God is our refuge and strength

Dear church family

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 46 is such a powerful Psalm that speaks of God's power and strength. I had such a strong sense that this is what God wanted me to pray through in Facebook prayers this morning and I think it is something we all need to hear today. The beginning of the Psalm tells us the truth that God is our refuge and strength. When the world around us seems like it is falling apart, we do not need to be afraid because our God is mighty, and we are safe with Him. When we are falling apart, we can look to Him and He will strengthen us by His Spirit.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

I love the line 'God is within her, she will not fall.' Sometimes it can feel like we are on the edge of crumbling, but that truth tells us that when God is in us, we will not fall, we will not crumble. God will help us, and He is a God who speaks and the earth melts – such is His power. Our God is mightier than every situation that we face, our God is bigger than the things that make us feel like we are going to fall apart!

7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

If God is for us than we need only be still. He is sovereign and as Nebuchadnezzar quickly learnt in Daniel 3 (which we looked at on Sunday), God is in control. We are the ones who need to remember that, especially as we look at the world around us. He will be exalted. He is and will be victorious. He has the victory in our lives, He is the one who breaks bows and shatters spears. Nothing can stand against us when God is on our side, so we do not need to be afraid of any attacks of the enemy.

In the 'Who Am I?' session of Freedom in Christ, one of the truths we speak over ourselves is, 'I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18).' He cannot touch us, the evil one cannot have his way – God is victorious so let us act like He is and not allow the enemy any power because he has none!

May you know God's power and authority at work in and through you this coming week.

Lots of love,

Katie


SUNDAY GATHERING - 10:30AM Join us this Sunday as we continue our sermon series 'The Book of Daniel - Resilient Faith'. For those who are unable to attend in person please join us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GFiAmZcUt3c




LEAD THEOLOGY COURSE STARTS TOMORROW - Our LEAD Theology Course will be held over 6 Saturdays throughout the year - starting on 5th October. Each session will be divided in to parts - some with a focus on exploring a section of the Bible and others focussed on an aspect of practical theology and how it applies to our discipleship and leadership. The sessions will be taught by the pastors at WBC plus a number of guest teachers throughout the year specialising in different fields.

This year we are also introducing LEAD+. These are standalone training days on various topics including preaching and communication, worship, leadership and so much more taught by specialists in that area. These training days are for anyone who is interested in the topic and those who have previously done the LEAD Theology Course.

For more information, to see the course schedule and to sign up, visit our website: https://www.willesboroughbaptist.church/lead




GIVAUDAN 10K NEXT WEEK - Sunday 13th October. The route for this run starts at the Julie Rose stadium and comes directly past church. Last year we set up an extra support 'Hype' station. This was a fantastic opportunity for us to be out there with our community supporting a local event. We provided water, sweets, music and most importantly, supporting the runners as they came up the hill with lots of encouragement! We had so many appreciative comments from runners last year and we will be supporting them again this year. Come and join us! Note the morning service has been moved to 4pm




THE 'REAL' MEAL THIS MONDAY - A monthly men's meal - first Monday of every month. The next one is on Monday 7th October at The Woolpack in Smeeth, 7pm , £10. Speak to Ben Oliver, Mark Giles or email office@willesboroughbaptist.church to book your place




CAP - ASHFORD LIFE SKILLS COURSE STARTING TODAY Our church partners with Christians Against Poverty (CAP UK) to support local people here in Ashford who are facing financial challenges. This course is open to all and starts Friday 4th October! To sign up or for more info please visit our website:
https://www.willesboroughbaptist.church/cap




NEW JOB OPPORTUNITY Our Preschool is looking for an Early Years Educator.
If you are interested in the role or know someone who might be, you can apply for the role or get more information here: https://www.willesboroughbaptist.church/jobs



AGM NEXT MONTH - Join us for our Annual Gratitude Meeting! We will be meeting as a family on Thursday 7th November at 7pm. Please make this meeting a priority




CAP Ashford Life Skills Weekly course starts 4th Oct | 1:30-3:30pm | WBC
LEAD 5th October | 9:30am-3:30pm | WBC
The 'Real' Meal 7th October | 7-10pm | The Woolpack in Smeeth
Givaudan 10K 13th October | Gather ready for 9:30am | Hype station (Morning service moved to 4pm)
Deaf Awareness Training 17th October | 7pm for 7:30pm start | WBC
Immerse 27th October | Sunday Evening Service | 7pm | WBC
AGM 7th Nov | 7pm | WBC




Sparks / Flames / Firestarters | Sunday mornings | Side Hall & The Well | Age 0-3, 3-6, 7-10
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