St Paul's Magazine - Spring/Summer 2016

Know that

HE IS YOUR ROCK Page 10

The HEART of worship

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FREEDOM f from ear Page 38 WALKING THEPageTALK 42

ST PAUL’S EALING MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2016

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CONTENTS

Features 6

THE HEART OF WORSHIP John Murphy reflects on the power of a song

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A PLACE OF GENEROUS WELCOME Richard Thomas gives an update on St Mellitus Hanwell

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A DAY IN THE LIFE Kira King shares the challenges of working as a junior barrister

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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Mark Melluish shares the vision for this next season

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CHILDREN STEPPING OUT IN FAITH Learn how God is working in and through children around the world

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STORIES OF GRACE Clare Harris tells her story of finding freedom from fear

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK A fulfilled Christian life requires action, suggests Richard Sarson

Church Life

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Regulars

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MEET THE STAFF: David Grout shares his vision for worship

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WOMEN: A place to belong; Learning to be mindful

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WORSHIP AND PRAYER: Barbara Osibamowo on the power of prayer

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MEN: Two journeys of faith

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CONNECTING: Ways to get more involved; what goes on After Hours

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FAMILY: Courses for families; Dad’s Big Breakfast

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KIDS: All that’s happening for kids including the Easter Holiday Club

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MISSION: A safe space to learn in Cape Town; ministries we’re supporting

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YOUTH: What’s coming up; The launch of Youth Pursuit

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COMMUNITY: Local ministries we’re involved with; The CAP Money Course

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STUDENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS: Ushering in the Kingdom; Joining a Life Group

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LIFE GROUPS: Bea Keyte shares how joining a group has blessed her

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WELCOME: Mark Melluish

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CHURCH CALENDAR: What’s happening February – September

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WHO’S WHO: Who heads up the different ministries; St Paul’s Life Groups

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THE FINAL WORD: Annica May

WELCOME ISSUE 16

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 St Paul's Ealing Magazine is published twice a year by St Paul’s Church Ealing EDITOR Lindsay Melluish lindsay@stpaulsealing.com MANAGING EDITOR Lucy Avery mrslucyavery@gmail.com COMMISSIONING EDITOR Tim Bowdler timbowdler@btinternet.com DESIGN/CREATIVE Annica May ● AllThingsDesign annica@allthingsdesign.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY Peter Daniel peter@pjdaniel.org.uk ISSUE 16 CONTRIBUTORS Mark Melluish, John Murphy, David Grout, Barbara Osibamowo, Mark Tate, Richard Thomas, Abi Hedges, Bri L’Hostis, Jonny Hedges, Emily Plummer, Hadley George, Kira King, Lindsay Melluish, Nell Fox, Tom Green, Alan Phillips, Aaron Lawler, Steve & Diana Morris, Iain Carruthers, Bea Keytes, Olly & Helen Goldenberg, Clare Harris, Richard Sarson, Annica May

Dear Friends, We live in a world with such a changing landscape. It’s not that many years ago when we could be sure that at some point in our lives we would own a house. That’s now a real question for those in their 20s and even 30s. It’s not that long ago when a job was thought of as quite secure and people could plan for retirement on healthy pensions, whereas now many people live with a huge level of uncertainty and anxiety.

I used to watch the 6 O’Clock News to find out what was happening in the world and now I have news access 24 hours a day. It used to be that we would meet friends or even bump into them in the community and catch up but now we have so much social media activity that we have little new to say to each other when we see each other in person.

With everything changing so fast it can leave us asking where our reference points are in life. What is it that shapes and directs our values and gives us a firm and solid foundation upon which to make decisions and to which we can return when life seems so changeable?

Jesus tells the story of a two people (Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:46-49). One is a wise person who’s built their life on a firm foundation and the other has built it around shifting sands. The story reminds us that when the storms of life come that only the one on the firm foundation will stand.

FRONT PAGE PHOTO Dreamstime.com

This magazine tells the story of many different people who have done just that. They are living their lives with our Heavenly Father at the heart of things. Enjoy reading all that it contains and be inspired to have Jesus at the centre of every aspect of your life. It’s through Him we find a secure, peaceful, joyful and fulfilling life.

We would love to hear from you:

With every blessing,

CALL US 020 8579 9444 EMAIL US magazine@stpaulsealing.com

Mark Melluish Senior Pastor

St Paul’s, Ealing

VISIT OUR WEB SITE www.stpaulsealing.com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK stpaulsealing FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @stpaulsealing VISIT US St Paul’s Church, Ridley Ave, Ealing LONDON, W13 9XW TUBE: Northfields BUS: E2, E3 ©2016 St Paul’s Church, Ealing Registered Charity 1132598 A member of the New Wine network of churches You can also view and download this magazine online via www.stpaulsealing.com

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CHURCH CALENDAR February

Monday 15th 8pm | Worship Team Night Tuesday 16th 8pm | Hungry Monday 22nd 7.45pm | Lent Course Tuesday 23rd 10.30am | CAP Coffee Morning 12pm | CAP Job Club Wednesday 24th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers Thursday 25th 10am | Connect 7.30pm | Date Night Monday 29th 7.45pm | Lent Course

March

Tuesday 1st 12pm | CAP Job Club Thursday 3rd 10am | Connect 7.30pm | Date Night 7.45pm | Monthly Prayer Meeting Monday 7th 7.45pm | Lent Course Tuesday 8th 12pm | CAP Job Club Wednesday 9th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers Thursday 10th 10am | Connect 7.30pm | Date Night Saturday 12th 9am | Dad’s Big Breakfast Monday 14th 7.45pm | Lent Course Tuesday 15th 12pm | CAP Job Club 8pm | Hungry Thursday 17th 10am | Connect 7.30pm | Date Night Sunday 20th 8pm | 24-7 Prayer 21-25 March 24-7 Prayer Monday 21st 7.45pm | Lent Course Tuesday 22nd 10.30am | CAP Coffee Morning 12pm | CAP Job Club Wednesday 23rd 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers Thursday 24th 10am | Connect Friday 25th 12pm | 3 hours at The Cross

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Photo by | Peter Daniel

April

5-7 April Treasure Hunters Easter Holiday Club Monday 11th 7.30pm | Welcome Meal 7.30pm | Worship Team Meeting Tuesday 12th 12pm | CAP Job Club Drop-in 7.45pm | St Paul’s AGM Wednesday 13th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers 7.45pm | BIG QUESTIONS 8pm | Alpha Thursday 14th 10am | Connect Saturday 16th 8am | Men’s Golf morning Tuesday 19th 12pm | CAP Job Club 8pm | Hungry Wednesday 20th 8pm | Alpha Thursday 21st 10am | Connect 6.30pm | Cakes, Bakes and Faith with Martha Collinson and Will Torrent Tuesday 26th 10.30am | CAP Coffee Morning 12pm | CAP Job Club 7.45pm | Young Adult Deeper Wednesday 27th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers 8pm | Alpha Thursday 28th 10am | Connect 30 April - 1 May Chilterns Cycle Ride

May

Tuesday 3rd 12pm | CAP Job Club Wednesday 4th 8pm | Alpha Thursday 5th 10am | Connect 7.45pm | Monthly Prayer Meeting Tuesday 10th 12pm | CAP Job Club Wednesday 11th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers 8pm | Alpha Thursday 12th 10am | Connect Friday 13th 8pm | Young Adult Social Tuesday 17th 12pm | CAP Job Club 8pm | Hungry Wednesday 18th 10am | Great & Small 8pm | Alpha Thursday 19th 10am | Connect 19-22 May Lands End to London Cycle Ride Challenge Saturday 21st 9am | Awaken Tuesday 24th 10.30am | CAP Coffee Morning 12pm | CAP Job Club Wednesday 25th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers Thursday 26th 10am | Connect

June

Thursday 2nd 7.45pm | Monthly Prayer Meeting Tuesday 7th 12pm | CAP Job Club 8pm | Young Adult Deeper Wednesday 8th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers Thursday 9th 10am | Connect 11-12 June Dads’n'Kids Big Camp-out Sunday 12th 4pm | Welcome Tea Tuesday 14th 12pm | CAP Job Club Wednesday 15th 10am | Great & Small Thursday 16th 10am | Connect Friday 17th 7.30pm | Volunteers Celebration Tuesday 21st 12pm | CAP Job Club 8pm | Hungry Wednesday 22nd 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers Thursday 23rd 10am | Connect Tuesday 28th 10.30am | CAP Coffee Morning 12pm | CAP Job Club Drop-in Thursday 30th 10am | Connect

July

Monday 4th 7.30pm | Men’s BBQ Tuesday 5th 12pm | CAP Job Club Drop-in Wednesday 6th 10am | Great & Small Thursday 7th 10am | Connect 7.45pm | Monthly Prayer Meeting Tuesday 12th 12pm | CAP Job Club Drop-in Wednesday 13th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers Thursday 14th 10am | Connect Friday 15th 8pm | Young Adult Social Tuesday 19th 12pm | CAP Job Club Drop-in 8pm | Hungry Thursday 21st 10am | Connect 23 - 29 July New Wine Tuesday 26th 10.30am | CAP Coffee Morning Wednesday 27th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group

September

Thursday 8th 10am | Connect 7.45pm | Monthly Prayer Meeting Tuesday 13th 8pm | Young Adult Gathering Wednesday 14th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers Thursday 15th 10am | Connect Tuesday 20th 8pm | Hungry Wednesday 21st 10am | Great & Small Thursday 22nd 10am | Connect Saturday 24th St Paul’s Festival Monday 26th 7.45pm | Welcome Meal 7.45pm | Worship Team Meeting Tuesday 27th 10.30am | CAP Coffee Morning Wednesday 28th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group 4pm | Mighty Makers Thursday 29th 10am | Connect

August

Wednesday 10th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group Tuesday 16th 8pm | Hungry Tuesday 23rd 10.30am | CAP Coffee Morning Wednesday 24th 10.30am | Seniors’ Wednesday group

IN BUILD

WELCOME TO ST PAUL’S SUNDAY SERVICES

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COM NIT Y MU

Holy Communion at 8am Traditional Communion Service Morning Service at 9:15am and 11am Fresh worship, teaching and ministry Evening Service at 6:30pm Extended worship, teaching and ministry ST PAUL’S EALING MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2016

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FEATURE

Text by | John Murphy

The HEART of worship St Paul’s worship director John Murphy talks about his early musical influences and gives his take on contemporary Christian worship music As anyone who knows me has probably guessed, I was fascinated by all kinds of music at an unusually early age. It started when I was a toddler, obsessed with the colourful centre labels spinning around on my parents’ record player (you do remember those, right?), but before long I was equally captivated by the music itself, and how different each record sounded - pop, rock, or even classical music (though the narrator of Peter And The Wolf frightened me - why was the record talking?).

Starting early

My older brother got me even more interested, talking about all the different music he’d heard and playing it to me. I’m the youngest of three kids; my sister had a keyboard and my brother played guitar. It wasn’t long before I was tinkering on their instruments when they weren’t looking and, from the age of about five right through to my teenage years, I wrote my own songs all the time. For lyrics, I’d often pick out phrases that I thought sounded like the kind of thing I heard on Top of the Pops each week.

Unfortunately I was too young to know what I was writing about. Worse still, this was the ‘80s and early ‘90s and while that era was particularly colourful in terms of fashion and production styles, let’s face it, there wasn’t always a lot of meaning in the Top 40 back then.

