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Already the stories are being told about ‘Just 10’. There was a very encouraging response to J John’s message on the first evening at Preston Park – and everyone I have spoken to who was there thought it was an excellent evening. Even the traffic queues have created a stir in the area! (Please note the coach will leave the church car park on Wednesday at 6-20p.m. and the minibuses at 6-40p.m.. Please contact Alun Cradock for tickets for either on 825393.)

In order to keep our prayers focused on the event below is a letter J John has emailed last week to those who pray for his work. Please use it to guide your prayers for this significant event.

Dear Friends,

This last week has truly been abundantly blessed. Last Sunday, the ‘Just 10’ series at Christchurch, Chorleywood was packed out with 400+ people seated and standing. On Tuesday the 6000 seater marquee, in Tyneside, was full with hundreds also standing and hundreds turned away. And last night the 6000 seater marquee, in Teesside, was almost full to capacity. People were receptive and over 600 people made a public response - THANKS BE TO GOD.

We were also featured on BBC1 Regional News 4 times and the ‘Just 10’ Series was presented very positively. THANK YOU for praying for us.

I hope my message below will encourage and inspire you.

When I became a follower of Christ in 1975 Andy Economides, who introduced me to Christ, gave me numerous books to read, including several by Watchman Nee.Nee's insights had a profound effect on me.

Watchman Nee became a Christian, in mainland China, in 1920, at the age of 17. He started writing the same year and ministered faithfully to other people for 30 years. I have never forgotten the following story he tells in one of his books. A new convert came to see him in deep distress and said, "No matter how much I pray, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot seem to be faithful to my Lord.I think I'm losing my salvation. "Watchman Nee said, "Do you see this dog here?He is my dog.He is house-trained; he never makes a mess; he is obedient; he is a pure delight to me.Out in the kitchen I have a son, a baby son. He makes a mess, he throws his food around, he fouls his clothes, he is a total mess. But who is going to inherit my kingdom? Not my dog; my son is my heir. And you are Jesus Christ's heir because it is for you that He died." We are Christ's heirs not through our perfection, but by means of His grace.

I think most people find it difficult to understand what grace really is. I once heard it explained this way. Suppose a man broke into your home and killed your child. If you hunted the burglar down and killed him, that would be vengeance. On the other hand, if you allowed the police to do their job and the person ended up being apprehended and punished, that would be justice. So far so good. Let’s take it a step further, though. If you took the burglar into your home afterwards and even adopted him as your son, that would be grace. I realise you may think this an extreme example, but didn't we, the human race, kill God's son?Instead of punishing us, God in His mercy still proceeded with Plan A and allowed us to become reconnected with Him, through Jesus. All this reminds me of Amy Carmichael's prayer: ‘Thank God, He does not measure grace out in teaspoons.'

Let's also be encouraged by Charles Spurgeon's encouragement that we should embrace the Lord's grace on a daily basis. He said: "Beloved Christian, in matters of grace, you need a daily supply. You have no store of strength.

Day by day must you seek help from above? It is a very sweet assurance that a daily portion is provided for you in the word, through the ministry, by meditation, in prayer, and waiting upon God you shall receive renewed strength. In Jesus all needful things are laid up for you. Then enjoy your continual allowance. Never go hungry while the daily bread of grace is on the table of mercy."

Let's take this advice and humbly receive the grace of the Lord and allow that grace to channel through us to other people. Let’s especially remember the need for humility because the Bible tells us that 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble' (James 4:6).

Please pray as we have a full week coming up with Just 10, at Christchurch Chorleywood, on Sunday the 27^th April. Tyneside, on Tuesday the 29th and Teesside, on Wednesday the 30th. And then I am speaking, at Hillsongs’ Colour Your World, Women’s Conference, at the Royal Albert Hall, in London, on Thursday 1^st May and Friday 2^nd May. Please can you cover me and my colleagues in prayer daily during this next week - for the Lord's protection, for well-being and for the anointing of the Lord as I speak and minister - THANK YOU.

