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HOPE '08 update
Please see www.thenet.org.uk for more HOPE information relating to The Black Country, and feel free to advertize your HOPE '08 events and activities on netnews too.

REMEMBER---please also register your activities for HOPE throughout the year so that we can compile a huge report at the end of '08 which will prove to be very effective when we show the collective and joined-up efforts of THE BODY OF CHRIST in our area to each-other, the media, local goverment and whoever else wants or needs to know.
You can access this via our web-site   OR     via     www.faithsurvey.info

NEXT BLACK COUNTRY CHAPTER---  "DAY OFF HOPE"
Please also see below regarding HOPE AND PRAY IN MAY

Dear Black Countryites,

Hi guys,
Hope you're enjoying this wonderful Spring-likr-weather.
I have been reminded this week how amazingly fragile LIFE actually is. I run 4 or 5 times a week around the lanes where I live (out in the sticks of South Staffs) and I keep seeing deade animals. Rabbits, squirrels, foxes, moles, mice, birds.....death is everywhere!
A lady called Sally works with us in our Sedgley office, and on Wednesday, she took two calls bearing news of death. One was a father of four, aged 39, who's son is a friend of Sally's son Jack. The other was news of her cousin, aged 33, who had just passed away.
Wednesday was not a great day in our office. We cried. I cried mainly due to the fact that I felt so utterly powerless, and this was a wake-up call to remind me that I have compromised too much of late. At points in my recent history, I would have responded very differently to my lame words on this day, sad to say.
We should always have words of comfort and hope on our lips, and I couldn't help but think of those immortal lines, "What would Jesus DO?". ButI am AGAIN a little tired of words, and oh how I long for the day when my actions outweigh my words.
The book of Acts begins with, "...of all that Jesus began to DO and teach....". He was a man who could speak, but He could DO far more than words could ever speak. We need to be people of action, and our love should stretch beyond syllables, and our compassion beyond sentences.
I told The Lord that I was committed to seek Him again in a way that I wanted to lead to knowing what to do in such circumstances. Do we boldly go to the hospital to raise the dead? It has to be in our minds folks....if not, we have not been reading the New Testament very much!
Jesus spoke words of comfort----sure, but when you've just lost your Father at age 7, it would be great to have a CHURCH around who know how to move in the supernatural as well as how to say the right things and send nice cards. We must rise to the high calling that is upon us all IN CHRIST.
There is a responsibility for us all to rediscover THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM that dominated the early age of The Church, and to be in the place to receive the REVELATION OF HIM CRUCIFIED that brings death to self, but LIFE to all around us. It has been said that salvation is free, but maturity is very expensive. I pray that we will all seek to go deeper into Him, and be willing to pay the price required for our own destinies.
I pray that you will catch something even this week as you live and pray, and that we will all know the difference, not merely in how you talk, but in how you act. Come on guys, the world is waiting for THE SONS to be revealed, and I guess that if words could do it, it would have happened by now!
God is good. We want more of His marvellous light in our hearts day by day.
Love,
Tim.
For The Net.

Trumpet Call VII

NEC---National Prayer Gathering----21st June.......Black Country invited along!!

SANDWELL NET APPEAL
Dear all,
Please take time to read the email below this one . Andy has not asked me to forward this to you and this is not something we usually send out but I felt stirred to get in touch with you all.   I've known Andy from the Gap for a long time.  Their project works with churches across West Brom and works a great deal in the local community working with children and young people.  It would be a great shame to see a project like this fold due to, in the grand scheme of things, a small amount of money. 
If we are TRULY one church then the Gap is a part of us, that means a part of us would fold, that doesn't sound right to me.   As Churches and individuals, please think about it and pray about it. I am constantly challenged by the scripture in James listed below:
James 2 - 14 - 18  Faith and Deeds
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 
I do not want to preach to you all, or put a guilt trip on you, but I feel that this is what it really means to be one church, working together, supporting one another etc.  MAYBE this could be our first Sandwell-wide appeal?  Maybe we could break something, a practical demonstration of our growing and genuine ONE-NESS? 
Please let me know if you would like to get behind this and involve your congregations. If you want to give some money towards The Gap however big or small please get in touch I will be more than happy to administer this for Andy.
Thanks for your time
Jon Grant
Sandwell Net Co-ordinator
sandwellnet@thenet.org.uk

HOPE AND PRAY-----in the 4 boroughs!
Linking in with THE GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER '08
DUDLEY BOROUGH details beelow....more to follow from Wolves, Walsall & Sandwell......
Dudleyites......It goes without saying that if we are going to see a real impact in this year of HOPE we need to pray like we have never prayed before! As you may be aware as a network we are facilitating a Prayer Celebration this year in the four boroughs across the Black Country. I am co-ordinating this event in the Dudley Borough and would like to ask for your support in gathering as many members of our individual congregations as is possible to join together in prayer.
The date is the 11th of May, the venue is Holy Trinity Wordsley, a fantastic 700-800 seater Anglican church, the time is 5pm until 8pm.
People can come for the whole three hours or for parts of it. The exact format is yet to be decided but one thing we do hope to do is join each of the 4 boroughs using technology at some point during the evening!
I will email with more details but can I ask that you push this great opportunity to pray together for our borough with members of your congregation. Leaflets etc will be available at a later date.
Perhaps you can let me know if this is something that you feel you could support? Would you would be prepared to take part in some way?
Many thanks,
Here’s to a great year of Hope,
Adrian Lowe           Amblecote Christian Centre and The NET

Have you heard of godtube??

http://www.godtube.com/view_video?viewkey=6626e957d15b08ae128a

Check out the link that someone sent me recently...quite inspiring.....Christendom's response to You Tube is another gateway to loads of excellent (and sadly, some not so excellent but corny) resources for Christians to use in all manner of ways......well worth a browse when you have some spare time....................

