From Stuart:

We at Bere Alston United Church are "trying to be the people God wants us to be and do the things he wants us to do" but what does that mean in practice?

God sent Jesus into the world to bring healing, reconciliation (between individual human beings and between human beings and God; thus we become part of his family), and also to make his Kingdom values apparent on earth. The values of God's Kingdom are new life in Jesus, wholeness, freedom and love.

So what we are trying to do as a church is to work so that these values become the values of the community we serve and the world as a whole. "No small task," I hear you say, but we also believe God has promised his Holy Spirit to give us the power we need to do what he has asked us to do and to constantly be the presence of God with us.

We believe in both prayer and practical action to enable us to fulfil God's purposes for us and that it is within the love, encouragement and fellowship of the church we can achieve, with the Holy Spirit's help, what seems the impossible. May we all know God's richest blessings,
Stuart

Stuart's letter in the July 2008 Bere Link:

A recent report has suggested that many people have lost touch with what church and Christianity is all about. Many people have a stereotypical view of the church that has become deep seated into our culture. It is perhaps perceived as a bit limp, grey, boring and weird. It is not considered a place where spiritual and practical needs can be met and it definitely not the place for young people.

Some of these ideas probably match up to some contact that people have with church (usually baptisms, weddings or funerals). However church is not just about Sunday or special services. The Bible teaches that the people are the church (not the buildings, priests, nuns, ministers or vicars.) It is the people who have a living and vibrant faith in Jesus that make up the church and it is through them that his love, compassion, healing and welcome can be experienced.

We don’t always get it right but I would say, before making your assumptions about church, please do try it. I always say that you cannot know whether you like the taste of something until you have tried it and this works for faith as well. Please don’t write off the Church and certainly don’t write off Jesus before you given both a test drive!
With love and prayers,
Stuart Nixon

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