Cell Meeting Outline week beginning Sunday 17th February 2008
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Welcome
What do you think are the best and worst aspects of gardening?
Word
- Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
- What were the main points emphasised by David in Sunday’s sermon?
- Go through the passage verse by verse and list as many principles as you can about Christian giving
- What prevents you putting these principles into practice, and how might you overcome these obstacles?
- In v.8-11 is Paul expecting our giving to result in increased financial gain for us?
- Do you find it easier to give your time or your money to God?
- Where have you seen the greatest return on time or money invested in God for others?
- Have you made financial plans for your estate, and does giving for the sake of the gospel feature in them? Do you think it should?
Worship
- Read about God’s ‘indescribable gift’ in Philippians 2:5-11 and share with each other what we can learn about God’s giving of Jesus to us.
- List your thoughts and then turn them into prayers of worship and thanks
- Listen to, or sing, a worship song/hymn that expresses what Jesus has done for us (such as, “He came not to be served”, “He was pierced for our transgressions”, “Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour”, etc.)
Witness
- What commitment for change in the area of giving do you think you need most to make?
- Pray about what has challenged you most in this teaching series on giving.
- Pray for the financial needs of any missionaries/missionary organisations you support.
ST JOHN’S MESSENGER 17h February 2008
2nd Sunday of Lent
Welcome to St John's parish church,
If you would like someone to pray for you there will be two people available at the front of church after most services and also during the period of distribution in our Communion services
Doug Harris of the Reachout Trust on the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
St John’s Church 7.30pm Thu 21st Feb
Churches Together in Leyland Lent Meetings 2008
This year’s Lent meetings will be held in the Methodist School Hall, Canberra Road
7.15 for 7.30pm, till 9pm
Come to listen, pray and discuss some of the key issues affecting our community
Thu 14th Feb ‘Migrant Workers’
Thu 21st Feb ‘Key Project (Youth)’
Thu 28th Feb ‘SLEAP (Homelessness)’
Thu 6th Mar ‘Drugs, etc
Diocesan Courses for Children’s Workers
Sat 8th Mar 10am – 12noon Roots – new material for children
at St Cuthberts, Fulwood. Cost £5
Tue 11th Mar 7.30pm Child Protection Training
At St Gabriel’s, Blackburn. No charge
Please remember in your prayers
Geoff Brown Mick Davies Elsie Deacon Agnes Duffy Eileen Fisher
Win Loftus Carol Sergeant Thelma Thomas
On Monday 11th February our PCC expressed concerns about some of the issues raised by the Archbishop of Canterbury as he opened up the debate about how Muslim Sharia Law might relate to English law in the future. As a result we raised the issue at Deanery Synod, which provoked some enthusiastic discussion, and we are writing a letter to the Archbishop. The text of the letter is reproduced below. The letter is at the back of church if you wish to add your signature to it.
“Dear Archbishop Rowan,
Last night the PCC of St John’s Leyland discussed your recent comments about the need for thinking and discussion around how the English legal system should accommodate the unavoidable inclusion of some aspects of Sharia Law. Our discussions raised some fundamental concerns.
Sharia Law is viewed by the vast majority of Muslims as God’s divine law which cannot be altered, and wherever it has been accommodated within the legal system of Muslim states it has always led to the infringement of freedoms and human rights of the most vulnerable people in those societies, such as women, children and non-Muslims. The Barnabas Fund, who have first hand experience with Christians who are suffering for their faith in Islamic states, highlighted these issues in their response to your statement.
We were concerned, first of all, about the premise of your statement that the accommodation of Sharia Law within the English legal system is unavoidable. Already politicians and others have expressed their concern that to accommodate Sharia Law within the legal system will result in further fragmentation of our society rather than encouraging social cohesion. Many have also responded with the view that all citizens ought to be treated equally before the law regardless of the faith they express. We agree with these views and believe it would be both wrong and damaging to allow exceptions under the law for Muslims.
We were also concerned about the areas of Sharia Law that you suggest could in some way be allowed to operate, such as divorce. Even the implementation of some of these aspects of Sharia Law could open up immense problems for some Muslims, especially those who reject Islam or who convert from it. For example, converts from Islam could find themselves facing divorce proceedings and being given no (or restricted) access to their children, because of their conversion. Because Sharia Law is viewed by most Muslims as God’s law it will always be perceived by them to have more sway than secular law, thus those from a Muslim background, who may prefer to be judged through the secular courts of justice may find themselves pressurised into accepting Sharia Law instead.
Our concern is not only for our generation, but the generations that will follow. If we were to include Sharia Law in some form within our legal system, our fears are that it would set in motion a move towards its full acceptance in this country; maybe not next year, nor even in 20 years time, but it might well be inevitable in due course. We believe that Muslims would campaign for further expansion of Sharia Law simply because they view it as of divine origin and thus superior to any man-made laws. We believe that in the long term this would result in the oppressive and unjust treatment of many vulnerable individuals, especially women and converts from Islam, such as happens in most Islamic states today.
The issue that caused most initial concern in our PCC discussions was that of Anglicans and other Christians who are currently living in oppressive Islamic states. You will be aware that thousands of Christians are being discriminated against, persecuted and in some cases killed under the force of Sharia Law. The suffering they are facing is immense. Our brothers and sisters in Christ need our support and help. We ought to be highlighting to the world the brutal nature of full Sharia Law in these countries and doing all in our power to relieve the suffering of our fellow Christians and other minorities under Sharia Law’s discriminatory system. We believe that the statements you have made about the accommodation of Sharia Law in this country can only strengthen the hand of those who are enforcing it in some Islamic States in order to destroy the Christian Church. We believe your statement strengthens the hands of the persecutors of Christ’s Church in these lands, and we urge you, for the sake of the suffering Church, minority Islamic groups in this country and the promotion of social cohesion in our own country, to withdraw your comments and apologise for any harm caused by them.”
ST. JOHN’S SERVICES AND EVENTS
Sun 17th Feb 9.45am Prayer in the Creche Room
10.30am Morning Worship
Thu 21st Feb 7.30 – 9.30pm Whole Church Meeting
Doug Harris of the Outreach Trust
“Jehovah’s Witnesses”
Sun 24th Feb 9.45am Prayer in the Creche Room
10.30am All Age Worship
Mon 25th 6pm Level 1 for Infant school aged children
Tue 26th 6.15pm Level 2 for Junior school aged children
8pm Ministry Development Team at 43 Hall Lane
Wed 27th 10am Holy Communion
7.15pm Level 3 for High school aged children
Sun 2nd Mar 9.45am Prayer in the Creche Room
10.30am Holy Communion
A BIG THANK YOU FROM PLAYGROUP
Playgroup would like to say a big thank you to all those who supported our coffe morning on the 2nd February.
We raised £145 towards the laptop we wanted to buy.
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