We approach the most exiting season in the life of the church: Easter. The events of this period are central to our faith and hope. Someone once wrote that “Because of Good Friday you can look back and not be afraid. Because of Easter you can look ahead and not be afraid. Because of Ascension Day you can look up and not be afraid. Because of Pentecost you can look in and not be afraid.”

So where will your eyes be focused during these coming weeks?

As a Church we have begun to explore something of our purpose and vision through, what we plan to be, regular sessions of prayer, discussion and discernment. By stepping out in faith to leave the comfort of the familiar Jesus says “Peace”. In the Upper Room, on that first Easter evening, when the disciples were hiding in fear, Jesus spoke words of peace that transformed his followers into missionaries of Good News. We recognise that to be ourselves people of Good News we needed to look beyond the walls that surround us and be aware that the church must be prophetic – must offer a taste of the kingdom of God.

Jesus is the foundation stone of the Church and the model of mission. As advertised inside Newthorpe News, witnessing opportunities abound over the coming weeks, from outdoor services to invitations to special events; do take all the chances they afford, for yourself and others to invite to. There are also many occasions for you to take time out and allow God to refresh and renew your spirit; if you have never witnessed Christian mediation or prayer do please come along and try it out in Lent or Holy Week.

Nearer the summer (Saturday July 4^th to be precise) we shall have the second annual Newthorpe Family Festival. Due to building work at Greasley Sports Centre the venue this year will be BeauvaleJuniorSchool. We are privileged to have a very special guest to speak and sing: Henry Olonga, the former Zimbabwe cricketer. Henry has a wonderful testimony of God’s grace through the traumatic events in his homeland and a developing music career that expresses his own witness of God’s grace.

Please try and free up this weekend, there will be plenty of ways to be involved to serve and support this gift to our community from the local churches.

MARCH AND APRIL 2009