering when projecting.

A decision has been taken to adopt the English Standard Version (‘ESV’) in place of the New International Version (‘NIV’). New ESV pew Bibles are being ordered for the reordered church building. There are two reasons for this change.

On the one hand, the NIV is no longer available in the translation used in the red pew bibles. This is because all new NIV Bibles now use ‘gender-neutral’ language. In common with many in our tradition, the Ministry Team regard this as not being as faithful to the original as it might be, thus impairing in some measure the clarity of the word of God.

The ESV is a more ‘literal’ translation, helping us as we look into the detail of God’s revelation to us, and as we ‘search the Scriptures’ together on Sundays. We may find some passages more difficult to read, with longer sentences, and we may need more practice for public reading. You will find many passages are very similar, especially in the Old Testament.

The NIV has not suddenly become heretical! Far from it. It is an excellent translation, and you may prefer to use it in your personal studies. But in the church services, we will be using the ESV when we move back.

If you have any questions or concerns about this, please feel free to speak to Nigel, Richard or Chris.

[The short slideshow, including a side-by-side comparison is available here.]

Prayer and Pastries

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All members of the church family are warmly invited to an All Age Prayer and Pastries morning –  an opportunity to pray specifically for the reordering process, Phase 2 and for the financial needs. It is also the first prayer meeting of the new year, and a chance to pray for all that is ahead of us as a church.

It’s on Saturday 11 January 2014 from 9.30-11.00am in the Church Centre

The exciting news is that we have negotiated access to the North aisle of the church so that we can view the current progress, and get some idea of the way the reordered space will feel. Be there if you can!

Planning Committee Meeting

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The meeting to consider the Church’s planning application to relocate the stained glass windows was held this afternoon. After the wind turbines and house extensions were cleared from the agenda, it was our turn. Knutsford Conservation and Heritage Group, and Knutsford Town Council both spoke against the proposals, and then we had our three minutes to speak in favour.

In the subsequent debate, it quickly became clear that the Councillors were worried that they may not have fully understood the proposals, preventing them from agreeing with the Planning Officer’s recommendation to refuse consent. The outcome was a ‘deferral pending a site visit by the Committee’ – a great result in the circumstances.

It was interesting to note the reaction to the realisation that the families and households of the church (i.e. you!) were entirely funding the project. That seemed to weigh in the discussions, i.e., that our view of what we wanted in the building ought to be balanced against a heritage argument which presumed against change.

The Committee will visit the building, probably in January, and then we’ll have another Committee Session to attend in either January or February.

So thank you for praying! The Lord is at work…

The Pilling Report

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On Sunday, Nigel made reference to the ‘House of Bishops Working Group on Human Sexuality’ (known as the Pilling Report), saying it could have significant ramifications for the Church of England – and possibly for St John’s – since it could make the position of orthodox churches like ours untenable.

You can find a copy of the full report here.

Nigel also mentioned the Bishop of Birkenhead’s dissenting statement in Appendix 3, a copy of which can be found here. It is a faithful, robust and Biblical defence of the church’s orthodox position on sexuality, for which we should be very grateful – especially given the slant of the rest of the report. If you would like to write a short note of encouragement and thanks, the Bishop’s email is here.

Will it change or not…?: Audio Visual System

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SJK TVview

On 1 December, the second short Q&A was given by David Adams on the subject of the AV proposals – especially on the ‘visual’ side of the new arrangements.

You can find a PDF of the slides here.

Will it change or not…?: Seating

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Slides from the first of the ‘bite-sized briefings’ on 24 November – details about the move back into the new building – can be downloaded by clicking here. You can check whether the seating arrangements will change or not! (They will.)

Reordering update 2

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imageMore news from the site!

The inside is now a forest of scaffolding holding up a deck to enable the architects and specialist restoration subcontractors to get a close look at the ceilings. It seems it is not as bad as we feared, but there are still substantial areas of plastering to undertake. Once that’s complete, the painting of the ceiling will get underway. The contractors have allowed a ‘window’ of  four weeks to do this, so we pray that they can manage it.

There is another short video here. You might notice that the Narthex wall has now gone..!

(Pictured: Carl working out how the chandelier is suspended from the ceiling rose, 8m above the nave.)

Prayermate

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IMG_2790Do you keep forgetting to pray for important things going on at St John’s? Would you like to use the Collect for the day in your quiet time? Have you forgotten what it is that your friends wanted you to pray for? Would you like to pray for World Mission more easily? Got a smartphone?