Poetry in motion

So 10-year-old me ended up writing ‘love’ songs like: ‘God bless this earth for having her

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in it/God bless this earth, she is the one for me’ before joyfully declaring in the very next line that, ‘soon I might find I’m in love with another’. Riiiiight. A fist-pumping, defiantly anti-drug song had a chorus that went: ‘Don’t take it if you don’t want to’. Then there was my attempt at a big, tear-jerking ballad - you know, the kind that’s usually about a failing relationship - which opened with: ‘What is wrong? You’re in a mood about it...’

might be right for the church to sing together.

Worshipping God together with our voices, words and melodies is the precious privilege of the Church - it focuses our hearts on Him and reminds us who we are in Him. I believe that my job involves doing the very best I can to help every member of the congregation to worship together in song - if it’s ever allowed to become a spectator sport, we’re all in trouble!

I remember all this because I still have a box full of the tape recordings I made with my best friend - and no, you’ll never be allowed to hear them! My brother, of course, got several laughs out of all that nonsensical writing. (It’s enlightlening to listen back as an adult and hear yourself developing, though - if you’re a parent of a budding musician, I totally recommend that you let them record everything they do, even when it’s unlistenable).

As we listen through the latest worship resources, we’ll look for songs which are accessible, memorable and theologically sound enough to work corporately in church on a Sunday. Sometimes a song ticks all those boxes and becomes an ‘instant classic’ with the congregation. We’ve seen this recently with the return to hymnody in the church culture - think of 10,000 Reasons, Man Of Sorrows or This I Believe (The Creed) - all timeless-sounding songs that carry truths about God so clearly that it’s hard to resist worshipping with them.

I became a Christian in my early 20s and, as I began to discover how much more meaning life had as a result, so I was thrilled to discover worship and Christian music, where the lyrics really pointed to something (perhaps I should say ‘Someone?’) that carried so much more weight than my old lyrics did.

Worshipping – the precious privilege of the church

I still love discovering music of all kinds that I haven’t heard before, and these days I’m honoured to be part of a team at St Paul’s that gets to think about which new (and old) songs

The power of a simple song

Sometimes, however, a song takes you by surprise - it might not explicitly meet all those criteria, but it has something special and is exactly right to be singing in the current season. A recent example of that is Housefires’ Good Good Father, which doesn’t mention Jesus specifically but instead talks about the relationship we enjoy with God as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice. ‘You’re pleased and I’m never alone’ - this is true all because of who He is and what He’s done; and the

song has already brought such revelation and healing to so many in recent months.

And what a joy that is. I hope you laugh at my meaningless childhood lyrics like I do, but we as a church get to sing songs that carry the greatest meaning there is. It’s partly why, even after all these years, I’m still so fascinated by the power a song can have that I’ll probably never stop looking for more. John was fascinated by music at an unusually early age

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MEET THE STAFF

Interview by | Tim Bowdler ● Photo by | David Grout & Peter Daniel

St Paul’s assistant worship pastor David Grout explains how he got into worship and what he is hoping for in the future What’s your background and how did you become a Christian?

I grew up in a Christian family, but like most people in that situation, your faith only really becomes your own when you start working out who you are and who God has made you to be. I would say in the last 10 years, my faith has really developed into what I see being a follower and disciple of Jesus to be. I suppose every stage of my life has moulded my faith and honed my relationship with God; and I would definitely say it has been the harder parts of my life, my wrestling with God, that has brought me into a stronger relationship with Him. I feel like it should be more widely appreciated in the church, that our struggles with God and with this world are normal and okay, and really help us see through God’s eyes, this world and an eternal perspective.

What inspired you to get involved in music?

My story of getting into music was quite a simple one. I started learning piano when I was about six or seven and by the time I was about 13 I’d started writing simple songs on the piano. When I was 15 I began writing lyrics, and I taught myself guitar when I was 16, so I guess it was a gradual process of becoming more passionate about the creative side of learning an instrument and being able to write songs. I was definitely far more interested from a young age in improvising and creating my own music, than practising what my teacher asked me to do. Becoming involved in church music was a natural and obvious progression when I was a young teenager, and I started leading regularly when I was 15.

What do you think the challenges are for church music and how people can develop in church worship settings?

Corporate worship is hugely important, because community and relationships matter to God. Church music in its current form is subjective, there are many different opinions, because all music is

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subjective, but the heart of the songs should have a focus on the Trinity and, for me, as long as we are focused on becoming more intimate with God and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us and change the atmosphere, we are in a good place. I suppose the only challenges are opinions, but I feel when our eyes are God-focused, then opinions matter less and less; we all should have a communal purpose to meet with the King of Kings.

With regards to people developing in a church worship setting, someone recently told me they didn’t really like the music they were doing in their church and they were bored of doing the same songs all the time, that it felt Spirit-less and lacked life that it perhaps once had. I told them that they should spend more time worshipping God by themselves. In alone time with God the Father - the ‘mountain top’ time - we grow in a deep personal relationship. In these times Jesus will meet with us by His Spirit, we don’t need to rely on the corporate setting for an encounter or an ‘experience’. It can happen at any time or any place, whatever we are doing. That has to be one of the most important things we take on board. The other is that our worship isn’t just about singing songs: our worship, as Paul says in Romans 8, is a dayby-day act of living sacrificially in a relationship with Jesus. This means our worship to God includes how we love our neighbour, how we treat our world and how we include God in our daily world - not just singing!

What’s your vision for St Paul’s and goals for the future?

My vision for the music worship at St Paul’s is to see our community grow in a deeper relationship with God, to go deeper into His presence.

I’m really excited about everything: to come and look forward to working with the amazing team here as we hear from God and look to Him for the future, allowing the Spirit to lead us into greater things. 

Staying

IN TUNE with The Lord

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WORSHIP & PRAYER

Interview by | Tim Bowdler ● Photo by | Anat Boonsawat at Dreamstime.com

‘At one point I just said, “Lord, enough.

Carry this or carry me home”’

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Know that He is your rock Barbara Osibamowo talks about the times in her life when prayer has been a constant source of strength How important is prayer to you?

Prayer is my rock, and God is all I have. It’s even more important to me now. My brother died last year. There have also been a number of other challenges recently. So I thank God for God and that I can ask Him anything.

How do you approach prayer?

It depends what I am praying about. For example, I was in America sorting my brother’s business after I lost him. While I was away, I got a phone call telling me that my daughter’s bedroom had been destroyed by a fire. At that point I just said, ‘Lord, enough. Carry this or carry me home.’ So that’s how I approach prayer – I just say how I feel. Sometimes I will pray in words, but then I might start to pray in tongues ,the prayer language given us by the Spirit, or just soothe my soul in worship songs.

Tell us about some answers to prayer in your life.

It goes way back – 25 years ago when my father died. Although I was married and had a child, my daddy had always been my rock. At that time I felt God saying, ‘Lean on me. I am your rock. I am your father and your daddy.’ That took a while to sink in, but I now know that it is only him who will never leave me or forsake me.

Nobody else.

I have had health issues and my brother was an excellent doctor. He used to help me with health issues and supported my three children in different ways before and through my illness and I leaned on him. But now he’s passed away, and the pain is unbearable sometimes. But once again the Lord is reminding me that He is my rock.

What about other times in your life?

I have had a kidney transplant as well as a heart bypass. I am still here so I know God has been with me and that all I have is the Lord.

Do you have a routine for prayer?

Well, I go outside. I wake up early – 3.30am, later in the winter months. I have always had an internal alarm that wakes me up early. I go in the garden and sit there just watching what is going on, looking at the skies and saying, ‘Lord thank you’, or ‘Lord I need this’, ‘Lord help’.

That’s my time, my ‘me’ time, out in the garden.

There’s nobody there, there are no birds, there’s no noise, just God and me.

What about corporate prayer?

When I am due to pray at church, I pray about it all week asking the Lord for what’s on His heart. For me, it’s a lot of thanksgiving because God has been so good in my life. I have to keep on thanking Him because I wouldn’t be here without Him. Usually I just pray how God leads but recently at a baptism I prepared a little more for what I was going to say. There were a lot of non-Christians at the front, so I felt I had to be careful and explain myself better. I knew I had to involve them so they didn’t think there was some sort of lunatic in front of them!

Do you think God changes his mind when you pray?

Without a shadow of a doubt He does.

Is there a tension in that because there is a school of thought that says everything is pre-ordained?

I believe God gives us the ‘deepest desires of our hearts’ so there’s no tension there. I

know God is my father and He will give me the best. So even if I choose the wrong path in my humanness, He will correct me and will lead me in the ‘paths of righteousness’.

How do you feel when it seems that God hasn’t answered prayer?

My dad was my all, but when he was dying of cancer I kept praying, ‘Please save him’. When he died I was very angry with God. I told God I had prayed, walked in His word and still he hadn’t listened to me. A few months later I realised what God was saying to me: ‘I am God alone. Lean on me and I will never leave you’.

The Lord is always there, He is constant, so there is always a lesson in what you might think is unanswered prayer. I now do not see it as ‘unanswered prayer’, it was the Lord opening the right door for me to go through. It is painful, but true. God wants the best for us.

Getting angry – is that a good way to go when things don’t go our way?

I have been angry with God a few times and I think it is being truthful with our Father, while revering Him.

What would you say to those who are not confident that their prayers will get answered?

It’s about persistent prayer. Keep asking the Lord and he will do it. Keep trusting that he will do what is best for each one of us, because eventually he does. Keep knocking on that door and He will open it. Do not doubt Him and think He may not. Say, ‘Lord you do it, I have tried my best, and cannot do any more. It’s up to you now and your “will be done”. Amen.’ 

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CONNECTING

Get Connected If you are new to St Paul’s or thinking of joining us, there are lots of ways to meet people and get connected into church life. You can chat to a member of the Welcome Team at the welcome desk of the church foyer before or after a service on a Sunday. Phone the office on 020 8579 9444 or email welcome@stpaulsealing.com. Here is a run-down of regular events for those who are new to the church or just want to get to know more people:

Men’s and Women’s Events

There are regular events run for men and women in the church, ranging from breakfasts to curry nights, socials and outdoor activities.

For more information on the men's events see pages 26-27 or contact Chris Fox at chris@stpaulsealing.com

Welcome Suppers & Welcome Teas

If you want to find out more about the church family at St Paul’s, then this is for you. These events happen several times a year. They are an opportunity to share a meal or tea together, meet some of the staff and ministry leaders and hear about the vision and values of our church and what we believe in. We really encourage you to come along.

For more information call the office on 020 8779 3778 or email welcome@stpaulsealing.com

After Hours

At the end of every Sunday evening service, we do something social, as we continue to build community. We may have our own pizzeria in the church, or head down to our local pub for a drink. Everyone is welcome.

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For women's events, contact Lindsay Melluish at lindsay@stpaulsealing.com or see pages 24-25.

Life Groups

Our worship services are a very important part of church life, but it’s at our Life Group meetings during the week that we can experience close friendship and mutual support, helping each other as we go on as followers of Jesus.

Meeting together with other Christians is vital to spiritual growth and health. We encourage everyone to join one of our Life Groups.

Various groups meet throughout the week, with evening groups meeting on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Life Groups for women are on Thursday mornings and a Life Group for retirement age and above meets on Wednesday mornings twice a month.

To find out more look at the list on page 45. Contact groups to find out what they are about. There are groups at different times and days in Hanwell, Northfields, Ealing, Isleworth and in the City.

The Lounge

The Lounge is our mid-week congregation which meets on Tuesdays from 8-10pm.

We’re a bunch of people exploring why following Jesus is worthwhile and working out what it means to follow Him. We meet to do something, somewhere, almost every single Tuesday. We run our own short ‘courses’ and we also just hang out and aim to be the type of friends who are there for each other when needed, at any time.

Contact Jeremy and Susie Woodham on 07941 622 776 for more informaton

Sport

Youth 5-A-Side Football Wednesdays 4.30-5.30pm in Lammas Park Contact Mark Tate on on 07949 615 653 or markt@stpaulsealing.com Saturday Football Contact Mark Tate on 07949 615 653 or markt@stpaulsealing.com Bringing Jesus to Ealing through Football Saturdays, Blondin Park, 2.30pm Contact Damien Anstis on savesjesus@hotmail.co.uk Street Dance Classes Tuesdays 8.30-9.30pm in the Church Hall Contact Claire Sullivan on 020 8840 6703

FOCUS: After Hours

Meeting and eating After Hours kicks off straight after the Sunday evening service. It’s a great place to hang with friends, grab some food or drink and chill after a great time meeting with God. Throughout the year we do some fun things from creating your own milkshake to enjoying nachos.

Our most popular include a monthly pub trip and a pizzeria at the back of the church.

The best part is we build community: we get to meet people that we might not otherwise get to hang out with during the service and we get to close the weekend with great fun.

If you are new, then After Hours is the place to chat to people, build friendships and find out how you can get plugged in. You’ll often see Mark Tate, our incredibly hairy young adult pastor hovering around the After Hours hatch, ready to welcome and get to know you.

Sometimes he even buys you food!  How about joining the team? We’d love to have you!

Email markt@stpaulsealing.com

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

Text by | Richard Thomas ● Photo by | Annica May

In July 2014, Mark Melluish was installed as Priest-in-Charge at St Mellitus, Hanwell.

Since then there have been many exciting changes and developments.

Richard Thomas gives us a taste of what's been happening Our first impressions were that St Mellitus knew how to do community and knew how to do food. Mark’s installation was followed by a bring-and-share BBQ lunch. An incredible array of food from all four corners of the world began to fill the church as well as the most incredible aroma. Ever since then I have never been disappointed. People bring cakes along on Sundays and every now and then someone will arrive with a great tray of samosas freshly purchased from a stall in Southall. Spicy samosa and coffee is an interesting post-service mix.

Not only is the food great but the community is great as well. The peace in the middle of the service lasts a long time; the service may finish at 11.15am but people are still gathered around the cakes and samosas until 12.30pm.

There is a lovely sense of community, a spirit of generosity and hospitality.

Making changes

There have been a number of exciting changes and developments. We’ve begun to make changes to the services, introducing longer times of sung worship and ministry. People have responded positively, lots of people come forward for prayer and there is a real sense that people are pursuing God, his presence and all that he has for them.

We now serve coffee before and after the service. One Sunday I spoke to a couple who were very surprised to find a coffee offered to them before the service had begun; they said they expected it after the service but

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not before. It was a privilege to be able to say ‘we’re a ‘both…and’ church!’

A warmer welcome

We invested in a massive gas heater. The winter months are incredibly cold. Last winter I could see my own breath most weeks as I preached and led communion. It doesn’t create the most welcoming environment when at times it felt colder inside than outside. This is welcome in July, less so in January.

Gas heaters may warm the air temporarily but the heater symbolises a deeper desire to build a church that welcomes the community in which it is placed. There is a desire to do just this within the congregation and we have taken steps towards this, the gas heater being but one.

Reaching the community

The Hanwell Food bank is situated within St Mellitus church hall. The Food Bank is administered and staffed by members of the church as well as the wider Christian community. St Mellitus also plays a significant role in the Ealing Churches’ Winter Night Shelter and opened their doors to the homeless on two Saturdays in December.

One of the larger developments this year has been Messy Church.

On the first Saturday of the month we open the church to the community and provide an hour and a half of church for primary school children and their families. The format of Messy Church is 45 minutes of craft and activities, 20 minutes of all together time which includes some worship, a talk and prayers and then a family tea to which all are invited to stay and enjoy.

We’ve had the privilege of welcoming some 70 families to Messy Church over the last year, many of whom have never been inside the church before. An amazing team has grown up to run Messy Church and it’s been a great way to build links with our local community.

Working together

During the Summer months a large team worked hard to re-do the church garden, clearing dense weeds and shrubs and laying a new lawn. The transformation was incredible and the lawn was put to good use over the summer playing host to a wedding and numerous youth events.

Speaking of youth, there was already a great youth group, but since 2014 the St Paul’s interns have worked to develop what already existed. Now a thriving group of young people meets each Thursday evening.

Plans for the future

We’re excited about all that lies ahead for St Mellitus. A large sum of money has been secured to redevelop and transform the outside garden areas. Plans are afoot to begin re-developing the interior of the church in order to make it more welcoming and more practical. Some of these changes include the removal of the pews and replacing them with chairs, screening in the chapel to provide an extra room and warmer space for mid-week gatherings and some work on the sound system and kitchen areas. More plans have been drawn up and it will be exciting to see these taking shape.

The hope is for St Mellitus to have a vicar of their own by the summer. The church will remain part of the St Paul’s family and it will be exciting to continue walking the journey of faith and discipleship together.

A place of generous welcome

Visit saintmellitushanwell.org.uk to find out more ST PAUL’S EALING MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2016

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KIDS

Text by | Abi Dust & Bri L'Hostis ● Photos & Illustrations by | Peter Daniel, Pixabay.com & Dreamstime.com

Allstars

Sunday fun for all kids 0-11 All kids from newborn babies to year 6 kids are welcome at Allstars Kids Church every Sunday at both morning services.

We have age-appropriate Bible-filled teaching, worship, games, crafts and more!

Great and Small

Pre-school stay and play Join us on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month for Great and Small. Stay and play, have coffee and cake, meet other parents and carers and enjoy some singing and a puppet sketch.

Mighty Makers

Craft club for kids 3-7 years old & parents/carers Sign up for a term of fun, crafts, friends and more! We meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at 4-5:15pm during term time. Check out the website for details on how to sign up.

Breakout

School years 3-6 Don’t miss out on all the fun that happens every Tuesday evening from 6-7.15pm.

We have a tuck shop, bouncy castle, football zone, theme nights, crazy crafting and some super leaders to get to know.

Hungry for God for Kids

All ages welcome Hungry for God for Kids is a time for kids to spend one hour with God, worshipping him and praying together in a creative, fun and child-accessible way.

Our aim is to teach children tools that they can use at home when they pray and create a space to go deeper with God in a smaller, more intentional setting. We meet once a term on a Saturday afternoon, 4-5pm.

Kids’ Lifegroups

School years 5-6 Kids in school years 5 and 6 meet together weekly on a Monday or a Thursday after school in smaller discipleship groups to chat about life, God, friendship and faith.

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Hey! It’s Abi and Bri here.

We’re so excited for 2016 and all that God might do in and through St Paul’s Kids. We both love working with children from tiny babies all the way up to the big kids in year 6, getting to know them and their families and, in particular, supporting them in their own journey of faith. It’s an absolute joy, and a privilege to witness children discover more of who God is, and get excited about their friendship with him. Our vision is to provide a place where children can abandon themselves to God in worship, experience his power and the realness of who he is and know the mission God has for them to live for him at home, at school and in their communities.

We couldn’t do anything that we do without the incredible team of people who choose to give up their time week in and week out. We happen to think they are an absolutely incredible bunch and would encourage you to thank them and tell them how wonderful they all are when you see them too! If you have a heart for kids and love the sound of our vision, we would love you consider to joining the team. You could get involved midweek or on a Sunday, to the tiniest babies to big 11-year-olds and anywhere in between. Just get in touch; we look forward to hearing from you.

See you soon!

Abi and Bri | Children’s Pastors

Something new for children in RECEPTION to YEAR 6

Water word search

EASTER HOLIDAY CLUB Calling all treasure hunters! Join us over the Easter holidays for three fun-packed days of exploring, hunting and training that will be taking place on Tuesday 5 to Thursday 7 April 2016. The adventure will be based around the Easter story and we’ll find out as much as we can about who Jesus was and what he did. There’s so much to look forward to, from the chaos that will occur on stage to the activities you can get involved in. Stage time will include messy games, drama, songs and lots of fun. Activities include crafting, sports competitions, music and digging into the best treasure map of all… The Bible! Check out the website to book on, we can’t wait to see you there!

Help the fish to get out of the labyrinth

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Text by | Jonny Hedges & Emily Plummer ● Photo by | Dreamstime.com

Exalt Yrs 7-9 | Sundays | 9.15-10.30am & 11-12.15pm

Kick off your Sunday with Exalt. Discussions, movie clips, worship and prayer. Over the coming weeks we’re looking at how we live out what we believe.

Girls’ Cell Yrs 7-9 | Tuesdays | 5.45-7.15pm

Girls’ Cell is a fun, friendly environment to enjoy girly company and find out what it means to be a woman of God. We’ve spent the last half term looking at our values as a group; Fun, Friendship, Jesus, Respect and Listen. This term we’re looking at Mark’s Gospel and real issues that girls face.

Boys’ Cell Yrs 7-9 | Thursdays | 5-6.30pm

Whether we’re competing in the Alpha Male challenge, learning about what the Bible says to us or just playing football, it’s always fun! Last term we looked at the book of 1 Peter. This term we are looking at ‘Man Made’, a great series thinking about what it means to be a man of God.

Transform Yrs 10-13 | Wednesdays | 7.30-9.30pm

Transform is a place where we can get into the Bible, pray, worship and hang out together. We spent the end of last year looking at Acts and this term we are tackling some of the issues we face as teenagers every day.

After Hours Yrs 10-13 | Sundays | 8.30-9.30pm

Join with us after the 6.30 service for community, food and fun!

Wednesday Football Yrs 10-13 | Wednesdays | 4.30-5.30pm

Love a kick about? Every Wednesday afternoon, come rain or shine, a group of guys get together in Lammas Park on the astroturf for some 5-a-side football. It costs £2 to play, but it’s always worth it. Come along and try it out!

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‘God will meet us where we are’ Jonny and Emily share what’s been happening and what’s next for St Paul’s Youth

We can’t quite believe we are in 2016! We’re so excited for what is coming up over the next six months with St Paul’s Youth.

Looking back

Last time Jonny wrote a letter in this magazine, he shared how we wanted to reach wider, go deeper and build relationships. We have certainly seen this happen over the last year.

We are planning our first mission trip as a youth group. There have also been a number of mentoring relationships start up which is so exciting to see. With new faces in all our groups including those who have joined us from Year 7, there is a great number of friendships being formed and an undercurrent culture that sees every young person included.

On a Saturday evening in November St Paul’s Youth had their first YOUTH PURSUIT event

Coming up

In November we held our first Youth Pursuit gathering, where we gathered as a group of young people to pursue God. It was loud, it was silent, it was different (see below to find out what else happened). We gave a taster of Youth Pursuit in November because this Lent we will be taking time out to gather each Saturday to pursue God as ‘Youth Pursuit’. Each week will have a different theme and specific focus and each time God will meet us where we are.

We want Youth Pursuit to be accessible for every person in St Paul’s Youth from Year 7 to Year 13. We will meet each Saturday during Lent, in the Chapel, from 7.30-9.30pm and we hope that this time slot gives enough flexibility

for you to join us either at the start, middle or even the last 30 minutes!

Matthew 18:20 says that ‘where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.’

We as a team believe that when we gather in these times as we did in November, we will see the presence of God join us and therefore helping us to reach wider, go deeper and be a presence for Christ to those around us. Jonny Hedges | Youth Pastor Emily Plummer | Youth Intern

‘We asked God to shake the world with our prayers’

On 14 November we gathered to commit time to pursuing God. It was time to leave everything else at the door, to take a breath and go through a journey of encounter.

one wall covered with news stories about the atrocities. It was in this place of worship and prayer that we asked God to shake the world with our prayers.

