VISITER MIDWEEK
www.southportvisiter.co.uk
SOUTHPORT & DISTRICT EDITION
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Community Church Ash Street, Southport A 21st CENTURY CHURCH
Celebrations on Sundays at 10.30am
People, activities & groups across the region Southport, Ormskirk, Burscough, Skelmersdale, Tarleton & beyond...
◆ Young people, breaking in the mould. ◆ Power & Glory - great new series of meetings starts. ◆ Alpha offers an opportunity to explore the meaning of life. ◆ On the Air with Southport Community Radio. ◆ 21st Century church in a 19th Century building. ◆ Marriage Makers, building relationships that last a lifetime. ◆ The Hub - exciting new group for 20 - 40 year olds. ◆ Stories of God’s healing touch.
Alpha Course AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE MEANING OF LIFE see page 2 for further details
HOPE FOR SOUTHPORT
The Community Church
◆ A local church making a difference across the nations of the world.
FREE
United together for purpose
Ebenezer, Agatha and baby Joseph who contacted the Southport Healing Rooms seeking help.
Miracle Baby
Baby Joseph was critically ill with heart and lung problems in Pendlebury Children's Hospital, Manchester. It was suggested to his father Ebenezer that the last rites be administered to Joseph, but the father refused, saying that he and his wife Agatha wanted somebody to speak words of life, not words of death, over their son. He found the Healing Rooms link on the Community Church's website and rang the church office. The call then went out to Ben and Maureen McMaster, directors of the Southport Healing Rooms. They went to the hospital, laid hands on Joseph and spoke words of healing in line with what the Bible says. Two months went by before Ben received another phone call from Ebenezer. 'Would you like to come over and see Joseph?' Well, would they! Wild horses would not have kept them away. When they arrived, they witnessed a miracle. Baby Joseph was alert, active, a picture of health. Joseph was still on the list for
a heart transplant at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, so an appointment was made for him to go there and have his condition checked. When the doctors carried out all their tests, they said, 'We are removing him from the heart transplant list, because he is perfectly healthy.' And the latest news is that the little boy is continuing to do well. Southport Healing Rooms are open on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 12 noon. No appointment is needed and no charge is made.
A number of churches in Southport have responded to a nationwide call to work together under the banner of Hope 08. The combined operation in our local area has the title Hope for Southport and has already seen churches working together on a variety of projects. The Funfest weekend in June enabled the Hope for Southport churches to work with the Southport Visiter to put on the very popular It's a Knockout event on the Sunday afternoon. A team representing the churches came second out of twelve teams who had a great time and also entertained the crowds who went along to Princes Park to watch. Dave Gregg from the Community Church said, ‘We wanted to say something positive to the town. So often the church is viewed as being negative, we wanted to show God is good and Christians are OK’
That same evening, the leading Christian rock group, Band with no Name, attracted a good crowd of mainly young people to enjoy music with a message under the Hope for Southport banner. The Christian Church is essentially one church, but it consists of many different expressions of the life of God among men and women. Church history is littered with new movements that have produced splits and denominations, so it is always good to see Christians working together across any
historical barriers. The churches working together in the Hope for Southport project are:Canning Road Chapel Christ Church, Community Church, Elim Pentecostal Church, Leyland Road Methodist Church, Scarisbrick New Road Baptist and Shoreline Church.
Knockout Fun at the southport Charity Funfest organised by Hope in Southport churches in June, in association with the Southport Vister
Plan for your marriage, not just your wedding A wedding can cost many thousands of pounds and you may even start planning a year in advance of the "Big Day", but when the fairytale wedding is over, the hire clothes have been returned and the flowers have withered, what about the rest of your lives?
And if your wedding was in the distant past and a fading memory, have you invested into keeping your marriage fresh, alive and on track? At the Community Church, we believe in planning not just for a great wedding day but for a happy and fulfilled relationship that lasts for life. Our Marriage courses run over 5 evenings with no charge and are open to any
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couple who are planning to marry, are just married or have been married for years. The courses are run by trained presenters who will make the sessions fun, informative and a great investment of time. They are for everyone from any background.
to find out more and reserve your place– you may already have booked the photographer, the car and "the do", or if you are married your next holiday, but this booking could make all the difference for the rest of your lives.
Don’t leave the relationship with the one you love to chance. Go on, call us today
Tel: 01704 500911 all courses are free!
Marriage Makers
MIDWEEK VISITER Wednesday, September 24, 2008
www.community-church.org.uk
His healing touch
Sheela Tuazon with her family
SHEELA’S STORY As a nurse, Sheela Tuazon knew exactly what the doctor meant by the word 'positive' when the results of her smear test came through. The battle that she and husband Allan then faced was to remain positive in their faith in God that the diagnosis of cancer was not a death sentence.
A 21st century church...
In the year 2000 when The Community Church purchased The Family Life Centre, we were concerned that people might be put off coming to this Victorian grade 2 listed building. After all - tall imposing towers, stained glass and dark heavy wooden doors with metal grilles didn't exactly express "Come on in, you're welcome here". With The Community Church there is so much more than meets the eye. The problem is that most people see the church as a building, whether it is traditional with spire and steeple or a contemporary piece of architecture; or they see people who represent the church, who quite frankly are boring, irrelevant and out of touch. The truth is, the building isn't the church: people make up the church! If our building wasn't there, you could still meet people who have discovered that Jesus is alive, they know Him and experience the adventure of a faith-filled life. The church is living proof that you can know joy, peace, fulfilment and purpose – you don't get that from a building! We are, however, grateful for buildings and to have the use
Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. If you haven't done that before, why not pray the following prayer:-
‘Lord Jesus, I welcome you into my life. I believe that you died for me and paid for my sin and have given me eternal life. By faith I receive that gift and recognise you as my Lord and Saviour. Amen.’ The extensive complex aof grade two listed buildings that form the Community Church Family Life Centre on Ash Street, Southport
of The Family especially now been able to interior into a use in the 21st
Life Centre, that we have transform its facility fit for century.
