Kingfisher Family newsletter - September 2021 by Kingfisher Church

K I N G F I S H E R FA M I LY And we’re back! It has been great to start meeting again in person as churches over the past few weeks. Wonderful to see old faces again and to welcome new faces as well. We thank God for the technology that has allowed us to carry on through the lockdown period with online church and Zoom meetings, worshipping Him physically separate but digitally together. So many have made a decision to believe in and follow Jesus Christ during this time and it has been so good to be able to pray for many people during the online services and through online Connect Group meetings and prayer meetings

But there is nothing quite like actually meeting together in person, and so many of us have returned to church with a renewed sense of excitement, anticipation and gratitude to God for His Church. As we have been saying over the past few months, though, we are not just returning to everything we were doing before the lockdown. This is an opportunity to refocus on the central, core activities that re ect what the Lord is calling us to right now and to resharpen our focus on the Mission that He has given us. Consequently, we have started back with some changes. The Toddler group and Multiple births group have restarted at Tredworth, but with much more of a focus on starting with parents and toddlers of people already in the church and then reaching out to others with a strong group of volunteers

ISSUE 31

SEPTEMBER 2021

and a clear vision for what we are trying to achieve. The Coffee Mornings that were running each Tuesday will not be starting at this point, giving us the opportunity to build up a volunteer team that is large enough to run this well

'Our unchanging mission: To reach lost people and see them transformed into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ’. The 10am service at Tredworth and 11am service at Westgate are the core services that we are currently focussing on launching and building up. The Interactive service at Tredworth will restart when the time is right - when homes feel safe to bring their residents and when a volunteer team is raised up. The 6pm service held at Tredworth has changed. Instead of this being a live service to which people come, the talks now go

directly onto our YouTube channel, which is easily accessible via our two websites www.king sher.org.uk and www.king sherfamily.org . This enables us to focus all of our energy and attention on the morning services, seeing them grow in numbers and spiritual depth. Interestingly, the viewing gures for the evening talks that now go straight to our YouTube channel have increased dramatically since taking this decision So, we’re back! We are already welcoming new people, already celebrating new life with baptisms, already seeing live changed, helped, healed, given encouragement and hope. It may well be that some of the changes described above are directly affecting you and of course change is never easy. But we still worship the same God, Jesus Christ, who still has the unchanging commitment to build His Church. The Church is a living organism, ever-changing (in terms of its activities) to meet the fresh challenges that rise up but NEVER-changing in terms of its commitment to ‘Reach lost people and see them transformed into full devoted follows of Jesus Christ’. As our seventh Core Value states, ‘We shall never arrive. We shall continue to expand and grow until the whole world is pursuing full devotion to Jesus Christ’. The mission eld is all around us, ripe for harvest. So here we are Lord send us!

News from King sher Church Tredworth News from King sher Tredworth During the month of August we have been doing at series at Tredworth called, ‘Fit for purpose!’ With the aim that as we start this new term in September we will be in better spiritual shape to take on all that this new season is promising to bring, even coming out of the latest lockdown and in the light of an on-going global pandemic. FIT - Frequency, Intensity and time, when it comes to getting t, exercising the healthy spiritual practices of The Word, worship, and prayer. We launched a memorisation plan, a bible verse a week to meditate on and commit to memory, keeping our minds rooted in God’s truth. FIT - Forming it together, that it takes all of us nding our t in the body of Christ for it to be a healthy, and fully functioning church on the move, and that we need to care for each other. This is why our connect groups are so important, but we have also encouraged everyone to think about what part they play in our church family, both on a Sunday and/or during the week, and to

step into that shared sense of responsibility and ownership. FIT - Fighters in training, when it comes to staying ghting t. being alert to, and equipped for the battle that we are in, and able to stand rm. Our Senior Pastor, James, has been teaching on truth which we have encouraged everyone to listen to, as truth is the belt that holds all the rest of the armour in place, enabling us to ght off the attacks of the enemy. It is in submitting to Jesus that we can resist the devil and he must ee! FIT - Faithful, Intentional, Trusting, when it comes to being t for the King, t for His Kingdom. Faithful to the One who calls me loved and chosen, His masterpiece. I’m only t for His Kingdom because He has made me t! Intentional in my pursuit of His Kingdom values and goals, born again as a citizen of heaven. Trusting, like a child, in His provision and leading, not looking back but believing that the best is yet to come. With all that in mind, and putting into practice all that we have

been learning, we are entering this new season with a renewed sense of identity and purpose. There are challenges ahead with an ageing building that we call home, and a relaunch of our community groups in Tredworth after eighteen months of not being able to meet together physically. But it has been so encouraging to see people returning in-person, to see new people at church on a Sunday looking for family and looking for answers. It has been so encouraging to re-engage with other local churches and to see new links forming with local agencies. In the words of a popular Rend Collective song - “Unleash Your kingdom's power, reaching the near and far, no force of Hell can stop Your beauty changing hearts. You made us for much more than this, awake the kingdom seed in us, ll us with the strength and love of Christ. For we are Your church and we are the hope on earth. Build Your kingdom here, let the darkness fear. Show Your mighty hand, heal our streets and land. Set Your church on re, win this nation back. Change the atmosphere, build Your kingdom here we pray.”

That’s my prayer, how about you? Amen? Pastor Ollie

News from King sher Church On the road to Emmau Thoughts from my journey with Jesus - by Sandra Ashenford Sandra Ashenford is a member of the King sher Church family at Tredworth. She was introduced to Jesus at primary school but has spent most of her adult life in the company of sceptics and non-believers. This is a series of light-hearted blogs in which she re ects on the challenges of growing in faith and sharing the Good News amidst the pressures of a modern life

By the time you are reading this, I will have started a new job running outdoor learning sessions for a charity that offers residential visits on a working farm to schoolchildren from inner cities I am hugely excited about taking up this new role, but also quite anxious. Starting a new job involves making changes to familiar routines as well as having to get to know new people and learn new skills I will be one of the oldest members of the team – will I be

able to keep up with my younger colleagues And yet, for all my fears, I know absolutely that taking up this job is exactly the right thing to do. I have learned, over the years, to recognise when God has a plan for me I wasn’t looking for a new job; I had planned to close my childcare setting next year and return to a career in freelance writing Then one of my daughters showed me an advert for a job with the charity; this was a managerial role on an excellent salary, and when I read the job description, I felt that I ticked every box I carefully worded my letter of application, sent it off and waited with a real sense of excitement I heard nothing for three weeks, then I had an email thanking me for my interest but informing me that I had not been successful in securing an interview

I was fuming. I ranted at God, wanting to know why I had gone to all that effort for nothing A few weeks later I was informed on social media that the charity was looking for a teacher; the salary was half that of the original job and I tossed it into the virtual bin with a snarl But there was an insistent, gentle voice in my head telling me that was the job for me. Eventually, with hours to spare before the deadline, I sent in an application. A couple of days later I was invited for an interview. At the interview I understood that God knows me better than I know myself - I am not a manager, I am a hands-on teacher and I can’t wait to get started When Jesus called Peter and Andrew to change their careers, they made rather less fuss about it than me, according to Matthew 4:18-20. It is written As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers who were shermen, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew, catching sh in the lake with a net. Jesus said to them, “Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people.” At once they left their nets and went with him

No fuss, no arguing, just faith that it was the right thing to do.