The evening was split into four sections: Wind, Earthquake, Fire and Silence. These sections were based on the prophet Elijah’s encounter with God on the mountain. Through wind we encountered God in worship based around Ezekiel 37 and with the help of our ‘Tent of Meeting’ we listened to God through the fire.

Finally, the evening ended with silence, a chance to encounter God in activity while being silent. Each person had an opportunity to select a fruit of the spirit and then eat that through, while the food theme continued as we shared communion silently.

With the news of the terrorist attacks in Paris breaking the night before, we dedicated the earthquake section to ‘praying through the press’, with

The pursuit of God was different, it was loud, it was quiet and many other things, but we believe this has set the platform for Lent when we will spend Saturday evening each week pursuing God. ST PAUL’S EALING MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2016

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STUDENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

Text by | Mark Tate ● Photo by | Peter Daniel

The heart of the movement Mark Tate reminds us of our mission to usher in God’s kingdom At the Shindig (our young adults and students weekend away) last February, Rob Peabody challenged us about what it means to be a citizen in the kingdom of God. He reminded us that when we become followers of Jesus we receive a new identity - we become citizens of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ death and resurrection initiates and invites people into a life of so much more than the status quo. We realise that we’ve been made for more then getting a good education, a good job, getting married and having kids. Though these can all be good things, there’s so much more.

Setting things right

God is in the business of rebuilding, renewing, and recreating that which is broken and marred by sin, the things that are wrong in this world, and he’s doing this – setting things right – through Jesus. This is the fun bit; as citizens of God’s kingdom, we have been saved and set apart for this work. We have a new mission as we seek to establish the rule of God on earth as

‘As citizens of God’s kingdom, we have been saved and set apart for this work — we have a new mission’

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it is in heaven. That’s you and me; all of us have a part in helping Jesus bring His kingdom. But what does His alternative Kingdom look like and what’s our role in it? In Matthew 2: 22-27 Jesus was asked by a teacher of the Law: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Love God and love people

In ancient Israel, their way of life, the basis of who they where, what they believed, was based on the Law or the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament containing the laws from God to the Jewish people). The question was a big one, asking the best way we can live. Jesus’ answer, though deep and profoundly challenging, was simple; Love God and love people. That’s it. That’s our role as citizens in His Kingdom.

If I was to summarize us in a sentence it would be: ‘A community of believers who are passionate about ushering in God’s kingdom by loving God and loving people.’ This year we will be looking together at creative ways to do this.

I hope you can join us! Mark Tate | Students and Young Adults Pastor

Text by | Hadley George

‘I come away challenged yet re-energised’ Hadley George shares how she’s grown in her faith since finding support and encouragement in a Young Adult Life Group Don’t judge me, but when I was younger I always thought Life Groups were for two types of people: older people or those who knew where they were in life, faith and their walk with God. I could not have been more wrong.

I’ve been coming to St Paul’s for a while now having lived in Ealing for nearly 12 years.

While growing up here my parents have led a Life Group at our house every Tuesday evening for as long as I can remember, and I recall thinking ‘why couldn’t I join in?’

Seeing something I wanted

When I attended a Young Adult Social at St Paul’s back in October, one thing that struck me was that almost everyone there was part of a Young Adult Life Group.

Immediately I thought, ‘when and where can I join one?!’ I was encouraged to hear how being part of a small group like that had really helped people grow in their confidence and faith; and I wanted that, so later that evening I went home and prayed about it. The

following morning I spoke to Mark Tate and found out that he and his wife Laura lead a group on Tuesday evenings. Since then, I have loved going every week.

An awesome group of people

I can definitely say it has made a difference in my walk with God. Being in a Life Group has enabled me to meet so many new people, and gain more confidence in speaking out (even though I’m usually the quiet one in the discussions)! By Tuesday my week is already busy so to be able to spend time and unwind with an awesome group of people each week and talk about Jesus is absolutely brilliant.

At the moment we are doing a series on ‘The Big Questions’ followed by a short discussion which has been really thought-provoking.

Each week I come away feeling challenged yet re-energised.

(and food!) and develop friendships. You’re part a group that is just so for you every week, so regardless on how your week is shaped how busy you are, how good or bad you feel your week is going, you know that you have people you can talk to for prayer and support.

For me that is an amazing, fundamental part of being part of the church family. Everyone is so supportive and with you in everything you do. I know I’ve benefited massively from this since September – being back home after a not-so-successful time at Uni - and for that I’m so thankful as I feel like I’m coming out of my shell and discovering how amazing God has been these last few years.

If you’re not part of a Young Adult Life Group, I want to encourage you to go ahead and join one.

People who are for you

The thing I love about being in a Life Group is that sense of community – doing life together. You pray for each other, share life

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

Winning isn’t everything Kira King explains how she maintains her integrity as a Christian working as a junior barrister

I am a junior barrister specializing in Commercial Chancery Law. The term junior barrister is applicable to any barrister who is not a Silk, also known as Leading Counsel. It is difficult to accurately describe a typical day as my workload is almost infinitely variable.

Appearing in court

I appear in court approximately two to three days a week, though if I am very busy I may be in court every day! I appear in the county courts on insolvency applications, claims for summary judgment and/or strike out and small/fast track trials. My practice currently has an emphasis on civil fraud, contentious trust and probate litigation, insolvency, company and commercial disputes. Most of the trials I have been instructed on concern general commercial matters, for example, contract claims. I also regularly appear in the

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Queen’s Bench and Chancery Division of the High Court predominantly on civil fraud, commercial and insolvency matters. The vast majority of my hearings take place in London or within close proximity of London.

The highlight of my career to date has been appearing in the Supreme Court (the highest Court in the land) with a Silk on a property matter. It was absolutely fascinating to get to appear before Judges that you only read about in the law reports.

Acting differently

As a Christian, I think the most challenging aspect of my role is appearing in Court.

Contrary to popular opinion, barristers cannot (or certainly shouldn’t) lie! We have an overriding duty to the Court which overrides all else and if we are aware that our

client is lying or seeking to put forward a story which is contrary to what they have told us, we are obliged to immediately cease to act.

For me the challenge is far more nuanced.

Most cases will have a real impact on the lives of the people on the other side and while my job may be to act for my Client, as a Christian, I consider it to be extremely important not to behave in an adversarial way against the other side (as distinct from putting my arguments to the judge). I make an effort to ensure that I am not gloating or unpleasant when I win cases because that is not the person I want to be and certainly not a person I should be proud to be.

Advice and discussion

Outside of my court commitments, I am based in chambers in Lincoln’s Inn. At any

Text by | Kira King ● Photo by | Kira King & Dreamstime

one time, I will usually have several pieces of advice/pleadings that I am also working on. I advise on a wide variety of matters; from simple contract claims, pensions and trust claims, civil fraud, property claims, insolvency matters, to the availability of injunctive relief.

I spend some time each day discussing my ongoing cases with my instructing solicitors.

I also advise my solicitors and clients in conference if the case demands it. I usually spend some time each day discussing legal arguments with fellow members of chambers.

Trusting in God

As a Christian, I pride myself on being extremely honest with my solicitors. This isn’t always beneficial for me! If my solicitors have a particularly weak case and have instructed

me to fight it, I will make them aware and if necessary advise them to settle the case. Some barristers will advise their clients to fight, no matter what, even in circumstances where the client will almost certainly lose. Some of those barristers will make a huge amount of money conducting their practice in this way.

I prefer to maintain my integrity and trust that the God who has brought me this far will continue to sustain me.

It is almost impossible to predict what a day at work will entail as I am often instructed at relatively short notice; the advantage of this is that it is almost impossible to get bored!

Not only work

Outside of work I love running. I am a member of the very friendly Ealing Eagles Running Club and run many races from

a mile to marathons. I enjoy acting. I also love travelling. Last year my husband Karl and I went to Central America where we visited Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize and Mexico. It was the trip of a lifetime!

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WOMEN

What's on...

CONNECT

is the network of Life Groups for women which provides a place to grow in their faith. It’s a place where friendships can form and deepen and the nitty gritty of life can be shared. There is prayer, worship, Bible study and ministry.

Everyone at St Paul’s is encouraged to be in a Life Group. If your preference is for an allwomen’s group, then CONNECT is definitely for you. The groups meet on Thursday mornings.

AWAKEN!

is an event for all St Paul’s women and their friends. It takes place periodically on Saturday mornings throughout the year. There’s breakfast, worship, relevant teaching addressing issues women face in the 21st century and ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit.

STREET DANCE is a great way to keep fit and meet friends. All women welcome on Tuesdays 8.30-9.30pm

PRAYER TRIPLETS

is a place where real support can happen. In these prayer triplets people find great strength through the deepening of relationships, which enables trust to grow and gives the opportunity to ‘bear one another’s burdens’.

Text by | Lindsay Melluish ● Photo by | Pixabay.com

Hello friends, As I thought about what to write here a few weeks ago, I kept thinking of the word ‘adrift’ – a word that I think describes a situation many people have faced these past few months. Huge numbers of refugees adrift in the sea so many of whom sadly never returned to land.

People’s belongings set adrift as a result of the floods in the UK – thousands of people having to leave their homes, albeit temporarily, because they were submerged and uninhabitable.

And then there are many others who, though not literally adrift, feel that way because everything feels less safe and certain than it previously has done.

In our fragile and uncertain world we all need anchor points; places where we know we will be held and heard, supported and empowered.

Our vision is that the women’s ministry at St Paul’s can be one of those places; that as women we can be there for each other, find shared understanding and interdependent relationships.

Recently I found myself in conversation with a friend and describing our church and the idea of wanting to be somewhere where people can find a place to grow in their Christian faith but also feel part of something. She said ‘it sounds as though people can come and become part of the family, a place where they belong’.

Yes, I thought, a place to belong, an anchor point in the midst of the ups and downs of life.

The Bible says in Hebrews 6:19 that the hope that God offers us an anchor for our soul, firm and secure. He is the ultimate place of safety. We all need an anchor to keep us from coming adrift and the St Paul’s women’s ministry can itself act as an anchor, as well as helping us connect with the one true anchor.

There’s something for everyone and we would love to invite you to come and belong.

With love,

Contact Lindsay Melluish via the church office or watch out for the advertising for these events on the St Paul’s website: www.stpaulsealing.com

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Lindsay

Text by | Nell Fox ● Photo by | Pixabay.com

Focusing on the HERE and NOW Connect, the cluster of Thursday morning Life Groups for women, invited Shaun Lambert to teach them about mindfulness in September. Nell Fox was there: ‘Mindfulness’ with Shaun Lambert was a fantastic event, made even better by the opportunity to welcome a lot of guests to Connect for the first time. Shaun is a Baptist minister, who has trained extensively in counselling and psychotherapy. He has done a good deal of research around mindfulness and speaks and writes on the subject.

What is mindfulness?

Shaun explains mindfulness as paying attention in a particular way, intentionally, in the present moment, and non-judgementally.

It involves focusing in on the present

moment, not on what has been or what is to come. In our noisy lives and busy world it can help us to deal with stress by focusing on the here and now rather than on our anxious thoughts. Some people are more naturally mindful than others, but everyone has moments of mindlessness. So the ideal would be to redress the balance by practising mindfulness for periods every day.

