West View Baptist Church, Hartlepool

A family friendly church in the town of Hartlepool

Services

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Messy Church

Messy church did what it said on the tin today. I finished the day covered in paint glue and stickers, smelling of smoke after making my first ever s’mores, and eating fruit kebabs.

We had rice investigations in the tuff table, ink pad and stickers card making, rainbow streamer pictures , peace doves and sensory paint pouches.

We did the story of Jesus calming the storm and finished the day roasting marshmallows round a fire pit. Mark was kept busy writing risk assessments whilst I assembled fire fighting equipment. Of course nothing set on fire , everyone was fine and enjoyed their s’mores experience.

The great thing about messy church is that it attracts different parents and children every time we do it. We all help out at each others churches and somehow always come up with different things to do. .

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Strength Will Rise (again and again)

Mark brought us the word today (after choosing everlasting god as our song twice) 
Mark brought has the word from Acts when it came to ascension and what to talk about today, it’s about following god, We’re on the same road. Seeking to reveal how we all ascend to he kingdom.

Mark prayed about this, bringing things before the throne of god. Mark’s biggest anxiety is standing at the front yet he’s up there.


Mark entered a cheffing competition and prayed about what he should prepare. He covered this in prayer and was rewarded by getting through to the regional final. But he was also praying about how to manage his anxiety .


Prayer is talking to God, giving thanks for answered prayer as he follows God. Do we remember to thank God for his support? Do we share our fears and anxieties? Mark finds that difficult but his wife will confirm he does share more. We need to turn to our brothers and sisters and share that we are struggling. In our walk we will be asked to do things that are out of our comfort zone. 
Saying no to things can draw you away from God.

Even if God asks you to do something talk to God, pray about it. Speak to your brothers and sisters in faith.
God has a sense of humour as can be evidenced by song choices today, we may not be the only one being prompted, the only one travelling that slight uphill path. 
When conversations about faith occur at work, share what you believe. Pray no matter what through good and bad times and remember to thank God. 
It’s not a take relationship, and should not be only about my woes my woes. 
We will be asked to do things, so say yes, step out of your comfort zone. Don’t step back. If you do need to step back talk to friends, ask for help in your journey of ascension to God’s kingdom. 

Songs today were: 
Be exalted

Did you feel the mountains tremble Everlasting God

Do Not Fear
Strength will Rise (which Is Everlasting God again!!)

I walk by faith

My lighthouse

The Lords Prayer

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Walking in faith….Run Mark Run.

Mark led our service on 23 April. He brought us the Word from Luke 24 13:35.

Mark shared what had happened to him on his walk to faith and after he was baptised. Prior to coming to church he realised that he wasn’t living in the way that he should and he was not giving any thanks for the life he had.

It was through coming to faith that Mark received the love and family he was looking for. Afterr going through the waters of baptism Mark started his day in a very different way. He asked which way to walk and which way to be led. He admitted though that he didn’t always follow where he was led.

But when Leo was ill as a baby, it was their faith as a family that got them through some very dark times. In the worst of times it feels that you stop walking and start to sprint. But through out that dark journey they were all covered in prayer.

Mark starts his day in prayer now, He knows his walks changes from day to day. Often many people are on the same walk the same difficult journeys but we don’t know it. We often focus on what we need, We pray for the family, for our own problems. But we need to pray for others on the journey. Like many of us Mark doesn’t have the type of memory that allows him to remember Bible quotes and references at the drop of a hat, He’d like to improve that though,

Mark has a very different job now, moving around from care home to care home, filling in where he is needed. One of his colleagues shared that they couldn’t do that, as they are not very good at meeting new people.

Mark realised that one of the things he could do whilst travelling around was to ask people “How are You?” but then repeat the question again. Often a single word answer then turns into a more honest and open conversation.

Mark shared himself that currently his work situation is very difficult. The company he works for is in some difficulties and is likely to be broken up and reorganised.

But he knows God has a sdense of humour though. Mark was prompted to ask for help and his wife gave him the image that in her life journey, faith has always been the foundation . People praying for the family in dark times proved this. Mark was told Imagine Forrest Gump in the scenes where he is running.. All those people running, willing him on, willing him to succeed. You get the idea.

So how do we keep going forward? Ask for help. Identify the things holding us back. Realise that sometimes that can be our own selfishness. Ask Jesus, ask our brothers and sisters in faith. As Matty said, ask for the Holy Spirit to help and lead us.

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Stinky Lazarus

Ian was a one man band and led the service and brought the word. He spoke on John 11 1-45.

He reminded us that God is never too late, God’s timing is alwayds perfect. He is always on time.

Hopefully we see who we should be in God with the things we do done for God’s glory and not for our glory or personal power,

“Lord, the One you love is sick.” We’re all hopefully aware of and remember the Mary and Martha story. They and their brother Lazarus were friends of Jesus, They were a family that He stayed with, who made Him welcome. They lived in Bethany, about two miles away from Jerusalem in an area known for alms houses, This is the only Gospel where Lazarus makes an appearance. Lazarus means one who God has helped.

The disciples are puzzled that Jesus isn’t rushing to see his good friend, then they are puzzled that Jesus says Lazurus is sleeping, Only when He tells them plainly that Lazarus is dead do they get some idea as to what He refers to, But they still don’t get what Jesus is doing.

“Let us all go along with the Teacher so that we may die with him”. Thomas doesn’t know it but he is being prophetic here. Martha and Mary both come out to meet Jesus. Martha tells Him that if He had been there, Lazarus would not have died, Martha is practical but also more of a theologian that we might have realised. She knows that her brother will rise again in God’s kingdom but didn’t get who Jesus was . Jesus need to remind her that He has power over death, Mary also says something similar…”If You had been here….”

