Citizens of Heaven

Aug 24, 2025

Tonight we looked at our identity as citizens of heaven (Phil 3:20, Romans 6:1-5). Despite living in the world, when we become a Christian we are given a new identity as citizens of heaven. Moving house is ranked as the third most stressful experience in life (after bereavement and separation or divorce) and moving to another country is even more stressful, especially when another language is involved. It can take years to integrate into a community, and we too can find it difficult to leave the old behind, even though Paul stresses that this is what happens when we are baptised: ‘when we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!’ (Romans 6:2) 

The Israelites did not find it easy after their exodus from Egypt, even though they were leaving a life of slavery behind. Still they grumbled and complained (remembering the past with rose-tinted spectaclues) and put God to the test (see Psalm 78), because we find it very hard to change and adapt. Nonetheless, our old life must go and we must embrace the new reality of life in a ‘grace-sovereign country’, as the Message version translates Romans 6. What we believe affects how we live (see 2 Pet 3:11-12) and, like Abraham, we recognise that we have not reached our final destination yet (see Heb 11:9-10). There is a yearning in our hearts for God to wipe away every tear and bring us to the place He has prepared for us. (John 14:1, Rev 21:3)

Heaven isn’t really a place on earth (despite the Brenda Carlisle song!), but the reality of heaven can be the fuel that sustains us through present suffering (Rom 8:18) and can be the motvation to live as God wishes.Paul says, ‘I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom 8:38-39) We have been given a new passport to life in a grace-sovereign country; now it’s up to us to live as citizens of heaven, even while we are still living on earth.

Summer Fun 3

Aug 20, 2025

The third of our ‘Summer Fun’ activities held at Thurnscoe Plaza today was attended by 98 people (43 adults and 55 children, with 10 adult helpers.) We had a great time doing crafts and activities and using the fabulous skate park and are grateful to all volunteers, the Dearne Family Hub and Sue’s Ices today. Thanks are also due to the funders Great Childhoods Ambition who provided £600 for crafts, drinks, fruit and ice-creams at the three events.

The ice creams were very popular!

Summer Fun 2

Aug 6, 2025

The second of our ‘Churches Together’ Summer Fun events, funded by Great Childhoods Ambition, took place at Carrfield Park in Bolton upon Dearne today. Attended by 98 people (50 adults and 48 children with 12 helpers), we had a great time playing in the park, eating our picnics, doing crafts, doing sport with BPL and games with the Dearne Family Hub and… enjoying ice-creams!

God’s Church

Aug 3, 2025

Rend Collective’s song ‘Build Your Kingdom Here’ makes the astonishing claim, ‘We are Your church. We are the hope on earth.’ How can this possibly be true?

Today we looked at our identity as the church. The church is not a building or a denomination; it is not an institution or a club. Nor is the church perfect in any way yet! It’s full of sinners who have been called from darkness into light, but we are all still totally dependent on the grace of God. The church is God’s idea and Jesus spoke confidently about this, saying, ‘I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.’ (Matt 16:18) The church is the hope on earth because we proclaim the message of the God of hope and have been entrusted with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The church consists of people who have been called out (the ‘ekklesia’ of God). We must live differently now we have experienced God’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness (see Eph 4:17-32). We have been given a task (to make disciples of all nations, as Matt 28:18-20 makes plain) and are called to be salt and light in the world. (Matt 5:13-14) The main way we can fufil this task is through love (see John 13:34-35). When we love even our enemies and love unconditionally as God loves us, we show the world what God is like.

The church is not the source of hope to the earth; only God can do that. Our job is to point people to the God of hope and to model His love, acceptance and forgiveness to all. We can have hope even in the midst of difficulties, because God’s plans will never be thwarted and His plan is for the church to be His body, led by His Spirit and strong because of God’s strength.

August Events

Aug 1, 2025

Today is Yorkshire Day and as we move into August, there are some important dates and changes to report.

From Sunday 3 August, we will be moving to one service each Sunday, starting at 3 p.m. Please don’t turn up at 10.30 a.m. or 6 p.m. anymore, as no one will be there! This change of time accommodates all who have attended services and we hope that it will be an encouragement also for new people to join us. We will still be celebrating God’s presence and work through worship, learning from His word (either through sermons or Bible studies), praying and having fellowship. Sunday School will still be available for children to grow in their understanding of God and faith through vidoes and activities and crafts. We’ll still have refreshments after the service. The only thing that’s changing is the time!

