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Watton PentecostalChurch

Web site:

www.wattonchurch.org

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Watton Church

march2020

20-20

vision

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‘Every good thing given andevery perfect gift is from above;it comes down from the Fatherof lights [the Creator andSustainer of the heavens], inwhom there is no variation [norising or setting] or shadow[a]cast by His turning [for He isperfect and never changes].’James 1:17 (Amp)

This is a new year, a new decadeand that is exciting! On Facebookpeople have been posting 10 yearchallenge photos. Photos 10 yearsapart, from 2009 and from 2019,to see how they have changedand to show how their lives havealso changed. Each one of us hasbeen on a journey over the pastdecade and the journey willcontinue into this new decade andthat is exciting to see how far wewill travel and to see how we willchange and how our lives aredifferent. I wonder what our 10year photo challenge will look likeafter another decade has passed?

God has travelled with us on ourjourneys and it is exciting toanticipate what God has in storefor us over the coming year andyears to come! God has filled thepast year with blessings andopportunities for us and He willcontinue to fill our lives with

20-20 Vision

opportunities to grow, to learn, toflourish, to shine and to move inHis glorious light, because asJames tells us every good andperfect gift comes from God. Ibelieve God wants each one of usto have perfect vision, to have 20-20 vision, and that means seeingclearly the opportunities He hasfor us.Let us this month explore how wecan see clearly to grow anddevelop; how we can see toworship; how we can see we arepart of His family; how we can seeto care for others and finally howwe can tell others about who Heis.Let us allow God to stir a passionwithin us, so that praise rises fromour lips and we move into all thepromises God has for us.Excited? Then let us go forwardtogether into this new and excitingyear and decade with God leadingthe way.

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‘But the godly shall flourish like palm trees andgrow tall as the cedars of Lebanon. For theyare transplanted into the Lord’s own gardenand are under his personal care. Even in oldage they will still produce fruit and be vital andgreen.’ Psalm 92:12-14 (TLB)

When we plant ourselves in God and take up thenutrients he provides, growth is inevitable, becauseHe causes us to grow, to flourish and bear fruit. Hedesires that we grow up, that we mature and indoing so we thrive. God is the gardener and we arehis beautiful flowers and he tends to us withdedication and passion, taking away anything thatwould hinder growth, watering and feeding so thatwe flourish.

This week let us explore how we grow with God,what He gives us to enable that growth and howHe can use us to help others to grow. Let us seeclearly what growth in this coming year means forus individually and collectively and become aspassionate as God is about our growth.

WEEK 1: 20-20 Growth

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Who you say I am

Who God says we are is vital toknow, to get hold of and to believe foreach of us. There is not room here toexplore all of who God says we are,so let us examine a song we sing ona Sunday morning to see clearly andunderstand more about who Godsays we are and how when we grasphold of this we will grow.

‘In my Father's houseThere's a place for meI'm a child of GodYes I amThese are amazing lyrics that are fullof truth and power, that reveal clearlywho God says we are. God, ourheavenly Father, tells us that there isa place for each one of us in Hishouse and that we are His children,we belong in His family. John 14:2(Passion) says this ‘My Father’shouse has many dwelling places. Ifit were otherwise, I would tell youplainly, because I go to prepare aplace for you to rest.’ Jesus hasprepared a place for us, we arechosen, we belong and we are His.God has called us and we are notalone, not ignored, but we arewanted, chosen, cherished, lovedand accepted.

I am chosenNot forsakenI am who You say I am’

When we grasp the truths of who we are, of who God knows weare, then we will grow and flourish, because as we see clearly whoGod says we are, we will grow in confidence, courage, assuranceand strength. For example, when we know we are not alone, thatgives us strength to move with courage and when we know we arechosen we are able to walk tall and go where God directs us.

Stir A Passion

There are so many wonderful things God providesfor us so that we will grow and flourish. He is anamazing Father who gives us great gifts and we allneed to take hold of them. He has given us His HolySpirit, who will instruct us and cause us to grow; HisWord that is full of the most wonderful love and ourfellow Christians who we walk with, to name just afew. I am sure that you can think of more wonderfulways God has enabled you to grow.