Agapé

J John

Thursday 1st May Ascension Day 7 p.m. Holy Communion

Tuesday 6th May Mission interest group meets 7.30 p.m. at 30 Addison Road

Wednesday 7th May Just 10, 7.30 p.m. Preston Park How to prosper with a clear conscience

Tuesday 13th May Men’s fellowship, 7.30 p.m. in the narthex

Wednesday 14th May Just 10, 7.30 p.m. Preston Park How to ‘affair proof’ your relationships

Friday 23rd May Lydia group meets, 2 p.m. in the Supper Room

Wednesday 28th May Just 10, 7.30 p.m. Preston Park How to keep the peace with your parents

Monday 2nd June PCC meets, 7.15 p.m. in the Reid Room

Wednesday 4th June Just 10, 7.30 p.m. Preston Park How to catch your breath

Tuesday 10th June Men’s fellowship, 7.30 p.m. in the narthex

11th April Audrey Beryl Latheron aged 76

11th April Dennis Hansell aged 81

Offerings

Offerings in March £19,656

Restricted (for specific purposes) £16.934

Starts Wednesday 23rd April at Preston Park, 7.30 p,m.

Week 1: How to find true contentment
Week 2: How to hold to the truth
Week 3: How to prosper with a clean conscience
Week 4: How to affair-proof your relationships
Week 5: How to tame your temper
Week 6: How to keep peace with your parents
Week 7: How to stop driving yourself crazy
Week 8: How to take God seriously
Week 9: How to know the real God
Week 10: How to live by priorities

The Mescos

Greetings to everyone,

I want to tell you about the history of the ministry I am currently involved here in Cabanaconde.

In the nineties we started a new church plant in Arequipa, together with SAMS missionary Simon Brignall and his family. The work was made possible thanks to the combined efforts of the ‘Gringo’ missionary, the support of various UK volunteers and myself. Today we have a well-established church and the St Luke’s primary and secondary school where I worked for 16 years.

In 2006 I was transferred to a new mission in the area of the Colca Canyon, six and a half hours away from the city of Arequipa.

This new challenge involves planting a mission base in Cabanaconde, the last accessible place, where all communication, including roads, phones, internet comes to an end.

From here we go out to help people in need and take the gospel of salvation to people in the villages situated in the mountains of the Colca Canyon. There are no roads to get to these places, but the diocese is helping to provide food for the people of one of the villages, whose dream is that the road will reach them. Various kilometres of road have already been built and work is being carried out on a bridge over the Colca river. However, the main part of the route must be covered by unmade track using mules and donkeys. It takes 6 to 8 hours of heavy and very dusty walking to reach the nearest settlement.

Missionary work here is very different to work in the city where the missionary would simply rent a flat and go out to meet people, travelling in his own car or by bus or plane. But in places like Cabanaconde, just as isolated as many areas in Africa or India, or perhaps even comparable to travels of Captain Allen Gardiner to Tierra del Fuego in the South of Chile. It has to be seen to be believed!

My personal experience of this new stage of my life is the great challenge of taking the good news of the resurrected Christ to every person in these villages, with a very strong background of Roman Catholicism. Brothers from other churches have apparently visited the area with little success, due to the extreme difficulty and hardened attitude of the people. However, we believe that God has sent us here, to work among the spiritually and materially poor, showing the love of the invisible God, by our preaching, personal testimony and help for those in need through social action projects.

I can tell you that the roads are long and dangerous: I remember the first time walking for two days to get to the village of Choco. On the first day we walked seven and a half hours, and completely exhausted spent the night on the banks of the Colca river; the night seemed interminable. It was very dark and the noise of the water and the abundance of fleas biting us made it impossible to sleep. We got up very early and started walking again, arriving at eleven o’clock in the village where the simple and friendly people were waiting for us. This is where we get the saying ‘If you want to get to Choco, you first have to go through ‘Pulgatorio’ !(Purgatory – purgatorio - sounds like pulgatorio - Flea Country!)

Thankfully there are no fleas here but we do have trouble from mosquitos in the summertime.

Beloved brothers and sisters, I pray that God will abundantly bless you Thank you for your friendship. Please pray for this new challenge for our diocese.

Alejandro

Rvdo Alejandro Mesco.

There will be a meeting on Sunday 18th May at 3 p.m. at the Vicarage for anyone interested in hearing more about the proposed St Barnabas trip to Ghana next year. All welcome. Come along and hear what’s being planned. You’re not committing yourself to anything by attending the meeting!

Helen Richmond and family would like to thank everyone for their loving, care, kindness and support during their recent bereavement. Your prayers, cards and letters have been a great comfort to us all.