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Neil Franklin
What's in a Name? 

Sunday July 21st 2024 (week 77)
 
Revelation 1-22
 
Neil Franklin was “globally regarded as one of the finest defenders” ever to play for England and Stoke City FC. As a teenager and semi-professional, my dad played with Franklin at Stoke City in the late 1940’s and I recall him telling me that he was the best player he had ever seen. As a result, I was named after him – though my footballing skills are considerably less impressive!
 
A name often conjures up an image and the choice of character names in novels is particularly important as it provides the reader with an image to hang on to throughout the story. Herman Melville's seafaring masterpiece Moby Dick is a good example when in the opening line of chapter one the main character says, “Call me Ishmael”.
 
The names we are given are important. When our youngest son was born we decided to name him Dominic. We announced this to the whole world in the Births section of our local evening newspaper. But as the days went by, we became increasingly bothered that he really wasn`t a Dominic. Sometime later we decided to change his name and eventually, he was Christened Ashley Christian Bromage. But to add further confusion we decided to call him Christian! Fortunately, the name Christian has stuck with him, and as a result of the many times he has been called upon to explain what his name really is, he has probably never forgiven us!
 
The choice of a new name for our son was the result of our dithering and doubt. These are not failings you will find in God, who also promises a new name to all those who turn to Jesus. In Isaiah (62:2) and Revelation (2:17) God promises to give us a new name. He does this because it symbolises a radical change of life and demonstrates that God has authority over us. In Christ, God calls us each by a new name, and one day it’ll be made clear for us all. The Bible also tells us that God can never forget us, “I have written your name on the palm of my hands” (Isa 49:16). The reality is that those who worship Jesus have had their names written in the Book of the Living since before the creation of the world. That’s how long God has known you.
 
If our names are important to us, it is even more important that we remember God’s names as we go about our daily lives. And so, as activities and those that run them take a much-needed summer break and some of us go off on holidays (and in addition to tackling the book of Revelation) let’s try to remember…………….
 

  • Jehovah Rohi:            The Lord is your Shepherd and will guide you.
  • Jehovah Jireh:            The Lord is your Provider and will give you what you need.
  • Jehovah Rapha:         The Lord is your Healer and will strengthen you.
  • Jehovah Shalom:       The Lord is your Peace and will help you make decisions.
  • Jehovah Shammah:   The Lord is There with you – Permanently!

 
 
Prayer: Lord, thank you that we can entrust every aspect of our lives to you as we go through the coming weeks. Help us to seek your guidance, provision, healing, peace, and presence every day.

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and when

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our service

The main service begins at 10.30am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our worship team. We typically have two songs followed by a children's slot. The Limitless Kids and Limitless Youth will then normally go off to their respective groups. If you have children you will be able to spot and speak to one of the leaders - they will be wearing a bright yellow t-shirt! There will usually be a time of prayer and communion. We normally have another time of sung worship followed by a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service. 

When our team is available we serve tea, coffee and biscuits from 12pm, after the service. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

New to church

 

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids/teens:

  • Creche - from approx. 6 months to 5 years (decided on a child by child basis)
  • Limitless Kids (4/5 - 11/12 years)
  • Limitless Youth (school years 7-11)

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for two worship songs and the “Kids slot” and then go to creche or Limitless Kids.  The Limitless Youth group may go out at the same time as the children but sometimes stay in the service to take communion before going to their class.  Children can be picked up by parents after the service ends (but not before 12pm).

The Limitless Kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting connected

 

Small groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a couple of groups that meet every week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader.

Serving and volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can register your interest to Join a team.

Other ministries

We also run the following community ministries and regularly support various missionaries who are part of the Elim Missions work:

Toddlers & Co 

Food bag provision

Open Doors Team

Church in the Café

Youth Community Outreach

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at the church. You can connect with us using the form below.

Best Wishes
The Gatehouse Leadership Team

 

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