Church News – September 2023

From The Minister

I met my husband Paul on a Moravian Youth weekend in Brockweir in 1989 to my surprise and delight he applied for the Moravian ministry.  He trained in Manchester, while I became an art teacher. Paul was a student minister briefly at Fulneck and then was called to serve two Churches in London. I then applied and was accepted to train for the ministry in London. We served two Churches each for ten and a half years in the Irish district where I was Ordained and Consecrated. We were then called to the Western district for eight years looking after three Churches each.  I am delighted to be called to the Lancashire district near my home and family as I am a true northerner. I am excited to serve the Dukinfield congregation to the best of my ability and to get to know all the members and friends of the congregation.      

I hope you have all had a good summer and that you have enjoyed the great weather we have had.  As we focus on preparing for our harvest services, we are reminded do not complain but to be thankful.  Philippians 2 verse 14 explains do everything without complaining or arguing. One of the reasons the Israelites spent forty years wandering in the wilderness for what should have been an eleven-day journey was because they were complaining.

“And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and we loathe this light (contemptible, unsubstantial) manna” (numbers 21verse 5). Do you hear their bad attitude? They believe their discomfort is God’s fault! Or Moses’ fault! And they are complaining about the miraculous manna God sent daily from heaven to feel them! 

One of the worst parts about complaining is that it prevents us from seeing all the blessings we do have, we all have situations or circumstances we want to be free from we need to start finding things to be thankful for, we need to stop focusing on what we don’t have and look at all God provides for us. God is love, and His nature is that of a giver, He gives, He helps, He cares, and He sacrifices. He does not do these things occasionally; they represent His constant attitude towards us. Love is not something God does it is who He is. He always offers us love, generosity, grace and help. God does chastise His children when we need it, but He even does that out of love and for our own good to teach us the right way to live.

Everything God does is for our good; all of His commands are intended to help us have the best lives we can possibly have. Because God’s love has poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit we can love and be kind to others, which means, taking the focus off of ourselves, silencing the internal voice that asks, What about me?, and learning to follow Jesus’ example of being kind, generous, and loving towards others. We love because we know God and God is love.       

 God bless, Patsy                       

NEWS

September is upon us already and we think of our young people who are maybe starting new schools or have left school and starting colleges.  May God be with you as you start this next chapter of your lives.

There are new beginnings for us as a church as we have been pleased to welcome Sr Patsy as our new minister.  A special Welcome Service will be held on Sunday afternoon, 24th September at 3 p.m., and you are all asked to attend if possible.  We are hoping that representatives of the other Dukinfield churches will come along and our Moravian brothers and sisters from Fairfield and Royton also. 

We will be holding our annual Harvest Festival service on the morning of 24th September.  Tinned and packeted goods will be welcomed for the Food Hamper Group.

Thought for the Month:  A grain of sand at a time

This autumn, do you feel overwhelmed with all the things that you need to get done? 

Then think of your life as an hourglass. There are thousands of grains of sand in the top of the hourglass; and they all pass slowly and evenly through the narrow neck in the middle.

We are like that hourglass. When we start in the morning, there are hundreds of tasks which we feel that we must accomplish that day. But if we do not take them one at a time, and let them pass through the day slowly and evenly, as do the grains of sand passing through the narrow neck of the hour glass, then we are bound to break our own fragile physical and mental structure. Do not attempt more than God designed you to do. 

Time for a smile?

I was the supply teacher for a class that was learning about groups. In one exercise, pupils were asked to label a group of items according to their common characteristics. Pictured were onion rings, doughnuts, and party biscuits. The correct answer would have been that all the items have holes in the centre.

But one health-conscious boy pointed out: “All of those things contain far too much cholesterol.”

Prayer for September 2023

Dear Father in heaven,  September is a time of change, a change of season, changes in many areas of our lives as a new term begins and new opportunities present themselves. It can be a time of challenge and uncertainty for many of us as well as excitement.

Thank you Lord, that You never change, Your promises never change, Your Holy-Spirit inspired Word never changes. You are constant and rock-solid, always.

Help us to remember that You make all things new when we put our trust in Jesus, You give us new life and new ways of understanding, but help us also to remember that You never contradict Your revealed self. Help us always to check out our thinking with what You say in Your Word. Help us to be faithful to You as we take each step forward, each new day.

In Jesus name, Amen By Daphne Kitching