Now that Project 2000 is paid for, we are turning our attention to outreach. We hope to be able to appoint a layworker who will play a role in this, but we also hope to run further Alpha courses which will be well publicised outside the Church. All of this will need financing. At the Gift Day Service on Sunday 19th May we hope to be able to dedicate not only our money but also our talents to be used in God's service here in Ashbourne. 21 today! GATEWAY YOUTH CENTRE We must congratulate the Gateway Youth Centre on 21 years of work and witness in the community. I know from personal experience of having stayed there how good a facility it is, and we all pray for its continued success! The recent refurbishments will keep it as one of the best residential centres around - and everyone appreciates the sterling work of the volunteers who maintain it so well. THANK YOU! EASTER OFFERINGS Easter Offerings are organised by the Women's Network of the Methodist Church and all proceeds go to the Fund for World Mission. This enables, among other things, the following to be funded: Grants for Partner Churches overseas Training for Mission Partners Support for long and short-term Mission Partners Salaries for Nationals in Mission Appointments World Church in Britain Partnership Further training scholarships for workers from Partner Churches. The Dedication of Easter Offerings will take place at a Circuit Service here at Ashbourne on Sunday 28th April at 6.30pm. It will be led by the ladies of Hulland and the speaker will be the Rev Louise Grosberg from Arnold. Please come and join the fellowship that will be continued after the Service with tea and biscuits in the Century Hall. Operation Christmas Child Thanks to your support and generosity, Operation Christmas Child had its most successful season ever. More than 5.2 million gift-filled shoe boxes were collected worldwide, including over 1 million in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This extraordinary project would not be possible without the help of a host of caring people who packed shoe boxes, volunteered, prayed, and gave financially. With your help, we were able to deliver Christmas joy to hurting children in about 95 countries. Samaritan's Purse has taken shoe boxes to children in war-ravaged places such as Afghanistan and the Balkans. Other boxes have been distributed in countries affected by deep poverty, including Romania, Hungary, Belarus, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Our outreach to these children and their families may begin with a shoe box gift, but our ultimate goal is to open doors to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and to open hearts to receive Him as Lord and Saviour. We give God all the glory for the success of this year's Operation Christmas Child (Psalm 118:23, NASB). We also want to thank all of you who cared enough to reach out to these precious children. May God bless you for blessing them. Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan's Purse |