Here is the King's Church Cockermouth Newsletter for February 2023 with updates of some of the things that have been happening in the life of King's Church over the last month, as well as book and album suggestions for you to listen to and read over the next month.
Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid! by Roger Bye
The disciples were only there on the lake because Jesus had sent them on ahead of himself. They were doing His will and yet it must have seemed that everything was against them. They were straining at the oars, battling into the wind. Does this sound familiar? We can be on the right course and yet everything seems against us – in some ways this expresses the reality of living in our culture. We are doing what Jesus calls us to but often it is against the prevailing winds of culture and that leaves us straining to make progress. At a personal level, there can be circumstances that seem to conspire against us moving forwards with all God has called us to. What happened next? Jesus appeared. First, they didn’t recognise Him, they reacted with fear, but then He spoke. ‘Take courage, it is I. Don’t be afraid.’ This was the turning point, He climbed into the boat and peace settled. The presence of Jesus is transformative and now He is with us by His Spirit, wherever we are, whatever our challenge. Let’s hear His voice to us saying…take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid! (For the Bible passage, go to Matthew 14v22-27)
The Knock Weekend by Joelle Raby
On the 3rd February, 13 young people from King's Church headed to the Knock Centre for the Solway Network Youth Church Weekend with 32 other young people from the West Coast Area.
The young people arrived for tea and then headed outside for a wide game in the dark where they were challenged to make the longest, most creative paperchain in teams.
This was followed by a choice of activities - night walk, dance party, games room, chill out before bed.
Once the young people went to bed, the youth leaders got to work, decorating the centre with the theme for the weekend - Christmas!
The young people woke up to Christmas songs being played down their corridors. After breakfast, they were split into two groups (boys/girls) to look at Mary in one session, Joseph in the other and then swap over.They then chose activities to take part in with different crafts, nerf wars, sports, music, pamper, archery, escape room, baking and parachute games on offer over the weekend.
Christmas dinner was served at lunchtime followed by a session about the shepherds and angels. Then there was more activities, gifts from the Christmas tree, a Christmas quiz and Christmas games in the evening.
Sunday morning started with a youth service after breakfast where it was great to see some of our young people take part in the youth band. There was a talk from the archdeacon about the wise men which the opportunity to respond to the gospel message at the end. There was then another activity session followed by a wide game before the young people returned home for a good night's sleep.
It was a great weekend, lovely to see our young people getting to know each other better as well as making new friends. It was also good to see our young people engaging in the teaching sessions, learning more about Jesus, asking questions and having fun together.
A Big Thank You
A massive thank you to everyone who donated to the Turkish disaster offering.
we collected £7566, of which £5000 has already been sent to Catalyst to send on to churches in the region for immediate Humanitarian relief.
Update from Georgia Bell
Hey All! An overdue update! Just wanted to check in and say that I am back ‘in the swing of things’ at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry and into the second trimester. It was really good to be home for a short while over Christmas. And see some of you very briefly! I definitely in hindsight needed some recoup time from the travelling and trip to Tanzania. This next week is a busy week serving on usher and ministry teams for the Randy Clark conference. I am very grateful to get to hear his healing teaching for the next week. A main thought that’s sticking with me at the moment: One big life lesson that I am reflecting on at the moment with Jesus would be really learning to savour the more ‘normal’ moments in between the highs that come with ministry, since ministry school is a season in life quite like no other! I am more aware from visiting speakers, conference speakers and missionary accounts that often grand ministry moments and victories can be really thrilling (which they absolutely are and should be!), yet there is so much beauty in all aspects of life to cherish, and we are to find great joy in this! I want to treasure walking with Jesus with even greater joy in all parts of life, the mundane and ordinary. Since all things are for Him. A goal in 2023 is to prioritise the doing the ‘little things’ with God that I enjoy! A stand out moment from recently: Last week one of the girls that I work with on Sundays who is diagnosed with paralysis, began saying to me out of the blues, ‘Jesus heals me!’ during the children’s ministry time, and she asked me to walk with her. She walked for the first time at church without her walker that day! She is just gorgeous and teaches me so much about simplicity and faith. A few things I would love prayer for: 1. And going into 2023 I would really value prayers again for me and Kenji, and our families. Specifically, as we look to organise a wedding celebration and pray into what’s next, and a third year opportunity. We would both really love to get behind the mission’s pastors (John and Cindy Taylor) and their plans to develop this department at bethel. 2. Another fundraising miracle! I was able to sow the gift from Cockermouth into the Tanzania trip and into the upcoming Nepal springs mission trip. Prayers for wisdom and unexpected provision to come. 3. Health and community. Thank you!
