Woodies Kids | Love (Fruits of the Spirit week 1)

Welcome to the Woodies Kids blog

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This week we are thinking about…

Fruits of the Spirit: LOVE

Do you know what the ‘Fruits of the Spirit’ are? You can read about them in Galatians 5:22-23.

These fruits aren’t actual fruit, they are ways of acting or being that is pleasing to God. When we spend time with God by praying and reading the bible the Holy Spirit helps grow these fruits within us.

TIME TO THINK

How can you show love to someone this week? Perhaps there’s someone you’ve not seen in a long time, could you write them a letter. Can you help your parents out with a job or be extra kind to your brother or sister.

There are many ways we can show love to people, did you know Jesus even said to love people who are unkind to us. That is pretty difficult sometimes. Maybe you could think about someone who you find tricky to love, could you ask God to show you ways you can be nice to them!?

Join Ruth and Lydia this week for a fun-packed episode. We chat to Claire about how we can grow our love

Dear God,

Sometimes I find it hard to love people if they have been unkind to me. Help me to show them how much you love them by my actions

Amen

Fruitfulness: Pruning | Rachel Riddall at 7pm | 12 July 2020

12 July 2020 - 7pm Service

Fruitfulness

We're continuing our FRUITFULNESS series during July. Joe and Hannah will be hosting tonight and Colse and the Woodlands band are leading worship. Rachel Riddall, one of our pastors, will be sharing a special message this evening on pruning from John 15.

STUDY NOTES

Introduction 
Here are some questions you might want to reflect on about 'fruitfulness' - read John 15:2.

A gardener prunes a tree or a bush to enable it to be fruitful, not to waste nutrients and growth in producing leggy stems or branches. Fruitfulness, not size is the goal. Pruning looks like a painful process- equivalent perhaps to 'discipline' in Hebrews 12: 11, a discipline that feels unpleasant at the time but produces a 'harvest' (fruitfulness). What elements of pruning might we be experiencing individually and corporately?

1. Pruning helps us prioritise; the vital over the urgent or extraneous. In your life where is the 'urgent' getting in the way of the 'vital'?

2. Pruning simplifies where life gets over complex. What could you helpfully simplify in your life?

3. Pruning humbles, where we have grown over-confident in size rather than fruitfulness. What has this season helpfully challenged for us as a Church as well as individually?

4. Pruning leads to growth. (In church life it energises and gives capacity for people). What do you have renewed appetite for right now?

Fruitfulness: Pruning | Clare Thompson at 11am | 12 July 2020

12 July 2020 - 11am Service

Fruitfulness

Today we are looking at FRUITFULNESS and John 15 with a message about pruning from pastor Clare Thompson. Tim and Izzy are hosting and we've got some special worship from April, Colse, Jo and our Woodlands worship team. It's Global Partners Sunday and we'll be taking our monthly offering, so Tim caught up with Dennis & Charmian in Peru and Joy leads our prayers for the world.

Remember, our new 7pm service is being live-streamed from Woodies tonight! So do be sure to tune in later...Rachel Riddall will also be preaching on the topic of pruning.

STUDY NOTES

Introduction 
Here are some questions you might want to reflect on about 'fruitfulness' - read John 15:2.

A gardener prunes a tree or a bush to enable it to be fruitful, not to waste nutrients and growth in producing leggy stems or branches. Fruitfulness, not size is the goal. Pruning looks like a painful process- equivalent perhaps to 'discipline' in Hebrews 12: 11, a discipline that feels unpleasant at the time but produces a 'harvest' (fruitfulness). What elements of pruning might we be experiencing individually and corporately?

1. Pruning helps us prioritise; the vital over the urgent or extraneous. In your life where is the 'urgent' getting in the way of the 'vital'?

2. Pruning simplifies where life gets over complex. What could you helpfully simplify in your life?

3. Pruning humbles, where we have grown over-confident in size rather than fruitfulness. What has this season helpfully challenged for us as a Church as well as individually?

