CBC Update
Dear Friends,
I was recently reminded of the verse from Isaiah 43:19, where God speaks through the prophet:
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
It was a powerful reminder that God is in the business of renewal—bringing new life to individuals, marriages, and churches. I have no doubt that God wants to do something new in us.
The question God asks through the prophet about this ‘new thing’ continues to resonate with me: “Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” This suggests two important things. Firstly, it is possible to miss the new thing that God is doing around us. We can be so focused on our own concerns or stuck in the past that we fail to see the new work of God. Secondly, recognising the new thing requires intentionality—we will never see what we are not looking for.
As I step back and reflect on our journey together, I can see many signs of God doing a new thing: new families at playgroup this week, people being baptised and surrendering their lives to Jesus, new people and families attending our services, new children joining Adventure, the launch of new Bible study groups, our exploration of new leadership structures, and a growing sense of momentum across our four strategic priorities. Do you not perceive it? Where do you see God at work?
There is no doubt that God desires to renew and build His church, and we can already see Him moving here at CBC. But for God to renew His church, He must first renew us—His people. While we can celebrate the new things happening around us, the more personal and pressing question is: What new thing is God doing in me, and in you? Do you not perceive it?
Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.” (CEV)
May God continue to renew you as He brings about His new work in the life of His church here at CBC.
Grace & peace,
Pastor Ian