Showing Kindness

Update From Your Pastors

Welling Church Family — We pray that you have been enjoying “Online Church” at your home during the past several weeks. It has been a joy to still be able to connect with you online both on Sunday and throughout the week.

While our time of quarantine has been very different, and at times challenging, we believe there have been many positives that have come and will come as a result of this season that God has ordained for His people. The church is not confined to a day of the week or a physical location. God is bigger and more transcendent than any of the obstacles that we are currently facing. This includes those areas of your life which you may be fearful or uncertain. 

As a leadership, we want to thank you for your continued involvement with the various ministries and your generosity to the church. Your giving in abilities, time, and finances is an opportunity to honour God through your sacrifice. Our mission is still to glorify God by discipling each generation to reach all for Christ. During this time, let us continue to reach people with the Gospel and meet the very real needs of our community!

One last note: The pastors of Welling desire to always be as transparent as possible on our finances. As our church has grown, so has our giving, but our ministry costs have grown as well. We praise God for that! Since 1 October 2019 (the beginning of our fiscal year), here are the result:

• Average monthly income: £2,334

• Average monthly outgoing: £3,487

• Average monthly deficit: £1,153

• Building work over the past 7 months has been £5,432 so even if we removed this cost, we would still be in a deficit.

We have used our church savings to help offset the cost, but this cannot be a longterm solution. Our church cannot continue its monthly ministry without committed church members investing in its future. If you are not currently giving, please go to WellingChurch.com to begin today!

Thank you for your prayers during this time!

Subscribe to Welling Church’s YouTube Channel: YouTube

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Prayer Points

1. Praise to God for Lucy accepting Jesus Christ as her Saviour and pray for her as she begins this new life with Him.

2. Alex Barlow’s friend Roger has passed away from COVID-19 (he was a Christian), prayer for his family and friends as they go through this tough time.

3. Sally’s mum who is still in ICU on a ventilator and still sedated.

Ministry Opportunity

This week we would like to encourage everyone to do 3 things for 3 people:

• Call 3 people

• Text 3 people

• Pray for 3 people

Weekly Devotional

The Fruit of the Spirit: KINDNESS

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23

The fifth characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit is Kindness. The word kindness is defined as having the qualities of generosity, consideration, and being friendly. These qualities are also easily attributed to God Himself. He is generous in the grace He has shown us through Jesus Christ (Rom. 3: 23, 24), considerate and long-suffering to unbelievers (Psalm 145:8), and is a friend of sinners (Luke 15:2).  His kindness is ultimately intended to lead people to repentance, not to the rejection of him (Rom. 2:4). The fruit of the Spirit produces in us the same type of kindness that God provides. Let’s take a look at how we can effectively manifest the kindness of God to the world around us. 

1. Live to Please the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)

“30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Paul tells the Church at Ephesus, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (v. 29). Slander, gossip, and lies should never be on the lips of any Christian. Words and actions give us a clear picture into the heart of a person. The sin of corrupt talk is exactly what grieves the Spirit because it violates the will of God. Parents often say, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” That’s good advice, however a Christian should go deeper and seek to dig up the sinful roots of those words. Our words should be edifying, appropriate for the time, and full of grace. If we seek to only speak words that are wholesome, we will surely please the Holy Spirit.  

2. Put Away Unpleasantness (Ephesians 4:31)

“31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”

A life seeking to please the Holy Spirit and to exemplify the fruit He has given, will put away all unpleasantness (sin). Bitterness, wrath, and anger are all sins stemming from a prideful, self-centred heart. We often get angry and sin when our pride is hurt. Our anger then leads us to clamour (fight) and slander those who have hurt us. Then we move to carry malice in our heart towards those individuals. Our desire should be to seek after good things so that we might please God. No sins should be named among us. What would it say to the world if our church was full of these kinds of sins? What a terrible testimony! It can be very easy to allow sin to reign, even within the family of God. We must earnestly strive to put away all unpleasantness from our midst.

