February 8 marked a new chapter in the life of Aigburth Community Church (ACC), Liverpool with the commissioning of Sam Osborne as their new assistant pastor.
Sam, his wife Jenny and their two-month-old son Luke moved up to Liverpool at the end of December to begin life in this new role. Previously Sam had been working for St Helen’s Bishopsgate overseeing their children’s ministry. With over 50 under-11s regularly attending Aigburth each Sunday, and similar numbers at the Friday after-school club, there is plenty of scope for Sam’s experience to be put to good use in this new setting.
Against the ‘Yes Men’
Andrew Sach preached from 1 Kings 22.1-40 an excellent sermon entitled ‘Micaiah v the Yes Men’, drawing out the choice that Ahab had between what he knew was true and what he wanted to be true. He warned of how easy it is to find religious teachers who will tell a congregation what they want to hear and charged Sam to stick with Scripture and have Micaiah’s attitude: ‘As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak’ (v14). Andrew also explained how much easier it will be for Sam to be like Micaiah if the church family are asking for wisdom and ready to hear and change in light of the answer, unlike Ahab.
