Hello and welcome to the Church of St John's Bulwell, Nottingham, England.
Let me tell you a little bit about our church family. My name is David Gray and I am the Vicar.
I never cease to be amazed by the people in our congregation for their
faithfulness, stickability and hope in a God who loves us and continues to
bless us. We worship God through our willingness to serve, by lifestyle,
by witness and generosity, but most of all by our obedience.
Together we are looking at ways in which we can enable each and every
person to play a part in the ministry of our church. Each and every member
from the youngest to the oldest, and the contributions they offer, are
vital and
valued. We are people who are on a journey of faith. Exploring our spirituality
together, we aim to be drawn closer to God so that we may follow His will
and purpose for our lives as individuals and as a congregation.
All of us have one thing in common which is, at one time or another, we
have been told the good news about Christ;
His
birth in a stable in Bethlehem, His death on a cross,
and His resurrection on that first Easter Sunday.
We have heard and responded by believing and accepting Jesus
Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Each one of us has a story to tell of how
we came to Christ and what a difference knowing Jesus has made to our
lives.
I would like to take this
opportunity to encourage anyone who hasn't yet seriously explored the
claims made by Jesus Christ, to do so. There are many ways to find
out. If you are local to us then why not come to one of our services.
(See our home page for details) alternatively, why not go to your
local Christian Church? Have you seen an Alpha poster on your
travels or in the press? Why not take the details from that. Do you
have a friend at work, college or school you could talk to? Friends, don't let anyone discourage you from discovering the truth
about Jesus.
I know from past experience how people can be hurt by unkind words, or
an unfriendly welcome, and how this would cause some people to put up
barriers between themselves and God. We are part of the family
of God who admittedly get things wrong from time to time but don't let
this stand in the way.
Sometimes our friends and family make it difficult for us to explore
Christianity i.e. "What you going there for!?". Don't let others
prevent you from finding out! Likewise, don't allow others to railroad
you into making decisions or promises you are unwilling to keep, just
try to be open to Jesus and allow him to convince you! Ultimately, you
will begin to experience for yourself, a meaningful relationship with
the God who loves you, warts and all!
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and
the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who
knocks, the door will be opened."
You can find this in Matthew's gospel chapter 7 verses 7 and 8.But dear friend he is also the God who loves you just too much to
leave you as you are. Expect God to change you, maybe your priorities, maybe your attitudes,
maybe your addiction, maybe your lifestyle, but definitely your
eternal destination. A different destination guaranteed not by mere
mortals, but by God himself.
Start today. Begin the Journey.