3. Take Up Kindness (Ephesians 4:32)

“32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

While verses 30 and 31 are challenging and even a bit depressing, verse 32 gives us a hope. The Apostle Paul encourages believers to be kind to each other. How are we to be kind? First, we are to be tender-hearted meaning we are to be gentle and thoughtful. In contrast, a hard hearted person is angry, unmerciful, and unloving. Second, we are to be forgiving meaning we are to stop feeling angry or resentful towards others because of some offence. Whenever we might not want to forgive someone, we should remember that we have been forgiven all our offences by God in Christ. In fact, the best way we can be like Christ is to forgive those who have wronged us (Philemon). We should be a people known for kindness. We are not talking about being nice to someone’s face, but genuine kindness fuelled by the Spirit. Paul says in Romans 6,  “I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification” (Romans 6:19). If the unbelieving world can show kindness, how much more should we who know Christ show the world around us. Let’s show everyone that we are children of God by practicing Spirit-led kindness. 

Questions to Consider

1. Am I grieving the Holy Spirit by the way in which I live? 

2. Am I actively extinguishing bitterness and anger in my life? 

3. Am I seeking to show people kindness?

Choosing Patience

Update From Your Pastors

Hey church family! We are praying for you. We are reminded how God is faithful and will see us through this time! We praise God for His mercy and care for us as a church. 

As we continue our countywide quarantine, we want to let you know how much we miss seeing you in person. Hopefully, these guidelines will be lifted sooner than later so we can once again meet together for worship. In the meantime, let’s continue to encourage one another through text, phone calls, and video chat. You may never know the encouragement you may be just by picking up the phone to say hello to someone. Let’s stay committed to loving one another during these unique times. 

We also want to thank many of you for keeping your giving strong through this difficult time. Please let us remind you that your giving matters, and it touches many lives. Our church cannot continue its ministry to the community without committed church members giving. If you are not currently giving, please go to wellingchurch.com to begin today!

Thank you for remaining faithful during these uncertain times. 

Subscribe to Welling Church’s YouTube Channel: YouTube

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Prayer Points

1. Joe and Sally, as Joe has been very unwell from issues surrounding having only one kidney.

2. Sean’s nephew, Noah, who went into hospital with breathing problems and a high fever.

3. For the Pastors of Welling Church, as they minister to us through this difficult time.

Ministry Opportunity

This week we want to do something different, and we hope you can all be apart of it.
We want to begin sharing videos of you during our Sunday morning online church. Please record a video that is less than 1 minute long answering this question: “What brings me joy about my church?
Upload your video to this dropbox link.

Weekly Devotional

The Fruit of the Spirit: PATIENCE

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23

The fourth characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit is Patience. Some say that patience is a virtue, but it certainly does not always feel that way. All you need to do is stand in a long queue at the shop to understand how difficult it is to be patient. Having to wait more than a couple of seconds for that video to load, waiting traffic to move again or realising that your Amazon Prime order is going to be delayed infuriates us. We get angry in the waiting, but what if waiting is exactly what God wants us to do? What if He pushes the pause button on life to accomplish something valuable? Isaiah has a few important truths to reveal to us about patience. 

1. God Teaches Us About Him in the Waiting (Isaiah 40:28)

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 

We are often tempted to think that God does not care or is unaware of our troubling circumstances. Our God is all-knowing, ever-present, and can never be unaware of what troubles us. Though we may not know why God is seemingly waiting to answer our prayers, He has His perfect timing. The two questions Isaiah asks could be paraphrased, “Surely you have heard and you remember the greatness of God!” When we have to wait, we begin to question God and forget His greatness. We then begin to also forget all that we’ve learned about Him. God is not holding back an answer because He has lost His strength or become weary. He may be waiting to teach us to trust Him more. Let’s take a look at how Peter addresses this thought in 2 Peter 3:8, 9. In the waiting, God is teaching and reminding us that He is in control and His strength is immeasurable. Trust in His ways and you will see the reason behind this season of life. We might think God is moving slowly, but rest assure that He is seeking to teach us in the waiting. 

2. God Strengthens Us in the Waiting (Isaiah 40:29)

29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

We should all remember that even when we are in a time of waiting, we are not alone. The temptation to give up or lose hope during a trail can be great. God promises to give us power in our weakness and increase our strength when we feel powerless. Sometimes God brings trails into our life to keep us humble. Turn to 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 and let's take a look at how Paul describes how he learned to deal with problems is life. We should learn to embrace our trails because they are the tool that brings us closer to God. He does not leave us in times of trouble, but draws near to us in the waiting to give us strength. 

