January 2014 and why I am excited to pray!

I know that the Christmas season is almost upon us and there is alot taking place over the next few weeks. However, I want to take an opportunity to let you know some of what we have planned at The King's Church Mid-Sussex for the New Year.

In January 2014, rather than having a week of prayer, we are instead planning for a month of prayer. We are looking at various ideas to help us pray and I want to highlight three specific things that will take place.

1. Sunday Morning Teaching

Starting on Sunday 29th December, we are going to spend our Sunday mornings looking at different aspects of prayer. This is with one goal in mind; that we may know him better (Ephesians 1 v 17).

2. The Boiler Room

As I mentioned, we are not planning to have a Prayer Week in January. However we are doing something new. The Boiler Room will take place on Sunday 12th, 19th and 26th January from 7.00-9.00pm. Inspired by Spurgeon's description of prayer meetings being the 'Boiler Room' of church life, we are going to give these three evenings to 'knowing God' through worship and through prayer. We want to create more room and more time to enjoy his presence and, at the start of the year, hear from God for our church in 2014.

3. 31 days to Pray

Each day in January we plan to send, via email, and upload, on Facebook, ideas and resources to help us to pray.  We'll hear, via short videos, from a whole range of people who are members at The King's Church Mid-Sussex who will give us prayer pointers for that day. For those not online we will transcribe these videos and have printed versions for people to pick up at church.

To sign up to receive these daily prayer pointers send an email to prayer@tkc.org.uk with a message that says 'sign me up' and we will!

We are excited to start 2014, together, in prayer and I hope you are too. 

Philippines Response

The pictures that have been released showing the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines are hard to comprehend. I am sure, like me, you have watched the news with a sense of shock and huge sadness. Thousands have died and hundreds of thousands have been made homeless. Entire communities need to be rebuilt from scratch. How do we respond to such a crisis?

1. Pray

Sometimes we do not know how to respond or what to do, but we can all pray. We can pray for the families who have lost members in the tragedy. Pray for the organisations bringing much needed relief. Pray for those making decisions about the use of resources. Pray for energy for those working on the ground to care for people. We can all pray.  

For news and updates to fuel your prayers why not check out the Tearfund webpage dedicated to the Philippines response: 

http://www.tearfund.org/en/news/philippines_typhoon/ 

2. Personal Response

I know many of you will have already given to the response fund but if you have not and want to make a financial donation there are great organisations you can give to who will ensure that your money is used in the best possible way. Here are a couple of recommendations:

Disaster Emergecy Committee - http://www.dec.org.uk/appeals/philippines-typhoon-appeal

Tearfund - http://www.tearfund.org/en/news/philippines_typhoon/

3. Christmas Appeal 

We have decided that at TKC we will take up a special offering at our Christmas celebrations that are taking place on the 15th and the 22nd December specifically for the Philippines. We are working out the best route through which to channel this money but everything given on those Sundays will go the Philippines.

4. Autumn Gift days

We also plan to put aside a portion of what has been given at our recent Autumn Gift Days. We have links with a Newfrontiers church in the Philippines. In fact the leaders, Eden and Fe, have visited our church and stayed with members of TKC. They are in a part of the Philippines that did not experience the devastation of some places, however, they are on the ground supporting people across the nation who are seeking to rebuild their lives. We want to be able to support this church in the efforts they are making to respond to the crisis so will be sending a gift their way.

If you were away over the last two weekend and still want to give to our Autumn Gift Days it is not too late. You can do a bank transfer, or send a cheque to the TKC office. For more info please visit 

http://www.tkc.org.uk/Groups/197785/The_Kings_Church/Get_Involved/Giving/Giving.aspx

Jim

I'm an Englishman in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa

It was a huge privilege to spend a few days in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia recently. I travelled there with Edward and Fridah Buria and stayed with a beautiful family who live in this vast capital city. We spent time with the leadership team of Eden Genet (Garden of Eden) church on the Saturday morning; I had met some of them before so it was excellent to see them again. They are a humble, faith filled and courageous team who are leading a great church in a hard place.

