19th December 2010

Talk based on Isaiah 9:2-7. A Child is Born - the names of Jesus.
Jane Thorington Hassell speaks at the VPBC all age service and ask us to consider the various names Jesus is given.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

12th December 2010

As part of the third sermon in the advent series, JTH continued to talk on the theme of Sharing the light and in particular, 'Sharing the fruit of Christ's victory'. Victory in the form of liberation from darkness leading to our enjoyment of the fruits of joy and peace.

Reading Isaiah 9:1-7

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

5th December 2010

Jane continued the second in the series of Advent sermons “ share the light”by re-visiting Isaiah 9:1-7 in looking at those things God frees us from. Liberating us from greed and the powers of those things that oppress and imprison the human spirit from within and without.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

VPBC Sermon 28th Nov 2010

JTH Spoke on the theme 'SHARE the light' as part of the first in a series of four Advent talks.

She spoke about the returning of christ and of people who have walked in the darkness have seen the light.


Reading - Isaiah 9:1-7


Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

21st November 2010

Ken Donaldson, CEO from Crossroads Counselling Service ( one of our linked charities)
spoke to Isaiah 61:1-3, the founding scripture of the organisation, and then of the Good Samaritan via John 10:10. He explains how the outreach element of Crossroads helps fulfil this expression of mission and service in our borough of Tower Hamlets.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

7th November 2010

Jane spoke about Peter and Cornelius and crossing boundaries. As we all live parallel lives we have to intentionally make cross over points.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

24th October 2010

Jane spoke to the challenge and God's desire for a multi cultural ( not just an international ) church which shows the manifold(multi coloured) wisdom of God achieved through the death of Christ on the cross. The reading was from Ephesians 2:10-16 and verse 18.

VPBC Sermon 17th Oct 2010

JTH spoke about oppression suffered by the Hebrews under King Pharoah's rule. She went on to talk about 'building bricks without straw', and the chrsitian request to the lord to provide straw so that we may build.


Reading from Exodus 5:6-19


Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

10th October 2010

Building Outreach & Belonging. Jane continued the theme and spoke from Philippians and the need to reach out to others.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

3rd October 2010

Geoff spoke on the third of a series of three sermons looking at the conversion stories in the Roman colony of Phillipi as a basis for looking at the mission and outreach paradigms they illustrate in building a " church from scratch." This week the hardest and most difficut of the tales in tersm of reaching urban commmunities. Breaking into the institutions of urban life, and the jailor's tale from Acts 16:16-34.

26th September 2010

Guess who's coming to dinner. Jane Thorington Hassell spoke from Luke 14:7-14 on the need to share with others and not just invite our friends.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

19th September

Jane spoke from Ephesians about praying together. Paul argues that as people from different backgrounds accessed God through Jesus and the help of the Holy Spirit they built a “spiritual building that God would live in.” The challenge was specific. Are we praying together?If not then what are we really building ?

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

12th September

Jane spoke from Matt 22;1-14 concerning the Jesus parable about the wedding banquet and v9 “ go to the street corners and invite to the banquet everyone you find.” There are empty places at God's table and we are to go with the invitation to everyone to come and eat with us at God's table. Outreach is based on love for God and love for people. One of the reason for the churches decline in the UK is the over dependence on paid ministers. Everyone of us can invite others.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

5th Sep 2010

GTH spoke about the clash between God's Kingdom and the desire for people to make financial gains.


Reading - Acts 16:16-24


Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

29th August 2010

Jane spoke to 2 Cor 2:14 to 1-3 in looking at the idea of being “ Living letters .“ Of the different ways God uses for Christians to be scattered into the world often around wider political and economic circumstances and that the Holy Spirit writes the ink in our lives as letters to be read by those around us in reflecting God's perfect “ living letter” Jesus as God's word to us.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

15th August 2010

Becca Suknenko continues the churches theme for the year of Building Outreach & Belonging. This week the scripture is Acts 8:v26-40 and the title is faith on the move. Philip on the Road to Gaza. How God used ordinary people to share this message to the world.