3. God Renews Us in the Waiting (Isaiah 40:30, 31)

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

The times in which we are living can be very exhausting. Worry, anxiety, and wondering if this pandemic will end crowd our minds. Now, more than ever, we feel powerless. Don’t get overwhelmed with feeling powerless because you truly are without power apart from God. In our exhaustion, we truly learn to rely on God. The strongest amongst us will still eventually become physically tired. In the waiting, God wants us to remember that it is His strength alone that renews us. Instead of trying to rush through times of waiting, we should pause and focus on the lessons God intends to teach us. Look at how James says we should think about times of trail in James 1:2-4. It seems strange to find joy in the waiting, but joy comes from knowing that trails produce a stronger faith. It is in the waiting where God can renew us. We should not resist trails, but embrace them knowing that they are the very place in which the Lord shall renew our strength.

Questions to Consider

1. Am I trusting God in times waiting? 

2. Am I seeking strength in my own power or through God who has all strength? 

3. Am I trying to force doors open are am I waiting for God to create a way through my problems?

Experiencing Peace

Update From Your Pastors

It was wonderful to remember Christ on the cross this past Friday and to celebrate together His resurrection on Sunday. Even though social distancing keeps us apart, we are thankful we can still meet together through technology.

As we remember Christ’s glorious resurrection, we are encouraged to follow Him through any circumstance. Christ’s command to His followers to be witnesses and to make disciples is just as real today as it was nearly 2,000 years ago. Social media gives us a brilliant opportunity to share the Gospel like never before, so take every opportunity to share what God has given you to those around you.

Subscribe to Welling Church’s YouTube Channel: YouTube

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Prayer Points

1. We praise God for our Easter service and the people who have and will watch it.

2. Sean’s uncle is in hospital with COVID-19.

3. For everyone to be in good spirits during this time of isolation.

Ministry Opportunity

This week we want to do something different, and we hope you can all be apart of it.
We want to begin sharing videos of you during our Sunday morning online church. Please record a video that is less then 1 minute long answering this question: “What brings me joy about my church?
Upload your video to this dropbox link.

Weekly Devotional

The Fruit of the Spirit: PEACE

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

The third attribute of the fruit of the Spirit is Peace. Biblical peace has a wide range of understanding throughout Scripture including the notions of totality or completeness, success, fulfilment, wholeness, harmony, security, and well being. The Spirit dwells in every believer and is working to produce perfect peace. Christ promised that He would send Holy Spirit to teach us to find peace. Jesus says, “26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:26-27). Peace is the inner calm that results from confidence in your saving relationship with Christ. We receive it, but we still must learn how to grow and maintain that peace. Philippians 4: 6-9 is an important passage to study in order to learn our peace is maintained.

1. Anxiety is the Enemy of Peace (Philippians 4:6, 7)

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The greatest enemy to maintaining our peace is irrational worry. This type of worry can easily rob us of our peace if we let it. Paul reminds believers of a weapon that we can use in our battle with anxiety. He says to pray, but not just any kind of prayer. We are to pray a prayer which earnestly asks (supplication) for God’s provision. Please note that God does not promise to give us whatever we ask for, but He does promise to give us peace. The peace that God gives us will surpass our understanding and guard our hearts. When we worry we should pray and even if we do not pray for the correct things, God promises to to give a supernatural peace to those who share their real needs with Him. The peace of God will conquer our greatest fears.

2. Proper Focus Produces Peace (Philippians 4:8)

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

We tend to focus on the wrong things in life. This out-of-focus living can lead to worry and to a lack of true peace. When we allow ourselves to get distracted by work, finances, family problems, or even a worldwide pandemic, we take our eyes off of God and that is where problems begin. The prophet Isaiah speaks to this when he writes, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isa. 26:3, 4). Our peace is maintained when we keep our focus on the Rock.

3. Practise Provides Lasting Peace (Philippians 4:9)

9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practise these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

We are not only to focus on good things, but we are also to put them into practice. If we only desire peace, but do not put in the effort to train ourselves, we have determined to fail before we begin. James encourages us to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (Jam. 1:22). The Bible teaches us about God, trains us in righteousness, reminds us of who we are and encourages us to live out our faith. Our eyes must be set on God and peace must be put into practise. Remember that we are not attempting follow God’s Word alone because God promises that He will always be with us. The Apostle Paul concludes the book of Romans with a prayer that all believers should use when they feel troubled, “May the God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Rom. 15:33). Putting faith into practise will create lasting peace for all the children of God.

