Keith Gibbons writes
For some time now I have been trying to get to grips with the whole issue of new wineskins and new wine and how it applies to me as an individual and to us as a church family. The practicality of the lively new wine splitting old dry wineskins is easy to understand, but how do I change my “old dry wineskin” to be able to accommodate the new wine, or new move of God?
This challenge has now really hit me, and I believe it is the answer that I have been looking for, and perhaps applies to all of us.
When Jesus turned the water into wine it was not until the old wine had run out. He then filled empty vessels with wine that was far better than the old wine that had run out.
I wonder am I, are we, still trying to hang on to the dregs of the old wine when Jesus is offering us something far better?
I’m determined to empty myself, with Jesus’s help, of what was (even if it was good at the time) and open myself up to the new wine, moving forward into whatever or wherever He leads me. This may mean that the areas that I previously moved in may be finished or laid down for a time, it may mean moving into an area that previously I would have said “that’s not my sort of area, I don’t relate to that” or something like that.
This could be a real challenge, but I’m up for it, How about you?
Emma Miles writes
Love Westhill began as a community outreach 3 and a half years ago. During lockdown a faith community started to form on the back of the relationships we had made. Our main worship gathering takes place on a Sunday lunchtime around a dinner table.
We are a gathering of approximately 30 adults and children and we have become a family! We serve together, pray together, and we are attempting to journey through the highs and the lows of life together in an aim to create home around the person of Jesus.
Being family, like with all families, is not always easy. We have to be willing to receive challenge and we also have to be quick to extend mercy. We are learning a new way of life by creating a culture on the ways and the words of Jesus, and this takes time. We have to be willing to learn from our mistakes and failures by turning to Jesus once again, the one who is full of grace and truth!
There have been times on the journey where we have felt like a pile of ashes but suddenly beauty emerges from the ashes and we realise that even in the darkness and the silence God has still been busy forming us, shaping us and teaching us.
Several months ago, we started breaking bread to mark the beginning of our meal on a Sunday lunch time. This has been really significant for us and together with other markers it has helped to create a familiar structure welcomed by all. ‘It’s just what we do around here’!
Some of the beauty we have witnessed recently, I will now share:
The participation of breaking bread is met with an excitement from people of all ages (our youngest and most vocal child recognises this as a quiet time where we express thanks for one another).
Some children have brought their friends in to the meal and have taken it upon themselves to tell their friends what we are about to do.
We are involving our children in praying and the laying on of hands and rejoice with them when their prayers are answered. One child has witnessed several prayers answered and has an increased expectation that God answers prayer.
We have given permission to one another to challenge each other head on, in love, and we believe the trust we have built has allowed this permission to be granted and the challenge to be welcomed.
We have an increased desire for sitting at the feet of Jesus, doing some honest heart inventory and being willing to be open enough to show our workings out to one another as a source of encouragement.
This last week, whilst sharing on the Great Commission and setting a challenge on all 3 instructions set out by Jesus to his disciples…. the challenge on baptism was ‘who is ready to be baptised’?
The beauty that emerged from last Sunday is that 5 people responded. 4 baptisms and one recommitment. One of these people was asked 2 years ago but did not feel ready. She now knows this is the right time.
This is the first time Love Westhill, in its own space, surrounded by the whole family, will witness, and celebrate the baptism of some of their own. We are so thankful for this significant move, for each other, and for Jesus. We know that God is by no means finished with Westhill, the estate where most of us grew up. He is still transferring people from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the son who he loves, and he is still giving beauty for ashes.
Margaret Dye writes
Hearing from God in the silence!
Henri Nouwen writes, “Silence is the royal road to freedom”, a quote which I find not only true but also liberating. It really is all right to be quiet
in the presence of God, to sit and wait
for Him to break into the silence and speak to us.
On Monday morning I sat quietly in the lounge at home. My armchair is my place of reflection. As I sat in silence the following words came into my mind, “Lord, lift me and let me stand on higher ground”.
At first, I thought perhaps this was from the Psalms which is a book that is so familiar to me and one I often turn to,
but more reflection led me to realise this was not so.
What’s even more surprising is, this is the second time these words have come to my mind and so I turned to Google (a place where I sometimes go when I want to find out something somewhat obscure)!
To my surprise these words are from a hymn, even with my background of the Anglican church in its many forms and my earlier background in the Methodist church I must confess I’d never heard this hymn before,
but as I read through the words of the hymn,
I realised how very meaningful they were to me.