22nd Aug 2010

Rebecca spoke on this years theme BOB (building, outreach, belonging)this weeks title was "Faith on the move" Rebecca used Pauls visit to Athens, using the passage from Acts 17:16-34.

1st Aug 2010

JTH continued the theme of building at ground level. This time focussing on the household church, talking about the physical home and the progression of Jesus' word from person to person, from home to home.



Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

25th July 2010

JTH continued the theme on builing by talking about ordniary people being called by Jesus to build up from from ground level.

Reading
1 Cor 1:26-31
Mark 12:37

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

18th July 2010

Geoff Thorington-Hassell continues the churches theme for the year of Building Outreach & Belonging. This weeks the scripture is Acts 16:11-30 and the title is Ground breaking. This looks at issues around outreach and in examining the church built from scratch at Phillipi and particularity the story of Lydia from Thyatira.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

11th July 2010

Jane spoke to Philippians 2 continuing on from the session on 2 Peter last week looking at building stone on stone. Here Paul talks about three works :
(v12) each of us working to “complete” our salvation
(v13) God is always working in you and
(v14) we are to work with and for other believers .
Lastly how all these work together to build community.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

4th July 2010

Jane spoke to 2 Peter 1:2-11 looking the patient long term nature of building Christian character into our personalities and how to avoid destructive collapse of our Christian life. Putting our faith in Jesus needed to be followed through by going further to diligently build our lives, actions and ways of thinking that are pleasing to God.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

27th June 2010

Mark O' Sullivan speaks about the work of his wife, Penny and his family in Bulgaria, helping to support and integrate disabled children in to communities in Bulgaria.

Mark and Penny are BMS workers in Bulgaria where they have worked with theie 3 children for several years.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

20th June

Chris Andre Watson from BMS continues the churches theme of Building Outreach & Believing. He speaks on the subject of the bigger picture highlighting the need to see God's vision and grand design for mission which reaches and reconciles others.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

13th June 2010

Jane continued with a short series on Building with Promise looking at what Jesus said in Matthew 16: 18 around building a gathered people (church) and that the gates of Hades will not be a barrier to what He is building. While God is working out his Promise through the generations and will complete it we still need to choose to learn faithfulness and understand our part in building the people of God.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

23rd May 2010

Geoff spoke to Ephesians 4:1-13 asking the question “ Are you a party animal?” In celebrating Pentecost it needs to be seen in the context of the Ascension where we are now caught up in the victory parade of Christ and the subsequent pouring out of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Paul in quoting from Psalm 68 sets the framework of what,how and why the gifts are given to God's redeemed community.

6th June 2010

Becca continued our theme of Building Outreach Belonging, speaking on Building with Promise based on Matthew 21:28-32, and exploring our integrity, honesty, and witness.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website.

30th May 2010

Jane spoke on Nehemiah 8:1-12 focusing on the substance and source of joy within the Christian life.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

16th May 2010

Jane continued the month long focus on giving within the overall Believing Outreach and Belonging. Looking at the Jesus manifesto recorded in Luke 4:13-30 Jane outlined the dangers and consequences of being overwhelmed by the mission task and human needs. To remedy this is to make an action plan for giving,doing receiving. Noting that whereas the needs are so great we need to prioritise who do we give to and go to. That while we cant do everything that needs doing we can keep a better balance by working this through with God's people.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

9th May 2010

Jane continued the theme of Building Outreach and Belonging. This week she spoke on the theme of Giving to God, from Matt 26:6-13

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

2nd May 2010

Rebecca spoke on the subject of giving from Luke 21:1-4 looking at the widows mite in the context of Mark 12:28-34 in response to the question to Jesus “which is the most important commandment ?

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website.

25th April 2010

Jane spoke on Hebrews1:1,2 and 3;1-6 in continuing a short series in “firm footings.” This week looking at vocation and in working with others in faithful service.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website.

18th April 2010

Jane Thorington-Hassell spoke on the theme of BOB, this weeks talk was around building on rock (Jesus) Jane used the passage from Matthew 7, 24-29.