Then why not try PrayerMate?

 

 

Prayermate is an app available for the iPhone and iPad which helps Christians to organise and remember matters for prayer and personal devotion. It costs just £1.99, and is available by clicking here.

But the great news is that St John’s now has its own subscription feed! Our prayer matters will be published weekly with the notice sheet, to pop up automatically during your quiet time, or whenever you choose to get your daily reminder from Prayermate. With St Helen Bishopsgate, the Barnabus Trust, Church Society Crosslinks and a growing list of other Christian organisations we are hoping that using technology will help us in our walk with Christ.

Why not give it a try? Click the logo below…

subscribe_button

More details of Prayermate available here.

Will it change or not?

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IMG_0604The move back into the new building will be upon us before we know it, and we would like everyone to be comfortable and aware of what that will be like. As you can imagine, there will be a number of things which will be different, perhaps strange, perhaps exciting – but certainly new. That’s the whole point, of course!

Unfortunately, it’s often difficult for the many people to be able to commit to a long session where we might discuss the fine detail of the reordering. We need to do it in bite-sized chunks!

So – we’ve had the idea of holding a series of short sessions after the 10.15 service*. They will take the form of a (strict!) 5-minute presentation or interview about a topic, answering two simple questions – what will change, and what will stay the same. This will be followed by answers to 3-4 follow-up questions which people may have. It will start at 12 noon precisely in the  Hall.

‘Will it change or not…?’ Slot

Suggested topics:

  • Seating arrangements
  • Service formats
  • Sound & music
  • Sidesmen and welcome
  • The Bible we use
  • Coffee time
  • Storage & bookstall

If you have any other topics you’d like to hear about, please let Helen in the Church Office know, and we can try to include it.

John & Julija

 

* We’ll do the same but in two sessions after the 8.45 service, one in December and one in January!

Reordering update

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Screenshot 2013-11-19 13.47.50At the last site meeting, we were able to see the new concrete floor!

Although the contractors need to put down the wood floor, it’s now possible to get some idea of how the final space might look. The contractors are also still to demolish the clockwork wall between the Narthex and the main space.

Anyway, we took the opportunity to film the inside, and the results can be seen by clicking here!

Global Anglican Futures Conference 2013

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GAFCON 2013

The churches of St John’s Knutsford and St John’s Toft were represented by Rev Dan Young at this important conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, 21-26 October 2013. The Conference, the second of its kind, was organised to provide an occasion for discussing the future of the Anglican church worldwide, particularly in view of the pressures in every province to conform to a secular agenda, and consequently to abandon scriptural truth and Anglican tradition.

The Nairobi Communique is the official summary of the resolutions of the Conference – and it is regarded as a remarkable statement of Christian unity and doctrinal clarity given the wide backgrounds of the 1300+ delegates from dozens of countries around the world. It is a powerful demonstration of what biblically-faithful gospel partnership might look like for churches like St John’s that face an uncertain future in a rapidly changing Church of England.

There is an encouraging video with  highlights of the week, and more videos, PDFs and audio resources can be found at www.gafcon.org. The talks by Michael Ovey and William Taylor (to follow) are recommended.

If you would like to know more, please do catch Nigel, Dan, John or Julija for a chat.

Evening Service

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A short note to say that the Evening Service is now in recess for the summer. It will return on Sunday September 8th, when we’ll be beginning a challenging new series on Proverbs. More news to follow…

A Message from the Vicar & Wardens

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fireworks1-910x390-1

Dear Friends,
We have heard that a Faculty granting permission for the works will be issued shortly, and all that we have applied for has been approved. After such a long wait, this is of course very exciting news! It means we can instruct our contractor to prepare for a start on site. Early indications are that they should be able to start in September, with completion in early 2014.
We can be so thankful to God, and look forward to the work of the gospel being advanced by the construction project ahead. Thanks for your patience and continued support of the staff team during the difficult waiting process. Every one of us will have learnt something about patience and God’s good timing through this.
In Him,
Nigel, John and Julija

How can we look after our ministers?

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IMG_0422

I came across this article by Kevin DeYoung on care instructions for our pastors and ministers. It contains a number of practical steps we as a church can take to ensure they remain in the peak of condition with sleek coats and bright teeth.*  Anyway, here are the bullet point highlights.

How about we try to give some of these ideas a go? This week?

