Giving for Growth Prayer

Text for the week: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Welcome to our services today and a special welcome to any worshipping with us for the first time. One of the great things about belonging to church is that everyone counts, everyone matters! At the same time, that means everyone has a part to play. If you haven’t already, do write your name and contact details on our Giving for Growth … time and talents leaflet and identify the things you feel you are able to contribute to the life of the church: then place it on an offering plate. Use the Giving for Growth … money leaflet to reflect on what you are able to give in a planned way to help to ensure we have the funds to further the vision we have to share in our community. Underpinning all that we do is prayer. From the start prayer has been at the heart of the life of the church. Whenever he wrote to a church, as Karen Waldock pointed out in one of this month’s Explore evenings, he always began with prayer. Put those prayers together and you can see how he prayed for unity, for wisdom, for strength, for encouragement, for love. Above all, he longed in prayer for the churches he worked with to bear fruit. So, let’s join together in prayer for our church and its future … and use our up-dated Prayer Diary to focus our prayers together. Be warned, however, “Prayer is always a dangerous activity since it is a drawing near to the God who will change us!”

If you would like to watch a recording of our service please email minister@highburychurch.co.uk

Morning Worship

Welcome and Call to Worship

Praise with Hy-Spirit

Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

So this is prayer

It hadn’t got off to a good start. And since then everything had gone wrong. They may have been twins but the family traditions of the time dictated that all the family inheritance would pass to the first of the twins to be born.

They were great brothers. They loved playing with each other. Their dad was always full of fun, his name meant a bundle of laughs. Their mum kept them in order. But she had her favourite one. And it wasn’t the eldest.

By the time they were young men, Esau loved to spend time out in the fields – he had a rough beard and a swarthy complexion. Jacob loved to stay at home. His skin was soft to the touch.

Their father was very sick. He had lost his sight. And was at the point of dying. Tradition had it that he must give his blessing to the older of the twins and so he would inherit his father’s wealth.

But their mum didn’t think that was fair. And so she plotted with Jacob and got him to cover his arms and his face with the animal skin. She brought him in and in his dying breath Isaac bestowed his blessing on him.

You can imagine what Esau felt when he came in from the fields and found he had been cheated of his inheritance.

From that day the brothers fell out.

Jacob fled.

And on his journeyings he came to a deserted place where he found a rock to lay his head and go to sleep.

And in his sleep he dreamed a dream. A ladder was going up into the presence of God and angels were going up the ladder and coming down.

He woke and it was as if that was such a special place it had re-connected him with God.

He determined to mark the place with the rock he had laid his head on and a standing stone – this was nothing less than the House of God – Bethel – and it would be a place to remember that connection with God.

And from that day, Jacob had the presence of God in his life and was a changed person.

Time passed and the estranged brothers were far away from each other … until one day, Jacob out in the fields heard that Esau was approaching. He looked out and Esau was coming with a band of men. Jacob feared the worst. But as Esau came closer a wonderful thing happened – he rushed forward, flung his arms around Jacob and embraced him.

It was a wonderful moment of reconciliation.

How special that in that place Jacob re-connected with God – and it was as if his prayers transformed his life and he became conscious of the presence of God with him once more.

How important prayer is … and how important for us to share our prayer with God. In reconnection with God transformation happens.

Reading: Luke 11:9-13

‘So I say to you,

Ask, and it will be given to you;

search, and you will find;

knock, and the door will be opened for you.

For everyone who asks receives,

and everyone who searches finds,

and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Is there anyone among you who,

if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish?

Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit

to those who ask him!’

A Hy-Spirit Song

Activities for all over 3

One of the great things about belonging to church is that everyone counts, everyone matters! At the same time, that means everyone has a part to play. If you haven’t already, do write your name and contact details on our Giving for Growth … time and talents leaflet and identify the things you feel you are able to contribute to the life of the church: then place it on an offering plate. Use the Giving for Growth … money leaflet to reflect on what you are able to give in a planned way to help to ensure we have the funds to further the vision we have to share in our community.

Underpinning all that we do is prayer.

So rounding off our month to start this important year in the life of the church we turn from launching Giving for Growth to a focus on prayer. There is much we think of in prayer …  but specifically we want to focus on prayer for our church.

From the start prayer has been at the heart of the life of the church. Whenever he wrote to a church, as Karen Waldock pointed out in one of this month’s Explore evenings, he always began with prayer.

Karen is going to share with us what she shared with that Explore Group.

Explore: Praying for the church – Karen Waldock

Recently in the Explore evenings we have been looking at prayer and I took a session on praying for the church.

