heart to heart articles
Articles specifically to encourage women.
Freedom in Prison by Viv Dawes
Freedom in prison? Now there’s something you don’t often hear about. People are quick to be critical about prison and those incarcerated in them and how sentences are too short, but what I am telling you is that God is on the move in our prisons setting captives free.
I worked for 8 years at HMP Send in Surrey in a team of drugs workers (for most of those years as a Senior Practitioner with the NHS) helping women prisoners who had drug dependencies; when I say drug dependency I mean very serious addictions- users spending thousands of pounds to feed veracious appetites to mostly crack cocaine, alcohol and heroin. The thing about addiction, any addiction, be it to drugs, drink, nicotine, sex, etc, it takes everything and is a hard slave master; addiction actually derives from a word meaning ‘a debt that cannot be paid’. How true that is. I saw many lives that had crashed on the shores of the criminal justice system, some were able to turn their lives around in prison and in fact two women I still have contact with are studying for degrees in order to help others with addictions. Other clients I worked with allowed the addiction to totally destroy them and some died from overdoses upon release or took their own lives in prison. Working with people suffering with addictions is tough as it’s full of potential and actual disappointment, but every now and then the few successes make the job worthwhile.
I left my work at HMP Send in Dec 2007 due to wanting to spend more time with my daughter Ruth and also because I felt God wanted me to pursue my ministry. A prophetic word from John Mark Pool that I had read talked about stepping out of comfort zones to go through gates, and I just KNEW this was God speaking to me. Since 1989 I have had a word over my life from Isaiah 62:10 that I only began to see come into fruition 11 years later. Leaving work meant I could do whatever it was God wanted me to do in relation to this word and I knew it had something still to do with prison and people with addictions.
Not long after leaving work a door opened back at HMP Send to go in with a team as visitors to worship with and minister to some of the women. At the first meeting we held there were only a few women, six or seven, but there was clearly a hunger for God; when I asked those attending if they wanted prayer for anything they all came forward. Since then we have gone in twice more and each visit has seen an increase in power and numbers attending. On the second visit in July we saw one lady instantly healed from a shoulder injury and prayed and prophesied over others. Our most recent visit in September saw two more healings, one an instant healing from knee problems, and more words for people attending. Best of all though we saw a young lady come forward to give her life to Jesus! She went away with a big beaming smile and a Bible. The worship was wonderful and could have just gone on had we not had such restrictions on our time (due to prison core hours).
We have another invitation to go back for a fourth visit in January '09 and are expectant of God to move even more powerfully. Please pray for us and for those women we are ministering to, they are hungry for God.
If you are interested in having Viv speak in your church or group or wish to hear more about ‘Through The Gates Ministries’ and the work Viv and others are doing then you can contact Viv Dawes at vivdawes@hotmail.com or visit her Facebook page by searching for Through The Gates Ministries on Facebook.
'Chosen' - Ladies Breakfast in Bordon
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Women from KC21 Bordon meet together once a month to share breakfast and fellowship together. 8.45am - Forest Community Centre, Pinehill Road, Bordon |
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Jan 24th 'Well, I never knew that!' Feb 28th My House will be called a House of Prayer Mar 28th Ladies Day at Alton Maltings May 16th Connections Jun 20th and July 18th tba
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For more information or to book in phone 01420 479768 |
Ladies Day March 2008
Build Your House by Dee Marshall
The second annual Ladies Day organised by Karen Burningham from Bordon KC21 was held at Alton Maltings on Saturday 15th March.
Over 90 ladies gathered from as far as Poole and Yapton to enjoy excellent teaching, fellowship and ministry throughout the day.
The day started at 10am with coffee and biscuits and every lady was given a personalised card containing a scripture. This was followed by a time of worship during which Jan Goonery had a picture of Christmas presents under a tree where God said He was going to unwrap us and reveal things to us that day. The morning continued with great teaching from Kim Grant on the subject of ‘Finding Your Voice’ where Kim talked about our identity and finding out just what we have to say.
The morning ended with each lady receiving a gift of a handmade bracelet, which along with the cards from earlier, were crafted by women from the local churches.
After lunch Karen gave a session entitled ‘Life is a Journey’, asking questions such as, ‘how do we travel through our life’s journey?’ and ‘what helps our journey and what hinders us?’ All the teaching sessions were recorded onto CD for delegates to order.
There was a time of ministry at the end of the day where women prayed for each other and encouraged each other with what God was saying.
Everyone had a really great time and the feedback from this day was very encouraging. A third event is planned for next year!
To obtain a copy of the day's teaching please click here to contact us.
