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Posted on 19th Mar 2012
by Paul Pickhaver
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Adventurously expectant living
I'd encourage you this week to read again the passages we read on Sunday - Psalm 145 and Romans 8. Verses that tell us who God is and who we are. Psalm 145 reminds us to praise God every day; to speak of who he is and all that he has done. Our God so rich in love. In Romans 8 we read that 'God's spirit touches our spirit and confirms who we are'. This life we receive from God is 'adventurously expectant'. As we spend time exploring who God is, Who we are and what he has called us to do I want it to be an exciting God adventure for each of us.
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Posted on 12th Mar 2012
by Paul Pickhaver
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You are always on His mind!
'Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us the focus of His love.' (Ephesians 1 verse 4-5 The Message)
Over the last few weeks as we have been looking at knowing who God is and knowing who we are, I've been struck by how much, how often God thinks about you and me. This verse is amazing - before creation God had us in mind. God was not suprised at your birth, he was expecting it! We were already on his mind to be the focus of his love.
Psalm 139 reminds us of the same. 'How precious are your thoughts concerning me'
Take a moment this week to think about how much God thinks about you. Whatever else might be going on around you. You are not alone. You are not forgotten. You are not out of mind - You are always on His mind.
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Posted on 5th Mar 2012
by Paul Pickhaver
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Showing up in the place of praise
Psalm 100 v 4 encourages us to be thankful and praise God as we come into his presence. Our praise is all about who God is. It's telling God how much we love him. It's speaking out our words. It's singing songs to God rather than about God. Our God! This amazing loving heavenly Father who lavishes his love on us. God who is never distant from us but comes close to us and calls us his children. God who stands with us. God who keeps us safe. God whose business is putting things right - he rewrites our stories. God who picks us up again and again, gives us new strength, gives us hope.
There's another verse in the Psalms which says when we make God our choice we find that he has already chosen us. When we show up in the place of praise we find that God shows up too.
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Posted on 1st Feb 2012
by Paul Pickhaver
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Never Stop Praying (1 Thess 5 v 17)
As I sat in our church space on the Red Lion Road Business Park this morning, surrounded by all the pictures and verses that people had created during the 48 hour prayer event last weekend, I was aware of how important prayer is going to be for us in the year ahead.
Being on a God dependent journey means that we need to create time and space to talk to God and to listen to what he wants to say to us.
So take time to talk to God. I'm going to be in Global House from 8am every weekday morning this month and everyone is welcome to use that time and space to meet. You can pray with people, pray on your own, just sit quietly, listen to music - whatever helps you to connect with God. Or look at the other events in the newsheet where there are opportunities to meet and pray - Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, Thursdays at 11, Parents Pudddings and Prayer event.
And if you haven't yet visited the church space we've set up in Global House do call in - we'd love to see you. Some of the space is used as our office but I want it to be more than that - pop in when you can, sit and read, pray, meet a friend or just say hi over coffee.
Finally thank you for your prayers for myself and my family as I take on the church leadership - I really do value your encouragements and continued prayer as together we step forward into all that God has for us this year.
Paul
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Posted on 30th Jan 2012
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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New leadership
Yesterday we announced a change in the leadership of the church. An exciting move forward for the church and especially for the two people most intimately involved. Paul Pickhaver will be taking on the role of Team Leader and working for the church four days/week from 1st February and I will be resigning from that position with effect on 29th February. So for one month we will be working together. After that I will be continuing as an elder and trustee and be involved in whatever way is appropriate but will have time to take on additional voluntary work outside the church and am looking forward to doing so.
Please continue to pray for all the leadership and especially for Paul. Thank you for al the support you have given me.
Gordon
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Posted on 19th Dec 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Carols in the Park
Christmas Eve, Saturday 24 December outdoors by the Pavilion, Alexandra Park, King Charles Road, Surbiton.
4.30-5.30pm. Hot soup and mulled wine while singing. This is why the weather is warming up! Come and join us.
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Posted on 5th Dec 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Kingston Foodbank
The Foodbank swung into operation last Friday with 27 people given food on the first day of full operation. Several churches in the borough collect food, those with crisis need are given vouchers by agencies and churches and then collect food from Kingston URC on a Friday morning. This Saturday shoppers at the Surbiton Waitrose will have an opportunity to donate items of food and will be given information about the foodbank. Many thanks to Waitrose for their help.
