A Church Family – Matters of Faith

Well here we are, another week stretches before us and lots to look forward to. Here in England our schools (and homeschool) is on it’s half-term break. My girls have gone off on an all-day outing with their youth Bible Study group and I have the whole day to myself! This just about never happens. My plans for today are to get out my sewing machine and perhaps make a start on my Christmas quilt. I bought a Jelly Roll about two months ago and still have not made a start, so this half-term is the time to do it I think.

Today I really wanted to share a few pics of our new church. Since arriving in Devon we have visited a few churches but none seemed to feel like our ‘home’. I’m not sure if that makes any sense but I’ll try to explain. 

Deciding to commit to a church for us is not just about great teaching and the ‘just right’ worship. It is about good solid teaching and worship that puts the focus firmly on our God and Savior PLUS so much more. It’s about feeling completely welcomed when you attend your first service – no one likes to stay for coffee afterwards and no one even says hello. A friendly congregation who care about God’s family, acquainted or unacquainted,  is important. 

For us it’s important that we can really get involved, make our place amongst God’s family, make a contribution, really be a part of the community. Its about being able to be useful, to be able to make a difference in the lives of others and to have fellowship. It’s about being able to form bonds with others that will be of encouragement through the ups and downs of life. It’s about knowing that we all belong to the same body of Christ and actually FEELING that we do too. It’s about reaching out to a desperate and hurting world individually but also communally as a church family.

Our faith in Christ and our church life is such a big part of our lives. I LOVE going to church. I LOVE being with God’s people. I LOVE singing the beautiful words of hymns, of praise and worship songs and of more contemporary praise. I LOVE learning more in God’s Word and applying it to our daily living.

I LOVE worshipping in a church where you can feel God’s presence, where He is reverenced. I LOVE hearing the bells peal before the morning service. I LOVE sitting in old fashioned pews. I LOVE the rhythm of the liturgical year and I LOVE the stained-glass windows, the Biblical scenes that they depict.

I LOVE listening to the organ, I LOVE hearing (and being part of) a choir. Yesterday in church there was one chorister, a young girl of around 17, had a solo bit. She has the voice of an angel, honestly I had tears pricking my eyes after listening to her sing. What a gift! To be able to sing God’s praise so angelically. I LOVE kneeling at the alter rail to receive communion with my family kneeling beside me. I LOVE the hope that is always in Christ.

In this month of October – we found our church home. {big smiley face and happy heart here :)}

St Petroc is a beautiful 12th century church (well parts of it are 12th C) in the village of South Brent in Devon. It’s only a few miles from our home. It’s people are friendly and welcoming. Already the girls have been warmly drawn into the bell ringing team. They went off on a ringing tour on Saturday, rang for yesterdays morning service and will be ringing for a funeral on Friday.

Yesterday it was hard to get away after the service (not that we were trying to ‘get away’ lol). People – kind, lovely, welcoming, friendly people kept coming up to us to chat. Some of them excitedly told us that they had heard that a ‘new’ family had joined and that the girls were wonderful ringers – Bless them 🙂

This coming Sunday my eldest daughter and I will be donning our new choir robes for the first time as we join the choir (how I’ve missed that!). Again, there is so much warmth and friendliness, so many who have been pleased to welcome us into their circle.

Being on the newbie side again has really made me aware of how important it is for us who are (or ‘when’ we are in our case) established in a church family, to reach out with a friendly smile and some welcoming words of encouragement to visitors and new comers. 🙂 

I hope that your week is off to an awesome start my friends. Keep safe and warm and I’ll see you back here very soon.