Focus
Tottenham Baptist Church Magazine
August/September 2003
Dear Friends,
When I was minister at Weston-super-Mare I had a
Sabbatical, and used it to complete a book I was writing. Since I did not want to go to Milton on a
Sunday, lest I become involved in pastoral problems, I determined to worship at
a different church each Sunday.
One Sunday I was inspired to praise God with a Salvation
Army band. Another week I worshipped in
quiet meditation with the Quakers. I
worshiped with the ìsmells and bellsî brigade, and with the ecstatic enthusiasm
of the Elim congregation. I shared in the open Bible ministry and Breaking of
Bread with the Brethren, and in the formal worship of Matins and Evensong. It was all Christian worship, and all were
valid before God. I did not feel
equally at home in each place, for I had been brought up in one particular form
of worship, but I recognised that truth and beauty, reverence and enthusiasm,
freedom and order, music and silence can all have a place in worship. But it is well neigh impossible to have all
those elements together at the same time!
C.H. Spurgeon was brought up in a tradition where
the only music in church was that of the human voice. A pitch pipe was used to give the note and the congregation sung
unaccompanied. The Victorian age was the time for building large churches, and
in many Free Churches great new organs were built. When the Metropolitan Tabernacle was built Spurgeon refused to
have an organ. But with the two great
galleries it was impossible to use the old pitch pipe, so he eventually allowed
a grand piano into the building.
Changing situations and changing times meant new musical forms and new
instrumentation.
I write this because in our own little way the music
in Tottenham is changing. We now have a
music and singing group. At the same
time our organ is in need of repair. We
must be careful not to believe there is one way to worship, and one alone. We must be sensitive to the cultural needs
of our day. We must not be bound by
tradition, nor carried along by the whims of fashion. We must be a people alive to God, enthusiastic in worship, and
longing to be fed from His Word.
God bless you all and have a very good holiday
season.
Roger Collins
 |
At the Farewell Service for Pauline Peart on 28th May an address was delivered by Malcolm and a thanksgiving for her life was given by Haringey Peace Alliance's Rev Nims Obunge, who signalled that Pauline's death will not be in vain as we act on the effect of weapons in our neighbourhoods. Do please continue to uphold Mrs Shirley Peart in your prayers.
We are conscious of the need of a transformation in Tottenham as recently Mrs May Richard had been robbed and Mrs Hilda Gosling burglarised. Nevertheless, they both went through these incidents relatively unscathed and with limited loss, although surely May would benefit from your prayers for continued healing of a sore wrist.
There was a pleasant reception for newcomers at TBC by the Pastoral Care Team on 15th June following the morning service, as a ìget to know youî gathering. The Care Group initiated this new effort and many have expressed the hope that there would be more to come. Hannah Deveneaux and Florence Nwaijande both pointed out their desire to join us as members, so let's rejoice and pray they soon may!
Congratulations to our former pastor Malcolm and wife Maria, who has had baby Anna Joy born on June 13th at 6 lbs 8 oz! A second baby was born to Tony and Catherine Ortega in America on July 20th at 5:44 am UK time, possibly to be called Gabriel James, weighing 6 lbs 11 oz. So congratulations to them also, as well as to Vanessa Lee, who has recently achieved the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Medal Award! Edna and Ted Bentley are celebrating their 60th - Diamond - Anniversary on 21st August. Edna was Captain of our Girls Brigade Company prior to Belinda. The Bentleys, former members of TBC, have settled in Frinton, Essex. Happy celebrations!
Even though Belinda Plunkett returned from hospital earlier this summer we could especially hold her up in prayer, as there has been a relapse.
Jaap and Louise Van der Weerd were received into membership. Please be thankful for their contributions with their ministry at Tottenham Baptist and intercede for them, the Music Group, and Mrs May Richards, as we all contribute in some way at the Family Gospel Festival in September. Also kindly continue to support our homebound in prayer!
