What a joy it was to pray and worship together on Wednesday night! Around 60 people came out, with about 40 of those youth and young adults, some joining for the very first time. It was something special to witness and so encouraging to see so many young hearts open and worshipping God wholeheartedly. This felt like a beautiful continuation of what we saw on Sunday at our PM service, with the auditorium full of young people lifting their voices and hearts in worship. With the extended worship after the service going well into the night, one could have asked the question… “Football… what football?” It was really beautiful to see a group of young people full of joy, with their eyes fixed on Jesus, and hearts open in worship.

The Psalmist says in Psalm 100:1-3, Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Worship is such a joyful way to respond to God’s love, and when our hearts are full of praise, that love naturally spills over into the lives of others. 

This Sunday we’ll be collecting our Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes. Every year, these shoeboxes travel to children across the world, carrying not just gifts, but the love and message of Jesus. It’s such a beautiful way to remind children that they are known, loved, and precious in God’s eyes. We’ll build a wall of shoeboxes and take moment to pause and pray over them, with each one representing a child’s story and showing how God’s hope can reach far beyond our own neighbourhood in a simple and tangible way. Through preparation, prayer, and sending these boxes, we join in the joyful celebration, declaring God’s goodness, worshipping him with gladness, and sharing his love and hope with the world.

Marty will also be kicking off our new series in Ephesians this week, exploring the abundance of blessings we have in Christ. Ephesians is such a rich, encouraging book, reminding us that in Jesus, we already have everything we need. We’re chosen, loved, redeemed, and invited to live in the fullness of his grace.

So, I encourage you to come expectant and open hearted this Sunday, ready to be encouraged and refreshed as we journey through this series together. I truly believe that God has something special for each of us, and that as we step into his story in 

both big and small ways, we can be part of sharing the good news

with a world that so desperately needs it. 

God bless,

Mel