Questions to Consider

1. Is peace losing the battle to anxiety in my life?
2. Am I working each day to focus on the Everlasting Rock?
3. Am I putting into practise all that I have learned from God’s Word?

Finding Joy

Update From Your Pastors

We are incredibly excited that we get to celebrate Easter this week! For almost 2,000 years, Christians have celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. The Church has always taken the opportunity to praise God on His resurrection day no matter the circumstances.

On Sunday we have a unique opportunity to invite all our friends and family to join us for online church this Easter. The cool part is that no one needs to leave the house or dress up to be a part of the service. This could be the year that someone who always says no, will finally join you for an Easter service.

Subscribe to Welling Church’s YouTube Channel: YouTube

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Prayer Points

1. Sally’s mother Joanne, who is in hospital deteriorating rapidly due to COVID-19 and her whole family as they navigate this situation.

2. Terry’s family as they are going through a difficult time.

3. That many will attend Easter services this Sunday online and respond to the Gospel message.

Ministry Opportunity

In preparation for Easter, it would be wonderful for our church to set aside some time for fasting and prayer. These two disciplines are powerful tools to communicate with God and strengthen our relationship with Him. “But he answered, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4

• This Friday we will fast and pray together (maybe 2 meals: breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner). If you would like to fast longer, feel free to do so — this is between you and God.

• If you can’t participate this week, please feel free to pick any day next week to fast and pray.

• On Friday, post any prayer requests you would like everyone to pray for on the WhatsApp group with #fastandpray.

If you have any questions about prayer and fasting please contact one of the leaders.

Weekly Devotional

The Fruit of the Spirit: JOY

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

The second characteristic we will focus on is JOY. It is many times confused with happiness, however there is a distinct difference between the two. Happiness is generally defined as a spontaneous response to temporary pleasures. We are happy when things go well and sad when they do not. In contrast, joy is not determined by fleeting moments of pleasure. It is based something other than our circumstances or surroundings. When our joy is grounded in Christ, then our contentment will be rock solid no matter what life throws at us. 1 Peter 1:8, 9 is a great place to take a closer look at the foundation of our joy.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8, 9

1. Joy in the Unseen

“Though you have not seen him, you love him.” 1 Peter 1:8a
None of us have ever seem Jesus in person, but that has not diminished our love for Him. Our love comes from understanding what Jesus did for us on the cross. The salvation we received through Christ is the source of our joy. No matter what happens in our life day to day, we who know Jesus as Saviour can stop and remember what He did for us. We then can instantly become grounded by the immense joy of our salvation. We should be known as people who are inappropriately joyful.

2. Belief Produces an Inexpressible and Glorious Joy

“Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” 1 Peter 1:8b
We believe in Christ without ever seeing Him, and that produces a joy that manifests itself in two distinct ways.

1. Inexpressible
The word inexpressible means to have a feeling that is so strong it cannot be described or conveyed in words. The joy that comes from being saved by Christ is hard to put into words. The moments after being saved can feel positively overwhelming. Some people smile really uncontrollably or shed happy tears. The fact is, so many emotions wash over you and you just want to tell everyone what happened. The problem is we tend to forget the initial joy of our salvation over time. We should desire for the joy we experienced at the beginning of our new life to always be with us. The Psalmist said, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit” (Ps. 51:12). We should recognise and believe that the Spirit produces joy that is inexpressible and let that flow out of us and into the world.

2. Filled with Glory
We’ve been given glorified joy directly from God through Christ and into our daily lives through the Holy Spirit. This kind of joy is filled with glory through and through, permeated with and radiating the glory of God. Spirit-filled joy doesn’t just happen. If we want to experience this kind of joy, we need understand that it comes from fellowship with God. As we fellowship with God through prayer and the study of His word, we will see God operating in our own hearts and that will produce joy upon joy.

