Dear Friends, I write this the day after Pauline McMillen presented her powerful paper on the life of Bishop John Hooper of Gloucester (1 March 1495 – 9 February 1555). We placed it on that particular Wednesday evening after a series of postponements to fit with the anniversary of his death, but it seems appropriate…
Dear Friends, I write the day after the big vote. Our government’s proposals for Brexit have been rejected. Before the vote took place it seemed that there was no clear direction. The vote has happened, we are in the same place and the truth of Proverbs 27:1 has been fulfilled – “you do not know…
Dear Friends, I would like to begin this letter by thanking all the members and friends at Emmanuel for your love, prayer and commitment through another year. 2018 was not an easy year in the life of our church in that we lost a number of our dear friends in death. Others went through very…
Dear Friends, I wonder how many of you have said recently, “Where has the year gone?” We get the impression that time moves faster as we get older, or we say “Time flies when you’re enjoying yourself.” The facts are there are still sixty minutes in an hour, twenty four hours in a day, and…
This month our communion donations will be for… Christian Institute A Christian influence in a secular world. Helping Christians with news, views and resources on contemporary ethical issues in the UK and beyond. The Christian Institute is a nondenominational Christian charity committed to upholding the truths of the Bible. We are supported by individuals and…
Dear Friends, November is on us, the clocks have changed and we have altered the time of our evening service. We could be entering the “winter of our discontent” or we could be maximising the time and opportunities that God gives us. We have celebrated our Church Anniversary and we had an “Away Day” for…
This month our communion donations will be for… Mission Aviation Fellowship Our vision is to see ‘isolated people physically and spiritually transformed in Christ’s name.’ MAF enables practical help, physical healing, and spiritual hope to be delivered to many of the most remote and inaccessible communities on the planet. Flying onto desert and jungle airstrips,…
Dear Friends, Each year in October we mark our Church Anniversary, but we also have an Annual General Meeting in May. In effect both meetings have a similar purpose – to reflect on the work of God at Emmanuel, but there are slightly different emphases in each meeting. In May we reflect on what has…
This month our communion donations will be for… Emmanuel Church – Benevolent Fund The Church Benevolent Fund is used for those in and around the fellowship who may have needs of a financial nature. It is administered by the Pastor and is done in total confidentiality. Our circumstances in life can change and we can…
Dear Friends, As I sat to write this letter I had decided on the subject of contentment, but received the tragic news that one of my closest PNG friends has lost yet another son. We had known them as a really contented family with two sons and two daughters. Before we left PNG the older…