Leaders' Blog

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Our leaders like to keep in touch regularly and this is their blog page to let you know what's on their minds month by month...

Secure In Faith

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In my job as a farmer I spend many days in the year fencing. Sometimes this is with barbed wire, sometimes with an electric fence. The only objective of my fencing is to give me peace of mind. It is simply to ensure I know where my animals are and to ensure that they are all safe and secure.

Recently this act of fencing made me think that if I were to spend time erecting and securing the fence of faith in Jesus Christ into all the fields of my life then I would be secure in him. It would be the ultimate of secure fences.

1 John 5v4 says “For every child of God defeats this evil world and we achieve this victory through our faith”

The list of things that we can worry about in this generation is vast, we have experienced a global pandemic and we are continuing to experience war in Europe and rising prices. During such troubled times, the security of faith in Jesus Christ is like winning the lottery every day but without buying a ticket. For me, faith in Jesus reaches to the depths of all my impossibilities, and I have said to myself countless times throughout this strange, increasingly troubled, and unusual time, “I thank the Lord for my faith”.

The only safe and secure place for me is through my faith in Jesus Christ. I praise God for His careful ring fencing of every aspect of my life. I am safe and secure in Him. Have you erected secure fencing for your soul? If not, perhaps you can start today.

Rich, 12/06/2022

Help for Ukraine

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You may remember early in March, we linked up with Bow Gospel hall, to help with collecting clothes, blankets and toys, for delivery to Moldova, to help families escaping from the war in the Ukraine.

The appeal had been made by the group "Christian Response to Eastern Europe " (CR2EE ). They have been working in the area for over 25 years with an established network of helpers particularly in Moldova., and are well placed to react to this tragic situation, doing what they can to help families arriving with so very little.

So much had been collected that our friends at Bow needed transport to get all that had been collected to the storage and sorting depo at Exmouth. My van was free so on the 28th March, at Bow, we loaded my van, 2 estate cars and a pick-up with all the donations, and drove to Exmouth to meet the team from CR2EE.

It was great to meet them, and hear first-hand of all they are doing and the help they are providing in Moldova. Lorry loads of much needed supplies are being regularly sent, and all the donations which we delivered would soon be sorted and packed on the next load.

They were delighted to know that the collection from our fellowship had amounted to £2,000 and were keen to tell me how important these financial donations are to the whole operation.

So, very many thanks to all of you who contributed both financially and particularly with clothes, blankets, etc. to this really worthwhile appeal.

Pip, 21/05/2022

Morning has broken!

daffodils 800 I hope this finds you well. I am writing this on one of those crisp bright mornings that we have been so blessed with recently. Like many people I delight in the lengthening days and the re-emergence of the brightness and sunshine after what feels like the darkest times and the depths of winter.

On mornings such as these I am reminded of one of my favourite songs, ‘Morning has broken’ by Cat Stevens. “Morning has broken like the first morning, Blackbird has spoken like the first bird”.

As I stepped outside this morning, a blackbird swooped over the garden [‘garden’ is a loose term as I remain a horticultural terrorist], it was chortling as it went and the various wild birds [particularly chaffinches and sparrows], clamoured in the shrubs and bushes as I went to feed them. It made my heart sing.

“Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning, Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning, God's recreation of the new day”

Breathing the cool, fresh air and watching the daffodils dancing along the bank like yellow clad bridesmaids off to a wedding party, [yes, really], I am reminded of so much I can personally be thankful for.

For me, daffodils always herald spring; they also herald my son’s birthday, a poignant reminder of blessing and what I believe to be God’s faithfulness throughout my son’s long-term health condition. I am thankful that he is ‘as fit as flea’ and ‘strong as an Ox’ as the sayings go and I am grateful for God’s presence and ‘recreation of a new day’. I love the rising sun, the colours, the clarity - so much so you may find me dancing like the daffodils too – but not quite so elegantly nor so yellow!

We are still living in dark times, the past two years have tested everyone; we have lost loved ones, faced isolation and loneliness, and have understandably struggled in so many ways. Currently, the bleak winter appears to be continuing with the plight of Ukraine. It is all completely tragic and feels so overwhelming. For me, it would be so easy to lose sight of hope, to allow myself to sink back into the bleakness that the grey days of winter sometimes bring. There are no easy answers. However today, I was able to rest in the moment and drink in the sights, sounds and smells – I could hear the birdsong and feel the morning sun on my face. “Praise for the singing, praise for the morning” indeed. “Praise for them springing fresh from the world”.

Just for a moment, trite as it seems, [and not dismissing all that is happening] I could immerse myself in the beautiful world around me. I could see Exmoor and Dartmoor across the horizon, I could just ‘be’ - mine was the sunlight, mine indeed was the morning.

Today, perhaps you can take a moment too – I invite you to step outside just for a few minutes- longer if you can- to sniff the air, feel the breeze or even feel the rain on your face [yes, we are in Britain after all]; shut your eyes and hear the sounds, smell the smells – even hug a tree, [research shows that hugging trees actually improves our mood and wellbeing!]. If you can take a moment, whatever your circumstances, try to relish the longer, lighter day and hold fast to hope; perhaps find respite “where His feet pass”. Spring is here and as psychologist and author Eleanor Longden states, ‘it may snow in June but the summer always comes’.
Until next time.

Sue, 11/04/2022