Rev. Richard's Recommended Reads
- by Kelly Owen
- •
- 12 May, 2017
- •
Our vicar, Richard Reakes, is a prolific reader and shares with us some of his favourite books this year so far.
Born Bad by James Boyce
Are we born bad or are does our culture make us the way we are? A great book tracing the history of the doctrine of 'original sin' from its originator St Augustine all through the reformation until such people as Richard Dawkins.
Jesus Freak by Sara Miles
If you really want to be challenged and take stock about how lucky we are to live where we do then read this book. For those involved with Foodbanks this book will inspire you. Those who feel comfortable about their faith, this book will unsettle you.
Listening to God by Joyce Huggett
I was once told that God has given us two ears and one mouth and we should use them in that proportion. Do you find yourself talking and praying to God and not letting him get a word in edgeways? Well, this great book is often considered to be a Christian classic as it was written over thirty years ago, but still is as relevant for us today. It is full of wise and helpful suggestions of how we can spend time listening to God and discovering his will for us. Prayer should be always a two-way conversation.
Dethroning Mammon by Justin Welby
I often tell people at this time of year not to give up something for Lent, but take something on. May I suggest you read this year's Archbishop's of Canterbury Lent Book 'Dethroning Mammon.' It has really helped me in looking how money plays a significant role in our lives and the need to put it in a Christian perspective. Money should be seen as a gift to us to use for the benefit of bestowing grace upon others or as Justin Welby puts it 'Divine Economics' This book will challenge you and I hope will bless you this Lenten time.
Is a Radical Church Possible by Adrian Akler
If you are prepared to be really challenged about your faith read this book. You'll find yourself asking some real deep questions about where you are in your journey with God. You'll often disagree with what is written, but it will make you stop and reassess what you really believe. So if you like being provoked and made uncomfortable read this book. I be interested to know how you got on.
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
a great little book which takes a different look at what it means to be faithful to Jesus. it is challenging, thought provoking and will change the way in which are to live.
The Invisible Church by Steve Aisthorpe
A fascinating read, for those dark winter evening, that will make some very uncomfortable and be reassuring to others.
Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller
For those who believe that 'Christmas is for children' or find that this festive season has lost it's meaning should read this short book.
Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman
This book asks the question are you a follower of Jesus or are you just a fan? Where do you see yourself?
The Insanity of God by Nik Ripkin
I would recommend to anyone who is currently following the preaching series on 1 Peter. It is full of encouragement to those who suffer for their faith. For those who are really going through a difficult time remember these words from a recent J John tweet, 'You can never kill a Christian, only change their address.'
If you have read any good books lately do share them with us in the Comments below.
Richard
Are we born bad or are does our culture make us the way we are? A great book tracing the history of the doctrine of 'original sin' from its originator St Augustine all through the reformation until such people as Richard Dawkins.
Jesus Freak by Sara Miles
If you really want to be challenged and take stock about how lucky we are to live where we do then read this book. For those involved with Foodbanks this book will inspire you. Those who feel comfortable about their faith, this book will unsettle you.
Listening to God by Joyce Huggett
I was once told that God has given us two ears and one mouth and we should use them in that proportion. Do you find yourself talking and praying to God and not letting him get a word in edgeways? Well, this great book is often considered to be a Christian classic as it was written over thirty years ago, but still is as relevant for us today. It is full of wise and helpful suggestions of how we can spend time listening to God and discovering his will for us. Prayer should be always a two-way conversation.
Dethroning Mammon by Justin Welby
I often tell people at this time of year not to give up something for Lent, but take something on. May I suggest you read this year's Archbishop's of Canterbury Lent Book 'Dethroning Mammon.' It has really helped me in looking how money plays a significant role in our lives and the need to put it in a Christian perspective. Money should be seen as a gift to us to use for the benefit of bestowing grace upon others or as Justin Welby puts it 'Divine Economics' This book will challenge you and I hope will bless you this Lenten time.
Is a Radical Church Possible by Adrian Akler
If you are prepared to be really challenged about your faith read this book. You'll find yourself asking some real deep questions about where you are in your journey with God. You'll often disagree with what is written, but it will make you stop and reassess what you really believe. So if you like being provoked and made uncomfortable read this book. I be interested to know how you got on.
