“There is probably no God.”

Leeds’ buses are part of the £140,000 campaign.

Probably? – statistics are funny things, especially when talking about the past.

The chance of you reading this page is about 200 in (the number of page hits to date) in 6,800,000,000 (the population of the world) – but the fact is you are reading it!

We at Roundhay Evangelical Church believe the evidence points overwhelmingly to a real, loving creator who came into history as Jesus Christ. We are happy to talk about why, and how our lives have been changed by coming into a meaningful relationship with this God.

If you live in the Roundhay area, and would like to engage with a group of rational, friendly, open, ordinary people who have found God to be a reality, then send us an email or come along and meet us! Or listen to Paul Hinton’s sermon.

Here are the words and audio to Cara’ song which we have sung in a couple of recent services.
(Right click here to download the file.)

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Before Your glory
we sought our own
with pride deciding what we’d do.
In love and mercy
You left your throne
and died to bring us back to You.
Freed from darkness
we’re now running for the light
upholding what we’ve come
to know is true.

Heirs of Your kingdom
we’re called to serve,
deny ourselves and follow You.
In this new freedom
we don’t deserve
may You be seen in all we do;
keep us faithful;
Your word dwelling in our hearts
that we may live a life
that pleases you.

We will go with Your message of salvation
we will go spread the one hope for this nation
we will go shining in this generation, holding out the word of Life.

In this new mission
Spirit and Word
are the two weapons we’ve received.
Give us compassion
for those who’ve heard
but live refusing to believe.
Grant them wisdom,
Lord please open up their eyes
that they may know the hope
you’ve called them to.

We will go with Your message of salvation
we will go spread the one hope for this nation
we will go shining in this generation, holding out the word of Life.

Men: Live for God, Speak for Christ…
Women: How can they call on the one that they have not believed in?
How can they believe if they have never heard?
And how will they hear if there is no one out there preaching?
If we don’t live for God, speak for Christ each day?

The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), a network of approximately 500 churches across the country, produces a prayer diary each month with daily suggestions for praying for the FIEC, and FIEC churches. The prayer diary for January 2008 is available online.

This poem was used in a children’s talk in a recent Sunday morning service…

I met a man from Mars today, a very jolly fellow:
He looked like you or me, except his ears were green and yellow.

Now Martians are quite rare round here, they very seldom come,
But this one had dropped in to buy a present for his Mum.
“Well bless my soul”, I cried, “Your timing’s perfect for that reason,
“For this is what we earthling shoppers call the Christmas season.”

“And what is that?” my alien chum inquired in curiosity.
“A time of great importance”, I replied with some velocity.
A time of peace, goodwill to men, and joy”, said I, and such
“At least, that’s what it used to be, but I don’t get out much.”

“I’ll find out for myself”, said he, with bold determination:
My guide book says the shop’s the place of worship in your nation.”
So off he went into the town in search of revelation,
And soon returned, his face suffused with rich illumination.

“I’ve found it out”, my friend declared, “my joy is unrestricted,
“For there, on little printed cards, the story was depicted.
It’s all about a reindeer, and a rabbit, and some kittens,
And sweet Victorian children dressed in long red coats and mittens.”

“I can’t be sure of all the facts, but this much I can say:
The hero is a man in red who rides a flying sleigh.
I’m not sure where it all takes place, or where they have to go,
But I think it must be Norway, ’cause it’s five feet deep in snow.”

“The red man has a glass of wine, and must have had a drop of it,
For soon a pudding fills the skies, with holly stuck on top of it.
The pudding lands besides a roaring fire with flames and coal in it,
And there’s a little robin: yes, he plays a major role in it.”

“I’m still puzzled as to where the reindeer goes;
I think he must have caught a cold – he’s got a big red nose.
But now I’ve worked out all clues, the story is quite shocking:
The red man killed the robin in the fireplace, with the stocking.”

“No, no”, I cried, “You’ve got it wrong, it’s not a murder mystery.
It’s all about the birth of Christ, the turning point of history!
God heard our broken hearts, and saw the suffering of our fall.
He sent his Son into the world, who came to save us all.”

“Well, if that’s true, my friend replied, “you are a funny lot.
To take a thing like that and turn it into what it’s not.
The greatest story ever told in all of space or time
You’ve made it into nonsense: now that’s what I call a crime.”

“You must be mad”, the stranger said, “and if it’s all the same,
I’ll get back on my saucer and go home the way I came.”
He shook his head, and sadly said a last farewell to me.
And that is why you’ll never have a Martian come to tea.

Luke 2:8-20