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Posted on 26th Aug 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Teddy Bears Picnic
Another great picnic yesterday. 210 adults and 315 children came and did activities, ran races, watch puppets and enjoyed tea, squash and cakes. Yet at 11.30am it was still raining and the park staff asked,"Are you still doing it?". We prayed and 10 minutes later the rain stopped and then the sun came out.
The weekly toddler group meets today and then every Friday morning from 16 September, 10am at 1st Hook Scout Hall, Kent Way, Tolworth. Also there is a special service this Sunday at the Assembly Rooms for toddlers families, 10.30am at Surbtion Assembly Rooms.
For 5-11 year olds there is Rhema Tuesday 30 Sept. to Friday at the Scout Hall 9.30 to 3pm each day. More info on 8391 1100.
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Posted on 15th Aug 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Something for all youth and children
This week
Games at Alexandra Park off King Charles Road for 5-11 year olds on Wednesday 17th August, 10.30am-noon.
Games at Alexandra Park off King Charles Road for 11-18 year olds on Thursday 18th August, 2-4pm.
Toddlers and their carers at 1st Hook Scout Hall, Kent Way on Friday 19th August at 10am-noon.
At the end of the holidays - Rhema Holiday Club for 5-11 year olds - Tuesday 30th August to Friday 2nd September 9.30am-3pm. More details to follow.
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Posted on 29th Jun 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Good News
Last night we took another step forward in our journey to see God's love flood out in our town. At the neighbourhood committee meeting our change of use application for Starland House was approved! How exciting! Keep praying that the remaining steps to our occupying Starland House are quickly accomplished. There are a couple of planning conditions we need to sort out, legal stuff to complete and a lift to install. Let's keep lifting our sights and faith high.
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Posted on 6th Jun 2011
by Alan Newbury
Church Elder
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Liz Ryan is off to Mali today...........
Liz has told us recently a little of the journey that she has been on that has taken her today via Paris to Mali to work for 5 weeks sponsored by Tearfund for her Masters dissertation in Water Hygene and Sanitation. Such a project in such a place has been what she has been wanting to do for ages............ God has made a way for her!!
I know she would appreciate our prayers; I have her detailed itinerary, and if you would like it, please do let me know and will get it to you.
If nothing else find out where Mali is - West African, sub-Saharan landlocked country - the 24th largest in the world!! It is a muslim (90%) country, French speaking (Liz has been learning French hard), and one of the poorest countries in the world with about 14.5 million people.
Pray for Liz's health, safety as she travels about, her French, her research, relationships with various partner organisation's team memebers and her final dissertation paper - that it will be both academically excellent and valuable research documentation for Tearfund.
Thank you
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Posted on 27th May 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Been a busy week
Wednesday evening our change of use application regarding Starland House was deferred to 28 June as the council had "made an administrative error and not fulfilled their statutory obligations". It is possible an earlier special meeting will be held to discuss the application.
Thanks to all who came last night, Thursday, to the information evening, which was agreed to have been extremely useful. As well as offering an opportunity to recap on the way God is leading us and report on recent progress with various projects many of those there were able to ask questions, join discussion and describe their dreams and vision for what we could be doing to benefit our community and beyond. We learnt from one another.
We will do similar evenings again, hopefully with more notice. If you found it useful please tell others and encourage them to come next time. Gordon
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Posted on 24th May 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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This week
On Wednesday the neighbourhood committee meet to decide our application for a change of use for Starland House. Fast and pray that the change will be approved.
On Thursday we have an information evening when the elders will summerise how God has been and is leading us and financial information will be given. However, we want much of the agenda for the evening to be driven by questions so that we are talking about what the church wants to discuss. So please come, comment and ask. Gordon
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Posted on 21st Mar 2011
by Alan Newbury
Church Elder
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Prayer and Fasting
Following our meeting yesterday, I thought that it would be good to outline what we have planned for prayer and fasting this week.
As leaders we have been praying for 24 hours between us once a month for the past couple of months; we want to "up the tempo" and also include anyone from the church who wants to join us.
So from midnight Tuesday 22nd, throughout Wednesday, we will have prayer covered for 24 hours between us as leaders. We will also be fasting. If you would like to pray during this time for a period and/or fast something for 24 hours, please do so, either as an individual, couple, friends or small group.
What would be great is to hear from you how you get on. Text, e-mail, phone messages would all be welcome as this really provides encouragement all round.
