a belated birthday message

14 February is our birthday. On that same day in 2011, we launched our worship resourcing library – www.thesanctuarycentre.org/whereworldandworshipmeet  We have taken to celebrating by sharing God’s love with Ilkley. And this year so much joy and time went into this that  our birthday was pretty much eclipsed by that mesaage. This was exactly how it should have been! But now we’re passed the busyness and the window art has come down, it felt fitting to take some time to celebrate in another important  way…

wwawm pebble shot

We want to celebrate by taking stock – just briefly – of four years of resourcing before we carry on with what we believe will be many more.

In the kingdom, numbers are often meaningless, so we’re often reluctant to talk about them – especially on this blog. We want everything we do to simply be about obedient actions motivated by love.And we want this to be our constant vision – to obey with love – rather than to set our focus on impact.

But there is a time and a place for looking at numbers as prompts to praise, milestones in our journey and tangible glimpses of the heart change we hope we are part of inspiring.

And today is that time… This week our stats for February came in and we want to just pause for one moment to rejoice at all our website’s thanks and praise inducing numbers… just like the Old Testament tradition of recounting prayers, one by one we want to re-count these glimpses of what God has done in and through us:

4 years of resourcing

More than 0.6 million unique visits in total and tens of thousands of downloads.

A current average of between 20,000 and 25,000 unique visits each month from people representing thousands of different churches in the UK and beyond.

More than 300 free worship resources currently available to download from our online library.

Dozens of which have been commissioned, used or championed by others working for justice to help strengthen their message, including Christian Aid, Age UK, Open Doors, CASC-Aid and the URC’s Commitment for Life scheme.

Scores more messages of thanks received for specific songs and prayer resources and how they have helped people connect with God and his heart for each one in seven billion he so loves.

Several extra precious messages of thanks from Christians in countries experiencing crises that we have written prayers for, who have found them and been so encouraged by them.

A vibrant physical and virtual community of hundreds of pray-ers, creators and contributors behind it all – and all of them giving everything for free in reflection of what they have received.

And one constant, shared inspiration through it all…

Thank you Jesus!

And thank you all…

Here’s to year five of the Sanctuary’s work. We pray it will take us all further towards the place where world and worship meet.

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