Please note that because of holidays there is no service on 10 August and we will not be at the building on 31 August as we are taking part in a joint churches’ celebration at Manvers Lake on that date. Join us outdoors with a picnic from 1 p.m .and enjoy worship, fun and games and public baptisms in the lake, including church member Philip being baptised there.

We’re also involved with 2 Churches Together events in August. Our Summer Fun picnics will be on Wednesday 6 August (12-2 p.m.) at Carrfield Park in Bolton upon Dearne and on Wednesday 20 August (12-2 p.m.) at Thurnscoe Plaza in Thurnscoe. Bring a picnic and join us for crafts and games/ sports with Dearne Family Hub and BPL. These events have been funded by Great Childhoods Ambition. Free drinks, fruit and ice-creams will be provided for children at the picnics. Bring a blanket, suntan cream and anything else you need to have a fab time together!

There is no Parent & Toddler group in August, but we’ll be at the building today cleaning toys if anyone wants to pop in to help or have a chat and a cuppa.

Our coffee morning is on Saturday 2 August between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. and ‘Mindful Moments’ is on Monday 18 August between 6 and 8 p.m. We’re also singing at Parkside on Tuesday 26 August at 2 p.m.

Preparations…

Aug 1, 2025

At our Bible study last night, we looked at 1 Chronicles 22 which deals with David’s preparations for the construction of the temple, something he was not allowed to build but for which he prepared extensively so that his son, Solomon, could complete this task with the help of other leaders and the support of the people.
The chapter reminds us of the importance of legacy (what we pass on to the next generation) and commission (since God HImself was the one who commissioned Solomon to this task), but as someone who spends the majority of her life preparing for events, there was a deep resonance for me in the idea of ‘extensive preparations’ and the need for perseverance in our work.
Preparation is a vital key to success in any sphere, but often it looks (and is) boring and unglamorous. Getting all the materials together to build a temple (including the iron for all the nails for the gateways!) and recruiting all the skilled craftsmen who were going to work on the temple was not something done in a day! I’m in the middle of costing a funding application, and there’s no substitute for the painstaking work of seeking costings and quotes, checking availability and dates. The projects I long to see happen need me to do these vital but very humdrum tasks.
We all know the importance of preparation and practice, but so often we balk at what this entails. Today a group of volunteers will be at church cleaning, fixing and sorting toys for the new academic year. There’s nothing exciting about cleaning carpets or washing toys down… but we need to do this. We seek shortcuts so often in life, but there is no substitute for our hard work and perseverance.
When my son started piano lessons at the age of five, I thought I was going to discover the key to flawless performance. He has perfect pitch; surely that was the key? I did indeed find the key.. but it wasn’t what I expected. Despite his God-given natural talent, he had to learn through patient practice – training through playing scales and finger exercises which allowed his fingers to learn to work independently and flexibly, training through the dissection of musical pieces, little by little, until they could be speeded up and put back together. This is a parable of life. There are no shortcuts to success. Every time we watch or listen to a performance, every time we attend a successful event, we see the tip of the iceberg, but what goes on underneath the visible sea level is the foundation of the success. Nikki buying potatoes, making coleslaw, grating cheese, opening tins of beans, sorting bowls and cutlery… so we could enjoy a family fun day lunch this week. Julie sourcing funding so we could have crafts to do and ice-creams to eat. Actors learning lines and rehearsing together; costumes made and props prepared so we can enjoy a show. Preparation is essential. When 4FrontTheatre are with us, we see a one-hour performance that sparkles and glistens. It’s prefaced by an hour of setting up the set and an hour taking it down, and by hours and hours of rehearsal and manufacture of props beforehand. Most of us never see that behind-the-scenes work.
To persevere in our everyday tasks requires endurance and encouragement. Without endurance, we will simply stop before we achieve our dream. Without encouragement, we’ll give up, because it’s jolly hard work to achieve anything worthwhile at all (not just a grand temple fit for God’s glory!) The good news is that God gives both endurance and encouragement. Read Romans 15 to have your endurance, encouragement, strength and hope renewed… and then, as David told Solomon, begin the work ‘and may the Lord be with you.’ (1 Chron 22:16)