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
a great little book which takes a different look at what it means to be faithful to Jesus. it is challenging, thought provoking and will change the way in which are to live.
The Invisible Church by Steve Aisthorpe
A fascinating read, for those dark winter evening, that will make some very uncomfortable and be reassuring to others.
Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller
For those who believe that 'Christmas is for children' or find that this festive season has lost it's meaning should read this short book.
Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman
This book asks the question are you a follower of Jesus or are you just a fan? Where do you see yourself?
The Insanity of God by Nik Ripkin
I would recommend to anyone who is currently following the preaching series on 1 Peter. It is full of encouragement to those who suffer for their faith. For those who are really going through a difficult time remember these words from a recent J John tweet, 'You can never kill a Christian, only change their address.'
If you have read any good books lately do share them with us in the Comments below.
Richard
Highlights from the presentation by the Mission Partner team about the work of the David Dale Shyogwe Trust in Rwanda.
The Bishop's Cleeve Street Fair and St Michael's Teddy Bear Parachute Jump
Representatives of the North Cotswold Foodbank, Philip Cule and Rhian Morgan, attended The Trussell Trust National Conference Update held in Birmingham on 17 May 2017.
The keynote address was from John Kirkby, founder of Christians Against Poverty (CAP) who talked about the growth in CAP services since it was founded. There are now 20,000 people a year seeking help and wanting to be released from a life of debt, unemployment, addiction, hunger and poverty.
John said, “Be generous in spirit as the world gets larger. Charity yields a high return. Don’t just sit there watching the wind. Do your own work helping others. Don’t stare at the clouds; get on with your life.”
You never know...
Just maybe...
The next...
...will become a life changer.
To read more about the conference update, please see the CAP blog post - CAP joins forces with The Trussell Trust to help more people in crisis
Please see our Mission Partners page to find out more about our mission work at the North Cotswold Foodbank and how you can get involved.
We love to hear your news!
Do you have some news or information you'd like to share with us on the blog? Email us with your idea or text and we'll help you pull it together.
Information about our involvement in the Thy Kingdom Come prayer initiative
Welcome to our new website!
Our aim has been to create a website that is not only easy to use and provides useful information about our church and activities, but also reflects our values and priorities as we work to transform lives through Christ's love.
If you're new to the area and want to find out more about us, the Our Life Together section will give you a good idea of who we are. Our Service Times page gives details of the different services we offer.
We have a dedicated section for children and families , which covers the main groups and activities we provide for children, young people and families - such as our Sunday groups, holiday club and our popular baby and toddler group.
We, of course, have provided all you need to know about holding a baptism, wedding or funeral at St Michael's and how to contact us.
The blog is a new feature that will enable us to share what we're doing, along with our newsletter which you can also view and download from the News page.
As well as our website and blog, we also have a Facebook page where we regularly share church news. Our Facebook group is also available to anyone looking for a more private space to share discussion and news with other church members.
Finally, we'd like to offer our sincere thanks to the team at Cotswold Web Services for the most generous donation of website, and to Kelly at Ultimate Proof for her time in pulling the content together. The website has been created at no cost to the church and we hope you'll find it a useful resource.
Our aim has been to create a website that is not only easy to use and provides useful information about our church and activities, but also reflects our values and priorities as we work to transform lives through Christ's love.
If you're new to the area and want to find out more about us, the Our Life Together section will give you a good idea of who we are. Our Service Times page gives details of the different services we offer.
We have a dedicated section for children and families , which covers the main groups and activities we provide for children, young people and families - such as our Sunday groups, holiday club and our popular baby and toddler group.
We, of course, have provided all you need to know about holding a baptism, wedding or funeral at St Michael's and how to contact us.
The blog is a new feature that will enable us to share what we're doing, along with our newsletter which you can also view and download from the News page.
As well as our website and blog, we also have a Facebook page where we regularly share church news. Our Facebook group is also available to anyone looking for a more private space to share discussion and news with other church members.
Finally, we'd like to offer our sincere thanks to the team at Cotswold Web Services for the most generous donation of website, and to Kelly at Ultimate Proof for her time in pulling the content together. The website has been created at no cost to the church and we hope you'll find it a useful resource.