you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ
 
Church Life and growth
 
Please give thanks for

• the way God is blessing our church family.
• the funeral services where we have celebrated faith and lives well lived and reached out with the good news of the gospel
• the support and care many experience in our church family.

• the opportunities that we will have to grow the church numerically and spiritually including –
• the Teatime Service at St Andrews on a Sunday afternoon.
• the regular care home ministry in St Peters, White Birch Lodge and Laleham.
• the regular event at Richmond Court.
• the next Christianity Explained course and the continuing Growing in Faith course.
• wisdom as we look at our ministries to see they are fit for purpose or if we need to look to adapt them in any way.
• the nineteen home groups we have to be places of learning, pastoral care and deepening relationships so all in them flourish spiritually.
• the increasing numbers of young families who are asking about baptisms for their children to join the church family.
• the number of adults who are investigating adult baptism to be clear and able to articulate their faith.
• the six congregations we have at present to be places where people are growing closer to God, learning how to follow Jesus and what it means for each of us to play our part in His family.
• more leaders and volunteers to be raised up by God in the months and years ahead so God’s work will continue to flourish.
• the times we pray together as a church family including homegroups, services, Tuesday morning zoom prayers and the monthly prayer gathering to be places where we seek God and His ways and spiritually grow.
• God to protect us as the devil will not like the growth that God is bringing specifically that nothing would damage our relationships with one another or undermine the unity of purpose we have at present.

• the continued work among youth and children.
• the decision to look for a full-time youth and children’s worker.
• the continued work in school with new opportunities being available.
• the growth in the numbers at the Tuesday Bay Ignite congregation.
• Answered prayer with a great job description now written.

• the wisdom to place the job advert in the right places.
• us to be able to interview in the summer months so that an appointment can we made and the person start their new role in the autumn.
• the person God has in mind for us to appoint to see the advert when it comes out
• the Diocese to come forward with details of the financial help it is willing to give us.
• the recently launched stewardship campaign to raise the funds we need to make the appointment secure for the next five years.
• God to continue to give us the wisdom we need so that everything is done in the right way and at the right time.
• that those who are continuing to visit us even though they don’t yet believe would be attracted to the Lord Jesus.
• wisdom as to how to engage those who have been around for a few months as we seek to help them feel part of the church family.
• the Junior Church continuing to pray for regular and consistent attendance.
• the Tuesday Bay Ignite congregation that the increasing size and age range would not mean people struggle but rather we would see God do more than we think or imagine possible.
• the people who cook week by week for safety and enjoyment in this important role.
• the planning meeting for the August holiday club and that the right people and youngsters will lead those three mornings and many children attend.
• the work that needs to be done on how to teach the story of Jonah and especially for Simon and Denise as they lead that work.
• the Ladies’ and men’s ministries as new people often attend these.