An update from the Trustees The Trustees are really thrilled to see King sher welcome congregations back to Tredworth and Westgate, and for us to begin to build back Ministry activities. In preparation for the opening up of churches, the Trustees have been putting in place some key actions to help us get ready for the exciting relaunch period

survey con rmed that the core structure of the building was sound. However, there are 8 areas where the building needs repair and recti cation work to x some long-standing issues, and minor repairs to bring areas up to spec. We now have a comprehensive report and a clear picture of what is needed

Firstly, we are absolutely delighted to have appointed Fiona Farrington as our new part-time Administrator. This is a new post and lls a gap that we have had in our organisation. Fiona will be administering activities in Tredworth building, and supporting Senior Pastor James and Pastor Ollie in their work, as well as assisting staff and leaders where possible

Going forward, where certi cation and regulations require it, we will now need to look for works to be undertaken by other professional trades people. Having Heath working with us as our building advisor and undertaking some of the larger works will be of great bene t – both in providing expert advice and ensuring compliance. Initial ideas that we are exploring for how we can encourage those in the congregation with skills to step up include setting up a team of volunteers to form a Maintenance Group to undertake minor repairs, minor upgrades / xes and ongoing maintenance tasks. Also, reintroducing a way of generating and managing a building snag list of works, and setting up a process for a Quarterly snag list review that is prioritised by Trustees, and then worked through. We welcome any other ideas and suggestions on how we can keep God’s house blessed

Lockdown has not been kind to our building at Tredworth. The building was already struggling with the sheer weight of activities and footfall prior to lockdown, and then being empty for long periods really accentuated the state of the building. The building has been a real blessing from God, but it is a blessing that needs our care and attention – primarily by the Tredworth congregation who call it ‘home’. As we enter this new season, we wanted to review what is needed to return the building to an acceptable level

Steve Evans has given 20 years of faithful service in trying to keep on top of the building, and for that we are extremely grateful. He has now stepped down and we must come up with some sustainable plans to make good and maintain the building without him. So, in June the Trustees commissioned a Building Condition Survey to be undertaken by Heath Bowden of 8 Construction Management – a local Chartered builder. The

News from the King sher family

There is one area that we need to act quickly on – that is the 1st oor pitched and at roof areas where we need it to be water tight before the winter. We have a quote for works involved of £12,500 and it can be delivered in 2 phases each of £6,250. Phase 1 would be addressing the priority action - the pitched roof to stop water ingress - stripping back, drying, sealing and remove/ re t/ replace roof tiling, and then

undertaking the interior work required in the affected rooms, as weather allows, then nish off the other exterior work around chimney, eld side vegetation and repair damage to slates and guttering. The 2nd phase would be the at roof, adjacent guttering and coping stones/edging strips. That could be started when we have funds available but preferably by the end of October The next priority will be the Main Hall roof and guttering, and the repairing the blown concrete above some of the hall windows. The Trustees will be getting this and the remaining works costed over the coming weeks Funds are required to cover this 2-Phase project and then Main Hall once costed. We will need to raise funds to cover this work and the remaining works on the Condition Report. The Trustees see this action primarily from Tredworth congregation, but all are welcome to donate and assist in fundraising. In fact, we are very keen to hear your ideas for fundraising – and we are looking at how we can manage the ideas and activities in a coordinated way. In addition, we have started the process of exploring access to possible grants Given the urgency of Phase 1 work, the Trustees have agreed to provide the money from reserves to ensure work can commence in September. However, the intention is that the reserves are replenished as we raise the funds – so that we remain in a position to support ministries as necessary. While this may seem a lot to undertake, the Trustees view this as the start of a process of all of us looking after God's house. We have been blessed and a blessing is never a burden!

News from King sher Treasure Seekers Make and Take is back! drink. It's been amazing to see people enjoying art in community once again. To nd out more about the sessions visit our website: kftseekers.org.u

We’ve been so pleased to be able to reopen some Make and Take Sessions. Making use of our beautiful Studio space, customers have been able to come and buy art and craft kits in the Hub and then go into the Studio to make them, whilst having a

Treasure Seekers Disco makes a welcome return At the beginning of August, our discos for adults with learning disabilities returned. For the time being, it will be just on Monday evenings from 7-8.30pm and if all goes well, further evenings will be added in due course. Just £2.50 entry (carers go free). Our team of volunteers had a dummy run recently to make sure everything will run smoothly and they were all so excited to return.

