Dear Friends,

Thanks so much for visiting our website!

As a church we are intentionally focussed on our local community (Perton) and partner with our good friends in The Church At Perton in a range of community activities: (see diary of events ) and also (Community activity under the ‘know us’ page).

When we talk to people in the shopping precinct they impress upon us the value of the word community, hence we have this at the centre of our church name. We believe God has designed human beings to flourish ‘in community’ so we have a range of opportunities for you to join in and ‘belong.’ For those who may not be ready for a church service, we provide a Quiet Room with refreshments on Sunday mornings.

We believe the local church is the hope of the world (and community) and a sign from God that he loves the community and the people in it.

We also link in with churches in our city under Wolverhampton NET group of churches, currently hosting healing services in St John’s Church (see Healing For You).

Whatever ‘community’ means for you, we would appreciate you visiting us one Sunday at 10.30am in the Civic Centre, Perton, or call in the Quiet Room, or enquire via: info@lakesideperton.co.uk

God bless you,

Rob Pearson, Pastor

The summer holiday is upon us; traditionally a time for us to unwind after a year’s efforts at school, college, work, home and church.

It is harder to keep up our spiritual disciplines but well worth the effort; with time to relax we can still include our personal devotions and have more time to reflect that God is on holiday with you.

Jesus took his friends away from the demands of ministry: The disciples gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them ‘come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’ Mark 6: 30-31. (We retreat in order to advance)

On a previous holiday, Carole & I both sat outdoors with our eyes closed for 5 minutes to identify the number of sounds going on around us and then fed back our findings; try it, you’ll be amazed!

Anyone on a canal or Norfolk Broads holiday will notice far more going on at 4mph than 70! If its warm and dry, sit out at night and gaze at the stars; see into the rock pools through your child’s eyes and dad’s don’t do all the digging in the sand!

If you are by the rivers or sea, the mountains or open countryside, reflect on being in the presence of God your Creator and remember you are very special to him.

God bless,

Rob

World history, cultures and national aspirations have been been impacted in a major way by leaders of influence who have risen to power and used that power either for good or for bad. We have an amazing amount of helpful information in the history of kings and leaders in the pages of the Old Testament. Often the motivation of the leader is there to be found and if we are wise, we can learn from them, emulating the good and avoiding the bad.

One thing cannot be denied and that is change has occurred as a result of their life as a leader. Society and culture can be viewed as a living canvas upon which we all make our mark. The great revivals of the past bear witness to this, of the power of God to turn a nation away from evil to pursue the good. In this sense we all have the ability to change our world for good, to be our ‘brother’s keeper’ and to leave a lasting impact.

Whenever you reflect on world leaders who changed nations, think about the results they achieved and recognise that we too have God’s power to change our world!

God bless,

Rob Pearson, Pastor

Giving honour is a noble activity from one human being towards another. It is based on the inherent value and contribution made by the one being honoured and appreciated. Paul teaches us to ‘give everyone what you owe them, if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then HONOUR.’ (Rom 13:7)

This implies that an outstanding debt exists if appropriate honour is withheld. How interesting that honour is linked to giving taxes, revenue & respect; if we have a problem with the first 3, we are unlikely to follow on with honour.

Giving honour to others implies a freedom within to recognise and appreciate, we are not depleted, we do not lose out, we need not compare ourselves to the one being honoured or be jealous of their ’success.’ Also the invisible law of reciprocation will probably occur: ’so in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets’ (Matt 7:12)

God has designed us to function in a myriad of different ways, we all have different gifts and abilities and contributions to make to our communal life. We can be free to respect and honour the artistically gifted amongst us and also the checkout person in the shop we visit. Everyone needs encouraging, honouring another provides necessary encouragement to continue and flourish.

Our theme of revisiting honour places the primary focus on honouring God with obedience, in worship, with our bodies and with our possessions. God promises: ‘those who honour me I will honour’ (1 Sam 2:30) How amazing that God will honour you & me as we give him in the No. 1 place in our lives!

Please join us for this important series and follow our theme through the sermons link.

God bless you,

Rob Pearson, Pastor

VISION & VALUES

We’re in the 2nd decade of a new millennim and our church will be 30 years old this year! From humble beginnings in 1980, Lakeside Community Church Perton has grown to over 150 adults & young people and is developing both a local & international ministry that reaches out across the globe.

Our theme this year is ‘life in all its fulness’ from John 10:10 and we use this to set some visionary goals for the life and journey of this church now and in the future:

Our primary goal is to prepare for a real & sustainable move of God in this area. Perton lies in a transition zone between the city and the countryside and we find ourselves involved in both areas: the city with its urban needs and the people living in the villages on the edge of the city & out into the countryside. I believe God loves this area and its people and know that around us many are searching for something authentic and lasting.

Secondly we are contributing to the transformation of the city of Wolverhampton through our involvement with the W’ton NET churches events, helping to pioneer W’ton Youth For Christ and develop involvement in other initiatives.

We intentionally go beyond the boundary of our own church to reach out to other local churches, believing that together we can make a difference.

We see our church as a resource which is developing transferrable values & ministries from which others can benefit.

Finally, we strongly believe in the power of ‘team’ and seek to develop & release more key leaders & teams as our church grows.

