SEPTEMBER 2020
ISSUE 27
K I N G F I S H E R FA M I LY It’s church, Jim… So, after six months of varying degrees of lockdown, during which time we have not been able to meet as churches ‘in the flesh’, physical church is about to relaunch. For many of us, this cannot come soon enough - lockdown has been tough, especially for those who have been shielding and so not even allowed out of their houses for ‘essential’ reasons. Children have missed out on vital months of school, families have been kept apart and a new language involving R-numbers, social distancing, COVID-secure bubbles and so on has been introduced.
to attend church physically on the Sunday coming.You will need to book to come to church and that will help us to keep not only a handle on numbers, but will enable us to know which service you came to. That’s important because someone in the congregation may subsequently test positive and everyone who was there that morning would need to be informed. If you were sitting within 2 metres of them, you would need to self isolate for 14 days.
We will be welcomed into church and be asked to follow the marked-out route into the main hall. We will need But having to close church buildings and to have a face covering for the duration not being able to celebrate Easter, of the service - we will be providing Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day or single-use face masks for the first few communion together, or physically weeks for those who forget to bring gather for Connect groups, prayer theirs or who don’t yet have one. Hand meetings, weddings or funerals… that sanitisers will be available around the has been especially tough. Online building. services, Zoom meetings and the use of YouTube have been great, but somehow not the same. However, change is upon us. Lockdown has eased significantly, churches are allowed to open their buildings again, services can go ahead once more surely that means we can put that whole ‘corona thing’ behind us and get back to normal life? And that brings us to another addition to the COVID phrasebook - the ‘new normal’.Yes, we are taking the first step in getting back to physically meeting again, but there will some differences between the ‘new normal’ and the ‘old normal’. What are those differences going to look like?
“The method of worshipping God may change, but the God we worship never will.”
The services will be a bit different - we can’t sing together during our time at church, unfortunately, and we are going to have to remember to keep the appropriate distance apart when talking to each other before and after the services. The children will be taken upstairs to their groups to have fun, but still observing the social distancing rules.
• “I am the the Lord, I do not change!” (Malachi 3:6). The method of worshipping God may change, but the God we worship never will - He stays the same loving, caring, protecting Father He has always been. • “Do not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25). It is worth getting over the hurdles I have just described above, because of how important it is that we meet together. What can we achieve through meeting together that can’t be achieved through being apart? We get to encourage one another! We can focus on the hurdles to getting into church, the restrictions on what we can do during the services, the things that we miss and so on - or we can find ways of encouraging each other. The opportunity to meet and encourage each other, spurring each other on does not change. • This world is not our permanent home! “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” (Hebrews 13:14). One positive in all of this is that we are encouraged to shift our focus from the comfort of what we have now and the delusion that it will always stay the same and never be shaken, and onto our true, permanent home which is in Heaven.
So, as we begin to take our first, small steps on into the ‘new normal’, let’s rejoice that we get to see each other The COVID-19 virus is not yet again (remembering of course, those defeated and we are not yet immune to who can’t yet join us due to health it, so meeting back together is going to issues). Let’s take this opportunity to look different… hold lightly to the things that truly aren’t permanent in favour of holding Social distancing rules still apply (2 metres apart, or 1 metre+ where that is Wow - it all sounds so different, doesn’t tightly to the things that will last forever and “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, not possible, with face coverings). it? And as Mark Twain put it, “No one the author and perfecter of our faith, who Because of this, a maximum number of likes change, except a baby with a wet for the joy set before Him endured the people will be allowed into the nappy”! Well, here are some things that cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at buildings at any one time… currently are NOT changing: the right hand of the throne of 48 at Tredworth and 26 at Westgate. God.” (Hebrews 12:2) There will be an online booking system where you can indicate if you are able
News from Kingfisher Church A message from Pastor Ollie After twenty-three weeks of not being able to meet together physically in our church building we have now started to transition back! It was so good to see a number of people worshipping, praying and talking together, albeit in a different way to what we are used to at church, but we have made a start and will continue to open things up as the government guidelines allow. To mark the beginning of this new season we have started a series entitled, ‘Kingfisher?’ This is the perfect opportunity to be reminded of all God has called us to be as church. Lockdown for all it’s stresses and losses has been a pause on so much of what we were doing and has been a great time for reflection and to think about why we do the things we do and why we do things a certain way? And church has been no different in that respect. We have had to adjust and adapt to the current situation and things have looked, and still look, very different to how it all did six months ago. Our building in Tredworth was a busy place and community was thriving through our toddler and parent groups, support groups, youth groups and through the work of Treasure Seekers. But for the last five months we haven’t been able to run any of those groups here. With so much of what we were doing stripped back, the question I’ve been asking is who are we then? Because actually church is not the * sum total of our activities, church is not limited to what happens in a building, and the lockdown we’ve been experiencing doesn’t dictate the effectiveness of our being. In fact for the first seven years of our existence as a church we didn’t have a building to call our own and yet the church grew! Church is the people of God, called by God to proclaim His kingdom come, to build healing community and to be sent out to deliver Good News. It is both a hospital for the broken and a place of training for the disciple, an environment where we get to know Jesus more, so that we can then be light to this world!
