Yesterday the Parent and Toddler group (all 72 of us including older siblings and additional family members) went to Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire as our annual trip. This was a real family effort, as we wanted to make the trip affordable for all – every child over 4 cost the same as an adult, so each entry cost £44 including transport. The group, undaunted by this, have been fund-raising since March and raised a whopping £2,227 through a variety of means. We are grateful for donations towards the trip as well. IN the end, families paid just £10 per person and had a great day out.

The breakdown of income is given below:

There were rides to go on and places to explore:

There were animals to see, including the eponymous flamingos!

Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny came to visit.

There were a lot of ice-creams eaten (and one dropped…)

All in all, it was a lovely day out. Our thanks to Oakleaf coaches for transporting us and to Flamingo Land for a fun day out.

After the dedication service last week, we enjyed a lovely buffet. Our thanks to all who contributed and helped with setting up and tidying away.

Here are some more photos of the dedication service for Melody Turner last Sunday (23 July). Our thanks to Alan for taking these photos and videoing the service.

In our Bible study on Thursday we looked at Revelation 20, a chapter which speaks of the millennium or thousand-year-reign of Christ. This is a controversial and often contentious chapter amongst Biblical scholars, with three main views having arisen as to how we should interpret these verses. Amillennialism (the most popular current views) sees this reign as symbolic and happening now, the period between Christ’as first and second comings;. Post-millennialism believes that Christ will return to earth after this period, believing in a ‘golden age’ when many will come to faith. Premillennialism (the view of the early church fathers and the classic Pentecostal view) takes these verses more literally and believes there will be a literal 1000 year reign after which Christ will judge the earth.

It’s always difficult to be dogmatic about theology, and there is no real way we can be sure that our interpretations of prophecy are correct! What is clear from this chapter, however, is that God is in control and that Satan’s power is limited. Judgment will come, and there will be everlasting torment for Satan and those who have relied on their own deeds for salvation rather than on Christ’s redemptive sacrifice. The books of life are mentioned in this chapter. The Lamb’s book of life has a record of all who have trusted in Jesus (see also Luke 10:20) and we can be confident that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom 8:1) Judgment emanating from God’s white throne will be just and we need not fear the second death (separation from God) if we have trusted in Christ as our Saviour.