News
JANUARY 2012
We began the year with a 21-day Daniel fast (see Daniel 1: 1-20).
During this time people were encouraged to fast from tea, coffee, meat, fish dairy products and sweet things, and to eat healthily on fruit, vegetables and grains. Those unable to fast from food found other ways to exercise an “appetite-denying discipline”, such as giving up facebook or tv.
Jesus tells us to fast and pray, so additional corporate prayer times were arranged for people to come together in the morning, mid-day or evening and submit to God their personal requests and visions for the time of fasting, and also the church’s goals and visions.
Now the fast is over, and we celebrated with a meal together after our Sunday meeting. Already testimonies are coming in of people drawing nearer to God during this time of submission to Him, and we look forward to a year of ‘great exploits’ for the glory of God and the salvation of the lost.
New Premises for Ruwach Christian Church
Ruwach Christian Church are delighted to announce that God has blessed them with the means to purchase a building of their own in Haywards Heath.
It is currently a ”work in progress”, being adapted from a warehouse, but is already in use as the church offices. A room within the building is being erected for use by the Bible College, youth groups, prayer meetings, etc, in Phase 1 of the proposed development.
DECEMBER 2011
Ruwach Christian Church has its own building! The formalities have been completed, and we are moving in!
Our new address is:
Unit 3
Western Road Industrial Park
141-147 Western Road
Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH16 3LH
Other contact details remain the same.
At first it will just house our offices, and we will continue to hold our celebrations at the King Edward Hall in Lindfield, and sometimes at Franklands Village Hall or Scaynes Hill Village Centre. (Please check on our home page each week.)
But later …. Pastor Jacky has great plans for a wonderful auditorium with a gallery and space for flags and dancing. Watch this space!
Christmas Hampers for Southampton
We were delighted to be able to make up forty Christmas hampers to be distributed to our friends in Southampton. Each cell collected items, then a small band of people decorated the boxes and prepared them creatively and prayerfully before driving them down in the van.
We trust they will bring some cheer to families who might otherwise have to do without some of the luxuries we take for granted at Christmas.
NOVEMBER 2011
Haywards Heath Winter Festival
God gave us favour on Sunday 27th November when Ruwach’s Youth Band were invited by Haywards Heath Town Council to play on stage during the Winter Festival.
The main shopping street was closed to traffic and filled with stalls of all kinds, creating a buzz of excitement as people came to begin their Christmas shopping. The band played worship songs which were broadcast all the way down the street, and there was dance with flags followed by the powerful drama that the young people have perfected. Phil Poole gave his testimony, and then the band were asked to play on for longer than their allotted time as people were enjoying it so much. Praise the Lord for this opportunity, and we pray that many seeds were sown that day which will come to fruition in the Lord’s timing.
The day started wet and drizzly, but as we met to pray beforehand, the skies cleared and the sun came out! What a wonderful God we serve!
Water Baptisms
On Sunday afternoon 20th November we were privileged to witness ten people confirming their faith in the outward sign of water baptism. They gave moving and encouraging testimonies of how God was working in their lives to bring them to this point, and there was much rejoicing as they came up out of the water into a new place in Christ.
We were so grateful to Lindfield United Reformed Church for the use of their pool, church and kitchen facilities for this time of celebration. Perhaps next time we will have our own pool in our own meeting place!
AGM
On 3rd November Ruwach’s Elders and Heads of Department gave their reports to the congregation, identifying strengths and weaknesses and proposing plans for the year ahead.
The most exciting news was that the purchase of a building for our own use was nearing completion, opening up many more ways of reaching out into the neighbourhood and fulfilling our commission as laid out in Isaiah 61. (See a full report elsewhere on this web site.)
October
Alternative Halloween Party
The younger children enjoyed a food-orientated party on 30th October. They came dressed up as items of food, and there were some brilliantly imaginative costumes.
There was cake decorating, apple bobbing, eating doughnuts without using your hands and much more sticky fun and games. The afternoon finished with pizza and smiley potatoes, and a good time was had by all.
Elders Advance
Our Elders spent three days together before the Lord, reviewing the past year and seeking His face for the year ahead.
In their report back to the church they reminded us that two years out of our five-year vision have been completed. Foundations have been laid, principles established and our purpose made widely known:
to Establish people in God’s family
to Restore them to wholeness
to Free them to worship
to Equip them to serve
to Release them to their destiny in Christ.