I shared this with Mark, and he suggested I write this brief article relating my experience of waiting on God and the constant surprise
at His gracious way of speaking to me and to you.
The words to the hymn are printed below, but what it reminded me,
once again, is the way in which God can use so many avenues
to communicate with us even to using the words of a hymn which was totally unknown to me, or perhaps even to you and communicate to us
in such a powerful way.
I’m pressing on the upward way, new heights I’m gaining every day.
Still praying as I’m onward bound, Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
Lord, lift me up and let me stand by faith on heavens tableland,
a higher plane than I have found, Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
My heart has no desire to stay where doubts arise and fears dismay, though some may dwell where those abound,
my prayer, my aim, is higher ground.
So, Lord, lift me and let me stand by faith on heaven’s tableland.
A higher plane than I have found, Lord plant my feet on higher ground.
I want to live above the world, though satan’s darts at me are hurled,
for faith has caught a joyful sound. The song of saints on higher ground.
Can I take this opportunity to encourage us all to spend time either quietly listening for God to speak to us or collectively as we gather together.
Perhaps the day Conference “For Your Age” on Tuesday 6th June
at 9.30am to 4.00pm in Christ Church may be an opportunity
for God to speak into all our lives.
Thank you and God bless.
Mark Carey writes
This year we are holding some words from Isaiah as a guiding verse for 2023.
And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
Isaiah 57:14
The further we go into the year the more helpful I find this verse. We've been in extended rebuilding time and now it's time to put the focus more onto 'building up'. However, obstacles need to be moved out of the way, there are things that prevent the building up and therefore movement of God's people. It is said that in answer to a question in a newspaper, "What is wrong with the world?" G.K. Chesterton wrote in with a very simple answer: "Dear Sirs, I am." I've found that I am sometimes the obstacle that gets in the way of the movement of God's people! As well as this there is the need to pay attention to what God is showing us about obstacles - what is he revealing - we find that establishing regular patterns of prayer , individual and together really helps. It is good to be part of the wider networks of relationship with Awakening the Coastlands and New Wine - this helps us work out what to build up.
On a different matter:
I'm thankful for the opportunity I've had to work with Oli Preston - you may already have heard that he is moving over the Summer to serve as Rector of Haworth in West Yorkshire.
Let's pray for Oli and the family as they prepare for this significant move.
Mark Carey writes
I've had several conversations recently that have highlighted how important celebration is in our lives and asked the question ‘is God encouraging us to simply have a bit of fun?’
I remembered that I started this year reading the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes – and one verse has continued to stay with me:
“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 8:15
Ecclesiastes links enjoyment of life with some very simple things. I want to encourage us all, as we head towards the month of June to see it as a month of fun! Sometimes we must plan some fun in order to do it. Could you plan a simple bit of fun into your lives? What does it look like for your network church, small group, ministry area to simply enjoy life together? Are you having fun and what can you do to make sure you are having fun? Why do this? Because we are told in the bible that “…there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad”.
Things can be a bit grim in our circumstances and the world around us - God wants us to enjoy living – to have fun – in fact, it may just be one of the most important aspects of being human.
Go on…. Do what is good for you…… have some fun!
Rev. Mark Carey Christ Church Bridlington Network
Families and Young People
Over the last couple of years as we have come out of the pandemic there have been some exciting things happening to connect with families and young people. Fran Couper has done a great job of starting up playgroups and building relationships with lots of parents. More recently a team have started the Family Cinema Club up again and that too is going well and providing a great chance each month to connect with lots of new families. With Fran stepping down, as she begins her new job at a nursery, it has given us the opportunity to look at what we have been providing for families and ask God what is next for families and young people.
On the back of this process, a proposal went to PCC last week to approve the creation of a new role: Families and Young People Coordinator (voluntary). The proposal was welcomed and accepted by the PCC and Jenni Middleton is going to be taking up this role. The role is intentionally named ‘coordinator’ as Jenni will take on administrative oversight of groups and events happening for families and young people but she won’t be leading everything that happens. Her role is to build up teams to support and lead things for families and young people, but also to look out for development opportunities.
We’re really excited for Jenni as she takes on this role, and about what God is already doing among the families and young people we are connecting with.
Please join us in praying for the families and young people we are connecting with and for Jenni as she takes up the role of Families and Young People Coordinator.
