Woke up early again this morning. Sara and Mary went off to Totton this morning to attend a training course and accreditation for Sara to do wedding make ups. Tom and I had breakfast and then, at the invitation of Bev and Dave from Morning Star, we attended Salisbury City Church instead of going to the All Saints Baptism service. Bev and Dave have been inviting Sara to bring us to their church for several weeks now so we thought that we would go especially as Tom doesn't really like the baptism services. We arrived at South Wilts Grammar School, where City Church is situated, five minutes before it began and met up with Bev, Dave, Sharon and the two new residents. The service was well attended with about 100 or so present with an average age in their late thirties by my reckoning - plenty of children and teenagers too. We started with a few modern worship songs - which Tom liked as they were familiar from Spring Harvest - then prayers, a DVD made by the leader about his call to go to Madrid to plant a church there and finally a very long sermon/talk on Romans 15 v.17-24. The finished with another couple of worship songs and prayers. We stayed a little while for coffee and I had a chat with the leader challenging his figures that less than 1% of the population of Madrid are "believers". I pointed out that Spain was a major Roman Catholic country and that the percentage must be much higher. He countered that by saying that he was talking about evangelical Christians. I have some difficulty with this being concerned that he seemed to be saying that non-evangelical Christians are not Christians. As a main stream Anglican, does that call my Christianity into doubt? The depth of your belief is a matter for the individual and God. I wished him well in his endeavours in Spain although I personally believe his efforts would be better served elsewhere. Who am I to doubt the call he has had. This afternoon Tom and I went into Southampton to the tenpin bowling alley and enjoyed three games - we won one game each and then Tom one the decider. After calling in at Morrison's in Totton to get some horseradish sauce we returned home via Carlo's Ice Cream Parlour for a roast beef dinner (Sara managed to get back home before we did). Sara is working on the parish magazine tonight and I shall have an early night.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
A Visit to Salisbury City Church
Woke up early again this morning. Sara and Mary went off to Totton this morning to attend a training course and accreditation for Sara to do wedding make ups. Tom and I had breakfast and then, at the invitation of Bev and Dave from Morning Star, we attended Salisbury City Church instead of going to the All Saints Baptism service. Bev and Dave have been inviting Sara to bring us to their church for several weeks now so we thought that we would go especially as Tom doesn't really like the baptism services. We arrived at South Wilts Grammar School, where City Church is situated, five minutes before it began and met up with Bev, Dave, Sharon and the two new residents. The service was well attended with about 100 or so present with an average age in their late thirties by my reckoning - plenty of children and teenagers too. We started with a few modern worship songs - which Tom liked as they were familiar from Spring Harvest - then prayers, a DVD made by the leader about his call to go to Madrid to plant a church there and finally a very long sermon/talk on Romans 15 v.17-24. The finished with another couple of worship songs and prayers. We stayed a little while for coffee and I had a chat with the leader challenging his figures that less than 1% of the population of Madrid are "believers". I pointed out that Spain was a major Roman Catholic country and that the percentage must be much higher. He countered that by saying that he was talking about evangelical Christians. I have some difficulty with this being concerned that he seemed to be saying that non-evangelical Christians are not Christians. As a main stream Anglican, does that call my Christianity into doubt? The depth of your belief is a matter for the individual and God. I wished him well in his endeavours in Spain although I personally believe his efforts would be better served elsewhere. Who am I to doubt the call he has had. This afternoon Tom and I went into Southampton to the tenpin bowling alley and enjoyed three games - we won one game each and then Tom one the decider. After calling in at Morrison's in Totton to get some horseradish sauce we returned home via Carlo's Ice Cream Parlour for a roast beef dinner (Sara managed to get back home before we did). Sara is working on the parish magazine tonight and I shall have an early night.
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Hi Michael, we have also been to that church, really enjoyable but some of the doctrine of the organisation (no women leaders I think and a desire to rebaptise people who come in from other denominations) is questionable, how far that particular church take those guidelines though I'm not sure, they may not adhere to them totally, I think they are a New Frontiers church (you'd need to double check that)
ReplyDeleteI agree with your sentiments Michael, it is not up to us to judge someones relationship with God and that only evangelical Christians are true Christians is incorrect...where does that leave someone like Mother Teresa.l
ReplyDeleteBut it would be good to get his definition of an evangelical Christian , because that is a broad term or label.
but one thing is for sure, that church is growing...unlike others