Prayer is the powerhouse of the church, it underpins everything we do, it is how we find the Mind of Christ which is what we try to do in the church meeting and it is how we put Christ at the centre.

The problem is that some of may find it difficult to think of exactly what we need to pray for when praying for the church

Paul wrote more than anyone else in the Bible about the church therefore it seems a logical place to find some clues

At the beginning of almost all his letters to the churches he tells the churches that he has been “remembering them in his prayers” constantly.

 Whilst each of the churches had different issues that Paul addresses in his letters, there are somethings that he highlights that he is praying for and these are the ones that I have picked out to give us some headings to help guide us in our prayers remembering that we will have other issues unique to our church that we will need to pray for as well.

So the first heading is

Unity

1 Corinthians 1:10 “that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no division among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought”

Ephesians 4:3 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

I want to point out that unity does not mean uniformity, we are all individuals we don’t see everything the same way. But it’s not about what we want it’s about what God wants and finding that together.

Which brings me on to the second heading

Wisdom

Ephesians 1:17 ”I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ , the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”

Philippians 1:9-10 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,”

Colossians 1:9 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

How often do we for get to ask for wisdom and yet it was what Solomon in the Old Testament asked for first, he asked not for wisdom for his own benefit but so that he could rule the people better. So we ask not for wisdom to be right all the time but to know what God wants.

So the next heading

Strengthened and encouraged

Ephesians 3:16 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit through your inner being,”

Ephesians 4:29 “ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Colossians 1:11 “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,”

We need strength to see things through, to keep going. Strength can come through the Holy Spirit but also it needs to come from one another. We need to appreciating each other, encouraging each other and working together.

But none of this will help if we forget the next bit

 Established in love

Ephesians 3:17-18  “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,”

Ephesians 4:2 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

Love underpins everything else, love for God but also love for each other. This sounds easy but in reality is more difficult. To pray for something when a decision did go our way or for someone when we have been unintentionally hurt, that requires love.

All of this is for a reason, the great commission, the primary work of the church, to bring glory to God and

To bear fruit

Colossians 1:10 “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,”

This is why we do what we do and remember that it’s not just about how many people we have in a church service but a much wider way we bear fruit. Telling people the good news of Jesus Christ, sharing his love, building disciples

Highbury “a place to Share Christian friendship, explore Christian faith and enter into Christian mission with Christ at the centre and open to all”

Reading: Ephesians 1:15-22

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus

and your love towards all the saints,

and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you

as I remember you in my prayers.

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation

as you come to know him,

so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened,

you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,

what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power

for us who believe,

according to the working of his great power.

God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead

and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,

and above every name that is named,

not only in this age but also in the age to come.

And he has put all things under his feet

and has made him the head over all things for the church,

716 Come and find the quiet centre

1          Come and find the quiet centre
            in the crowded life we lead,
            find the room for hope to enter,
            find the frame where we are freed:
            clear the chaos and the clutter,
            clear our eyes, that we can see
            all the things that really matter,
            be at peace, and simply be.

2          Silence is a friend who claims us,
            cools the heat and slows the pace,
            God it is who speaks and names us,
            knows our being, touches base,
            making space within our thinking,
            lifting shades to show the sun,
            raising courage when we're shrinking,
            finding scope for faith begun.

3          In the Spirit let us travel,
            open to each other's pain,
            let our loves and fears unravel,
            celebrate the space we gain:
            there's a place for deepest dreaming,
            there's a time for heart to care,
            in the Spirit's lively scheming
            there is always room to spare!

Shirley Erena Murray (born 1931) from the author's collection In Every Corner Sing
© 1992 Hope Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
8 7 8 7 D Trochaic

Used By Permission. CCL Licence No. 3540
Copied from HymnQuest: Copyright Licence Users' Edition
HymnQuest ID: 72435

Praying for the Church

And so we turn to praying for the church …

Share the Giving for Growth Prayer leaflet and introduce the various sections …

http://www.jesusfortoday.co.uk/highbury/Highbury GfG Prayer.pdf

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. Phil 4:6

Prayer is always a dangerous activity since it is a drawing near to the God who will change us.