Our Pastoral Care Team
is available to help and any member of the Team would be glad to know of anyone
in the fellowship who needs a visit or prayer or spiritual encouragement. They are:
Thornton & Leola Reid
George Wheeler
Grace Tyzack
Hilda Gosling
Clare Lee
Margaret McGlynn
Gloria Bipta
In
the last issue's Church Fellowship section the passage which read that Mabel
Johnson was is in Hazel Whitehead's care should have read to remember in prayer
Mabel Johnson, as well as Janette's grandmother in Hazel Whitehead's care. The
editor is sorry and apologises.
This
magazine is your magazine! Help shape
TBC whichever way the Lord leads you.
Write, tell, e-mail or dictate to the editor any articles, quips, etc.
that you want to share, or speak to him about any issues you would want in
these pages!
Jose
Jurado Aranda
E-mail: tbceditor@hotmail.com
You can also read Focus online at:
http://freespace.virgin.net/jamesimac.mcglynn/tbc.htm
Forecourt
Morning Service August 17th
Let's
make sure we come to worship the Lord with all our hearts, soul, mind and
strength - as He always deserves - as we hold the morning service outside as a
witness to our community, provided it doesn't rain. May our congregation be as loud as a choir as a testimony of
gratitude to Him!
Members
Meeting Tuesday 16th September
Ask the Holy Spirit to fill and guide us all please as we
participate in our Church Members Meeting from 8 pm. A lot gets done and your presence is very valuable to encourage others. God changes things for the better and it is obvious in these
meetings - Be sure to be there!
Harvest Sunday
Morning Service
We
will be celebrating our Harvest thanksgiving on Sunday 28th
September. To those who are new to our
fellowship, our gifts go to Mill Grove Children's Home and Mission. Our aim is to restock their larder so that,
as well as fruit and vegetables, there will be soap powders, toilet rolls, etc. In fact, anything you would normally use in
your own homes. We have supported the
home for nearly sixty years now.
They
have financial needs as well, so we will be taking up a retiring offering at
our service to help their resources.
V
Maddison
Other Harvest
Events
Surely
we will show our spirit of fellowship again at Harvest-time: if enough of us sign up to pledge our
participation for a Harvest Lunch we will be holding one with our Moderator,
Rev Roger Collins, immediately following the morning Harvest Service. Just choose a dish of your fancy and bring
enough portions for six, as with past potluck meals.
If
a Harvest Lunch is held we will also have an evening service, conducted by
Roger.
````````````````````````````````````
THE SEED Touching MANY
Many of us will remember Rev Peter Nyumnloh, former
Secretary General of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, who had stayed among us and ministered at TBC during the
spring of 2002.
Malcolm, our former pastor, writes to say that he
spoke to him over the phone to Cameroon recently. The old green hymnbooks that we had passed on to Peter are now
being used at the First Baptist Church Ndu, a place in the North West of
Cameroon where Peter teaches in a seminary.
Peter and his family also worship in that church. ìThey often have a thousand worshiping on
Sundays but the church has a tin roof and when it rains - as it did that
morning he spoke to him, writes Malcolm - you can't hear the preacher!
'Rev Peter was keen to encourage us with the news of
where they are being used'.
````````````````````````````````````
Putting your writing or investigative skills to
good use
We
will need another volunteer to join the new Building Committee (counting three
so far) to investigate costs for the proposed renovations to our Church. The plans include downstairs conveniences
for ladies, gents, and one specifically for the disabled, disabled access to
the church, refitting of the kitchen, and other improvements.
If
the Lord is prompting you to serve with skills to enquire, write and/or
investigate, please consider that we need one more person to investigate
costings, consider financing options (there are Baptist association loans and
grant possibilities) or write letters to that effect, so please let any of the
deacons know and offer your help - it will be a valuable way to use your
interest and time!
From Mill
Grove
A letter comes from Mill Grove, the children's
shelter whose larders we help stock at Harvest, about former director Victor
White and father of current director Keith:
'Victor White died peacefully in
the presence of his family on Monday 16 June. He had a form of motor neurone disease, which meant that although
his physical strength weakened, he was in no pain, and was completely aware of
his surroundings to the end.'
The funeral took place at All Saint's Church on 27th
June. If you would like to make a
donation in Victor's memory, the letter suggests Tear Fund, the Evangelical
Alliance relief fund, which was very dear to his heart.
