Be Still

Dear church family,

Recently I've had two songs battling for supremacy in my mind: 'Jesus at the Centre' and 'Thou be my vision'. Reflecting on the lyrics of both, it struck me that Jesus is the centre of it all and if he isn't our vision then we are looking in the wrong direction. If you are looking out at the world with a sense of hopelessness then you have taken your eyes off the centre which is always Jesus. The eye of a storm is strangely still. If we stray too far away from Jesus, we get caught up in the whirlwind of life which will buffet us back and forth and if we are not careful, we can end up dashed on the rocks feeling battered and exhausted by life. It is then that the psalmist reminds us to 'Be still and know that I am God' (Psalm 46:10). That psalm was written in the midst of a furious battle and yet there is the command to 'Be still' exactly when it feels wrong to do so, or when we are up against a deadline and to stop feels a waste of valuable time. Sometimes we need to enter the centre and let all of our troubles and the craziness of life swirl around us while we take respite with our Lord.

Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians: "He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the centre of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence". Ephesians 1:22-23 (msg.)

The world would have us believe that our faith is irrelevant in this maelstrom of modernity with the constant hum of technology and the drive to go ever faster and produce even more. Scripture, however, tells us that Jesus is actually the centre of everything and as the church is his body, that means that if we remain in him and he in us, we too are at the centre with access to his strength, power, peace and victory. Remember what Danny shared last Sunday (if you didn't hear his sermon then please do take time to catch up here because it was stonkingly good!), 'God sees you' and 'the storm was not meant to finish off the disciples; the disciples were meant to conquer the storm' and as with all storms, this too shall pass.

May the Lord of all life bless you mightily this week and as ever, know that you are loved.
Paula x
 
SUNDAY GATHERING - 10:30AM Join us this Sunday as we continue our sermon series 'Life-changing Encounters'. For those who are unable to attend in person please join us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EOKM-EHB6hg



PARTNERSHIP FAMILY MEETING THIS THURSDAY We're joining together on Thursday 18th July at 7:30pm with Brabourne Baptist Church as we continue to listen to God and discern what the future holds for our partnership. Whether you're brand new to faith or to the church, or you have been part of the family for a long time, please make this meeting a priority.



SUMMER BBQ THIS SATURDAY If you're a young adult (18-30) in the WBC family, you're invited for a BBQ at Matt & Tash Woodhill's house this summer! Join us on Saturday 13th July from 4pm til late! Find out more here: https://willesboroughbaptistchurch.churchsuite.com/events/viaj0wuf



STREET SERENADES Invicta Singers are holding a concert to raise funds for Ashford Street Pastors. Join us on Saturday, July 20th 2024, 7:30pm. There's a raffle with some fantastic prizes, too!
More information: https://www.facebook.com/share/eT99SwvUueWyA2pE/

CHILDREN & FAMILIES WORKER We intend to recruit for a full-time children and families worker and we plan to get the advert out next month for the role which will be shared internally and advertised extensively externally too. The key ways we need all church family to be involved at this point are praying for the right person for the role, praying for the finances to make this possible and each one of us deciding how we can be part of this increase. Thank you

SAVE THE DATE ☀️ Community Connect - a new pop-up event on Saturday 27th July from 9am-2pm at WBC! Fun for all the family - more info coming soon!


Summer BBQ (Age 18-30) | 13th July | 4pm-late | Matt & Tash Woodhill's house
Partnership Family Meeting | 18th July | 7:30pm | WBC
Street Serenades | Invicta Singers concert for Ashford Street Pastors | 20th July | 7:30pm | WBC
Community Connect | Pop-up Event | 27th July | 9am-2pm | WBC
Partnership Prayer | 5th September | 10-11:30am | BBC


Sparks & Firestarters | Sunday mornings | In The Hall & The Well | 0-3 & 4-10 year olds
Blaze | Sunday mornings upstairs in The Well | years 6-8
Ignite | Friday | 7-9pm | Main worship space | years 7-13
Furnace | Mondays | 7-9pm | Katie's manse | years 9-13
The Well | Open Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays | 9-12
Crafty Cuppa | Thursdays every other week | In The Well | 2-4pm
Brabourne Craft Group | Fourth Thursday of the month | 10am-1pm | Brabourne Baptist Church  
Renew Wellbeing | Tuesdays in The Well | 2-4pm
Prayer | Before our Sunday service | front of church | 9:45am
Early Morning Prayers | Thursday mornings | 6:30am | Join here: www.willesboroughbaptist.church/prayer
CAP Ashford Life Skills | Weekly course every Friday | 1:30-3:30pm | WBC | Sign up here
Alpha Course | 11 week course every Tuesday | 6:30-9pm | Sevington | Sign up here