Sunday 10th January 2021 All Saints Church, Childwall
READ Mark 1: 4-11
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the River Jordan. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt round his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: ‘After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’
The baptism and testing of Jesus
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’
REFLECT:
If I was ask to ask you ‘do you know the forgiveness of your sins’, what would you say? John the Baptist was preaching exactly this, he was encouraging people to turn back to God and repent of the wrong things in their lives. The word repent means a complete change in direction towards God. By John asking people to repent and turn back to God, he is implying that for many of the people listening they had at some time believed and followed God themselves. For all sorts of reasons many had moved away from God and were not committed anymore.
John was asking people to make a public commitment to Christ by not just repenting in words but by being baptised publicly as well. People’s baptism would have taken place in the open air in local rivers like the Jordan. Crowds would have gathered and your family, friends and local community would know that you were publicly declaring to follow Jesus. There was no way of hiding this decision, it wasn’t happening in the private setting of a closed building but out in the ‘world’ for all to see.
Our role as Christians is to repent regularly and make sure that we are turned towards Christ in all that we do! We are also called to direct others to the person of Jesus Christ. Not because we are any better than anyone else, far from it. But because we have turned to Christ and have discovered the forgiveness that we can receive in him.
As John the Baptist puts it ‘After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.’
After Jesus is baptised by John and comes up out of the water, God speaks and says, ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’
RESPOND:
As God looks at us, our lives, our words, our actions what does he see? For everyone of us, I believe we have been given a ‘God-given’ ministry! Wherever you live or work, your family situation your neighbourhood your road, you are placed there for a purpose. John the Baptist had a very clear purpose, that was his ministry and so do we where we have been placed. To help others see, know and meet the person of Jesus Christ for themselves.
PRAY: Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Rev. Andrew Colmer (Vicar of All Saints Church, Childwall)
Dear Friends,
Services in church
All services in church are currently suspended until further notice. This decision was made after the government’s request to ‘stay at home’.
Church Services Online – Every week we will record our Sunday morning service in church then make it available online for you to join in with. It will be uploaded to our website and ready to be viewed each week soon after 10.30am. www.allsaintschildwall.org.uk
This Sunday 10th January Rev. Dick Williams will be preaching at our online service. Dick has been a very active member of All Saints Church for many years and his ministry has been valued and appreciated immensely. It is fantastic that as Dick celebrates his 90th birthday this coming Monday he is still actively serving God in ministry and able to preach this weekend.
Rock Club Online!– Our youth & children’s worker Gypsey has developed online activities for Pebbles, Rock Club & Boulders.Available on our website: https://www.allsaintschildwall.org.uk/online-rock-club/
If you would like to be kept informed and receive specific emails detailing our Youth & Children’s Worship please can you let us know by emailing gypsey.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com
Evening Prayer every Sunday at 6pm – Every Sunday evening the Readers will be hosting a weekly service of Evening Prayer on Zoom at 6pm. Using the Zoom facility, the Readers will host Evening Prayer each Sunday at 6.00pm. The liturgy and the readings will all appear on the screen and there will be a short reflection on the New Testament passage which has been set for the day. Please join us. Garry Critchley
Meeting ID: 789 873 7449 Passcode: Newsman1
For further details please contact me at garry.critchley@gmail.com 0151 722 9643
All Saints Buddy Scheme
If you are self-isolating and would value some help, support or a regular chat or know someone else who would locally please text or email Mary Harrison at mary.harrison32@virginmedia.comwith details.
The aims of the scheme are to keep in touch with members of our church family and community who are isolated or vulnerable and to provide them with spiritual support and, if possible, practical support. We currently have enough people willing to be buddies in fact a number of them are waiting to have people to buddy with.
Weekly News – If you are aware of anyone who is not receiving all the weekly news that we are sending out please ask them to send me their email address so I can add them to our master email list.
FREE money for All Saints Church when you shop online
easyfundraising.org.uk is the UK’s leading charity online shopping website. It helps good causes raise money when people shop online. The online retailers will donate a percentage of your purchase to All Saints Church without you incurring any extra cost. It just takes a minute to register and then each time you shop online simply login to easyfundraisingand click on the link to your chosen retailer.
To register just follow the simple steps below Go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk1. Click on ‘Find a cause’ and type in All Saints Church-Childwall.2. Fill out the quick form to register your details. 3. Find the retailer you want to shop with.
4.Click on Go Shopping to visit the retailer’s site. 5. Shop as you normally would.
6.Remember, save easyfundraising.org.uk as a favourite and next time you want to shop online simply log into your account, find your retailer and click Go Shopping.
7.The retailer’s donation will be show in your account within 30 days.
Thousands of retailers are signed up to donate to our cause when you shop online, e.g. Amazon, Tesco, Asda, Toys R Us, Debenhams, Argos, John Lewis, npower, BT, Dixons, Aviva, Thomas Cook, Virgin Media, Virgin Trains, Sky and many more ……..
| If you shop online regularly imagine how much money we could raiseat no extra cost to you! Please tell your friends and family. |
Weekly Prayer requests – If you would like other members of our church family to pray for you or a family member, please send me their names for this sheet, please ask permission from the person. Please pray for all those who are unwell at this time particularly praying for Bill Maitland and Nicoli Gray (Carole Turner’s daughter)
Pastoral visiting – Current Government guidelines mean that we cannot visit people and go inside their homes. Any face to face visiting will have to happen from the front gate. If you would value a chat or know anyone who would appreciate a visit please let Helen or me know, our phone numbers and email addresses are at the bottom of this sheet, Thank You.
WEEKLY PRAYER MEETING – Weekly prayer meeting Thursday 6.30pm on Zoom. Why not join a group of us at All Saints that pray regularly. It lasts 40 minutes, you can pray, sit and listen or just contemplate.
Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79853782379?pwd=NEloclhRVEJST3RFeUdUVEowSWJRUT09
Meeting ID: 798 5378 2379 Password: 7VUQh6 Aidan Holmes
Zoom Sunday coffee – Every Sunday 11.15am for 40 mins – remember to bring your own coffee!
Zoom Coffee – every Sunday at 11.15am Meeting ID: 842 767 1496 Password: 4allsaints
With our prayers for you all at this time
Andrew Colmer – Vicar – Tel: 07305 842257 – vicar.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com
Helen Deegan – Curate – Tel: 07984 933467 – curate.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com
Gypsey Tait – Youth & Children’s Worker – Tel: 07961 793435 –gypsey.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com
Bill Forster – Associate Minister – william.forster1@btinternet.com
