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In this issue:
Worship in November.
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Mornings (11 am) |
Evenings (6.30 pm) |
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November 6th. |
Church Anniversary |
Meditations on the Body of Christ - Rev John Evans. |
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November 13th. |
Remembrance Sunday |
Rev John Evans. |
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November 20th. |
All-age Seeker Service. |
Margaret Thompson. |
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November 27th. |
Advent Sunday |
Youth Service. |
Toy Service. You are invited to bring toys/books to the morning service on November 27th, which could be used as Christmas gifts for children who can expect very little at such a special time of year. Please do NOT wrap these items but you might wish to supply some wrapping paper separately. These will all go to Birmingham City Mission who will be distributing the items. Thank you in anticipation.
Themes and readings for services:
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What makes a Church? |
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30th October 11am |
People who believe |
1 Thessalonians 1: 1 -10 |
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30th October 6.30pm |
People who work for God |
1 Thessalonians 2: 1 -16 |
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13th November 11am |
People who go and tell |
1 Thessalonians 2: 17 - 3: 13 |
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13th November 6.30pm |
People who love one another |
1 Thessalonians 4: 1 -12 |
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Be Ready | ||
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27th November 11am |
Don�t be surprised |
1 Thessalonians 4: 13 -5: 11 |
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4th December 11am |
Let the message be heard |
1 Thessalonians 5: 12 -28 |
A recent ramble.
November dates for your diary.
6th |
Church Anniversary and Gift Day |
8th | Fabric and Finance Ministry Team meeting |
11th | Night of Prayer at St John's Church |
12th | Concert at Harborne Baptist Church |
14th | Administry Team meeting |
14th | Women's Own - Speaker Ted Robertson |
14th | Deacons' meeting |
21st | Church Meeting |
28th | Women's Own - Speaker Hazel Nash |
Our Minister, Rev John Evans writes:
What makes a church?
My dear friends,
This is a relevant question in a month when we celebrate our Church Anniversary, which is on Sunday 6th November with Rev Neil Hall.
So then what makes a church? The answer is �people�! In the next few weeks we will be looking through 1 Thessalonians to see what kind of people make up the church. They are people who believe, who work for God, who go and tell, and people who love one another. We will then go on into Advent, still looking in 1 Thessalonians under the heading of �Be Ready�, with �Don�t be surprised� and �Let the message be heard�. You will find elsewhere in the magazine the dates, headings and Bible readings for these topics.
As the church is people, it is never going to be perfect. A man once said to a minister, �Your church is full of hypocrites!� �No� said the minister, �It�s not full of them, we still have room for more�. The Church will never be perfect, but we are a group of people who know their need of God and his forgiveness.
It is a place of fellowship. There is a story of a minister who went to visit a member who had lapsed from the fellowship. He was invited into the house and, as it was mid-winter, they sat together before a roaring fire. In the conversation that followed the lapsed member refused the pastor's urgent invitation to return to Church. He could live a good Christian life by himself, he said; why bother to come back? The minister made no verbal reply, but with the tongs removed a glowing coal from the blazing fire and placed it on the hearth by itself. Quickly the white heat changed to red, the red to black, then to ashy grey, and the coal was soon extinguished. As he watched the man was deeply impressed. �I shall be back next Sunday,� he said. We need each other!
Let us create a church where all are welcome and Jesus� presence can be experienced.
Your friend and minister,
John
Lindors is a charming 19th century country house, situated in the Welsh borders between Monmouth and Chepstow.
Church Weekend: 5th-7th May 2006
How do you fancy a sociable weekend in lovely countryside in a period property - Lindors Country House, Wye Valley, Glos?
We have 2 spare spaces booked for our church weekend for anyone who may have missed booking first time around. See Brenda Green for details.
It will soon be time for the next stage in our booking ie. confirming details regarding the allocation of rooms. I will be writing in due course to all those who have already booked about this and also about when further payment is due.
Jenny Smith works for the BMS World Missions teaching theology students in Budapest. It is the seventh year that Jenny has lived in Hungary's capital after spending three years there in the 1990s, returning as a BMS volunteer in 1998 and then training as a full-term BMS mission worker over the last year.
News from Jenny Smith in Budapest.
