Encounter: July 2021

The latest change to the government’s roadmap out of lockdown has changed our plans too.

We are still hoping that July's Encounter Sunday will be our first larger in-person gathering. This will likely look like an outdoor meeting in garden(s).

Everyone’s feelings towards this will be different.

If you are interested in joining us without the magic of the internet, please sign up using the link below, we’d love to see you.

More detailed information, including how we will do this safely, will follow once we can gauge how many people will be gathering.

For those that would still rather not meet in-person, we will look to live-stream the meeting online.

Learning: Caring for God's World

“The Christian message should offer us a lens through which we can view eternity and see the actions and decisions we take today as ripples on the lake of time which will reach the shores of future generations for good or ill.” - Michael Bates

No one knows it all, together we have a better idea. We dedicate time of extended learning together each month as a church. In 2020 we are following Simplicity, Love and Justice by James Odgers.

In the chapter Caring for God’s World we re-committed ourselves to:

  • consider our responsibility as Christians for the created world

  • be aware of the statistics which show how quickly the world is being degraded

  • consider how such statistics change our lifestyle

“I love God and I love His world…”

Watch this video from some members of our community on how they care for God’s world.

Instagram Quiz

Can you get four out of four?

Resources & Ideas

The Earth Shop, a one stop shop for plastic-free and cruelty-free household and beauty products. Founded in Stanford-le-Hope.

www.theearthshopuk.com

Hardie Park Terracycle, eliminating the idea of waste by recycling the non-recylcable, such as: crips packets, pet food pouches and toothpaste tubes.

www.friendsofhardiepark.co.uk

Operation Noah, a Christian charity working with the Church to inspire action on the climate crisis.

www.operationnoah.org

Tearfund, over 50 years' experience of responding to disasters and crises. We serve the most vulnerable people and communities – wherever they are.

www.tearfund.org

Re-Learn: Time - Jani Rubery

“How we use our time is an expression of our values” - Jani Rubery

Right now you probably fit in one of two camps:

  1. Gosh I have never been busier!

  2. I am definitely running out of things to do…

Whichever place you find yourself, we encourage you to reflect on this teaching from Jani Rubery in February 2020. Jani is an executive coach by trade, and has written books and bible study on Time for CWR - find it here. We were grateful to have her return to pose some key questions that we had no idea would be quite as important and timely as they were.

Jani makes reference to the Somerset House exhibition 24/7 and some photos and videos she took there, see them below.