Sam P

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY MULTISITE?

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY MULTISITE?

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the talents. Let’s read it together: 14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one...

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MULTISITE: BEYOND MY ALLEY AND MUDDY BANK

MULTISITE: BEYOND MY ALLEY AND MUDDY BANK

Let me tell you about an alley and muddy bank that has had real significance when I was growing up. The alley had a gravelly driveway with a good quota of potholes and a series of dilapidated garages and best of all a muddy bank, which I still believe is the greatest...

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Vision: Where are we going?

Vision: Where are we going?

So if that’s the unchanging or timeless calling (see previous article) that we as a church have, what do we need to be focusing on over this coming season? Here is where we shift to thinking about vision. Again, we as elders want to suggest to the church that our...

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Mission: Who are we?

Mission: Who are we?

These are some notes that I have adapted from the special vision evening we held on Thursday the 25th of January. Who are we? and where are we going? (see next article) are two fundamental questions that every church needs to ask and be able to answer clearly. These...

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Ways of Life

Ways of Life

In this final article I want to focus on an important aspect of what we as elders have been talking about together over the last few months. I want to call them ‘Ways of Life’ (or ‘rules of life’ as our predecessors called it). This is a way of stating and then living...

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Preaching Seminar

Preaching Seminar

On Sunday the 7th of January, a small group of guys gathered at Green Lane to explore Psalm 3. Why? At our evening communion services, we are going to be exploring the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134). These are a collection of communal songs/poetry that were sung by...

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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: MULTISITE

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: MULTISITE

When there is an invisible elephant in the room, one is from time to time bound to trip over a trunk - Karen J. Fowler. If 2024 is going to be a season of change, then the elephant in the room that needs addressing is the whole subject of multisite (or ‘one church...

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Long Read: NAVIGATING CHANGE

Long Read: NAVIGATING CHANGE

PSALM 125 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,    which cannot be shaken but endures forever.2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,    so the Lord surrounds his...

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Grow 2024

Grow 2024

Over the last two months it’s been brilliant to share how several people from Emmanuel Community Church are participating in different forms of training. Well, guess what? This month I have even more news about training! For those of you who were at the recent church...

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LONG READ: SEEING CHRIST AMID THE SUFFERING

LONG READ: SEEING CHRIST AMID THE SUFFERING

A reflection on Psalm 42 Note: This is a long article! However, I’ve written it to help us as a church consider the place of grief and hope in the life of a local church. Most of you will know that  our dear friend and fellow church member recently passed away! He...

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