June 2010


Proclaiming the Kingdom


In the gospels we read t h a t J e s u s c ame proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Jesus came to call people to respond to the rule of God demonstrated in his own ministry as God’s anointed King. In short our response to Jesus shows what we make of God’s Kingdom. It is instructive that Jesus both proclaimed in word and demonstrated in action the reality of the kingdom of God. His miracles of power and compassion and his call to the people to follow him, believe in him, to listen to him, to obey him stand side by side or as two sides of the same coin in the proclaiming of the kingdom of God. Word and deed go together in Christian ministry.


Making Disciples


Not only did Jesus preach publicly and draw the crowds, he also called and nurtured his disciples. In the first instance they were to learn from him as they watched how Jesus himself modelled the proclaiming of God’s rule. The next step involved Jesus sending out the disciples, first the 12 and then the 72 to do exactly what he had been doing himself, preaching the good news of the k i n g d o m a n d demonstrating the good news in the driving out of demons, healing of the sick and even the raising of the dead. Of course in


the gospels the disciples are able to report back to Jesus how ministry is going and get further teaching and preparation for the final stage of ministry, when after Jesus had left them and returned to the Father in heaven, they would be released in the power of the Spirit to proclaim the Kingdom not just in Israel, but to the ends of the earth.


As one generation passes to another we are still called to proclaim God’s rule in Christ and charged to bring people into his kingdom. Just as Jesus trained up disciples we are still called to pray for the Lord to raise up workers for his harvest field.


New Curate Coming


On July 4th I will be at St


Denys’s in Sleaford for the ordination of our new curate David Oxtoby who has written about himself in this edition of BGH. David is coming to us from Ridley Hall in Cambridge and we look forward to him joining the staff team and joining in gospel work here in Stamford. I remember my


time with Kim when I was his curate, there were those situations which were completely new and I watched Kim do it. There were other situations where Kim would let me do it and would watch me so he could feed back. Then there were those situations where Kim released me to get on with the job, having trained me to do it. I hope I will be able to be a good mentor to David and to see him grow as an effective gospel minister.


It might be useful at this point to make it clear that Dave Maylor is going nowhere. Dave M is not a curate and so does not have to leave to make way for David Oxtoby. (It is going to be confusing with two Dave’s)! As a curate David Oxtoby will be with us for three to four years as we are seen as a training parish. It will then be time for David O to move on and take more responsibility in a post in another parish.


Growing New Ministers


What is exciting at the moment is how the Lord is using our fellowship to raise up people with a heart for God’s Kingdom who are being called into public ministry and being selected for training. Peter Weeks i s of f to theological college in the autumn, Linda Davies who helps with the Wittering team has just been selec ted for ordination training last


www.stgeorgeschurch.net Page 9—Angel Tree


Page 10—Book Reviews


Page 11—Diary Dates


Page 12—What’s on…


Continued over page bGh_


Inside this


Edition … Page 2, 3 & 5— Mission News


Page 4—Book Review


Page 6—Our new Curate


Page 7—24/7 Prayer


Sermon Series


Page 8 & 9— Creation Care


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12