Mark Carey writes
The Coronation service that we are going to witness on Saturday 6th May will be quite a spectacle - as always there are different perspectives and things that people argue about including, you might have noticed, something about the way in which we are all offered the opportunity to pledge allegiance to the King. I am happy to pledge allegiance to the King but only ever on the basis, made clear in the coronation service, that there is a greater allegiance to be given - to Jesus who is King of kings and Lord of lords. Furthermore, there is so much stirring up of controversy and poorly informed interpretation of the Coronation, the King, the Royal Family that it draws attention away from the simple gospel messages in the Coronation service that are fundamental to our nation - do look out for these things rather than being distracted by the 'noise' of social media influencers.
Above all, let's enjoy something that we do really well as a nation - the pageantry, ceremony and funny clothes accompanied by ancient words and customs and symbols. Happy Coronation Day to you!
Do come and join in the festivities during the day at St Mark’s Westhill or Christ Church.
Rev. Mark Carey Leader Christ Church Bridlington Network
Mark Carey writes
Last Sunday evening I was speaking about ‘Obstacles and Movement’.
There is an amazing encounter that a blind man called Bartimaeus has with Jesus. A lot of things appear to be obstacles to him receiving attention from Jesus – blindness, he’s sitting down in a large crowd and the hostile attitude of people around him. Yet he catches Jesus’ attention and two things follow:
1) his sight is restored
2) he is able to follow Jesus “along the road”.
Jesus removes the obstacles and enables Bartimaeus to follow Him freely.
This tells us something about what Jesus is all about – He wants people to see and He wants them to be able to follow. He wants to remove obstacles out of our way and to enable us to keep moving along His road.
Our verse of the year speaks of obstacles and movement:
And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
Isaiah 57:14
Obstacles are opportunities to enable us to see what God is showing us that He wants to work on so we can keep moving.
God doesn’t want obstacles in the way of people – He doesn’t want anyone to be stuck, to be held back by sin, circumstances, or Satan’s power – “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free”.
Oli Preston writes:
On one day out during our Easter break we were driving through a lovely little village, past a pond with a duck house. It was very pretty and peaceful. Until a massive wild goose swooped out - almost right into the windscreen! It was quite a shock, completely interrupted our conversation, and really woke us all up.
In this Easter season - as we read passages about Jesus appearing to people in gardens, locked rooms, and on the road - I’m reminded that His appearance must have also been quite shocking! He frequently says ‘Peace be with you’ - and I’m sure the disciples were filled with joy when they saw Him - but the peace Jesus is sharing here is not a gentle dove, it is the honk of a wild goose. Celtic Christians often depict the Holy Spirit as a Wild Goose - loud, disruptive, surprising, passionate, noisy, untamed, courageous… This image can be exciting, but also a bit uncomfortable. Do I want to be interrupted? Not always. And yet, this is the Risen Lord Jesus.
The One who walks into locked rooms and says, ‘Peace be with you’ (I always imagine with a cheeky grin on His face).
The One who stands by the empty tomb asking ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’.
The unexpected familiar-stranger who we meet on the road - where we find our hearts burning within us as we talk, and our eyes opened as we invite Him to stay a while…
It seems to me that if Jesus is Lord of my life, then I need to be open to the idea that my comfortable, predictable patterns might be disrupted. If Jesus is Lord of the Church, then we need to be open to the possibility that the breath of the Holy Spirit might blow through like a rowdy, honking Goose! Jesus invites us to be interruptible - to adventure. Not alone, but together, and with His faithful presence. Breathed on us. Here among us. And honking in, out of left field, when we least expect it!
Revd Oli Preston Multiply Minister
Mark Carey writes
I am writing this during Holy Week – observing the world going on around me, the busyness and activity. I realise I do like to be in control of my life – to define when and how God plays his part. Sometimes I realise I find faith to be a little inconvenient and disturbing – like many people I just want a quiet life that I can control. I was reminded of the following words by John Stott in his book ‘The Cross of Christ’:
“We resent His intrusions into our privacy, His demand for our homage, His expectation of our obedience. Why can’t He mind His own business? To which He instantly replies that we are His business and that He will never leave us alone.”
Holy Week and Easter remind us that we are God’s business and that he hasn’t left us alone.
Revd Mark Carey Leader Christ Church Bridlington Network
Mark Carey writes
One day Jesus met a woman at a well and he turned her life upside down – or maybe a better way of putting it – right side up. She came to the well with a bucket for water that she would need more of and left with the water that Jesus gives welling up from within to eternal life. She received everlasting life.
Across our network of churches and ministries we serve from the basis of being like that nameless woman – people motivated by the water that is welling up from within us.
