Life Church Doncaster

08/09/2026

Our Growing In God children's group on Sundays received their new memory verse for this month, and we love it 💕😍

Why not join our children in memorising it!

07/09/2026

Monday Meditation: “Victory Over Death”

Our meditation for today might initially seem a little macabre, but as death comes to us all we ought not to ignore it nor deny that we do think about it, especially as we grow older. While not denying the grief that death brings to loved ones – and Jesus wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus – the Bible gives us a solid hope that for those “in Christ”, death is not the end but a fresh beginning.

Paul is clear in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor.15) that for Christians, death of the physical body is only the doorway to a new and more glorious phase of life. Like a seed, “The body that is sown is perishable, it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15;42-44).

How can we be sure of this? Because “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). The arguments for Jesus coming back to life have been presented many times and, in summary, the evidence points to a miraculous resurrection followed by a glorious ascension. There were many witnesses and the birth of the church was possible because the disciples were transformed from defeat and despair to overwhelming confidence in Jesus, who is “The Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn.14:6).

Perhaps we all have those moments when we ask ourselves “Is this all there is to life?” When we wonder what we are here for and whether life has any deeper meaning, then the Bible gives us the bigger picture, that this life is just the antechamber to a glorious eternity. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house there are many rooms … I am going there to prepare a place for you” (Jn.14:2). When we marvel at the beauty of the created world, we can only imagine how gloriously “out of this world” our heavenly home will be.

Sometimes the experience of growing old is literally a pain; sometimes a life is lost tragically early. But with the love of God and his faithfulness and power to keep us secure, we can be completely free of fear along with “those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Heb.2:15). As Paul declares, “Where O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?” (1 Cor.15:55).

07/09/2026

Sunday Recap

Acts 1

It was great to welcome new faces to Life Church this Sunday, to worship together and to start our new sermon series on the book of Acts.

Pastor Dan shared from chapter 1 that God uses:
- imperfect people (like many of the first apostles, including Peter)
- who are completely committed (like Joseph who didn't get picked, but carried on showing up, becoming a preacher and a martyr)
- to the purposes of God (whether that's in our local community or further afield)

As a church and individuals are we completely committed to the purpose God has given us?

Have we ruled ourselves out because we're not perfect?

Why not reflect on these questions in your home groups and with your friends and family this week, before we look at Acts chapter 2 next Sunday.

06/09/2026

05/09/2026

Everyone is welcome at our Sunday Services!

Visitors can expect a warm welcome 🤗 so please don't worry if you've never been to church before or haven't been for a long time.

Here's what to expect:
- a free car park at the community centre if you're driving
-a friendly face at the door to show you in to the hall
-a service where one of our team will welcome you, we will sing some worship songs together, share notices of our activities and groups and then hear a talk from the Bible to encourage and inspire you.
-special group for children called "Growing in God" so they can learn about God together through crafts, fun and games
-free tea and coffee afterwards and the chance to get to know others

If you have other questions you'd like to ask before you come, just pop them below 👇

Who will you invite?

04/09/2026

One Church: Bhutan (Open Doors World Watch List #34)

How are Christians persecuted in Bhutan?

• Most people in Bhutan are Buddhists, and those who decide to become Christians are treated with suspicion at best.
• No churches are officially recognised by the state, so Christians must meet secretly in their homes. These small gatherings are ‘illegal’, leaving the Christians vulnerable to criminal penalties.
• No Christian groups are allowed to worship publicly, own property, raise funds, conduct outreach activities or import Christian literature.
• Evangelistic activities are banned and can lead to imprisonments of up to three years.
• In Bhutan, village authorities have the power to administer a a ‘non-objection certificate’ to confirm that the individual in question is a good citizen. This certificate is needed for things like loan and job applications. Christians may be denied this, which can add to the discrimination and isolation they experience.
• Although they face many challenges, Christians in Bhutan are bravely continuing to follow Jesus. One young believer, Suman*, shares, “Despite [persecution], I have joy in my heart. I have experienced God’s blessings and His presence in my life.”

What has changed in Bhutan in the past year?

• Bhutan has risen two places in the World Watch List, reflecting how the hostility facing many of its Christians has increased marginally over the past year.
• The pressure to conform to the prevailing Buddhist culture, together with tight controls by the authorities, means life is still very challenging for the country’s tiny community of believers.

Please pray.

Heavenly Father, remind our family in Bhutan today of how loved they are by You, and the special purposes You have for each of them, even amidst persecution. Strengthen their joy, enlarge their hope, build their faith. Provide fresh opportunities for believers to gather, and lead them to people who are seeking You. May Christians find favour with individuals of influence, like monks and officials, and use these relationships to build Your church in Bhutan. Amen.

Read more here > www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/bhutan

03/09/2026

Life Church will be collecting donations for the DN7 foodbank this coming Sunday morning. Please think about what you could bring to help those in difficult circumstances.

02/09/2026

The next Passion for Doncaster City Wide Worship event will be on Sunday 6th September at 6.00pm at Powerhouse Christchurch on Thorne Road, DN1 2HG.

The guest speaker will be Dan Hargreaves from Alive Church in Lincoln.

31/08/2026

Monday Meditation: “Soft Hearts, Thick Skin”

My children are now grown up and living independent lives. They seem to have safely made the difficult and hazardous transition from infancy to adulthood, for which I am grateful to God. Just as books about parenthood are no substitute for learning on the job, so there’s no really foolproof guide to how to survive as an adult, apart from God’s Word. It’s something we continue learning until we run out of time.

One aspect of maturity that seems to be a challenge is how to develop what is the title of this meditation – soft hearts and thick skin. To get the balance wrong can mean having both a soft and responsive heart but also being quick to be offended and easily hurt, or being resilient when attacked or rejected but also callous and unfeeling for others.

God wants us to have soft hearts. He spoke to Ezekiel about how his people would have a new heart and a new spirit; “I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek.36:26). We read how Jesus “has borne our griefs and has carried our sorrows and pains” (Is.53:4 AMP); how he was “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Heb.4:15). He wants his followers to have the same heart of love towards others, whoever they may be. Consider “Hosanna” by Hillsong, which has these challenging lines: “Heal my heart and make it clean. Open my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like you have loved me. Break my heart for what breaks yours. Everything I am for your kingdom’s cause, as I walk from earth to eternity.”

And yet we are only human and very vulnerable to the emotional shrapnel flying around our walk through life. We could so easily be hurt and so need to have some sort of protection, a thick skin to deflect the put-downs, discouraging words and outright animosity we encounter. The Lord sent his disciples out to share the gospel in places that didn’t always offer them a welcome and a listening ear. They would encounter rejection and Jesus gave them this advice: “If someone won’t welcome you or listen to your message, leave … and shake the dust from your feet at them” (Mat.10;14 CEV).

We need to know God’s love for us is unchangeable and infinite and that it can always neutralise any hurtful criticism or opposition we face, when we are living for God. Jesus is effectively saying “move on”, don’t let someone else’s behaviour undermine your confidence or your calling in God.

Lord God, give us a heart of flesh to love others as you love them, and give us a thick skin so our destiny and our divine calling in you is not derailed by anyone else. Amen.

(To hear “Hosanna” by Hillsong click here > https://tinyurl.com/2dve3fnk)

31/08/2026

We had a great time at the Hit the Road event in Stainforth yesterday.

The weather stayed sunny 🌞 !

Pray that we had some significant contacts🙏