Links to other sites
Check out http://www.igiveyoumyword.com/ for details of our ministry and ministry dates and also click on the 'book' link for information on our new ministry resource, the devotional book 'I give you My Word'.
Ladies Evenings in Holtspur
I give you My Word is a UK-based nondenominational ministry with a real heart for women.
Founder Barbara Pavey teaches the Word of God with grace, mercy and a love she has received from her Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. The ministry began in February 2006 but 'the Word' is spreading and meetings are already greatly attended. If you are in need of peace, assurance, acceptance, understanding, friendship, encouragement or fun, then come.
Release from stress and anxiety required?
Escape for some rest and play—mentally, physically and above all, spiritually.
I give you My Word is now into its second year. This ministry has been birthed at the Lord’s prompting, initially called 'The Bride Unbridled' and I believe He is directing us to use it as a means of seeing women set free to become all that He purposes for us to be in these important last days. Grow with us and encourage women that you know to attend, both believers and those that may be just enquiring. Own it as a place where YOU can be a part of what God is wanting to do.
We meet about quarterly, which ensures that we don’t take you away from your own church or family commitments, and yet timed for you to have something special of your own to look forward to once in a while. We believe this will grow to be a shelter for those who need comfort from pain and abuse, and where many hurting women can come and find rest in the Lord. If you know such ladies, please invite them along.
For details of events, please get in touch;
Tel: 01494 677948 07932 729 999
Email : info@igiveyoumyword.com
Web : http://www.igiveyoumyword.com/
Syro-Phoenician woman by Ros Bunney
Matthew 15. 21-28
21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
23 But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Mark 7. 24-30
24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.[h] And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
There had never been any hope before, and that was the thing that drove me. Here, for the first time, was a glimmer of hope. Year after year I had watched my little daughter suffer, tormented constantly by an unclean spirit that left her no shalom, no peace or wellbeing in mind or body. And here was Someone who I knew could expel that spirit and restore her to tranquillity – if He only would.
I had no wish to make a public spectacle of myself, especially in front of those twelve intimidating men who accompanied Him everywhere; and yet, if this glimmer of hope were to be realised, that is exactly what I would have to do.
Of course, He might refuse. I’d heard the stories about Him. I’d never heard of Him turning anyone away; but maybe people only recount the good bits about a man like that – maybe the refusals get hushed up, to protect His reputation. It was a chance I had to take, because it was the only hope I’d ever had.
I found Him in a house in the Tyre/Sidon district. I think He might have been trying to hide, but if so, He wasn’t making a very good job of it. It was easy to track Him – just follow the trail of suffering humanity, people like me, desperate enough to make public fools of themselves. Of course, it was impossible to get very near Him; those twelve men closed ranks around Him, even if you could get past the crowds that barred the way.
The best I could do was get within hailing distance. So I swallowed my dignity and all sense of propriety, because this was my only hope. I must have sounded like a demented lunatic as I yelled at Him, “Have mercy on me O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” There came not a flicker of response – not the slightest sign that He had heard me, or that my existence had even registered with Him. So I yelled again, at pitch of lungs: “Have mercy on me O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is suffering severely from demon-possession.”
This time, a slight hesitation, a slight stiffening of His spine, gave me the distinct impression that He had heard me. I waited, not daring to breathe. Then His shoulders relaxed very slightly and He carried on talking to His companions. It was clear to me that He was deliberately ignoring me. At first my heart sank. Was that it? But then, something rose up inside me. I hadn’t walked all this way, and publicly humiliated myself, to give up and slink away at the first rebuttal.
Frantically, I continued to shout the same words, over and over again. His companions began to motion to me to go away. I ignored them and continued to shout. Two or three of them nudged Him and said, “Send her away – she just keeps shouting at us.” Then, for the first time He turned His eyes towards me. I don’t know what I was expecting to see in His face – something mystical or magical perhaps? At the least, a degree of compassion. Instead, I found I couldn’t read His expression at all. He was utterly inscrutable. With a shrug He lowered His gaze and turned back to His friends. I heard Him mutter, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
So that was it. I was of the wrong race. The tears welled up and spilled down my cheeks. And yet – I had tasted hope this morning, before I set out. My first hope in years. It had been like the sight of a distant oasis in the Sinai Desert. And something inside me wouldn’t let me go home until I had drunk a deep draft of that water. And so, it sounds crazy I know, but I just carried on shouting the same thing, again and again.