Opening the Door On Islam!

-Equipping Christians to love our Muslim neighbours, both nationally and globally

-A day conference at St Jo’s Merry Hill, Wolverhampton----Saturday 15th March 2008, 10:00am – 4:30pm

This exciting event is being organised by a number of evangelical mission agencies including OMF, OM, Interserve, Frontiers etc. A group of nationally and internationally recognised speakers will be leading the plenary sessions and a wide range of seminars. The aim is to help equip Christians to respond to current challenges Biblically and to reach out to Muslims for Christ, both in the UK and abroad.

For further info contact John Forth, Tel: 0117 9713508, email: jon@frontiers.org.uk. Alternatively contact Phil Cansdale on 01902 766929, or phil@saintjosephs.co.uk

Black Country Author up for award....votes needed!

  'Harvest from Heartache' by Gail Chamberlain, published by Kingsway, is one of five books nominated for the Biography of the Year 2008 as part of the the UK Christian  Book Awards! Anyone wishing to vote for it can do so by visiting www.christianbookawards.org     The closing date for votes is 31st March 2008.

       *Richard Taylor of Renewal CC, Solihull also has his recent book in there
      

GATEWAY FOUNDATION 
 
Please if you get chance please check out my church website www.renewalcc.com  go to events link and look out for GATEWAY FOUNDATION which is a new charity set-up we are organising and Launching at  our Annual Dinner on 23rd Feb please see the two attachment from my local Minister Richard Taylor.
 
The gateway foundation is dedicated to spiritual and practical transformation. The gateway offers people the chance to access resources and communications that will bring dynamic change to their lives. Richard has dedicated his life to making the message of transformation accessible to all generations and through his biography and speaking materials has been instrumental in life transformation.
The gateway was formed in 2007 to help support those in prison who have made commitments to Christ. The gateway provides on going support for further education or training on release from the prison to those belonging to a Christian community. Richard Taylor is the Director/Founder and also the associate minister at the Renewal Christian Centre in Solihull.  
“As the Senior Pastor of Renewal Christian Centre I am delighted to endorse his work as an evangelist and the work of Gateway Foundation, many lives have been transformed through his story.”
Dr David Carr - Patron of the Gateway Foundation
 
So if you are interested in attending the Dinner please either phone the church direct  0121-711-7300 or contact me personally on 0771-987-4570

D E Wright.

Hi Folks

Please could you announce verbally, in church news sheets, etc. an urgent request for volunteers for the football coaching with Derek Jefferson. If you can personally approach those who are likely to be interested, even better. Without those volunteers we will either have to cancel, or stump up an extra £200 or so per course for Derek to pull in coaches! I am sure we will not have a problem in this regard, but I would feel a lot happier about putting out publicity, etc., if this was sorted first.

Ideally, each volunteer shoudl commit to a 3-day course and presentation evening, but if we can't get sufficient volunteers to do that we will have to use different people each day. The courses are at Ellowes Hall School on:
·         Years 4,5 and 6: Monday 31st March –  Wednesday 2nd April & evening of Wednesday 2nd April
·         Years 7,8 and 9: Thursday 3rd April – Saturday 5th April & evening of Saturday 5th April
NB All helpers need to be CRB checked, preferably already!

David Brown
01902 656996

Daytime hours for courses are 10 am to 3 pm

David

yfcone Big Day

Come and join all the yfcone team at the yfcone BIG DAY on Saturday 15th March at Youth for Christ head office in Halesowen, West Midlands.

Do you have a heart to make a difference in the world we live in? Do you have a heart for young people? Do you want to take a year out and serve God in a new way? Do you have 3, 6 or 11 months to spare?................

If you answered yes to any of the above, I would encourage you to come along a join us for part or all of the day to see what yfcone is all about and see if there might be a place for YOU!

The day will be made up of various exciting workshops with inspirational bands, DJ’s, drama companies and sports coaches. Tournaments, performances, spiritual input from a number of acclaimed speakers, opportunities to chat with members of the staff team and other volunteers who are on yfcone this year about the exciting opportunities we have available.  

Please contact Beckie Allport on 0121-502-9624 or on beckie.allport@yfc.co.uk , to register your interest.

Who: 15- 25 years. Family and friends.  Youth groups/churches.
Focus: mission in the UK/overseas, this year or near future. 
Location: YfC head office, Coombswood Way, Halesowen, West Midlands B62 8BH.
When: March 15th. 10.30am-3.30pm.
More: www.yfcone.com

THE RESPECT TOUR

With

REGGIE DABSS

 VENUE: Amblecote Christian Centre

   TIME: Doors Open 6:30. Starts 7:00

   COST: £4

    Youth Alive Details: 0161-830-7000