3. Joy is the Outcome

“obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” 1 Peter 1:9
The outcome of our faith in Christ is salvation. We have been saved to bring God praise and honour. We did not see Christ, but we believed in Him and our belief produced our salvation. Our salvation is the basis for our joy. Whenever life gets difficult, remember that Christ loves you and died to save you.

Questions to Consider

1. Where does my joy come from? Does it come from my surroundings or my Saviour?
2. Do I still have the joy of my salvation or do I need to pray for it’s restoration?

Bible Study Premier

Update From Your Pastors

We pray everyone is doing well and staying healthy. We miss being able to meet in person but are very grateful that we can continue to meet online.

It was encouraging this week to stream our Sunday service to both Facebook and YouTube Live. We were also able to have our first Adventures Online Party on Zoom for the teens last Friday. From everyone we have spoken to, it sounds as though people are doing well at staying positive during this season of challenge.

We are praying for you all and if anyone needs anything, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

If you haven’t watched any of our kids or teens videos, they are up on our website under Online Church: Sunday Service. We will also post on Friday our next Adventures Online video and game, so keep an eye out for it!

Subscribe to Welling Church’s YouTube Channel: YouTube

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Prayer Points

1. Steve, Bob & Beryl, Dolly, May, & others in our church that are at high risk.

2. Huge praise as Becca and Mark had their baby on 28 March. Welcome Abigail!

3. Safety in pregnancy for Alice who’s due in May.

Ministry Opportunity

We are so excited for Mark and Becca having their baby Abigail this past week and as a church, we want to be a blessing to them. We had planned several months ago to offer a meal train for them, but with the current circumstances that are happening, it would not be wise to do so. Instead, we want to get their family a Tesco voucher so they can buy the food they need and maybe even some ready meals.

You can be a part of this by donating a meal or two to help out the Junipers. Would you consider contributing £10 or £20 or more to be a blessing to them? Please do so by Easter, so we can be a blessing sooner rather than later.

Donate to them via the church at:
Welling Church (HSBC)
Sort Code: 40-19-04
Account Number: 02171236
Memo: Baby Juniper

Weekly Devotional

We are adding to our Wednesday weekly devotional by having a live Bible Study on Zoom tonight at 7:00pm. Josh will be taking us through the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22. Please look on the Welling Church WhatsApp for information on how to join the group this evening.

Sharing Love

Update From Your Pastors

We hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. We missed you all this past Sunday, but we were encouraged to see so many people join us for our live stream. We had over 1,500 people click on our live stream to watch our Sunday service.

We do apologise for any buffering that you may have experienced; Facebook had too many people online to handle all the traffic. We are looking into the possibility of streaming to both Facebook and Youtube this Sunday. Currently, our Youtube account will not allow us to go live due to Google approval. Please be praying that Google will enable us to go live before Sunday. One important thing you can do to help is to subscribe to our YouTube account to give us more traffic.

If you haven’t watched any of our kids or teens videos, they are up on our website under Online Church: Sunday Service. We will also post on Friday our second Adventures Online video and game, so keep an eye out for it!

Subscribe to Welling Church’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP7vPRPzN1GM2MFHnqm0iVQ

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Prayer Points

1. Steve, Bob & Beryl, Dolly, May, & others in our church that are high risk.

2. Safety in pregnancy for Becca who was due last week and Alice who’s due in May.

3. For our leaders in government to continue to guide our country with wisdom.

Ministry Opportunity

One great ministry opportunity you can do this week from your home is to take time to call 3 people from church that you normally don’t get a chance to chat with. This is an easy way for us to stay connected and to get to know others.

Weekly Devotional

The Fruit of the Spirit

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

During this time of worry and anxiety, I thought it would be good for us to be reminded that we have been given positive attributes by the Spirit to show the world that we are children of God. The Holy Spirit produces fruit in each of us and they are manifested through 9 characteristics. These characteristics will be our focus each Wednesday. If we will work to embody these characteristics instead of succumbing to fear and anxiety, we will show our friends, neighbours and the world what being a child of God really looks like. 

The first characteristic we will look at is LOVE.

One of the best passages on love is found in 1 Corinthians 13. The love described here focuses more on brotherly love. True loves comes from God and is empowered by the Spirit to lead us to do the most good we can to our friends, family and neighbours. 

