Catherine Drabble's Testimony
This is part of my testimony that I shared in Church at our Sharing Service. I hope that you are blessed. Catherine Drabble
I was sat inside a cage; a prison cell measuring about ten feet by five. There were bars all around me and a barred door on one side so I could clearly see out into a bright, light world outside. The ground outside my prison cell was covered in golden yellow sand, and I realised that I was in a desert with nothing but sand dunes for as far as my eyes could see.
I was sat hunched up on a little stool and surrounding me were bags and bags of dirty overflowing smelly rubbish. I could see steam rising from them, filling the air with a terrible stench. It was the odour of hurt, un-forgiveness, and guilt and everything else that eats down to the very core of us if allowed to grow. It was the aroma of sin, my sin and the sin of those people that I hadn't been able to forgive.
The strange thing was I seemed to be quite content for a while, sat there amongst all the trash. I was used to my life the way it was. It was comfortable and in a peculiar way it had become my security blanket. I felt safe in my cell; the scary bit was outside in the big wide world.
Then I looked up and saw Jesus appear on the outside of my prison bars and the realisation hit me that although I was comfortable here, it wasn't where Jesus was.
Jesus stood outside my prison door, looking at me. Then He pulled back the big heavy bolt that was keeping me locked in. There was no key, just a bolt that I could have easily drawn back myself but I had chosen not to. He then stood back and waited. I remained seated, thinking He'll rescue me!
But Jesus just stood there looking at me and waiting. Then it dawned on me that He had already rescued me. He had died on a cross and given everything so that I could be free. Yet, I was still trapped inside this prison because I hadn't fully grasped that freedom was there for the taking. He had given me a fantastic gift and I had accepted it, but I hadn't unwrapped it. It was now up to me to remove myself from the situation I was in. I needed to be pro-active in accepting my freedom.
So I stood up and taking one last look around I walked up to the door and pushed it open. It opened easily. I walked outside towards Jesus. Then we both looked in through the bars of my cell in the desert, full of dirty old rubbish, the rubbish I was now turning my back on. I turned and walked away, with Jesus walking at my side. We walked up a steep dune with the grains of sand slipping beneath my feet, threatening to make me slip and slide back down, but with Jesus there at my side I stayed upright and strong and continued walking forward.
As I looked ahead to the horizon the light began to change and I was filled with expectancy, not knowing what was on the other side of the hill but knowing that because I was walking with Jesus, it was going to be wonderful and beautiful. The promise was there.
After a while we stopped and looked back down the hill together. My prison cell could still be seen in the distance. It hadn't disappeared but because I had walked so far with Jesus, my cell and all of its contents had become insignificant in the landscape. Jesus wasn't going to make me forget, He wasn't going to allow my memories to be erased. It was up to me to walk away from my past and its memories. I realised that it is not how we fall, that God is concerned with, it's how we get up that matters to Him.
I am a new person, my past is forgiven and everything is new.
Best Wishes
Catherine
Church Re-Opening
As of Sunday 6th of December, Word of Life Church will be re-opening for Sunday Services. We will be following government guidelines to ensure we are Covid Compliant, with the wearing of face masks, hand sanitisers in place and social distancing measures in place to protect everyone attending the services.
For the moment, it will only be our Sunday Services that we will be operating. Bible Study will continue on Zoom on Thursday evenings from 7:00pm, and we will be holding prayer meetings via zoom as well.
Our Christmas services will be advertised next week when we get further guidance and seek wisdom.
So we are looking forward to seeing those who can attend from Sunday 6th December, and let us praise God that we can meet again, not as we would like to, but at least meet in this way.
Funding Success
We are pleased to announce that a recent funding bid that Pastor Michael submitted to All churches Trust has been successful. We have been awarded £25,500 to deliver English as an Additional Language courses free of charge, deliver healthy living courses combining exercise, healthy eating, and help with debt management, as well as basic computer literacy aimed at people who have been isolated due to having no access to technology to help them stay in touch with others. These courses will begin in Spring of 2021, and further details of how to get involved will be outlined in the New Year.