I think that surprised Him. He turned back to me again, and this time there was a slight flicker of amusement playing around the corners of His lips, a lowering of the guard in His eyes. He looked at me very directly across the crowd, and addressed His words straight to me. “Let the children be filled first. It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And a slight gesture of His hand took in the waiting crowd. I looked at Semitic face after Semitic face. Of course, my Syro-Phoenician features and dress betrayed me. And yes, actually, I had to acknowledge the truth of what this Man said. God hadn’t sent Him to Greece or Syria; He had been sent to this particular, special people, and I was asking Him for something that didn’t belong to me. Compared to Yahweh’s chosen people I was nothing but a little dog. I couldn’t argue with that.
But then there rose up in front of me an image of my little girl, tortured and tormented by that ugly demon. And I found that, far from discouraging me, His words spurred me on to a more frantic level of desperation. “Yes, Lord,” I acknowledged, “yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from the master’s table,”
I waited for His response, my eyes imploring Him. The response was not what I expected! He threw back His head and roared with laughter, doubled over and slapped His thigh with unmistakeable glee. He held out His arms towards me and gestured to me to come closer. His companions parted to let me through. He waited until I was very close, and then bent His head towards me, His eyes still shining with amusement, but also radiating a compassionate concern. “O woman,” He chuckled, “great is your faith! For this answer, go on your way and let it be to you just as you desire. The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
My heart missed a beat. I stammered my thanks and he nodded towards the door, as if understanding my need to skip the formalities and rush home to see for myself. I ran all the way. As I entered the house I saw an astonishing sight - my little daughter, who seldom slept at night, never mind in the day, lying peacefully on her bed. As I threw myself down beside her, she turned to me with a tranquil smile, put her little arms as far round me as she could reach, and gave a contented sigh. “Mummy,” she said.
Mary worships Jesus by Ros Bunney
Luke 7. 36 – 50
36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
"I knew what I wanted to do, and why; the problem was opportunity. So when I heard He was attending a private dinner party, I just had to gatecrash. The immensity of what He’s done for me was so overwhelming, that if I didn’t find an opportunity to make an appropriate response, it would drive me crazy. For the first time in my adult life I was completely sane, perfectly in possession of all my senses, and I didn’t want to go back to being crazy again. So I just had to respond, to let Him know the enormity of this thing He’s done for me.
It was quite easy to slip in unnoticed, with servants scurrying to and fro, to press myself against the wall and slink round the edges of the room towards where He sat. The closer I got to Him, though, the more of Simon’s dinner guests noticed me. I saw the contemptuous curl of their lips, the disdain as their eyes rested on me. I saw more than that, too. There were some among them who had made up my clientele, before Jesus got hold of me and rescued me from all that. They thought they were more righteous than I because unlike me they had managed to keep their sins secret. I could see in their eyes that they were mentally undressing me; and the effect on their faces was one of extreme cruelty – a contempt for what I was combined with a lust for how they could use me.
And then I came close to where Jesus was, and He turned, and His eyes, too, rested on me. And I felt that, unlike the others, He didn’t have to undress me in His mind because His Spirit already saw all my nakedness; and then His love covered me and clothed me, with clothes of fine linen made with gold, blue, purple and scarlet thread – the kind of clothes a priest would wear to enter the Holy of Holies. Standing there, in my simple homespun tunic, I felt more splendid than the High Priest, more fit to stand in the presence of the Most High God.
Before I met Jesus, I never understood that true love is pure. All human love is mixed; even the best-motivated human love has some self-interest. But what set me totally free from my past life was the purity of this Man’s love. It washed away all my shame and gave me worth and value; for a love of such purity could never throw itself away on anything base or sordid. There was something about His love which said, “Never define yourself by what people have done to you. Never define yourself by what you have done to yourself. And don’t believe the lie that since you have been soiled and sullied there is nothing more to you than that. I see in you an unsullied innocence. My love draws it out, and I give you back your unsullied innocence – it is my love’s gift to you.”
That’s the best I can put it into words; but reading it back, the feebleness of my words doesn’t begin to convey the depth of what Jesus has done for me. So perhaps now you can see why I had to risk so many cruel, contemptuous eyes, just to put myself under His gaze and be able to show Him what He means to me.
Of course, I hadn’t really got anything of any worth that I could give Him – except for one thing. I had inherited one priceless treasure, a sealed alabaster flask of valuable perfume, handed down from mother to daughter through several generations of my family. It was worth about a year’s wages, and was the one valuable thing my family could have sold to survive if poverty ever struck. For days, weeks now, I hadn’t been able to get that perfume out of my mind. I was supposed to look after it, pass it on to the next generation – but all I could think about was pouring it over Him. He had given me back myself, and this was the only adequate way I could think of to symbolise giving my whole self, all my love, back to Him.