4. Pruning leads to growth. (In church life it energises and gives capacity for people). What do you have renewed appetite for right now?

Hands at Work Danceathon Raises £1k

Our Woodies Kids team recently organised a Zoom Danceathon for Hands at Work in Africa, one of the charities that we partner with as a congregation.

Hands at Work in Africa is providing frontline support in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic and are seeing increased need in the communities they serve.

We are excited to announce that over £1,000 has been raised, but could we as a Church give more?

There's still time to make a donation to support this amazing charity:

• Visit the Danceathon's JustGiving page to take part.

Woodies Kids | Hope

Welcome to the Woodies Kids blog.

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This week we are thinking about…

Hope

Hope is a confident belief and expectation in the truths and promises of God.

Let's think about some of the promises of God:

• God loves you no matter what you have done

• God is always with us so we don't need to be afraid

• God will give us strength

• God will provide for us

• God has gifts for us, these are also called the fruits of the spirit

• God has planned our future

• God listens to us

• God is good

• God sent His son Jesus to earth, He died on a cross so that someday we can be in heaven with God

• God knew you before you were even born and thinks you are perfect!

TIME TO THINK

Isn't it amazing that even though our minds cannot grasp all the things that God is he cares so much about us! The bible says he even knows how many hairs are on your head (Matthew 10:30) and he loved you before you were even born (Psalm 139).

Sometimes in life things can seem hard, when we feel sad or something bad happens sometimes it feels like it will go on forever. Remember God has promised to be with you so whatever you are going through whether it is a happy time or a sad time God is right there.

Take a moment to pray and ask God to remind you that no matter what, he is always with you.

Dear God,

Sometimes I feel sad, afraid of nervous.

Please help me to feel that you are with me, help me to know your love.

Amen

Fruitfulness | Hannah Mitchell at 7pm | 5 July 2020

5 July 2020 - 7pm Service

Fruitfulness

This evening we re-launched THE SEVEN PM service, which will be live-streamed from Woodies each Sunday evening and feature heartfelt worship and complimentary messages to build on the preaching series. For July, we’re looking at FRUITFULNESS and John 15. April and Matt are hosting, worship is with Mark and our Woodlands team, Dave popped to introduce the series and Hannah shared a special message with us. You can go deeper with this topic using the study notes below.

STUDY NOTES

Introduction 
God created human beings to be fruitful. His first words to humans in Genesis are 'Be fruitful and multiply'. Jesus says to his disciples in John 15, 'I chose you and appointed you to bear fruit'.

A basic human need is to feel fruitful, useful and productive. Here are some questions to think about…

1. How would you define fruitfulness? What specifically makes a Christian 'fruitful' in the eyes of God do you think?

2. Dave Mitchell talks about fruitful 'both ands'. There is fruitfulness around activity and 'multiplication' There is fruitfulness in 'becoming', in personal growth, the fruit of the Spirit. There is fruitfulness as an individual, and fruitfulness as a community.

3. How does your personal fruitfulness contribute to the fruitfulness of the whole Church community? In what ways has being part of a community in midweek group or wider Church helped you to be fruitful?

4. Which of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 have you seen growing in your spiritual journey? Which might need some spiritual 'gardening' to help their growth?

5. What does it mean for us to 'reproduce the life of Jesus'?

6. How has our personal and corporate fruitfulness been affected by Covid-19?

7. How do different seasons of life enable us to be fruitful? What season are you in now and how has your capacity for fruitfulness changed?

Fruitfulness | David Mitchell at 11am | 5 July 2020

5 July 2020 - 11am Service

Fruitfulness

Today we begin our new preaching series for July, looking at FRUITFULNESS and John 15 with a message from Dave Mitchell, our senior pastor. Mel and Rachel are hosting and we've got LIVE worship recorded at church from April and our Woodlands worship team. Hannah got to catch up with Azeem, our caretaker and Ella leads our prayers.

