YEAR OF ENLARGEMENT
February 2010

Reading: Isaiah 35:4-6

January has been a real month of encouragement at the start of this ‘Year of Enlargement’:

Those who took part in our first Pantomime are to be warmly congratulated for a very successful event which I am sure will be the first of many such occasions.

The week of ‘Prayer and Fasting’, in spite of the weather, proved to be very inspiring especially seeing so many braving the snow storms to attend.

The preached Word of God has had a real prophetic edge and the ministry of George Miller confirmed so much of what the Holy Spirit has been saying.  Equally exciting is the way folk have taken up the challenge to ‘listen’ to what the Spirit is saying to our church.  This has led to many sharing words, visions and prophecy into our corporate times on Sunday and Wednesday evenings.  This has shown us clearly that as part of our ‘enlargement’ God is releasing much more ‘body’ ministry.

There has been a very special sense of God’s presence in a number of our services which has led to extended times of worship and prayer.

We have been reminded of the continued ‘spiritual warfare’ in which we are engaged with the promise that the Lord Jesus, the commander of the Heavenly army, is fighting for us. 
These verses in Isaiah 35 have brought a confirmation that the spiritual forces arrayed against us will be overcome and revival is going to break out (v.4).

Recently I was reminded that the two nearest churches to us; ‘St. Matthews’ and ‘Burlington Baptist’ have both seen revivals in the past and we are believing God to ‘re-dig’ those ‘wells’ so that we will indeed see “streams in the desert”.

Our sister Wendy Allen’s testimony of healing at a recent Sunday morning was thrilling and we believe the first of many we will see and hear this year (v.5).  I know God is directing us to ‘persevere’ until we experience ‘breakthrough’.  Our God is truly a ‘God of the breakthrough’.

Pastorally we have asked everyone during January to complete a  ‘Church Fellowship Update Form’.  This is to help us shepherd the flock during 2010.  Once our records are up to date our new ‘area pastors’ will be keeping regular contact with everyone in the congregation so that we can be more effective in our love and care for one another.

We hope to have this in place by the second week of February.  If you come regularly to the church and have not filled in a form please help us by completing one as soon as possible.

Our A.G.M. is on Wednesday, 3rd, when everyone is welcome, and we will be giving our yearly reports as well as voting for two new deacons, Esther Pemberton and Adrian Sykes.  This will also be a time for encouraging everyone to go for the vision God has given us.

Pastor Harold is holding 4 teaching session on ‘Intercession’ that will have started on Friday, 29th January and continue on Fridays, 5th, 12th and 26th February.  You are welcome at any of these sessions.

On Saturday, 13th February there will be a Valentine’s meal for couples.

We have decided to put back the event, “Ipswich International Church has got talent,” to a later date as many folk are still recovering from their exertions practising for the Pantomime.

Because of pastors and leaders being away at different times in March we are also putting back the month when we are experimenting with two morning services until April, starting on Easter Sunday.  More information will be shared during the coming weeks.

Thank you for your love, commitment and giving to the fellowship.  We are looking forward to great times ahead.

Every Blessing,

Pastor Mick