The five-year vision looks at everything we do through the four faces in Ezekiel:
Man home, family and community
Lion church, promoting the gospel
Ox service to society
Eagle celebration
As these aspects were reviewed it became evident that some were working well but others still needed attention. In particular it was good to see that ways were opening up for Ruwach to serve the local community through the ASK department (see the ASK section on the web site for more detail).
Our slogan for the past year was, “Bringing down the power of heaven in 2011.” Now, having seen God’s enabling power and favour, we must go out and act on it according to Daniel 11: 32: “The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” Therefore, our slogan for 2012 is:
“A Year of Great Exploits”
Len Buttner
We were very blessed to have Len and Linda Buttner with us for three Sundays. Len encouraged the church as a whole, and he prophesied over the majority of the congregation individually.
It was so moving to hear how much God is interested in each of us, in our highs and in our lows, and how He wants to bless us and use us for His glory in the future. Len spoke about things in people’s lives that he couldn’t possibly have known about unless God had given him a word of knowledge, and this brought comfort into difficult situations and hope for the future.
It was especially exciting to hear how the young people are going to grow in their faith and become leaders in their generation if they keep going with God.
Franklands Village
We have been holding evening celebrations in Franklands Village Hall for the past month, as we seek to build on what the churches have begun in that area by making the gospel available to everyone. Our prayer is that the Lord will bring in more people who have not yet heard the good news that Jesus loves them and died for them so that they might enjoy His abundant life.
OCTOBER 2011
Ladies Weekend at Ashburnham
During the weekend of 14th-16th October, forty-one ladies enjoyed time away in the beautiful surroundings of Ashburnham Place near Hastings. The sun shone to enhance the autumn colours, and it was easy to worship our Creator God who gave us all these things to enjoy.
We were blessed with the presence of Linda Buttner from New Zealand to lead our meetings, and as she spoke about the role of women she touched many lives. There was a wonderful time of ministry at the end of our last day, when ladies were able to write down and tear up all the things they wanted to leave at the foot of the cross. Healing took place during times of fervent worship and amid the laughter and the tears.
We thank God for His goodness to us, and we look forward to more such weekends in the future.
New Members
We were very pleased to welcome Cedric and Matt into membership on Sunday morning, 16th October.
And our latest member is Sophie Elizabeth, born to Russell and Helen on 17th October. Our congratulations to all the family.
SEPTEMBER 2011
VISITORS FROM SOUTH AFRICA
Pastor Marius, Senior Pastor at Christian Centre in East London, South Africa, came with his wife Linda to spend a couple of weeks with us. They have been friends of Ruwach since the beginning, and we benefited from their teaching and encouragement at various gatherings.
Pastor Marius was the main speaker at our Men’s conference, ‘Men of Honour’, and he also preached on the subject of ‘honour’ on the two Sundays that he was here, covering Honour in the Home, about how we should treat one another, and Honouring God, a powerful message about living a lifestyle of thankfulness in an attitude of gratitude. “When we are thankful we agree with the Lord” (1 Thess 5: 18); “When we are unthankful we agree with the enemy.” A sobering thought!
MEN OF HONOUR
Approximately 40 Ruwach men gathered to learn or rediscover what it means to be “Men of Honour”.
We assembled onFriday evening to be fed physically with hot dogs, and spiritually by some wise teaching from Pastor Marius Gradwell visiting us from East London, South Africa.
This built a solid foundation for the combination of activities planned for Saturday, which combined World Cup rugby followed by a full English breakfast and then a solid morning’s teaching and ministry from Pastor Marius and Pastor Jacky James. The attendees were encouraged through reference to powerful scriptures to assume their responsibility to be men of honour in their homes, in their families, in their workplace, and in their community.
The morning’s teaching wasfollowed by a hearty barbecue and a 20/20 cricket match courtesy of HorstedKeynes Cricket Club. Despite a less than optimistic weather forecast the gamewas played in dry and sunny conditions, and thanks to some careful manoeuvring by the match officials the game went to the last ball and was enjoyed by all.
The whole event demonstrated the male character in all its glory and was made possible by many who worked hard and displayed a true serving attitude.
