Part 1:

Prayer points for New Senior Minister

 

Scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight”. Proverbs 3:5-6

 

God is good and has plans for our church. We need to continue to look to Him and trust in Him as we seek a new Senior Minister. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) and His timing is perfect.  We are called to “wait for the Lord, be strong take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).

 

Our prayer is that we will be successful in this round of recruitment and that within the next twelve months we will have a new Senior Minister of God’s choosing in post.

 

Reflect on Psalm 130:5-7:

 

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
   and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
   more than watchmen wait for the morning,
   more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
   for with the Lord is unfailing love
   and with him is full redemption.

 

God will answer our prayers as we call to him. 

 

Stage 1: The advert and applications

The Church profile and job advert have both been prepared.  You can access them by clicking the images below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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These have been sent off this week to the portal where they can be accessed by prospective candidates.

 

Please pray that:

 

• They will be uploaded successfully

• A wide range of prospective candidates will see them and seek God about the vacancy

• God will stir the hearts of the person or people that we He wants to apply

• They actually apply by the deadline of 29 April 2024

• We have one or more strong candidates

 

Please note that there is no guarantee that anyone will apply.  In previous rounds we have had between 1 and 3 applicants.  We need to pray!

 

Spend some time in quietness listening to God. What is he saying to us?

 

Stage 2: Assessing the candidate(s)

The deadline for applications is 29 April 2024.  After this date, the Way Forward Steering Group will prayerfully consider the applications and arrange preliminary interviews.  

 

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Who are the Way Forward Steering Group (WSG)?

 

The Way Forward Steering group consists of the SBC Leadership Team and a selection of church members chosen to represent the diverse makeup of SBC. The group is chaired by Chris Andre-Watson and facilitated by Bob King. Members of the WSG are shown below.

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Their job is to help guide the church through the process of identifying and then selecting the new senior minister.  They have done a huge amount of work in the background for the various rounds of recruitment that we have undertaken over the last four years.

Please pray for the Way Forward Steering Group and for each of its members!

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Please pray that: 

 

• The process will be fair and honour God

• The WSG will have discernment as they consider candidates

• The initial conversations and interviews will go well

• The right candidate will be chosen to go forward

• The group will be united

 

Key dates for this stage are:

 

14th May WSG considers applications

(*) End of May, WSG interviews candidates

 

(*) Subject to availability of the candidate

 

Stage 3: The discernment and decision process 

Once a candidate has been selected by WSG, the church members will get involved and we will follow the same pattern as for previous candidates. Indicative dates are currently:

 

(*) May/June Preach with a peep

(*) May/June Members survey and feedback

 

WSG then make a decision about whether to go ahead with the preach with a view

 

(*) July/Sept Preach with a view and members meet the candidate

(*) July/Sept CMM votes and candidate accepts

 

(*) Nov/Jan New Senior Minister arrives

 

Please pray that:

• The church will recognise God’s candidate for us

• We will treat any candidate with love and respect 

• They will be blessed and encouraged as they meet the church 

• The vote will be clear and decisive

• We will manage to select a new Senior Minister of God’s choosing

• The chosen person will want to serve as our new Senior Minister with passion and sincerity

• All the arrangements and logistics work smoothly and well

 

All of us are part of this process. What part will you play in choosing our new Senior Minister?  Are your heart and attitudes aligned with God as we start this next stage of the journey?  Allow God to search your heart and repent of any wrong attitudes.  Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom so that you can play a full part in the selection process, in a way that is pleasing and honouring to God. 

 

Listen to God: What is he saying to us? 

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Part 2: Prayer points for the Easter weekend

Scripture: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8  

 

We want to praise and honour God as we remember the events of the Easter weekend, and to proclaim the truth that Jesus died for us and rose again from the dead. We want the Gospel to be heard throughout Streatham and beyond, and for many people to come to know, love and serve Christ in our community.  We want the church to be a safe and welcoming place for all community members.  We want them to come and taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8) and be joined to our church. 

 

Maundy Thursday

 

Scripture “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24)

 

We will have an evening service at the church at 8.00pm.  Please pray for:

 

• God’s presence as we remember the events of the Last Supper and the night that Jesus was betrayed

• Unity in church as we share the bread and wine together

• All of us the draw closer to God and to love Jesus more as we reflect on his death for us 

 

As an option for personal reflection, meditate on Luke 22: 7-53 – The Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus’ arrest.

 

Good Friday

 

Scripture: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit”. (1 Peter 3:18)

 

“They will look on me, the one they have pierced.” (Zechariah 12:10)

 

We will have a 9.00am contemplative service at SBC and then join the other Love Streatham churches on Streatham Green at 11.00am.  Please pray for:

 

• All of us to marvel again at Christ’s love in dying for us

• All of us to rejoice in the salvation that Jesus’ death has brough for us

• All the arrangements to work well for the meeting on Streatham Green

• Visible unity and love between the Love Streatham churches

• New people to look on the one they have pierced and to see for the first time that Jesus died for them

• Good conversations on the Green with passers by

• A particularly positive witness to Muslims going to and from the mosque for Friday prayers during Ramadan 

 

As an option for personal reflection, meditate on Luke 22:66 to 23:49 – Jesus’ trial and crucifixion

 

Easter Saturday

 

Scripture: “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” (Psalm 122:1)

 

Between 11am and 2pm we are inviting our community to come into the church and be blessed.  We plan to have a barbecue, children’s and youth activities and other events that point people towards the message of Easter.

 

Please pray for: 

 

• All those leading and organising activities and for them to go well

• Those inviting people on the day that many will want to join us 

• Many people to be drawn into the church

• Great fun and joy during the day

• Conversations centred on Jesus

• Many to want to come back to church and become part of our community

 

As an option for personal reflection, meditate on: Luke 23:50 - 56 – Jesus’ burial and resting in the tomb

 

Easter Sunday

 

Scripture: “He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” (Luke 24:6-7)

 

We will gather for our Easter Sunday celebration service at the normal time of 10.30am.  

 

Please pray:

 

• For a wonderful service of joy and praise for or risen saviour

• For all those involved in the service to be blessed and full of the Holy Spirit

• For many who will have visited the church on Easter Saturday to come back on Sunday

• For the gospel to be preached and received and for new people to receive Jesus as their saviour and Lord. 

 

An option for personal reflection, meditate on: Luke 24:1 - 49 – Jesus’ resurrection