How do you feel about your prospects for 2009?

Unemployment figures are going up, the ftse index of the top 100 British companies is at its lowest since it started, Woolworths has gone out of business and the value of the pound has dropped so low it is almost the same as the Euro. Are you finding it difficult to get excited about the new year?

Fortunately we do not live by bread and economic indicators alone.

Last Sunday we had a 'Bring and Share' service which was most encouraging.

• One told of how God was carrying her through a time of pain;
• Another how God answered prayer in a miraculous way;
• Another how the last year was just a year of road blocks and yet it was the best year of her life;
• Another challenged us through Jackie Pullinger's book, 'Chasing the Dragon' to keep on sharing the love of God even when we seem to be getting nowhere;
• We sang 'You were made for freedom. Why do you live in chains? ... .He is causing you to soar in freedom.'
• Another told of how God had guided her every step of the way through a hazardous situation;
• And another told us of how God looked upon each one of us in his church (however badly we felt about ourselves) as a bridegroom looks upon his bride.
• We had a visitor who told us he had a dream and felt God was telling him to bring this message to us: 'When we come to this church we find a community that reflects Jesus Christ: all are welcome, people are accepted as they are and you reflect something of the love of God to people outside the church who would never see this otherwise.'

God is definitely at work in our church community and through the Lighthouse Project and Youth Project. And when God is at work the prospect is exciting. Where God is, there is life and there is growth. It is part of the way He is. It is natural for us to grow individually and as a church when we keep close to God, whatever the economic prospects.

To help us keep our church healthy and growing in 2009 we are planning to use a resource called Natural Church Development. Watch this space!

Happy New Year! ... RB.