RUWACH’S 9th BIRTHDAY
On September 25th we celebrated our 9th anniversary at Scaynes Hill Millennium Centre, starting with thanksgiving and worship to the wonderful God who has nurtured us over these years. This was followed by a joyous dance presented by six little girls from Kids n Christ, and then came testimonies from members of the congregation on the way God has met with them and changed their lives during their time at Ruwach. Pastor Marius then gave his message, and his wife, Linda, gave her testimony of how God healed her from her past.
We then all enjoyed a ‘bring and share’ lunch together on the first day of the Indian Summer we have been delighting in.
God has blessed us so much during these nine years, and we continually give thanks to Him for sending Pastor Jacky and Noreen to plant Ruwach in the UK.
HAYWARDS HEATH TOWN DAY
Ruwach took a stand at the Haywards Heath Town Day on 10th September in Victoria Park, and were delighted to be given two slots on stage to play worship music and present the Jesus skit.
The weather forecast promised showers, but they mostly held off until the end of the afternoon, allowing everyone to enjoy sunshine and a blustery wind which scattered all the literature but didn’t blow down the gazebo. This provided shelter from the short bursts of rain, and a venue where people could come and chat and receive prayer. Prayer requests were also collected and have now been distributed amongst our intercessors.
Lots of leaflets advertising the ‘Helping Out’ project were given away, and Ruwach Christian Church generally was given high profile.
Once again, the name of Jesus was proclaimed over Haywards Heath, and many people saw the good news that Jesus sets people free from bondage acted out before their eyes.
We praise Him for these opportunities, and we have already seen Him at work as a result of an encounter in the park.
AUGUST 2011
FAREWELL TO THE DALES
The Dale family are moving to Cornwall at the end of the month, having been part of the Ruwach family from almost the beginning. David, Stephanie, Tom and Matthew will be greatly missed, but their new church will benefit from all the gifts and talents God has given them and which we have enjoyed during their time with us. We were able to honour them during our celebration and send them on their way with our prayers for God’s protection and blessing in their new life.
OUTREACH IN SOUTHAMPTON
On Friday 12th August, Ruwach were invited to join another church in Southampton to help with their outreach to families in the community of Swaythling, which they call “Dip Week”. This gets its name from the park area called Daisy Dip where they set up bouncy castles, bucking bronco, other children’s games and also children’s face painting, hair braiding and nail painting.
There was also a cafe tent with homemade cakes, not to mention a huge burger stall. All the food and drinks served were completely free to the local community for the whole week!!
Bob Light is the Pastor of this church. His testimony is a miraculous one! He was a heroin addict for 24 years, and one day he was set completely free, Amen! God told him to stay in Swaythling, and in the area where he used to serve up drugs, he was to serve up Jesus! He set up the church, and Dip Week began with doing hair braiding on a blanket with his wife Collette 15 years ago. They have kept going and growing until now it is a major full-on week event!
Ruwach helped with all the set-up for the event and got involved in serving the burgers and drinks and helping with the face painting, etc. Although the original intention was to provide music from our worship band and perform our skit, this didn’t happen, but Ruwach served and observed a church getting involved in its community, and saw what really can be achieved with perseverance and commitment through which many lives have been changed. This was demonstrated on the Saturday, when Bob baptised in the local river all those who gave their lives to Jesus during the week – 12 lives in total. Praise the Lord!
JULY 2011
BIBLE COLLEGE GRADUATION 2011
Graduation this year took place within Ruwach’s morning celebration on 24th July, and it was great for the students to have the support and recognition of the whole church.
Jill Partis spoke powerfully on the importance of God’s Word, and then each student was called up to receive a certificate identifying all the subjects they had achieved since our 2010 Graduation.
Two students, Robin Barton and Matt Jones, had achieved a full Certificate in Ministry for passing sixteen subjects, and a further thirty-four students had passed between one and eight subjects.
The presentations were followed by a testimony from a student on how her faith had grown through the Bible College teaching, and then the whole church enjoyed a bring-and-share lunch together.
Bible College is now closed for the summer holidays, but the new term begins on Monday 5th September with Pastor Jacky teaching on “Beyond the Grave” (an update on “Life After Death”).