STUDY NOTES

Introduction 
God created human beings to be fruitful. His first words to humans in Genesis are 'Be fruitful and multiply'. Jesus says to his disciples in John 15, 'I chose you and appointed you to bear fruit'.

A basic human need is to feel fruitful, useful and productive. Here are some questions to think about…

1. How would you define fruitfulness? What specifically makes a Christian 'fruitful' in the eyes of God do you think?

2. Dave Mitchell talks about fruitful 'both ands'. There is fruitfulness around activity and 'multiplication' There is fruitfulness in 'becoming', in personal growth, the fruit of the Spirit. There is fruitfulness as an individual, and fruitfulness as a community.

3. How does your personal fruitfulness contribute to the fruitfulness of the whole Church community? In what ways has being part of a community in midweek group or wider Church helped you to be fruitful?

4. Which of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 have you seen growing in your spiritual journey? Which might need some spiritual 'gardening' to help their growth?

5. What does it mean for us to 'reproduce the life of Jesus'?

6. How has our personal and corporate fruitfulness been affected by Covid-19?

7. How do different seasons of life enable us to be fruitful? What season are you in now and how has your capacity for fruitfulness changed?

Relaunching The Seven PM in July

Woodlands Church is super excited to announce we are relaunching The Seven PM service online, starting on 5 July...and you guessed it, at 7pm!

You can expect welcoming hosts, heartfelt worship, and a message that will help us become more like Jesus.

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, Facebook or Instagram for regular updates!

Living Inside Out: Hope | Tim Dobson | 28 June 2020

28 June 2020 - 11am Service

Living Inside Out | Hope

Welcome to Woodlands Church Online - today is all about hope! Nigel is hosting this morning and this service will include worship led by Mark and April with our Woodlands worship team and some creative spoken word about hope. Tim will sharing a message with us as part of our series 'Living Inside Out' on being hopeful looking at Romans 8:23 and Allan Macleod shares about his role in the city office with Bristol being a City of Hope.

STUDY NOTES

Introduction 
Lock-down and Covid-19 has certainly made us think about cleanliness and hygiene. I've never washed my hands as much in my life! Jesus teaches in Mark 7 that holiness is an inner thing. What is our spiritual hygiene like in a time of Covid?

1. The Old Testament had lots of laws about cleanliness and hygiene, food laws etc. The people of God were learning to be Holy, which means to be 'set apart'. What is the difference between 'ritual' holiness and 'moral' holiness?

2. Do we get confused like the people of Jesus's day between outward appearances and behaviour, and inner purity? If so in what ways? How can we tell what's going on on the inside with people we may feel judgemental of?

3. How do we keep clean hearts? The Psalmist prays 'Create in me a clean heart O Lord'? How does God clean us up?

4. In physical hygiene terms we try to prevent dirt and 'foreign bodies' entering us through wounds or orifices by good hygiene. How can we stop spiritual pollution through anger, bitterness, lust, anxiety etc entering in?

5. How much is the practice of 'keeping short accounts' forgiving and seeking forgiveness part of our discipleship? How does Holy Communion help us activate forgiveness? Do we need to be forgiven or to forgive?

6. Has lock-down caused you to become angry or hurt by someone? Has isolation made you more vulnerable to allowing poor spiritual hygiene in your life?

Practice
In Matthew 6: 12-15 Jesus teaches us to forgive so we can be forgiven. Are you able to identify precisely where you might need forgiveness, or need to forgive someone? Could you this week make an inventory of such things and in secret practice asking forgiveness for anything God shows you and forgiving others.

Fruitfulness

In July, we’re starting a new preaching series on Fruitfulness - a major theme of scripture. In John 15:16, Jesus says to the disciples: ‘I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last.’

This series will look at helping us better understand our call to be fruitful, how our God ‘the gardener’ tends His vine to make it fruitful and how we can make sense of the season we are in.

