Let’s celebrate!
The year 2017 is special in the life of the United Reformed Church – and we’ll have plenty to celebrate! It’s 500 years since the Lutheran Reformation, 100 years since the ordination of Constance Coltman, the first woman to enter congregational ministry, 45 years since the URC came into being, more than 80 years since Pilots started and 25 years since Commitment for Life began – these events all played a big part in making us who we are, and also give great opportunities for one or more parties in 2017! And so, under the banner of Feasts and Festivals, we are inviting everyone to celebrate!
Feasts and festivals are important in the Bible. When God did something the community wanted to remember or mark, a festival or a feast was often celebrated. Food, dancing and music are central to the life of the Jewish people and, in turn, for the followers of Jesus. So why not continue this great tradition and use this special year to celebrate how God has led us on our journey?
Celebrating the milestones in our life as The United Reformed Church will help us rediscover our history, look more deeply into who we are now and think about where we might go. We have a tradition of breaking the mould, choosing freedom in worship or interpreting the Bible for ourselves, all under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We have many pioneers who have taken brave steps and led us in new directions. We have much to be proud of and much to be grateful for.
What to do now?
The Feasts and Festivals resources for worship, Bible study and action will be available on www.urc.org.uk/feasts-and-festivals from 1 October 2016, with new resources added every three months. If you do not have access to the internet and would like to receive materials in the post, please phone us on 0207 916 2020 Together, we can make 2017 a year to remember. It will also prepare us for a new emphasis on discipleship in the life of the United Reformed Church called: Walking the Way: Living the life of Jesus today. Materials for this will be available towards the end of 2017. Let’s celebrate!
The following poster can be downloaded here – http://www.urc.org.uk/images/FeastsAndFestivals/FandF-images/A2-Events-Poster-Feasts-and-Festivals.pdf – but please note the following corrections:-
The F&F poster and the website events list for 1 July both have the South Western Synod office phone number wrong – it should be 01823 275470.
The SW Synod Big Day Out organiser is Mr Derek Jones [email protected]. The Revd Tim Meachin has a similar role in the Wessex Synod.
The email address for the Wessex & South Western BDO is [email protected].
The other amendment is that the URC Big Day Out on 20 May 2017 has moved to Warwick Castle and is not at Drayton Manor.