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Stir a passion in my heart, GodLet it overflow, let it overflow

Stir a passion in my heart, GodLet it overflow, let it overflow

I believe that passion is something that God stirs upwithin us, so that we will grow and flourish. If wehave a passion for God, for what He wants to do inour lives then we will passionately and determinedlyseek Him. We will want to grow because we want toknow more about who God is and what He wantsus to do.

Stand Up!

‘Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you byprophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,[c] so that allmay see your progress.’ 1 Timothy 4:14-15 (ESV)

In 1 Timothy 4:14-15, we are encouraged to let others see theprogress we have made, let others see how we have grown, maturedand how we are thriving. Why? Because have you ever noticed how itis easier to walk tall and to be bold when others around you are too?

Have you ever felt the freedom to liftyour hands in worship becausesomeone else has already lifted theirhands first? You may not realise it butwhen you grow others will beencouraged to grow; when we arestrong, we enable others to also bestrong; when we are courageous weempower others to be courageous, andwhen we grow in our understanding, wecan pass on that revelation to others.

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God can use us to teach others moreabout who He is but more than this,when you grow, others will see it andthey will want to grow too. God canuse it to stir a passion in someoneelse to want to grow, to want to seekout the purposes and plans God hasfor them. That truly is inspiring, thatGod can cause me to grow and in turncan inspire others to grow too!

God is building a people who stand united, that will bring revivalthrough His Holy Spirit and when we stand together and growtogether we will be stronger. ‘This is not the time to pull awayand neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habitof doing, because we need each other! In fact, we should cometogether even more frequently, eager to encourage and urgeeach other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.’Hebrews 10:25 (TPT)

‘Stand up, everybody stand upMoving on united, we are YourrevivalEvery life is sold outRunning with Your vision, seeingheaven break inPeople of Your presence’

As we go marching out into this year let us encourage oneanother and grow together in all that God has for us and ask Himto stir a passion in our hearts for more of Him, to stir a passionwithin us to grow and to flourish.

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WEEK 2: 20-20 Worship

Worship is essential to us as Christians; it should be thebackbone of what we do. God wants us to fix our eyes on Himand worship Him in spirit and truth, with all that we are. John4:23-24 (TPT) tells us that ‘From here on, worshiping theFather will not be a matter of the right place but with theright heart. For God is a Spirit, and he longs to have sincereworshipers who worship and adore him in the realm of theSpirit and in truth.’

This week let us see clearly how we can all worship God more,to have the right heart worshipping Him with all we are. Let usbe determined to fix our eyes on Jesus and move forward into anew and exciting passion of worship, a worship that draws usand others closer to our Living Heavenly Father.

The Heart of Worship

Worship draws us closer to God, it is all about who God is andwhat He has done and is doing. True worship lifts our eyes andfixes them on who He is. Matt Redman said this about worship"In the end, worship can never be a performance,something you're pretending or putting on. It's got to be anoverflow of your heart...Worship is about getting personalwith God, drawing close to God." Worship puts Jesus at thecentre because worship is all about Him.

‘Let everyoneeverywhere join in thecrescendoof ecstatic praise toYahweh!Hallelujah! Praise theLord!’ Psalm 150:6(TPT)

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10,000 Reasons

This is an outstanding song that reminds us we haveso many reasons to worship God and that we shouldsing like never before about who God is. When werealise who He says we are and what He has donefor each one of us then we will see clearly to worshipHim, because worship is a celebration of who He isand what He has done.

There are several words used in the Bible forworship but the most frequently used in the NewTestament is proskuneo, pros means towards andkuneo to kiss. This I think brings a lovely picture ofwhat worship is, as we send a kiss towards God.Kissing is an act of love and so in worship we areacting with love, sending out our love to God andGod’s love to others.