Practice makes perfect

it daily. I have found it helpful with my young daughter who was having trouble settling herself to go to sleep – we introduced her to some simple breathing exercises to calm herself down and after practising them with her for a few nights, she will now do them on her own, and bedtimes are a lot easier! Visit shaunlambert.co.uk to find out more about mindfulness.

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MEN

Text & Photo by | Tom Green & Alan Phillips

Journeys of faith The men’s breakfast is now a permanent fixture in the St Paul’s calendar and it is a perfect opportunity to hear stories and connect. At one in September Tom Green and Alan Phillips described how God has impacted their lives

Tom and his wife Mandy saw some amazing places as they travelled the world in 2015.

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‘Nothing could have prepared us for the amazing love and hospitality we received’

Text by | Alan Phillips

Tom Green’s story

Alan Phillips’ story

When Mandy and I got married we decided to put a bit of money away each month to save up to travel around the world. We saved for about five years and last year we set off. After a two-week sponsored cycle ride from London to Montpellier, we flew out further afield. We spent about two and a half months in eastern southern Africa, three months in south east Asia, three months in Australia and three months in the U.S.

I was brought up in a Christian family and I made an internal commitment when I was 15 at Spring Harvest. I’d always had a faith and believed in God but throughout my life I had suffered with warts on my hands. Then one night I received prayer. Nothing happened immediately, but when I woke up next morning there was not even a trace of anything on either hand. It was incredible. This moment made Christianity massively real to me and it was indisputable.

We visited some wonderful countries and saw fantastic sights, great sunrises and great sunsets. The thing we hadn’t accounted for, however, was all the people that we met, and nothing could have prepared us for the amazing love and hospitality we received.

Buses, babies, chickens and 40-degree heat

One particular highlight was in Zimbabwe. We had travelled from Victoria Falls in Zambia through to the Zimbabwe border in a minibus fit for about 12 people. Thing is, on our trip it had about 30 people in it with babies, chickens - the whole lot. The journey took us along mountain roads, which wasn’t very pleasant. The minibus wasn’t particularly roadworthy and the driver wasn’t that great either. When we eventually got to the border we were asked to pay an ‘enhancement fee’ to get across but we refused, so we waited in a tent for about two to three hours in 40-degree heat.

The plan was to meet the son-in-law of my mum and dad’s neighbours. They were called Joe and Tracey and I had only met them once before. After we got through the border they just opened their arms to us. They had even booked four days in a houseboat on a beautiful lake on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border.

‘The Lord always provides’

Joe is what you might call an evangelical Christian. One morning he was telling me about times where his business was struggling and he didn’t have enough money to put food on the table for his family.

He said one thing that I will never forget: ‘The thing is Tom,’ he told me. ‘The Lord always provides.’

He went on to tell me stories of how people in his home group would leave a meal on the doorstep and where money to pay for his kids’ schooling would just appear. He said that up until these times he outwardly believed he had great faith, but hadn’t believed it internally. It put everything into perspective and our slightly tortuous journey to get a few hundred miles through Zambia paled into insignificance.

Challenging times

At university, like many others, I had a bit of a drift. While I didn’t go off the rails I did enjoy a night out a bit too much and church wasn’t top of my list. Then Helen (my wife) and I moved to Lincolnshire with my work straight after university. We were in a very rural community, which was a difficult place to be, particularly when you are in your 20s. The church was very traditional and there weren’t any other options within a 50-mile radius. We struggled in our faith during that period of time.

We were desperate to move and, in our minds, we wanted to move back down to Devon where we would be closer to our family and friends. We started looking for jobs there but we didn’t even get an interview, let alone a job. After about a year I got a call from my company, about a job in London.

London’s calling

Moving to London wasn’t really on our radar, but I went for the interview. It was an amazing opportunity with a big promotion

and so I was quite keen. At the same time Helen saw a job in Kensington and Chelsea and it was right up her street. She got an interview within the week and got offered the job the same day. The only issue was the house, which we were struggling to sell. My company offered me a package, which was not normally offered to those on my grade, where they would buy the house off me and sell it themselves. This enabled the whole move. God was in it at every stage.

A lot has happened since we moved from Lincolnshire. We have had two children, become established in the area and, although my job has changed quite a bit, I am still based in the same location.

Faith as a compass

My faith provides me with a compass for the decisions I make. I work for a food manufacturer as the head of finance and our company employs about 3,000 people in the Wembley area that speak very little English and have no qualifications.

If they weren’t working for a company like us they probably wouldn’t find any work at all.

Sometimes being in a financial role requires quite hard-nosed decisions around labour to be taken, but my faith provides a counter-balance and it means you tend to think about people and how it will affect their lives when you make them.

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FAMILY

Photo by | Dreamstime.com

FAMILY LIFE COURSES At St Paul’s we love to celebrate family and do all we can to encourage and bless those who are set in families. Here are some of the courses we currently offer to enable that to happen Preparation for Marriage Course

Mother to Daughter

Leaders | Barry & Val Denham Courses run regularly throughout the year – contact the church office for up-coming dates

Leaders | Lindsay Melluish and Jo Jenks Next Course | Summer 2016

The pre-marriage course is run one evening a week for three weeks and is designed for one or two couples at a time. The course is aimed at those who have decided on or are considering engagement. These evenings consist of both discussion time and space alone to think through key issues that you may face entering into marriage. Most couples find the course to be a helpful, good experience and a lot of fun!

As girls become young women their relationship with mum becomes crucial for guidance and loving support. Mother to Daughter is a course which aims to strengthen these relationships between mothers and their girls in years 6 to 9. The course is split into four sessions for the mums on their own and four sessions for the mums and their girls together. Topics for mums include the power of example, communication, building confidence and encouraging personal value.

Family Time – Parenting Teenagers

The teenage years can be challenging but they needn’t be the nightmare many talk about. This course aims to encourage confidence in those parenting the teens and provide some tools to make this season of life manageable and enjoyable.

Leaders | Bruce & Susie Marson & team Next Course |Summer 2017

Family Time – Parenting Children

Raising children in the 21st century is a big responsibility! This course is for all parents of children under 12 and provides an opportunity to meet together in an informal, relaxed atmosphere, listen to a talk about a parenting topic followed by discussion in small groups. Topics include: Having a vision for your family, family identity, family values, influences on our children, building relationships, guiding, shaping and discipline.

Leaders | Dave & Vicky Read & team Next Course | Autumn 2016

Date Night

For all couples who are married or living as married, who want a relationship that lasts a lifetime, these evenings aim to provide the setting for relevant teaching followed by a chance to discuss things, just the two of you, in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Topics covered include understanding differences, effective communication, resolving conflict, parents and in-laws, good sex and much more.

Leaders | Mark & Lindsay Melluish & Barry & Val Denham Next Course | Spring 2016

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Text by | Aaron Lawler ● Photo by | Dreamstime.com

DADS get to PLAY too I attend St Paul’s with my wife and five kids. The church offers lots of activities and groups for all ages but one thing we have really enjoyed as a family is the Dads’ Big Breakfast.

Fun for all ages

It’s a great morning where I can take the kids, hang out and have a fun, lazy morning. Our kids range in age from one and a half to 17 years old and we’ve all enjoyed Dads’ Big Breakfast.

Everything from the bouncy castle to the more complicated and challenging activities such as trying to make a parachute contraption so that an egg can be dropped from a height of five metres and land without breaking! Another favourite was building catapults to reach a target across the church hall.

The next Dads’ Big Breakfast at St Paul’s will be on Saturday 12 March, featuring food, drinks, a bouncy castle and many creative and fun activities. Aaron Lawler shares why he and his kids always look forward to this event

who has been living in Turkey for a few years and just happened to be spending a week visiting his sister and her family in the UK. He had seen Dads’ Big Breakfast advertised and thought it would be a great way to spend some time with his sister’s kids. He was not a Christian and had not been inside many churches. I think this was the first time he had been in a UK church but shared how different it felt from the traditional churches he had visited in Germany. It was great that he was open to attending church events as he was from a Muslim background. Through my conversation with him I learned that it had been his contact with Christians at

different points in his life which had given him a real open feeling towards the church. It was a great opportunity to share a little of my life and faith with him.

Quality time

I would highly recommend the Dads’ Big Breakfast to any father, granddad or uncle who wants to spend quality time with the children. It’s a few hours on a Saturday morning but it is well worth the investment.

Sharing stories

I always find there is an opportunity to hang out with other fathers, see how they are doing and share life and stories of raising our kids, or even just the most recent sporting event, while the kids take some time to discover all that is around the church for them to do.

At the last Dads’ Big Breakfast on 10 October I had a conversation with a young guy from Syria

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MISSION

Text by | Steve & Diana Morris â—? Photo by | Sozo Foundation

A safe space to learn

In 2014, Statistics South Africa noted 50% of students drop out of school, leaving without any formal education. Those who remain struggle in overcrowded and under-resourced schools. Steve and Diana Morris report on progress at the Sozo Centre in Vygrond, Cape Town

Sozo Education Centre provides resources and support for children and teenagers in one of the most poverty ridden communities where crime, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, high school drop-out rates and unemployment are high

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At the beginning of July 2015, we celebrated a significant milestone in our journey at The Sozo Foundation by welcoming our students for their first day at our new Sozo Centre. This journey started in prayer and with a vision, and came to fruition when a group of strangers made it possible to build an education centre in the middle of a township called Vrygrond in Cape Town.

reviewed. The effects of this education crisis are seen in high youth unemployment, drugs and alcohol abuse and high levels of gang activity. In the midst of this, our students are reversing the trends. We are currently running at a 90% attendance rate with no students dropping out of education. The students are grabbing the chances afforded to them by the centre with passion and excitement.

As we watched the young people enter the centre for the first time, we realised our prayers had been answered. Our vision now stood, imposing itself on the street. Our quiet whispers, our shouts of frustration, our moments of awe and mundane persistency had somehow been heard. American author and pastor Mark Batterson in his book The Circle Maker writes, ‘Ultimately, the transcript of your prayers becomes the script of your life.’ Maybe he is right, and somehow those prayers have grown life and have now begun to determine the script of our lives.

On 19 September 2015, we held our official opening ceremony for the Sozo Centre. It was a great day.

Approximately 300 people gathered and we laughed, cried, cheered and celebrated as we remembered where we started and how we got here. We honoured the unknown lady who opened the floodgates of financial provision for the building project with a £20 note, and we celebrated the many others who had given and shared in making this dream a reality.

‘The students are grabbing the chances afforded to them by the centre with passion and excitement’

Fulfililng potential

The Sozo Educentre is the flagship project that we run from the new Sozo Centre. This is our after-school tutoring and mentoring programme for high school students from the Vrygrond community. Educentre provides a safe space for 60 high school learners (between the ages of 13-18 years) to complete school and be equipped and empowered within their own community to achieve their full potential.

Over the next few years, we will be able to grow the programme to serve more than 100 students. Our students face a variety of challenges brought about by the effects of poverty and unsafe environments.

Passion and dedication

In 2014, the World Economic Forum rated the levels of mathematics and science education in South Africa as the worst of the 148 countries

Dreaming for the future

In some ways, we have now found ourselves back to where we started. Back in prayer, quietly whispering and waiting on what is next. We will be opening the Sozo Youth Café in early 2016, which will directly tackle youth unemployment and the skills crisis in South Africa through skills training. With South Africa having the third highest rate of youth unemployment in the world the challenges before us to help people into work are clear.

As for the distant future, we are daring to dream for the first high school to be established in Vrygrond. An ambitious dream but one that can transform the future of a community for good. If we have learnt anything from the establishment of the Sozo Centre, we know that even in those quiet whispers and heart cries, God hears and he answers.

Thank you for partnering with us, supporting us, and praying for the work that is happening here.