It was wonderful to preach in this church on the Sunday and speak about the values that connect our church in Mid-Sussex to their church in Addis; grace, apostolic ministry, welcoming the Spirit, making Jesus famous.

Dukem

On the Saturday afternoon we travelled for about an hour outside of the city to a town called Dukem. Dukem has a population of about 40,000 and is on the main road into Addis Ababa.

In this city, prostitution is rife and as a result there is an HIV/AIDS crisis. In this town there is also a church, planted by Eden Genet in Addis Ababa, that gathers about 30 people. As far as we know there are no other evangelical churches in this town.

They are a shining light in a dark place and it was a joy to visit them. Their building is simple; their vision is huge. When we were there a team came with us from Kenya to do some work on this basic structure to make it more robust.

Kenyans, Ethiopians, Brits all working together to see the Kingdom of God advance - I love it!

In the New Testament we see a precedent for churches in one city and nation serving and supporting other churches in different cities and nations. Paul wrote to the church in Rome about the generosity of the church in Macedonia who supported the church in Jerusalem.

I find this so inspiring as the local church was never meant to have a small vision, I believe God's intention was that local churches cared about and were committed to God's Kingdom advancing to the ends of the earth.

I shared some of my stories from my recent travels to Kenya and Ethiopia last Sunday at The King's Church Mid-Sussex and spoke about ways that we can get involved in serving these churches. To hear that message click on this link:

http://www.tkc.org.uk/Media/Player.aspx?media_id=116433&file_id=126879

This coming Sunday 10 November and the week after, Sunday 17 November, we have Gift Days at The King's Church Mid-Sussex. We have an amazing opportunity to serve and support this church in Dukem, Ethiopia. We also have an opportunity to serve and support the church in Kambakia, Kenya as well as invest into what God is doing here in Mid-Sussex.

We have so many resources in the west and have an amazing opportunity to bless others as we give. Every £1 makes a difference. Let me encourage you to pray and to plan for the gift days coming up. Paul says this about the church in Macedonia in 2 Corinthians 8:

"And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. ² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people."

Let's follow this inspirational example and see what God might do over the next couple of weeks.

Eldership Appointment at TKC

Thursday 21 November 2013

This is just a quick post to draw people's attention to an important and exciting date in the life of The King's Church Mid-Sussex.

Earlier at the start of September, when Dave Holden was with us for the evening, I announced that we were planning to bring Tim Goodenough into Eldership at TKC. At the moment Steve Cornford and I are Elders and it has been on our heart for some time to grow this Eldership Team.

It is evident that the grace of God is on Tim and Rachel and we believe it is the right time for Tim to become part of the Eldership Team.

So...we plan to bring Tim into Eldership on Thursday 21 November, at 7.45pm at The King's Centre. 

Please get this date in your diary as I'd like as many people as possible to be there to pray for and show our support for Tim and Rachel.

The evening will include worship and prayer and I am delighted to say that Dave Holden will be with us and will take a key role in the evening, praying for Tim and Rachel and releasing Tim in Eldership.

Dave leads the New Ground network of churches that we are part of and you can find out more about New Ground by clicking here http://newgroundchurches.org

It's an important and exciting step for us all. If you have any comments or questions about this please don't hesitate to email me at jim.partridge@tkc.org.uk

