1 Cowper Street, Ipswich IP4 5JD Web Address: www.stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk
dvance
September
NEWSLETTER
FROM
ST
JOHN’S
URC
Ministers:
Rev Adam Earle and R
e
v David Rees
Office:
E-mail:
Web:
Tel:01473 724961 (Currently not available) secretary@stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk www.stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk
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GOD IS LOVE“Andsoweknowand relyontheloveofGod for us.Godislove.Whoever livesinlovelivesin God and God in them.” 1 John 4: 16Loveisacommonthemein ourChristianworkandworship;hardly surprisingwhenscriptureteachesusthat God’sveryessenceislove–attheheartof theTrinityisaperfectlovingrelationship. InEnglish,weusethesameword,“love”to meandifferentthingsrangingfroma partialityorstrongliking,asin“Ilovecake!”, toadeepandintenserelationshipbond,as in“Ilovemypartner!”. Onewouldhope andexpectthattheloveIfeelforcake wouldbeaverydifferentcreaturetothe love I have for my wife.IntheNewTestament,originallyrecordedin Greek,wefindthatthewordswetranslate aslovemaynotbethesameineachcase– therearedifferentwordsfordifferenttypes of love: “Eros”–RomanticLoveasmightbeshared betweenlovers,“Philia”–AffectionateLove asfriendswouldshare,“Storge”–Familial Lovefound,wehope,attheheartofthe relationshipsinafamilyand“Agapé”– UnconditionalLove.Intheverseabovewe learn that God is “agapé” –God’sloveisunconditional,undeserved(we certainlyhavedonenothingtoearnorbe worthy of it) and it is unending.
It’sthisagapelovethatwearecalledtolive andsharewhenJesustellsus,“Anew commandIgiveyou:Loveoneanother. AsI haveloveyou,soyoumustloveone another.”(John13:34)Wearecalledto loveasGodloves,withGod’slove,without condition,withoutdeservingandwithout givingup. It’satoughdemand. Why?So that,“everyonewillknowthatyouaremy disciples, it you love one another.”LeslieNewbiggin,arenownedURCminister who,unusually,wasconsecratedaBishop throughhisworkwiththeChurchofSouth India,explainedthatifpeoplewanttoknow ifGodisreal,theyneedonlylookatthe church.Inustheyshouldseethejoyful realityoflifewithGodasevidenceofGod’s realityandlove–weshouldbetheproofof the truth. Even tougher stuff!Thankfullywe’renotcalledtoachievethis alone,wehavetheHolySpirit,asJesus promised,“Ifyouloveme,keepmy commands. AndIwillasktheFather,and hewillgiveyouanotheradvocatetohelp youandbewithyouforever–theSpiritof truth.”(John14:15)Withthistheworkis easierbutitdoesnotmeanthatwedon’t havetoconsciouslymaketheefforttolive in love. Whatwillthislovelooklikewhenwe,in collaborationwithGodintheHolySpirit,live outourcalltolove? Willweallsuddenly becomeveryquiet,meek,reserved,smiling peoplewhotryhardtobeniceallthetime andneverresolveconflictsorspeakthe truthincaseithurts?Certainlynot. Jesus, theSonofGod,Godandhumanwasandis theperfectdemonstrationofGod’slove expressedinandthroughahumanbeing. Hewasnotthesoft,comfortablefigurethat we might at times prefer him to be.
Adrian
Treasurer’s ReportYouarethankedforOfferingsinJulytotalling £1,810andfurtherCommunionFunddonations of £29 in August for TWAM (Tools with a Mission). Friendsmayrecallthatpre-pandemicweraiseda fundfrombronzeandsmallcoinstogivetoDavid foruseduringhisproposedsabbaticalvisitto Zimbabwe.Theamountraisedwas£132,.55.Due tochangedcircumstances,David’stripdidnot happen,butwithhisapproval,themoneyhas beendonatedviaSynod,totheUPCSAPresbytery ofZimbabwe,withwhomtheyhaveclose connections.andprovidefinancialsupport.They runmanyprojectsincludingonetoassistthelocal Ministerswithaverybasicstipend,whichinturn assists those suffering extreme financial hardship.TwomembersofSynodstaffareleavingtheir positionsattheendofSeptember.Keir Hounsome,SynodClerkforthepast6yearsis retiringandLindseyBrown,MissionandTraining OfficerismovingtoapositioninChurchHousein London.Ifanyonewouldliketomakeadonation to a leaving gift - please pass to either of us.Youmaybeinterestedinsomeofthefinancial information about the URC nationally. ThetotalIncomefor2021amountedto £18,857,208andexpenditureof£18,937,949 producing a net deficit over the year of£79,941.PieChartsbelowshowhowthisisbrokendownto variousheadings.TheBudgetfor2022is proposedat£19.7m.Thisrepresentsatotalcost of:£65,000 per Stipendiary Minister and a cost per URC member of £501
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an opportunity to learn some new hymns and let him know our favourites. I’ll circulate a small form for you to tell us the ones you like best. Are we due a hymn sing with Adam on the organ…?We look forward to Birgit Ewald, Ann Cook and William Glasse (Harvest) taking our services.Hope it’s rained by the time you read this!