Eco Church
Lent Idea: There are some great ideas to do each week through Lent from ARocha with practical ideas for connecting with God's creation. Have a look at: https://arocha.org.uk/connect-with-gods-creation-over-lent/
Printer Cartridges: Just a reminder that we are collecting used ink cartridges for the Life Association appeal. These can be dropped off at the Church Office from 9-12 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (The Hub, 2 Market Street, Cockermouth, CA13 9NJ). More information about the life association can be found here: https://www.lifeassociation.org.uk/ Or to find out what cartridges are accepted for recycling, please visit this website: https://www.printercartridgerecycling.co.uk/charities/life-association-ch-67
Show the Love Campaign:
The young people from Mobilise and Move have created hearts to display in The Hub window
in support of the 'Show the Love' Campaign by the Climate Coalition. They have also written a letter to our MP, Mark Jenkinson, telling him about the actions they are taking to help the environment and their concerns about climate, nature and the cost of living crisis and asking him 'to make his voice heard by championing action on climate change, nature and the cost of living in parliament'. For more information on this project, go to: https://www.theclimatecoalition.org/show-the-love We would love you to come and see the heart in the Hub window and if you can take a picture and share it on social media using the hashtags provided in the church window, that would be amazing.
Fridays in Lent
During Lent each week CTICA (Churches Together in the Cockermouth Area) hold an event on a Friday. This year, there is a variety of events happening. Each event has a theme and speaker as well as food and good company. Admission is free, donations 'if you can' and proceeds go to Christian Aid. This year, Fridays in Lent will start at Christ Church Rooms (South Street, Cockermouth, CA13
9RU) for the first few weeks and then move to The Hub (2 Market Street, Cockermouth, CA13 9NJ).
Fridays During Lent at the Hub:
17th March: Coffee Morning (10-11:30am) - Speaker is Lynn Graham about Safe Families
24th March: Coffee Morning (10-11:30am) - Sharing about working with Ukrainians
31st March: Coffee Morning (10-11:30am) - North Lakes Foodbank
We would love for you to come and join us.
Jubilee+ Church Partner Events
Over the next few months, Jubilee+ has some church events on Zoom for anyone to join in with.
The first two are: Follow Launch on Thursday 16th March at 9:30am on Zoom How do we grow into oaks of righteousness who glorify God and restore, rebuild, and renew others? We are called to reflect Jesus to those around us, especially the most vulnerable. This means growing into compassion, mercy, kindness, welcome, generosity and even righteous anger. Join us for this one-hour Zoom where we will explore what it looks like to follow Jesus in these ways and let you know about our new discipleship resource: Follow. Join in Jubilee+Voices on Thursday 20th April at 7:30pm on Zoom How do people really feel when they come to our churches and projects? That's what we have been asking people with recent experiences of poverty in the first two of our J+ Voices sessions in Hastings and Hull.
If you'd like to find out more about Jubilee+ Voices and how you, or people you know from church or social action ministries, can take this opportunity to share your experiences and shape churches across the UK, please come along.
Suggested Books
God has a name by John Mark Comer
God Has a Name is a simple yet profound guide to understanding God in a new light--focusing on what God says about himself. This one shift has the potential to radically alter how you relate to God, not as a doctrine, but as a relational being who responds to you in an elastic, back-and-forth way. In God Has a Name, John Mark Comer takes you line by line through Exodus 34:6-8--Yahweh's self-revelation on Mount Sinai, one of the most quoted passages in the Bible. Along the way, Comer addresses some of the most profound questions he came across as he studied these noted lines in Exodus, including:
Why do we feel this gap between us and God?
Could it be that a lot of what we think about God is wrong? Not all wrong, but wrong enough to mess up how we relate to him?
What if our "God" is really a projection of our own identity, ideas, and desires?
What if the real God is different, but far better than we could ever imagine?
No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, the act of learning who God is just might surprise you--and change everything.
Praying like monks, living like fools by Tyler Staton
'What if, until now, you've never really prayed. Not like Jesus designed it, anyway.' Prayer is the source of Jesus's most astonishing miracles and the subject of Jesus' most audacious promises, and yet, most people - even most Bible-believing Christians - find prayer to be boring, obligatory, disappointing, confusing, or, most often, all of the above. If you've ever felt this way, Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools is your invitation to trade your conceptions and misconceptions about prayer for prayer in its purest form: a vital, sustaining, powerful connection with God that is more real and alive than you could have ever imagined. In these pages, Tyler Staton - author, pastor, and national director of the 24/7 Prayer movement - addresses common roadblocks to prayer and gives you the confidence to come to God just as you are. Prayer is a journey, and this book will help you transition your prayer life from a path littered with half-hearted requests to a treasured journey of ever-deepening, adventurous relationship with Jesus.
Suggested Albums
Live at The Manor by Manor Collective
Suggested by Becca Dunlop "I’m really enjoying the praise songs coming from this group of UK based song writers. Great songs about Jesus’ love and impact in our lives, crying out for the Holy Spirit to move. Let these words stir you into worship, whatever you are doing today!"
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