As we look forward to our various services this coming weekend, may I thank you to all those who prayed for our ‘soft launch’ of ‘Church Alive in ’25’ last weekend.

The Ministry Team were greatly encouraged by our meeting with Bishop David on the Saturday afternoon, and the next afternoon there were 30 of us back in St John’s, Itchen Abbas (nicely warmed by some temporary heaters!) coming together for a Welcome Tea—a nice opportunity to meet some newcomers to the village.

And our Bible readings on the Sunday morning (from Acts 8 and Luke 3) encouraged me to focus on two key things that we will need if we are indeed to see our church come ‘alive in ’25’—namely a real humility before Jesus (surrendering our agendas and following his), and a fresh revelation of Jesus to us—as God gave at the moment of Jesus’  baptism: “this is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him!”

If you can’t see the link to the sermon above, it can be listened to (along with all sermons) by clicking here and selecting it from the list of sermons.

I hope you will find it to be some real encouragement in these dark days of January

With love and prayers

Revd Peter