Book of Acts

Listen to Ali Rice preaching on Acts 16:16-34 featuring an interview with David Ashcroft.

Living Stones

In 2019 we will be renovating Church Wigan! We are building a new structure that will enable us to better serve God, one another and all the people in our deanery. This will be a bigger church to make a bigger difference. The renovation will rebuild the living stones into a renewed spiritual house. It will refresh the disciples and provide more community space and opportunity. It will serve everyone and bring great glory to God.

As we start 2019 we are poring over the plans and taking a close look at the five key building-blocks of this renovation: Discipleship, Community, Worship, Mission and Leadership. You are a ‘living stone’ in this renovation and the building includes you in its plan. Let the construction begin!

Series introduction

Will Gibbons – 1 Peter 1:1-12

Discipleship

Followers of Jesus grow to be like him and encourage others to do the same. Our Worship Communities are the places where living stones continue to be built up into a spiritual house.

Sam Nicholson – 1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Community

Loving relationship is at the heart of everything we do – with God, one another and others. We build open and inclusive communities, where everyone can contribute as well as receive. Following the example of Jesus, we make it our priority to build community amongst the most deprived and marginalised of Wigan.

Worship

Our aim in all we do is to bring glory to Christ, whether gathered together as a Worship Community or as individuals throughout the week, in our homes, work and places of leisure. We do this 24/7 through our words and actions, wherever we are.

Will Gibbons – 1 Peter 2:3-10

Mission

We are building something big and we have a God who wants everyone to be part of it. Our missionary God has his Church of disciples to reach out to all the people of Wigan and especially to those who feel cut off, unworthy or unwilling. We look to see where the Holy Spirit is working and we join in.

Will Gibbons – 1 Peter 2:11-3:22

Leadership

We pattern our lives on the Great Shepherd who was a servant-leader to all. Developing healthy, empowering leadership, and ensuring its ongoing succession, is therefore important to us. We also recognise that while God calls some to lead communities, everyone can and should provide servant leadership in their own context.

Jonah

Audio Unavailable

The Book of Ruth

If your are struggling to hear God, feeling abandoned, bereaved, despairing, or simply can’t imagine anything great coming from your ordinary life then The Book of Ruth will be refreshing, encouraging, gloriously hopeful, and even challenging – in a good way!

27.5.18 Will Gibbons

3.6.18 Will Gibbons

10.6.18 Sue Fulford

Words of the Cross

Lent 2018. Audio files to follow.

The final words said before death are often seen to be significant. In the Scriptures seven is the number of perfection. Crucifixion is the only form of execution where the executed are able to speak as they die. In choosing the cross Jesus was able to articulate his last words. In making seven statements Jesus communicated in a complete sense that which is of crucial importance. We will be exploring the themes of forgiveness, salvation, relationship, abandonment, distress, triumph and reunion.

1 John

Our current series explores the New Testament letter of 1 John.

1 John is a New Testament letter, however it is a little strange. There are none of the usual distinguishing features of a letter, no description of the sender or those receiving the letter, no clear details of the location community to which it is addressed. Other than several references to it being written (1:4, 2:1, 2:12-14, 5:13) you could begin to wonder if this was a sermon rather than a letter. You begin to wonder if the content that we have before us was a letter written to several church communities to be read out as they gathered for worship and the personal greetings have been omitted in the version we have before us.

Interestingly there is an indication that time had already passed from Jesus’ first community of disciples, those receiving the letter are receiving instruction from those who were there with Jesus. Yet this church community are not just passive recipients of this teaching but encouraged to see that the Spirit brings the confidence of belonging to Christ.

As we look into this ancient teaching, the tradition of faith and discipleship handed down from the Christian community of Jesus’ first disciples, we too can receive a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit (2:20), a vivid personal experience of the truth and love of God.

You can listen to the series below as it becomes available.