Seniors and youth and everyone in between are well represented in the Community Church, with great activities and events for everyone. Whatever your background you will find a warm and friendly welcome waiting just for you. It would be fair to say that there are never two meetings the same, although we have some key components each week as we join together at 10.30 a.m. for our Sunday morning celebration. You will find dynamic music and inspiring speakers who will communicate a message that is relevant and challenging. We
love
being
family
together and during the morning there are great activities and groups for crèche, infants and juniors, as well as our special 'Inspire' meeting for secondary aged children. It's certainly a Sunday morning worth getting out of bed for!
...and message The Community Church is a 21st century church where Christ is at the centre, faith is an adventure and people can be excited to be involved. Our message is the greatest message on earth. The Bible says "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life" John 3:16. The great news is that God loves you and He wants to make you right with Him. We all know that we've got things wrong; the Bible calls it sin, but Jesus died to forgive your past and to give you hope in this life and the one to come. So many people in Southport, the U.K. and across the world are finding peace, hope and purpose when they receive
When you've done that, tell someone and why not get in touch with us at The Family Life Centre: it's the start of a great adventure!
Helen Van der Spuy
HELEN’S STORY Helen van der Spuy works at the Family Life Centre from time to time making sure that those who hire rooms for seminars or conferences have all that they need. One morning she was preparing refreshments for a group when she spilt boiling
Sheela asked for prayer in a Sunday morning meeting. Leaders prayed for total healing and also against the fear which the diagnosis could easily cause. Three months later, Sheela stood again in a Sunday morning gathering to testify that scans had now revealed that the cancer had completely disappeared. She also said that through the preceding weeks she and Allan had refused to allow the fear to take hold but had been able to believe God for her complete healing. Hallelujah! We praise God for his faithfulness and healing power so clearly in evidence in Sheela's life.
water on her foot, making it very sore and inflamed. It was a Saturday morning, so the Healing Rooms ministry was in operation, and as Helen went past the administration desk she mentioned what had happened. Ben McMaster, who leads the Healing Rooms with his wife Maureen, immediately laid hands on Helen and spoke healing to the foot – and the healing happened. Instantaneously! No more pain, no more inflammation and she was able to continue her work without any discomfort at all. Praise God that his promises are still valid today!
www.community-church.org.uk
Community Church members have always had a heart for the less fortunate in other parts of the world. Special offerings have been taken up in Southport in recent years and we have had teams or individuals going to help in the Philippines, Cuba and Africa. Close to the capital of the Philippines, Manila, there are tens of thousands living in insanitary squalor. A project in which the Community
to help oversee the building of a new church centre in one of the many townships. Geoff and Pam are travelling back into Africa later this year, visiting churches and working with local leaders.
Church has worked with other churches has been to set up a centre in which maternity care and a home for abandoned children has been established.
been on extended visits to work at the centre. She has also been to work among a very poor tribe on a Filipino island several hours away from Manila.
Teams from Southport were involved in setting up the project in a purposebuilt two-storey building. Maureen Stoddart, a retired nurse and nurse trainer, has twice
Geoff Grice, senior leader of the Community Church, and his wife Pam have made numerous trips into Africa to work with churches in various parts of South Africa, Lesotho and Zambia. Recently the church was able
Cuba is perhaps not known for the strength of its churches under the Castro regime, but there are in fact many active and growing churches, most of whose people are desperately poor. Paul Smith and Amanda Carr have both linked up with teams of Christians from around the UK to bring encouragement and practical help to Cuba.
On the air Throughout the month of August Southport Community Radio were on the air around the clock, providing listeners with an energetic mix of live music, up-to-theminute news and controversial debates.
Future plans are underway for further trips into Zambia and the Philippines in 2009.
Geoff Grice & Jess Clas from the Community Church with DJ Tony James
The Community Church partnered with SCR for their August programme with a half hour meeting, recorded live, being broadcast every Sunday morning. The broadcasts were a mix of contemporary worship, thrilling testimonies and inspiring messages from various leaders in the church. The church were also sponsors of the afternoon Drive Time programme with DJ Tony James. Geoff Grice, leader of the Community Church, expressed his delight at working with
SCR. "We’re deeply grateful to Jon Jessop, George Halsall and all the team and for all their professionalism. I had numerous opportunities to call in the studio and enjoy chatting on air to various presenters. Tony James did a great job at presenting the programme we sponsored and was lots of fun to be with." SCR will be broadcasting again around Christmas time and we are very much looking forward to working with them again.
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. The Bible 1 John Chapter 5. Verse 12
MIDWEEK jess@communitychurch.org.uk
Meeting every Sunday at 10.30am at The Family Life Centre, Ash Street, Southport The Community Church Family Life Centre Ash Street, Southport PR8 6JH
Telephone Fax Email
01704 500911 01704 500740 Info@communitychurch.org.uk
web address: www.communitychurch.org.uk Registered Charity No 01107226