Northfield Methodist Church

Dear friends,

Warm greetings!

One of our hopes for Northfield Methodist is that we become more of a praying community. After all, imagine if. . .

. . .every day we had 24/7 prayer happening in our prayer "boiler" room;

. . .after every service of worship there were Northfielders praying for one another in our common struggles and needs;

. . .every Wednesday those who were sick and
injured would find their way to the Healing Well for ministry and healing prayer;

. . .each cell was a place where its members could learn how to praise God together;

Dear Friends

Today we will be exploring the theme, "Is Prayer any use?". Below you will find some useful guidelines to prayer:

Dear Friends

It is impossible to think of Grace without thinking of the famous hymn written by John Newton "AMAZING GRACE". A hymn based on the scripture: Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ...You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O Lord God (1 Chronicles 17:16b) as the background and adding his perspective about his own conversion while on his slave ship, the Greyhound, in 1748.

Dear Friends

You may remember that in February Marlene and I announced that we would be leaving Northfield in the next year or two, subject to finding a suitable post, and for some time our future has been unclear as to exactly when we should leave, and where we should move to. Northfield. I have heard some interesting rumours regarding my future such as that I was joining SASOL, going into business and so on. The truth is that I am a pastor and I am committed to the local church. I also feel a strong commitment towards South Africa.

Dear Northfielders,

Warm greetings.

There is a real buzz around Northfield at the moment about the importance of prayer. Much of this fresh excitement comes from the time that Phil Togwell and Ian Newman spent with us a few weeks ago. We are grateful to God for all that these two guys shared with us. The challenge for us now is whether we, both individually and as a congregation, will take a step into a deeper life of prayer. Should you be thinking of doing this, there are a number of different possibilities open to you.

Dear Friends

In our journey through Romans so far, Paul has focused mainly on trying to understand what Jesus has done for us. Now in Chapter 12 he focuses on the practical. If this is what Christ has done, THEREFORE, this is what we should DO, what we should BE, how we should BEHAVE. Chapter 12 is well worth reading and studying because it is one of the best descriptions in the New Testament of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

A "disciple" is a learner of pupil of Jesus. Discipleship does not begin with intellectual assent to a set of doctrines or obedience to a list of rules. At its centre it is a living relationship with Jesus. All we have to do is respond to Jesus two commands, to "follow me", and to become "fishers of men & women". (Luke 1:17)

We do this by

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the worship today.

This coming week is an important one in the Christian Calendar. As you may know, next Sunday is our Pentecost celebration. We have invited a very special person, Rev Janet Verrier to be our guest preacher. Presently she is part of the pastoral team at Bryanston Methodist Church where she has pastoral and teaching responsibilities. For about twelve years Janet was a single mother and so she brings with her much personal insight into the challenges those in this position face. Next Sunday is also Mother's Day and that is one of the reasons why we have especially invited Janet to be with us. Don't miss it.

During the week, from Monday to Sunday, we are also having a special time of prayer, meditation and worship in the Hope Chapel. These will take place early in the morning from 6am - 6:45. We will have tea and coffee for those who are able to stay. Our focus for the week is The Spirit Empowered Church.

Please note the following themes for each day: