The above photo was taken at about 3am in our last 24/7 Prayer room in 2010. It was amazing looking out the window onto Acton at that time in the morning and I remember praying for all the people who would be awake at that time for whatever reason and thinking how God always sees what happens, even in those hours when most of us are asleep.

I prayed for nursing mums and prostitutes, drug dealers and policemen, people being abused and people working night shifts.

This year, we will be running a 24/7 Prayer room with Antioch and the Acton Vale Missional Community in Holy Week, 1st – 8th April.

More details of how to sign up for a shift will be coming soon, but for now, put the dates in the diary and think about when you might want to take some time out of the hustle and bustle of life and meet with God to pray.

This term at Church Central, we are exploring the amazing ways we communicate with God both talking to him in prayer and hearing him through the gift of prophecy.

We will be having various guest speakers including some from different traditions, as we look at the different ways we can build our relationship with God through prayer.

Join us at 8pm at 216 Acton High Street on:

22 February

21 March

16 May

30 June

Evenings will start with refreshments followed by some sung worship, teaching and time for prayer.

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

Our services are at 4:30pm every Sunday at:

216, Acton High Street

Acton

London W3 9NX

Sunday is when the whole of Oak Tree worship God together as a ‘family’. It is also a time when we are encouraged to hear how God is working in and through our lives and the world around us. Services are a blend of contemporary music, informal interaction, contemplative moments and challenging teaching from the Bible. At least once a month we share in Holy Communion and there is always an opportunity for individuals to be prayed with.

The children are an important part of the Oak Tree ‘family’ – they are the Church of Tomorrow, Today. For part of each Sunday the 3-10+’s participate in their own programme of worship and teaching (Kidz Club) and we have a creche in operation for 0-2’s.  More info on the Childrens Church page.

Through our worship together we aim to grow in relationship with God and with one another, learning to become disciples of Jesus and a true community of God’s people in this part of London.

We look forward to seeing you at Oak Tree soon.

Oak Tree Policy on Admitting Children to Communion

The ACC decided in principle to admit *children to Communion in July.

But the ACC also wanted to keep a balance between admitting children from baptism (the only true membership of the church) and a need for understanding and teaching on the subject.

We also have to follow regulations of the Church of England on this issue.

Our policy is therefore:

1. Baptism is a pre-requisite
2. Baptised children will be allowed to receive communion at whatever age their parents feel that they are ready to do so. In other words when the parents feel that their children have appropriate understanding and spiritual awareness of what they are participating in.
3. In such a situation, the parents will be asked to administer the sacrament. Parents giving their children communion should be baptised and receiving communion themselves. If not, they should be encouraged to do so first.
4. There will therefore be no set age for first communion, it will vary from child to child. It may still be the point of confirmation if so wished by the individual and their parents.
5. If there are children who come to church without their parents then the Children’s Worker and Vicar will make a decision as to when the child is ready to receive, once appropriate enquiries have been made to parents/guardians.
6. Both adults and children will also have teaching on Holy Communion at appropriate times.
7. Oak Tree Anglican Fellowship will encourage confirmation for young people in partnership with parents and on an individual basis.
8. We will have a policy of one designated alcohol free chalice.

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

in John 3:19 Jesus says “people loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

This weeks devotional is entitled:
I LOVE YOU BUT YOUR BODY MAKES ME SICK.

After 22 years as a church leader I have grown very used to people turning their back on the church.  Sometimes, even quite often, they have cited some way in which the church has let them down.  Other times they have spoken of intellectual reasons or scientific discoveries as to why they can no longer believe.

I always want to take seriously what they say since the church has always to be open to where we can love people better.  I also need to hear the issues around reason and intellect that undermine faith in some.

But I am convinced that the main reason people turn their back on church is that they are in fact rejecting Jesus as their Lord.  Many want him as their saviour but not as their king.

In the verse I began with we see one of the explanations Jesus gives as to their rejection of him.  The reason is that they prefer the darkness to the light; their sin is preferred to discipleship.  So often we might be tempted to blame ourselves when people walk away from the community that is the church but we must always remember that it is not necessarily us they reject but rather the call to The One who is the God of holiness.

Of course I have also heard people say that they love God but they just cannot hack the church.  Whilst we all may have some sympathy at times with this view, it really does not stand up to scriptural examination.  The church is the body of Christ.  It would be like a husband saying to his wife “I love you but your body makes me sick.”

However failed the church might be it is still, and always will be the body of Christ.  As apprentices of Jesus we have no option but to be totally committed to church.  By this I do not mean Sunday services.  Church is much more than that!

But it does include Sunday Services.  This is the one time in the whole week when we can come together as the whole family to worship, to learn and to encourage one another.  It is also the one time in the week when visitors and enquirers can come in and see if God is really up to something or not.

But back to the main point.  The proof of loving God is to be able to love one another.  If people reject the church they are in fact rejecting Jesus.  How do I know?

Let me allow scripture to make the point.
Anyone who does not love his brother or sister (in Christ), whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

So why do people turn their backs on church?  Either because there was no real love for God in the first place or because they prefer the darkness to the light, for darkness gives cover to their rebellion.

As for us let us rejoice that God is adding to our number those that are learning both to love God and to live it out in committed community with one another.

Every blessing,

Mark

We’re moving!!

From Sunday 6th February onwards, we will be meeting in our new building, 216, Acton High Street. W3 9NX.

You’re most welcome to come and join us and take a look around. We’ll be there every Sunday at 4:30pm.

Image: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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.