The Barnabas Conference - Seminars

The Barnabas Conference

We are busy making the final plans for 'The Barnabas Conference' which is taking place on 05 October. We believe it is going to be really significant event for our church, and for other churches who are booking delegates in. I want to let you know some more information regarding the seminars that are taking place on the day. There will be four options as follows: Social Justice and Politics – Natalie Williams Christians are more likely to vote and join political parties than average, but should we be involved in politics? And, if so, how do we get involved and how involved should we get? In this seminar we'll explore the why, when and how of churches and Christians engaging in politics, influencing decision-makers and standing up for justice.   Social Enterprise – Geoff Knott Rethinking the business/charity divide. How can we create innovative ways of achieving social impact whilst creating economic value and effective businesses? Some of these will be social enterprises - a growing, worldwide movement of businesses that exist to change the world for the better. Businesses that trade to tackle social problems, improve communities, people’s life chances, or the environment. Businesses need business people. These are not grant maintained social initiatives. How can the Church encourage such entrepreneurship? Geoff will be taking a deeper look.   Local Partnerships – Martin Charlesworth Effective social action and community engagement often requires partnerships – with other churches, with other agencies, with local authorities, with Christian national charities. How do we best approach such partnerships? What can we learn from examples in other parts of the country?   Evangelism and social action – Miles Jarvis How do these two vital parts of the Christian life interact? What would the early church have said if this question was even raised?! This seminar will discuss the role evangelism has within social action and why this should even be an issue. The Gospel of the Kingdom, holistic mission and other key issues will be explored in this interactive seminar. As well as these superb seminars the day will include main sessions, worship, networking groups and interviews. It is going to be great day. If you have not yet booked your place go to... http://www.tkc.org.uk/Articles/365013/The_Kings_Church/Events/Barnabas_Conference.aspx There is special rate for TKC members. I really hope you can make this day; God has called us to be a church known as having a heart for the poor that will extend out amongst our community.  I believe this day is a key stepping stone in us moving forward in this area.

TKC this weekend (8 September)

The beginning of September is always a bit crazy!  We, as a family, have just landed back from holiday, have one daughter starting secondary school, one in primary school, one child in play group and one still in nappies - we have walked into a very full but exciting couple of weeks.

September is also a very important month in the life of our church. It always feels like a new chapter beginning as we gather back from summer holidays and look at the year ahead. And this Sunday is a really important part of laying out what the next few months are going to be all about.

Morning meeting - 10.30am

In our morning meeting, I will be preaching and casting vision for the next season in the life of TKC. Bill Hybels, a church leader from the states, said that casting vision in the local church was saying:

"Hey gang, there is a better future out there. We’re here. The future God has for us is out there, and I believe that in His power and by His strength, we can move there!” 

Hybels talks about "painting a picture of the future that creates passion in people." 

As we come into this term there is so much happening and so much to get excited about: 

• our growing relationship with Dave Holden and the New Ground group of churches
• our SeeKenya team travelling to Kenya next week
• the launch of our largest ever Alpha campaign 
• the development by YMCA of our property in Mill Road and potential partnership opportunities 
• the Barnabas Conference seeking to help churches engage with their communities 
• a new teaching series on God'sheart for the poor
• and much more

I would love you to be there on Sunday morning to hear more about it including prophetic words, interviews, video and prayer - I am so excited to cast vision for the next chapter in our life together.

Evening meeting - 7.30pm

Then in the evening at 7.30pm, Dave Holden will be with us. We will worship, share some important TKC news and then will we hand over to Dave to share about the New Ground group of churches that we are joining. 

Dave will be accompanied by a French leader called Nathan and we'll hear some of what is happening with church planting in mainland Europe. 

Dave will also share his heart about new Ground and how we, as a church, can engage with all that is going on and there will be time to pray together too. 

Important, exciting, strategic stuff!  I hope you can be there.

  

Sense & Sexuality: One Sunday Left

This coming Sunday (28 July) will be the last in our current 'Sense and Sexuality' series. I have been so encouraged by the feedback of lives changed and the impact it seems that this series has had.

As well as our Sunday meetings, it was brilliant to see over 40 guys last Saturday morning at the Men's Seminar and, the previous weekend, 45 married couples crowded into the cafe for the evening about 'Sex and Marriage'.

Last Sunday I preached about 'Loving the LGBT community'. If you have not yet heard the message you can download it from here:

http://www.tkc.org.uk/Media/Player.aspx?media_id=111695&file_id=121818




During that message I regularly quoted from a helpful little book written by a guy called Sam Allberry called 'Is God Anti-Gay?'.  Sam is an evangelical vicar who has same-sex attraction and has written this excellent resource.






Another book I mentioned was 'Washed and Waiting' by an American called Wesley Hill. Again I found this to be a really helpful insight and if you want to read further then this would be a good book to get.

