Harbour Churches

Here is the link to the latest copy of Harbour Churches Magazine

Harbour Churches Magazine April/May

Harbour Churches Zoom Service 11th April

Harbour Churches Zoom Service Sermon extract 11th April

… go with the flooding life and purpose of the resurrection of Jesus, which changes all things, and choose a better future for all.

Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury

I do hope you are continuing to have a blessed and joyful Easter. This coming Sunday is ‘Low Sunday’ – we might understand it in terms of the ‘the morning after the night before…’ It’s also known as ‘Quasimodo Sunday’ (Yes, there’s a Victor Hugo link.. google it.). It comes from the ancient opening chant sung on this day by the priest as he approaches the altar: ‘Like new-born infants,’ or, in Latin, ‘quasi modo geniti infantes.’ The full chant is drawn from 1 Peter 2:2, ‘Like new-born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation…’

Pure spiritual milk or an Anglican alka seltzer? Let’s go with the former… Justin Welby’s Easter sermon😊.

In my trade we often refer to a really good sermon as a ‘Heineken’ – not exactly pure spiritual milk but definitely refreshing the parts other sermons couldn’t. In my view Justin’s was a ‘Heineken’! You can easily find the whole text but in essence he asked how we might respond to the flooding life and purpose of the resurrection of Jesus, which changes all things.

For us personally, it is in responding with joy to the ‘Christ life’ in our lives: ‘I urge you to take this offer of life today with a simple prayer, “Jesus Christ, with all my doubts and all my failings and wrongs, I want you to rule in my life”.

His message for us as the Church – you, me, all of us – was equally compelling:

‘We can then live with the risen Christ, doing what he calls us to do. The disciples not only have private hope but hope for the world.  That is why the church gets involved with resisting injustice, treasuring our world, tending the needy – it’s why Christians throughout the centuries have lived with compassion and love for all who are excluded and marginalised. They breathed the oxygen of hope through the resurrection of the crucified God. The church exists to be Jesus Christ to the world.’

And that’s why it is T time for Harbour Churches… This Quasimodo Sunday and for the next five Sundays, we will work out what it means for Harbour Churches (you, me, all of us) to breathe that oxygen of audacious hope! Each T fulfils Justin’s call for us to be Jesus Christ to the world:

TELL
Celebrating the Good News
Inspiring worship for everyone that is life changing
Led by Jonathan

 TEACH
Nurturing believers – old and new
A learning church skilfully developing discipleship
Led by Revd. Anthony

 TEND
Responding to human need
Building life restoring relationships offering healing and wholeness
Led by Susan

 TRANSFORM
Working for justice, mercy and peace
A courageous church, speaking truth to power and acting for the sake of
the poor, oppressed & marginalised
Led by Revd. Bruce

 TREASURE
Cherishing God’s creation
Living in environmentally sustainable ways and honouring the sanctity of all life
Led by Revd Jim

I hope that the whole church family can be involved in looking at the ways in which we are already doing the Ts, things that may not be working so well and need to stop or need a re-boot and, importantly, fresh ways in which we can be ‘good news’ as Harbour Churches.

The Ministry Team would welcome your ideas and/or direct involvement. Just get in touch with any of us to find out how you can be involved.

So, may we all, as Christ’s church in this place, crave that pure spiritual milk and so GROW  in our salvation.

Happy Easter. Alleluia!
Jonathan
RECTOR

Church Electoral Rolls

The Church Electoral Rolls are being updated for the Annual Parochial Church Meetings (APCM).   Existing church roll members will continue to be on the roll and need take no further action.  New members, who wish to join, should complete an Application Form.  Forms will be available from the Electoral Roll Officers, in the churches or by contacting the Parish Office.

The West Wittering APCM will be held, via Zoom on
Thursday 27^th May 2021 at 6pm

and the Birdham with Itchenor APCM will be held, via Zoom on
Tuesday 25^th May 2021 at 6pm

Hilary Byrne, Officer for West Wittering:
Tel:  671168, Email:  hilaryjbyrne@btinternet.com

Meryl Mead-Briggs, Officer for Birdham with Itchenor:
Tel:  511092, Email:  merylmeadbriggs@gmail.com

Parish Office,
Tel:  514057, Email:  wwbi.parishoffice@gmail.com

Littles Resurrection Eggs

Harbour Churches Easter Zoom Service

Harbour Churches Easter Service Sermon extract