11th April 2010

Geoff spoke on I Thessalonians 5:1-11 about the scaremongering and speculation around the “end of the world.” Aside from this is the teaching in scripture on the “ Second Coming” of Jesus, the dangers Christians can fall into of being asleep and what we are invited to build in the “ light of day” of what will happen.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

4th April 2010

Easter Sunday service. Jane spoke on Luke 23: 44-46 on the resurrection theme of “ breakout.” Jane detailed the measures to ensure that neither the disciples or anyone else were able to steal the body. Yet in reality nobody broke in,but Jesus broke out – not as in a prison drama but as act of God. The stone is rolled away not to let Jesus out but for people to see in- He is already risen! We no longer need to cling to the past but embrace the future.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

28th March 2010

Palm Sunday all age talk from Georgina involving a good donkey joke and a reminder of both the comfort and danger of crowds

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

21st March 2010

Jane spoke from Paul's letter to the Ephesians (Chpt 2:20 -3:11). Intrinsic to God's wise planning for a redeemed humanity is the weaving together of a multicoloured, multi racial, multi cultural peoples as a piebald and beautiful tapestry – God's new community.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

14th March 2010

Rebecca spoke about “giving up or selling out.” Drawing the distinction in our imitation of Christ that it is not so much giving up certain things but surrendering everything and being obedient to God. That in our giving authority to God it is based on the confidence and trust in God's love for us.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

7th March 2010

Jane spoke to the parable of Jesus in Luke 14:25-33 concerning what Jesus taught about counting the cost before you build. How do we draw up the “cost benefit analysis” of the real cost of true discipleship when the entry fee is nothing but life membership is everything ? In this summons to put Jesus as pre pre-eminent in all our relationships is also to be aware of the excuses people make as illustrated in the Great Banquet invitation of Luke 14:15 to 24.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

28th February 2010

Geoff summarized the journey to date for the first two months as we reach the half way stage as regards the Building part of BOB. He then looked at Jesus teaching on prayer in Matthew 6;5-15 in the context of living stones and the need, role and place of forgiveness in building “ God's new community”

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

21st February

Georgina continued the theme of Building Outreach and Belonging, she speaks of the Nehemiah and focuses on the gates around the city.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

14th February 2010

Jane spoke to 1 Peter 1 & 2;1-10 getting rid of the stuff that contaminates the building using the challenges facing the building of the Olympics in ground preparation as an illustration. The talk identified those things from the text that harm others and moving to actively decontaminating our relationships and to then choosing what nourishes and builds up.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

7th February 2010

Building with living stones draws its title from the text 1 Peter 2:1-10. The senior pastor Jane highlights that God is building towards a new heaven and earth established at Christ’s return and that we can cooperate with Him in the here and now in that design and build. While no living stone is rejected it is about people and relationships built the right way as lives are genuinely offered to Christ to let ourselves be used in the building of the kingdom. We are stuck together with a purpose to build a living community on Jesus as the living stone.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

31st January 2010

The reading is from 1 Cor 3:10-23 looking at what will inform the assessment of the quality of our work which will be tested by God as by fire. The heat will show its true mettle, but if our foundation is built on Christ we are accepted whatever the eventual build quality what is produced. The preacher is Rebecca Suknenko.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

24th January 2010

Continuing in the series of Building, Outreach Belonging this talk by Jane takes further the question of what we are building with by looking at mercy. The passage is from Dives and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)and high lights that eternity begins now and that God’s transformation of a new heaven and earth will import the good, noble and honourable as part of the legacy of kingdom work done in the here and now.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

17th January 2010

Jane examines the centrality of Jesus and the resurrection as the basis for us being built into a temple in our relationship as living stones. To ask the question what are we building and what principles should govern us. As part of an answer to this was the central place of justice and the need to build God’s way or it will not last ( Psalm 127).

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

10th January 2010

Georgina spoke on the lessons in re building the walls from Nehemiah in the BOB series. The talk looks at the place of evaluation, rebuilding and perseverance in our lives and the nature of prayer.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website

3rd January 2010

Jane began the series for the year 2010 looking at Building, Outreach, Belonging (BOB). Unsurprisingly Christ as the only the Foundation, 1 Cor 3:9-11 became the starting point and developing on from the 12 steps in following Jesus from the previous year.


Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the VPBC website