Criminal Records Bureau
A
reminder that everyone who works with children and young people in our
church in any capacity (Boys' and Girls' Brigades, Sunday School, Youth Group,
etc.) must be police-checked by the Criminal Records Bureau. Please see me as
soon as possible, if you haven't done so already, so that I can give you
details about how to send for your forms and what to do next.
Whether
you work with children and young people regularly each week or just
occasionally, such as helping out at Holiday Club or accompanying a day trip,
you must be police-checked. These nationwide
guidelines are there to protect our youngsters as best we can and your
co-operation is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Janette Whitehead
(Sunday School Leader)
Family Gospel Festival
Saturday 13th September 2003 from 7:00
pm
Here's a chance to get wholesome entertainment
in support of a good cause.
There is no admission charge but many
performers and volunteers are
contributing their talent for
this cause
so please donate to the
Haringey
Sickle Cell and
Thalassaemia
Project
generously!
Last year there
was great
entertainment including
that of
professional singers, and this year
looks great also!
It's all happening at the Broadwater Community Centre,
Adams Road N17.
Any queries, please see May Richards.
````````````````````````````````````
New arrival
Maria and I
would just like to thank everyone for their prayers, which resulted in the safe
arrival of Anna Joy. She is absolutely wonderful and we hope it won't be too 
long before we
get a chance to show her off at TBC!
We thank God
for the joy he has brought into our lives and pray that she too will grow up to
love and serve the Lord Jesus.
Maria has
taken a little while to get over the after effects but is feeling stronger as
the weeks go by.
Revd Malcolm & Maria Patten
Mission
of God's People
The chief end of man is to enjoy and worship God
forever. We are reminded that Christian
worship is ìby the Holy Spirit of Godî (Phil 3:3).
To enjoy and worship God, the
Christian MUST spend time to listen to Him.
God has spoken and is speaking to His people. If we are to respond appropriately in worship and action we must
make an effort to hear Him.
God is speaking to Christians
through the world's events because we are called to show mercy and love. How can we, unless we hear and recognize his
cry for help?
He also speaks through the
church! God is also speaking to us
individually through the church as a corporate body. We all have our cares and carry our brokenness.
If we are to live in liberty and enjoy our Christian faith, we are to
bear with one another in love.
Part of our listening to God
begins long before we get to church for worship. Listening to God should be precious, intimate, private,
unhurried. Learning God's will for the
world around us and our church in its neighbourhood depends on our hearing Him
speaking to us.
If you have a concern for your neighbourhood and
church, contact any member of the pastoral team.
T H Reid
|
Sunday Preachers |
|
|
3rd
Aug - am: Mr R Scott |
7th
Sep - To be arranged |
|
-
pm: To be arranged |
14th
Sep - am & pm: |
|
10th Aug -
am & pm: Mr John Ellis |
Mr Ian Powell |
|
17th
Aug - am & pm: |
21st
Sep - To be arranged |
|
Rev. Roger Collins |
28th
Sep - Harvest (am parade; |
|
24th
Aug - am: Mr Kilby |
pm service if held) |
|
pm:
To be arranged |
Rev. Roger Collins |
|
31st Aug - am & pm: Mr Ian Powell |
|
Funnies...
The Sunday School teacher described how Lot's wife
looked back at Sodom and was turned into a pillar of salt. Suddenly Jimmy
interrupted. "My mom looked back once while she was driving," he
announced triumphantly, "and she turned into a telephone pole!"
BMS Birthday Scheme
AUGUST
MR M PRYAM 4th
MR T REID 10th
MS RUTH KING-SPARKE 21st
MR M HATCHETT 29th
SEPTEMBER
MISS KELLY PLUNKETT 1st
MASTER WILLIAM HATCHETT 19th
The amount of £300.00 has been sent to the BMS Medical
Fund up to the end of July. Thank you to everybody who contributes to this
fund, which enables the love and power of Jesus Christ to be 
known in the hearts and
lives of people around the world, often in dangerous and difficult situations.
Best wishes,
Hazel Whitehead
Absent
Friends
Hope you all managed to read our latest letter from John and Maria Dyer - our BMS world link missionaries who work in Natal, N.E. Brazil. Don't worry if you've misplaced your copy, as there are spares in the lounge and a copy on the wall.
