Study Day (2)

Circuit Study Day  
The study day took place last Saturday at Emmanuel Church, Bestwood.

Values Based Discipleship. 

On a cold, bright morning, Laurence Singlehurst was among the first to arrive having driven from Harpenden to lead us through the day. Very soon there were twenty or more people ready to go. What sort of values were we talking about? The values we are looking for will be found in Jesus himself and Laurence based his opening remarks on 2 Peter 3,18:  

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The day divided into four sessions: 

• The Big Picture
• Four Key Values
• Values for Mission
• Values for Daily Living 

Laurence took us on a sweep through the history of Britain from Roman times to the present, highlighting the moments when the church had to rethink its mission:

1. After the Saxons (AD 450-550): The Celtic church and its mission
2. After AD 1066: Wycliffe, the Lollards, the Reformation
3. After the abolition of the monastaries: Puritan revival
4. In the eighteenth century: the Methodist revival, the Wesleys
5. Now: the second half of the twentieth century/in progress

Laurence drew his key values from Mark 12,30-31:  

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength ... (and) Love your neighbour as yourself.

In this context, he encouraged us to have:

1. a high view of God
2. a high view of other people
3. a high view of yourself
4. a high view of love

Living by these values is tough and it gets even tougher. Values based discipleship is not an easy option. In Matthew 5,43-45, Jesus says: 


People say: Love your neighbour ... but I say: Love your enemies. 

Mission is about connecting with people but it is not so much something we do as something we are. We need to be a big-hearted people, warm, welcoming and hospitable, living a life full of forgiveness, generosity, faithfulness, encouragement and integrity. As such, our values based mission will be about creating spaces for people using, among other things, the rhythms of the church year - Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Harvest - as well Messy Church, Buggy, Toddler or Family Services, social media, Alpha and other resources - opportunities to invite people to explore what a values based life is all about.
 
 

Development Project

Development Project

We are hoping soon to make some alterations to the inside of the church and arrangements in the church hall (The Schoolroom) - but it is not going to happen immediately. Plans are with the architect but various permissions still have to be obtained before we can begin.

Briefly, we intend to install a new toilet and a kitchenette area in the back corner of the church to facilitate the use of the church as an independent space apart from the church hall. 

Once that has been done, we plan to take out the kitchen that presently serves the church hall and install a completely new kitchen in the room next door (now used as the vestry). This will upgrade the kitchen facilities to be more in line with modern requirements. *

* In a change of plans, the kitchen has now been replaced in situ (August 2017) to avoid the long delays in the approval process for alterations (a consequence of the buildings Grade 2 listed status). All cupboards and appliances have been completely renewed.

The toilets at the far end of the hall will also be upgraded.

When these changes have been made, we should have two independent function spaces each with their own modern toilet and, at least, basic kitchen facilities. Then, two groups can use the premises at the same time without disturbing each other. That's the idea, anyway.

We hope that, by making these changes, the building can be made more useful both for the church members and for the various community groups that hire the space for their week to week activities.

The Cross

The Church Cross

The illuminated church cross on the front of the church building on the corner of Meadow Lane is not as illuminated as it once was. Only a handful of the lights still work, so the cross will be removed early this week (Monday) so the lights can be replaced and other repairs carried out. Hopefully, the cross will be back in place and working within a few days.

If you see a cherry-picker parked outside the church sometime this week, this is the reason. We apologise for any inconvenience this work may cause local traffic and pedestrians. 

Thinking about the cross: It is a widely used symbol, used in churches and by people who never go to church, but what does it mean? It refers to the fact that Jesus was executed by the Roman authorities by being nailed to a wooden cross in about AD 33, i.e. almost two thousand years ago. 

That's both pretty grim and a very long time ago. 

So, why should we care?

We remember that event every year on the day we call Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday. But why call it "Good"? Because that event, the execution of Jesus, tells us about God's love. That might seem hard to believe but, in the death of Jesus, God is saying in effect: "I'll go through anything for you, even this." It shows how much God cares. 

That's why people wear the cross and have it, illuminated or not, on their church buildings: it reminds them about love.

And if God cares that much, perhaps we should too.

Christmas services

CHRISTMAS @ BJCC

Nativity & Gift service
Sunday 11th December 2016, 10.30am
Gifts for The Friary, the Nottingham charity for the homeless 
(See leaflet on notice board in the hall)

Carols round the crib
Saturday 17th December 2016, 4.30pm
Churches Together event

Carols by Candlelight
Monday 19th December 2016, 6.30pm

Christmas Eve communion
Saturday 24th December 2016, 4pm

Christmas Day
Sunday 25th December 2016, 09.30am
This short service begins at 9.30am 

....