This coming Sunday (28 July) is the final message in this 'Sense and Sexuality' series. I am excited to be concluding these messages with a big focus on Jesus and the cross, please do join us at The King's Centre at 10.30am if you can. 

Also, a quick reminder, please remember that we have a women's seminar this Sunday evening that will be really worth while attending - 7.30pm at The King's Centre, Burgess Hill.  

Sense and Sexuality: The Meaning of Marriage

Last Sunday was Part 3 of our 'Sense and Sexuality' series at The King's Church Mid-Sussex.  If you were not around you can download the message - 'A High View of Marriage' - from here:

http://www.tkc.org.uk/Media/Player.aspx?media_id=111055&file_id=121172

During the message I read from Tim and Kathy Keller's magnficent book 'The Meaning of Marriage'. This is, by far, the best book on marriage I have read. I can't recommend it highly enough whether you are married or single.

I guess many of you will be anticipating a break during the summer and are thinking through what you could read. Let me encourage you to read this. Here is the link to the book on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Meaning-Marriage-Complexities-Commitment/dp/1444702157/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373481140&sr=8-1&keywords=meaning+of+marriage

Sense & Sexuality: signposting us to a bigger picture

It has been so good to hear some of the feedback from our current 'Sense and Sexuality' series. Many people are saying that they have never heard this stuff talked about in church, others are getting fresh revelation from God, still others are enjoying freedom from some wrong ideas or past experiences. 

If you have not had chance to hear last week's message you can download it here:

http://www.tkc.org.uk/Media/Player.aspx?media_id=110755&file_id=120851 

As you can probably imagine, I have been doing a lot of reading for this current teaching series. In one of the books I read I came across this quote from TIME magazine.

‘Of all the splendidly ridiculous, transcendently fulfilling things humans do, it is sex … that most confounds understanding. What in the world are we doing?  Why in the world are we so consumed by it?  The impulse to procreate may lie at the heart of sex, but … bursting from our sexual centre is a whole spangle of other things – art, song, romance, obsession, rapture, sorrow, companionship, love, even violence and criminality – all playing an enormous role in everything from our physical health to our emotional health to our politics, our communities, our very life spans.

Why should this be so?  Did nature simply overload us in the mating department…?  Or is there something smarter and subtler at work, some large interplay among sexuality, life and what it means to be human?

Time Magazine, Jan 19 2004

Why in the world is our culture so consumed by sex? Is there something smarter and subtler at work regarding what it means to be human? 

This link between what it means to be human, our sexuality and there being something smarter and subtler at work is exactly the message of the Bible. We are created by a loving God to reflect his image. Our sexuality is given as a gift by God - he, contrary to popular opinion, is for sex not against it. Yet because it is so good, and because of the nature of this gift, it needs to be cared for within the faithful covenant of marriage.

However, our sexuality, expressed within marriage is meant to signpost us to something else; something beyond us, something eternal, something glorious.

What is it pointing us to? Come along to TKC this Sunday to find out more - 10.30am at the King's Centre, Burgess Hill. 

Sense & Sexuality: Walking in the light

So we are underway!  Last Sunday we launched our new teaching series 'Sense and Sexuality' and I preached about the Bible's high view on sex. If you were not around on Sunday you can download the message here:

http://www.tkc.org.uk/Media/Player.aspx?media_id=110382&file_id=120471

During the message I talked about how we can be shaped by our culture and/or upbringing and how our view of sex and sexuality can be influenced by things we see, hear and experience.

None of us are immune from this and, through advancements in online technology, access to sexually explicit material is now easier to get hold of than ever before. Every second 30,000 people are watching porn online.

And the statistics suggest that Christians are not immune from this temptation and, as it can lead, from this addiction. I think it's time we lifted the lid on this conversation, brought some stuff into the light and prayed for the power of God  to come and help us live a life which is free. There have been times in my life where I have struggled with the temptation of looking at stuff online and I want to help men find freedom from this.

So I am hosting a seminar for men on Saturday 20th July from 9.00am-10.30am at The King's Centre where I am going to do some teaching on this subject, hear some stories from guys who have found freedom, give some practical tools for how we can protect ourselves and be accountable and find time to pray for one another. Let me encourage you to come along so we can live in the light, please email me at jim.partridge@tkc.org.uk if you can come.

