Chads News - 3rd July 2025
03 July 2025 12:00
Dear Church Family,
I was sorry not to be with you all last Sunday, I gather you had a good time at St Chads, with a lovely sermon from Katie on hospitality. I was in Wimborne in Dorset speaking at the Lantern Church, which is where Jamie and Beth Pritchard are now part of the leadership. It was fabulous to see Jamie and Beth and their three gorgeous children and a real treat to worship at the Lantern, a church with a lot in common with St Chads and very open to encountering God.
Their theme for the summer is “Engines out : Sails Up”, (they are near the coast!) which was a deeply inspiring thought to meditate on as I prepared and very much resonated with what we believe God is saying to us about giving him space to move. As we head into July, whilst we have a busy month at St Chads, the majority of which is intended to give us space to meet with God. As school terms end and holidays start, what does it look like for you to turn off the usual things that drive you and give space for God to fill your sails with the wind of the Spirit? For those coming to NewWine, let’s be expectant to encounter God afresh there.
Crucial for us in putting our sails up to catch the wind of the Spirit, is gathering to pray. In July we have our usual monthly prayer events which are on Weds 9thJuly (1.30pm) and Weds 16th July (7.30pm). The evening prayer event on 16th July will form part of our hundred hours of prayer. We won’t be all able to fit into Sanctuary ! but because that week is particularly given to prayer it would be great for us to make this a real priority to gather as God’s family and seek God together,so please mark that evening in your diary.
Our world is in a mess, but God is on the move in many ways in our land. I have such a sense of expectation about that time of prayer together in the early part of our focussed season of seeking God. In addition to the bigger prayer gathering and the opportunities to sign up to spend time in Sanctuary, we will also be having daily gatherings in Sanctuary on16th, 17th & 18th July at 9am, 12pm & 4pm – to give a rhythm to the day of meeting to pray, come and join us. You don’t have to wait until then, we pray together in Sanctuary each day at 9am (Mon-Fri) and all are welcome.
So read on for more about July at St Chads, there’s lots to engage with, but above all in this season, let’s be sure that we’re creating space for God.
With love,
Richard
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