We should remember that worship is more thansinging on a Sunday morning, it should be anoutward expression of the inner change in us; itshould be our whole life, not just a part. Singing toGod, giving money in the offering or volunteeringin church are all acts of worship, they all arethings we do to express our love for God, soworship is not one of these things but all of them.Worship is all about Jesus!

Lift up a great shout of joy to the Lord!Go ahead and do it—everyone, everywhere!As you serve him, be glad and worship him.Sing your way into his presence with joy!And realize what this really means—we have the privilege of worshiping the Lordour God. Psalm100:1-3 (TPT)

It is a privilege to worship God and we should takethe opportunity to do just that, even when it seemsdifficult. This year why not have a blessings jarand every time God speaks to you, or blesses you,write it down and put it in the jar, then when thisyear is over take them out and read them and usethem to remind yourself why it is you worship God.

My Notes

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As We Are Gathered

The Bible makes it very clear that where we gathertogether Jesus is in our midst, so let us with a newpassion gather and worship together, becauseJesus is there with us. Last week we looked at howgrowing encourages others and the same is truewith our worship, when we worship it willencourage others to worship too. There is power incollective worship, when we fix our eyes on Jesustogether and lift up His name in praise.

A few years ago someone gave a word to the worship team thatpraise is the father of all breakthrough. What does this mean? Well Ibelieve that it means praise comes before breakthrough, it leads theway and that when we praise and worship God we will seebreakthrough; this could be our own individual breakthrough or acollective breakthrough. If we want to see breakthrough, let us bedetermined to worship and praise His name together and see clearlythe breakthrough that comes from God!.

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For more information speak toElaine

As we continue to march into 2020, I encourage you to recommityour life to worshipping Jesus, let everything in your life praise Hisname, so that you see clearly what true worship is and how thatwill lead to breakthrough.

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WEEK 3: 20-20 Family

Do you know that you are partof this family? Do you know youare loved, that you are chosenby God? And do you know theplans and purposes God has foryou?This week let us celebratebeing a family and all thatmeans for us individually andcollectively. Let us see clearlywhat it means to be part of theBody of Christ and how thisshould affect the way we are.

The Lord’s Own Family

The picture that the New Testament draws of the family of God, usthe church, is very clear. It tells us that we are all part of the one bodyno matter who we are or where we come from. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (TPT) ‘Just as the human body is one, though it has manyparts that together form one body, so too is Christ. For by oneSpirit we all were immersed and mingled into one single body.And no matter our status—whether we are Jews or non-Jews,oppressed or free—we are all privileged to drink deeply of thesame Holy Spirit.’

Not only are we part of this family, one body, but you were chosenby God to be here! God chose you to be part of His family!Ephesians 1:4 (TPT) tells us that ‘And he chose us to be his veryown, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundationof the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, sothat we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstainedinnocence.’ God has chosen you, you are not rejected or leftbehind, but God wants you to be part of His family and that givesus great comfort, confidence, assurance and strength.

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No Longer Slaves

I'm no longer a slave to fearI am a child of GodFrom my mother’s womb

You have chosen meLove has called my nameI've been born again, into afamily

When God chooses us to be part of His family we are no longerslaves to fear, but are children of God and He gives us a uniqueplace and function to fulfil, one that only you can fill, as there is onlyone of you. Romans 4:4-5 (TPT) Paul tells us that ‘In the humanbody there are many parts and organs, each with a uniquefunction. And so it is in the body of Christ. For though we aremany, we’ve all been mingled into one body in Christ. Thismeans that we are all vitally joined to one another, with eachcontributing to the others.’ You have a place, you belong here inthe body of Christ and God has a role for you to play that is vital.