We are thankful for Fran Couper who has, through the challenges of the pandemic and out of the other side, led the Families Ministry. She moves on to take up a job working with children. Re-Store also said goodbye to Donna Brooks who is heading into her new role based in the Christ Church Café. Both Fran and Donna have served motivated by the living water of Jesus welling up within them – and they represent so many others. We have so much to celebrate.
This coming Sunday evening – Palm Sunday - we get to see a number of people confirming their baptism promises and a week later on Easter Sunday we will not only be celebrating the Risen Christ – we will celebrate the movement from the old life to new life with Baptisms. Let’s celebrate and serve!
Reverend Mark Carey
Christ Church Network Leader
Mark Carey writes
There are three areas we emphasise regarding being part of the Christ Church Network. Encounter, Belonging and Service. This is the way of Jesus – to be in a giving and receiving relationship with God each day, to belong to each other and grow together as the body of Christ and to find ways to serve in His work of rebuilding, restoring and renewing.
There are areas I would love to see more support for to enable us to serve in our public events, services and gatherings. Our livestream of the Sunday 6pm Network Gathering has been a lifeline to those who can’t make it in person, some who are housebound and others who live a long distance away. I’m looking for people to learn to run the livestream – it isn’t hard – can you help? I’d like to find more people to do data projection and sound. The more team members we have who can do these things the easier it gets. Please help!
The Christ Church Café has been in a period of review but is now open on Monday and Thursday mornings. I am pleased to announce that, subject to the usual procedures, Donna Brooks will be joining the staff team as Community Development Leader based from the Café. We recognise that the café is more than just a café – it is
• a Window enabling people to see what Christ Church offers
• a Welcome for all and especially those who find themselves socially isolated
• a Signpost for support
• a Community providing a safe space for learning, training and friendship
Donna will, working with our excellent volunteer team, aim to develop the opportunities alongside the ministry areas of Restore and Hope Hub. It is a self-sustaining role – when you buy a drink and a slice of cake you support the ministry of the Café.
Revd Mark Carey Christ Church Bridlington Network Leader
Mark Carey writes
This week at Lighthouse Church we celebrated a number of people making clear statements of faith in Jesus as Lord of their lives. Lizzy, Robert and Emma were baptised, Anthony and Nicky affirmed the baptism promises that others had made on their behalf. All five people have come to living faith through many challenges. Our job is to continue to support and uphold them as they continue to learn what it looks like for Jesus to be Lord all the days of their lives.
On Palm Sunday 2nd April we are holding a Confirmation Service. This is an opportunity to confirm the promises that were made for you at baptism. For me – confirmation was an important moment of commitment – you may be ready for this – if so, please contact your network leaders or the network office.
On Easter Sunday morning (9th April 10.30am) we will be offering the opportunity to be baptised. There are no shortages of points of commitment when you can declare clearly that Jesus is Lord of your life.
Revd Mark Carey Leader Christ Church Bridlington Network
Oli Preston writes:
Encounters in the wilderness.
We are now well into the season of Lent. Looking towards Good Friday and Easter. We remember Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness and join with Him symbolically through intentionally making space for prayer and focus on God - often by putting some things down for a time (‘fasting’) to take hold of deepening connection.
In the Bible the wilderness is a key place of encounter. It is not comfortable - in fact that is part of the point! In the wilderness the normal patterns of predictable, safe, and easy life are stripped away. This forces simplicity, a focus on basic needs, and an active trust in God. Some wilderness times are by choice, some by the Spirit’s leading, and others are simply a part of life (something to be grumpy about or to be embraced).
The wilderness is where Moses hears from YAHWEH through the burning bush; where the people wander for 40 years as they learn to trust God; where the prophets often go to or through, and where some of the most powerful images of God’s work of renewal and rebuilding come from. Our verse for the year, Isaiah 57:14, speaks of a building a road ("Build up, build up, prepare the road!”) - where? In the wilderness. This is a key part of Isaiah’s message, a developing theme as the prophet sees something of what God is doing: "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19). This promise can give us real and trustworthy hope in wilderness times - that in God’s Kingdom nothing is wasted, that He walks with us through our wilderness times, that He is making all things new. The wilderness is often the place where God is most powerfully at work in us. If we are able to recognise the presence of Jesus with us in our wilderness, these challenging times can become a sacred space for a transforming encounter.
New Creation is coming. There may be snow on the ground, but we can already see the early spring blooms and taste the promise of summer.
