Latest Ministers' Update

Minister's Update Supplement December

Ambulance Appeal – we're delighted to be able to say that the money needed to buy the ambulance for the ACTS ministry in Burkina Faso has been raised. £9,600 was raised by the local church and the local community in Wheatley Lane and Barrowford, supplemented by additional donations, including one from a church in America.

It is wonderful that our churches and community have been able to co-operate to raise this money so quickly, and we are so thankful to God. We are also grateful to the Sparrowhawk pub for hosting our open mic nights, which made a significant contribution to the collection, as did events organised by the other churches.

We have heard from Joanna in Burkina Faso, and she tells us that she wept tears of joy and thankfulness when she heard the news. She said that the ambulance could be obtained very soon and that it would take 'only a week' to drive it home. She says that it will save lives.

Please give grateful thanks to God that the money has come in far quicker than we could have hoped.

The Bible Course – this course began back in August and has now finished. It has been a great success in both the Thursday Afternoon Group and the Discipleship Group. Mature Christians and those younger in their faith alike have benefited a lot. Some have experienced a fresh inspiration to read the bible, and others have started to appreciate it more fully for the first time. Still others have been very moved by the Holy Spirit during the course and have received revelatory insights.

Please pray for all who participated in the course, that they will continue and grow in their engagement with scripture and that their lives will be blessed by it. We are now moving into Advent, during which the Thursday Afternoon Group will be doing a course on the significance of light in the nativity story, and the Discipleship and Bible Discussion Groups will continue with their usual engagement with faith and scripture. Matt and Tammie


November 2024

1. As we move alarmingly briskly towards Christmas and the new year, we hope to be exploring what it means to communicate our faith to those who do not know Christ. The apostle Paul says that his aim is “to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named”. (Romans 15:20). It could be argued that we now live in a culture where Christ is not well known. We might well ask how God intends us to communicate his truth in this kind of culture.

This involves a number of factors. We have to take into account first of all the words of Jesus in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” The primary role in bringing people to faith in Christ is that of the Holy Spirit drawing them. Nevertheless, as God's co-workers, we also have a role to play.

In prayer – we need to be praying, according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, for those who God wants to draw to himself.

In fellowship – the way we live towards each other is the foundation of our witness. Jesus told his disciples that people would recognise them according to their love for one another (John 13:34&35).

In evangelism – some people are given the spiritual gift of being able to bring others to the place where they submit their lives to God. We need to seek God to raise up evangelists among us (or in us).

In outreach – It's good to invite people in to church to services and special events, and we must also find ways to engage with our local community in order to share the good news of the gospel with them. We are already involved in this in our work with the local pub, and now with Pendle Forest sports club, and we continue to run Toddle In To Church, men's and ladies' breakfasts and afternoon teas as ways of connecting with our neighbours. Sending out leaflets into the area also maintains an awareness of who and where we are.

In personal relationships – we want to explore how we communicate our faith in our ordinary, everyday relationships. We will probably find that we all do this in different ways depending on our individual circumstances and personalities, (please do not be alarmed however, we are not going to be expecting everyone to become expert debaters or high-powered evangelists).

2. The Bible Course is proving to be very popular. It is engaging a high proportion of our fellowship with the Bible on Thursday afternoons at 1:00 and on Thursday evenings at 7:30, and people are clearly growing and learning through it. There are two sessions to go, one on November 14th and the last on November 21st. After that we will be doing an Advent Course up to Christmas. Bible discussion groups will also be happening.

3. The Pendle Forest History Group meets at Barley Village Hall. The meeting on Wednesday November 20th at 7:30 is about “The History of the Inghamite Church – Craven, Fence and Roughlee, and is presented by Maureen Street. It would be great if some of us could go along. They need an idea of numbers, so please let me know if you want to attend.

4. Christmas events are starting to take shape – they include;

The Cruck Barn Service on Tuesday December 3rd at 6:00, in association with the other Wheatley Lane and Barrowford Churches (mince pies needed). The Cruck Barn is just behind the Heritage Centre in Barrowford.

Carol Service on Sunday December 8th at 6:30 (mince pies and help with refreshments needed)

Toddle In Christmas Party on Monday December 16th at 9:30

Nativity Service on Sunday December 22nd at 10:30 (mince pies needed)

Sparrowhawk Carol Service on Sunday December 22nd at 6:00

Christingle Service on Monday December 23rd at 6:00 for children to make Christingles and 6:30 for a short service

5. Matt, John Whittle and Sheila Bell also have a comprehensive programme of care home visits and other events coming up in the next couple of months. Please keep an eye on the events programme for specific details. Please pray for these events, as they are a part of our outreach and are proving to be a great blessing, particularly to care home residents.

6. Opportunities to pray together continue at the usual times

Tuesday evening at 7:30 on Zoom or in person. Please let me know if you want to come to church for this.

Sunday morning at 9:45 in the upstairs lounge. This is an opportunity to pray before the service on Sunday.

7. Please remember we are always available for prayer, ministry or company. If you are in need of a visit, please get in touch. We are always willing to come and see anyone whose need we are aware of, and to help anyone deal with life issues on a deeper, one-to-one level. We are also available to advise and pray with you about roles in the church and exploring areas of gifting. Call me on 07597 387719.

Love and blessings

Matt and Tammie