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TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to St James Sunday 5th July
This week, in one of my daily readings, I was reminded that change is possible. God is in the transformation business. He can transform individual lives, communities, towns, cities and even nations. As we start thinking about what the church will feel and look like in the future, I wonder what kind of transformation God will lead us into. Something I would like to see growing in the life of the church is the sharing of testimonies. Each week, I have been so encouraged by the individual stories of hope, struggles and faith shared during the Sunday services. I also know that many have found the breakout rooms on Zoom a great blessing. Talking to different people each week and hearing their stories has given us an opportunity to deepen our relationship with each other and our appreciation of each other. Testimonies are powerful and transformational. The great news is that we all have a testimony about the transformation Jesus has brought to our life. Your story of your relationship with Jesus is powerful.
Often we feel a little bit uncomfortable and wonder what we should tell. First tell what you were like before meeting Jesus. Identify with the person or audience you are talking too. Find points of contact that are likely to resonate with the other. Second, tell what happened to you when you encountered Jesus. Show what real difference it made in your life. Describe in concrete way the transformation Jesus has made to your life. Sometimes we can point to dramatic changes, more often we can look back and see a progressive transformation. By telling our story we learn to play our part in transforming the world around us.
May we never grow tired of describing the transformation Jesus has made in our lives.
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit”
2 Corinthians 3.18
With Christian love,
ST JAMES CHURCH, ST JAMES STREET, TAUNTON, TA1 1JS
How can I have faith? (or how can my faith grow?)
Readings: Genesis 15:1-8; Romans 4:1-8
Abraham’s life of faith started with a call, a promise and a response (Gen.12:1-4). Abraham had to leave his
settlement, his kindred and his father’s house for an unknown destination. God promised to make him the
father of a great nation. Abraham responded to the call and started to journey with God.
Similarly, the Christian faith starts with a call, a promise and a response. He calls us to leave behind an old
way of thinking and living. He promises the forgiveness of our sins and the coming of his Holy Spirit. We
respond to his calling and start a journey of faith with Him.
Praying for transformation
Church Worship Services Update
This week I met with the Standing Committee via Zoom to decide a plan of action to reopen St James for public worship. Our aim is to restart services on the 26th of July at the earliest. This will give us time to prepare the church, to work out a system that will ensure we adhere to government social distancing and NHS hygiene regulations and to create services that are safe and purposeful. We will not be returning to normality overnight - this is the next step on a journey. There will still be restrictions and we must all still do everything we can to limit the spread of the virus and to protect each other, especially the most vulnerable. Services will be short and limited in scope and attendance for the near future. Details about the services still need to be worked out and will be communicated in due time. Planned online services will remain unchanged for the months of July and August. Thank you again for your patience and understanding and be assured of our resolve to create access to the church that imparts confidence, and to hold services that are meaningful.
Blood Donors Blood donors will be in the Church on Tuesday 7th July, so there will be no parking
available on that day.
B1 Service Every year the B1 churches organise a service at Wellspring Leisure Centre. This year we will all meet on the 5th of July 2020 at 10:30am for an online service. Youtube Live Link: https://youtu.be/xvnYfHkbVhY Facebook; www.facebook.com/B1churches/ The service will be followed by a prayer zoom at 11:10am. For those who would like to join in with this, please see the email for the zoom details. In order for people to watch the B1 service the usual Morning Service at St James has been moved to 9:00am followed by the St James Zoom at 11:15am.
Donate to St James We now have the facility, for those who wish to donate to St James, to take donations electronically. You can access our giving page by following this link: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/8565dd91-35b1-4bd2-8007-fe59febc9db3
Or you can use the giving QR code: To use the QR code, open the camera app on your phone and hold up to the code. The web link will appear automatically. Click on it to go to the page.
Church Opening for Private Prayer The Church Side Chapel is now open for Private Prayer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12noon until 2pm. Entrance to the Church will be via the door on St James Street. All are welcome to come along to pray. Social distancing and hygiene measures will be in place. We look forward to welcoming you.
Welcoming our new curate and family Our new curate Dave Wilkie has now been officially licensed and will soon be moving into his new home in Taunton along with his wife Donna and their 3 children. We look forward to welcoming him here at St James on Sunday 19th July. We do ask for no visits whilst they settle in but if you would like to send a welcoming card then their address is: Dave and Donna Wilkie 5 Redlake Drive Taunton TA1 2RU
WWW.STJAMESTAUNTON.CO.UK WWW.STJAMESTAUNTON.ORG
What’s on Facebook at St James
Please do join us at: facebook.com/stjamestaunton Some events below take place at definite times, others will be available during the day. You can also access these events via links on the Church calendar on our website: stjamestaunton.co.uk Monday 9:00am – Morning Prayer Tuesday 9:00am – Morning Prayer led by Nigel Bright 7:00pm – Evening Prayer – Livestream on Facebook Wednesday 9:00am – Morning Prayer led by Fabian Wuyts 12:30pm The Specifically Suspicious Show or Faith @ Home for children 7-11 (and grown-ups!) Thursday 9:00am – Morning Prayer led by Nicki Bradford Friday 7:00pm Youth Zoom for 14-17 Year Olds Sunday 9:00am – Morning Service – Join us for a series on the Bible with worship, liturgy, prayer and a talk. 10:30am—B1 together online 11:15am – Zoom Social 7:00pm – Evening Service.