However, this is not a bloke only issue. The number of women becoming addicted to online porn is rising all the time and the phenomenal success of "50 shades of grey" highlights a growing trend in our culture. So we are also doing a seminar for women where similar themes are covered. This will be on Sunday 21st July from 7.30pm-9.00pm at The King's Centre. If you have questions about this please email info@tkc.org.uk.

I am praying that this teaching series will bring real freedom, but this will happen more fully as we bring things into the light.

Also, let me remind you married couples out there of the marriage seminar on Sunday 14th July, 7.30pm at The King's Centre. If you have not yet let us know you are coming please do so ASAP!

Married? Let's talk about Sex!

In a couple of weeks time we are starting a new teaching series at our Sunday meetings at The King's Church Mid-Sussex.

'Sense and Sexuality' starts on Sunday 23 June and over six weeks we will be looking at what the Bible says about identity, sexuality, relationships, singleness, marriage and much much more.

However, we also want to do some teaching outside of the Sunday morning context in order to develop and add to what is taught. So, in addition to the Sunday mornings, we are planning a number of specific 'seminar' style events for people to opt in to. I will be explaining more about the different options available via this blog so keep checking in but the first one I want to highlight is an evening for married couples.

Married? Let's talk about Sex. 

On Sunday 14 July Dominique and I will be hosting an evening for married couples where we will have a very frank, honest, fun and informal conversation about sex and marriage. With input from ourselves, Carl and Caren Jones and Brian and Kay Reynolds, we are wanting to talk about how we can maintain and develop healthy sex lives within our marriages that honour one another and glorify God.  

The brilliant American author John Ortberg writes that "Sex, in light of Jesus' teaching, always involves God, because God is the creator of humans. Therefore God is inevitably deeply concerned that sex be expressed, enjoyed, savoured, and relished in accordance with his design."

Sexual intimacy within marriage is designed by God to be enjoyed, savoured and relished and the Bible says a lot about how this is to happen. However, the reality is we rarely talk about these things within the context of church and, for some married couples, this subject can become a source of conflict rather than celebration yet people often feel unable to talk about it and receive input and support. 

Sex has become taboo. We think it's time to lift the lid on the conversation. 

So we are going to talk about subjects such as the difference between men and women when it comes to sex and intimacy, we'll talk about communication and how married couples can talk together honestly about sex, we'll talk about how to keep romance alive and kicking within marriage. There may even be time for some Q&A.

If you are married and want to come along, then the evening will start at 7.30pm and will run at The King's Centre, Burgess Hill.  It would be helpful to know if you are planning to come so please email me at jim.partridge@tkc.org.uk to let me know.

More information about the other seminars will be coming out soon.

Courage on Father's Day

I had a great chat with Major-General Tim Cross this afternoon and I am really looking forward to his visit with us in a couple of weeks on Father's Day.

Tim will be speaking on the subject of courage and as he has served in some of the harshest situations and most difficult conflicts in recent history, he is well positioned to speak on such a subject.

Can I encourage you to consider inviting people to come to church on Father's Day and hear Tim speak?. He has an amazing story and speaks with great authority and integrity. And he is really passionate about following Jesus. It's a great opportunity to introduce someone to our church.

Sunday 16 June, 10.30am at The King's Centre, Burgess Hill. 

Plus, as it's Father's Day, there may even be a Yorkie Bar in it for the blokes!  What more reason do you need to come to church?!

Sundays in June

We have some exciting Sunday's coming up in June.  

Obviously, we value every opportunity to gather on a Sunday and to worship Jesus together. I have been so encouraged recently by the hunger, expectation and engagement in worship; it really feels like God is doing something new amongst us. However, in addition to this there are some other great reasons not to miss our Sunday meetings over the next few weeks.

Sunday 02 June - John Hosier

We are delighted that John Hosier will be preaching at TKC this coming Sunday. John was, for many years, an Elder at CCK, Brighton but is now on the Eldership team at Citygate Church, Bournemouth.

