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DentistUnavoidable Appointments 

Sunday, November 30th 2024 (week 90)
 
John 3: 1-21 & Psalm 139: 13-16
 
I hate going to the dentist and I can offer all sorts of good reasons why. My first dental visit as a child ended in me rushing out of the building in tears and horrible pain. Then at fifteen, I had my jaw broken and underwent a prolonged period of hospitalisation and ongoing treatment that was at times awful. Both are reasonable excuses you might think. However, the reality is that I’m just a bit of a wuss! So, when a tooth was broken recently, it resulted in an unavoidable appointment I would rather not attend.
 
Unavoidable appointments come in many variations, and some are more enjoyable than others. It could be that an honour has been conferred and you need to attend Buckingham Palace to receive it from King Charles III. Alternatively, you may need to attend before a court of law to be punished for an offence. It could be an exam you must pass to progress in your career or a visit from the tax man about your business affairs.
 
There is, however, one appointment none of us can avoid: our appointment with death. How we deal with it will affect the rest of this life and our eternal life. Whether they openly admit it or not most people believe there is something after this life.
 
In thinking about death we can’t avoid thinking about life. We are not merely accidents created without purpose. Psalm 139 tells us that God “created every part” of us. He “put (us) together in (our) mother’s womb”. He knew we were there and saw us before we were born and the days allotted to us were all recorded in His book even before any of them began. And God didn’t create us without purpose. In Ephesians 2:10 the apostle Paul reminds us that we are created for a life of good deeds which God has already prepared for us to do.
 
God has a plan for our lives and as long we have breath He is still working out that plan for us and wants to teach us things we will take forward into the eternity He has promised us. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life (John 3:16).
 
Nearly twenty years ago my mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only a short time to live. It was a difficult three weeks during which she was receiving pain relief treatment. She came from a background of belief in God but never had a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, but we had discussed my faith. In those last days, Mum gave her life to Christ and God called her home when she had completed the work He had for her. My life was blessed by her actions. I know that one day we will be together again in Heaven because Mum accepted her unavoidable appointment with death gracefully.
 
When we are faced with death the only assistance we need is the grace of our loving Heavenly Father who will only ever do good for us.
 
Sticking with God’s plan is always the best plan but our appointment with Him is unavoidable.
 
Prayer: Father, thank you for making your love and grace available to us all. Help us to have the wisdom to choose the life you have for us so that we can enjoy eternal life in heaven with you when your plan for us is complete.
 


16

Neil has been a Christian for nearly thirty years and prior to joining Gatehouse Church spent all his Christian life at Christ Church with All Saints Blackpool, where amongst other things he was a leader in their Campaigner Ministries children and youth work.

Neil is an award-winning and widely published writer. Over twenty-five years he has written for a range of mainstream media including The Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail, and Financial Mail on Sunday as well as Reuters and numerous magazines. How To Books published his first non-fiction title 100 Ways to Make Your Business a Success and he has recently added The Great British Property Scam.

He has also taught Creative Writing extensively for Blackpool and the Fylde College, The WEA, and Lancaster University and launched www.seasiderswrite.com a community-based creative writing project funded by Arts Council England. Writing as C.J.Neill he is also a published novelist.

You can find out more at www.neilbromage.com or drop him an email at neil@neilbromage.com


 

Neil Bromage, 01/12/2024
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

 

WATCH OUR CHURCH INTRODUCTION VIDEO

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