THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Vicar Geoff – 6th March 2026 - Following Jesus more closely, day by day

I have been interested to read of thinking in the area of “whole life discipleship”. When we make a commitment to follow Jesus it is not just about going to church on a Sunday, or going to church in itself, it is far more encompassing. Following Jesus impacts our whole life. It is not something that we switch on for a couple of hours a week or when we feel like it, nor is it limited to church activities. It involves our whole being, our daily life and our relationships with others. That is because God is interested in every aspect of our lives. It is very much about us becoming more like Jesus.

Following Jesus is far more than just going to church. Followers of Jesus are disciples and disciples are learners. Disciples are not mega holy people, who spend all their time on their knees praying. Being a disciple is about following Jesus in daily life and living out the Christian faith on a daily, hourly and by the minute basis, in all areas of life - work, school, community and of course church.

When we look at the life of Jesus as recorded in the bible, we see him doing many ordinary, everyday things, using illustrations from everyday life of the time – eating with others, farming, fishing , marrying and mourning. Jesus wants to be involved in all these aspects of our lives and more. On the sideline of a football match where our children are playing, at the supermarket, on the bus and even down the local pub (I know you would expect me to stick that one in there!). These are all aspects of life, and life is what God is interested in.

As we move forward together we will be increasingly exploring how we can better express our faith through our discipleship. If it all seems a bit new to you, don’t worry. While discipleship is not new (Jesus lived it out with his 12) it is something which has been widely talked about in the life of our village churches, and it is something which we can all benefit from and should make every effort to pursue.

Geoff

Pray for …

Living out our faith across our villages as we explore discipleship together – our ABC strapline is ‘Following Jesus Together’

Our village churches growing together as we become one Mission and Ministry Unit

Becoming more like Jesus

Give thanks for …

Our Children, Youth and Families Worker, Amy

All who are involved with our Messy Church, Little Apples and Little Fish playgroups

Alex, our administrator as we work at streamlining and improving our communications and processes

We pray for all who live and work in the following streets in our communities:

In Copmanthorpe - Horseman Drive, Horseman Close, Horseman Court

In Bolton Percy & Colton - Church View Cottages

In Askham Bryan - Askham Bryan College

In Acaster Malbis - Intake Lane, Cowper Lane, Tyn Garth

In Appleton Roebuck - Ainsty Garth