Martongate Community Church

The summer seems all too short and once again we are into another season, a season where we celebrate Martongate’s 5th anniversary but also a time when we must remind ourselves of the purpose Martongate and the whole of the network was started and that is to reach out to those in our areas of influences whether that is geographical or social with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The network is not an alternative to Christ Church but an extension of Christ Church and whether you go to a network church or attend a morning service at Christ Church we are all part of the network.

At Martongate we move into a new phase as members of our church family take on increased responsibilities. Responsibilities and structures are put into place not as a burden, not as a main thing, but to have an order around so that we can all focus on the presence of our Lord in our meetings and in our community, so that no step is taken unless the Lord directs our path.
As family unit we know how lovely it is when the family get together in love and unity, there is a bonding together, when all the tasks are shared out nobody finds it a weight, and if the family see one or two people taking on too much other members of the family move in, they see it and out of love, they help. But the greatest joy occurs when new arrivals come along into the family, one of the reasons for the joy is that the family will be sustained. Our greatest sorrow is also when one of the members of the family decide to be apart from the family who love them.

This is no different than our church family we love meeting together, whether it is in a church service, house group, or a social event like a barbeque, but the greatest expressions of God’s love for the family is when we witness and embrace a new member, especially if they have never experienced a church family before.

We are not an institution we are a family with very special relations ships built on a relationship with our Lord, we do need to have some structure but that has to be as limited as possible as we seek God’s will, their is no hierarchy in the Kingdom but some are appointed to be leaders, as Dinah said in her sermon on Sunday 23rd August “guard the spiritual unity God breaths on us”, hold onto it, build up our church families on love, security and sharing and watch God do a new thing in increased miracles, increased numbers who our Lord saves, and an increased awareness of Gods presence in the communities we have been called to serve, with those we love and in His love.
Roger