Busy, busy, busy. . . How come I am much busier now that I have a colleague with me in the language department? I have four English groups, and meet a colleague for extra English lessons, which adds up to eighteen hours of teaching in a week. The preparation takes a little longer than it used to, as I am teaching a new level, so it is new material for me. A greater number of students also means more marking. On Mondays and Thursdays I am in college from 8am to 5pm, with shorter days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I thought I would be able to use Friday for cleaning and the like, but it seems to be filled with preparing lessons for the following week. I love the teaching, but am also looking forward to a week off at the beginning of November, when Christa and I are planning to hire a car and go and visit the north of Hungary. �Weekends also seem to be full of additional activities, especially last weekend. On Friday afternoon we had the privilege of meeting Hans Guderain from the European Baptist Mission, who was here to plan a mission conference to take place in Budapest next May. It was interesting hearing what EBM is up to, and also talking about the increased interest in world mission among Hungarians. �
Saturday was a very special day, the occasion of the dedication of the new building for the gypsy church in Csobanka, in the hills to the north of Budapest. We arrived a little late, as Zoltan's car got a puncture just as it pulled up outside my flat. I wasn't too bothered, until I realised that Zoltan was due to cut the ribbon and let us all into the building. We phoned ahead and asked them to sing more songs outside first, until we arrived! Thus we drove into the square of the gypsy settlement, to see people crowded into the tiny garden in front of the little house, singing lively songs and filling the neighbourhood with music. After some prayers the ribbon was cut, and some of us were able to go into the church, but there was only room for about thirty people to sit down, so others stood around the edge, or crowded outside the doorway to hear what was going on. (If you would like pictures, please let me know. I have five good ones, about 1000Kb each.) �
The�preacher was Attila Melath, regional minister for the area, who spoke very inspiringly about the imperative for witnessing among our own communities and beyond. Just as he stood up to speak,�a mobile phone went off, and the owner rushed outside to take the call. Attila took the opportunity to ask�others to turn off their phones, and suggested they should always do this at the beginning of a meeting, to show their dedication to focussing on�what the Lord would say to them. He also commended those who had brought Bibles with them to church, and encouraged�more to do so. "If any of you haven't got one,�just tell us,�as�we can always give you free Bibles," he added. A heartfelt response from one of the men standing near the door: "Thank you in advance!"
During the greetings to the church, many took the opportunity to give testimonies. There was a man from a gypsy church in another village, who talked about how he had been in prison for fifteen years, for a worse crime than stealing, and had become a Christian while serving his sentence. On release from prison he was able to tell his wife for the first time in decades that he loved her, and he talked of how grateful he was that Jesus had saved him from his life of sin, adding his determination never to go back to it. "God is pleased with us gypsies today", he said. "The Bible tells us to come to God like children. The Roma people are the least of people everywhere, but here we are with others too, and God accepts us and loves us." �
As on my last visit to this congregation in January, the singing was lively and enthusiastic. After the service it was actually very difficult to get out through the door, because several men and a guitar were blocking the way. They sang everything from memory, their joy evident on their faces. The generosity of the people overflowed after the service, with plates of sandwiches and cakes that it was impossible to refuse. �
It would be hard to imagine a better building than the house they have bought and converted. It stands prominently on a little hill at the head of a long square in the centre of the settlement, on the corner of Peace Street and Freedom Hill. the bus stops right outside it, and I am sure everyone knows about it. Please pray for this community, especially as the believers witness to their families and neighbours and spread the news of Christ's peace and freedom. �
The following day I was visiting again, this time the church of one of the pastor's I had taught on the intensive summer course. This involved an hour into the countryside by train in time for the prayer meeting at 9.30am, then lunch with Bela and his family after the morning service. I couldn't stay for the afternoon service, as I had to be back in Budapest for an evening meeting of the committee organizing the next 30FK (Christian singles) party for 11th November. �
I am glad that life is full of so many interesting opportunities for sharing with and serving others, but also glad of the opportunity for rest soon!
Jenny
Pete and Lizz Maycock were members of Harborne Baptist Church, and are now working for BMS World Missions. They are in Thailand, in language study this year before starting work with the youth department of the Karen Baptist Convention.
Abigail Esther was born on 2nd November at 8.19pm. She weighed 3.095kg (6lb 8oz) and was 51 cm long! Abigail and her mum are both doing well.
News from Pete & Lizz in Thailand.
Football Focused
Did you know that... many of our Thai friends watched the England v. Poland game live on TV - despite the fact that it started at 1.45am?! We're still amazed by the huge popularity of big name English football stars here.� Some of our Thai friends put our general knowledge of football to shame!
We have now studied 4 weeks of the exam preparation course, and so Lizz will finish her formal language study next Wednesday.� Outside of school hours we've been helping a new Norwegian missionary family settle into life here in Bangkok.� It's nice to be the guides rather than the newcomers for once!� We've also enjoyed preparing for the baby's arrival, including attending antenatal classes and buying/ washing baby essentials etc.
