Kids Alive returned for its new term with a very exciting posh party. Posh Food was enjoyed around posh tables (sausages and chips and beans!!!!!), and loads of posh games were enjoyed as well. What was really great was that everyone was back.....with some friends with them as well. 
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Friday, 10 September 2010
REPORT FROM SUMMER SCHOOL
A few weeks ago Faith, Mini and myself attended the London South East Summer School from the 7th to the 14th of August. Each year it’s held at Vinehall Boarding School in Hastings. It’s attended by young people between the ages of 13 to 25 from various Salvation Army churches in the division.
This year we had new directors for summer school with Nicola Brooksbank the Corps officer from Crawley being one of them. Working with a team of staff they put up a programme of activities for the week, which enabled us to have great fun. Each day we got together for morning gathering where we heard news for the day and spent some time in fellowship led by a worship band. Following on this we had cell group meetings made up of young people of the same age. In the cell groups we looked at the theme for summer school which was ‘The Event’. To help us get a better understanding of what this theme meant. Throughout the week we studied the gospel of Mark, focusing on some of the significant encounters that Jesus had leading to the event his crucifixion and resurrection. Later in the day we got together again in our cell groups with two members of staff to talk through questions, thoughts and reflect on the theme of the day. The most important lesson we learnt from this was that Jesus Christ overcame the power of death through his resurrection from the tomb. He proved that there is no power that can overcome him, that he has the authority to forgive the sins of people, and that he is the one and only Son of God.
The three of us did the same specialism’s this year playing in the brass band and singing in the gospel choir. The other specialism’s included leadership, sport, media and alternative worship. We spent an hour and & half each on our two chosen specialism learning new pieces of music in preparation for final celebration. In the band we learnt how to march whilst playing for the first time which was not easy but enjoyable. In the evening we had pm gathering where we relaxed and enjoyed different activities each night. We had a quiz, talent night, silent disco, barbeque night, and heard from a guest speaker. Although with such a busy schedule we still had some free time for fun and games if we wanted to take part. We did manage to take part in a dodge ball and ultimate frisbee tournament which was great fun. On the last day of summer school we had a final celebration. This was a great chance to for family and friends to see what was going out throughout the week. We do look forward to going there next year. Thank you for listening.
This year we had new directors for summer school with Nicola Brooksbank the Corps officer from Crawley being one of them. Working with a team of staff they put up a programme of activities for the week, which enabled us to have great fun. Each day we got together for morning gathering where we heard news for the day and spent some time in fellowship led by a worship band. Following on this we had cell group meetings made up of young people of the same age. In the cell groups we looked at the theme for summer school which was ‘The Event’. To help us get a better understanding of what this theme meant. Throughout the week we studied the gospel of Mark, focusing on some of the significant encounters that Jesus had leading to the event his crucifixion and resurrection. Later in the day we got together again in our cell groups with two members of staff to talk through questions, thoughts and reflect on the theme of the day. The most important lesson we learnt from this was that Jesus Christ overcame the power of death through his resurrection from the tomb. He proved that there is no power that can overcome him, that he has the authority to forgive the sins of people, and that he is the one and only Son of God.
The three of us did the same specialism’s this year playing in the brass band and singing in the gospel choir. The other specialism’s included leadership, sport, media and alternative worship. We spent an hour and & half each on our two chosen specialism learning new pieces of music in preparation for final celebration. In the band we learnt how to march whilst playing for the first time which was not easy but enjoyable. In the evening we had pm gathering where we relaxed and enjoyed different activities each night. We had a quiz, talent night, silent disco, barbeque night, and heard from a guest speaker. Although with such a busy schedule we still had some free time for fun and games if we wanted to take part. We did manage to take part in a dodge ball and ultimate frisbee tournament which was great fun. On the last day of summer school we had a final celebration. This was a great chance to for family and friends to see what was going out throughout the week. We do look forward to going there next year. Thank you for listening.