NEW MEMBERS
On Sunday 17th July we were delighted to welcome eight people into membership. Steve Beard spoke to them about the spiritual covering that membership brings, and he reminded them that the church body needs each one of them to offer their own particular gifts and talents so that the body can function as God intended. Pastor Jacky and the Elders then prayed for the new members, and Steve challenged the congregation to continue to pray for them in the weeks to come. They are very welcome indeed, and we celebrate the new flavour that they bring to our meetings.
- Welcome to New Members
RUWACH AT OATHALL SCHOOL
Ruwach Christian Church is proud to announce that Head Boy and Head Girl at Oathall for next year are both members of the church. Well done, Daniel Kingdom and Ellie Thomas! Please pray for God’s wisdom for them as they take up their roles.
We were privileged to be invited to send our Youth Band to open the Oathall Summer Festival with worship and drama on Saturday 10th July. Resonate also had a stall from where they gave out leaflets promoting their forthcoming services and events. There was good interest from the students, so we hope to see even more young people coming to salvation and joining us in church Sunday by Sunday.
JUNE 2011
MARY WINDO
On Sunday 12th June we welcomed our friend Mary Windo, home on furlough from Light of Hope in Duncan Village, East London, South Africa. Many of us have seen the work Mary and John do to support the sick and vulnerable in Duncan Village township, and we were very pleased to have an update. Mary is as passionate as ever about the work and the team of local ladies who run the crèche and act as health visitors for the HIV residents, encouraging them to take their medication and helping them with their problems. There are frequent fires which destroy homes and property, so Light of Hope is often called upon to provide emergency food and bedding in additional to their every-day work.
It was lovely to have Mary with us, and we hope we might see her again before she returns to South Africa.
BABY DEDICATIONS
On the same Sunday we began the celebration with three baby dedications. Jadon, Noah and Zachary were welcomed into the church and dedicated to the Lord in the presence of their families and friends.
LADIES’ EVENING
Our third Ladies Evening was held on 17th June, and as usual the King Edward Hall was transformed from its normal austerity into a softly-lit, welcoming venue with candles and flowers on the tables and a delicious meal provided by some of the ladies. Noreen made everyone feel welcome and special, and she introduced two ladies who gave very moving testimonies. We know that the Lord used these to touch other ladies’ lives, and He is definitely at work amongst the ladies.
VISIT FROM PASTOR HAROLD AND MAUD
Pastor Jacky had a message from Pastor Harold to say he was ‘in the area’ and would like to stop off and visit Ruwach for a couple of days. Where was he? …. Switzerland!! So he and Maud hopped onto a plane and came to be with us for three days. We were all blessed as they spent time with Pastor Jacky, Noreen and the Elders, and then with all of us at an open ‘cells together’ evening. He encouraged us and urged us to continue to practise dying to self and living for the Lord. Copies of his message are available to order from the Ruwach office (01444 459025), as are all the Sunday messages.
March – May 2011
Greetings to all our friends.These last few months have been full of activity, and we have seen God at work in many places. We serve a faithful God who answers prayer and opens up the way for outreach when we’re willing to go.
REPORT FROM SOUTH AFRICA
Pastor Jacky and Noreen were in South Africa from 1 May, joined by Philip and Trine for the last two weeks. Pastor Jacky led a week of intensive training for the GAP students at Christian Centre Abbotsford, during which several students received salvation and were water baptised, most of whom were also baptised in the Holy Spirit. The GAP project is a year’s training run by Christian Centre to equip young people from deprived backgrounds with skills to enable them to get jobs and find their way in the world. Pastor Jacky felt privileged to be able to give them foundational teaching on the Christian faith, to give them hope and stability in an uncertain world. Pastor Jacky also held teaching sessions on worship and deliverance, with practical applications on both, and many people were set free from satan’s bondage. He preached on Sundays and met with local pastors, but he also found some time for fishing and visiting with family. Noreen got involved with ladies’ ministry, but was also able to spend time with her father and sisters. They arrived home physically tired but spiritually on fire.
FAMILY NEWS
Mark Luckhurst was water baptised with great celebration at Lindfield URC church in March in the presence of his family and
many supporters from his church family. We welcomed two new people into membership in April, and others are in the process of receiving training and making the decision to become members at our next intake on 17 July. Dave Williams and Vicki Billinghay were married in style in Italy in the company of close family and friends, and then celebrated a blessing in the UK. Vicki was delighted to be able to wear her wedding dress twice and is now getting used to answering to her new name! Two babies – Malachi Pretorius and Benjamin Ridout – were born at either end of the same day on 24 April! Mothers and babies are thriving. Three more babies are awaited later in the year. At the other end of the spectrum, Joan Hastings celebrated her 80 birthday in May, and we have several 60 this year. There are also some 18, 21’s, 30’s, a 50 and a 70 during the year, so all age groups are represented in the congregation.
CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Training
Some foundational training has been taking place on Wednesday evenings for new members or people who missed it first time round (or want to do it again). Subjects offered were: Understanding Salvation, Church Membership, Fatherhood of God, Forgiveness, and Christian Humility. John and Jill Partis head up the training and present much of it themselves, but they are now introducing new lecturers who are doing a great job. These training evenings are so important, as they give an opportunity for people to ask questions and receive prayer and guidance in an informal setting.
Prayer Push
Until
Something
Happens
While Pastor Jacky was in South Africa in May there was a special prayer push to support him and to pray for the church in his absence There were two all-night prayer sessions as well as a couple of 3-hour prayer evenings, two ‘pray in the Spirit’ days and weekly early morning prayer meetings. These were very encouraging times, and we thank God for answered prayer and for His protection over us all.
Big Church Day Out
A large number from Ruwach joined with thousands of other Christians at the local church festival where they enjoyed an afternoon and evening of worship with well-known bands.
VISITORS
Jonathan and Tracy King from Crossways Christian Fellowship in East London were with us for two weeks in March and April, enjoying a welcome break from their large family and church responsibilities. They ministered powerfully at a Ladies’ Evening and a Men’s Breakfast, and Jonathan brought the message to the whole congregation one Sunday evening. We were blessed to meet them, and fully intend to maintain a link with them.
Our good friends Dave and Sigi Oblander visited in May, during Ps Jacky’s absence, and Sigi brought the kind of challenge/encouragement message we have come to expect from her. She and Dave prayed with many people, especially those asking for Holy Spirit comfort in difficult situations.
LADIES’ EVENING
Tracy King spoke to the ladies about her work with orphans and disadvantaged children in Glen Eden, South Africa, through the King’s Playgroup which won the Best Pre-Primary Facility, Eastern Cape, award in 2008. She and her husband Jonathan have three children of their own, plus several adopted and fostered children, so their family at home numbers at least twelve. Several of these are babies, so broken nights are the norm for them. She showed pictures of the beautiful children, and told heart-warming stories of the way prayer had brought healing and wholeness to many of them. She then prayed for many of the ladies present.
YOUTH
Luke writes: The Youth continue to march on and take on the principalities and powers of darkness and be a light for Jesus in their communities. The Socials have continued to bring in more new people, and the Youth Services have been growing as well. We saw a record number of 48 people at the last Youth Service, with 5 people responding to the salvation call for the first time or for a re-commitment, which was great to see. The Youth Services consist of fun and games at the beginning, followed by Praise and Worship (YOUTH STYLE) and then a relevant word/preach!
The other Youth work that I am involved in is school assemblies in and around the local area. They are designed to teach the children about fundamental elements of our faith and the love of Jesus in a relevant manner to young children. My aid for these assemblies is a very cheeky monkey called Marcel (PUPPET).
OUTREACH
As reported above, Pastor Jacky spent two weeks ministering in South Africa in May.
Haywards Heath Spring Festival
On a beautifully sunny Sunday afternoon in early May representatives from charities based in Haywards Heath set up their stalls on Muster Green, with a roundabout and children’s activities and food outlets as an additional draw. Ruwach had a stall to promote the recently-launched ‘Helping Out’ service which provides assistance with small jobs of painting, gardening, etc at no charge to those in need of help. We also promise to pray for prayer needs written on prayer cards. A good number of people visited the stall, attracted also by the free face painting on offer. This was a good way of getting the project known about, and lots of leaflets were taken by interested people and for display in workplaces.
However, the real God-given favour of the day was two one-hour slots on the stage for our worship band. The worship included a performance of the sketch that the young people took to South Africa last year, showing how Jesus rescues those trapped in bondage to drugs, alcohol, etc. Phil Poole then gave his testimony, and a crowd listened attentively. Apparently the worship music could be heard in the Haywards Heath shopping centre! And it must have been good because it was followed up by an invitation to play at a future event.
