Thank you to all those who have offered to pray for us during this week of mission, when Roger will be taking a visiting team of eleven people to North Wingfield near Chesterfield.
Roger was in North Wingfield last weekend meeting up with the forty people from the church, mostly very inexperienced, who have agreed to work with us during the mission week. The response was very positive. They learned how to share the gospel. They learned what is involved in doing follow up, and they each agreed times when they will invite friends to their homes to meet the visiting team. We identified 250 people with whom they already have close relationships; the priority of the mission week will be to reach these 250.
On Sunday the sermon was about the Holy Spirit. There was an invitation to come for prayer and the response was overwhelming. They were all in different places but all needing the Spirit to bring changes to their lives and ministry. Roger was particularly pleased about one person with a very painful knee who was much better half an hour after the prayer and walking well. God’s presence was manifest last weekend; let’s pray for more during the week when the team is there.
To find out more visit the St Lawrence North Wingfield website.
Preparing for mission
As part of their preparation for the mission, church members have been following our discipleship course The God Who is There. Rector Colin Cooper writes:
“We are an active church. During 2016-2017 up to 60 people have engaged with the Beyond Ourselves and The New Community courses. We began Shining Like Stars in September. This means clear biblical teaching about being a disciple of Jesus is becoming established in the DNA of St Lawrence Church.
This has represented a focus on building up the core congregation both spiritually and numerically (longer standing members are reporting spiritual growth and new people have joined). Our community connection is good with a growing ‘wider fringe’ through Messy Church, Messy Extra, Baptisms, Small Wonders and St Lawrence Pre-School.
From this strong position 2018 should be a season of reaching out into our community in mission.”
The aim is that the mission should be followed by an ALPHA course, and that those completing ALPHA will then be invited to grow further in discipleship by joining a Beyond Ourselves group.
To find out more about Beyond Ourselves, The New Community and Shining Like Stars please visit our Discipleship page. To find out more about how we can support you through a parish mission visit our Missions page.
Did you know?
The Mathetes Trust 