John, Maria and Joao Marcos, their son, really value the prayers of all their friends at TBC and at all the other churches to which they are linked. They believe that prayer is the powerhouse behind all that they do for the Lord - which, of course, it is! They include suggestions for prayer within their letters and there is also a prayer bookmark available in the lounge - please take one if you wish.
Ideas for prayer include: -
…
thanks and praise for
the baptisms of the four teenage lads who were baptised at the Living Water
church on Easter Sunday. Pray that they will continue in the strength, faith
and love of Jesus;
…Fabiano, another lad
who gave his life to Lord on the week following these four baptisms;
…the Living Water
congregation - mostly poor Christians who are filled with love and enthusiasm
for the Lord, including Leda and her husband Camilo who lead the church along
with others;
…Pirangi Baptist
Church - Pastor Evilasio who is suffering illness because of an irregular
heartbeat and his wife Djanete and family;
…President Senhor Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva and his vision of eradicating hunger and developing social
justice and equal opportunities across Brazil;
and
…please pray also for
good health and safety for John, Maria and Joao Marcos in their travels, and
that they may grow in love for each other and for the Lord.
Thank you so much.
Janette
New
Cyclone And War Relief Grants
BMS World Mission has authorized
three new Relief Grants to support refugees in Zambia and cyclone relief work
in Sri Lanka and India.
BMS will send a grant of £2,800
to the Baptist Convention of Zambia (BCZ) to help maintain a vital feeding
programme for refugees in Zambia who have fled their homes in neighbouring
warring countries and are now living in the Meheba refugee camp near the DR
Congo border.
The grant will provide 200
families with basic food supplies that will last them two months up until the
production of this year's harvest. The provisions include mealie meal, beans,
rice, sugar, salt, cooking oil, soya and soap. The new funds supplement an
earlier BMS grant of £7,000 given in January to help initiate the BCZ feeding
programme.
BMS has sent a further grant of £2,000 for relief work in Sri Lanka
following the cyclone that struck in May which resulted in flooding and
landslides that killed over 250 people and left tens of thousands of homes
damaged.
While the floods have largely
receded, many communities are suffering from lack of food, drinking water and
clothing, as well as facing the threat of disease outbreaks. The grant has been
channelled through the BMS partner FARMS Lanka who will use the money to
distribute food packets via their network of churches to victims of the
flooding. FARMS Lanka will also use the relief fund to assist with house
repairs and help restart businesses.
In Mizoram (India), which we read about in the last issue, BMS has sent
a Relief Grant of £2,500 to its partner the Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM) to
support relief work to rebuild homes following a series of disasters. An
estimated 1,700 people from the Hmar tribe have fled into villages in north
Mizoram after tribal conflict flared up on the Mizoram-Assam borders. In
addition, over thirty homes have been destroyed
by wildfire and a further eighty were devastated by a cyclone in May.
BCM plans to use the BMS grant to provide twenty of the most needy families with tin sheet roofing materials and build fifty temporary bamboo shelters for refugee families.
A Close Encounter of the
Cricketing Kind
Once again last Saturday, July 17th,
various current and former members of TBC gathered at Grovelands Park in
Southgate for the annual Cricket Match against Campsbourne Baptist Church.
One of the most
exciting aspects of this game is to see who actually comprises the team on the
day! The team changed about three times between Saturday a.m. and the start of
the match!
Having agreed that we could bat
first, we sent in some of our younger ìfuture starsî to open the batting.
Sadly, I think they have been watching England too much and we soon lost two
wickets very quickly. However, Roger
(brother of Grace Tyzack) and Rufus Daniel soon brought some stability, and
later Rufus' son-in-law, Errol, hit a quick
23 to give us a reasonable score of 109.
My own contribution was a quick-fire 2-ball duck!! (Embarrassing when
people keep telling me I'm a cricketer!)
When Campsbourne batted, Rufus
amazed everyone by bowling their first two batsmen in consecutive balls,
leaving them 0 for 2 after 2 balls.
Wickets continued to fall, including a lightning fast stumping by our
wicket keeper whose name escapes me but which was not accepted by the
batsmen. No square leg umpire meant
there was no one to appeal to.
