Time to Grow

Now is the Time!

There are so many opportunities this year to share what a relationship with Christ means to us and to grow his church. The year may seem to be flying by; here we are in Lent and many are undertaking the '40 Acts' doing something each day to benefit others. Soon it will be Easter and another opportunity to share our celebrations with our friends, neighbours and family; maybe just sharing a hot cross bun with them and telling our story of what Easter means for us. It's not too late to share an Easter egg or two from the Meaningful Chocolate Company made with fairly-traded chocolate it comes with an Easter storybook as well; children of all ages will love this I'm sure.

'Thy Kingdom Come' follows in May as Christians across the UK pray that people come to know Jesus and his love for them. Why not pray for five people you are in contact with and see what happens?

'Churches Together' in June invite us to invite a guest to a church-based event; it could be a service, a regular or one-off event, let people know there is more to our communities than hymns, sermons, cold buildings and uncomfortable pews.

We often use the summer shows to share our faith; you could do worse than give away copies of the booklet 'Who Do You Say I Am?' A publication on quality paper containing comments and quotes from many prominent people from many walks of life. A great gift and conversation starter.

It is 100 years since the end of WW1, starting on 4 August why not engage in '99 days of peace' a time of prayer, peace-making and peace parties; ending on 11 November, which this year is a Sunday and another occasion to offer friends, neighbours and family an opportunity to enter church and reflect on the values we hold.

Many of these ideas have been drawn from 'Hope 2018' and visiting their website gives many more thought provoking ideas for us to try.

https://www.hopetogether.org.uk/Groups/256542/Rhythm_of_Mission.aspx

Watch this space for more ideas about growing your church.