* Services correct at time of print but may be subject to change
PRAYER PAGE
Prayer for the week
Father God, open my eyes, that I may see you more
clearly in this world. Open my eyes to see you
working around me and in me. Help me to see your
hand in the mundane and the fantastic. Strengthen
my trust in You that I may be able to do everything
I am called to do.
Father, forgive me for missing the mark and falling
short of your will. Thank you for the grace you lavish
when I falter in my faith. Through Christ, I have
received grace upon grace. Thank you for the
unmerited favour of your love.
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/STJAMESTAUNTON
Prayer at St James
5th Small shops and businesses, particularly those affected by Covid –19 6th Victoria Gate; Weirfield Green 7th Stan and Sue Coram; Sue Collard 8th Margaret Cottrell; June Crew 9th Ray and Ruth Crooks: Martin Dale 10th Brian and Meryl Cridland; Paul Dadson 11th Terry and Pat Dainton; Freda Davis
Margaret Jones had some positive news from her recent scan, as currently all clear. Please keep Margaret and Tim in your prayers as the next step in treatment will
be an MRI scan in August.
Email Prayer chain St James email prayer chain is continuing to receive prayer requests at this time, so if you have any prayers that you would like to put forward then please email Jill at: [email protected]. The requests are kept as confidential within the prayer team.
Mission Partners for July
Our mission focus this month is the Barnabas Fund
which on its website summarises its purpose –
Barnabas* stands alongside our Christian brothers
and sisters where they suffer discrimination and
persecution by providing aid through our partners on
the ground encouraging prayer, telling their untold
story and speaking out on their behalf.
In the Western world we are accustomed to freedom
of speech, tolerance for other people’s views and
when discrimination arises, we hope that it will be
challenged and reported. However, in many parts of
our world (and sometimes in our own) this is not the
case. In many countries the choice to stay true to your
faith can involve ostracization, impoverishment,
imprisonment or even death. And yet daily those who
follow Jesus will make those choices and take those
consequences. Barnabas seeks to support and
encourage those in this situation and during the Covid
pandemic they have found this task even more
extreme as the need to provide practical aid has
become more acute. Already they have supplied over
500,000 food aid packs to people who have little to
live on and whose income has dried up.
Very often the Barnabas magazine sits on the racks by
the mission boards untouched, but this month we are
circulating it with the bulletin, so that you can read it
online and be inspired by the stories in its pages. You
may also be shocked by these stories as they are so
far from removed from our experience what it means
to be a Christian.
* Barnabas takes its name from the Apostle Paul’s
friend of that name which means Son of
Encouragement
CHURCH OFFICE OPENING HOURS CHURCH OFFICE CONTACT
Tues, Wed & Fri 10:00am—12:30pm Tel: 01823 272931
Email: [email protected]
www.stjamestaunton.co.uk
St James Church, St James Street, Taunton, TA1 1JS
HELPFUL RESOURCES There are a range of Christian resources available for people to engage with at this difficult and
challenging time in the life of the nation and the world:
OUR CHURCH RESOURCES: Please visit our website www.stjamestaunton.co.uk We also have a new resource website where we are building up online resources to help us through these times. Please visit: www.stjamestaunton.org ST JAMES FACEBOOK PAGE
Please also visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/stjamestaunton for the latest updates, service recordings, etc. You do not need to have a Facebook account to access our page.
Weekly service broadcasts and more on
the CofE Facebook page https://
www.facebook.com/thechurchofengland
Time to Pray app: everything you need
for Prayer during the Day.
https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/apps/
time-to-pray
Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer
online.
https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-
and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer
OTHER HELPFUL Links, Books & Resources
Exploring Christianity and Mental Health https://www.mindandsoulfoundation.org/ To listen to Christian Radio: Premier Radio: www.premierchristianradio.com Freeview 725 To engage in family: https://engageworship.org/engage-at-
homedaily-family-prayer-and-worship-activities To engage with the Bible: https://www.biblegateway.com Type a book from the Bible and start reading or listening to it in the version of your choice. https://bibleproject.com To understand the Bible better.
CHURCH CONTACTS
Vicar Rev Fabian Wuyts 01823 333194 email: [email protected]
Churchwardens Ruth Stevens 01823 972838 Steve Bradford 07411 639404
Church Office Alex Dickinson 01823 272931
Pastoral Care Coordinator Annie Reid 07812 130619 email: [email protected]
Children & Young People’s Coordinator Vashti Wuyts 01823 333194
Parish Safeguarding Officer Jenny Wakefield 07796248369
Discipleship Coordinator Roger Fenton 01823 412113 email: [email protected] For any information on our Home Groups, please contact Roger.
HELPLINES:
Coronavirus Help Group
To receive help from the St James Community group, please contact Annie
on 01823 277865 or Fabian on 01823 272931. Somerset Council Coronavirus Support: 0300 790 6275.
LISTENING CHAPLAINCY PHONELINE
Serving Bristol, Somerset and South Gloucestershire 0330 229 1700 from 8am-11pm 7 days a week