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Watton Pentecostal ChurchWorking in partnership with

When : Fridays 10-12pmWhere : WattonPentecostal Church

FriendshipClub

Everyone Welcome

Monday 10.15am 9th March 2020

March MEETINGS

Thursday5th

MarchAt 8pm

Noah’s Ark Baby & Toddler Group

Thursday mornings during term time9.30am - 11.15am : Cost £1 per family

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Mondays weekly

2nd, 16th, 23rd and 30th

March 9.30-10.30am

9th March 2-3pm

PULSEYOUTH GROUP

YR7 -11

TUESDAYS

7PM-8.30PMIN THECHURCH

SPEAK TO ALI OR JAMES

AND EVENTS

Three prayer requests for the Octonauts and all who would like to pray: -

1. FLOS - Fun Learning on Sundays..

2. The Worship Team.

3. Noah’s Ark Baby and Toddler Group.

We all need to realise and know we are accepted into the body and thatwe are chosen by God to be part of His family.

You may be wondering what your role in the body is, or what plans Godhas for you. Some of us are called to be pastors, others teachers andsome to be evangelists, but these are not the only roles within thebody. Just take a look around, there are those who are called to dowelcoming or washing up, they may not seem as glamourous as othersbut they are still important and vital. Finding what you are called to do isnot always easy, but the first step is to be willing, to get stuck in andhelp. Volunteering to do what seems unimportant or what you are goodat is a good way of discovering your function in the body.

Make Us One

When we understand that weare part of a body, then webegin to understand theimportance of moving together,in unity and love. Peter writes,‘Now, this is the goal: to livein harmony with one anotherand demonstrate affectionatelove, sympathy, andkindness toward otherbelievers. Let humilitydescribe who you are as youdearly love one another.’1Peter 3:8(TPT). As a family, weshould love one another andwork together in unity, so thatwe can move forward together,growing and worshippingtogether.

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In any family there are times of disagreement, andthe same is true in God’s family. There are timeswhen we do not see eye to eye with each other. Attimes like these it is important that we let the love ofGod and the love we have for each other direct us.We should be forgiving of one another whenmistakes are made, not holding grudges butallowing the love God gives us to bring us togetherin unity. A family works best when everyone isworking together, towards the same goals andloving one another. This is how we should be as achurch, we should be loving one another andhelping each other to head in the right direction.

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My Notes

When we see clearly that we are one family, withmany different parts that work together to create awhole, we will move forward into all God has for usas a church family. When we understand that weare here to support the other parts of the body tofulfil their tasks, we will see growth in ourselves andothers. Therefore, let all of us continue to moveforward into 2020 as one family, working togetherand loving one another.

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My Notes‘So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigueddoing good. At the right time we will harvesta good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.Right now, therefore, every time we get thechance, let us work for the benefit of all,starting with the people closest to us in thecommunity of faith.’ Galatians 6:9-10 (MSG)

We should showothers compassion andlove, we should becaring for a lost andbroken world.Galatians 6:9-10 tellsus we should takeevery opportunity toshow care andcompassion for others.This week let usexamine what caringfor others should beand how when we carefor others with Jesus’love, we can make adifference.

Our God Is Love

There can be no doubt that God is love, and 1John 4:7 (TPT) highlights this ‘Those who areloved by God, let his love continually pourfrom you to one another, because God islove.’ Everything about God is love; every actHe has done has been an act of love and

WEEK 4: 20-20 Caring for

Others

reveals His nature is love. Every act He will dodemonstrates His care and love for us. Creationwas an act of love; rescuing His people time andtime again was an act of love and allowing Jesusto come and give His life for us was an act of themost divine love. The list goes on and on, buteach act God does is done because of His greatlove.

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My Notes

When Jesus steppeddown from glory andentered the world hecame with a missionto care for others, torescue the lost, tosave the fallen and toheal the broken. Thegospels are full ofhow Jesus healedothers, how heshowed His love,concern andcompassion foreveryone. Hedemonstrated thislove even when it was

frowned upon by others. Jesus came to bringus salvation, to heal you and me and restore usback into a relationship with our HeavenlyFather.

As we come to know God more and see clearly His love for us,something amazing happens within us, love grows within us, a love thatknows no bounds, a love beyond understanding and beyonddescription. It is the love of God! Let us seek a new revelation of Hislove for us, let us allow God to shine a light into our hearts that allows usto experience His love more intimately.

