MINISTER'S MESSENGER
Hello and welcome to the website of Newtown United Reformed Church!
My name is Diane and I'm the Minister of the church. I've been at Newtown since July 2015 and am enjoying getting to know the people and the area, as well as leading the church in developing its faith and mission.
I do this work for love, not money, and am also the Minister at our sister church, Toll Bar with Prescot URC. In addition I have a part-time paid job, supporting people with disabilities. It is a great privilege to be doing work that is so worthwhile, and above all to follow God's calling in my life.
Newtown is a very friendly church, always looking for ways of reaching out and welcoming new people. We would love to see you at any of our services or events, whether you are a church-goer or not. Do get in contact if you want to know more or if I can help you in any way.
God bless
Diane
Rev Diane Barrow
Pastoral Letter
#Everythingispossible is the new mission statement of our partner school, Queens Park Primary. Or to quote it in full: "For with God everything is possible" – a quote from Matthew 19:26. That shows you how big the aspirations of the teachers are for the children who come under their care. And also the faith in God which underpins it. God has made each one of those children with unique gifts and personalities and wants each one of them to reach their full potential. Please do pray for them – the children and the staff – as they begin a new school year shortly.
And what about us? Do we also believe that with God everything is possible? If we stop to think about it, I'm sure many of us can see ways in which God has made things possible for us. Just today I was looking for some bicycle panniers that I hadn't seen for a long time. I was convinced they were in the loft, but my search up there proved fruitless. Then I thought they must be in the shed, but there didn't seem to be any sign of them there. Then I remembered to pray about it(!). My eyes were drawn to a black bag peeping out from under some other stuff. I opened the bag and... 'Thank you Lord!'
It may seem just a small example, but small or large, if we attempt to do things in our own strength, without listening to God, we make things hard for ourselves. If we want to grow in our faith and reach our full potential as Christians, we need to do everything "with God". If we want to see our church grow and reach its full potential as a community of faith in Newtown, we need, together, to do everything "with God".
When Jesus said "with God everything is possible" he was talking about the possibility of people being saved – even rich people. God is at work in the world and in people's lives, and as a result people do turn to him and are saved. So let us pray for the people we know who are not yet believers, because everything is possible with God. And let's ask God to give us the words to say when the opportunity arises to share something of our faith with them.
God bless and shield you and keep you in his peace.
Diane
Prayers for our Church and Community
Please pray for Newtown URC and the community in which we are placed. Here are some points to get you started:
· For us all to grow in love for God and for one another
· For more people to join us at social events and in worship
· For the ability to listen - to God and to the community
·
For the money that we
need, not only to maintain the church and pay the bills, but to expand our work
for the Lord
· For Queens Park Primary School: all the staff, children and their families, and for the assemblies this year which will teach the children the whole Bible
· For the families and individuals living in the streets around us
· For the businesses nearby
· For all those providing services to the community
· For our neighbouring churches: Bethel Mission, St Luke's and St Teresa's.