Hey folks, as we give another update of the work here at Downham, we are reminded of God’s hand of goodness upon us. If not for the Lord, we would not be here. To that end, we praise our Father, who lovingly directs us, as we give this week’s update.
More Visitors At Downham
It has been a blessing as well as perplexing to have had a lot of visitors turn up in our meetings in the past month and a half. We’ve not really done anything too different, and yet people have come – although not everyone has been coming frequently since their first visit. We’re encouraged to see more people attend our services, but we would like for the people to be more than attenders. If those visiting are not saved, our desire is to share the gospel with them and see them saved; and if they are saved, we desire their growth in Christ and in His word, and as a result to live lives of surrender to Him.
Update On Church Ministries:
The Quinn Family – Sam will be taking over the work that was started in Colchester as their Pastor, meaning that their responsibilities and presence at Downham will decrease until they move towards the end of the year. We have been blessed to have Sam, Beth, and their children with us at Downham for a little over a year and a half, and we are excited for them as they follow where the Lord leads them. We will miss them and we’ll be sure to pray for them.
Practical Ministries at Downham – With so many changes happening (with the Snodes moving to America, and the Quinns moving to Colchester), our church is in need of re-organising and re-focusing our current ministries. We recognise that our church has decreased in numbers, which means that we have less people who are able to take part in our ministries. So in the next few months, we will changing a few of our ministries so as to make sure that we are not overburdened and burnt out, the Lord Jesus, after all did say “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). The aim of re-focusing of our ministries is to make sure that we avoid being like Martha who served too much that she missed the point of choosing the better, which is to sit at the feet of Jesus like Mary did. This doesn’t mean that we want to be negligent with our responsibilities, but what it means is we want to make sure that we are busy in the right way with the right amount.
Events In October:
Church Fellowship at Beckenham Place Park – Saturday 22nd October, 1:30 PM onwards – Our Deacon, Jeff, has organised a church fellowship event where he has planned a few activities for us. We want to use take this opportunity to spend more time with our fellow believers that we might do as the Bible exhorts us: to encourage one another, and to stir each other up to love and to do good works. Come along and join us, bring a packed lunch, and if the weather doesn’t allow us to be at the Park, then we will fellowship at the Church Building.
Autumn Festival – Saturday 29th October – We invite you to join us for our Autumn Festival. We want to use this event as an opportunity to reach our community.
This Weekend:
Saturday – Our Community Outreach will be at 11:15 AM, meeting at the Church Building. Sam will be leading it. Please keep the unsaved of Downham in your prayers.
Sunday – Come and join us as we discuss Christian living in our Small Groups at 10:30 AM, followed by our Worship Service at 11:30 AM.
Prayer Requests:
- The Quinn Family as they begin their work in Colchester.
- For more labourers here in Downham.
- The events we have for this month.
We have had more updates this week that we did last week, but through it all, we praise and thank the Lord. That’s all for now. We love you all.
Ric