This past Sunday we were thrilled to welcome Shirley Gardner as an adherent-member of The Salvation Army, and a member of our church. We feature here the words she shared with us in her testimony:-
I want start by telling you a bit of family history this morning. When my grandfather was a young man, over a hundred years ago, he was at work, hoeing turnips, in the middle of a field one day, when he heard the voice of God, telling him he was going the wrong way, and knew that he had to change his life. At the time, he was a drinker, he used to drink very heavily, so he signed the pledge, became teetotal, and became a Methodist lay preacher. Soon afterwards he met and married my grandmother, and for most of their lives they were caretakers of the Methodist chapel in their village in Dorset.
Now, being married to my grandmother wasn't easy. Although she was a good Christian woman, she had a very volatile temper. Once, early in their marriage, when she was in full eruption (she was only 4 feet 10 inches tall and my grandfather was over 6 feet) my grandfather, at a loss to know what to do with all this drama, picked her up and threatened to stuff her up the chimney. She begged him not to, and he relented. He always said he would probably have had a much easier life if he had followed through on that threat – but he didn't, he was much too nice a man to do that. He was one of my favourite people, and I can remember him telling me stories about the Old Testament prophets and about Jesus. My father was their only child.
My other grandparents were in the Salvation Army. My mother was the youngest of their 5 children, and in 1923 at the age of 18 she left her home in Dorset to become an Officer. She served on Salisbury Plain and in Mare Street Hackney, as a young Lieutenant. When she was 21 her father died, sadly, and she asked to be posted nearer to home to support her mother, but the Army posted her to the north of England, so she stopped being an Officer and she too did some work as a Methodist lay preacher. She brought Jenny and me up to say our prayers and to be Christians. She was always singing hymns and choruses around the house, and when we sing many of the old hymns here I hear her voice.
While I was growing up I always said my prayers at night, and sometimes during the day as well – depending how the day was going.
When I was 11, Jenny started going to the Salvation Army where we were living, and I went with her. I went out to the Mercy Seat at the age of 13, and I'll always remember that as a significant point in my spiritual life. Then when we moved house – from Goucestershire to Dorset – we both carried on going to the Army, to a new Corps, and I was even a Corps Cadet for a while. I can remember that the Corps Cadets did the meeting one Sunday morning and for some reason I got to do the address. I had to write something about the woman with the alabaster box of perfume who washed Jesus' feet – I was very, very nervous. I stopped going to the Army when I started working hard for exams at school. Since then I have always considered myself a Christian, but not attended Church with any regularity. I believed, but didn't do anything about it – working seemed to take up most of my time.
When I turned up here in Horsham it was with Jenny and Mel – by that time work had finished with me, I was looking for a church to go to, they had moved here and were thinking about transferring from Sutton. I started singing with the Singing Group, so that meant that I was singing with my sister, which I enjoyed.
You might have noticed a theme emerging here. What I've been rambling on about up to this point is that my religion has always been rooted in family, I've believed because I was brought up that way, and followed what my family did, and it's only in recent years that I thought that I should really start taking some initiative where my religious life was concerned. A few years ago, when I started asking difficult questions, two members of the family said 'You ought to go on an Alpha course', so I did. Anyway, to cut the rambling short, the time came when I realised that the Salvation Army in Horsham is my church. I've known for quite a while that I would become a member, but I was waiting until I was perfect before I did so.
Then I realised that it could be a very long wait, so I'm sorry to have to tell you that I'm not perfect yet. I still do things I shouldn't do, and I still don't do all the things I should do, but I'm human, and I'm trying harder all the time, and with God's help I'll be a better human being as time passes, and I'll get better at listening to Him and working out what He wants me to do, and trying to do it. That's all I've got to say, so thank you for listening to me this morning, God bless.
Shirley Gardner
I want start by telling you a bit of family history this morning. When my grandfather was a young man, over a hundred years ago, he was at work, hoeing turnips, in the middle of a field one day, when he heard the voice of God, telling him he was going the wrong way, and knew that he had to change his life. At the time, he was a drinker, he used to drink very heavily, so he signed the pledge, became teetotal, and became a Methodist lay preacher. Soon afterwards he met and married my grandmother, and for most of their lives they were caretakers of the Methodist chapel in their village in Dorset.