Praise God for:
1) Our link churches
Last Sunday we had a live phone conversation with Fleet Baptist Church, and it was so encouraging to be reminded of the many people who are faithfully praying for us and supporting us.� Praise God for His worldwide church and our dependence on each other to do His work.
2) Christ Church Karen Congregation
Pete was invited to speak at Christ Church's Karen service, and it was great to see young Karen people worshipping and eager to study the Bible together. Many had come to the 10 am service straight after finishing their night shifts, so they did really well to stay awake!� We met a young Bible school graduate called Laporn who had been praying for God to show her a way to get involved with the KBC youth work in the north.� Perhaps God has a plan for us to work together in the future?
Please pray for:
1) Sua
We mentioned this 18 year old Karen Christian young man some time ago.� He remains extremely ill in a Bangkok hospital, but he is at least now receiving treatment for his aplastic anaemia.� Please pray for Sua and his mother Hellier, that they will continue to put their trust in God as they face each difficult day.
2) Health
With 18 days to go until the due date, please continue to pray for Lizz and the baby!� Pray for a quick journey to the hospital (which takes from 25 minutes to 2 hours depending on the traffic!) and a safe delivery.
Since receiving this e-mail, Lizz has had given birth to Abigail , see the picture opposite.
3) The BMS Thailand Action Team
We haven't met them yet, but 4 young people from the UK arrived here last Saturday to begin their gap year in various projects across the north of Thailand.� Pray for them as they adjust to a new culture, language, food etc!� Their names are: Hannah, Hannah, Emma and Francesca.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support, we will try to keep you informed of any news as soon as we can.
With our love & prayers,
Pete, Lizz & and ever-expanding bump
"We are his house, built on the foundations of the apostles and the prophets.� And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself" Ephesians 2:20
Susan Caddy is working for BMS World Missions. She is in Albania.
News from Susan Caddy in Albania.
Dear Friends,
Yet again I wrote this email several weeks ago and then never got it sent out. Please forgive me for the lack of contact since I have been back and please pray for the Baptismal service this Sunday 9th Oct.
It was lovely to see so many of you whilst I was in the UK over the summer. I enjoyed visiting my BMS link churches (and I am looking forward to visiting churches in the Swansea area in Feb 2006), thank you all for your welcome and support. I also enjoyed spending some time at home with Mum and Dad and a weeks holiday with a friend. I have now been back in Albania for a month. A friend from my church in Nottingham travelled back with me and spent a week with me meeting people and finding out a bit more about my life here. Less than a week after she left 'the other Susan' arrived!!
Having finished a year at the BMS IMC training centre, SUSAN LODGE (or 'the other Susan' or 'the second Susan' or 'small Susan' or 'slodge'! It really is very confusing for everyone, especially as we had two Graham's in Vlora not so long ago.) has come to Vlora in order to study Albanian before moving up to Tirana around next Easter in order to teach at the GDQ school for missionaries children. She has settled into daily lessons and language helper and homework very quickly. We managed to get all of the necessary documents together and her application for a Residence permit made quite quickly (this has involved a two day trip to Tirana including a visit to the British Embassy and lots of trips to Notery's and the police station). I collected my renewed permit yesterday.
From what I hear summer in Vlora was a hot one and a crowded one. I haven't heard any official statistics but those that I have heard estimate that there were at least 35,000 extra people in Vlora. Family and friends from elsewhere in Albania or now living abroad. Numbers at Sunday and Wednesday meetings seem to have held up well, and whilst numbers aren't everything they are encouraging, especially with so many of our students being away for the summer. We are beginning to see those unfortunate enough to have totake resits. Albanian schools started back today and the traffic has been noticeably heavier. Other church news includes the birth of Juliana and Flamur's baby Daniel and Arjan and Erida (an Albanian pastor and his wife who spent the most part of the last academic year in America) worshipping with us, whilst they wait to start their own ministry, and offering to lead the music in our Sunday services.
One big answer to prayer but also an ongoing prayer point is for Enela's baptism. This special baptism is planned for 9th October and Enela's friend Prema (BMS missionary in Vlora from 1994-1997) who first shared the gospel with her will be coming. Please pray for Enela and for her husband Edi and the rest of her family including her 3 boys Daniel, Rubin and Henrik.
Over the next few months I will continue my work with the Women's health centre, probably do a church ladies group meeting or two, carry on with bible studies etc and general involvement with the church. I am also looking forward to going as the BMS representative to the annual meetings of AEP (the umbrella organisation for Protestant mission groups in Albania) in Macedonia from 11th-15th October.
Thanks for your support.
With love from Susan