Here are some other ministries St Paul's Ealing are supporting: INDIA - Jose Daniel in North India & Nepal Ministering out of six communities in Bihar, Northern India, and four communities in Nepal.

Supporting six schools in Bihar with almost 3,000 students and helping almost 400 children in different villages with education, food and blankets. Also a Bible School in Purnea that has a maximum of 12 students, who are trained in basic Bible knowledge and then sent back to their villages. Also, five church-planting teams in Bihar and three in Nepal.

Ireland - ICON Dublin Eoghan & Becky Heaslip minister with ICON Community - a new and vibrant Anglican churchplant in Dublin, commissioned by the Archbishop of Dublin and Gleneqlouth in 2014, where St Paul’s is helping to fund their first two years of mission.

KENYA - Red Tribe Our partners Becca & Hennie Marais serve under RedTribe, who work in partnership with a remote Maasai community. Comprising a health clinic run by nurse Florence, who also teaches an educational programme in local schools, the Maasai Academy (with 125 children) and the beadwork project, it provides income for women and a full-time salaried female teacher for the Academy.

MOZAMBIQUE - ALMA, Niassa Diocese Angola, London, Mozambique Association was founded in 1998, ALMA, Portuguese for ‘soul’, has become part of the soul of all four partner diocese. 47 London parishes are twinned with parishes in Angola (13), Lebombo (12) and Niassa (22) while eight schools are formally twinned and others developing connections. This link allows St Paul’s to support the training of new church leaders and the work of the Bishop.

UGANDA - Church Partnership Since 2009 Tearfund has been linking churches in the UK and beyond with partners who work to fight poverty, disease and disasters through sustainable development; following Jesus where the need is greatest. More than 200 churches have chosen a partner to connect with Tearfund and we are one, our partner church being in Uganda.

WORLD WIDE - Tearfund Through partnering with local churches and Christian partners, Tearfund is helping the most marginalised and vulnerable, regardless of race, religion, gender or nationality; helping people prepare for, withstand and recover from disasters, and advocates for justice campaigning in the UK and across the world for policies that support people in poverty.

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COMMUNITY MINISTRIES

Text by | Iain Carruthers ● Photo by | Pixabay.com

Money makes our minds go round Iain Carruthers explains how the CAP Money Course can help you take control of your finances There’s a game called cashpoint roulette, and many of us have played it — you go up to the cash machine, put in your card, and nervously think ‘Do I feel lucky?’ This little scene is part of a much bigger issue. We live in a society where we’re encouraged to think a great deal about buying stuff, and as little as possible about how we’re going to pay for it.

Learning money management The CAP Money Course is a revolutionary money management course that teaches people budgeting skills and a simple, cashbased system that really works.

This course will help anyone to get more in control of their finances, so they can save, give and prevent debt. The CAP Money Course is a course devised by the award winning debt counselling charity, Christians Against Poverty.

Practical skills

Here at St Paul’s, we’ve been running Money Courses since 2013. I’m a Money Coach and I love the practical aspect of this ministry.

Money can cause all sorts of anxiety, and there are a couple of skills that really help you get in control. It doesn’t matter if your income is £5,000 or £50,000, you still need a budget and a clear sense of where the money’s going. It’s not about being miserly: one of the principles of the course is to spend well and enjoyably.

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And believe it or not, because of CAP, the church nationally is now the biggest provider of face-to-face money education in the UK. It’s great to be part of that.

The courses run at least twice a year, both at St Paul’s and St Mellitus. They are relaxed, easy going and supportive, and feature the ‘living on cash’ challenge, which is eye-opening for many people.

”

‘It’s not about being miserly; one of the principles of the course is to spend well and enjoyably’

Here’s some of the feedback from recent courses: ‘I wanted to thank you for the course. I’ve decided to become my own bank manager!’

‘The biggest learning was to diplomatically say no, to my kids and myself.’ For more information on the CAP money course email either iaincarruthers@gmail.com or chris@stpaulsealing.com or visit capmoney.org

St Paul’s Community Ministries Sometimes a bit of extra support is needed. St Paul’s is involved in a multitude of community ministries that gives that extra support. Here you can see what they are and what they do on a daily or weekly basis The Besom serves the poor through the donation and delivery

of furniture, clothes and other necessities and through helping with painting and gardening.

Contact Besom on 07766 072 150

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is a national

organisation which offers free debt counselling and support in conjunction with local churches. For the Ealing branch, based at St Paul’s, contact Azniv Pambakian on 020 8579 8882 or ealing@capuk.org

Ealing CAP Job Club is a club where jobseekers can meet weekly to encourage one another, increase their work-related networks and gain practical skills for finding work. Contact Julia Sarson on 07473 004 435 or juliasarson@capjobclubs.org

The Soup Kitchen serves free hot food between 2pm and 6pm on Saturday and Sunday to those in need of it; St Paul’s is one of seven local churches enabling the ministry to happen. If you would enjoy serving at the soup kitchen, contact Richard Sarson on 07860 612 018

Prison Ministry is served by volunteers from St Paul’s who go into Wormwood Scrubs and lead chapel services and help with Alpha courses. St Paul’s also supports Kairos, which leads three day courses, and Angel Tree, which sends Christmas presents to prisoners’ children. Contact Ray Elliott on 020 8579 9444 Ealing Foodbank gives boxes of non-perishable food items to local families in crisis who have been given vouchers by social services or other agencies. To find out more or to sign up as a volunteer, please contact Nell Fox at nell@stpaulsealing.com or check out our website: ealing.foodbank.org.uk Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter provides a

bed for the night and an evening meal and breakfast in the coldest months for people who would otherwise be sleeping rough. Contact Nell Fox at nell@stpaulsealing.com

Choices Pregnancy Centre is part of a national network

of crisis pregnancy centres (CareConfidential), giving non-directive, confidential support and information to women and their partners.

Contact Fiona Baikie to receive or offer help on 020 8840 8034 or email choicesealing@sky.com

Ealing Community School of English (ECSE) gives English Language and support to refugees and immigrants. To attend or join our team of volunteers, contact Stefan Anstis on 020 8567 8697 or stefan@stpaulsealing.com St Paul’s Community Playschool is an Ofsted regulated Christian playgroup for children aged 2 ½ years and above, which is open to all faiths and cultures, and is overseen by St Paul’s. Contact the Adeleine Teo-Richards on 07825 247 840

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FEATURE

L KING T THE FUTURE Mark Melluish shares some dreams for St Paul’s for the coming year

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Text by |Mark Melluish ● Photo by | Peter Daniel & Dreamstime.com

Launching a new church

A church like St Paul’s is a training ground, a platform from which people can go and do great things for God. Mark and Laura Tate will be moving to the Gurnell estate in Greenford this year to start a small church plant and reach out to this community. This is very exciting and they are going to remain as one of our family of churches who we support in prayer and financially. This is another new expression of church for St Paul’s and I thank God that he is trusting us with so much in this way.

Growing in confidence in our faith

None of us knows all the answers to the big issues of life but over this year and next we would like to provide opportunities to explore some of the paradoxes that exist in the Christian life. One of the big questions people ask is ‘How can we believe in a God of love when there is so much suffering in the world?’ So our first Big Questions week will focus on exactly that. We have invited some speakers to come and give us their perspective on a Sunday and then, because we often learn by involvement, there will be a follow up evening with a different guest theologian or writer to help us dialogue together and see if we can gain a better understanding.

This first Big Questions Sunday will be on 10 April, followed by a discussion evening on 13 April. These events are open to everyone and I encourage you to invite your friends and join in with the debate. These Sundays followed by the mid-week discussion will happen four to five times this year, once every half term if possible. The aim is to give us confidence in our faith; confidence that, despite some of the life tensions that we hold, we can have a deep, meaningful faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

presence. He enjoyed a constant relationship with Him. When out looking after the sheep as a young shepherd boy David says this as he stares at the sky: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God, the skies display his craftsmanship, day after day they continue to speak – night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard yet their message has gone throughout the earth and their words to all the world” (Psalm 19).

David learnt to see God in everything, all the time. Intimacy might be defined as just ‘being in the presence of the one you love.’ True intimacy is rooted in an ongoing relationship that enables us to know another so well that neither words nor feelings are needed to communicate. I believe that this is God’s desire for us. From his first walk in the garden with Adam he has wanted to walk with us. This year we will be focusing on what it means to be ‘carriers of God’s presence’.

I’m excited about all that God has for us and I hope you are too.

”

Dreamers can picture a better tomorrow And doers can make it happen.

When dreamers and doers come together — ANYTHING can happen That’s who we are as a church.

Thank you for being dangerous dreamers And creative doers.

Intentionally pursuing God’s presence

By this I mean that we will actively pursue the presence of God in all we do.

One of the great heroes of the Bible, David, is described as ‘a man after God’s own heart’ in Acts 13:22. He was someone who pursued God’s holy

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COMMUNITY

Interview by | Lindsay Melluish

Children stepping out in faith God is doing some exciting things in and through children around the world. Lindsay Melluish asked St Paul's members Olly and Helen Goldenberg about their ministry Children Can What is Children Can?

We’re a ministry working with churches to help release children into their full potential in God. We aim to inspire vision, nurture faith and make disciples through teaching, modelling and equipping the church.

What kind of events do you run?

We do anything that will help equip the emerging generation and unite the generations to work together for the kingdom of God. We run training sessions for children’s leaders, youth leaders and parents. We speak in conferences, to adult congregations, all age congregations, children and young people. We have also been privileged to share in a number of different media outlets around the world including TV, radio and newspapers.

What resources do you produce?

Our resources are for children, parents and churches to use as they disciple the next generation. They include biographies about

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some of God’s generals from the past, books for pregnant women and teaching DVDs for Sunday school teachers to use to explain the Jewish feasts from a Christian perspective.

Paul’s is our home church, where we receive much love and support.

What else do you do?

In the Middle East churches were seeing many refugees, including children, responding to the gospel. They weren’t sure what to do with them next so we went and trained them in how to disciple children.

Each year in Bogota, Colombia, we run a campaign against the sexual abuse of children called Basta Ya! Encouraging the churches to pray against this abuse and for a change in public opinion which, in general, ignores (and even endorses) the abuse of children at the moment. It is estimated that one child is abused every 14 minutes in Colombia so we definitely need God to step in and change this.

Where do you work?

All over the world. It is an immense privilege to see God at work in so many different people, cultures and circumstances and to see the courage of people serving God in the midst of real difficulties. In each place, God is doing wonderful things through his local church. St

Can you share some stories of God at work?

In Ghana a group of children started to prophecy. When the children shared the words they had from God with each other and their leaders they realised that God had said exactly the same thing, at the same time, to lots of them. The children were excited and the leaders were amazed.

In the UK one boy who was deaf in both ears was completely healed after other children prayed for him.

BOOK REVIEW:

In Colombia a teenager was beaten up by his neighbour so badly that he ended up in hospital. He planned to take a knife and kill his neighbour as soon as he could. When he was released from hospital he came straight to the youth camp we were leading. At that camp he encountered God and wept as he told us of his plans. He chose to follow Jesus and to forgive his neighbour.

One church rearranged their whole schedule to create a family night each week where families could sit, eat, pray and share together. A year later the senior pastor told us how the church has been transformed by this.

After reading one of our biographies a girl understood that God can heal today. She prayed for her grandmother who had a tumour on her spine. When her grandmother went for a repeat MRI scan the tumour had completely disappeared and she remains well to this day.

One mother wrote to us to tell us how her daughter had read our book about Kathryn Kuhlman. For a whole week she and her daughter had discussed the grace of God – that God can still use us even when we make mistakes.

