Thought for the Week: Revival or Survival? – 18th September 2026Were you lucky enough to attend the talk by Jarrod Cooper at St Giles on Saturday 5th September? I was. For those who do not know him, Jarrod is the Senior Minster of Revive Church at Woodmansey. He is an accomplished author of Christian literature, and he came to speak to us about his new book, The Altar. During his talk Jarrod said something which resonated with me … do we want ‘revival or survival?' The concept of revival got me thinking and brought to mind a few passages: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” (Ezekiel 37:5); “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.”(Romans 12:2); “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38).For me, each verse says a little about what Christianity is about. It is not about us sitting comfortably in our churches thinking ‘I’m all right, and pull the ladder up, Jack’, it is about us following Christ. It is not just about praying, or reading the bible, but about action. Jesus was a man of action, a man of challenge, a man of compassion. Reading through the Gospels I cannot remember when any have recounted ‘and Jesus sat there, because he couldn’t be bothered'. But I ask you how often do we take that stance? How often is it easier to do nothing rather than something. I know that I am guilty of that sometimes. Guilty of failing to challenge, guilty of failing to act.Therefore I call upon our church communities to become churches of action. To look to bring forward the Kingdom of God. Your Churches Leadership team are working hard to discern what God wants from us, not what we want from God. Over the coming weeks, months, years we will be looking to develop new. New what? I am not sure we know yet, but we share a belief that Jesus is at the centre of what we are doing, and we need to strive towards that. The appointment of our Children, Youth and Families worker was a significant step on that journey, so is the new Pattern of Worship. This will hopefully open new opportunities. To go back to that opening question, do we want ‘revival or survival’? Personally, I choose revival. Are you with me?God Bless, Alan (LLM)
Thought for the Week Sunday 13th September 2026Creation SeasonThe steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is his faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him. Lamentations 3:22-24The Church of England celebrated the Festival of Creation in Christ on the first Sunday of September, giving thanks for God’s creation and redemption through Jesus Christ. It marks the opening of the annual Season of Creation, running from September 1st to October 4th. The faithfulness of God dates from the day of creation, when, as the Book of Job puts it, the stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy. Despite all our technology, we have not found another planet like ours. Alexei Leonov, the Soviet cosmonaut who performed the first ever spacewalk in 1965, said the earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone; our home that must be defended like a holy relic. William Anders, during the Apollo 8 voyage in 1968, captured the iconic Earthrise photograph, showing the jewel-like blues and greens and swirling clouds of our planet hanging like a fragile glass bauble above the grey, barren desert of the Moon’s surface. It is widely credited with inspiring the global environmental movement. However far we probe, the universe is more vast and strange that we can ever imagine. Our powerful microscopes reveal the inner complexity of the machinery of life, and uncover further mysteries that baffle and fascinate us. God created all of this, and tasked us with the stewardship of our beautiful and finite planet, promising that seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease. Human beings, made in his image, are nonetheless fallen from perfection, and many of the problems we face, such as Climate Change, wars, poverty and injustice are of our own making. As Christians we should work to alleviate these problems, because we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom which is not like the earthly ones. We march to a different drum. As we stand on the threshold of a new morning in the ABC churches, let’s remember God’s faithfulness, put aside our own hurts and quibbles, and practice those Kingdom values that demonstrate that look how they love one another vibe to our villages and communities. Let’s seek God together, go deeper and remember that the Hope we have in him is for sharing. Rachel (LLM)
Thought for the Week: New Beginning – 4th September 2026As I write this on 1 September, I reflect on what many of us think of as the start of the year. Alternatively, we may just think of it as the end of the holiday season. September is actually the start of the ‘school year’ or the for others the ‘academic year’. But when we think of the start of the year others may disagree and point to the start of the calendar year in January, or the financial year in April. As Christians (particularly in the Church of England) the liturgical year starts with Advent, which we normally associate with December, but actually November would be more accurate. However, the Orthodox church also looks to September as the start of their liturgical year. This September, we also see the start of a new pattern of worship across our community of churches. As a Churches Leadership Team, we were conscious of the need to support each of our churches but were not in a position to deliver a service at every church every Sunday. Fundamental to our new pattern, is the desire to offer at least one 9am and 10.30am Holy Communion Service on a Sunday morning alongside the 10.30am Oasis contemporary service. We also committed to a range of other services on a Sunday and the midweek Holy Communion service. It is planned that our Licensed Lay Ministers will be able to contribute to all services across the communities, so we can get to know all the different communities we serve. However, shared responsibility in ministry requires the collaborative effort among believers to fulfil the mission and work of the Church. This concept is rooted in the understanding that the Church is the Body of Christ, with each member playing a vital role in its function and growth. By embracing shared responsibility, the Church can better reflect the unity and diversity of the Body of Christ, as each member fulfils their God-given role in the ministry. The New Testament provides numerous examples and teachings that emphasise the importance of shared responsibility, highlighting the diverse gifts and roles within the Christian community. I therefore encourage you, as members of our communities, to use your spiritual gifts, as described in Romans 12:6-8, to serve one another and contribute to the Church's mission. This approach fosters a sense of community and accountability, ensuring that the work of the Church is carried out effectively and efficiently.Alan Johnston (Licensed Lay Minister)
Thought for the Week: Church Building – 28th August 2026In last Sunday’s Gospel reading we read in verse 18 Jesus’ declaration to the disciple Simon: “18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”.There was lots of good material to focus on in that Gospel reading, so I didn’t touch on that verse. Perhaps I should have done because it is an excellent reminder that the church is not ours, but belongs to Jesus himself. So, it is Jesus building His church, not us building our church. We can’t build a church, only Jesus can. When we think about building the church, we must acknowledge that our faith in Jesus Christ is the very foundation. In the Bible, Jesus tells us that He will build His church upon the rock, which is Peter’s acknowledgment of Christ’s identity. This signifies that as a community of believers; we stand firm on Jesus Christ as our cornerstone. Each of us plays a vital role, building not just any church, but a living, breathing organism that reflects Christ’s love and teachings. When we align ourselves with this foundation, we can weather the storms of life, grow deeper in our faith, and draw others into a relationship with God. Our unity and strength lie in this strong foundation. Together, we are called to be salt and light within our communities, extending God’s grace and truth to all around us.One of the joys and challenges of being church is that we have buildings, which we need as we face unsettled weather. It would really test our faith if we worshipped God in a torrential downpour or below zero temperatures. Indeed, I wonder how many of us would bother with worship if that was what we faced. Our church buildings are practical necessities, rather than objects to be worshipped in themselves. They would no longer be churches if they were empty, because it is people worshipping God within them built on centuries of faith filled believers that make them churches, rather than just church buildings.The Church that Jesus tells us He is building on Peter (the Greek word Petros means ‘rock’) is His Church, a community of believers who worship Him and live out the Christian faith in their community. That is what the Church is all about – our names and buildings facilitate this. Sadly, too many of us focus on the buildings themselves rather than the living, breathing, changing organism that is the Church of Jesus Christ.During August we have had the opportunity to be the ABC Church as we’ve gathered as one community worshipping God together each Sunday.Come Lord Jesus and build your church.Geoff.Vicar of the ABC Churches