So now here I was, standing beside Him, flask in hand. Those eyes of pure love engulfed me again with a bright ray of unfeigned delight. Everyone else knew I was out of place here and above my station, but He was thrilled to see me. The tears of gratitude and love welled up and spilled over. I fell at His feet in worship.
And as I knelt before Him there on the floor, conscious now only of His presence, not caring who else was watching or what they thought, I noticed something strange. As the tears coursed down my cheeks and trickled over His feet, the little rivulets made light streaks through the dirt, and I suddenly realised that Simon had invited Him here for dinner and hadn’t even had the courtesy to get a servant to bring Him a bowl of water for His feet. So I let the tears fall freely over His feet, washing away the dirt into little muddy puddles on the floor. I unplaited my hair and shook it free, and just momentarily my attention was diverted away from Him by a chorus of gasps and tuts. But I ignored that and turned my whole self back to Him. All that I am, in the deepest core of my being, I wanted Him to know that it’s all His. So I wiped away the remaining dirt and dried His feet with my hair.
I knew what they were all thinking –“Doesn’t He know what kind of person this woman is? If He’s such a great prophet, how come He can’t see that?” But I knew that He could see, more truly and accurately than any of them, exactly what kind of woman I am. Not one of them had an inkling of how bad I’d really been – only He knew the full extent of it. And not one of them could see that all of that had been utterly eradicated by His forgiveness, by God’s forgiveness through Him. Not a trace of it remained, only purity and innocence. Every part of me –, my mind, my loves, my passion for the beauty of flowers and birds and yes, even my body and my sexuality had been totally restored, redeemed, purified, so that no trace remained of it ever having been otherwise. And because He was a prophet, He could see all this and they couldn’t.
If what I had done so far to express my love for Him had shocked them, they’d seen nothing yet! So once again, I put them out of my mind and turned back to Him until my total attention was consumed with Him. And kneeling there, focused wholly on my darling Lord and Redeemer, I broke open that alabaster flask and smothered Him in its contents. The joy was indescribable. In pouring it over Him, I had put it beyond any other use. Now it could never be my security against poverty. It was as if I had just given Him my whole life, and so I had. Nothing now remained undone, nothing was needed. My purpose was fulfilled. I had worshipped Him – was worshipping Him – with absolutely everything. I felt that this moment, this present split second of time, was my whole raison d’être, the instant for which I had been created. God had created me just so that one day I would kneel here and do this. And His delight in the action and my delight in the action became one delight until it seemed that Jesus and I were just one person; there was a total union of our spirits; I was subsumed into Him, and He into me. I was vaguely aware of Him talking, but not to me, so I didn’t really listen. I just knelt there, being one with Him. But then something He said caught my attention: “Her many sins have been forgiven because she loved much.” He said more, but I was no longer listening. I just stayed down there on the floor, loving Him, and relishing that word “forgiven”."
Mary Magdalene by Ros Bunney
John 20. 1 – 18
1 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord
11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
I still loved Him, though, and even in death I wanted to honour Him. So I got up very early, while it was still dark – about the hour that He used to get up to go and be with His Father – and crept out to the tomb. I didn’t know what I was going to do when I got there. I could never shift that stone by myself. Nonetheless, something inside me just had to be close to where they had laid Him. As the first thread of daylight began to snake its way along the horizon, lifting the corner of the veil of night that hung over the garden, I saw a startling sight. The entrance to the tomb stood gaping, the stone pushed away to one side.
A blind panic gripped me, blurring my vision. My only thought had been to come here and be near Him; and if they had taken Him away, I didn’t know what I would do, where I would go. I ran back to find the others. Simon Peter was already awake; so was the other one, the one Jesus loved. I caught hold of them and, through my tears, managed to say, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid Him.” A sob choked my words, and I couldn’t say any more, as I grappled with the rising panic and despair. The men, without wasting a word, turned and ran to the tomb. Peter was the slower of the two and so it was the other who arrived first and stood peering into the inky interior. Peter, however, didn’t stop at the entrance but ran right in, past the two of us. I hung back, outside the entrance. “Here, John, come and see!” he called. “Here are the linen wrappings, lying where He was, and the head-cloth on its own, just where we laid His head.”
John went in also. They came out again and stood looking at each other. I could see some sort of realisation beginning to dawn in their eyes, but I couldn’t understand what it was. They went back home but I stayed right there, unable to hold back the tears that would keep coming. At last I plucked up courage to take a peep at the sight they had seen. Half-blinded by tears and grief, I stooped down and peered into the tomb. To my astonishment, I saw two angels in white, one sitting by where His head had been, the other right where they had placed His feet on Friday evening. They asked me why I was weeping. I couldn’t tell them the whole story – the anger, the despair, the love; I could hardly express that to myself, let alone anyone else. So I simply said, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid Him.”
