Mapperley Monday Morning Mail

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Good morning!

Yesterday was our Church Day of Prayer. Many thanks to all those who came along and prayed, or who stayed at home because of the ice and prayed there instead. This morning, I'd like to share with you one of the things we were praying and praising for on Saturday.

In January 2014, I challenged us to pray for 5 new Christians at St Jude's in 2014; 5 people to step up into new leadership positions and for the church to grow by 5%. What actually happened?

  • Two adults became Christians at St Jude's in 2014, but the picture is quite a bit more complex than that. Quite a few follk came back to church having been away or started attending church for the first time. Several children were also born into Christian families, and our policy is clear that we count children in Christian families as Christians (hence baptism, etc) unless they decide otherwise. 5 new Christians - target probably met.
  • Around a dozen people stepped up into new positions of leadership or responsibility in 2014. A lot of those were to do with Messy Church, but even without Messy Church, we still met the target. 5 new leaders - target smashed!
  • Church Growth is notoriously difficult to measure accurately. Attendance at St Jude's fluctuates depending on weather, holidays, people visiting relatives and so on, often by 30% between one week and the next. That's part of the point of this e-mail - we recognise that not everyone can be there every week. In addition, we've had several families leave St Jude's in 2014 (Turners, Hills, Stewarts) and a few regular attenders going home to be with the Lord. Having said all of that, the official C of E figure (based on attendance in October) showed 4.3% growth from 2013 to 2014. 5% growth - target probably missed

I don't feel bad about us missing that target, thought it would have been great if we'd hit it. The best wisdom with target setting is that it's much better to miss some, because it shows that you're aiming at the right level of ambition. It's great to be part of a growing church; it's even better to be part of a church where God is at work by his Spirit drawing people to know him better.

To God be the glory, now and forever!

[Some people have asked me about prayer targets for 2015. Short answer - I think it's better to set them at the AGM in April where we have to review the past year and look ahead anyway, so until then please keep praying that God would grow us all in our love for him...]

God bless,

John

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