So Will I

‘And as You speakA hundred billion failuresdisappearWhere You lost Your life so Icould find it hereIf You left the grave behind Youso will II can see Your heart ineverything You've doneEvery part designed in a work ofart called loveIf You gladly chose surrender sowill II can see Your heartEight billion different waysEvery precious oneA child You died to saveIf You gave Your life to lovethem so will I’

1 Corinthians 13:13 in the Passion tells us ‘Until then, there are threethings that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpassesthem all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for whichyou run.’ The greatest is love and I love the picture of it being abeautiful prize that we should run after. If God is love, then let us runafter the prize which is God and all He is, but not in our own strengthbut in the strength that Jesus gives us.

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Jesus answered him, “‘Love the Lord your Godwith every passion of your heart, with all theenergy of your being, and with every thought thatis within you.’ This is the great and supremecommandment. And the second is like it inimportance: ‘You must love your friend in thesame way you love yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39(TPT). In this passage Jesus sums up the wholelaw in two commandments, both of which are basedon love. God loved the world so much, He loves usso much that every act He has done is out of thatlove, then so should we act out of love.

My Notes

God loves us and that transforms us, His lovebecomes part of who we are and it shows us how weshould act, what we should be like. The more weknow that love, the more we will be able to reflectlove out.

Glorious Day

‘You called my nameAnd I ran out of that graveOut of the darknessInto Your glorious day’

God has called you out of the grave, into His gloriouslight; He has healed you and restores your soul. Hehas placed you here in this family of God for a

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purpose. We are family, a family that grows together, worships togetherand loves together. God has commanded us to love one another andwith loving each other we care for one another. ‘So I give you now anew commandment: Love each other just as much as I have lovedyou.’ John 13:34 (TPT) We should be loving each other, just as Jesusloves us. We each have a purpose of showing care and love to eachother and those around us. God heals us, makes us

whole, takes the brokenand puts them backtogether and in turn whenwe are healed andrestored by God’s love, wecan then share that loveand care with others.When we continue to growin loving God, He will showus how to love othersaround us and thereforehelp us to follow Jesus’commandment to love Godand love others.

There are so many ways in which wecan demonstrate God’s love and it doesnot have to be a massive gesture.Sometimes it is the smallest thing thatdemonstrates love, like listening tosomeone, offering a hug or praying forsomeone. As God transforms us withHis love those opportunities to showothers love and care will arise. Let us bewilling to step up and be a people whoare caring and loving, a people who areallowing God to pour out His love on theworld around us.

As we continue on our march forward in2020, let us see clearly to care for oneanother and those around us and whatthat means for each of us. Let us bewilling to show God’s love to others bycaring for them with God’s powerfullove.

WEEK 5: 20-20 Tell Others

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‘And he said to them, “Asyou go into all the world,preach openly the wonderfulnews of the gospel to theentire human race!’ Mark16:15 (TPT)

Jesus commanded us not tokeep the good news that Hehas given to us to ourselvesbut to go out into the world andshare it with others, to be bold,be confident and not to hidewho He is or what He hasdone from others, but to shoutit out from the mountain topsfor all to hear.

Last week we explored caring forothers and when we care forothers this will lead us to want totell others about Jesus, aboutwhat He has done and is doing.This week let us discover howwe should tell others about whoGod is and what He has done forus and will do for others. Let usbe passionate, excited andsensitive about sharing thiswonderful news with others.

This Little Light of Mine

Jesus is the light of the world and His light shines in us andthrough us and when we see clearly who God says we are the lightof Jesus shines stronger in us for others to see. Jesus tells us notto be shy, but to be bold and let our light shine. In the Sermon onthe Mount Jesus teaches this ‘So don’t hide your light! Let itshine brightly before others, so that the commendable thingsyou do will shine as light upon them, and then they will givetheir praise to your Father in heaven.’ Matthew 5:16 (TPT), sodo not hide the light God has placed in you, but let it shine and letit grow.