Our sermons in this series will look at these topics at both the 11am service and the new 7pm online service…

• Fruitfulness - 5 July

• Pruning - 12 July

• Abiding - 19 July

• Planting - 26 July

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TALKS ON FRUITFULNESS

Living Inside Out: Clean | David Mitchell | 21 June 2020

21 June 2020 - 11am Service

Living Inside Out | Clean

Rachel is hosting this service from the Foyer and it will include worship led by Nigel Savage with our Woodlands worship team, plus Dave will sharing a message with us as part of our series 'Living Inside Out' on being 'Clean' and leading us in communion (so do have bread and wine/juice ready). Tim catches up with Carmen Carrol, from the Keyboard Trust about unity in diversity. Plus it's Father's Day! So Clare got back in touch with Andy & Jo, who we heard from a few months back about becoming emergency foster carers, as they have just recently been able to welcome a young boy into their family.

STUDY NOTES

Introduction 
Lock-down and Covid-19 has certainly made us think about cleanliness and hygiene. I've never washed my hands as much in my life! Jesus teaches in Mark 7 that holiness is an inner thing. What is our spiritual hygiene like in a time of Covid?

1. The Old Testament had lots of laws about cleanliness and hygiene, food laws etc. The people of God were learning to be Holy, which means to be 'set apart'. What is the difference between 'ritual' holiness and 'moral' holiness?

2. Do we get confused like the people of Jesus's day between outward appearances and behaviour, and inner purity? If so in what ways? How can we tell what's going on on the inside with people we may feel judgemental of?

3. How do we keep clean hearts? The Psalmist prays 'Create in me a clean heart O Lord'? How does God clean us up?

4. In physical hygiene terms we try to prevent dirt and 'foreign bodies' entering us through wounds or orifices by good hygiene. How can we stop spiritual pollution through anger, bitterness, lust, anxiety etc entering in?

5. How much is the practice of 'keeping short accounts' forgiving and seeking forgiveness part of our discipleship? How does Holy Communion help us activate forgiveness? Do we need to be forgiven or to forgive?

6. Has lock-down caused you to become angry or hurt by someone? Has isolation made you more vulnerable to allowing poor spiritual hygiene in your life?

Practice
In Matthew 6: 12-15 Jesus teaches us to forgive so we can be forgiven. Are you able to identify precisely where you might need forgiveness, or need to forgive someone? Could you this week make an inventory of such things and in secret practice asking forgiveness for anything God shows you and forgiving others.

Anti-Racism: How can I pray and what can I do?

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Racism isn’t an exclusively American problem. Racism is alive in the UK and here in Bristol and in the Church. Racism is a sin, and as such all Christians everywhere are duty bound to stand, be counted and fight against it. Silence on the matter is complicity.

In response to the recent death of George Floyd, and in the light of the problems we have with racism here in Bristol, Tim Dobson, one of our pastors at Woodlands, wanted to share a few thoughts to help us pray and share some resources to help us learn to listen, learn and respond in a sensitive and meaningful way.

Watch our video with Tim from early June:

In addition, Hannah Mitchell also made a very helpful devotional on her feelings this week with the Black Lives Matter movement gaining momentum and how we might be able to take action. Watch Hannah’s video here:

Our young people at church have also been discussing racism this week. Check out what they’ve been up to by looking @devoyouth on Instagram. Thanks to our youth pastor Joe Cook for getting the conversation going and Abi Ndosi for being so willing and open to share her experiences. Watch the video interview.

Also at Woodlands Metro on 7 June, the team set aside time in the service to listen to black members of the Church as they shared their experiences of racism, their prayers, thoughts and reflections on how we can be a part of standing against this evil. Watch Metro vs Racism below:

Our Woodies Young Adults also had an Instagram Live session called Let’s talk about racism on 7 June, you can watch it online here:

For our 21 June service, pastor Tim Dobson got to catch up with Carmen Carrol, who works for The Keyboard Trust in Bristol, an organisation that aims to build unity between black and white led churches to help transform society. It was great to hear about what she's been doing in her role and what we can do to combat racism and to have her pray for unity.

