The Parish of Sandal Magna
St. Helen's and St. Paul's Church
Serving Sandal, Walton and Portobello
in Wakefield UK

 

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© Sandal Magna PCC 2009

Vicars Message

Enlarging our Vision

Embedded in the DNA of our church are these 12 words...'the lost are found the found grow and the lonely are enfolded'.

I hope that these words are ingrained in our minds, engraved on our hearts and embodied in our lives, because they represent the core of our mission as a church.

The lost are found remains our number one priority, reflecting the
mission of Jesus Christ 'to seek and to save the lost'. Are we praying for the lost, are we seeking them out, are we celebrating
when they are found?

Although this term we are not running the Alpha Course, let's see this fallow time as an opportunity to pray, seek and celebrate, so that our next Alpha Course will be full to overflowing. In addition, we are introducing into our worship services opportunities for people to share ways in which God is working in and through them to touch others with the love of Christ.

The found grow has been the focus of several initiatives this year, with the various courses we have run:
- Living Free
- Becoming a Contagious Christian
- The Marriage Course

Our growth as disciples remains a vital part of our church life this Autumn as House Groups come back together, and as we invite people to participate in two major new developments, the School of Theology in Sheffield, and the Willowcreek Global Leadership Summit here in Wakefield.

These two initiatives will stretch and challenge us, but even if they are not for you, the responsibility for our spiritual growth is ours, whether it is the decision to read the Bible every day, or belong to a House Group.

The lonely are enfolded. Last but not least, we have a heart for the
lonely. Loneliness is one of the great sadnesses of our society, and as a church we are committed to enfolding the lonely, through our various weekday ministries, including The Spring, our Toddler Groups and our various fellowships that meet regularly. This year we want to make this third element of our Mission, our central focus.

We want to make sure that everyone in our church fellowship is enfolded and particularly those who are most vulnerable, the ill and the elderly. We also want to make sure that those outside our fellowship, find us to be a welcoming community that enfolds people with love and hospitality, the moment they make contact with us.

Again we have wonderful places of enfolding called The Spring and the
Rainbow Cafe, and a wonderful place of welcome in the Barnabas and
Emmaus Rooms and the Portobello Community Centre. But the heart of enfolding others, lies in our heart, and the heart of Jesus Christ who longed to enfold others, as a shepherd enfolds his sheep, or in
that vivid image:'as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings', Luke 13:34.

Enfolding is something we can all do, so let's really pray about who God is calling us to look out for, spend time with and gently and lovingly enfold. Connecting the three strands of our mission together is the presence of Jesus Christ. Jesus who said 'The Kingdom of God is now',is the present continuous tense, so that the lost are being found the found are growing and the lonely are being enfolded He is the source of life in us through the Holy Spirit, energising us to love and serve in ways that stretch and challenge us.

I'm really excited about this next season in the life of the church in Sandal,Walton and Portobello. I hope you are too.

Yours in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rupert Martin
Vicar of Sandal Magna