We are looking for God to do what only He can do, to open the doors so that we can do what only we can do. Join us this week as we press into all that God has for us.
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Posted on 17th Mar 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Church Office
The church office is now functioning in a small room at the Generation office. Grateful thanks to them.
We have email and internet access but any emails sent to us between Friday lunchtime and Thursday lunchtime will have been lost.
We have a large room in the Equanet building as a store but are not able to work there. Please pray we will soon have an office there and then full use of it for meetings and all the other things we want to do for community benefit.
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Posted on 12th Mar 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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What a day!
With 20 people helping we moved all the office contents except for 7 desks to the new building, finished the decorating and cleaned up. We prayed our old landlord would find a new tenant quickly and were told yesterday evening that he has one moving in on Sunday!
We did leave 7 desks we no longer want in the hope the new tenant would want them. It seems they do not so some of us are going back at 2pm today (Saturday) to move them. Others always welcome of course.
We are thankful to God for the way things are happening and remain totally in His hands.
Thanks again to everyone who helped.
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Posted on 10th Mar 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Moving on Friday
It looks like we will be moving on Friday so if you can help please come at 9.30am. A team of gallant and skillful helpres have now done most of the decorating but some remains to be done when the mountains of boxes have been removed. So there will be a need for decorators as well tomorrow. Keep praying, final confirmation of move still awaited.
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Posted on 9th Mar 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Wednesday 5.10pm
Some movement forward. We are planning to move things into the new building on Friday so please be ready to come and help with that if possible, there is a lot to move. We started decorating the office today and will carry on tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday. If you can help tomorrow at 9.30am you will be very welcome.
Best wishes, Gordon
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Posted on 8th Mar 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Update 4.45pm Tuesday
Moving forward very slowly. Still waiting for a date we can move to our new office. Some of the parties involved are working really hard on our behalf, please pray for all the rest to respond similarly. Thanks for checking this.
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Posted on 7th Mar 2011
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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New Building
Sorry no more news yet. Regarding next Sunday, if our meeting is at the Assembly Rooms it will be at 10.30am as usual and not a church away day. Thanks for looking at this blog.
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Posted on 10th Aug 2010
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Re:Act 2010
What a great Family Fun Day on Sunday afternoon. Over 2,000 people, lots of fun, entertainment, tea and burgers and Church Outdoors in the evening. Christians like to have fun and to share it. And all free! Thanks to all who worked hard to make it possible and to the Re:Act Team for coming.
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Posted on 2nd Aug 2010
by Alan Newbury
Church Elder
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Joy?
Over the last few weeks we have been looking at "joy" as it is one of our five values as a community. Exploring what it is, is not and how it impacts our lives has been fascinating so far. Chris talked on Sunday about joy welling up from within, and whilst the dictinary defines joy and happiness using the same words the two are clearly quite different.
I am always slightly amused when science "discovers" what is already set out in Scripture. It is now accepted that laughter de-stresses you and strengthens your immune system - yes, happy people are healthier! Proverbs 17.22 says "A joyful heart is good medicine; but a broken spirit dries up the bones". Having confessed my amusement, science is helpful in enabling us to understand more about how this works (why it is true). God knew from the beginning, of course, both that it is true and why. We can therefore fully rely on Scripture, for the author of the Bible is also the author of all science too.
There is plenty around most of the time to rob us of our joy, but the promise in Job 8.21 is that "God will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy". So, let Him do just that, right now, today, where-ever you are and whatever you are doing..........
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Posted on 30th Jul 2010
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Teddy Bears Picnic
WOW! Biggest and best afternoon ever yesterday. Over 360 adults and 420 children plus many babies had a great time with teddy based activities, races, puppet shows and refreshments. All free!
Thanks everyone who helped.
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Posted on 5th Jul 2010
by Alan Newbury
Church Elder
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Is Your Mood Worth Catching?
Hi, Alan here.
For those of you at the first leadership training morning that we held on Saturday (great time?), I said that I would blog something of interest as a follow up. Although this is "for leaders" the content is relevant to us all and I would appreciate comments from anyone who reads this - we all exercise leadership in one capacity or another.
I heard this phrase sometime back (can't recall where now) and it is one of those that stuck with me - do people feel better or worse having spent time with me? Am I good to be with or an emotional drain? Is my mood worth catching?
If we have the abundant life that Jesus talks about and promised us, our mood should be worth catching, shouldn't it? But what would people really say of us? Would they be able to correlate how we appear to them with the riches of heaven, the grace and promises of God and the redeemed, abundant life in relationship with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit?