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ANTI-RACISM RESOURCES

There is a wealth of content online about anti-racism which can be useful to watch, read, study and listen to when thinking about how you can become more thoughtful, aware and educated. Here are just a few links to resources that you might find helpful. Let’s all seek to listen, learn, pray and act in ways that will change the world for good. Please share any links you think are helpful with us on social media.

CAMPAIGNS & MOVEMENTS:

• Black Lives Matter

• European Network Against Racism website

• The Keyboard Trust Bristol (Networker Carmen Carrol is a Woodies member)
  

ONLINE CONTENT:

• Article: How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change - Barack Obama

• Summary List: Detailed List of Anti-Racism Resources - Medium.com

• VIdeo: Why are people racist? Historian Onyeka Nubia film on the BBC

• Article: What it’s like to be an African in the US - BBC

• Article: George Floyd: How are African-Americans treated under the law? - BBC
  

BIBLE STUDY RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY FOR CHRISTIANS

• Overcoming" with Letitia Wright

• "The Power of Unity" from Tony Evans

• "Be the Bridge" from Latasha Morrison

• "Cultivating a Heart of Mercy" from Dr. Bernice A. King

ONLINE RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY FOR CHRISTIANS

• Video: Reggie L Williams lecture on Dietrich Bonhoeffer in the Harlem Renaissance

• Podcast: Zeitcast - Decolonizing the Very Good Gospel with Lisa Sharon Harper

• Podcast: The Truth’s Table - Conversations with three Black Christian women

• Video: BODY LANGUAGE: A Conversation on Race + Restoration in the Body of Christ with Dr Anita Phillips

BOOKS SPECIFICALLY FOR CHRISTIANS

• Book: The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone 

• Book:  Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus by Reggie L Williams

• Book: The Christian Imagination, Theology and the Origin of Race by Willie James Jennings

• Book: Is Our God Colourblind? by Anthony Reddie 

• Book: The Very Good Gospel by Lisa Sharon Harper

• Book: Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys: A Native American Expression of the Jesus Way by Richard Twiss

• Book: We Need To Talk About Race: Understanding the Black Experience in White Majority Churches by Ben Lindsay

• Book: Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison

• Book: The Colour of Compromise: The truth about the American Church's complicity in racism by Jemar Tisby

• Book: Why I am no longer talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo Lodge

• Workbook: Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY FOR WHITE PEOPLE

• Summary List: Anti-Racism Resources For White People - Forbes Magazine

• Video: White Led Church Response to COVID-19 & Disproportionate BAME Impact

• Summary List: Books Recommened by Selina R Stone, a Political Theologian
  

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES, KIDS & YOUTH:

• Talking about Injustice - Parenting for Faith

• Racism and the Church - RE:quest (Youth for Christ)

• Anti-Racism Resources for Parents & Kids - Healthline

• Anti-Racist Books for Children & Teens - The Guardian

Living Inside Out: Becoming | Philip Jinadu | 14 June 2020

14 June 2020 - 11am Service

Living Inside Out | Becoming

Dave and Amy are hosting this morning from the Foyer. The service will include worship led by April Ballard with our Woodlands worship team, plus Philip will sharing a message with us as part of our series 'Living Inside Out' on 'Becoming'. Joe from Devo and Abi, one of our young people, will be praying about on racial injustice. It's also Global Partners Sunday and Johnny Walker caught up with Josh Rutere in Kenya to find out what's happening there.

STUDY NOTES

Becoming | Galatians 5:16 and 2 Corinthians 3:18

'We are being transformed into his image with ever increasing glory'.

Introduction
Most of the things we place our value on are temporary (Marriage, job, location, health, etc). At best they are only for a lifetime. Our souls are made for eternity however, we are on a spiritual journey of soul care, spiritual growth which looks like transformation from the inside out. Who I'm becoming is more important than what I'm doing (though they affect one another).