1. Love is Patient 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant. 1 Cor. 13:4

A loving child of God is patient with people. We all know that not everyone we come in contact with are easy to “like.” In fact, we are not commanded to like everyone, but we are commanded to love. A characteristic of a Spirit lead person is that of love. We are not to be known as a jealous, prideful person but one who is kind, generous and loving.  

2. Love Isn't Rude

“or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Cor. 13:5, 6

Loving others means that we should put their needs before our own. We should does this not out of some sort of compulsion, but out of a genuine desire to be obedient in love. When we get irritated and resentful because someone needs our help, we miss the point completely. A child of God should be characterised by love that is genuine and pleasant. 

3. Love Bears All Things

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Cor. 13:7

A Spirit-led, child of God will commit to love others, no matter what. Loving someone, especially a stranger, can be difficult. We have to bear a lot sometimes as we minister. However, we are compelled to endure and hope for the best as we love like Jesus. We do not give up when it gets difficult. We press on and we can do so because of the fruit the Spirit produces within us. 

4. Love Perseveres 

“Lover never ends…So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor. 13:8; 13

True love never, ever ends. Many things in this world like "prophecies and tongues” will pass away, but the Word of God tells us that love will never pass away. Faith, hope and love are the objects of our lives as Christians. However, our faith will be realised and our hope made secure when we see God in heaven, but his love will go on because it is everlasting. Working on loving like Jesus will pay eternal dividends. 

Questions to Consider

1. Am I loving in such a way that I’m known for my generosity and not for my selfishness?

2. Am I loving others in a way that is not out of compulsion but out of obedience?

3. Am I loving others no matter what?

4. Am I investing in things that will pass away or things that will last forever?

Welling Church’s Plan In Response To COVID-19

We are truly living in extraordinary times. The coronavirus pandemic is impacting everyone from our families, our businesses, our communities, and our nation. As the situation continues to affect our world, we want to update you on how we have decided to move forward as a church family.

Our goal is to remain calm, avoid worry, trust in Christ, and be ready to serve those in need. We don’t need to be afraid or panic but need to trust in the goodness of God. He knows where you are and what particular circumstances you and your family are going through. As a church, we must remain on mission and look for every opportunity to share the gospel despite this situation. 

As this pandemic continues to spread, we have been asking for guidance from other church leaders on what to do about services, gatherings, and events. We have also been closely following the governmental guidelines regarding this issue.

At this time, in response to statements from Prime Minister Boris Johnson and from Health Secretary Matt Hancock, the pastors of Welling Church understand the need to follow the government’s recommendations, and as a result, we will cancel all in-person gatherings at our church. Starting this week (16 March), we will be canceling all services, events, and Friday clubs for the next 4 weeks. The leaders of Welling Church will reassess this situation on an ongoing basis to determine if we should shorten or prolong this time frame.

However, our church is not a building but a people! Even though we cannot meet together in-person we will continue to meet together online. 

Our church will provide 3 main ways to help all of us stay connected together and connected to God through this difficult time.

Sunday

1. We will be streaming video live on Facebook at 11:00am with a Sunday morning service. Each week our pastors will be leading us together through worship in song and preaching from God’s Word. This will also a be time where we can take advantage of the Facebook chat feature to keep in touch as a church. The video of the Sunday morning worship service will be available afterwards for those unable to watch live.

2. We will be providing a kids as well as a teen video lesson that you can watch together as a family on Sunday or sometime during the week. It will include a PDF of questions for discussion, activities, and games you can do as a family.

Wednesday

1. We will provide a weekly written update that will include church notices and prayer requests.

2. We will provide a Bible study and devotional to do either individually or with your family.

3. We will provide ministry opportunities that you can be a part of to help serve your neighbours and community.

Friday

Instead of Friday Adventures Club, Justin will be recording a short Bible lesson and include a fun family game for you to play together.

Please keep checking our website, social media, and WhatsApp for the latest updates and resources. If you have any questions or needs, please feel free to contact us anytime.

Tarl@WellingChurch.com 07947 751911
Justin@WellingChurch.com 07375 700198
Joshua@WellingChurch.com 07957 579493

Through all of this, we need to keep praying and remember that God is sovereign over all. Thank you for bearing with us during this time. 

God Bless, Your Leaders at Welling Church