In 1997, our Senior Pastor James Burn published a book called, ‘Fishing for the King’, describing how our church came into being and what its purpose was. I want to encourage every one of us to read it or to read it again as we take a fresh look together at what it means to be Kingfisher, a people who fish for the King. The world might look very different to when this book was written but our mission here hasn’t changed in twentyseven years, ‘To reach lost people and see them transformed into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.’ I believe that God is calling us to return to Him and do the works we did at first (Revelation 2:5). So whether you are coming to church in person or listening online, please join us over the next few weeks as we think about what this will mean for us in this new season? I’m praying that you will be captivated by the same vision that launched
Kingfisher all those years ago, to be a church where life change happens. You can pick up a copy of ‘Fishing for the King’ from church or please message the church office and we will get one to you. Pastor Ollie
News from Kingfisher Church A message from the Engage team Hello Kingfisher Family! I am currently typing this in the tropical humidity of an August afternoon – Rosie informs me we’re currently at 34 degrees in Gloucester! By the time you’re reading this, I suspect the weather will be quite different, as may be the latest guidelines on work, travel, leisure and even our physical church services, which should be underway (albeit in a different way). I’ve felt really stirred during this uncertain season that God’s heart is not for His Church to simply hold on until the waters settle just to return to business as usual. I’ve been trying to capture what that means for us as a worship team and I hope you will join us in our expectation and commitment to see how God wants to move us forward; not just in light of this time, but in this time. I’m hungry for Spirit-filled and Spirit-led times of worship
together, so let’s not wait for a government greenlight; let’s lean into new ways to worship privately, so that our relationship with God would deepen and our old ways of joined worship would be reinvigorated too. Our team has been working in new ways with recording for our online services and the circumstances have also led to some new branches of creativity. New songwriting is happening; new artwork; new opportunities keep presenting themselves. I’ve had to learn a lot about not getting my own way; the ideas I have don’t always pan out, but I’ve often seen that lead to some amazing unforeseen things – I wonder if you can relate. ‘Not Finished Yet’ – our collection of demos – is a project that has surprised me and is now about to conclude. With the last three songs about to be added, you’ll be able to listen to the songs on digital music services, as well the church YouTube channel. I pray they are of some encouragement, and my hope is that we will continue to enjoy even some of
these expressions during times of worship; maybe even getting to record live with a full band and full house! Keep an eye out for some artwork that has been produced to celebrate these songs, made by our very own Julia Hartsoe. I’ll be sharing some more information on this at the start of September, but the plan is that for £16 you can get 16 custom-designed postcards; each one representing one of the songs. Julia’s done a brilliant job and I hope some of you will take the chance to get your hands on these, as a visual reminder of the Biblical truths in our songs. If you can’t wait until then to know more, feel free to get in touch with me! Lastly, if you have any feedback or testimonies on how God has been meeting with you or speaking to you about worship, I’d love to hear it: jcblake88@gmail.com How good that we worship a God Who is always making a way, even when the way doesn’t make sense to us. Thanks for your time and God bless! Joe
News from Kingfisher Church On the road to Emmaus Thoughts from my journey with Jesus - by Sandra Ashenford Sandra Ashenford is a member of the Kingfisher 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 reflects on the challenges of growing in faith and sharing the Good News amidst the pressures of a modern life.
As this rather crazy year slides into the autumn, I have been reflecting on how September has often been a month of new beginnings for me. It was the month I was made redundant from my job at a museum and had to begin a series of temporary jobs, and the month I established my childcare setting a couple of years later. Even before I worked in education, where September is, of course, the start of a new academic year, it was the month when I was most likely to start a new job.
