Darrell and Lucy Holmes with Jessie and Jed

Our Pastor is Rev. Darrell Holmes.  He trained for the ministry at London Bible College (Now called the London School of Theology).  Darrell is married to Lucy with two children, Jed and Jessie.

Here is Darrell’s message for this month -

Some people seem so good at it. You meet them, you go to their homes, and nothing is too much trouble. They are warm in their welcome, interested in you and what you have to say, non-judgemental in their attitude, they invite you to take a seat or offer to put the kettle on straight away. A lady I know called Eulah used to go one further when I went to her home, she would always tell me to go through to the kitchen and make a cup of tea. She really wanted me to feel that her home was my home.

And being welcomed well is particularly important when you are going somewhere for the first time. I recently went to the Taunton and Pickering Golf Club for the first time. The signposts clearly directed me to the Club house, the car park was filled with many expensive cars which made mine look a bit shabby, and I inadvertently plonked my cheap golf bags and second hand clubs in a place where I later discovered they asked people not to put their golf bags and trolleys! I went into the shop where I had booked a free golf lesson, but I was greeted with a smile, recognised as someone who had booked in and, from then on, addressed on first name terms as if I was a paid-up member. No-one told me off for my golf bag misdemeanours, or looked down on me for not having the right car or the right equipment. Added to that, my coach promised a fifteen minute lesson, but spent over 30 minutes with me, providing a witty, but insightful lesson which gently showed me that my grip and my swing were all wrong. Little wonder that I decided almost instantly that I would return for more lessons, and each time the welcome has been equally warm.  I may never have the money (or the skill) to join the Taunton and Pickering Golf Club, but I would really love to.

This month KBC have an exciting event, namely “The Big Welcome” on 26th September. We want to invite people to come along to our morning service at KBC and receive a Big Welcome. The service will be “normal” in the sense that we want folk to see us as we are, not put on a special show in order to deceive. As always, our prayer is that people on that day will hear from the Lord, that they experience the blessing of the church fellowship and the love of Christ and that they know they can confide in us and not feel judged. The invite goes out to them to “come as you are”. No need to dress up, pretend to be something you are not, or do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable – we just want people to come as they are and meet Jesus for who he is.

However, The Big Welcome needs The Big Invite. We will provide cards for you to use, which will publicise the service and promise “The Big Welcome”. Will you pluck up courage to invite others - friends, family or work colleagues? Research shows that a good proportion of those invited in this way will keep on coming.

The Big Welcome is about:
One person inviting one person they know to something they love
Asking God who he would want you to invite
Is something surrounded in prayer

So listen out and watch out for more information this month. And when we have prayed, and listened, and invited, do all you can so that when these folk come along to the church we love, that we do all we can to give them “The Big Welcome” that our literature promises. I’m convinced that if we offer The Big Welcome… then they Will Come again!

Darrell Holmes