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Jesus hidden in plain sightHidden in Plain Sight 

Sunday, October 6th 2024 (week 82)
 
Galatians 5:22-23
 
Why is it that there always seems to be something we can’t find? We know it’s there but no matter how hard we look we just can’t find it. It’s like those “Spot the Difference” picture competitions where two supposedly identical pictures are shown but one of them has a number of different aspects than the other.
 
We have a drawer in our kitchen where my wife puts all sorts of things. There are batteries, recipes she’s torn out of magazines, instructions for appliances, tape measures, and a host of other things rarely needed. Whenever I want something that’s in this drawer I can’t find it. Needles and haystacks come to mind.
 
I was unable to find our favourite Chinese takeaway menu and I was rummaging through the drawer and muttering under my breath when my wife appeared behind me, leaned in and reached into the drawer, pulled out the menu and said, “It was there all the time. You just didn’t look….as usual”. The takeaway menu was there, hidden in plain sight.
 
Few of us know the Bible as well as we might like to. It provides all the help and advice we need to live fruitful lives, but if we don’t know where to find an appropriate verse it can also be a bit like that haystack!
 
If you have ever wanted to gaze upon the face of Jesus, you may have had a similar experience. The oldest known picture of Jesus is a graffito drawn on a wall in Rome in around 200 AD. Today, however, there are lots of depictions of Jesus but the reality is that we still don’t truly know what he looked like.
 
Fortunately, God didn’t intend for us to be without help and that’s why He gave us the Bible. It provides instruction for our everyday lives and will, if we choose to follow it, make us wise and discerning so that we can live the way God intended; happy, contented and blessed.
 
In it, hidden in plain sight is a clear and reliable image of what Jesus really looks like. You can find it in Galatians 5 where the apostle Paul outlines the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
 
The next time you’re seeking the face of our Lord Jesus Christ try to imagine all those qualities and you won’t be disappointed because you will have a very clear picture of what He looks like.
 
 
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the Bible, so that we need have no doubts about anything and we can see a clear picture of you and your Son, Jesus.

Neil Bromage, 06/10/2024
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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