We’ve come to that time in the year again when we participate in the global movement called Thy Kingdom Come. We pray for ten days between Ascension and Pentecost (26th May to 5th June) that five people whom God places on our hearts may come to Christ. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on how we reach others with the Good News as well as pray that God’s Kingdom may indeed come in a world that is so troubled right now. This period is also a public celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Do take the opportunity to engage with your local community. Remember that our Queen has been outspoken about her Christian faith, particularly in recent years. Here’s an intro from Justin Welby.

Daily Prayer Journal

View and/or download the prayer guide https://tinyurl.com/22vujxtz

Day 1 (Ascension Day) Resources https://tinyurl.com/yyp5sre9

Download the App

With daily Bible readings, inspiring videos from a range of influential voices and audio reflections from 24-7 Prayer GB Lectio 365,the award-winning free app will guide you through the global wave of prayer, from Ascension to Pentecost.

The App is also available in several other languages.

Download the app:

📲Apple: https://apple.co/3MC6d1j
📲Android: https://bit.ly/389mg7O and space to pray for your five people.

Thy Kingdom Come at MRBC

MRBC Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/MRBCFelixstowe . Material will be updated daily through the TKC period.

We’re not having an Ascension Service this year but we will be starting this time with an act of witness on 27th as we invite our neighbours and friends for Tea and Cake. Consider who you may pray for during TKC and perhaps invite to Tea and Cake, Home Craft, or if they live away, think how you may reflect Jesus in how you speak and act. Both Tea and Cake and Home Craft will be regular events after these initial dates. Tea and Cake will be once a month and Home Craft twice a month.

This Sunday’s Service is at church at 10-30am. Mark is doing his second talk in the series on Isaiah 6 entitled Growing Back Stronger

This Sunday Mark will be exploring Isaiah 6 in a series related to Thy Kingdom Come. Do check out our TKC Page for more information. This week we will be looking at Isaiah’s words in verse 11: “How long, O Lord.”

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FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION

Read Isaiah chapter 6:1-13

1. Have you ever had an experience of the presence of God which was life-changing for you? In what sort of circumstances may we expect a strong experience of the presence of God?

2. Isaiah accepted a commission from God to speak to a people who basically weren’t going to respond well to the message God was giving him to speak? To what extent should we expect that to be true as we follow the Great Commission (Matt 28:1802) today.

3. The people Isaiah was commissioned to prophesy to were the Jews, the people of God? They had been blessed during Uzziah’s reign, but what was the sin that had been besetting them for generations? You may need to read other chapters in Isaiah and look through Kings or Chronicles to find some – they are plentiful!

4. What do you think the besetting sins of the church in our country (and other western countries) that have brought us into decline. For help, the letters to the seven churches in Asia in Revelation 1-4 will give you lots of clues? Do you agree with Mark that the decline has been largely the church’s fault, or is it because of society’s sins, or “God moving in mysterious ways?”

5. Is further decline of the church in the UK (and in Felixstowe) inevitable and all we can do is “move the deckchairs on the Titanic”? Is it reversible now, or do we have to suffer further loss before anything significant happens (how long, O Lord)? If the answer to the previous question is “reversible now”, how costly is it likely to be and in what ways?

We will be joining the Baptist Assembly for our Sunday Service this week. It commences at 10-30am and finishes at Noon. For those unable to to get to church, it can also be viewed online at home on YouTube on the link below. If you come online after it has started, you can run it back to the beginning in the usual way. The video can be viewed at a subsequent date too.

Click here to view directly on YouTube: https://youtu.be/A8WrjuH6DZA

You can also view other sessions over the Baptist Assembly weekend. Details can be found here: https://www.baptist.org.uk/Groups/247895/The_Baptist_Assembly.aspx

There is no service transcript or notes for reflection and discussion for this service.

Our service this morning is led by Delyth Mayhew and our speaker is John Gillett from Walton Parish Nursing.

There is no service transcript and material for reflection and discussion this week.

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This is a Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82146137864?pwd=L0NTZlRIUlFCNm95TGRIdEdEWlJBZz09

Meeting ID: 821 4613 7864 Passcode: 012748

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GIVE THANKS – what should we give thanks for?

GLOBAL AND NATIONAL

• the situation in Ukraine
• for our Government, Parliament and local authorities in the light of recent events.
• For those families struggling with increasing energy and food costs

LOCAL

• Pray for local ministries – Hope Trust, Boost Academy Chaplaincy, Felixstowe Town Pastors, The Compass, Fun and Faith, Ship Chaplains, the Seafarers’ Centre, port-side Chaplain, pop-up shops
• Give thanks for the way the CAP ministry has been established and is in so much demand. Pray for an additional debt coach.
• Pray that churches, including ours will find ways of reaching the new residents in the new developments.

MRBC

• Pray for our two new outreach projects, Tea and Cake and Home Craft.
• Pray for Walton Parish Nursing: for our Parish Nurses, for the Volunteers, and the activities: Exercise Classes, Kinsugi Hope, No Labels, Fizzability. Pray for the clients too.
• Pray that we will know the Lord’s presence and guidance as we seek a new Pastor.
• Pray too for the Reids as they move into a new phase in their lives
• Pray for those experiencing poor heath from Covid, Long Covid and other health issues. Pray too for those still shielding. Who do we need to pray for?
• Continue to pray that the Lord will provide the resources, financially and in terms of people as we seek to move forward.

Coming soon!

This Sunday, our Communion Service is entitled ZAP! @MRBCFelixstowe on Sunday 1st May at 10-30am, at church and on Zoom.

Sorry, there are no items for reflection & discussion this week.

Our service this Sunday will focus on a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus as related to us by John in the “appendix” to his Gospel. The service is in person at MRBC at 10-30am and also on Zoom. The Weekly Sheet will appear here by Sunday morning.

There are no items for reflection & discussion this week.

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