But we already know that Jesus did not have to be there to heal. Remember the story of the centurion. Jesus healed without being in the same place. Do we think about what Jesus can do for us? Do we make the same mistake? I want Jesus to do what I want Jesus to do!!! Rather than “Here I am Lord, I am your servant, What do you want me to do.”

This is the last miracle in John’s gospel before the death and resurrection. The place where we see Jesus both fully human and fully divine, Jewish mourning for the first few days is very emotional, crying, wailing, tearing clothes and pouring ashes over their heads, Talmudic beliefs seemto suggest the spirit would not leave the body for three days.

Jesus was only a day away. Jesus waited deliberately. He wanted people to expect decay, death smells and corruption of Lazarus’s body. He needed his disciples to witness his power over death, Returning to Judea was not safe, the Jews wanted to kill Jesus, The disciples wanted to be safe. They still did not get the power that Jesus had, He had to say plainly he was the resurrection and the life. When Thomas said what he had, he was fully expecting that they were all going to die there and then. He did not know that Jesus knew most of them would die eventually for believing in him.

Jesus time is perfect, Martha warned there would be a bad odour after 72 hours in the tomb.

Do you realise that Jesus was that powerful he had to name Lazarus specifically. “Lazarus come out!” If he’d simply said come out, Lazarus would not have been the only one obeying! .When Mary came will all the Jewish people they had their questions answered, He healed the blind man for the glory of God, the same applied to the raising of Lazarus. Not everyone sees and believes though. Some only saw that if Jesus continued they would all be in danger, Caiaphas utters prophetic words here “You do not realise that it is better for one man to die than the whole nation perish.

So much is going on in this passage it is difficult to do it justice in one Sunday message, We see God glorified, we see the compassion of Jesus , fully human ” Jesus wept” . He knows Lazarus will be coming out of the grave. Jesus not only conquers death, He is in control of it. His Name is Power!

He creates new life for those who trust in Him. We forget sometimes what He has done for us. He is there in the lows and the highs. He is the Cornerstone, life over death, bringing life to the poor. Do you believe? Are you who you should be in Christ this morning?

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Take the Land He has given you.

Abi, Yvette and Amanda led today’s service and the word today was brought by Viv Neville.

Our songs today were Be Still, How Great is Our God, O Jesus I have promised, If You Climb to the top of a mountain, Take Me To the Holy of Holies, Cornerstone, Blessed Be Your Name, I speak Jesus and Open the eyes of my heart Lord.

Deuteronomy 5 31:33 played a key part in today’s service. Viv had ended up  changing what she was bring to the church today and it is powerful that two people were given exactly the same passage. Viv reflecting on the fact that Pastor Cliff Henderson from New Life had also been reflecting on the fact that over the years we all invite countless people to church for different types of community events. Do we then see those folks come to church? Not always but we continue to hope and pray that these events touch people in some way. Viv reflected that at times she had been very emotional in the hours leading up to this service. The core message today was very much around “ “Take the land he has given you”. Viv drew our attention to Daniel 12 , Go your own way, live life simply, Put distractions aside and work, pray and read your Bible. Viv talked about the fact that this is very important and she often has to turn her phone off to cut out distractions. In terms of going your own way, do you know what it is? If you do write it down, commit to it. Think about the parting of the Red Sea. God had to push the mighty waters aside so his people could continue on their path.

Viv recapped on her previous visit and message to West View Baptist Church. She highlighted the way in which John the Baptist was preparing the way of the Lord. Viv encouraged us to think about taking the Lord outside the walls of the church. Praying into every area of our lives.Viv had been helping someone battling with addiction and that person was now entering rehab. She had walked outside their home praying and covering them. She brought the situation to the Lord in praise and worship.

Viv also reflected on the fact that there are places in the community where we still cannot share the Word. Do we share our evangelistic ideas with others? Remember God often only gives us the first step, not the full map. Big and small ideas are equally important. 

Do we know when God is prompting us? When something is from God the idea will come and keep coming. Every day for 6 weeks an idea that Viv had early in ministry kept coming and coming, like the roaring of a lion. It would not go away. Viv’s idea eventually came to fruition and ran for 11 years. 40 people helped to make it so. Remember though that there is a season for everything. Nehemiah had lots of obstacles to overcome in achieving his goal. He was opposed all the way but fulfilled what was needed. You will find people to help.

Viv shared her new initiative to prayer walk the whole of Hartlepool. Her and her fellow prayer walkers have divided the town into smaller areas. Through Facebook and Whatapp etc they are reaching out to supporters. There is a place for everyone who wants to help prayer walker or prayer warrior. 

Viv also shared the events happening in the revival at Asbury University where students stayed in chapel after a service was supposed to conclude on 8 February 2023. 11 days later the service still continued. Mini revivals are springing up elsewhere. 

Viv and her fellow prayer walkers ended up  covering the Fens in cars. Like the shadow of the cloak of Jesus and the apostles,  praying for the homes they pass and pause outside brings hope and healing. Pray especially for the spiritually sick. Viv then encouraged a small group to leave the church for 10 minutes to pray for the homes around us. Write down the issues and encouragement we want from and for the estate.

Messy Church

We were joined by friends from the other Baptist churches in Hartlepool and the families and children of West View for a Messy church afternoon exploring things we love and doing arts, crafts games and cake and sandwiches.

We have introduced a Prayer and Song request box inspired by James 5:13. Young Church have also produced some heart pictures using stones

James 5-13 Prayer and Praise box and Young Church hearts