Now, being married to my grandmother wasn't easy. Although she was a good Christian woman, she had a very volatile temper. Once, early in their marriage, when she was in full eruption (she was only 4 feet 10 inches tall and my grandfather was over 6 feet) my grandfather, at a loss to know what to do with all this drama, picked her up and threatened to stuff her up the chimney. She begged him not to, and he relented. He always said he would probably have had a much easier life if he had followed through on that threat – but he didn't, he was much too nice a man to do that. He was one of my favourite people, and I can remember him telling me stories about the Old Testament prophets and about Jesus. My father was their only child.
My other grandparents were in the Salvation Army. My mother was the youngest of their 5 children, and in 1923 at the age of 18 she left her home in Dorset to become an Officer. She served on Salisbury Plain and in Mare Street Hackney, as a young Lieutenant. When she was 21 her father died, sadly, and she asked to be posted nearer to home to support her mother, but the Army posted her to the north of England, so she stopped being an Officer and she too did some work as a Methodist lay preacher. She brought Jenny and me up to say our prayers and to be Christians. She was always singing hymns and choruses around the house, and when we sing many of the old hymns here I hear her voice.
While I was growing up I always said my prayers at night, and sometimes during the day as well – depending how the day was going.
When I was 11, Jenny started going to the Salvation Army where we were living, and I went with her. I went out to the Mercy Seat at the age of 13, and I'll always remember that as a significant point in my spiritual life. Then when we moved house – from Goucestershire to Dorset – we both carried on going to the Army, to a new Corps, and I was even a Corps Cadet for a while. I can remember that the Corps Cadets did the meeting one Sunday morning and for some reason I got to do the address. I had to write something about the woman with the alabaster box of perfume who washed Jesus' feet – I was very, very nervous. I stopped going to the Army when I started working hard for exams at school. Since then I have always considered myself a Christian, but not attended Church with any regularity. I believed, but didn't do anything about it – working seemed to take up most of my time.
When I turned up here in Horsham it was with Jenny and Mel – by that time work had finished with me, I was looking for a church to go to, they had moved here and were thinking about transferring from Sutton. I started singing with the Singing Group, so that meant that I was singing with my sister, which I enjoyed.
You might have noticed a theme emerging here. What I've been rambling on about up to this point is that my religion has always been rooted in family, I've believed because I was brought up that way, and followed what my family did, and it's only in recent years that I thought that I should really start taking some initiative where my religious life was concerned. A few years ago, when I started asking difficult questions, two members of the family said 'You ought to go on an Alpha course', so I did. Anyway, to cut the rambling short, the time came when I realised that the Salvation Army in Horsham is my church. I've known for quite a while that I would become a member, but I was waiting until I was perfect before I did so.
Then I realised that it could be a very long wait, so I'm sorry to have to tell you that I'm not perfect yet. I still do things I shouldn't do, and I still don't do all the things I should do, but I'm human, and I'm trying harder all the time, and with God's help I'll be a better human being as time passes, and I'll get better at listening to Him and working out what He wants me to do, and trying to do it. That's all I've got to say, so thank you for listening to me this morning, God bless.
Shirley Gardner
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
CORPS COUNCIL
The final meeting of the corps council in its current format was held on Tuesday. A new look, revamped, focus group type council will now meet in the future. More information will follow.
TOGETHER - SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER
Henry Olonga was our guest speaker at TOGETHER, which attracted about 100 people. Henry spoke a little of his story, but also encouraged others to experience Jesus as their story. Henry shared some songs along the way, and refreshments were also enjoyed throughout the night. The church members were really encouraged that so many came and supported. Pictured here with Henry is Adam and Grace Woodgate.
SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER
Captain Ian led our morning meeting, focussing on the theme JUST AS I AM, I COME. Despite many being on holiday the hall was near full. Songs today included:- I stand amazed in the Presence; Your love is amazing; Alleluia; Can you wonder?; My Jesus, My Saviour; Just as I am, I come; Now I belong to Jesus. The singing group contributed 'Divine Right' to the meeting. During the celebration, Captain Ian welcomed Shirley Gardner as a church member. Pictures will follow later in the week. The Sunday Challenge was an x factor special, reminding us of the importance of allowing us to be who we are, and not standing in judgement of others. Following the address, two people knelt in prayer at the mercy seat.
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