Dear Church Friends,
It’s hard to believe that we are half-way through August. No doubt some of you are spreading your wings and going away on holiday. I hope you keep safe and enjoy the change of scenery. We are pleased that more people are returning to join our Sunday worship for the first time. It’s wonderful to see you again. The procedures in place for current services seem to be working and last Sunday quite a lot of people stayed for coffee afterwards.
The gardens welcomed the recent rain and already the grass of our brown lawn is becoming greener. We are fortunate not to live in tinder dry countries where extreme heat and wildfires are threatening people, livestock, crops and homes. Britain may experience ‘bad weather events’, but nothing like the fires which destroy everything in their paths. We have much to thank our Lord for.
The power of prayer.
A young lady whom I will call S knelt to pray. She had been asked to help a starving family in Romania. She knew she could get them sponsored, but it would take a month and they didn’t have a month. She worked out how much it would need to feed and clothe them for a month and asked her Lord for it. Thousands of miles away a man had just received a large cheque and felt an urge to donate 10% to S (whom he had heard of but had never met) for her charitable work. The amount donated was the same amount that she had asked for and all this happened about the same time she knelt to pray. God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.
A prayer seen many years ago in a church magazine.
Lord, grant me I pray –
Courage when the best things fail me,
Calm and poise when storms assail me,
Common sense when things perplex me,
A sense of humour when they vex me,
Hope when disappointments damp me,
Wider vision when life cramps me,
Kindness when folk need it badly,
Readiness to help them gladly,
And when effort seems in vain –
Wisdom to begin again.
Praise in the Park, Sunday 22nd August, 4.00 pm Service at Fairhaven Lake (Plus walks from Lytham 2.45 pm and St Annes 3.00 pm) Churches Together in St Annes are supporting the event and they hope that the Churches of Lytham and Ansdell will also support it.
The walk from Lytham will leave from the Promenade near Lytham Lifeboat station at 2.45 pm and the walk from St Annes will leave from near St Annes Pier at 3.00 pm. You are welcome to join in with any or all of the walk from your local area or just attend the service. The two groups will meet up and the service will take place at Fairhaven Lake at 4.00 pm at the usual place near the Spitfire (former tennis court grassed area with a hedge) and will last about 30 minutes. Please note that in the event of wet weather the service will be held at St Paul’s Church, Fairhaven.
Our Worship on Sunday 15th August at 10.45am will be led by Rev Janet Calderley
Our Worship on Sunday 22nd August at 10.45am will be led by Rev Terry Hudson
Our Worship on Sunday 29th August at 10.45am will be led by Margaret Russell. This will be a climate-focused service in the run-up to the COP26 conference in November 2021.
Reminder You are invited to Afternoon Tea this Saturday, 14th August 2pm – 4pm at Janet’s Manse 12 Normoss Road, Poulton le Fylde Blackpool. FY3 0AL (NB. Corrected postcode, as L missing last week)
No need to book – just turn up. Please bring a folding chair with you.
I AM Bible Study Sessions
I AM – A Bible study in 8 sessions at 4 locations: Hambleton URC Monday 7pm starting on 4/10/21; Poulton URC Wednesday 7pm starting on 6/10.21; Fleetwood URC Thursday 2pm starting on 7/10/21; Fairhaven URC Friday 2pm starting on 8/10/21. Contact Rev Jim on 07484221809 for further details. Jim encourages people to move around the various locations and meet new people.
Let us pray
Dear Lord Jesus,
We pray for all young people who have received their exam results this week. Please be with them as they move onto the next stage of their lives, possibly living away from family and home for the first time. We pray for those who are unwell, in body or in spirit, and ask You to comfort and support them through difficult times. Thank you for being our rock. Be there when we need You to carry us through our troubles. In Your name, Amen
Please join me in saying the Grace together.
May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and evermore. Amen
God Bless you all
Ruth