In one church we spoke on a Saturday about the power of children’s prayers. The next day a five-year-old girl came to the church with her grandmother. Her mother was a drug addict who had been in and out of hospital. That day her mother started to drive to church so that she would be able to see her family. Halfway there she decided it was a bad idea and was about to turn back. At exactly the same time, her daughter prayed, “Lord let my mummy come to church today.” At that moment her mother changed her mind again and soon arrived at the church. She gave her life to the Lord at that service. To find out more go to childrencan.co.uk

‘The children were excited and the leaders were amazed’

Jesus, your baby and you - A GUIDE TO TRUSTING GOD DURING YOUR PREGNANCY by Helen & Olly Goldenberg

Being pregnant is one of the most remarkable seasons of ‘unknown’ and anticipation and although my three pregnancies happened a long time ago now I know I would have loved this practical handbook. It encourages you to look to God for comfort, encouragement, guidance and wisdom.

Topics covered help you pro-actively pray for your unborn babe, pray against fears and disappointments, as well as helping you prepare to be a family (the chapter for men is full of helpful advice on preparing mentally for a new baby). Throughout the book there are Bible verses to contemplate, lots of personal stories as well as practical advice. I would recommend this book to anyone embarking on the adventure of expecting!

by Kari Loureiro ST PAUL’S EALING MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2016

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STORIES OF GRACE

FREEDOM

from fear

Clare and her older sister 1982 and 1984

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Clare Harris shares her story of escaping from a childhood home full of fear to finding safety and peace in God

I was born in December 1980 in Basingstoke Hospital in Hampshire. I had a seven-year-old brother and a sister who had just turned two.

My grandmothers and grandfathers all lived close by, as did my aunties, uncles and cousins.

My mum worked in general nursing and my father, when working, was self-employed in car mechanics, painting and decorating, maintenance and other jobs.

Living in fear

My father suffered with severe depression and used alcohol to disguise it, or cope with it. My very first memories were feelings of nervousness, of being on edge, scared that something bad would happen. I have vivid memories of my mum taking me to nursery and leaving very quickly to get home, a pattern that continued.

As a young child I realised fairly quickly that my upbringing was not in line with ‘normal’ society. My father would go on binge drinking episodes and this would often result in him being violent and aggressive. Mine was a home where shouting was common.

My father would often be found beating my mother, and later my elder brother and sister and me. He was given to disruptive, aggressive and violent behaviour, his moods were unpredictable and difficult to judge and that resulted in our being on constant guard and fearing the worst. We lived in fear.

Asking big questions

My grandmother and her family were Catholics. This was my first introduction to faith and as I learnt about faith I soon wondered why would God allow us to live like this? We had no choice in life. How was this fair? Why did God not love us enough to put a stop to this?

My younger brother was born when I was seven. Years went by, nothing changed and it was getting worse. When I was around nine my sister planned our first escape. We only got up the top of our road and I wet myself because I was so scared. I remember dreaming constantly of a better life. I resented my aunts and uncles and my extended family for not helping. I felt alone and I became withdrawn.

I was in a child’s body with what felt like adult thoughts and my soul was empty.

Struggling at school

School was tough, mainly through lack of sleep, but also seeing other children that had what seemed to me to be perfect lives.

I would see my sister at school after a night of horror and we would look away from one another. We would try to pretend it was not happening. I found it difficult to have relationships with some of the other children

because many of them lived close by and would hear the shouting from the house.

One girl though, Louise, who is still my good friend today, never asked me what was happening at home, she was just my friend. I would be allowed to stay at her house and her parents would be so kind to me, welcoming and gentle. I loved being there. They attended the local church and I met a group of children there who went to the Christian school in town. They became my best friends.

I was failing at school through years of sleep

deprivation and it was nearly time for my GCSEs. I knew that the time I had missed and my lack of concentration meant that I was not going to achieve good results so I gave up.

An escape plan

By now my elder sister and brother had left home and I couldn’t cope any more. I didn’t want to leave my younger brother - I felt so guilty - but I had to. I entered into my second escape mission; it lasted just over two weeks, longer than the unplanned dash up the road with my sister when I was nine. I stayed at the house of a lady who knew my parents but I quickly realised that she didn’t want to help me; she wanted me to take care of her young children so she could spend time with a new boyfriend. But in this time away from my parents I was actively looking for other ways to be free. Then I heard of a homeless shelter in Oxford -­my saviour.

I planned this final escape; I was determined it would work. I saved money I had earned from cleaning cars in my neighbourhood and the money I earned from the local paper shop working on the sweet counter. Once I had raised enough for my train fair and food (for a day), I fled. I did not tell a single person

where I was going. I arrived at homeless hostel and they opened the door and let me in. I had never felt so safe in my whole life. It was naive but that is how I felt.

A place of safety

For the first few weeks I didn’t speak to anyone, I was just content with being able to sleep and eat two meals a day without any fear. This shelter was run on a first-come firstserved basis: 20 beds for females and 20 for males. The doors opened at 6:30pm ►

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CHURCH

‘I was just content with being able to sleep and eat two meals a day without any fear’ ► and whoever was in the queue first got in.

I went there at 4pm every day to guarantee myself a bed for the night. I did this for over a year, through summer and winter.

During this time I got to know the staff and I liked them. Maggie Brown ran the shelter and she was one of the kindest people I had ever met at this point in my life. I never got involved in the not-so-good activities that some of the other residents did. Many of them were on drugs and thieving to get by.

The shelter was run solely by volunteers, one of whom had a job as a policeman but gave two evenings of his week to the shelter.

I remember thinking how generous that was because he had a family. I wish I could remember his name because he and Maggie helped me build a life for myself. They were both Christians and would often share Bible passages with me and relate them to my life.

Between them they gave me hope, showed me love, got me back into education, and eventually found me a place to live. I will be forever thankful for their help.

Living with sadness

In the years that followed I lived my life building on the foundations they had provided me with. But I admit I also lived with resentment and sadness at having had to suffer. Then in 2014 I began searching for a church because I felt I needed to find

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Text by | Clare Harris ● Photo by | Dreamstime.com

somewhere that could help me answer the questions I had burning inside of me. I had already found it within me to forgive someone dear to me and I knew that for me to do this it had to be an act of someone higher. I made some enquiries at a church in Basingstoke, where I was born, about St Paul’s Ealing.

December arrived and it struck me that, as it was close to Christmas, this would be a good time to walk into church and go unnoticed. I took my

family - my two children and their father and grandfather. We sat and enjoyed singing carols by candlelight together. The children were asked to go up to the front dressed up by their parents in the appropriate Christmas costumes.

My son decided he would like to join them even though he was not dressed up. It was not long before he decided to pick up baby Jesus (the doll) out of the crib and I had to chase him to retrieve it. So much for that quiet entrance! Even so, St Paul’s people laughed it off and we felt welcomed.

Finding answers

In January 2015 I came back and attended a few Sunday services on my own. There was something inviting about St Paul’s. Unlike other churches I did not feel like running away, something that I had often done throughout my life. I was soon attending my first evening on the Alpha Course. I had been praying to find somewhere that felt like the right place for me and St Paul’s was starting to feel like that place. I was reading the Bible and

felt excited about this because my questions were being answered and finally with answers that I felt were honest and truthful.

Gradually I began to realise that God had always been there. He put Maggie Brown, the policeman, Louise and her parents and my Christian School friends in my life to help me. He had always been there but I was so caught up in asking ‘why?’ that it blinkered my vision. I know what I want now. I know who I am now. And all because I know who He is now.

When Alpha finished I joined one of the Life Groups. Each week I had new conversations with members of the group and felt at complete ease.

But despite feeling so welcomed and at ease I did feel like I needed to start to open up to some of my new friends. I had spent so much of my life keeping my childhood a secret and I knew that this was not an option any more, I knew God was directing me to share my story, however difficult that may be for me. For people to truly understand who I am today they needed to know my journey to becoming me and all that God had done in my life.

Words from God

When I finally plucked up the courage to share my story at Life Group, my friends there

Text by | Bea Keytes

gave me some prophetic words, given to them by God. I cherish these words every day.

‘Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’ (2 Corinthians 3:17). Freedom is something I longed for and freedom for me is letting go, forgiving, truly forgiving and truly understanding that everyone deserves forgiveness.

‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9).

‘But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not be faint’ (Isaiah 40:31).

‘Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ (Psalm 23:6).

No one is guaranteed a journey without mountains to climb; but having our Father behind us makes those mountains feel like hills. I feel the grace of God every morning when I open my eyes and every evening when they close.

Building up my faith Bea Keyte shares the blessings she’s received since joining a Life Group I joined St Paul’s after a couple of years of drifting away from church. After attending for a couple of months, I found that I still felt a bit on the outskirts, so I joined a Life Group as a way of getting to know people and embedding myself more in church life. It was a great decision and I continue to value the group enormously.

Cake, volunteering and parties

I always look forward to our Tuesday evenings together. We generally spend time catching up and enjoying homemade cakes before embarking on the planned activity. I enjoy the group because it tries to balance different focuses. We have prayer and worship nights and do Bible studies or work through a Christian book.

We’ve recently been taking it in turns to lead sessions, working through Conrad Gempf’s book Jesus Asked. We also get involved in outreach projects and have previously volunteered with both Besom and Choices. These are great opportunities to serve, but also to get to know more of the congregation.

And then there are the social evenings - the end of term parties, where everyone brings along food, being a particular highlight.

restricted to one night a week. We can exchange prayer requests as needs arise and keep in touch if we happen to miss a week.

Supported and challenged

I really appreciate the group’s diversity: we span a wide age range, encompass new and old Christians and come from a range of backgrounds and perspectives. The vast majority of my family and friends are non-Christians, so this kind of network is all the more important to me. It is a place where I can share my walk of faith on a much deeper level than is possible on just a Sunday. I found the group particularly helpful both times while trying for a baby and since becoming a mother. There have been amazing highs and very deep lows, and the group has supported me through it all. I have met people in the group who I admire and trust, who provide amazing advice, prayerful and practical support and who model what it is to seek to follow God. They continuously challenge me to work on building my own faith.

I cannot recommend joining a Life Group highly enough.

We also have an instant messaging group, which means that our connection is not just

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

‘When I just believe and don’t do anything, I become passive and my relationship with God becomes more distant’

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Text by | Richard Sarson ● Photo by | Pixabay.com

WALKING the TALK Richard Sarson explains how faith accompanied by real action are key to our walk with God James 2 tells us that ‘ faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’. The meaning is obvious, especially as the context is we cannot ignore somebody without clothes and daily food. God wants us to have a duty of care for the poor and needy in our community.

It is a bit confusing, however, as the Bible is full of promises that God’s grace is enough.

For example Ephesians 2:8-9 says ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.’

In my own experience both are central to being fulfilled as a Christian.

A total dependence on God

When I set out my stall to do Christianity in my own strength, to do good things and help people, it only works for a short time. It leads to my being grumpy and impatient and certainly not open to God. What’s more I forget my vulnerability and start to forget my need for God. This happened recently and it was great to hear a grace sermon at church, and it reminded of my total dependence on God and to receive prayer.

However, when I just believe and don’t do anything, I become passive and my relationship with God becomes more distant.

It becomes about me, almost waiting for God to entertain me and the result is that God becomes less important.

So I need both; God’s grace is enough, but works are the natural outpouring of what

God gives to me. In fact I have discovered that by serving God I am blessed and my faith is strengthened.

Food for thought

My opportunity for service is at the Ealing Soup Kitchen. Although my soup kitchen duty only comes around every seven weeks, when it does it always seems like a bad time.

