St George's Parish, Kidderminster

Informal Evening Service

Revd Oli Douglas-Pennant — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:05:38 +0000

Space to meet people

Space for great coffee and cakes

Space to meet with God

Space to pray

Space to relax

Our monthly informal service is happening on Sunday 26th February at St George’s, cafe opens at 6.30pm service starts at 7pm, everyone is welcome.

Lent 2012

Revd Oli Douglas-Pennant — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:22:51 +0000

Lent is what the church calls the time leading up to Easter each year. Traditionally this is a time when people choose to come closer to God preparing for the most important festival in the Christian Year.

This Lent we are following Jesus example in focussing on listening to God and serving each other. Lent starts this Wednesday with traditional Ash Wednesday Communion services. 10.15am at St George’s & 7.30pm at St Mary’s Stone.

Cooking & Crafts

Revd Oli Douglas-Pennant — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:17:44 +0000

On Thursday 16th of February about 70 Children and adults took part in a morning of crafts and cooking at St George’s.

From making pancakes to a pancake flipping contest there were loads of activities for everyone to get involved with around the theme of Love.

Lunches in Lent

Revd Oli Douglas-Pennant — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:39:30 +0000

On mondays during Lent come along to St George’s for lunch.

Everyone is welcome and there is no cost (but you can make a donation to Kidderminster Women’s Refuge)

Turn up from 12 for a reflective and relaxing time with a simple meal.

Julian Smith Concert

Revd Oli Douglas-Pennant — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:54:51 +0000

We are very pleased to welcome, for our first concert
in 2012 at St George’s, Britain’s Got Talent 2009 runner-up, soprano saxophonist Julian Smith.

His style is crossover classical/ pop/smooth jazz.

Join us for an evening of fabulous music by this talented musician.

Tickets £10 to include an interval drink.

The Marriage Preparation Course

Revd Oli Douglas-Pennant — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:14:29 +0000

The Marriage Preparation Course is for engaged couples wishing to build a strong and lasting relationship. There is no group discussion and no requirement to disclose anything about their relationship to anyone else. You get a chance to spend time with your fiancée in a relaxed and romantic environment.

The next course is running over three Saturday mornings on the 28^th April, 5^thMay, 12^tth May if you are engaged or considering marriage then contact the parish office to find out more.

What does my God require of me?

Revd Oli Douglas-Pennant — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:14:51 +0000

Micah 6v8 Part 2:.

“Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm” (a definition of mercy)

What do you deserve? Forgiveness, acceptance, compassion, care, a hug, punishment, and death. Some of those things or all of them? What do we get from God: Forgiveness, acceptance, compassion, care, a hug, love, listening, dying for us, healing, hope, new life.

What should we do when people break the law, when they hurt and damage people or the society we live in? God suggests a simple approach

Be disgusted, hate what is wrong, have no time for it at all
Love the person more than they can imagine, serve them care, for them, accept them.

That is what God does for us over and over and over and over (and over) (and over) again. It is quicker and easier for us to judge and to hate, more costly and a hundred times more powerful to love and accept.

As you have shown mercy may you show mercy to others, not ignoring what is wrong but loving mercy as God loves you.

Oli

Toddler Groups

Revd Oli Douglas-Pennant — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:05:08 +0000

The toddler groups are fun times for pre school children and their parents or carers to relax and get to know others. With activities songs games outings and much more. The groups run during school term times and everyone is very welcome to come along.

Tuesday mornings from 10am at St George’s Annexe

Friday mornings from 10am at St Chad’s Church

Three men in a swimming pool

Revd Oli Douglas-Pennant — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:56:09 +0000

How often does meeting someone change your life? Maybe you can remember meeting your husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend. Maybe you can remember a teacher who inspired or encouraged you or a friend who supported you when you could not have gone on.

In February three men – three adults chose to be baptised; chose to stand up in front of friends, family and strangers and say “I am weak”, “Iam poor”, “I can’t do it on my own”. That isn’t an easy thing, it isn’t the kind of thing men often do. I know something happened, something big enough, important enough and powerful enough to turn around and flip on their head three people’s lives. Their friends may think they have gone mad (lost the plot or joined a cult). We might wonder what has been going on, but actually what we see in their lives is the most normal thing in the world.

Paul says

that when we meet Jesus we just know that God is so powerful that our whole lives are changed – it is as simple as that! When we know that God is more powerful, more wise, moreknowing, more kind, more thoughtful, more compassionate everything must change. Paul says it may look like crazy foolishness but that is just how it is.

(1 Corinthians Chapter 1 verses 18 & 19).

A vicar I once knew understood this secret. It just seemed to overflowout of him in his kindness and gentleness, humility and wisdom. He would whisper it like it was the most exciting and thrilling thing you could ever hear, he would whisper “Jesus is alive”. That is who those three men have met; the living Jesus and that is not foolishness but hope for them, for you, for me and for the world.

Oli Douglas-Pennant

Pride and Secrecy = Christmas?

Revd Oli Douglas-Pennant — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:48:54 +0000

pride + secrecy = a close relationship

Well actually it doesn’t, I’ve been married for seven years and I know that when I say ME I’m thinking of me! and that is not good, it never helps.

Christmas is about humility + openness = love

Christmas says that God is humble and open, that he comes and he came to serve, to listen, to give of himself. That is a really big thing because secrecy and pride can only cause pain and hurt, but humility and openness can only transform.

Christmas says that God wants to be with us, not as a judge but as a servant and a friend. When I first realised that, it changed my world because it meant that God loves me. So how do we respond to God giving himself for us? Well, we argue, we fight, we say this is my church, for me, my way, and there is nothing better, nothing that will kill and ruin the church more than pride and secrecy.

Paul says in Ephesians 4: “The Holy Spirit makes you one in every way. So try your best to remain as one. Let peace keep you together.”

As the five churches look at how we can work and be one team when things get difficult (which they will) the temptation will be to close ranks – to be proud and secretive and that will mean that we will only miss out. But if we want be used by God, to be transformed by God, we need to do what he did.

We need to give ourselves again to others: to others in the church and outside the church, give ourselves in humility and openness and then we will see the Holy Spirit at work transforming us, our church and the world.