As I turned from the tomb, I think one of them spoke, but I didn’t really catch what he said. Turning round, I almost bumped into a man who stood there, and a wave of irritation washed over me. Wasn’t there any privacy or solitude to be had anywhere? He asked me, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
And it suddenly occurred to me that this was probably the gardener, and if so, he could probably tell me what they had done with Jesus. So I stifled my sobs and said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away.” There was a silence so long that I slowly started to lift my head to see if the man had heard me. But before my eyes got as far as his face, I heard the beloved voice, with more tenderness in it than I had ever heard before, speak my name: “Mary!”
And in that one word all the pain, all the despair and anger fled in an instant. “Dear teacher!” I exclaimed, and took hold of His arm, hardly able to believe what I was seeing, but thrilled to the core. He gently, but smilingly, shook Himself free of my grip. “Do not cling to Me,” He said, “for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’”
I was filled with a delight, a childish glee, even, because His presence, His risenness, made perfect sense of His words. For if He was really standing here, back from the dead, victorious over death, then surely His very risenness must give us access into that same relationship He had with His God and Father. And so I positively skipped back into town to find the others and tell them what He had said. I had faced the worst, and it had not had the final word."
Creative Bible studies
In this section you will find Bible passages which have been given a creative interpretation seeking to give a three dimensional view of the characters involved. You can access these by clicking on the titles below.
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Mary Magdalene Mary worships JesusEye Witness of His Majesty NEW!!
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Ladies Breakfast in Southwood
Together Ministries
A Christian ministry specifically for women, bringing fellowship, encouragement and restoration.
Based in Bramley, Surrey, 'Together Ministries' was formed to bring wholeness and happiness to women by meeting with
others for fellowship and fun and by receiving specific care when needed.
'Breakfast Together'
At 9.15am on the first and second Tuesday of the month we come together in the Bob Hammond Suite of the Southwood Golf Club where we meet new friends and chat with old over a sumptuous breafast. During this time we have a speaker sharing a particular subject of interest with us.
The presence of the Lord is felt in a very gentle way making 'Breakfast Together' an ideal environment to bring
non-Christians and those who need fellowship and encouragement.
Diary ...... February 3rd and 10th
'What Are You Carrying?' with Kim Grant
'Time Out'
We are in the process of planning other days where we meet together for enjoyable and relaxing times together.
If you would like further information on 'Together Ministries' or would like to come to any of the Breakfasts
please contact Juliet Peatling on 01483 891856 or e-mail jpeatling@tesco.net
Forthcoming Events
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School Report gets an A*! by Ros Bunney and Jean Bath
In September 2002 both of us turned up for our first day at work in a new school – Jean as an Art teacher and Ros as an RS teacher, teaching young people aged 11 - 18. Although we had known each other for some years through our membership of KC21, neither of us knew that the other was going to be there that day. We were reminded of the way in which Jesus sent out His disciples in twos, and we both had an immediate sense that we were not here in this school merely to teach Art and Religious Studies, but for a greater and wider purpose.
We immediately began meeting together in our lunch hour once a week, to pray for each other, for the school, and for particular situations which arose. Jean was an experienced teacher who was returning to work after taking a career break to raise her family, but for Ros it was her first job as a newly qualified teacher. We both found that we had some very challenging classes who stretched us beyond what we were naturally capable of dealing with, and some very troubled students who left us nonplussed as to how to help them. As we prayed for these classes and students, we saw God do amazing things in turning around difficult situations, and establishing our authority. One verse which became almost a mantra (if we can use that word!) for us was “He subdues peoples under me” (Psalm 47.3)
During this year, God gave us several clear words for our school. Firstly, He gave us a picture, which we really identified with, of a giant cockroach squatting over the school and defiling it. He showed us that although a cockroach has a hard and almost impenetrable shell, it has an underbelly which is more vulnerable. Through this picture, we realised that the demonic forces which want to defile our school are vulnerable to assault from within the school, and so we made it our business from within the school to pray against and assault the forces of hell which seek to capture the present generation of children and young people. On another occasion God gave us a picture of us with a fishing net. Just as we were about to cast the net into the sea, the fish started jumping out of the water and landing at our feet without us having to fish for them. Another time we had a picture of a torrent of water cascading through the building in which we both teach. The torrent was sweeping some things away – including some people, anything which was impeding God’s purposes for the school – and it was cleansing everything which was left behind. Finally God spoke to us through Isaiah 45. 1-4 (NKJV), promising to open for us a double door, which we took to mean a door open to the staff and a door open to the students. So we began to pray for opportunities to bring the Kingdom of God into the lives of colleagues, and for an opportunity to start some kind of Christian Union for the students. After a year of praying in this way, armed with these promises from God, we took the step of writing to our principal to tell him that we had been praying in this way for a year, and to ask him if he would have any objection to us throwing this prayer time open to all staff, and inviting colleagues to join us in praying for the school. To our surprise, he replied enthusiastically, thanking us for taking this initiative, giving us his full backing to start a staff prayer group, and asking us, while we were at it, if we would consider starting a Christian Union! This was, of course, the opportunity we had been waiting for.
