Gift Days
Did you know that today is the 141st birthday of Kerith Community Church?!
On Sunday 6 November 1881, seven local Christians from Bracknell Congregational Chapel met for the first time as a new community at the Reading Room, Terrace Road, Binfield, Bracknell.
I wonder what was on their hearts that Sunday? Even with a God-sized vision, I guess they may not have imagined the legacy that would follow from their faithfulness, and that one day we would be Kerith Community Church, meeting in four different locations.
Our church has a strong history and many, many stories of God’s faithfulness to His people. We’ve seen many lives changed, we’ve seen His provision time and time again - whether miraculous, or through the generosity of people in our community.
Over the last two Sundays we have had our Gift Days and have had a focus on two different funds. Last week we heard about the Cost of Living Fund. We want to replicate the early church in ensuring everyone in our community is looked after. Why not remind yourself of that, by reading Acts 4:32-35. We find ourselves in a tough time financially as a nation, and want to prevent anyone in our community ever having to choose between heating or eating. We want to ensure that nobody is put in a position where they have to get into debt with payday loans in order to survive. If you find yourself with more than enough, why not bless others by giving to this fund. If you are in need of this fund yourself, please do email me; sonia.hopkin@kerith.church.
Today we also heard about the Farnborough Building Fund. The Kerith Centre in Bracknell was paid for by a group of around 200 people, during a recession in the 1980s - and thousands of people have had their lives transformed ever since it opened it’s doors! It’s never just about the building - but about the people inside it. It’s for those people who will receive practical help, those who will be prayed for - and ultimately those whose lives will be transformed by hearing the love of Jesus and giving their lives to Him. Our economic climate will change from season to season, but God is ever constant. People need God more than ever, and we want our building to be a place where people meet with Him, and for it to be a blessing to our community in Farnborough. As Heather shared, our vision for Farnborough is for it to be a house of God and a house of the people. Whatever the building ends up looking like, ultimately we want to create spaces for us to live out our Kerith vision statement of helping people find their way back to God through communities growing in their love for God and love for people. More information will follow in the coming weeks as we have architect plans drawn up, which we will share with you soon. We need our congregation to pray, to share ideas, and to give money to make our God-sized dreams for Kerith Farnborough a reality.
So if God has stirred you to give to either of these funds - or both - you can do so here. Just select the fund you wish to give to from the drop-down menu.
Thank you for your generosity - for what you’ve given in the past, for what you will give in the present, and for all you will give in the future years.