With the final over remaining only 6
runs were needed for victory or 3 wickets. Unfortunately, we were not able to prevent the runs from coming,
and so Campsbourne were victorious by 3 wickets.
A very enjoyable day, and ably
rounded off by a splendid, if rather belated, barbecue Chez Turner, organized
by Steve and Annette. Thanks also to
Steve for getting the team together.
Finally thanks to all those
spectators who turned up to support.
Allan Bennett
Other sports news: Our over-10s
and some grown-ups played football earlier this summer against Westbury Avenue
Baptist Church, with teams mixed and matched to try to make it even. Thanks to Vi and Tony Bohan (snr) for their
support; good fun was had by all. - Ed.
Invitation to the Palace
Two Tottonians Tell of Afternoon with the Queen
On
the 2nd of June 2003, Bill - as Honorary Life President of
the London Taxi Drivers' Fund for Underprivileged Children - and I arrived at
the South Bank site at 9 am and parked in a special car park set aside to
receive the large number of taxis that were picking up our guests for the day
from the schools for the disabled.
When they
arrived, we directed them towards the London Eye and to McDonald's to enjoy the
delights - all free of charge to them.
Those in our party all had bright yellow hats on and from the top of the
'Eye' you could easily pick them out.
Bill and I now
had to leave the party to take our positions with the Deputy Lord Mayor and the
High Sheriff of London on the rostrum at London Mansion House, ready to receive
the column of taxis with all the balloons and children waving their Union
Jacks. The first cab stopped then and
gave the Deputy Mayor a gift from the charity - ìWe are in our 75th yearî,
he declared. After the party of cabs
and escorting motorcycle police had passed us, we now had to catch up with the
group that was parked up in front of Buckingham Palace.
In the Mall, soon
came the signal to move into the inside of the Palace: the wheelchairs went one way, and the rest of
the groups walked into the grounds at the back of the Palace, which had been
transformed 
into a fair
ground, complete with a large one-hundred-year-old roundabout. There were also many other delights for the
children and helpers, such as candyfloss, ice cream and sweets. There were also many other entertainments,
including a big top with a circus in it and swings.
We were to meet
two other groups, from Barnardos and SAFFA.
This brought the party up to about six hundred. Next, we were entertained by the marching
band of the Coldstream Guards.
At the appointed
time, Bill and I then had to go onto the top veranda, ready to meet the Royal
Party.
Her Majesty led
the Party and was introduced to Bill, who in turn introduced me and the rest of
the committee. We also met the Duke of
Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Wessex.
After a small chat with all of
them, the party moved out to go amongst the main party. This was very informal: there was no protocol, the children asked
questions and sniffed the flowers she was carrying, and then offered her sweets
- and one of her escorts was covered in ice cream! A clown gave Her Majesty a red heart balloon. She continued to walk around and stopped to
talk to our own Kath Hatchett, who was there acting as an escort to one of the
children as she has done many times before.
Soon, it was time
to receive a goodies bag and start to return to the schools, after what must
have been a great day to remember as it is not every day we get to have tea at
Buckingham Palace!
Grace
Tyzack
A Wonderful Day of Memories
My day started very early in that I was up
at 5 am to get washed, dressed, have breakfast and be waiting for my
own special black cab to take me to St John's Wood where we had to decorate the
cab with posters and balloons all in yellow and blue before we collected all
our charges for the day. In the very
large group were included 28 wheelchairs.
There was a long
column of ninety cabs with lots of excited children and adults, which left Jack
Taylor School about 10 am. The
police outriders escorted us through the busy streets of London to our first
experience of the day, which was a trip on the London Eye. It takes a long while to organise getting
the cabs all parked up, and then getting over two hundred children - plus
wheelchairs and their carers - all on the London Eye but we made it and
everyone enjoyed it. At the South Bank
there was also the London Aquarium to visit before all being fed by kind
compliments of McDonalds.
Then it was
back into the cabs for a conducted tour of the streets of London and we drove
slowly past Mansion House, where the Lord Mayor of London stood on a podium
accompanied by Grace and Bill Tyzack and others. The column then made its way into the Mall as we had all been
invited by the Queen to Buckingham Palace to help celebrate the Golden Jubilee
of her Coronation. The Queen had chosen
three charities to come to the large Palace Grounds on this day and, as well as
the Taxi Drivers' Fund for Underprivileged Children fund, there was a large
contingency of Barnardos people and another group called the Saffas, which have
to do with war widows and their families.