We began by emailing all staff and inviting them either to join us at our weekly prayer meeting, or to email us with anything they would like us to pray for. We immediately started to receive on average 5 emails a week asking us to pray for all kinds of things. We found that many staff were coping with really tragic situations at home, but because of their professionalism they were coming into work every day and not giving a hint of the difficulties they were facing at home. It was a privilege to support these colleagues in prayer. 2 or 3 colleagues came to join us for prayer – we are now 5 “regulars”. Other members of staff emailed us to ask us to pray for friends or family members in trouble. We have seen some great answers to prayer. One colleague’s daughter developed a severe virus which robbed her of her ability to walk. We prayed for her and she was restored to full health. Another colleague asked us to pray for a friend with a malignant brain tumour, who was in a critical condition. Her email came just before Christmas. Halfway through January we emailed her for an update on his condition and were told that he had recovered sufficiently to return to work! Another colleague was ill in hospital for a year. During that year she saw a number of fellow patients die. We prayed for her, and she is now back at work and in good health. A total of 5 doctors and nurses later told her that no one had expected her to live. At the start of this academic year, one of the school secretaries asked us to pray for her future daughter-in-law who was very ill and having chemotherapy, and it was looking as if her wedding would have to be postponed. We prayed, she recovered and got married on time as planned. They have settled well into married life, and she continues to be well - praise God !We also had opportunities to pray for people and lay hands on them. Jean prayed for a student suffering from a chronic illness, who reported an immediate improvement in symptoms. Ros prayed and laid hands on one of the cleaning staff who had a broken and infected wisdom tooth which was causing great pain. She has since reported that there has been no further pain or swelling around the tooth.
Most exciting of all has been the Christian Club we run. We decided not to call it Christian Union as probably no one would come! Jean came up with the idea of calling it Coz Club, based on 1 John 4. 19 – “Coz He first loved us”. During this club we have trained the students to use puppets. The Coz Club puppet team has taken part in 2 Christmas carol services at the school. We also used the puppets to present the Gospel in assembly to every Year group and their form tutors over the course of a week. The puppet performance was followed up by a testimony by a Year 11 student who had been radically saved 2 years earlier, and who spoke with great boldness. As a result of this, a Year 10 student accepted a neighbour’s invitation to go to church with her, and became a Christian the following Sunday. As well as the puppets, we did Bible studies with the students at Coz Club. We sent a letter home explaining what we would be doing at the club, and students have to obtain parental consent in order to join. So we really have carte blanche to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in running this club. We regularly share the Gospel with the students and give them opportunities to respond. We pray for them, and we encourage them to pray for one another. We started out, in the summer of 2004, with 6 students, 3 of whom were our own daughters! Now we are regularly getting up to 45 students. Over a period of 20 months, we have seen 26 of them commit their lives to Jesus, and although one or two have fallen by the wayside (as Jesus predicted in the parable of the sower) most have stayed with us and are growing in their faith. They are eager to share with us their own experiences of answers to prayer and the ways in which they have heard God speaking to them. It’s really thrilling to see them growing in grace. Last summer we began to pray for others to help us as the numbers swelled. In September God added to our number a young and enthusiastic teacher who was taking up her first teaching post and was keen to get involved in running the club. Later on during the term, Youth for Christ sent in one of their schools workers to join us, and in January another Christian teacher joined the RS department and he is also helping us to run Coz Club. As the demands increase, so God sends out reinforcements to help us. We don’t believe we have seen all that God wants to do in our school yet. We are determined not to settle for anything less than revival throughout the whole school community. But we are convinced, from what we have seen God do already, that “He who has begun a good work in us (and in our school) will carry it on to completion”, just as He promised (Philippians 1.6). He has recently given us a picture of children walking towards and onto the shadow of a cross on the school field, and He has highlighted to us Isaiah 33.6 which says “And there shall be stability in your time, an abundance of salvation, wisdom and knowledge…the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is your treasure and His.”
Steps in Faith by Ursula Dockerty and Becky Williams
There were a number of drivers to starting up flags and dance which evolved to become a group called Steps in Faith.
