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!