Take a look at this Harvard Business review article (scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=2000&as_vis=1&q=harvard+business+review+2001+primal+leadership) from 2001, entitled Primal Leadership, which looks at the impact leadership mood has on any organisation - shouldn't we be leading the way in this?
Let me know what you think...........
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Posted on 3rd Mar 2010
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Church Weekend
How was it for you?
Great weekend of time to talk to people and meet with God. Now to continue to walk in the light of what God said to me and the changes being in His presence made in me.
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Posted on 11th Feb 2010
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Church Weekend
It's nearly here! The church weekend our triennual event. Friday week we cleave through the M25 parking jam and up the A10 to High Leigh for a weekend of fun, spiritual invigoration, good food and great company. In-house speakers talking about vision and the future, guest prophetic input, special worship leader and, by popular demand, the cabaret! Come prepared to enjoy yourself, talk to anyone on their own and be challenged and changed by the Holy Spirit. Roll on the 19th.
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Posted on 14th Dec 2009
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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A Night in Bethleham
For the second year running you can spend "A Night in Bethlehem". 4pm at The Assembly Rooms, Surbiton for drama, carols, children's crafts, under 5s area and an original retelling of the story of the first Christmas. Come in costume if you can but it is not obligatory.
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Posted on 10th Aug 2009
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Two kinds of passion
Yesterday Lynn spoke about our search for a building and a possibility we are investigating and there was excitment in the meeting. Chris then spoke about prayer and it was quieter although without prayer we will never fulfill all that God has for us.
There is a passion at the prospect of something new and exciting. There is a passion which perseveres and achieves great things because it has fixed it's sights on the goal. The first is fun and good but the second is what will count in the end.
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Posted on 28th Nov 2008
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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A Night in Bethlehem
A dramatic presentation of the nativity with everything from Carols to an enactment of the events of the first Christmas day to a toddler play area.
4pm Sunday 21 December at the Assembly Rooms (Surbiton High School), Maple Road, Surbiton KT6 4RT.
Refreshments included, all free.
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Posted on 22nd Oct 2008
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Love, fear or duty?
Came across this quote, seems pretty biblical to me.
"A healthy Chirstian spirituality is centred in our relationship with God. If that centre of love for God is not present we have a significant difficulty. A healthy spirituality cannot be centred in fear of God or flow out of a sense of duty alone."
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Posted on 7th May 2008
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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New Wine Leaders Conference
Heard some great quotes worth meditating on at the New Wine Leaders Conference last week:
• We are called to be the visible presence of the invisible God.
• Primary place for ministry is in our daily lifeplace, not a church meeting.
• If it stays inside the church it dies inside the church.
• Righteousness is contagious. Under OT law: touch a leper and you became unclean. In NT: Jesus touched a leper and he became clean.
• How to stay encouraged every day – feed yourself on what God is doing (if you don’t know what God is doing then feed on what he has done) not on what He hasn’t done.
The importance of prayer in deepening your relationship with God also stood out.
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Posted on 18th Feb 2008
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Lets go with God.
Wanted to mention something I said on Sunday morning right after Christine spoke. It was unpremeditated so I guess came from my heart. In 1 Chronicles 20:6, part of a passage Christine read, it says, ‘power and might are in God’s hands’. I had the impression God was saying his power and might were going ahead of Him and ahead of us. If we wanted to experience them we had to move in the direction He is moving in because that is where they are. If we stay still they will not touch us because they are moving forward with God. I was reminded of this thought when by accident I came across a short article called Go, by Pam Spinosi on www.ibethel.org. Worth having a look at, especially the part about Jonathan.
So what direction is God moving in for us as a church? Of course there will be ways God is moving for you in your family, work, relationships and so on. But for the church I believe he is moving in prayer, relationships, and the experience of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But we “Have to take what God gives us outside the church or it will die”. How much time do we spend praying? I include talking and listening to God as we do the daily routine as much as times set aside for these, both are prayer. How much do we invest in relationships - small groups, a coffee together, sharing meals and holidays? Do we earnestly desire spiritual gifts and to use them dangerously outside of church meetings? I believe God’s journey for us includes a building but it is not here, it is ahead, and we have to move with Him now to reach it. It will not be a destination, just a tool to use in reaching more people.
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Posted on 4th Feb 2008
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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How do you feel about the future?