Rev. Oli Preston Multiply Minister (Bridlington) and 'Green Dean' for Bridlington Deanery Christ Church Bridlington Network
Mark Carey writes
Hosting Paul Harcourt last weekend was a great joy. Those who attended ‘Remember the Former Things’ will have been struck by Paul's humility, ability to communicate simple truths and practically equip us to live a life led by the Holy Spirit. Actually that is the essence of New Wine - in this way we become 'local churches changing nations'.
We were reminded that Jesus is central to all we are and do.
That responding in the power of the Spirit is simple, but we have to step forward into it.
That everyone can take part in the things that God is doing by His Spirit.
I loved seeing Bishop Eleanor joining in and ministering in power. Hearing from Jackie Cray about the Holy Spirit moving amongst children and from Graham Cray on Sunday evening with a challenge to be empowered witnesses.
A group of us have also gone to the New Wine Leadership Conference - 1800 leaders gathering in Harrogate. On the back of our weekend in Bridlington it is not hard to see that there is a movement of the Holy Spirit - many of us brought to our knees in repentant humility before God. Not loads of hype and razzmatazz but a profound invitation to return to the Lord and learn from Him.
I'm reminded of the verse at the end of the second chapter of Habakkuk - all the previous arguments are brought to an end with these words:
"The LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him."
We will shortly be able to make available the recordings of the main sessions of 'Remember the Former Things' - watch this space.
We'd love to hear your stories of how you met with Jesus - what healing, help or experience you had. Please talk to one of the staff team or email the office (office@ccbn.org.uk).
Rev. Mark Carey Christ Church Bridlington Network
Mark Carey writes
Our Bible verse for 2023 is Isaiah 57:14
And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
As the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes says there is a time to tear and a time to build - my sense is that this is a building up time. Of course, this is tricky as we see around us so much tearing down. So, how do we participate with God in his work of build up?
Don't give up - build up::
Sometimes we are the obstacles to the progress of others - we need to work out how we decrease so others can increase. How we contribute so much to the lives of others that they are able to thrive in the full life that comes with Jesus. Serving is a key part of how we get out of the way of others - it occupies us and means we are less able to meddle.
Don't make obstacles - remove obstacles:
Sometimes we need to challenge our own wilful ability to make obstacles for others. This can be by doing the very thing Jesus said he came not to do: condemn the world. If it's not Jesus job to condemn others then it is not our job either! During the course of 2023 there will be lots of ways presented to us that tempt us to tear down and not build up. Having a rant on social media is just the tip of the iceberg. Let's choose not to create anything or reinforce anything that gets in the way of people approaching Jesus. For this we need lots of wisdom and to stay very close to Jesus.
So, have a good year of building up!
Rev. Mark Carey Christ Church Bridlington Network
Mark Carey writes:
Part of the way I travel through Advent is through looking back and looking forward. This is, in fact, what I'd call the travelling motion of this season – you look back to the birth of Jesus and look forward to the return of the King.
There’s a significant element of taking stock of things – being curious and thoughtfully prayerful about what has been, what is, and what will be.
Here are some good questions to ask yourself and to hold before God:
What have I learned this year?
How have I grown more like Jesus?
What is different from a year ago?
What am I going to leave behind?
What am I going to take forward?
On the back of exploring these questions – usually via some walks on the beach and some scribbling in a journal - I get a sense of what the shape of the coming year
is going to be and how I want to enter it.
So why don’t you have a go at this?
You will handle it differently from me – but I hope the results will be the same
– a closer walk with Jesus.
Mark Carey writes
This weekend we complete 10 days of prayer and fasting with a whole night of prayer (Friday night) and a day of prayer and reflection on Saturday.
Last Sunday evening I shared four reasons I have discovered why you would consider doing a fast.
In support of others for breakthrough
In preparation before an event
In a seasonal rhythm eg Lent
In obedience to a specific call from God
Jesus clearly expected his disciples to have a lifestyle that included fasting - the intentional self-denial of food for a specific time. When I fast from food it focusses me on Jesus who is the bread of life. As one of the communion prayers says - Jesus is the one "in whom all our hungers are satisfied". A simple fast such as denying yourself a normal simple pleasure such as a meal, something sweet, TV or social media empties you of the things that occupy your mind or comfort you and makes space for the one who has "filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty".
As we enter into the season of Advent this is my prayer for all of you:
May Christ the Son of righteousness scatter the darkness from before your path, and prepare you to meet with Him when he returns in glory.