Some time ago we were struck by the young people who did not engage in worship on a Sunday morning, and with both of us having girls fast approaching that age, we were keen to find a way to encourage them to continue to participate. Around this time we had attended a Children’s Ministry conference where we took part in a flag and dance workshop run by Maria Bensley and found that despite not being trained in dance or movement ourselves, we really enjoyed it and felt that we had found a way of integrating worship with dance, an activity that we knew our girls also enjoyed.
We started by running a few one-off workshops to test the waters and found that we had a core group who were keen to continue and learn more. We arranged regular workshops on Saturday mornings which ran alongside a drama workshop culminating eventually in the two groups coming together for a performance of 'The Selfish Giant' in 2004.
After the performance, the drama workshops finished but the dance team were keen to continue and so we scheduled further regular meetings with them and found that whilst neither of us is trained, God was good in providing various gifted people to lead workshops and help us choreograph routines.
At this time, we suggested that the group think of a name for themselves and they decided together on the name 'Steps in Faith' – and since then they have attended meetings at New Malden church, played a major part in Voice of Hope, ministered to ATOM and on Sunday mornings.
We now have a group of dancers who are keen to take their ministry out to schools and other churches. The girls regularly pray together and work well as a team recognising each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We recently attended the National Youth Dance Conference and were amazed by the high level of work that we saw there and are looking to the day when they feel able to present.
When we asked the girls why they did flags they said:-
‘…because I enjoy dancing and it's a good way to tell people about God and get them involved.’
‘I come to flags to worship Jesus and to spend time with some really good friends and talented dancers so that hopefully I can improve and worship the Lord better.’
‘I come to flags because it gives me a chance to express my love for God through dance.’
‘I go to flags because it gives me more confidence’
It has been a blessing over the past 4 years to be able to facilitate a group of young people who we have watched grow spiritually as well as in their own abilities.
We feel we are now entering a new season with the flags where it is time for the girls to move forward and develop their skills at ministering to people. We are looking for opportunities to develop these skills so if you know of any place we may serve, please do contact us.
The girls will be presenting at the Acts Tent Event on 30th June in
If you fancy coming along to try flags you will be more than welcome as it is time to encourage a younger age group to follow through as the older girls move on. Or if you are gifted in dance and movement and fancy teaching a workshop please contact us.
If you want to know more, talk to Ursula Dockerty on 07785 285602.
TTG Training
TTG Training
Viv Dawes has worked with young people and with individuals struggling with addictions for over 10 years.
As a Senior Practitioner initially with ‘Acorn’ drug and Alcohol service, and then with RAPt, she has worked in one to one and group work sessions with women with serious addictions to alcohol and drugs in a local female prison — using a number of well known therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy,Motivational Interviewing and Brief Solution Focussed Therapy.
Vivien has delivered training and seminars within a number of charities and organisations including the NHS where she was also trained.
Having worked with young homeless people and men and women within the criminal justice system, Vivien brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding.
Vivien is FDAP registered as a drug and alcohol professional.
TTG can offer exciting and professional training in a number of subjects relevant to those working with substance users.
Professional , dynamic, fun and value for money, TTG can assist you in equipping you and your staff with the knowledge and tools they require to work effectively.
Subjects offered include:
Drug And Alcohol Awareness
Working With Crack Cocaine Users
Relapse Prevention
Understanding Addiction
Assertiveness
Stress Management
Contact:
‘TTG Training’
4 Lysons Road
Aldershot
Hampshire
GU11 1NB
Mobile: 07960 635548
Email: ttg.dawes@hotmail.co.uk
Creative Space Workshop
by Ursula Dockerty and Becky Williams
An evening for women to come
and spend time with God
God has blessed us right from the start of this new venture in July 2007.
The aim of the evenings is to give women the space and freedom to worship in a new way, to be empowered to use a flag or dance, or even to use the chill out area to lie and soak in total peace. We have no pre-conceived agenda other than to be led by the Spirit and we pray that those attending will be released in worship in a new way, to be able to dance as little children, oblivious to anyone but Him.
Viv Dawes has volunteered to lead worship and her incredible voice leads us into a place of peace and freedom. Several dozen women experiment with flags, twirling banners, streamers and poi. Ladies are free to bring a song, prophesy and contribute at Father's prompting. Times of prayer are seeing women released and God moving powerfully.
We have no finish time for the evening and although all are free to come and go as they need to, the presence of God is so tangible that often there is a group of girls who simply do not want to leave until the early hours of the morning. As we worship and pray and make ourselves available to God we find the place where there is no fear and no boundaries, a place where we are one family, one sound and one spirit. Together we utter many corporate oooooooooooooooo's.
