Alpha Course
We run regular Alpha courses at the Church which have proved to
be successful for new and existing Christians and those who wish to
enquire about the faith. Our Alpha Course this Autumn is being
run in the daytime, on Tuesdays.
The Four Oaks Assembly Team
The Four Oaks Assembly team are a group of ladies from here at Four Oaks and also from St John's Church Walmley, who visit schools in the area providing a Christian Assembly resource. The team was originally set up over 15 years ago and the current members of the group continue the ever expanding work. The group set out their aims in their own words:
"Our aim is to present bible stories and truths to children in a fun and interactive way. The 20 minute assembly starts with a game linked to the theme of the bible story. We then perform a short sketch from either the Old or New Testament, followed by a one or two sentence summary. The assembly ends with a prayer and a new song, which we teach using hands signs and live piano or guitar music.
We currently visit 35 schools and knowledge of our work has passed from school to school as teachers and Head Teachers have taken up new positions. We are delighted to visit each school once a term and find the welcome of the children and staff heart warming."
Messy Church is a time when families come together to enjoy being together, making things together, eating together and celebrating God together through his word, through music and through prayer. It’s different from a children’s activity day because it’s an event for children and their carers or parents together.
With Messy Church we are trying to be a worshiping community of all ages, centred on Christ, showing Christian hospitality – giving people a chance to express their creativity, to sit down together to eat a meal and have fun within a church context.
The next Messy Church is this Saturday 10 January 2009 at 4.00 pm and is entitled a 'New Start'
After the flood and the story of Noah God gave us the chance for a New Start. The God who always gives another chance, who always holds out hope in the most desperate of situations.
The dates for the next three Messy Churches in 2009 are Saturday 2 May, Saturday 17 June and Saturday 3 October.
Anne Houghton
Anne is a member of our church, she went out to Africa as a missionary in Autumn 1988. Anne is a member of the Africa Inland Mission and is stationed in Uganda at St Paul's Regional Study Centre which is now part of the Christian University of Uganda. Anne has had to learn the Lugbara language in order to train the wives of pastors attending the Centre so that they can help their husbands in future ministry.