St James Churches Gerrards Cross and Fulmer
Bring, Build, Send
James Leach
James Leach speaking at St James Gerrards Cross Oxford Road a one-off session to accompany this term’s sermon series on Monday 16th Jan at 8:00pm.
Download the handout James is talking from here.
Click to listen on our podcast website
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The Best News in the World
Read the Whole Story of the Bible in 2012
‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:105)
What?
After the success of the Bible in a Year Challenge in 2010 we’re encouraging members of St. James to read the whole story of the Bible in 2012. This time round you can engage with the challenge on one of two levels (see below). This ‘big picture’ reading will complement the more in-depth study of John’s gospel we’ll be doing in our Sunday sermon series in the first term of 2012.
Why?
Reading God’s word regularly and prayerfully is a life transforming experience as God’s Spirit speaks to us through his written word. Setting out to read the whole story of the Bible has a number of benefits:
How?
For 2012 we’re suggesting two options:
Scripture Union also publish Big Bible Challenge, a child/family-friendly version of E100. Why not use that as a resource for reading the Bible together as a family?
A simple Bible study method
Whether you’re reading the Bible as an individual, as a couple, as a family, or as a small group, here’s a simple model for reading the Bible that uses the acronym SOAP:
S – Scripture. Read a passage from the Bible.
O – Observe the who?, what?, when?, where?, why? plus anything else that strikes you; maybe write down your observations in a notebook.
A – Apply. How does this apply to me? To the church? To our culture?
P – Pray – let the Bible passage guide you. Pray for yourself and for other people that come to mind.
Resources
NIV Bible in One Year Hardback ISBN 978-1444703160
NIV Bible in One Year Paperback ISBN 978-1444703153
(Kindle and iBook versions also available)
Essential 100 Paperback ISBN 978-1844275663
(For Group Study Guide see E100 Challenge website)
Big Bible Challenge ISBN 978-1844275847
http://www.htb.org.uk/bible-in-one-year
http://www.e100challenge.org.uk/
St James Bible in a Year reading plan
For further details contact James Leach (01753 886480)
‘In his great mercy God has given us new birth into a living hope’ – 1 Peter 1: 3
Available now, readings and music from St James. Features ‘May The God of Hope’ written and performed by Chris Boggon and the St James Gospel Choir.
Get your copy from the welcome desk for £3, or to download the album free: Click Here
Sunday 27 November 2011: Song Café
Neil and Tanya Wilson: Music that glorifies God
Neil has been Worship Leader at St James since September. Neil and his wife Tanya spoke about their life, their faith, their passions and their music. And sang us key songs from their life!
Sunday, 6 November 2011: Life Stories
Richard and Carolyn Davey: A life in mission
Richard & Carolyn have been missionaries with WEC since 1980, both in Senegal and the UK. They have been members of St James for many years and will move to Leamington in 2012. At later@saintjames they told their story.
Are science and Christian faith compatible?
Hear Professor Russell Cowburn FRS, Director of Research at Cambridge University’s Cavendish Laboratory address St James Church, recorded on 10th November 2011.
Russell is a physicist who specialises in the area of nanotechnology. As a Christian who is also a scientist, he is well placed to address this controversial area, and has debated leading atheist Lewis Wolpert in the past.
Get the latest sermon series box set from the Saint James Centre welcome desk. Real Church – Lessons from Acts, with added CD-ROM containing videos and handouts used during the series.
Alternatively download all sermons from our podcast page here: (but you won’t get the CD-ROM!!!)
Please click on one of the links for more resources:
Download the ProVison brochure
Watch the ProVision presentation by Martin Williams on YouTube.
We are thinking about prayer in all our Sunday services this week. Here is a list of books on prayer that St James staff have found helpful in the past. Some of them may be out of print, but there are usually great bargains to be had for second hand books. The list is not in order of priority (A-Z by first name) and the books deal with a variety of themes around prayer – usually the subtitle will make that clear.
Why not try one of them to stoke your prayer life?
Alice Smith: Beyond the Veil: Entering into Intimacy with God through Prayer
Andrew Murray: Waiting on God
Andrew Murray: The Prayer Life (A classic)
Bill Hybels: Too busy not to pray (Very practical, great for new Christians)
Brother Lawrence: The Practice of the Presence of God (17th century contemplative classic!)
C.S. Lewis: Letters to Malcolm
Clift & Kathleen Richards: Praying Bible Promises
D.A. Carson: A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers (More advanced and theological)
Dallas Willard: Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God
Jason Mandryk: Operation World: The Definitive Guide to Every Nation (Key resource for informed intercession)
John Pritchard: How to Pray (good introduction by the Bishop of Oxford)
Joyce Huggett: Listening to God: Hearing His Voice
Madame Guyon: Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ (French mystic around 1700, very practical)
Margaret Feinberg: God Whispers: Learning to Hear His Voice
Paul Yonggi Cho: Prayer – The Key to Revival
Pete Greig: God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer
Philip Yancey: Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference? (A journalist’s approach)
R A Torrey: How to Pray: Praying with Power and Authority (A classic from the Moody revival movement)
Stormie Omartian: The Power of a Praying Wife / Parent / Woman
James Leach, Director of Training, has written an article on the Christian response to natural disasters, which first appeared in the church magazine.
It is avalaible for download here.
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