ccn update A community of home churches
Summer 2010
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Welcome! To a bumper issue of CCN Update!
Points for Prayer
We wanted to take the opportunity to give updates for all the different changes that we started just over 3 months ago. There has been some great stuff going on so please do have a read. I have been so pleased with how the new format of meetings have been going at Parklands Community Centre. We have had an explosion of creativity and involvement which has been fantastic and made for some fun times! No doubt there is more to learn as we go forward, but we have made a great start! Thanks to everyone who has got stuck in with the changes and helped to deliver them! In this issue ... Thank God for: JFC does Messy Church • A new house for Carolyn!! JCF Extra • Another great term at JFC Food Bag Project • Reaching our target for the Treasure Hunting Coffee project Girls Group • Summer!!! Music Group • New jobs and progress in busi Uganda Coffee Project nesses August Diary Pray for: • A relaxing summer for those Community Cafe going away and those staying! Photo of the Month • The Autumn—for fruitfulness and life! • Treasure Hunting • Unity, life & growth • Provision for all that God has put on our hearts! • Steve L as he cares for Brenda. • Work and business, especially in the economic climate • The Food Bank Project • That people would find God! Make sure you have a your copy of the Make sure you have a your copy of the “CCN Aspirations” cards!! “CCN Aspirations” cards!! t:(01604)646393 m:(07905)005731 e:markn@ccn-online.org.uk w:www.ccn-online.org.uk community church northampton is a registered charity no. 1073885
extra Initially JFC extra was started for the young leaders of JFC and their friends, but has grown! It was immediately a success and now runs twice per month! We have about 15 young people come regularly. They enjoy hanging out, buying sweets from the tuck shop, games of pool, table tennis, football, basketball and whatever else can be dreamed up!!
It has been great to see everything coming together and we have been very grateful for the help we have had in running these evenings so far, particularly from a couple of parents. It is a great to
get the older youth together as well as get contact with more of their friends! Could you help regularly or occasionally?
Where: The Farm, by Arbours School When: 7:30-9:30pm— 2nd & 4th Friday of every month Contact: Rhoda Lawes
We were there! giving out Sweets—at least 750! Painting Faces—maybe 50? Giving out balloons—a good number!
complete his college course. Also, a FoodBag given to a family involved with JFC resulted in a great opportunity to pray for the mum. It is still early days, but we are ready for a new start in September and exploring opportunities to explore with Weston Favell Secondary School. We also have a seed of an idea to give away lots of Christmas Hamper/Bags. Please keep having it in your mind to give food! Thanks! Contact: Dan Smith
Nearly 20 FoodBags given away!! Significant impact in lives!! At the Farm every Friday 1-3pm Praying for growth!!
In the last 5-6 months the food bag project has given away nearly 20 food bags. We open up the Farm Youth centre on Fridays 13pm, and store all the food on site. One lad in particular has been there week in-week out, enjoying hanging out chatting and playing table tennis and pool, whether he needed food or not. We been told that this has been a significant factor in helping him successfully
What do you want to get involved with???
The evening that we had with Steve Ashley and Paul Groom from Reachout Community Church Wellingborough was certainly the highlight of the last few months! They spent the evening sharing with us their experiences of Treasure Hunting in Wellingborough over the last year. It was so exciting to hear story after story of God speaking to them about who they will find, and the opportunities to pray for people and see people healed time and time again! We’ve Done It!! We have reached the target. In all it took us about 7 months. We kicked off in October with the rather grandiose target of £5000. This was enough to set up and run the new coffee business for the first year at least. It felt a big step of faith but within faith levels! Lots of people have been involved in giving and helping. Thanks SO much!! Right what’s next! Contact: Mark Norridge
Carolyn: For a long time I have wanted to see a group established for the teenage girls who help at JFC., so we could: get to know each other better, have fun together, and talk about issues that matter to them, and add a Christian perspective. Jo Clifford and I launched the group in February with a chocolate fondue and games night. The girls had their own “big questions” that they wanted to talk about. We have looked at several of these, including friendship, self image, identity, and diversity. Up to 8 girls have
It really was mind blowing and faith building to hear their stories. There was a fantastic sense of the presence of God as we prayed together. They have agreed to come over and lead one for us so we can learn how to do it well. We are really looking forward to getting this off the ground and becoming a regular feature of our life together. Contact: Val Nightingale
come along. It has been great to see some of them starting to share their thoughts about the different topics, and be willing to be gently challenged! A big highlight was a jewellery making evening that Jo organised. Great fun! Now that I am living on the Arbours, I hope that more of the girls will be able to come along regularly and the group will begin to grow. Thank you for praying for the girls, and for Jo and I as we begin to plan for next term. Contact: Carolyn Hacking
We have been wondering for a long time now how best to reach out to the families of those kids who go to JFC. We have had two great evenings discussing the possibilities. We have felt inspired and full of faith! We have decided to give “Messy Church” a go! Messy Church was started by a church that noticed that they had good contact with kids but that was not transferring to other aspects of church life. It starts with a selection of craft
activities for people to get stuck in with. The aim is to theme the craft with the theme of the evening. Then everyone together comes together for a 15 -minute focussed time of a story, sing and prayer about the theme. The evening is rounded off with a good hot meal together! We are really excited about this and hope you will be too! We are going to need your help! First one: Sun 26th Sept, 4-6pm, Manning Barn, Arbours. Contact: Ivet White
Coming in the Autumn: Radical Disciples—Passionate Living
Our Aspirations
We want to be...
… a worshipping community, growing in our devotion to God … a growing, vibrant community, actively including all peoples … a caring community, sharing all of life together … a community of radical, faith-filled disciples, becoming and making dedicated Followers of Jesus … a community of the Word and the Spirit, knowing Spirit empowered lives … creative and varied in our expressions of church for the sake of God’s mission … a generous community, making a difference practically in the world … connected with God’s wider family both in our participation with the Salt & Light Family of churches, and locally with other churches in Northampton
In April we started a series of evenings for musicians, instrumentalists or singers, to pray, to worship, and to learn together. So far we have met three times, and have learned together a number of new songs that have stirred and inspired us - we will be looking to share them with you all over the coming weeks. We plan to meet monthly—why not join us? Contact: Mike Sturgess
August Diary August Diary Over the 5 Sunday’s in August we will be having one Home Church gathering for everyone who is around. For each Sunday someone is allocated to organise the morning. Here are the details:
Sunday 1st August Who to contact: Carolyn Hacking 01604 452098 or 07930 342869 Where: Carolyn’s, 70 Rickyard Road Topic: Parable of the Sower
Sunday 8th August Who to contact: Si & Amber Hill 01604 402950 or 07986 116277 Where: Si&Amber Hill, 16 Fir Tree Walk Topic: Parable of the Weeds
Sunday 15th August Who to contact: Dave & Jean Hill 01604 643838 or 07989 575927 Where: Si&Amber Hill, 16 Fir Tree Walk Topic: Parable of the Seed & the Yeast
Sunday 22nd August Who to contact: Norridges 01604 646393 or 07905 005731 Where: Norridges, 5 Clock Tower Court Topic: Parable of the Treasure & Pearl
Sunday 29th August Who to contact: Sturgesses 01604 470840 or 07775 744077 Where: Sturgess’s, 5 Furber Court Topic: Parable of the Net