Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. (Acts 10:46b-48a, NIV)
Last week, we saw Philip meet the ultimate outsider. He told the man about Jesus, the man believed and was baptised. This week could look like more of the same: Peter goes to ‘outsiders’ and they believe and are baptised. Why do we need to see that same thing again? Perhaps because it’s easy to lose sight of how no-one needs to be excluded from God. No-one is too far from God; no-one is so different from us that we can think that Jesus is not for them. Everyone can receive the Holy Spirit because they believe.
I hope you’ll be able to join us either in person, or online, as we see again how the resurrection of Jesus means that outsiders can become insiders.
Sunday Services
You would be very welcome to join us at our 10:30am service this Sunday. Please note that there should be no indoor mixing with anyone not part of your household or support bubble. You can, however, have social contact outdoors under the rule of 6 (or two households).
There will be a service of Holy Communion at 8:30am in St Thomas, Northaw, this Sunday.
The 10:30am Sunday service will be taking place simultaneously online and in-person at St Andrew. Streaming for the 10:30am service will start at 10:25am, and can be accessed directly via Facebook or YouTube, found on our website, and is advertised on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.
If you are attending the 10:30am service, please indicate that using this form, or contact me directly (chris@norcuff.com, 07446 516945), to let me know that you are planning to attend.
Children’s Church
With great joy, and with thanks to the volunteer team making it possible, we are re-opening our Children's Church this Sunday! All babies and children (and their grown-ups, if they are not old enough or comfortable enough to stay alone) are welcome to join us in the Undercroft any time after 10.20. Pre-registration is very helpful where possible, so that we can get details and explain the COVID requirements in advance; please contact Anna in order to do this (families@norcuff.com).
Audio Recordings
Because the service is now live, the audio from the 10:30 service will be available (01707 927907) later in the afternoon, once it has been processed. As well as the ‘dial-in’ service, audio recordings of all services are also available through SoundCloud.
Church Family Fellowship
After the Sunday service, we’ll have coffee together via Zoom (details on the website); if you’d like to be part of the meeting, please email me.
Ascension Day
There will be a service of Holy Communion at 9:30am this Thursday (13th May) in St Thomas, Northaw to mark Ascension Day.
Wednesday Prayer @ 10am
Do please join us on Wednesday mornings, via Zoom, for a short service of Morning Prayer: https://zoom.us/j/93894170814.
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
I’d love for you to join me on Wednesday evenings at 7:30, for no longer than 60 minutes, as we look at little bit more at God’s Word together. Join via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/97466572556.
Praying during the week
Please can I encourage you, when possible, to stop at noon and spend a few minutes praying - we may be physically separate, but we can still pray together; we’ll email out possible areas for prayer each week. If you would like to make any suggestions, please email prayers@norcuff.com.
Community Survey
As part of their preparations for the production of a Neighbourhood Plan, the Parish Council have arranged for a market research company to conduct a community survey to find out local opinions on various topics, including local facilities and the Parish Council itself.
More information on what the Neighbourhood Plan is and what it would mean for the community is available on the Parish Council website. The survey runs online from 22nd April until 27th May, and is also availble online.
How to join us live
The website has the information on how to join our live services and virtual coffee. Do feel free to share the links to our services with friends and relatives; everyone is very welcome to join us, no matter where they are in the world.