Baptismal Service - 24 June 2012

What a great day! We really enjoy having baptismal services in Sure Hope Church. 

It's not only a great opportunity to sing "Happy Day" but also to share in the joy of seeing another soul saved and hearing the testimony of how God has changed their life.

This is Cathy Lia, who has been with us in Sure Hope since October 2011 as she has been over in North Wales working in a local school teaching Mandarin. In January she started the Alpha course, and then during the course decided to make Jesus her Lord and Saviour.

What a great joy it is to be able to baptise a new convert, "In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen!"

We all get wet - but nobody really minds at all.... it's a time to rejoice and be glad. Cathy's choice of song as she came out of the water was, "Beautiful One, I adore"

Let's be glad together - and enjoy the day - Oh Happy Day, when Jesus washed my sins away!

We look forward to the next time we can rejoice together - it won't be long! God is so good, all the time!

17 June 2012 - Father's Day at Sure Hope Church.

Another great morning at Sure Hope Church with the visit of our guest speaker, evangelist Moray McGuffie from Neath in South Wales. Moray shared his testimony on Saturday morning at the Men Aglow Breakfast, and then shared his story again at Pensarn Christian Fellowship on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning, 17 June, after sharing a very condensed version of his life story, he then went on to preach a very challenging sermon based on Acts 4 where it was said of the apostles that people knew they had been with Jesus! Is there enough evidence to convict us of the same charge?

What a great story! Moray told of how he had known what it was like to excel in the business world, and have all that this world and it's system can offer, but then lose it all and hit rock bottom - but it was then that he had a life changing encounter with Jesus Christ - and He changed everything!

As it was Father's Day we also included the ARK (All Remarkable Kids) to take part in the morning service. As you can see there was a huge banner unrolled with all the different names for Father being displayed, while the kids read their different parts from a poem that was written by Neil Wright (aka Noah).

The talent of ARK is quite staggering - the packed house congregation enjoyed every moment.!

Well done guys that was brilliant - and thank you Lord for All our Remarkable Kids!

This is the poem that was read by the ARK.

Abba father kum ba ya

Today we the children of ARK stand in the place of all your children and cry out to you Father God saying

Abba Father Kum By Ya

We stand here to praise you for the amazing Fathers who have raised us loved us and bought us up with a knowledge of you Father God.

For those who have held our hand and those that let go when it was time

For those who have led us and clothed us housed us and treasured us

for those who have taught us and guided us

to all those from our fathers to our brothers our uncles to our grandfathers

to all those amazing men of God that you Father God have raised up to care for your own

We the children of Ark cry out

Abba Father Kum By Ya

Today we the children of ARK stand in the place of all your children for whom today is a day of sorrow not happiness.

For those of our company our class and our church

for whom today brings pain and bitterness.

We cry out for outrageous grace to cover those we love  to cover those who hurt this Fathers day

It is for them Father God that we beseech intercede and cry from deep unto deep saying

Abba Father Kum by YA

Today we the children of ARK pray for the communities we represent

for you are the God of this city and king of these people whether they call you by name or not. 

We today cry out to you Father God for amazing grace

That today burdens will be lightened, pain will be tended

Tears will lessen, and hearts be comforted.

Today we expect Father God that breakthrough will occur, that hands will reach across bridges that others have burnt.

That today phone calls will be made, first steps back be undertaken and prodigals welcomed home.

To the sons without fathers and the daughters who never knew their fathers or wish they never did

we the children of ARK cry out

Abba Father Kum by ya

 To those separated by depression, disease, debt. distance or disaster from those they love

We the children of Ark cry out

Abba Father kum  by ya

Let today be a good day, let it be a God day let those who are frightened and scared and alone know that they are loved.

Today Father God put your arms around your children gather them under your wings give unto them the balm of Gilead. Let all your children know Father God that they are loved by You, that they are beautiful, that they are unique and valued, Let them know that they matter they are significant and important,

For today is Fathers day and that is why today we children of Sure Hope with one loud voice cry

ABBA FATHER KUM BY YA!!!!!!!

4 June 2012 - Jubilee Street Party.

Meet the two amazing guys who organised this brilliant day. Dave Spencer and Neil Wright are responsible for different youth departments within Sure Hope Church.


Dave Spencer heads up "SPARKS!" which is for the junior age group who have their energy packed time together on Monday night's during school term time!


Neil Wright heads up the "ARK" which is the new name for the Sunday School Kids work. The name ARK stands for "All Remarkable Kids" and that is truly what they all are. Neil has been given the nick name "Noah" by the Kids, and nobody can imagine why!


