2nd September 2018. Learning from Learners: Naomi, Learning through hardship. Start off with feedback from Sunday's message. What did those that were there - or those that have caught up online - take away from it? What encouraged them, what informed them and what challenged them? Spend some time discussing the response to the message and the issues that it raised. Download Discussion notes
September 2nd. Centre Church: Worship Centre: (Matthew 4:10, John 4:23,Romans 12:1) This September we are reflecting on our call and purpose. What is Woodlands Church called to be? We are a local Church, but also a gathered Church and part of a city movement. It can be challenging to relate to a large Church and feel our place in it; a clarity of vision and purpose can help us. Download Discussion notes
2nd September 2018. Learning from Learners: Naomi, Learning through hardship. Start off with feedback from Sunday's message. What did those that were there - or those that have caught up online - take away from it? What encouraged them, what informed them and what challenged them? Spend some time discussing the response to the message and the issues that it raised. Download Discussion notes
September 2nd. Centre Church: Worship Centre: (Matthew 4:10, John 4:23,Romans 12:1) This September we are reflecting on our call and purpose. What is Woodlands Church called to be? We are a local Church, but also a gathered Church and part of a city movement. It can be challenging to relate to a large Church and feel our place in it; a clarity of vision and purpose can help us. Download Discussion notes
Prayer is lots of things! It's asking, it's listening, it's crying out to God about the things we are overwhelmed by, it's hard work at times and then sometimes it's exhilarating and time flies whilst we pray and we wonder why we don't do it more!
Jesus prayed, he taught his disciples to pray, "When you pray....." (Matt 6:6) and assumes prayer will be part of the rhythm of our lives as we follow Him.
So, why have a week of 24-7 Prayer at Woodies? Well, 'Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.' Ps 127:1. Dave loves this verse, it's a real bedrock to life at Woodies and it sums up why we pray. We need God to build our church and we want to keep in step with his Holy Spirit while we're joining in.
Prayer Week is us saying to God in a corporate way at the beginning of a busy term, "We need you, we have plans and dreams for Woodies and the city but we want to seek your perspective and power first and foremost." There are 3 opportunities to join in, could you choose 1?
1. Sign up for a 1 hour slot in our 24/7 Prayer Room via this link; we have 168 hours to fill! The Prayer room is themed around our Vision of helping people FIND Jesus, LOVE one another, then FOLLOW Jesus and SERVE the city. There will be lots of ways to pray for our church and also space to be quiet in God's presence and enjoy His company.
2. Find an hour to pray through the '1 hour of Prayer Guide.' Take it on a walk or use it during your commute to work/Uni/School or find a quiet spot in your home. Try dividing it into 3 sections if it helps. If you've never prayed in this way before, we'd love you to try it.
3. Come along to early morning prayer watch on Tues 18th Sept at 7.15-8.15 am in the Foyer. There will be fresh coffee and pastries, worship and prayer.
The prayers said this week will change situations and usher in God's kingdom in new ways, lets expect our faith to increase as we focus on our amazing God and his incredible power. And lets allow ourselves to be changed as we spend time with Jesus and welcome his Holy Spirit to revive us, our church and city.
Have a great 24-7 prayer week, find a way to join in and lets pray!
Love Rachel x
"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance. It is laying hold of his willingness." Martin Luther.
p.s. Download the Woodies hour of Prayer.docx here
26th August 2018. Our Expectations (Jeremiah 29:4-14)
26th August 2018 Growth in the Desert: Finding God's affirmation when I make comparisons (Psalm 73/37)
26th August 2018. Our Expectations (Jeremiah 29:4-14)
26th August 2018 Growth in the Desert: Finding God's affirmation when I make comparisons (Psalm 73/37)
26th August 2018 Growth in the Desert: Finding God's affirmation when I make comparisons (Psalm 73/37)
To help us communicate with you better, we would like to gather some basic information on how people stay in touch with news, events, etc. This short survey should take 2-3 mins.
Survey Link will open a browser window
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MRHJR5C
Over the years, a few people at Woodlands have explored adoption. This is an excerpt from one couple’s journey towards adoption.
We didn’t plan for adoption. We longed to be parents. After a series of fertility investigations, heart break, and a ridiculous amount of prayer - God lead us down this route.
The moment we stepped into our local adoption agency, we saw the love-ruined faces of social workers and adoptive parents. We heard their stories, their realism, and their advocacy for these precious kids, took a deep breath and started to imagine it for ourselves.
Adoption is a beautiful reflection of our own adoption into God’s family; an all-encompassing response to a social injustice. It’s choosing to believe that what God says over the lives of these children counts. It’s embracing a new picture of family which is sometimes messy, but one that breaks the mould.
Not everyone adopts, but how can the church rally around those families who are muddling their way through the process and challenges of adoptive family life?
Adoptive parents take in a child who has been through significant trauma; maybe removal from birth parents, exposure to prenatal drugs or alcohol, physical, emotional, sexual abuse or extreme neglect. These wounds run deep. Kids are left with a sub-conscious memory and neurological wiring which can have a detrimental impact on their development and ability to relate.
And yes, God’s healing is in it, but this isn’t always instant. Adoption can be a life-long, day by day, painful yet hopeful, ‘hanging-in-there’ journey.
Here are some practical and emotional ways you can support the families, as well as some things to consider:
• When a family first adopts - they will go into hibernation/‘lock down’ mode. They are not ignoring you, but just need to work at building an attachment by letting the children know who Mum and Dad are. They will resurface eventually but in the early days, prayer and chocolate apparently goes down well!
• Coming along to church services in the early days may be overwhelming - give the family space. Don’t be offended if they won’t freely give their babies over for cuddles. If their children are older, they can be very charming and overly affectionate. This isn’t always coming from a healthy place, so try to point them back to mum and dad.
• Don’t ask about the children’s past. Their stories belong to them and their adoptive parents will tell the appropriate people the appropriate stuff.
• Try to have empathy and grace for the kids. Sometimes (but not always) ’bad behaviour’ may be their trauma bubbling up.
• Taking and uploading pictures of the children on social media could put them and their adoptive parents at risk. It would be better to ask the parents first.
• Take an interest in what parents have learned around their adopted kids, listen without judgement or read a book about it. ’No Matter What’ by Sally Donovan gives an honest account of the joys and hardships of bringing up adopted kids.
When we told people we were adopting, there were broadly three responses. The first was fearful - ‘taking on kids with such baggage will destroy you, don’t do it!!’ The second was romantic - ‘how wonderful that you want kids who need parents. You can crack on and live a wonderful life together!’
And the last (and most helpful) was deeply encouraging - a sense of getting that this was one of the biggest, hardest, bittersweet decisions of our lives, but believing God was in it, they would stand alongside us, listen to us, pray for us, and back our dream to build a family which by the grace of Jesus would speak volumes to the world about our God’s redemptive love.
19th August 2018, Open Theme: Becoming Fully Human (2 Peter 1)
19th August 2018, Growth in the Desert: Finding God's forgiveness when I've sinned (Psalm 51)
19th August 2018, Open Theme: Becoming Fully Human - Tim Dobson (2 Peter 1)
19th August 2018, Growth in the Desert: Finding God's forgiveness when I've sinned (Psalm 51)
Sunday, 12th August 2018 Why Follow Jesus (Matthew 4)
Growth in the Desert: Finding God's victory (Psalm 74)
Sunday, 12th August 2018 Why Follow Jesus(Matthew 4)
Growth in the Desert: Finding God's victory (Psalm 74)
Woodlands Church Belgrave Road, Bristol BS8 2AA