My hope is that we capture this season of opportunity through every person pursuing their individual Christian destiny, and live out what we believe in our homes, with our neighbours, in the schools & colleges, at work and everywhere in our communities, for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May God richly bless you as you serve him day to day.

Rob Pearson, Pastor

Dear friends,

All of us have obstacles in life that from time to time need OVERCOMING! Some happen quickly and are usually sorted out fairly soon, others not so!

Problems come in three forms: a) those that solve themselves , b) those that left unattended stay the same and c) those that need attention to stop them getting worse – these are the ones we have to work at. A tradesman’s real skill is seen when things are going wrong and he is able to fix your faulty car or washing machine - he overcomes your problem for you.

We have a fantastic God who cares for us in many ways, but especially through the example and teaching of Jesus Christ and the early church leaders & missionaries. This hands on help is written down in the Bible for our benefit, we also have the ministry of the Holy Spirit constantly available for every believer in Christ.

Do you know that in the New Testament there are 130+ Biblical references advising us: (DON’T), and 360+ references advising us (DO). We are advised over twice as many times to DO than we are to DON’T! Jesus actually said everything in him is YES and AMEN (2 Cor 1:20).

In times of difficulty we remind ourselves that God will keep us from falling (Jude 1:24) and supply all our needs (Phil 4:19), but need to remember that he who promises to feed the birds – and therefore us (Luke 12:240) does not drop the food in their nests – they have to go and search for it. Likewise, we have to find and apply Biblical principles for our lives to flourish and not be held back by problems and issues that we can resolve with some application on our part!

Our journey of discovery in October and November will help us overcome the obstacles that come our way with the wisdom and guidance the Bible provides for us + the opportunity to talk in confidence with another (a problem shared is a problem halved). We have an excellent speaking team and an equally excellent pastoral ministry team. We have a Quiet Room open all through Sunday morning where you can sit, relect, pray and if appropriate, talk to the caring staff on hand.

So, to overcome with God’s help we need to use the tools he provides in the form of God’s values, principles and guidance which help us to get unstuck and move on as we apply them to our lives. Jesus said ‘the truth will set you free’ (John 8:32), and ‘if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed’ (John 8:36).

If everything is going well in your life and there are no obstacles to overcome, learning these principles can help you to help another.

We look forward to you joining us in October and November 2009.

Please also look for the sermons on the website.

God bless,

Rob Pearson, Pastor

This summer I’ve walked in wellies across flooded fields with several thousand other Christians at the New Wine conference, sat up late at night ‘chilling’ with good friends from The Church At Perton, enjoyed the amazing bays and beaches of the Gower peninsula, celebrated my wedding anniversary in Bridgnorth, climbed 6 flights of stairs up a working windmill in Lincolnshire and I’m still finding new additions to put in my morning porridge! On a few clear nights I’ve sat looking up at the amazing canopy of stars and galaxies above our heads, each one named by our God.

Hebrews 11:3 teaches us that by faith we believe what we see, was not made out of what was visible, or out of nothing. This fascinates me, I believe God has the power and creativity to create the cosmos, a fraction of which we can see with the naked eye. Scripture teaches us that this same God appeared in human form and taught all who would listen, how to live to please God in a hostile world.

This September we unpack some of the most radical teaching the world has ever known. 2000 years ago Jesus Christ was teaching his listeners about the kind of person that God really notices and considers blessed. We find this teaching in Matthew chapter 5 and include it under the theme of The Power of Love.

Many things clamour for our time, attention and resources, and from time to time we need to reflect on our life values and the direction in which we are going. I remember a time in my mid-20’s when I was doing all the things our culture told me I needed to do to be happy, yet felt unfulfilled, thinking ‘there must be more than this’. It took some shaking from God to get my attention, but I never did regret making a change of direction in order to follow Jesus Christ. Please make the effort and join us on a Sunday morning in the Lakeside Hall, Civic Centre, you are most welcome.

Do call in to our Quiet Room any time on a Sunday morning for some peace and quiet or the opportunity to talk with some of our helpful staff.

God bless you,

Rob Pearson, Pastor

Dear Friends, 

The 4 themes from our website: know yourself, know God, know us (the church in the community) and know more; form a progression that is at the heart of life making sense from a Christian perspective. I hope you can connect with these themes.

Our starting point is with self-awareness ‘know yourself’ and we are encouraging the real you to make a journey of self-discovery.

Sometimes we don’t like what we see, or what is under the surface or behind a ‘mask’ and can divert our focus (and other people’s) elsewhere.

Jesus said: ‘you will know the truth and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:32). I believe this means all kinds of truth, not just about Jesus Christ, but truth about ourselves, our inheritance in Christ, how the Kingdom of God works and also includes common sense.

The name Jesus Christ means ‘chosen rescuer’ and his work includes setting us free from everything that would hinder or hold us back from our potential in Christ, if we comply with him in this process.

For us to really love other people, we need to be able to love ourselves first (Matt 19:19). I believe those who are most at ease with themselves are of most help to other people. I do not mean perfect people, but those who gratefully accept who they are and see their incompleteness made perfect through Christ. God can actually use our limitations to bring glory to himself (2 Cor 12:9-10).

If this raises some issues in you that need’s help, please contact us, or call in our service or Quiet Room on Sunday morning.

God bless you,

Pastor Rob Pearson