Sunday at Saltley

Since taking up the role of children's worker one day a week at Saltley, Helen has so far only had chance to lead worship a few times on a Sunday at the church.  This week however, she was given the whole service.  The church have been working through Acts for several months, and this Sunday it was Paul's emotional farewell speech to the Ephesian Elders found in chapter 20.  There was more than enough meat in the reading to go on, so the sermon plan was roughly:

• Holding nothing back - Paul has held back nothing from the church in Ephesus, and neither should we hold back - we must not trim the Gospel at all, and we must be thorough in who we take it to.
• God has held nothing back - he bought us 'with his own blood' - God is constantly pouring out his love, his Spirit and his grace on to each one of us
• Let nothing hold us back - we must run the race, and not let the wolves of this world stop us from sharing the Gospel and using the gifts of the Spirit.

The congregation was mostly made up of black British people, many of whom have family roots in the West Indies, and they have a very distinctive style and music which appeals to them.  So when Helen picked the song 'All to Jesus I surrender' she had unwittingly stumbled upon a winner!  James led worship really well, and Helen even managed a couple of hymns on the piano as the regular organist Margaret (who incidentally taught Roger to play piano originally) was ill.