When I wake up on soup kitchen day it doesn’t seem like a Sunday but a work day, I wake up with to-do lists and a sense of foreboding. It certainly focuses my prayer life, especially when there are not enough people to help, or the oven won’t light.

But when I am there it is fun, at least usually.

Fun to banter with the clients and the team.

It is always good to get honest and immediate feedback when my soup is lumpy. It is great to try to build conversations with people in a very different place to my norm. I also get to meet people doing God’s work with whom I wouldn’t otherwise meet, like an ex-homeless person who runs a charity called City Harvest that supplies us with surplus food from supermarkets and restaurants. Last time I did soup kitchen he supplied me with loads (enough for about 50 people) of ex Nando’s chicken. The clients loved it but it added to the stress of soup kitchen, not least when I asked my wife Julia to empty our fridge the night before soup kitchen so I could fit all my chicken in.

Reality bites, but hope for the miraculous

Sadly it is not always a success. Sometimes the positive comments are offset by complaints and despite our efforts, life remains unrelentingly tough for the soup kitchen clients. It is sad to see people who have been coming for years suddenly go downhill; the clients all seem to look older than they really are. Many of the clients have hurts and issues which can’t be eased with a bowl of warm soup. Deep-rooted problems need specialised help and solutions; it would be amazing to be able to refer clients to addiction clinics and to get them professional help, but that isn’t possible. They need a miracle and sometimes at the soup kitchen I am reminded of the incredible story of Jackie Pullinger’s prayers for the opium addicts of Hong Kong being answered and I wonder if I will have enough faith to believe that we can see the same miracles happening in Ealing.

Although I don’t look forward to it, if I didn’t do soup kitchen I would miss it.

It is my faith-in-action thing, which actually serves to strengthen my faith. But through my desperate prayers for help and the ongoing battle to see change in the lives of the people we try to help, I am also constantly aware of my need for God’s grace. And when I lock up the church hall at the end of each session I am reminded that God’s grace is enough.

The truth is I enjoy it, albeit sometimes only in hindsight. It makes me feel better in myself, I have stuff to pray about and feel more in tune with God. ST PAUL’S EALING MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2016

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WHO’S WHO PASTORAL STAFF CONTACTS 020 8579 9444 | office@stpaulsealing.com ►SENIOR PASTOR Mark Melluish mark@stpaulsealing.com ►CO-PASTOR Lindsay Melluish lindsay@stpaulsealing.com ►ASSOCIATE PASTOR Chris Fox chris@stpaulsealing.com ►ASSISTANT PASTOR Richard Thomas rich@stpaulsealing.com ►CHILDREN’S PASTOR Bri L'Hostis bri@stpaulsealing.com ►CHILDREN’S PASTOR Abi Hedges abi@stpaulsealing.com ►YOUTH PASTOR Jonny Hedges jonny@stpaulsealing.com

Clusters & Life Groups – Staff & Ministry Leaders St Paul’s Church | Ridley Avenue Ealing | London | W13 9XW office@stpaulsealing.com @stpaulsealing stpaulsealing Registered charity in the UK no 1132598 St Paul’s Church is a member of the New Wine Network of Churches in the UK

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►YOUNG ADULTS’ PASTOR Mark Tate markt@stpaulsealing.com ►PASTOR TO THOSE OF RETIREMENT AGE AND ABOVE Stefan Anstis Stefan@stpaulsealing.com ►WORSHIP DIRECTOR John Murphy john@stpaulsealing.com ►ASSISTANT WORSHIP PASTOR David Grout david@stpaulsealing.com ►LAY READER Sheenagh Burrell sheenagh@stpaulsealing.com ►PASTORAL ASSISTANT Hilary Dyer

hilary@stpaulsealing.com ADMINISTRATION ►DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Simon Richardson simon@stpaulsealing.com ►PA TO MARK MELLUISH Vicky Read vicky.read@stpaulsealing.com ►ASSISTANT CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR and COURSES ADMINISTRATOR Polly Neill polly@stpaulsealing.com ►CHURCH WARDENS Danny Anterkyi Nick Becker ►FACILITIES MANAGER Ray Elliott ray@stpaulsealing.com ►FINANCE ASSISTANT Dawn Daniel finance@stpaulsealing.com ►MISSION COMMITTEE Mark Melluish ►PCC Tim Bowdler Emma Buck Ruth Dales Chris Fox Aaron Lawler Guy Lourerio Emily Maule Mark Melluish Alan Phillips Vicky Read Julie Richardson Richard Thomas ►CLUSTERS AND LIFEGROUPS Phil and Sue George 07494 448 923 ● philgeorge60@me.com ►WELCOME MINISTRY Jo Mezhlumyan Nicola Holden welcome@stpaulsealing.com ►BOOKSHOP Freddie Corbett bookshop@stpaulsealing.com

Photo by | Peter Daniel COMMUNITY MINISTRIES ►THE BESOM ►PRISON MINISTRY Ray Elliott 07766 072 150 ● ray@stpaulsealing.com ►CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY (CAP) Azniv Pambakian 020 8579 8882 ● aznivpambakian@capuk.org ►CAP JOB CLUB Julia Sarson 07473 004 435 ● juliasarson@capjobclubs.org ►CHOICES CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTRE Fiona Baikie 0208 840 8034 ● www.choicesealing.org ►EALING COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF ENGLISH Stefan Anstis stefan@stpaulsealing.com ►SOUP KITCHEN Richard Sarson soupkitchen@stpaulsealing.com ►ST PAUL’S PLAYSCHOOL Dawn Daniel 07825 247 840 ● playschool@stpaulsealing.com ►FOODBANK Anna Weaver foodbank@stpaulsealing.com ST PAUL’S EXTENDED FAMILY The Lounge | Jeremy & Suzie Woodham 07941 622 776 ● stpaulsealing.com St John’s, Harrow | Barry & Jill Hingston stjohnsharrow.org St Mellitus, Hanwell | Mark Melluish saintmellitushanwell.org.uk Oasis Intern’l | Randy & Margie Lawler oasisinternationalchurch.org.uk NEW WINE 020 8567 6717 ● www.new-wine.org Mark Melluish Regional Director New Wine London & West

LIFEGROUPS Phil & Sue George Northfields | Tuesday 07494 448 923 ● philgeorge60@me.com Mike & Kate Roderick and Adrian & Jo Jewitt Northfields | Tuesday 07990 505968 ● mike@roderick.co.uk 07976 757890 adrian.jewitt@btinternet.com John & Georgie Murphy Northfields | Tuesday 07986 113 274/07533 175 192 john@stpaulsealing.com

Guy & Kari Loureiro Northfields | Tuesday 07793 857 987 ● loureiro.guy@gmail.com Bruce & Susie Marson and Tony & Maria Plews Northfields | Tuesday 07778 531 685 ● bruce.marson@live.com Aaron & Eileen Lawler South Hanwell | Tuesday 07736 250 025 ● lawlereileen@gmail.com Senior Peoples Lifegroup Stefan Anstis St Pauls Church | Fortnightly on Wednesday (am) 020 8567 8697 ● stefan@stpaulsealing.com

Alan & Alison Browne Northfields | Tuesday 07527 087 721 Simon & Lynn Aglionby Ealing | Tuesday 07941 256 666 ● lynn@aglionby.com Chris & Gordon Roberts Pitshanger/Northfields | Tuesday 020 8997 8266 chrismrroberts@yahoo.co.uk Barry & Val Denham Hanwell | Tuesday 07793 166 904 ● valdenham@hotmail.com

Connect - Women's Lifegroups Lindsay Melluish & Laura Tate Eileen Lawler & Monica Backes Julia Sarson & Alison Moore Julie Gehring & Nell Fox Karen Young & Jo Smith Lindsay Melluish & Laura Tate Nicola Holden & Julie Thomas Christine Preece & Anna Weaver St Pauls Church | Thursday 9.30-11.30am 07989 472 646 lindsay@stpaulsealing.com

Jo & Gevorg Mezhlumyan Hanwell | Wednesday 07792 867 190 ● gevoorg@hotmail.co.uk

Student & Young Adult Lifegroups Mark & Laura Tate Northfields | Tuesday 07949 615 653 markt@stpaulsealing.com

Richard & Julie Thomas Northfields | Tuesday 07786 132 897 rich@stpaulsealing.com

David Grout and Vicki Ogunseitan Hanwell | Thursday 07943 266209 v.t.ogunseitan@hotmail.com

Chris & Nell Fox Hanwell | Thursday 07974 320 324 ● chris@stpaulsealing.com

Ben Hingston & Emily Maule Greenford/Acton | Thursday 07917 055 631 ● benhingston@gmail.com City Life Group Nick Becker City of London | Fortnightly 07825 782 663 ● nick.becker@marsh.com

Phil George Head of Operations phil.george@new-wine.org

ST PAUL’S EALING MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2016

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THE FINAL WORD

Text by | Annica May ● Photo by |Dreamstime & Annica May

God in the detail I admit it. At the age of 20 I was star-struck. For a few years I had admired his writing. Now I wanted to talk to him, Stefan Andhé, my all-time favorite feel-good author and journalist. None of you are likely to know who he is even though he now lives in Hammersmith.

All Swedes do. IKEA Wembley has his books on its living room shelves I noticed last week - look for yourselves.

I remember that I was smiling as I perambulated along the Isles of Stockholm to work. I looked at the ship-shaped building of Stefan’s and my newspaper. Sweden’s Fleet Street and I was part of it (never mind that my role was so tiny a spider would have caused more of a stir on the editor’s desk).

It was the day of meeting him. My saunter gained speed. It wasn’t a book signing event or an accidental meet in the corridors. I had picked up the phone and invited Stefan to record his article for the newspaper’s Christmas Special Magazine – the cassette edition. I was

lucky he never asked how I got hold of his home number. His trusting ‘yes’ now meant I was indulging in some shameful doctoring of events without a thought to the blind broadsheet readers who so depended on their daily digest. Don’t get me wrong, the ‘readers’ and my editor loved his article (an article now long forgotten along with daily news cassettes being recorded for the visually impaired) and the fact that he recorded it. I, on the other hand, can still feel the flutter of a star-struck meeting, visualise the exact spot where we said our goodbyes and where I mumbled something about old lady readers I still regret.

Stefan once said that ‘it is in the tiniest, most insignificant moments we find the miracle of life’. My engineering a meeting with a favourite author isn’t a miracle, but the memory from that and many other days has taught me much. Stefan has made a career out of writing about his tiny, everyday memories. The Bible encourages us to look for life’s small miracles - God in the small detail. If we see the beauty in the tiny flower we see God’s care for detail and understand His greatness. In Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus points to something tiny to help us understand the enormity of the Kingdom: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

25 years later and I still admire Stefan’s writing. My wish is to, like him, tell stories of growing up in small-town Sweden, growing older and being an expat in West London and find the tiny gold specks in everyday life. It won’t ever be my career, but I’ll continue thanking God for creating our brains to enjoy tiny memories and I can’t wait to giggle with God over remembered moments when I am in Heaven, and perhaps then I’ll say sorry for using my position to get to Stefan.

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ST PAUL’S EALING MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2016

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St Mellitus Church Church Road Hanwell W7 3BA saintmellitushanwell.org.uk

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St John the Baptist Sheepcote Road Harrow HA1 2JE stjohnsharrow.org

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Oasis International Church 16a Abbey Road St John's Wood NW8 9BD oasisinternationalchurch.org.uk

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The Lounge Papillion Cafe 147 Northfields Avenue Ealing, W13 9QT stpaulsealing.com