“How members of the congregation can care for their Pastors:

  • Hunger to hear the Word of God preached
  • Invite your pastor and his family over for dinner (everyone assumes they receive a lot of invitations, but in many cases they don’t)
  • Pray for him regularly–that he would faithfully preach the Word, seek the Lord, delight more in the Lord, and have a love for the people he is blessed to minister to
  • Refrain from Monday morning emails, unless they are an encouragement. Mondays are hard days for many pastors.
  • Be willing to graciously challenge him if his teaching or preaching was in error
  • Respect his day off. Most pastors work long days and many evenings. They need a good day off.
  • Don’t expect him to come to everything. Your pastor still loves you even if he doesn’t make your child’s ballet performance, son’s honour society banquet, or even your mom’s funeral.
  • Send an encouragement card every once in a while
  • As tempting as it may be, don’t compare your pastor to “celebrity pastors” – Be thankful for him and his labour in your midst.
  • Babysit his kids for an evening, so he and his wife can go out on a date
  • Insist that the church provide a good salary and benefits for him – be generous.
  • If you have a new ministry idea, don’t propose it unless you are willing to do the hard work of setting it up and serving to see its vision realised
  • Refrain from telling him what you disliked about the sermon as you shake his hand on the way out of the sanctuary
  • Speak well of him to others in the congregation
  • Have no expectations regarding his wife and her service in the church beyond those you have for any other woman in the church
  • Be especially kind to his children
  • Understand that your pastor will not be gifted in every area of ministry and be content with that
  • Be teachable
  • Often remind yourself that he has a lot of different sheep under his care
  • Give him the benefit of the doubt regarding decisions, leadership, vision, etc.
  • Don’t ride your hobby horse too much and too often
  • The greatest care you can provide for your pastor is to pursue Christ with all that you are and serve the church with an uncommon zeal and humility.”

* Or is that dogs?

The Refiner’s Fire

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After opening the series on 1 Peter, Jim Glazebrook stopped me on the way out and asked if I had a couple of minutes. He pulled a wallet out, and showed me a cutting from a newspaper from 2000. It said this:

“Some time ago, a few women met in a certain city to study the scriptures. While reading the third chapter of Malachi, they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse:

‘And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver’

One lady proposed to visit a silversmith and report to them on what he said about the subject. She went accordingly, and without telling the object of her errand, begged the silversmith to tell her about the process of refining silver.

After he had fully described it to her, she asked, “But, sir, do you sit while the work of refining is going on?”

“Oh, yes, madam,” replied the silversmith; “I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured.”

The lady at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the expression, “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” God sees it needful to put His children into a furnace; His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for us. Our trials do not come at random, and He will not let us be tested beyond what we can endure.

Before she left, the lady asked one final question, “When do you know the process is complete?”

“Why that is quite simple” replied the silversmith. “When I can see my own image in the silver, the refining process is finished.”

Do you come here often?

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IMG_0389Whilst there’s nothing like a piece of paper to make an event stick in our memory, many of us rely on electronic devices to keep things current. We’re trying to do more of this at St John’s, so the website will increasingly be the place to check for the latest on anything and everything going on.

Why not bookmark the website, or better still – make it your homepage? You can do that with a web browser like Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Safari by going to the Preferences, and setting www.stjohnsknutsford.org.uk as your Home Page.

That way your church will be your home from home on the web…

Ministry Training Course ‘Taster’ Evening

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OpenBible-3

Many in the church have been on the annual North West Partnership Ministry Training Course, and benefitted from their great teaching. Anyone who is involved in teaching the Bible, or would just like to deepen their love of God through the Scriptures would find the course builds their faith.

Thirty weeks is a big commitment, and so the NWP are offering a ‘taster’ evening to anyone who thinks they might be interested. The nearest one will be at St Andrew’s Cheadle Hulme on 13 May 2013.

If it sounds like something you might like to do, please contact Jill Tunley at NWP directly via email or call her on 0151 703 1873. More details from Richard or John if you need them.

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Contact Us

Please call us on 01565 755160 or e-mail us.
Privacy notice. St John’s Knutsford takes its duty and obligation to protect all extremely seriously. We have adopted the national Church of England’s robust procedures and guidelines. You can find out more about the national policies and procedures here. If you have any safeguarding concerns or issues of a safeguarding matter then you can find useful contact information here. Our Parish Safeguarding Officer in Knutsford is Andrew Worth who may be contacted via email, and in Toft is Val Brooker who may also be contacted via email.

Times & Locations

Services are held at:
    08:30, 10:15, 18:30 @ Knutsford
    09:30 @ Toft

Church Hill, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6DH