December 1, 2008
Welcome to the website of the churches of St Michael’s &
St Barnabas, Devonport.
There are frequent posts of news and photos on this front page, as well as regular updates on the ‘What’s On’ calendar. Use the contact page to find out more. Recent sermons are available from links on the Ministry page, and see the GIFT Groups page for bible study materials being used in the groups.
Contributions of photos and reports of the life of the churches, book reviews, testimonies, stories of answered prayer are all welcome for inclusion on the church blog.
For details of our services and other events, see What’s On
or get in touch by using the contact page
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Posted by admin
January 7, 2009
The new St Michael’s church building is really starting to take shape now … in these pictures, the large block of flats in the background is the site of the previous church. Completion of the project is due around Easter … watch this space for news!
The new church building from Albert Road
The new church building from Exmouth Road
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Posted by admin
January 6, 2009
Who was Jesus?
Why did people leave everything and follow Him?
And what’s all this got to do with me anyway?
Those questions and more lie at the heart of our new teaching series from Mark’s gospel which kicks off this Sunday. Our aims as we go into the New Year are to be excited once more by meeting Jesus and to get to know Him in a new and deeper way. We hope you can join us!
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Posted by timrev
January 1, 2009
Happy New year to all our site visitors (are there any out there?). 2009 promises to be an exciting and busy year in the life of St Barnabas and St Michael’s, with all kinds of events coming up, and the new church building hopefully coming online in April or May.
But before we go any further, it’s good to look back and take stock over the last 12 months. Last Sunday I asked folk to share where they had seen God at work over the past year, and what they wanted to give thanks for. I explained that looking back and tracing God’s hand in our lives helps us look forward and gives us confidence for what lies ahead. Later on in the same service I invited folk to write down their prayers and requests for the coming year, and lay them at the foot of the cross. And as they did so, I read from Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
May that also be a word to encourage you as you face the coming year.
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Posted by timrev
December 27, 2008
At our last community fair in November Rev Tim carried a brief survey of visitors to find out their favourite carol. The results (out of 31 replies) were:
Silent night (8)
Away in a manger (7)
Hark the herald (6)
O come all ye faithful (4)
Once in royal David’s city (2)
Plus one vote each for:
O little town of Bethlehem
We three kings
Three kings from Persian lands
Mary’s boy child
Good Christian men rejoice
Good king Wenceslas
What’s your favourite carol and why?
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Posted by timrev
December 22, 2008
It was lovely to share our Carol Service with so many! With familiar carols and drama and readings, we shared together in the ‘reason for the season’ and told the story of Jesus’ birth (see the Ministry page for the text of the talk).
Which King is the Real King? A drama for Christmas ...
A really special moment came when, while Rev Tim was speaking, the children spontaneously gathered at the crib - it became their focus of attention for much of the rest of the service and it was wonderful to see them chatting about who was there in the stable …
The children at the crib
For the text of Rev Tim’s talk see here
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Posted by admin
December 20, 2008
Building on the Rock is the name of the discipleship course that we followed together as a church through the Autumn. Written by Rev Tim, it consisted of two sessions, each of four studies. Each used different Bible readings to set the scene which we looked at in our Sunday sermons, and then in our GIFT groups we had some questions to answer that built on the teaching we’d heard in church.
Building on the Rock is here, while the Sunday sermons can be found here.
If you have any questions about being a Christian, whether you are just enquiring or need something to help you grow in faith, take a look … and if there’s anything else we can do to help, use the contact form.
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Posted by admin
December 16, 2008
BBC correspondent Aleem Maqbool is keeping an online diary in text and video as he walks from Nazareth to Bethlehem, retracing the journey made by Joseph and Mary in the Christmas story as told by Luke the Evangelist.
The Road to Bethlehem
Aleem Maqbool and a donkey called Cynthia!
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Posted by admin
Welcome to the website of the churches of St Michael’s &
