The service started with a time of joyful praise and worship, followed by a few people sharing about things that God has done for them recently.
The guest speaker was Colin Evans from the Haven Christian Centre in Pembroke. He spoke about Jesus' teaching to His disciples (followers) that they were to be 'the salt of the earth' (Matthew 5v13). He said that the Welsh word for 'pupil', 'dysgybl', is the same word as 'disciple', and challenged us as to whether we really are true followers of Jesus, willing to learn from Him as His students.
Salt was held in high esteem in Roman times - the Roman soldiers were even paid partly in salt sometimes, and the word 'salary' comes from it.
He pointed out three aspects of salt which can have lessons for us today. Like salt's purity, so as Jesus' disciples we should be good examples of living pure lives, maintaining high standards of honesty, diligence and morality. Salt is a preservative and antiseptic, and as Christians we have a responsibility to affect people's behaviour around us by our words and actions. We can bring God's perspective into conversations. Salt adds flavour as a seasoning, and we should enhance and 'flavour' the lives of those around us. We can help to make things better for people, both in this life and also prepare them for life after death.
Jesus warned that salt could lose its flavour and then was useless and would be thrown out. So we must be careful not to become contaminated by continual wrong doing so that we become useless in God's service.
The church website is emmanuelgospelministries.org, and Pastor Jonathan Fiddy is available to talk to on (01834) 871975. CDs of the messages can be bought for £1. All are warmly invited to a barn dance in the church hall on Friday, February 27, at 7.30 pm, tickets £5 with all proceeds going to the Christian charity Release International.