He is widely respected as a Bible teacher and he will be continuing our series from Galatians. He has also authored a number of books including 'Christ's Radiant Church'.

Sunday 09 June - Baptism Celebration

There is nothing more exciting than hearing people's stories of how Jesus has changed their lives.

On Sunday 9 June we are going to celebrate with another three people as they get baptised. It will be another  opportunity to celebrate, thank God and remember that the gospel is still changing lives today. 

Kieran Dunne will be preaching and it will be a great Sunday to invite people to try out church.

Sunday 16 June - Father's Day with Major-General Tim Cross

It is wonderful to welcome back our friend Tim Cross. Tim had a long and distinguised career in the British Military including a very senior role in command of the British Forces in Iraq.

He also follows Jesus and we are so glad he's coming back to TKC to preach. We are also planning some other elements for Father's Day, so this will be another excellent opportunity to invite people to church. 



I hope that you can make these Sundays. Also remember that on Sunday 23 June we start our new 'Sense and Sexuality' series; I will be blogging more about that soon.

Sense & Sexuality: why we are doing a teaching series on Sex at TKC

Sense and Sexuality

On Sunday 23 June this year we are going to start a new teaching series at The King's Church Mid-Sussex called 'Sense and Sexuality'.

For a number of years I have thought about doing a teaching series like this but it has not felt like the right moment, however, I feel God has clearly led me to do the series this year.  So for 5 weeks (maybe more!) I will be teaching Sunday by Sunday on a number of themes relating to this huge and significant issue.

The reality is this; sex and sexuality is one of the driving forces, if not the driving force, in our culture and yet I have rarely heard much teaching about it in the church. This is tragic because sex is God's idea and he created it for good. Many of us grew up in churches that seemed to suggest that sex was bad or wrong. Certainly it was taboo; never spoken about within the walls of the church. But God created sex, God created us as sexual beings, sex was his idea! So why the silence?

The reality is also this; as the church has remained silent on the issue the rest of the world has found it's own view of sex outside of God's original plan and intent.

Why do we need a teaching series on Sex and Sexuality? 

Because $90 billion dollars are spent every year on the porn industry
Because America spends more on porn than it does on foreign aid
Because today 27 million people are bought and sold as slaves - many into the sex industry
Because the number 1 consumer of internet porn is 12-17 year old boys
Because in the UK in 2011 there were nearly 200,000 unwanted pregnancies that led to abortion
Because in the UK in 2009 nearly 500,000 people contracted an STI
Because in the USA 90% of 8-16 year olds have seen pornagraphic images
Because many people are hurt, wounded and damaged because of abusive sexual relationships

And because God has a much higher and more beautiful plan for human sex and sexuality than that which we see around us. And here's the thing, not many people know what it is. He is a God of extravagent love, forgiveness, grace and healing and the Bible says alot about Sex and Sexuality.

So, we are going to spend some time looking at this together at The King's Church Mid-Sussex - identity, relationships, singleness, marriage, sexuality.

Sense and Sexuality starting 23 June.

More info will be coming soon.

Galatians: Authentic Living

Galatians: Authentic Living

On Sunday 05 May we start a new teaching series at The King's Church Mid-Sussex. We are going to spend six weeks delving into the New Testament letter to the Galatians.

Paul reserves some of his fiercest words for this letter and for this church. Having received the gospel of grace the church in Galatia were beginning to add in all kinds of rules, restrictions and laws that prevented people living in genuine freedom. Some of the most powerful statements in the New Testament are found in this amazing letter including the declaration in chapter 5 v 1 that "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free".

We, as a leadership team, are praying that people will find a fresh revelation of freedom as we explore what authentic, gospel centred, spirit filled, Christianity looks like.

As part of this series, we are delighted that John Hosier will be coming to TKC to preach. John is an experienced and well known Bible teacher and author whose wisdom and gift for preaching will serve us brilliantly. He is with us on Sunday June 2. 

I am looking forward to it - and I hope you are to.  Join us every Sunday at The King's Centre, Burgess Hill at 10.30am. For more info email info@tkc.org.uk