Come along, bring friends and leave your agendas at the door!
Please phone Ursula on 07785 285602 for further details
Ladies Breakfast in Ash
Together Ministries
A Christian ministry specifically for women, bringing fellowship, encouragement and restoration.
Based in Bramley, Surrey, 'Together Ministries' was formed to bring wholeness and happiness to women by meeting with
others for fellowship and fun and by receiving specific care when needed.
'Breakfast Together'
At 9.15am on a Tuesday once a month we come together in Primrose Hall, Longacre where we meet new friends and chat with old over a sumptuous breafast. During this time we have a speaker sharing a particular subject of interest with us.
The presence of the Lord is felt in a very gentle way making 'Breakfast Together' an ideal environment to bring non-Christians and those who need fellowship and encouragement.
Diary ...... Tuesday 24th February
'What Are You Carrying?' with Kim Grant
'Time Out'
We are in the process of planning other days where we meet together for enjoyable and relaxing times together.
If you would like further information on 'Together Ministries' or would like to come to any of the Breakfasts
please contact Juliet Peatling on 01483 891856 or e-mail jpeatling@tesco.net
Ladies Lunch in Fleet
Pam Robertson is working with a team of ladies to host a monthly luncheon at Crookham Baptist Hall in Basingbourne Road, Fleet.
This is a time of friendship and fellowship over a shared meal and listening to a talk given by a visiting speaker.
The next lunch is on Friday 12th September with guest speaker Yvonne Hannington.
STOP PRESS STOP PRESS .........
.............there will be a supper on Thursday 6th November with Bengt Wedemalm an international ministry from Sweden.
Please contact us for further details and to book a place at any of these events.
'Just Imagine ' Ladies Day on 28th March 2009
After two very successful days we are pleased to announce the forthcoming Ladies Day to be held at the Alton Maltings Centre which is entitled 'Just Imagine'.
The day will run from 10am to 4pm and will be a time of worship and teaching. We will share lunch and fellowship together at this wonderful facility housed in a Grade 2 listed building. Please visit http://www.altonmaltingscentre.com/ to view the venue.
For more details and to reserve your place, please contact Karen Burningham on 01420 479768 or contact us here at Spearhead.
'Chosen' Ladies Day
“Called By A New Name” by Dee Marshall
Around 70 ladies met at the Maltings Centre, Alton in March for a Ladies Day organised by KC21 Bordon. Ladies from all over the country including Poole, Staines, Farnham, Haslemere and as far afield as Gloucester and Bath came in order to worship together and listen to a very humorous and thought provoking talk from Kim Grant entitled “Called By A New Name”.
The day commenced with an awesome time of worship where some ladies witnessed the presence of angels. The worship was followed by the first part of Kim’s talk where she encouraged us to seek God to discover the unique name He has for each one of us. In so doing, we would be released into our own special gifting and direction for our lives.
Lunch was enjoyed together at the back of the conference room on beautifully laid out tables where white pebbles with words such as ‘daughter’ and ‘princess’ written on them were placed on the tables for us to take as a reminder of our value to God. During the lunch break each lady received a scroll with a word of encouragement or a prophetic word for her life as a result of a prayer team seeking God in advance for each delegate.
After lunch the ladies were given a drawstring bag containing a glass nugget in accordance with the scripture in Revelation 2:17.
Kim continued her talk reiterating the importance of finding our true identity in God.
The day concluded with prayer and ministry.
The overwhelming success of this Ladies Day will certainly lead to more events in the future!
To obtain a copy of the teaching please click here.
Ladies Breakfast in Bramley
Together Ministries 
A Christian ministry specifically for women, bringing fellowship, encouragement and restoration.
Based in Bramley, Surrey, 'Together Ministries' was formed to bring wholeness and happiness to women by meeting with
others for fellowship and fun and by receiving specific care when needed.
'Breakfast Together'
At 9.15am on the third Tuesday of the month we come together in the Bramley Village Hall where we meet new friends
and chat with old over a sumptuous breafast. During this time we have a speaker sharing a particular subject of
interest with us.
The presence of the Lord is felt in a very gentle way making 'Breakfast Together' and ideal environment to bring
non-Christians and those who need fellowship and encouragement.
Diary ..... Tuesday 20th January
'A Fresh Start' with Mair Thorburn
Tuesday 17th February
'What Are You Carrying?' with Kim Grant
'Time Out'
We are in the process of planning other days where we meet together for enjoyable and relaxing times together.
If you would like further information on 'Together Ministries' or would like to come to any of the Breakfasts
please contact Juliet Peatling on 01483 891856 or e-mail jpeatling@tesco.net