During this time, I won’t be actively responding to messages and emails, and will be visiting other churches as well.
It’s been 2 months since we’ve moved into AUEA. A lot has happened since we moved in!
But today when I saw Chris (our lovely building manager who helps open up and set up the place for us… he’s usually sat in reception ready to help when most people come for service! yes that guy!) I said to him animatedly “You were in my dream recently!” “Oh, I hope it was good!”and I proceeded to explain to him, I was just walking into church on Sunday, and I saw him and a few others having a board-room style meeting in their reception area, and he laughed. I said “It’s official. If it’s in my subconscious now, that we’re here for church each week… It’s official! We’ve moved in!” and then we both laughed and went off our merry ways to do the tasks we were meant to do.
Over the past few months, I’ve read articles debating the difference between immigrants and expats. The questions of refusing or receiving refugees. The place of foreign workers in countries, and problem of sending them back where they came from. I read a dissertation from a friend about the philosophical problem of alienation, and am eager to read another dissertation on the question of inclusion.
The BCEC is now meeting at AUEA, Aston University Engineering Academy. As our church has grown over the past few years, we’ve outstretched the current capacity at our BCEC Central location. So whilst we fundraise for a new building, we will be meeting at AUEA.
At BCEC, we’ve been exploring a lot about our roles in our families, workplaces, schools, community, church and kingdom lately. I’m not entirely sure we can say we’re all experts and we’ve got it all sussed. But the good thing is, we’re exploring it, and seeing what it says in the bible about it, and trying to apply it to our lives.This year our BCEC English Retreat will be focusing on the 2016 church theme of seeking “His Kingdom Come”.
I’m sorry. I’ve just come out of hibernation (Ok. Well not really. Just a hiatus from blogging). What? It’s 2016 already! My my!
So our awesome pastor Bert has introduced to our congregation/church, the annual theme of “His Kingdom Come”, an epic theme–as divinely inspired by our Mandarin side Pastor Li Qiang! It seems incredibly fitting in light of all the things happening in the media/world/our neighbourhoods/lives. We’ve spent the past couple of weeks at church exploring some things already, and will continue to embark on seeking first His Kingdom this year.
Just to let you know, we will be having a Christmas Day Service at the BCEC
on December 25th, 10:00am – 11:00am.
Our very own awesome Pastor Bert will be speaking! Yay!
Hope you can join us!
How’s your quiet time/daily devotional/time spent with God and in His word?
Whichever way you want to ask that question, yes, we should invest in time with God on a regular basis. And truth is, many of us struggle. Many of us don’t know which of the many resources to choose (why is there just so many out there?!) I don’t know about some of you, but I really like to see what resources are out there, I like to peruse and check out new devotional stuff, check out old devotional stuff, explore and see which methods work (or which methods I’m not keen on).
Read more on 16 ways of developing good bible reading habits…
Every Christmas, at the BCEC we have our Christmas Special Service. And as always, our youth group iD write, film and put together a video. This year, we had Sam help out, and yep, iD videos have gone up a whole new level! But here’s the written script of what we said in the video, followed with the video itself for your viewing pleasure. It’s too good to keep it a secret 😉
Where did the whole of November go?! Suddenly we find ourselves in December! The German market is bustling, people are christmas shopping. And Pantone have announced the theme colour[s] of next year. And people are preparing for 2016 already. Someone has already asked me what my new years resolutions are… arghhh….
A few weeks ago, in the twilight zone between waking and sleeping, I had this picture that’s been circulating in my mind since.
In this story I had been in a dark, pitch black pit for some time, stuck in the depths of despair. Suddenly I began to see the beginnings of an opening above me, and as the opening got wider I could see the brilliant light of the sun and the blue sky above. As the door of the pit widened still, what emerged was many hands reaching down to help me up and up into the light, and faces with radiant smiles and shouts of encouragement. When I reached up and was pulled out, I started joining others to reach down and help those who were still in the pit.
With Europe facing its worst refugee crisis since World War 2, many charities and groups are asking for help with the recent influx of refugees requiring aid, be it financial donations or through goods being donated. Project Tom is a charity we have been in communication with in previous years, and this year for Christmas, they have asked us to get on board with their Refugee Crisis Christmas appeal for donated goods.
Read more on Refugee Crisis Goods Donation Christmas Appeal…