My NotesWhen you light a fire you have to provide the fuelto burn and then lighting it you take care that itdoes not go out. You watch it, blow on the flamesto make them take hold and burn brighter, addingmore fuel when necessary to keep it going andalive. The same is true for the light and fire Godplaces in us; we too need to allow Him to feed it,to blow on it and to stir it up. We can do this in somany ways, like reading His Word, praying,worshipping Him, by spending time in Hispresence and by taking hold of who God says weare.

Imagine if we allowed God to let our passion forHim grow, for the light He has placed within grow,just how amazing that would be for us and howthat light would shine for all to see!!

Go Tell It On The Mountain

God wants us to tell others, to be His witnesseshere on earth and Acts 1:8 (TPT) says this ‘But Ipromise you this—the Holy Spirit will comeupon you and you will be filled with power.And you will be my messengers to Jerusalem,throughout Judea, the distant provinces—even to the remotest places on earth!”’ Godpromises us that we do not go alone but go withHis Spirit to give us courage and strength and to

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and to give us wisdom on how bestto tell others about Him. Each of ushas an opportunity to tell othersabout who God is and what He hasdone.

In telling others we so often thinkthat it is talking to people, allowingthem the opportunity to askquestions and talking to them aboutwho Jesus is, and yes, talking topeople is a very important part oftelling others, but let us not forgetthat it is not only about talking but itis about showing people who God isthrough what we do and how we act.Shining God’s light is about caringfor people, the actions we take aswell as what we say.

A picture paints a thousand words and when we tell others aboutJesus, the picture we show them is love. An act of love can tellpeople more than what we say sometimes, the care, concern,love and support we show others can tell them more about Jesusand the affect He has had on us than a thousand conversations.The next time you tell someone about Jesus, make sure thatyour actions reflect who He is as well as what you tell them.

Raise a Hallelujah!

‘I'm gonna sing, in themiddle of the stormLouder and louder, you'regonna hear my praises roarUp from the ashes, hope willariseDeath is defeated, the King isalive!’

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Is there no other encouragementneeded to want to tell others thanthe King is alive! Hope will ariseand God will give us courage tosing in the middle or our storms.Let us not let fear stop us fromtelling and showing others aboutGod and the difference He hasmade to our lives.

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give thema second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead ofyou. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’tleave you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (MSG)

God has promised us courage and boldness, the Holy Spirit gives usthese and we do not go alone to tell others, we go with God stridingbefore us and He will never let us down.We should allow God to use every circumstance, every storm weface to show others Jesus in us. What we face and how we deal withit may be the very thing that God uses to draw someone to Himself.What you have faced may give you an insight into how to helpsomeone through a similar situation, to show them God’s love and indoing so telling them about God.When we grow together, worship together and care for each other wewill be telling and showing others Jesus! They will see clearly Jesusin us and through us.

As our study draws to a close, let us get excited about 2020 and all itholds for each one of us. God has a purpose and plan, a detailedplan for this coming year and for each one of us. That is exciting andGod will stir a passion in our hearts to see Him clearly, so we willflourish and grow, so we will worship Him in spirit and truth, so thatwe will care for others and tell them about Him. Let us march ontogether, united and with God by our side.

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Sunday 5th April 10.30am Family Easter Service

Friday 10th April 11am Good Friday Communion Service

Sunday 12th April 10.30am Easter Sunday Service

YOU’RE INVITED

For Our Easter Celebration

1st March 9.30am Prayer meeting 10.30am ‘20-20 Growth’

8th March 9.30am Prayer Meeting 10.30am ‘20-20 Worship’

15th March 9.30am Prayer Meeting 10.30am Family Service ‘20-20 Family’

22nd March 9.30am Prayer Meeting 10.30am ‘20-20 Caring For Others’

29th March 9.30am Prayer Meeting 10.30am ‘20-20 Tell Others’

FLOS, our children’s Group, meets

during the Sunday

Service.

For more information contact the LeadershipTeam on 07475956858 or email pastors@watton.org

Watton Pentecostal Church is part ofRiver Ministries (Norfolk)Registered Charity number 1160192.

20-20 VISIONMARCH SUNDAY SERVICES