Church Secretary’s NotesHopeyouareallhavingthatgoodrestwe spokeoflastmonth,becauseeverything startsagainsoon.Davidisoffonhis sabbaticalfromSeptember‘tilDecember.We wishhimwellandhopeheenjoyshistime away,hasopportunityforstudyandrestand returnsrejuvenated!Toquoteaphrase:from my younger days: ‘Take it easy man’.Adamtakeshisfirstcommunionservicewith usonSept4th.Wewishhimwellandhopehe enjoys his time at St Johns.OnSept6thasmallgroupofuswillstart trainingtouseournewvideorecording system.Ifyouwouldliketobepartofthat grouppleaseletmeknow.Wearegratefulto LenandMichaelfromCastleHillforagreeing to lead the group.With Adam being a musician, perhaps this is
Likehim,wearetochallengeinjustice, defendthepoor,speakthetruth(that’s God’struth),evenifitdoesn’tmakeus popular, and serve God as we serve others.AchallengeoncesharedwithmethatI wouldliketoofferyou. In1Corinthians13: 4-8Pauldescribeswhatperfectagapélove lookslikeinpractice,“Loveispatient,love iskind.Itdoesnotenvy,itdoesnotboast, itisnotproud.Itdoesnotdishonour others,itisnotself-seeking,itisnoteasily angered,itkeepsnorecordofwrongs.Love doesnotdelightinevilbutrejoiceswith thetruth.Italwaysprotects,alwaystrusts, alwayshopes,alwaysperseveres.Love never fails.”Nowreadthepassageagainandsubstitute thewordlove(andtheword“it”usedin referencetolove)withyourname. That’s thelovestandardthatGodlongsforus eachtoexhibit. ThanktheLordwearenot havingtodothisalone!Let’saimhighand praythatGod’sSpiritwillcontinuetoshape andtransformustoliveandsharethis Christ-likelovethatothersmaybedrawnto God’s light.Revd Adam Earle
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Thesearetotalcostsandincludeallexpenses, includingstipends,pensions,trainingand Moderators.Ifyouwishformoredetailedinformation-please ask Richard.Elsewhereyouwillseealetteraddressedtoall MembersandAdherentsfromtheNational Treasurers Team. Our Annual Harvest Gift Day is on: 25th Septemberandenvelopeswillbeavailable- please“GiftAid“yourdonationif you are able. Asalways,manythanksforallyourcontinued and generous financial support.Mary A & Richard W
To: All members and adherents of UnitedReformedChurchesandourLocal Ecumenical PartnershipsDear Friends, Is anyone back to normal?Aftertwoyearsofpandemicandlockdown,and Covidstillwithus(thankfully,formost,inamuch weakerform),wecannowworshiptogetherin personandfindfellowshipagain.Butformostof usitisnotsimplyareturntohowitusedtobe; somepeoplehavenotreturnedtochurch,some havediedorbecometoofrail,somechurches have closed and others considering it. NowwehavesignificantEuropeanturmoilandits likelyeffectonfuelandfoodpricesforusinthe UK.ThankGodthat“JesusChrististhesame yesterdayandtodayandforever”(Heb.13v.8). Whateverelsechanges,Heisourrock,our cornerstone.Financially,thingswereextremelytoughfor churchesin2021.Plateofferingshadcollapsed; someregulargivershadtoreduceorentirely stopgivingtosupportGod’swork;andthose churcheswhichhireouttheirpremiseshadseen incomefromthatsourcedisappear.Eventhose churcheswherethemajorityofthegivingwasby standingorderorbanktransfer(ifyouhavenot consideredregularisingyourgivinginthisway, pleasedo–ithelpsyourtreasurersignificantly)may have seen a 20%+ drop in income.IfthishadbeenreplicatedingivingtotheM&M Fundin2021,wemighthavebeenfacedwitha serious financial crisis last year. Butno,throughthegenerosityofindividuals, churchesandSynods,wecanreportthatincome onlyfellby4.4%.Withasimilarreductionin expendituretheM&MFundresultwasadeficitof only£80,000(lessthanone-halfofonepercentof income),adeficitthatcanbecomfortably covered by reserves.So,thankyoutoallwhocontinuedtocontribute toyourlocalchurch,thankyoutoallthose churcheswhomettheircommitmentfor2021in full,andthankyoutoallthosewho,inadversity, continuedtotreattheM&MFundasthefirst priority and paid what they could.
To get in touch and send contributions to Advance please use the email: advance@stjohnsurcipswich.org.ukPlease note the deadline for the October Advance is 25th September
Withchurchesandindividualsunderfinancial pressure,2022isnotgoingtobeaneasyyear either.TheM&MFundbudgetedincome(based onSynods’projections)willnotbesufficientto coverexpectedcostsandwearereconciledto dippingintoourreservesmoreseriouslyasa result. However,ifwe“ordinaryChristians”aretofulfil thecallofJesustobeHiswitnessesintheworld aroundusweneedministersandotherworkers “ontheground”andweneedsharedresources whichareoftenbestcreatedcentrally.Thatall comes from the M&M Fund. Ian Hardie (Treasurer) Vaughan Griffiths (Deputy Treasurer)
“Prayer is not a way of making use of God; prayer is a way of offering ourselves to God in order that He should be able to make use of us. It may be that one of our great faults in prayer is that we talk too much and listen too little.” William Barclay, theologian (1907-1978)
Diamond Wedding AnniversaryWehadawonderfullyhappyanniversaryweek,madeeven moresobythenumberofcardsandgoodwisheswehad fromourchurchfriends;thecardsignedbythecongregation, deliveredbyAdrian,andthebeautifulbouquetofflowersthat arrivedonthemorningoftheanniversary. Itwasgreattobe abletospendtimewithfamiliesandfriendsinarelaxedway over the period. Weremaineternallygratefulthatwehavebeentogetherfor 60 years and have been able to enjoy the celebration.Thankyouallverymuch,yourthoughtsandgoodwishesare much appreciated.Jenny and Peter C