Open Church

Every Thursday morning from 10am to 12noon

Drop in for a look round or come in for a few moments quiet in a busy day
There is always someone around if you need a chat

OPEN CHURCH: a place for everyone

Study Day

The Nottingham East Circuit Study Day is tomorrow, Saturday 19th November 2016 

Values Based Discipleship
led by Laurence Singlehurst

• Arrive 9:30am for a 10am start 
• Emmanuel Church, Bestwood 
• Church View Close
• off Bewcastle Road
• NG5 9QP 
• Bring a packed lunch
• Drinks provided
• Donations towards the cost of the day would be welcome
• Should finish about 4pm
• More details here

 ***

Art Show

The Burton Joyce Art Society will hold an Art Exhibition in the church hall (aka The Schoolroom) of Burton Joyce Community Church next Saturday: 19th November 2016. 

• Time: 10am - 4pm. 
• Free entrance. 
• Tea, Coffee & Cakes. 

In support of the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance. Please come along and support this good cause and enjoy the art and the tea and cakes.

Here is a YouTube video of the Art Exhibition held in the church hall on 15th November 2008: Art Show 2008

Autumn Lunch - 2

The Autumn Lunch on Saturday 12th November was a great success. Many thanks to all those involved in any way. The sale of knitted Christmas tree novelties raised almost £50. The total raised so far is almost £300, a very useful contribution towards regular church expenses. Thankyou to everyone.

Autumn Lunch

The BJCC Autumn Lunch
This Saturday!
In the church schoolroom. Entrance in Meadow Lane

• Saturday 12th November, 12 noon to 2 pm
• A selection of warming soups and a range of sweets
• £5

• Raffle 
• Christmas novelties stall

Come along. Bring a friend.

Young People

Fresh ideas about church from the URC Synod

Extracts from a report from the East Midlands Synod of the URC

" On Saturday 8th October 2016, the young people who gathered at our Synod meeting discussed what their hopes and dreams for the church were ... "

" ... there does need to be some structure to times and types of worship so that people know when worship is happening and what type it is.  For example, cafe church on the same day each week / month. "

See the full report here: Hopes & Dreams

Roll up! Roll up!

Check out the events planned for November and December at BJCC

It is nearly Christmas and lots of new events have been added to our Events page.

Please take a moment to look, check what is going on and put them in your diary. 

Please note: Most of the November events are at the bottom of the page because the church's year begins with Advent which covers the four weeks running up to Christmas.

Look out for the Autumn Lunch, mince pies, carols and more carols. There is a Nativity service, Christmas Eve communion and a service on Christmas morning. 

All the details are on the Events page.

In addition, we are very excited to know that there will be a wedding in the church on Saturday 3rd December at 1 pm. We would wish every blessing to Amy and Nick.

What Price a New Minister?

The Methodist Church: Stationing

Those of you who are Methodists by upbringing or accident may understand what stationing is all about. It is the way the Methodist Church decides which minister to send where. The stationing itself, the actually going somewhere, happens at the beginning of September each year but the process of considering and deciding begins well over a year before and decisions tend to get made in the autumn of the previous year - like now.

You may be aware that at this moment, the Nottingham East Circuit of the Methodist Church (and that includes us at the Burton Joyce Community Church ... just) is actively seeking a new minister to take on the role of Superintendent Minister in the Circuit (Ask me sometime). This process is well under way and a little bird has told me that a suitable candidate - if that is the right turn of phrase; possibly not - has been identified by those charged with this task (representatives of all the churches in the Circuit).

What we can all do is pray. 

It is a tough process for all those involved. Let's hold them up to the Lord in love.

To illustrate what it can mean for the ministers and their families, I thought I would share with you this blog post (see link below), from eighteen months or so ago, from someone intimately involved in the process. It is, I think you will agree, thought provoking and a stimulus to our prayers.
Stationing, a personal view: Flight of the Skypilot 

The Friary

Working to end homelessness

Many of you will know that The Friary is a Nottingham based charity working on behalf of the homeless. The charity is based in West Bridgeford. At Burton Joyce Community Church, we support The Friary and its work by collecting various household, personal and general items as specifically requested for the use of the users of the service. If you have goods to donate, you can leave them in bags on the choir stalls in the church and they will be taken over to The Friary. There are some leaflets available in church or on the notice board which list the kind of things that are needed.
 
We also support the work financially.

You can learn more about The Friary and its work here: The Friary

East Midlands News

News from the United Reformed Church in the East Midlands

The United Reformed Church in the East Midlands Synod publishes a regular newsletter. You can find all the info here: URC e-letters