This Autumn  and into early 2012, we are going through Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. A messy church trying to follow Jesus in the multi-cultural madness of Corinth.

What was Paul telling the Corinthians and what does it have to say to us Jesus-followers here in Acton, our part of the great city of London?

02 Oct     Seeing God Beyond the Mess     1 Cor 1:1-17

09 Oct     Fools for Christ     1 Cor 1:18-2:5

16 Oct     God’s Secret Wisdom     1 Cor:2:6-16

23 Oct     Building a Fire Proof Life     1 Cor 3:1-23

30 Oct     The Kind of Leader God can Use     1 Cor 4:1-21

06 Nov     Week break from normal series!     Luke 15:1-7

13 Nov     Scandal & Judgement      1 Cor 5:1-13

20 Nov     Gift Day     1 Cor 16:1-4

27 Nov     Sex in the City & the Church     1 Cor 6:1-20

04 Dec     Sex, Singleness & Stickability     1 Cor 7:1-40

11 Dec     Incarnation is Contagious     1 Cor 8:1-13

18 Dec     Carol Service

25 Dec     So Others May Live     1 Cor 8:1-23

01 Jan     Running for Gold     1 Cor 9:24-27

08 Jan     Finishing Well     1 Cor 10:1-13

15 Jan     Living Behind Enemy Lines     1 Cor 10:14-33

22 Jan     United Service with Antioch

29 Jan     CAP Service – Highlighting our work with Christians Against Poverty

05 Feb     Culturally Relevant Worship?     1 Cor 11:1-16

12 Feb     Bread, Wine & Poison     1 Cor 11:17-34

19 Feb     Spiritual Gifts     1 Cor 12:1-11

26 Feb     Nice Face, Shame about the Body     1 Cor 12:12-31

04 Mar     All You Need is Love     1 Cor 13:1-13

11 Mar     A Prophetic Church     1 Cor 14:1-25

18 Mar     A Prophetic Church (part 2)     1 Cor 14:26-39

25 Mar     Paul’s Passionate Plea     1 Cor 16:5-24

01 Apr     Palm Sunday

08 Apr     Easter Sunday – Resurrection!     1 Cor 15:1-11

15 Apr     Resurrection – So What?     1 Cor 15:12-58

image adapted from inyucho

8 May – Commandment 10:  Find True Contentment

15 May – Commandment 9:  Hold to the Truth

22 May – Commandment 8:  Prosper with a Clear Conscience

29 May – Commandment 7:  ‘Affair-Proof’ your Relationships

5 June – Commandment 6:  Manage your Anger

12 June – Pentecost Sunday

19 June – Commandment 5:  Keep the Peace with your Parents

26 June – Commandment 4:  Stop Driving Yourself Crazy

3 July – Commandment 3:  Take God Seriously

10 July – Commandment 2:  Know God

17 July – Commandment 1:  Live by Priorities

We’re on the move!

Since we were planted as a worshipping community in Acton in 1993, we’ve never really had a home of our own in the heart of Acton. All that is about to change.

On Friday the 4th February, we will be handed the keys of 216 Acton High Street and on Sunday 6th February we will be meeting in the building to pray and worship together.

We don’t have a fixed preaching programme for this term but we’re excited to see what God is going to reveal to us week by week as we start on this new era.

It is only the Holy Spirit who can truly transform our lives and bring radical changes in our communities. As Holy Spirit he manifests himself most fully in the lives of those not only holy because of Jesus work and death on the cross but in those working out what it means to be set apart (holy) for God in 21st century London.

God is deeply impressing on me the need to kill off my idols (anything more important to me than God – usually very subtle things), and to declare over every part of my life that Jesus is Lord!  The promise of Joshua 3:5 is what he gave me in the summer for myself and Oak Tree to focus on at this time.  “Consecrate yourselves, and tomorrow I will do amazing things amongst you.” It is a promise based on a condition.  Dealing with the condition is what our teaching shall explore this term.

Mark Aldridge

download programme card here

Prayer is both our deepest longing and sometimes the most discouraging aspect of our walk with God.  I am convinced that prayer should be what brings joy, peace and freedom as we commune with a Heavenly Father.  It was never meant to simply be a duty or even worse be something we associate with drudgery or guilt.

So how can we pray better?

During January and in to February we shall concentrate much of our teaching on how we can grow in deeper relationship with God as we learn to pray.  Every Christian I have ever talked to about this subject has confessed to feeling like a beginner.  We have so few living guides it would seem but we do have the bible and the Holy Spirit.

But it is not enough simply to teach on this subject.  As in most things we learn best by doing.  During the first week of February we are challenging every Oak (a member of Oak Tree) to participate in our 24-7 prayer event.

For an entire week and for 24 hours of each day we want prayer to be rising up from our church family from the prayer room in our new building on Acton High Street.  In the act of prayer we shall learn and what is more God will hear and respond.

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14

If you want to learn more about the 24-7 prayer movement look at their website – 24/7 prayer.

I am convinced that nothing is impossible when it comes to what God can do through a people of prayer who follow Christ as Lord.  Lord, let your kingdom come in me, in us and in your wider world.

Mark Aldridge

Charlotte Gray

The theme of this term’s teaching is Stories of Hope. We shall learn about the stories of great movements of God throughout history. We shall hear of men and women, Wesley, Edwards, Pullinger, Wimber and others, who have been catalysts of hope. What can we learn from our spiritual ancestors and how can we become dealers in hope for Acton and the wider world?

• 11 January – How to Live Under God’s Blessing
• 18 January – How to Grow in God’s Blessing
• 25 January – United Service with Antioch
• 1 February – How to Turn Troubles into Peace
• 8 February – Dave Bookless, UK Director of A Rocha
• 15 February – How to Influence Society
• 22 February – How to Grow Healthy Attitudes
• 1 March – How to Live Honestly with Others
• 8 March – How to Love Your Enemies
• 15 March – How to Set Your Priorities Right
• 22 March – How to Get a Reward
• 29 March – How to Pray
• 5 April – How to Go Deeper in Prayer
• 12 April – Easter Sunday
• 19 April – How to Enter the Path of Life
• How to Live a Life that Blesses Others