This comes on top of the funding sucessfully gained from All churches Trust, for the development of our upper rooms in the church to create a prayer room, better storage facilities and an arts and crafts room that CRE8 are using. This has involved putting in a new staircase to allow better and easier access, a partition wall in the storage room, as well as painting and decorating the area. This has been hampered somewhat in the development by the Pandemic, but is now nearing completion and should be ready to start using in the New Year and when restrictions become more widely lifted.
Praise God for all that He is doing.
Toks' Book Launch
It was our very great privilege to attend the launch of Toks (Olaronke Ashiru Gbadebo's) book "Don't Take the Poison", on Saturday 19th September.
We are promoting her book on our website to support her in this work and so the following is a description of the book and there are two links for you to purchase it, through Amazon and Google.
*Don't Take that Poison* is a call for anyone who desires to live a life that pleases God, and who is committed to enjoying the abundant life available in Christ.
The book looks deeply into the issue of offences and how it impacts our lives and our ability to be fruitful.
It provides deep insights into the purpose of relationships and different ways offences can wreak havoc.
You will get answers to questions like:
a) What causes offences:
b) The signs of an offended heart:
c) Effects of harbouring offences:
d) The path of victory
It provides compelling answers to deep heart issues especially those that have been wounded through lifes circumstances and are struggling to let go of the wounds incurred.
The book will help to escape the poison offences brings into our lives.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1838110712/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_i_feqAFb61WPA44
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Olaronke_Gbadebo_DON_T_DRINK_THAT_POISON?id=SL_8DwAAQBAJ
Creativity In The Community
Now that the lockdown measures are being relaxed the Word of Life WRU Church are pleased to announce that Phil and Catherine Drabble have been given funding through Awards For All for a Creativity in the Community Project.
This project will be based in our Church building, and will explore creative writing, photography, upcycling of furniture and a range of other creative subjects. This project will be on Wednesday Evening and Thursday Morning and is open to all who would like to explore learning new skills in the arts and crafts environment.
If you would like to take part in this please contact us at the Church or Phil and Catherine
Church Services Update
Every Sunday we are continuing to live stream our Sunday services from 10:30 am till 12:00. This is being streamed through facebook live on our facebook Word of Life WRU Church page. We have secured a live stream licence, and a music reproduction licence which allows us to broadcast songs of various Christian artists that are named within the database of CCLI. This means we will be singing our praises to God together, sharing communion together and Pastor Michael will continue to share his sermons live through facebook live. If you miss that live feed then they will appear on our church facebook page, and they will also be uploaded onto our Word of Life Whatsapp page as well.
Overseas Mission Project for 2020-21
The project for the Wesleyan Reform Union's Overseas Mission Department will this year be to continue to raise funds for the Good News Hospital in Mandritsara in Madagscar. They are building a new operating theatre and all funds that the Word of Life Church raise this year from our Diner's will go towards that fund. If you would like to donate to this worthy cause please contact Pastor Lindsey and she will assist you in making your donation. God Bless.
Christian Retreat
Our Mission House next door to the Church is available for bookings to stay for 1 to 30 nights. The house is used as a Christain retreat, and we can offer a wide range of support programmes during your stay with us.
From Bible Teaching - various topics - to Worship Leading - to dance as a form of worship, prayer and a range of other activities.
We are based on the wonderful panoramic Northumberland coastline which is literally 5 minutes drive away, but also have access to the beautiful Northumbrian Countryside and Cheviot hills which are only 30 minutes drive.
Pleas see our Mission House Christian Retreat Section on this website, or visit our Mission House Retreat page on facebook.
BREAKING NEWS
Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday and forever
Hebrews 13:8
This is not just breaking news, it is the news from yesterday, today and tomorrow and guess what? It is forever. Hallelujah!!!!!
GET INVOLVED
Contact us at:
Word of Life Church
Wesleyan Reform Union
North Seaton Road, Ashington Northumberland NE63 0AG
Tel: 07879253072
Lindsey 07854820012
E-mail: wordoflifechurch@hotmail.co.uk
Or use our online contact form.
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