Each new beginning was exciting, but was also a time of anxiety and self-doubt. The September that I started a teaching degree, my first foray into university life at the ripe old age of 40, I was struck with terror as I stood outside the lecture hall on the first morning. I looked around at all the bright young people, laughing and chatting together, seemingly full of confidence, and I had to fight down an almost overwhelming desire to turn and run because I felt that I was never going to fit in. But what was new and strange and fearful soon became an everyday routine. To borrow an over-used phrase from the current Covid situation, it became “the new normal.” This September, as everyone struggles to adapt to new routines, perhaps to new jobs or no job, I am once more reminded of the story in Luke 24 that inspired the title of this column. It is the story of the two followers of Jesus who did not recognise the resurrected Christ when he walked alongside them on their
journey to Emmaus as they discussed the death of Jesus and the disappearance of his body from the tomb, discovered that very morning. Jesus patiently explains the scriptures to them and when he disappears they realise just who their companion actually was. They return at once to Jerusalem to meet with the disciples. And this, for all of them, is the gradual beginning of “the new normal.” They had become used to following Jesus, and now they had to carry on his teaching without his physical presence. They were equipped with the Holy Spirit and off they went, travelling far and wide to spread the Good News. It was not an easy life and certainly not one that any of them could have predicted a few years earlier. Yet it became their life’s work, their new every day existence. I don’t have any life-changing plans for this September but I’m glad that Jesus is walking alongside me in case any crop up that I’m not expecting.
International Day of Prayer - Gift Day Alongside the powerful Day of Prayer that was held on June 28th this year, we held a Gift Day with the aim of providing finances to help in countries that have been badly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic but that lack the infrastructure to provide for the the most vulnerable members of society.
Mozambique, Zimbabwe, India, Macau and the Philippines.
The great news is that we have so far been able to raise over £3000 which is amazing. We have so far distributed funds to: Malawi,
We have already seen some of the feedback that is beginning to come in (see page 7) and we shall have more in the coming weeks and
Each of those countries have received £440 which will enable much needed relief to be brought to those who already have a handto-mouth existence and who, because of the pandemic, have seen even that taken from them.
months (keep an eye on our Kingfisherfamily Facebook page for updates). Thank you so much for taking part in the Gift Day - your generosity has impacted lives in significant ways, not only in providing financial aid, but in demonstrating that people who feel overlooked and uncared-for are in fact loved, noticed and not forgotten. That is such an impactful realisation and will have an impact that lasts for all eternity.
News from Kingfisher Treasure Seekers Treasure Seekers spaces are now open! Treasure Seekers Hub reopened on 14th July as the information point for Treasure Seekers but also continuing as an arts provider by becoming a Take and Make. Takeaway kits have been beautifully packaged and there is a huge range of products available. Other crafting accessories are also on sale. The Hub opening hours are currently 11am-2pm Tuesday to Saturday. Come and have a look and a chat and get your creativity going or look at our online store: www.takenmake.co.uk wher e you can browse the products, order for delivery or click and collect. The Cavern has reopened with reduced opening times initially and as you can see from the poster below, guidelines have had to be put into place but seeing people again is a real boost!!
during the evening. There are limited numbers allowed on the premises at any one time and the duration of the stay is a timed one. However this notwithstanding, up to 15 people each evening are already accessing the service. The phone line is still available during the evening and great use is being made of this. The new way of operating Is still in the very early stages but a positive response has been had. Most of all though, it's been brilliant to see people in person again!
Our Support at the Cavern mental health evening support service is up and running again albeit slightly differently because of the current climate. People are however now able to physically access support
Treasure Seekers Gift Shop is open again on Saturdays and Sundays with all the fantastic fair trade and ethically sourced goods. Opening times are 10-5 on a Saturday and 12.30-4.30 on a Sunday. Outside of these times you can still buy by going to the online shop. We look forward to seeing you again!
News from Kingfisher Treasure Seekers An exciting new virtual tours project Treasure Seekers has an exciting opportunity to create a library of digital tours thanks to some funding from the Digital Innovations Grant Scheme provided by the County Council. We want to help people to virtually visit places in advance in order to help build confidence to go in person. The online tours will help people see what the places look like. People will be able to see how many steps there are, what waiting rooms look like and where the toilets are. These will help you fully prepare for the visit and help people feel more confident when going. We hope this will be a useful tool for either individuals or in a role
supporting people to access community services and spaces.
available for professionals to borrow.
We have funding to create tours for 20 locations initially and we are wanting to grow the library even further. The tours will be on a website called Your Tours, will be made available for participating organisations, and will be available on Your Circle.
The most important decision we have to make to begin with is the 20 initial locations.
