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May 26
Dear Friends,
At St Giles we had a joyful time celebrating Easter at the beginning of April, but Easter doesn’t finish at the end of the long weekend – it is in fact six weeks long!
Throughout this season, we think particularly about the way that Jesus sent out his disciples to share the love of God and the good news of his resurrection with the whole the world. Christians call this the ‘mission’ of God, and we continue to be invited into that mission today.
At St Giles, we have spent the last year reflecting on our values and how we might participate in the mission of God in our community. We have chosen three core values that underpin who we are as a church community in this village.
Listening – our first core value reflects the way we hope to listen to God in prayer and in studying the Bible, to listen to one another and to listen to our community. We want this to be the foundation of all that we do.
Growing – we want to grow in our love for God, in love for one another and for our village. We also want to grow in knowledge of the Bible and the foundational elements of our faith. In the last year we have been encouraged to see that we are growing in number, and we hope and pray that we might continue to welcome new people.
Responding – we want to be a church that responds to the need that we see around us, both locally and in the world. We currently partner with three charities that respond to need in practical ways, as well as hosting our Foodbank. Our prayer is that we will continue to recognise need and respond in love.
We (like every church!) are an imperfect community trying our best to follow where God leads and love those around us. We hope that these values will help us stay focussed on the most important things. There’s room for everyone to join in, I wonder how God might be inviting you to listen, grow and respond in this Easter season?
With my prayers and best wishes,
Rev’d Christie