notices - Flipbook - Page 2
Prayer Book
All are welcome to add details of people or concerns that need our prayers.
The book to record your request, is situated on the shelf by the inner
entrance door to the church.
Walking With The Word Of God
A devotion for 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 21 June 2026 · by Jacob Adofo
Theme: Seen, Heard, and Unafraid
Scriptures: Genesis 21:8-21 & Matthew 10:24-39
God sees our hidden tears, hears our quietest cries, and
calls us to step boldly into the light.
In Genesis 21:8-21 Hagar and Ishmael are cast out into
the harsh wilderness of Beersheba. Out of water and
overwhelmed by despair, Hagar sits at a distance, weeping
because she cannot bear to watch her son die. Yet, God
hears the boy’s voice. He opens Hagar’s eyes to a hidden
well of water, sustaining them in the desert.
Centuries later, in Matthew 10:24-39, Jesus reminds His
disciples that following Him brings worldly vulnerability
and even family division. Yet, He delivers a fierce
reassurance: “Do not be afraid... Even the hairs of your
head are all counted”. Just as God provided for the
outcasts in the wilderness, Jesus promises that the Father
intensely cares for the smallest details of our lives.
The Meaning True security is not found in human
approval, comfortable family dynamics, or certain
circumstances. True safety rests entirely in the radical,
unceasing care of God. He is a God who looks after the
marginalized and commands us to lose our lives for His
sake so we can truly find them.
The Benefit You can stop hiding your anxieties and trying
to please the world. Resting in God’s absolute sovereignty
frees you from the paralyzing fear of rejection, lack, or
failure. You can carry your daily cross with the absolute
confidence that the One who watches the sparrow is
intimately guarding your soul.
A Short Story Mary sat in her car in the hospital car park,
staring at the steering wheel as the rain poured outside.
Her decision to speak out against a corrupt financial
practice at her firm had cost her job, alienated her former
colleagues, and strain relations with her family, who
blamed her for causing unnecessary drama. Like Hagar in
the desert, she felt entirely cast out, shivering with the fear
of an uncertain future.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled up a scripture passage
on her phone: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your
Father”.
A knock on her window startled her. It was a former
client she had helped months ago. Mary rolled down the
window. The woman smiled and handed her a warm travel
mug of coffee. “I saw you sitting here,” the woman said.
“I just wanted to thank you again. Your honesty saved my
family’s retirement. If you ever need a recommendation or
a fresh start, my husband’s firm is hiring.”
Mary wept, but this time with relief. In the bleak wilderness
of her career, God had just opened her eyes to a well.
Prayer Heavenly Father,
When the wilderness of life leaves us feeling empty and
cast aside, open our eyes to see Your provision. Grant us
the courage to speak Your truth in the light and to fear no
worldly consequence. Thank You for counting every hair
on our heads and valuing us beyond measure. Help us to
take up our cross today, trusting that in losing our lives for
Your sake, we find life eternal. Amen.
Lunch Club
Stay and Play pre-school group for
children and adults. (Children have
to bring their own adult).
On Tuesday mornings from 9.4511.30am in the Methodist Church
lounge, High Street, Sittingbourne.
£2 per child, includes
tea/coffee and a fruit
snack for the children.
The next Lunch Club will be on
Thursday 2nd July 2026
at 12 for 12.30pm
The cost for lunch will be £6, you do not
need to book if you regularly attend.
If you would like to join lunch club please
contact Derek for availability by
Tuesday 30th June (tel. 01795 425873
or text 07903 016105).
Lunch Club will also meet on
Thursday 16th July