Worship

Family

Our Church

Church Groups

Caring

Reaching Out

The Wider Picture

619,620 Spirit of the living God

Prayers of Concern

647 What a friend we have in Jesus

Words of Blessing

Giving for Growth

Text for the week: we pray that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. Colossians 1:9-12

Welcome to our services today and a special welcome to any worshipping with us for the first time. Our Highbury Church family is made up of everyone who belongs … and everyone has a part to play, however small that part may seem to be. Today we are launching Giving for Growth. Do the quiz. Use the leaflets on Time and Talents and on Money and decide what you can do and what you can give as together we seek the growth of our church to the glory of God. Today is a day, Robert Pestell suggested last week, for us to “dream dreams, be brave, think the impossible, love one another and love God.”  He invited us to reflect on three things: “What is God calling me to do in my life and in the life of this worshipping community here at Highbury? What is God calling us to do, as the worshipping community here, to further the Kingdom of God in his place? Are we ready and willing to take up the baton, the challenge of sharing and passing on the Good News to others, with energy and enthusiasm as confident Christians, knowing that if we are listening to God He will speak to us and bless our efforts of obedience to His will? And he challenged us “above all to be a prayerful community, seeking day by day to grow closer to God both as individuals and as the Christian family in this place.”

We live-streamed this morning's service for those who couldn't get to church. To follow the live stream and to access a recording of the service please email richard.cleaves@blueyonder.co.uk for details to the private links.

Welcome and Call to Worship

510 Jesus calls us here to meet him [Blaenwern]

Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

Something old … something new

Our Highbury Church family is made up of everyone who belongs … and everyone has a part to play, however small that part may seem to be. Today we are launching Giving for Growth. We’re going to think about our church and the part we can play in the life of the church. It’s timely doing this in January. It’s going to be a year of change for all of us as Felicity and I move on in retirement and the church begins the process of seeking someone else to share in ministry and leadership of the church. So we began the year  by inviting people to reaffirm the profession of faith they made on joining the church and the promises they made too – if you haven’t already, you are invited if you are a church member to sign the Church membership book as a statement of that renewed commitment.

And today … we move on to think about the church and the part we can play in the life of the church.

Have you had a go at doing the quiz Roger has prepared? It’s surprising how many pastoral visits we do, how many young people Highbury has helped train for ministry of various sorts, how many children come to Highbury each week, how many outside groups use our premises, how many local organisations we support, how much the weekly FoodBank contributions weigh, and how much we support through the Congregational Federation.

It’s the morning in the month when we celebrate Communion … and we thought we would do communion differently today. That last supper Jesus shared with his disciples was a Passover celebration – and so we today are going to make just a few connections between what we do in Communion and Passover.

Passover is a family celebration that involves the whole family – from the youngest to the oldest around a table at home – we aren’t at home, but we are a church family and so we are meeting round tables – and everyone counts – from the youngest to the oldest. The Passover celebration is a fun  occasion and before it begins there’s a lot of cleaning that needs to be done – as the whole house is cleaned. And then as the celebration begins there’s a bit of fun involving the children – so we’ll get the children to do the last little bits of clearing – Bridgette was hard at work getting the place clean as she always does on Friday, and Grace earlier in the week too.

Passover marks the last night before the people of Israel fled from Pharaoh to safety – they didn’t have time to make the bread … they were in such a hurry they left the leaven out of the bread.

That’s what makes the bread rise and be lovely as it usually is.

And so at a Passover meal it’s a unleavened bread that is used. And there’s a game of hide and seek – there’s a piece of ordinary bread I have hidden – and I’m wanting the children to find it!  Can you have a look to see if you can find it?

It would be brushed up on to a wooden spoon with a feather – and then disposed of …

Maybe shaping what we do involves as a church family realising there are some things we cannot do – maybe it’s good to have a clear out of what we have been doing.

And then people make sure they’ve washed their hands.

When Jesus got his close friends together as it were his family – he noticed it was really sticky and hot, a mucky day and there was one thing he determined to do.

He washed his disciples’ feet.

Kate is going to read to us the account of what happened in John’s Gospel – listen carefully to what happened.

Reading John 13:1,2b-5,12-15,34-35

Now before the festival of the Passover,

Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world

and go to the Father.

Having loved his own who were in the world,

he loved them to the end.

And during supper Jesus,

knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands,

and that he had come from God and was going to God,

got up from the table, took off his outer robe,

and tied a towel around himself.

Then he poured water into a basin

and began to wash the disciples’ feet

and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.

After he had washed their feet,

had put on his robe, and had returned to the table,

he said to them,

‘Do you know what I have done to you?

You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,

you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

For I have set you an example,

that you also should do as I have done to you.

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.

Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,

if you have love for one another.’

Jesus sets us an example – that we should serve one another.

He gives us a new command – that we love one another.

And that’s our starting point as we launch Giving for Growth – we are called by Jesus to serve one another, to have a servant heart, and to love one another. That’s the way everyone will know we are his discples.

A Hy-Spirit Song

Activities for all over 3

Giving for Growth Time and Talents

Giving for Growth invites us to think about the life of our church, and then the time and talents we have that we can share in the life of our church.

