What's it all about Alpha?  The Alpha course is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith - see www.alpha.org  It's relaxed, low key, friendly, and fun. It's a place where people can come and ask questions, delve into issues and look for answers together. What is the meaning of life? Now, that is a BIG question! Can we find out? Here at the church we have an Alpha Supper on Saturday 25th September 2010 at 7.30pm. You can come to share a meal and hear a short talk on Christianity. It's free. You will be very welcome. If you would like to come please let me know by the 20th September - please e-mail me : steve@chasemethodist.org
     

"Making the main thing, the main thing", was a quote from a recent preacher to our church at Chase. He was talking about the gospel : the good news of Jesus Christ being the main thing. I sometimes think churches make the news a bit bad. It's too easy to give out a tract, but not attract. To appeal to come, but not be very appealing. To try and win some to Christ, but not be very winsome. We've got to become well in welcoming people to Jesus and His Church. I sometimes think the church can put a smile up on a hedge but be very closed and unwelcoming. The gospel is for everyone - whether we've been part of a church for a few weeks or fifty years. The gospel is inclusive, not exclusive. The gospel has to be real and relevant to all. A healthy church is a growing church. Time for a health check-up, church?....

Twelve men good and true (only by the grace of God) from Hampshire went to St Agnes in Cornwall last weekend (23-25 July) on a mission. We might have thought we were going like lambs to the slaughter as we went with a little trepidation for the purpose of sharing the good news about Jesus to the people there. We were not experts - like the twelve disciples of Jesus we were learning on the job. For most of us it was the first time of doing such a thing. So what is the good news? Taking the latin term Agnes Dei, which means Lamb of God, the good news is that Jesus Christ became the perfect offering for sin when He died on the cross two thousand years ago atoning for the sins of humanity. Atoning is not your commonal garden word - it means that God and man were made at one because of the cross. Because of the cross, God is not cross with us, our sins are crossed out, and we can cross from death to life. In a family, if a child does something wrong he or she normally says sorry to the father or mother and promises not to do it again. All is forgiven. God is our father in heaven. Will you say sorry, turn to Him today and receive Christ into your life to live through you?
   

Men from Hampshire on a mission in St Agnes Cornwall 23-25 July 2010

Half a year has gone. Time to take stock. Stop. Look. Listen. I've had an appraisal today. Time to listen. Time to talk. Things needed to be heard. All part of a journey through a year. I remember the importance of listening from my Acorn Listening courses that I have been on in the last couple of years. Sometimes it is hard to listen. We have a whole gamut of noises in our ears - with the competing voices of the needs to attend to matters of family, finance, work and rest that make up our day. What has been profitable? What has been on the debit side? Some things we may be at loss to understand why they have happened to us so far this year. So how can we account for our year so far? God is interested. Make no mistake about that. He walked where we walk - in a different way at a different time, but God identifies with our humanity because He made us and in Jesus lived amongst us as man. Are we open to hear what He has to say to us? He wants to speak into our lives. Listen. We can count on Him to make our next half-year count.