The tours can also be seen using Virtual Reality Headsets. For people who are especially nervous about going to a new place, Virtual Reality can help feel like you are there, enabling you to get comfortable with a new place before you actually visit. We will have a stock of VR Headsets
As part of a joint project with Inclusion Gloucestershire, we are launching a survey to help better understand health inequalities that diverse communities face, with the view to informing local policy makers of the experiences of people from these communities. We would greatly appreciate and value the worthy and respected opinions from any individual from a minority community. Please see our Facebook page to access the online survey, or email kirsty.dalley@kftseekers.org.uk. The reason we are so serious about this project is because it has been proven that individuals from
SO WE NEED YOUR HELP We would like to make that decision together. We are sending a survey out to a wide range of professionals and people with lived experience of mental health issues and disabilities. Please help us decide who we should ask to be a part of this exciting project by completing the survey and passing it on to anyone you think it might be of interest to. Please email kirsty.dalley@kftseekers.org.uk for a link to the survey
diverse communities fare poorly in terms of general health when compared to the rest of the population. Conditions can be made worse when increased risk factors are combined with ineffective service provision. We are genuinely keen to see improvements in the way health services are experienced by those from all of the diverse communities in Gloucestershire. This anonymous survey is intended to be as accessible as possible to everyone, therefore if you would like a paper copy or an easy read version of the survey please email kirsty.dalley@kftseekers.org.uk. The survey will close on 20th September, with a summary report being available by the end of October.
News from the Kingfisher Family IDOP: saving lives, bringing hope On Sunday, June 28th, we held our sixth International Day of Prayer. This event has grown from an initial idea to pray for Malawi, Mozambique and India, to a multinational event with each country in the growing International family praying for each other - a true partnership in the Gospel. This year, the dominant theme was praying for each country as it has been affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The death toll now stands in excess of 500,000 people, with many millions of people infected around the world. Truly we are in the End Times, but as the Church has not yet been raptured (caught up to Heaven in ‘the twinkling of an eye’ - 1 Corinthians 15:52) we are called to ‘stand in the gap’ and pray fervently for this world. This was the motivation behind this year’s IDOP and it saw National Directors and Ministry Partners from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Spain, Northern Ireland, the Philippines, the UK and Macau leading us all in prayer for each others’ countries. Reports are beginning to come in of the impact of these prayers - for example, from Zimbabwe: Thank you pastor James and the Kingfisher family international church for generous donations which has helped us to have acts of compassion by delivering food to the hungry and vulnerable during the lockdown and global pandemic.Your financial response was overwhelming for which we are so thankful. Because of your faith seeds many families were fed. I praise God for the steady generosity that you have shown. These are some of the photos of the beneficiaries. Food hampers and winter clothing. (Pastor Joseph Maravanyika) Pastor Joseph further reports: We gave 100 face masks and food hampers mostly to the elderly. I
thank God for the seeds of generosity that you have sown. Above all six people accepted Jesus Christ as well their personal saviour! In Malawi, Pastor Charles Mithowa is planning a trip to Mozambique to deliver the money from the Gift Day that we have allocated to that country. He reports that Mozambique were able to participate in the IDOP and that our National Director there, Fuloresi Dempster, is continuing to grow the ministry. He says: ‘She is training more groups and more leaders are working good with her. Also she has reported the growing network of Churches in Mozambique. She has asked me to pass her greetings to you and the Kingfisher family.’ In all, we have so far been able to send £440 to each of the following countries: India, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Macau, the Philippines.
From Macau, Pastor Edwin Alfaro writes: Praise be to God pastor! I’m so overwhelmed by your love and generosity towards us.Yes we will use it for those who have been badly affected by this pandemic crisis that we are all facing, kindly send my appreciation to all that made the love gift for us here! All of this reminds me of the following Bible verse: “If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:16, NIV) We believe that the International Day of Prayer is changing lives through our prayers and through our practical acts of giving. The stories above are just the tip of the iceberg - there will be much more to report back on in the coming months as we see the impact of brothers and sisters joining together in prayer and impractical action around the world.
GET INVOLVED WITH THE NEWSLETTER! In order for this newsletter to grow and develop, we need your help! If you go to any Kingfisher event and have taken a great photo, then please post it on our Facebook page or email it to Kirsty at kirstydalley@kingfisher.org.uk. The copy deadline for the next issue (due out in December 2020) is 19th 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 Kingfisher Family!
Kingfisher Church Moor Street Tredworth Gloucester GL1 4NJ www.kingfisher.org.uk info@kingfisher.org.uk +441452 304339 Š Kingfisher Church, 2013