Have a look at the first of our leaflets – it starts and all of is it underpinned by prayer.

Karen explored at Explore on Tuesday how we can pray for our church family – she pointed us to the prayers that Paul makes for the church. She is going to read the opening of Paul’s letter to the church family at Colossae – it could be written to our church family here at Highbur.

Prayer: Colossians 1:3-6,9-12

In our prayers for you

we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus

and of the love that you have for all the saints,

because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.

You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth,

the gospel that has come to you.

Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it

and truly comprehended the grace of God.

For this reason, since the day we heard it,

we have not ceased praying for you and asking

that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will

in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord,

fully pleasing to him,

as you bear fruit in every good work

and as you grow in the knowledge of God.

May you be made strong

with all the strength that comes from his glorious power,

and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience,

while joyfully giving thanks to the Father,

who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Have a look at the leaflet – all of  us can share in prayer – but it’s good to get together with others for prayer as well – Judi, can you explain the prayer partners idea … the regular prayer meeting on a Wednesday. Or sometime else?

Worship, Care and Children

Youth, Discipleship, Mission

Sharon is needing to hand over the reins as worship ministry leader, but is going to be helping as part of a team to sort out services – which will become important as we lead – we already have plans to do some services in-house, ourselves – the first Tuesday of the month, alongside the craft evening we are going to do an evening preparing services.

All sorts of ideas – sometimes people will come and speak, but would like us to lead – so have a think … what might you be able to contribute to our Sunday services?

Pastoral Care – Lorraine,

Children- Andrea – particular need to help with Messy Church – cooking, crafts, celebration.

Young People – helping out with Hy-Tec – as Adrian will be finishing at Easter – and joining the team of leaders – Mary for comment

Discipleship – help lead or plan – Judi?

Mission and Outrach – Jean

Support behind the scenes – making it happen.

Helen not able to continue as Church Secretary – going to re-shape it, appoing an administrator - need someone to be over-all responsible, Church Secretary in a different way. Other helps with Admin – and room bookings too.

Pause a moment – around the tables – have a think about filling in what you feel able to do – on the leaflet or on another piece of paper. Make sure you add your name.

I will offer up my life (Hy-Spirit)

Giving for Growth – Money

All our financial commitments we have to meet ourselves – we don’t have any external source of funding. Roger’s work as Treasurer is backed up by our Finance Group.

Ted, who has been Treasurer with Jenny, is going to read for us some reflections paul made about giving.

Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-12

The point is this:

the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,

and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Each of you must give as you have made up your mind,

not reluctantly or under compulsion,

for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance,

so that by always having enough of everything,

you may share abundantly in every good work.

As it is written,

‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;

   his righteousness endures for ever.’

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food

will supply and multiply your seed for sowing

and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity,

which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints

but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.

Roger is going to explain our Giving for Growth – money leaflet. Something for you to reflect on , think about … and Roger has forms to fill in for a standing order or for gift aid too.

Make sure you return the forms with you names on so that we can then build together for the future.

502 Take my life, Lord, let it be

Prayers of Concern

When we renewed our profession of faith and our promises to the life of the church we sang a hymn – we are going to sing again … it captures something of our vision for church here at Highbury.

522 The church is …

Communion

Children to join our tables.

At Passover there were bitter herbs on the table – a reminder that sometimes there are difficult times to go through – and there’s no escaping those difficult times.

And then green herbs – a reminder that God provides, and God cares for us.

There were four cups – and at different points people drank from each … and then a fifth cup was left untouched – a reminder that Elijah would come at the last days.

There are a number of different accounts of what happened that last supper night – most have one cup – was this the cup of Elijah – because the kingdom was ushered in by Jesus.

But Luke records two cups – maybe one is for fellowship together that we are bound to God

Let’s drink that cup of fellowship together – on each table is one of our leadership team – a Deacon or a Ministry Leader.

I’m going to ask them to pour out the fruit of the vine into a glass for each of us.

And then let’s drink a cup that binds us in fellowship with each other –

We share the cup of fellowship

And then unleavened bread. Three pieces – one for the Priests, one for the Levites, one for the ordinary people. It’s telling Jesus had just one piece – we are all in this together – as one people, the body of Christ.

Let’s be really quiet as I invite that person to take the bread.

And listen … in a moment as we break the bread – break the bread and share it around – you can hear the snap as the bread is broken – a reminder that Jesus’ body was broken for us.

THe Passover would have had a shank of lamb to eat – roasted – but we don’t have that because Jesus is the lamb of  God who has taken away the sins of the world

Let’s eat of the bread.

We share the bread

And then another cup – this cup is the cup of new beginnings, that new partnership we have with each other and with God, that new covenant, sealed by the blood of Jesus.