Questions

1. How does what I'm doing in life right now affect who I'm becoming (and vice versa)?

2. Galatians talks about Spiritual fruit. What is the difference between the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit?

3. It's easy to invest in our 'outer' humanity, to pursue education or physical fitness (or a romance!). How do we pursue and invest in spiritual growth?

4. Imitating Jesus can be in his character (what he was like) and in conduct (the things he did. How are you pursuing imitating Christ?

5. One way we can imitate Jesus in character and action at the same time is by being generous and giving to those in need. A book about Mother Theresa was called 'Something beautiful for God'. What have you seen in others spirituality that you could describe as beautiful?                                                            

6. What place does 'dying to self' have in becoming more like Jesus? Do we have to 'die' to our selves or let our selves be full of Him? What's the difference?

Practice 
Matthew 6:2-4 talks about giving (almsgiving) to the poor in secret to be rewarded by your Father in secret. It's about doing the things the Father himself does. Review your giving. How much do you give to the poor? Do you know any poor people? What does it feel like to do a generous deed? What might you do with and for the Father this week that is secretly generous? Are you becoming more or less generous as you grow older?

Resources
Woodlands giving page: 
https://www.woodlandschurch.net/giving

Woodlands Global Partnerships Fund offering page:
https://www.woodlandschurch.net/offering

June Offering for our Global Partners

Each month, on the second Sunday we invite members of Woodlands to make an offering to our Global Partnership Fund - this month it falls on 14 June.

Our Global Partners from across the world are pursuing a vision to bring God's love and care to the nations, and they are facing serious challenges in light of COVID-19.

Since lockdown began and our services went online, we've been highlighting the work of one of our Global Partners each month - through the wonders of Zoom!

Listen to Johnny Walker, from our Global Partners team, as he catches up with Josh Rutere to find what's happening in Kenya in June 2020.

How to Give

If you are a Woodlands church member and you would like to give, you can do so by text or on our website.

• You can text 'WOODLANDS' to 70085 to give £10. Texts cost £10 plus one standard rate message.

• You can choose an amount to give to our Global Partners online at: http://www.woodlandschurch.net/offering

About our Global Partners

Woodlands works with individuals across the world who are pursuing a vision to bring God's love and care to the nations of the world. We call these people our Global Partners. In some ways they are very ordinary every-day Christians, in other ways they are brilliant and courageous adventurers. Find out more about them and the work they do below.

If you have any questions about our Global Partners, how to support them or want more information on them or short term-mission trips opportunities, or would like to join the monthly Global Partners prayer, please email the Global Partners team.

Living Inside Out: Identity | Clare Thompson | 7 June 2020

7 June 2020 - 11am Service

Living Inside Out | Identity

Tim and Laura are hosting this morning from Laura's garden in Clutton. The service will include worship led by Luke Wareham with our Woodlands worship team, plus Clare will be kicking off our new preaching series 'Living Inside Out' and sharing a message about our identity in Christ. Rob and Jen will be leading us as we pray for our world, particularly focusing on racial injustice.

STUDY NOTES

Introduction
The events of this Spring, the pandemic, a lock-down and the challenge presented to organisations, including churches and businesses, have all conspired to shake people's identity. We take our significance from our relationships and our activities, the things we do in work & recreation. We have often been separated from key relationships and communities. We have become unable to work as normal and may not able to enjoy some of our sport and leisure activities.

From an eternal perspective what counts is who we are becoming. It's an inside out life, knowing God is our Father and living out of a relationship with Him through what Jesus has done in giving us His Spirit.

This is a great time to develop a life in Christ that is for eternity, not just a pandemic. Over June we will be looking at 'life inside out'. We will reference different verses from the New Testament around our titles, but Matthew Chapter 6 (which can be described as a secret history with God) frames some practices linked with the principles we are teaching about.