News from King sher Treasure Seekers News from The Cavern It has been wonderful to see people returning to the Cavern recently and some of our regular events have been reintroduced. The restrictions indoors have eased slightly with larger groups being able to sit together and the wearing of masks no longer mandatory. We are of course encouraging people to be aware of personal space and hand hygiene

The return of karaoke nights kicked off with a special event The Cavern versus The Police! The battle saw members of our local police force and some of our police cadets vying for the karaoke crown against visitors and staff from The Cavern. It was fabulous to see such a joyous enthusiastic group having a great night. Needless to say, The Cavern were the winners! Karaoke nights are now running every Sunday from 6.30-8.30pm

Our Open Mic nights have now returned too, every Monday, from 6-8.30pm. This is a chance for any one to come along and play and enjoy music. Look out for more Live @ The Cavern too. Please keep an eye on our social media pages for updates.

News from the King sher Family Our International Family needs our prayers! We are receiving reports from various parts of the world of people fearlessly taking the Gospel to those who don’t yet believe as well as aid to those who are being persecuted by Hindu extremists in India and Islamic extremists in Mozambique. Our contacts in India report “The two days meeting in Baba Nanak Dera, Randhawa was attended by over 275 people each day. More than 130+ people accepted Jesus Christ over the two days meetings. Shakuntala and Pastor Vikas Teji prayed over sick and needy. People possessed by evil spirits were set free. Due to time constrain and service continuing till late night not many people could come forward to testify. However, a great move of Holy Spirit was witnessed in these meetings. Both days food was served to all after the gospel meetings.

“In a one-day meeting at Rajender Nagar, New Amritsar more than 350 people attended the meeting. Over 150 people accepted Jesus Christ.The local church and Pastor G will continue to be in touch and follow up with these new believers. Many people testi ed of the touch of the Holy Spirit including two young boys who committed their lives to Jesus and with the power of the Holy Spirt they were set free from the evil spirit of drug addiction. Another woman with tumor in her stomach was released and her tumor was gone after the prayers. “Two other women testi ed of tumor going missing from their throats/necks after the prayer. Many other experienced the move of the Holy Spirit and were set free from

the evil spirits and were healed from their ailments. Food was served to all after the meeting. “In July many people were baptized in Punjab. Most of these baptisms are the result of the evangelical meetings held in June. 24 people were baptized in Amritsar and 18 people in Firozpur.We praise God for saving these precious souls.” In Mozambique, the situation there is worsening by the day. Islamic extremists, mainly from Nigeria are hunting down Christians, driving them from their homes causing them to ee in terror. Our National Director in Malawi who has just returned from his latest aid mission to that country has just written to say “Sorry brother James. I came yesterday night from Mozambique as the war is growing worse by

worse daily. I was tried to keep hiding, but the attackers were very angry with the good news of serving victims with food and prayers. So they were trying to hunt me and my team. I will be sending you all the reports in details after doing other ministries with other people today who have just arrived to visit me after they heard that I and team are back in our homes today”. The Kingdom of God is growing faster than ever before in the developing nations, but persecution is on the rise (the church in Afghanistan is currently under great persecution from the Taliban). Let us give thanks for all the amazing work being done in these nations, but pray earnestly for our brothers and sisters in Christ, for their protection and for their safety.

GET INVOLVED WITH THE NEWSLETTER In order for this newsletter to grow and develop, we need your help! If you go to any King sher event and have taken a great photo, then please post it on our Facebook page or email it to Kirsty at kirstydalley@king sher.org.uk. The copy deadline for the next issue (due out in December 2021) is 18th November If you would like to get involved in the production of the next newsletter then email us with your particular area of interest. Hope you enjoy hearing all that is happening across the King sher Family!

King sher Churc Moor Stree Tredwort Glouceste GL1 4N www.king sher.org.uk info@king sher.org.uk +441452 30433