The theme for the Village Festival on Saturday 9th June is “Heroes and Heroines”. No doubt, in the procession we will be reminded of some real-life heroes as well as some fictional super-heroes. Fictional super-heroes tend to each have some super-power: Spiderman can climb vertical walls; Superman can fly; etc.

Real-life heroes are often famed for their courage in the face of danger, their perseverance against opposition or their strength of character.

However, there is one real person who stands out as the greatest hero ever: • He taught great wisdom; • He loved the outcasts; • He healed the sick; • He gave sight to the blind; • He gave hearing to the deaf; • He raised the dead.

After doing all these things, he was willing to suffer and die as an innocent man in place of the guilty. But even that was not the end – on the third day after he was buried, he rose from death.

This great real hero is Jesus Christ.

The really good news is that Jesus loves every man, woman and child, and he longs for us to know and receive his love.

Come and meet us on our stall at the Village Festival to receive a free gift. The gift is a paper heart which is impregnated with seeds – so that you can plant it in a pot and flowers will grow from it. The heart is a symbol of Jesus’ love for us. The seeds and the flowers that will grow from them are a symbol of the new life which Jesus offers to each of us. The paper heart will be accompanied by a newspaper of Good News (including the planting instructions for the heart).

On Sunday 10th June at 10:30am, we are holding a special Village Festival Service at the Baptist Church to which you are invited. This will be a celebration of Jesus, our hero, and what he means to each of us today. We would love it if you could join us on this special occasion – the church is on the High Street at the Golf Course end. You would also be welcome to join us at any of our regular Sunday services.