Read the passage in Romans 8:15-17.

Questions
How do I get my identity without being over dependent on external voices and circumstances?

1. These verses speak of 'the spirit of sonship'. What qualifies us to be identified as children of God?

2. Jesus demonstrated a unique relationship with God, calling him 'Abba'. At His baptism (Luke 3:21-22) we see the Father's relationship with and the Father's pleasure in Jesus. What was the source of that pleasure? Can you identify times when you have felt that sort of intimacy and God's pleasure in you?

3. What had Jesus done to earn his identity as God's son? Do you feel you still need to earn the right to be called a child of God?

4. What place does baptism have in shaping our identity as followers of Jesus? Have you been baptised as a grown-up follower of Jesus? What is your story?

5. How does knowing you are God's child and loved by Him help you cope with external pressures from people, and the need to earn the affirmation and popularity of others?

6. A key dynamic in knowing our identity as children of God is that we pray with confidence to our Father. Jesus taught his disciples to use the simple Aramaic baby phrase for Father, abba, (like daddy) when he taught them to pray (Matthew 6:9). How confident are we to pray to God with that simplicity?

Practice
Romans 8 goes on to speak about prayer, and Jesus in Matthew 6 tells us to pray in secret to our Father. This week practice prayer in 'secret' places. Try and pray out loud. Try calling God 'daddy'. Does that feel Ok or disrespectful? Many Christians are self-conscious praying out loud because they feel their prayers are not theological enough. Try praying simple prayers believing God really loves you and it's ok to ask Him for what you want.

Pentecost Sunday | Holy Spirit Stories

31 May 2020 - 11am Service

Pentecost Sunday | Holy Spirit Stories

We hope you enjoy this Pentecost Sunday service with Woodlands Church Online!

Rachel and Nigel are hosting this special service - which will include worship led by Robin Mitchell and the ADH Community House, plus testimonies from five members of our church family and a short talk from Dave about the Holy Spirit.

Enjoy!

Living Inside Out

In June, we’re starting a new preaching series called ‘Living Inside Out’.

Lockdown has been hard. It’s shaken people’s identities and their confidence in God’s fathering of them. God wants us to live out of our identity on the inside - like Jesus at his baptism. 

Who we are and who we are becoming are the important truths about us. Everything else is temporary. What are the opportunities to ‘become’ now?

During lockdown we’ve become obsessed with hygiene and cleanliness. Actually it’s a time where temptation to inner impurity in our thought life can make us ‘unclean’.

 And we may not have much hope for the future, or we might base our hope on externals-‘when they find a vaccine’. We are called to be hope bearers even when what we hope for is unseen.

Our sermons in this series will look at these topics…

• Identity - 7 June

• Becoming - 14 June

• Clean - 21 June

• Hopeful - 28 June

Letters from Lockdown: Locked & Down | Rachel Riddall

24 May 2020 - 11am Service

Letters from Lockdown: Locked & Down

This is the last of our services in the Letters from Lockdown series happening during May.

Pastor Rachel Riddall preaches to us about John the Baptist, considering how we keep faith in God when our experiences are hard.

Try Alpha Online! Starting 8 June

Are you exploring faith? Try Alpha!

The Alpha Course is amazing because it’s about people connecting with each other and going on a spiritual journey. The course explores the key foundations of the Christian faith.

Our recent Alpha course was so popular, that we are starting another course on Monday, 8th June 2020. It will be run entirely online, so you can take part from the comfort of your own home. Watch this short video about Alpha to find out more.

Visit our Alpha Online page to sign up! All are welcome.

Letters from Lockdown: Locked | Nigel Savage

17 May 2020 - 11am Service

Letters from Lockdown: Locked Up Apostle

This is the third of our services in the Letters from Lockdown series happening during May.

Pastor Nigel Savage preaches to us about the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, which he wrote while he was in prison in Rome, focusing on how to pray and put on the armour of God as protection against evil.