I have been thinking about a saying I came across recently.
HOPE is hearing the music of the future,
FAITH is having the courage to dance to it.
I find it encouraging and inspiring but I have realised this is at least partly because I believe God is composing and conducting the music and He loves me, wants the best for me and the church and supplies what is needed for each day. I also believe much of the music is for orchestra not a solo performance (makes me wonder what instrument I would like to play, perhaps one of the trombone parts, nice and loud but not on my own).
I think there is a parallel between the saying and John 5:19 where Jesus says he only does what he sees his Father doing. He hears the music and dances to it, infectiously.
Lets dance with him.
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Posted on 15th Jan 2008
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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God's Presence
Great talk by Tony this Sunday, I felt he was sharing God’s heart as he encouraged us to enter into God’s presence, pray and become like Jesus. Coincidently, at a breakfast meeting the day before (do try breakfast muffins with freshly cooked bacon – great combo) I heard something related from Psalm 73. King David felt oppressed by what he saw happening around him until he “entered the sanctuary of God” and then he understood and began to encourage himself and to guard his heart (see my earlier blog). God’s ways and thoughts are not the same as ours and we need to learn from Him in order to understand and copy them and walk more closely with God.
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Posted on 4th Jan 2008
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Made me think
Good thing about a blog is that I can’t cough germs all over you!
Yeah, I am usually healthy but a bad cold hit me Monday afternoon and Tuesday, I slept badly for two nights, worked just half a day on Wednesday and am only now feeling somewhat better, apart from regular coughing.
Not just writing this for sympathy though, welcome as that is, but to say that feeling weak and out of energy for just two days made me think about those in the church who have to battle with such an experience on a long term basis. Long term does not mean permanent and we have to support them and find a place in prayer where we can hear God’s voice and then pray effectively for our brothers and sisters. We need to be determined to see them well and perhaps offer some practical help as well.
Have a Happy and HEALTHY New Year.
Gordon
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Posted on 18th Jun 2007
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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Guard your heart
It's precious. It's good. Jesus has given you a new heart. It will be attacked by discouragement and the values of our culture: materialism, lust, short-termism, etc. Protect it by listening to the voice of Jesus, the voices of those walking close to Jesus and by persevering. Prov 4:23 says,"ABOVE ALL ELSE, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (NIV) Hear more by listening to the talk from 10 June.
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Posted on 1st Aug 2006
by Gordon Brook
Church Elder and Team Leader
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New Wine
25 adults, youth and children went to the New Wine event at Shepton Mallet at the end of July this year. Apart from the exceptional weather, ideal for camping, everyone enjoyed the worship (2 styles offered), teaching and just being together in such a relaxed spiritual atmosphere. The organisation of the event was really good, the result of 17 years refinement, and the provision for youth and children really appreciated.
We’ll be there again next year: 28 July to 4 August.
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Posted on 12th May 2006
by Neil Beckett
Youth worker
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Youth Achievment Awards
Youth Achievement Awards - Feedback
On the 25th of April Nikki and I attended Kingston's Youth Achievement Award ceremony on Ravens Ait. The Youth Achievement Awards are to recognise the young people of Kingston and to highlight their achievements. 'We want to highlight the positive profile of our young people and give them the reward they deserve'. It celebrates the young people in Kingston who have not had it easy so their sense of achievement is all the more special and significant.
Nikki and I love this event and often get very emotional listening to all the amazing things the young people have achieved throughout the year. This year I was honoured to be asked to be a judge for the 'Caring' category. Nikki and I were very privileged to be sat at the top table with the other judges and get a close up view of the proud young people receiving their awards. It was a great opportunity to encourage young people, many of whom hardly ever receive any praise.
This year a member of the churches youth group received an award for all the hard work he does in helping with church activities and how he had developed greatly in his new school. Unfortunately he didn't win his category (he deserved too) but he still received a certificate from the Mayor for all his hard work.
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Posted on 12th May 2006
by The Elders
Gordon, Alan, Lynn & Christine
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Church blogs are here!
We've now introduced this Community Church blog page so that Elders and staff can keep you up to date with exciting news, prophecies and encouraging words.
On a regular basis we will post blogs with Elder's news, answers to prayer, words for the church, encouraging testimonies and resources you'll find useful such as books, albums and websites.
We hope you'll find this a productive way to find out what's on our heart for the church.
God bless
The Eldership Team.
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