Let’s take this second cup and as we share together sense the presence of the love of God in jesus Christ, renewing that partnship we have with each other and we have with God.

We share the cup of new beginnings

Communion Collection – a plate on each table – to bring to the front – as a sign of our commitment to the wider world as well – this month it is for the Cheltenham branch of Samaritans.

Communion

When the last supper was over at the very last they sang a hymn and went out into the future that lay ahead of them – the death, the resurrection of Jesus, the outpouring of the Spirit and that great new life as the body of Christ on earth.

At Passover they would have sung one of the great Alleluia Psalms – 116-118.

Hymn 46 is Psalm 117 – as paraphrased by Isaac Watts.

146 – Psalm 117

From all that dwells below the skies

Let the creator’s praise arise:

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Words of Blessing

Belonging and Believing - a New Commitment for a New Year

Text for this week: Make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Philippians 2:2

A Happy New Year!

Welcome to the first services of the New Year and a special welcome to any who are worshipping with us for the first time.

You can see a recording of this service by following this link. 

The service begins at 7 minutes 45 seconds.

The Highbury Church family is made up of everyone who belongs … and everyone has a part to play, however small that part may seem to be.

Today we are inviting all who belong to the church family to make a fresh commitment to the life of the church.

All are welcome at our church ... and we hope all feel that they belong. We belong not because anyone at church has invited us, important though such an invitation can be! We belong because Jesus in his love for us invites us to belong and be part of his church family.

And so our service began as we all of us stood in a circle around the church, linked hands and shared our prayer concerns.

But Jesus asks us not just to belong to his family but to follow His Way just as he called the fishermen, James and John, Simon and Andrew, the tax collector, Levi, the Woman at the Well, Martha and Mary. And he invited people to believe.

There is the confident faith of a distraught Martha when her brother Lazarus had died.

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’

There is the hesitant faith of the father who so wanted healing for his son.

the father of the child cried out, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’ 

We invite all who feel at home with us in the church family to become church members by making a simple profession of faith in God and in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. We welcomed a number of people who have joined us in recent years into church membership today. We asked those who have been church members over the years to renew their profession of faith.We invited those any who feel moved to make that profession of faith to have a word with one of our leadership team

At the heart of our Church family is the most basic of all statements of faith - that Jesus is our Lord and our Saviour.

We heard Paul's challenge in Philippians 2 and then read together his account of Jesus and his vision that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

Jesus Christ, though he was in the form of God,
   did not regard equality with God
   as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
   taking the form of a slave,
   being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
   he humbled himself
   and became obedient to the point of death—
   even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him
   and gave him the name
   that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
   every knee should bend,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
   that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.

We invited those who joined today to sign our Church Membership book and those who were already members to sign a reaffirmation of their profession of faith. In our card marking church membership is a challenge to us all.

 Jesus said ...
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  Love your neighbour as yourself.”                             Mark 12:30-31

Therefore Church Members are called to ...

o worship God regularly with the whole Church family
o remember the covenant with God in the Lord’s Supper
o read the Bible and pray regularly
o share in the life and work of the Church Meeting gathered together in Christ’s name
o witness by the power of the Holy Spirit to the truth of the Gospel through what they are, what t            they do, and what they say.
o give their gifts of time, service and money to the work of the Kingdom as they are able

All the church family have been invited to join in reading the Bible together with the help of Fresh from the Word, the International Bible Reading Association's Bible reading notes. Nathan Eddy in his introduction to this year's notes explains the theme for the year. It has a particular appropriateness for us at Highbury as Felicity and I will be moving on this year and the church will soon be starting the process of seeking a new Minister.

It's the third year we have as a church family shared in a Bible reading programme through the year. As I began the notes this week for this year I found it very moving to see that this was the theme for the year - how important as the church seeks new leadership that that reflect not just what people want but much more what God wants for us. And where better to discern that than in seeking God's Word for our church in the words of the Bible?

This year we turn to the theme of leadership in our Bible  reading.
What does the Bible imagine good leadership to be?
What are the qualities of a good leader?
These are very timely questions we put to scripture, to God, and to you, this year.

As people of  faith we belive we can be part of the flourishing of our communities. We believe this can happen through reading and pondering the Bible; that God in the Spirit will work through our reading practice to help us be the leaders the world needs.

You can follow those Bible reading notes online by following this link.

n 21st January we are launching Giving for Growth as we invite all who belong at Highbury to reflect on the part we can play in the life of the Church. And at Explore on Tuesday evenings we will be focusing on the prayer that supports all we do individually, as a church family and in our mission and outreach.