Both guys are fantastic at what they do.... full of ideas, energy, and a God given talent to communicate the truth of God's Word to the kids of Sure Hope Church in ways that they enjoy, remember and embrace for the way to live the rest of their lives. They are a unique team and they work together so well - we are very proud of them both, love and appreciate all that they do for all the Kids of Sure Hope. 






                                 The fact that "ARK" is in "SPARK" is just an added bonus!
A huge amount of food was prepared by a dedicated group of people who had spent a long time making sure that when the inevitable question "Can I have more?" was asked, the answer was definitely "Yes, we've got plenty!". This was a great team effort, and once the food was devoured, the fun and games could begin!

 
There was so much to do, besides eating!






















But as you can see, the food kept coming!






And then there was more!

 

The best type of tug-of-war is when the rope snaps! But that tells you how much effort was being made by both teams not to be out done!

Not quite sure what this team game was called, but it was great fun just the same. Sharing wooden ski's between team members and racing (ish) down the course called lots of mayhem - I think that was the whole point really. Lots of arguments, frustration, laughter.... and oh dear, even a few tears! :( 

Skittles is definitely great fun, especially when you can knock them all down from about 6 feet away. But hey, don't forget the team member is only 3 foot tall! Good shot!

Dunking apples, are always great fun. Thankfully nobody drowned!

And so a picture of yours truly, flying the flag. 

A great fun day for all - with large numbers of people coming from the local community, and enjoying what turned out to be the hottest day, and only dry day of the holiday week. With torrential rain storms, flooding and high winds sweeping across Wales within 48 hours - we certainly had a touch of summer on our special day to remember the Queens Jubilee in Old Colwyn.

All our Remarkable Kids definitely brought a great "spark" in the "ark" on this sunny day!

3rd June 2012 - Trip to Liverpool City Church

Rebekah Hatch leading worship in the Youth service

Prayer Ministry for April, who later reported being healed from Cerebral Palsy

Join in the singing!

What a great outing! We had looked forward to  taking a  great group of folks from Sure Hope Church in Old Colwyn  to join our friends at Liverpool City Church. Pastor David Latham had invited us to take the 6pm and 8pm services. With all that is going on in our services at Sure Hope, it was with great anticipation that we travelled to Liverpool. We arrived in good time, which allowed the group to settle in for what was to be a very exciting evening. In the 6pm service there was an incredible presence of God, which dramatically moved many people. Cries of heartfelt thanks to God were heard as people were encouraged to "tell Him how much you love Him." Many were moved to tears as people thanked God for delivering them from alcoholism, drug addiction and other life controlling problems.
I had the privilege of leading the first service, and it was obvious that what God was doing in the lives of people was significant. I gave a word of knowledge about someone in the congregation who had known the pain of a broken relationship. At the end of the service a young man came to me and shared that his girlfriend had broken off their relationship that week, and he was still struggling to cope with the pain. He thanked me for the encouraging word to look to the Lord, who's plans for him were special.
Mike Thomas, from Sure Hope Church, was invited to share his testimony. Mike is a great guy, with a power-packed story to tell. His life before meeting Jesus Christ was one of business success, but with the hidden struggle of drug addiction. In a very moving way Mike told the story of how God brought him through terrible times - but that he is now in a wonderful place of being free from drug addiction, and the owner of a successful double glazing company in Rhos on Sea in North Wales.
David Fordham, my great friend and colleague in leading Sure Hope Church, preached a very powerful message about this being the time to wake up! (Romans 13) Many people wanted to respond to the message, but as the Church needed to be prepared for the next late night Youth Service, the opportunity for personal ministry was limited - but those who we did minister to were powerfully touched. One young man called Ian, who was basically homeless and had walked 7 miles to the meeting, fell under the power of God as he knew the delivering power of God at work in his life.
In the late evening service the youth from Sure Hope Church had been invited to lead the meeting. Again, with over 200 people in the meeting, we saw some incredible things happen. Indeed, by the end of the service we were seeing many young people in tears - crying out to God in repentance and rededication of their lives. My daughter Rebekah led  the worship with her fiance William, who then brought a challenging word about living in the reality of God's love.
One of the most dramatic stories of God's power being displayed in healing power was recorded at the end of the service when a young lady called April was prayed for and was healed from Cerebral Palsy! On the following day, she posted on Facebook photographs of her running across a field playing rounders, and declaring the wonderful facts about what had happened the previous evening. Praise God!!
Our journey home on the coach was one of joy and delight as we rejoiced over the goodness of our God. We had a great time of Hymn Singing and praising God. These are truly exciting days. Thankfully this is bank holiday weekend, as we arrived back in Old Colwyn at midnight, very tired, but full of excitement over what God had done!