Once inside the
Palace and down onto the Garden space there was so much to entertain the
children and there was plenty of food and drink for everyone... As detailed on our timetable of events, Her
Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh came out onto the terrace at exactly
3:10 pm, where they were introduced to representatives of the three
charities. They then went down the
steps and into the Garden, where the children
just loved to see them both, as well as Sophie and Prince Edward.
The Queen and
Prince Philip went in opposite directions right round the whole Garden and
talked to many people. The children
flocked to them and no one shooed them away, which was nice. After three quarters of an hour the Queen
and the Duke then returned to the Terrace where they cut a very large cake for
us as our charity is seventy years old this year, and the cake itself was sent
to a children's home.
What a wonderful
day to remember!
Kath
Hatchett
Sunny Outing in Margate
It was the morning of the 28th
of June. The sun was shining and there
wasn't a cloud in the sky. This, of
course, was a sure sign of things to come.
We all met outside the church gates and departed promptly at 9 am.
On our way to Margate I was taking in the beautiful scenery of the
countryside. At this point, I was
unaware of what was going on ahead of the coach: I was told that there was a film crew in front of us. My initial thought was, 'How lovely it would
be if the children were the main cast of this show', as I am sure they would
have been delighted to be part of such an experience.
All in all, the trip was beautifully organised, no one got lost, and
the weather was lovely. I am sure
everyone enjoyed themselves as I most certainly did.
The coach driver was very professional, polite and an extremely
pleasant individual - he was a nice man.
My only regret was I did not go for a swim, as that would have been
lovely. However, the scenery and fun
fair made up for this.
Gloria Bipta
For really young ones - Finding a lost coin
and finding the right way
Jesus told a parable about the lost coin. He was talking about a lady who lost a silver coin - silver coins
are very valuable and worth much more than 1p, 50p or £2. The lady must have been disappointed because
she only had nine other silver coins.
This is how Luke wrote the story for us:
ìSuppose
a woman has ten silver coins and loses one.
Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until
she finds it? And when she finds it,
she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is
rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
(Luke Chapter 15, verses 8-10)
So when someone decides to stop doing wrong things
(like the sinner who repents), then Heaven is excited and rejoices because It
has recovered someone who had lost his or her way: so Heaven is happy, like someone who has found a valuable coin
which got lost.
Puzzle -
Can you fill in the missing letters?
The lady in the parable of the lost coin had lost a S _ L _ _ _
coin.
She _ _ T a lamp,
S W _ _ T the floor and S _ A _ _ _ _ D
carefully.
The lady R E _ _ _
C _ D with her neighbours when she
found the lost coin.
Heaven is glad when a
S _ _ _ _ R repents.
Solution follows
For 11 year olds and up - Making the Bible
work for you
A website that helps young people to grow is
www.teens4jesus.org Check out these
tips to try to get the most from the Bible (follow the link to 'Bible Studies'
and then 'Studying: How and Why'):
As believers, most of us have probably heard over and
over how important it is for us to study the Word of God. But all too often we
don't really understand why and consequently have a difficult time really
getting started. So before we get into the how-tos of Bible study, let's look
at why studying the Word is vital to our Christian growth and maturity.
What a majority of Christians don't realize is that
the Word of God is alive! The Word can really affect and have a life-changing
impact on your day-to-day living. God reveals Himself through His Word.
As He reveals Himself to you, you can expect your
life to change because you are getting to know God Himself, not just about Him.
The reason we study the Bible is that we may know God, know His ways and walk
in them. Then we can truly live a successful Christian life.
The Bible is a personal message from Almighty God
Himself - straight from heaven - to you. The main theme of this message is
Jesus - even in the Old Testament. Jesus is the living Word, the message of God
to all mankind.
Ever since the Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, God
was unwilling to leave us in our sin and live without us. So He had a plan -
the plan of redemption - when He gave His Son to pay the price for our sin on
the cross and thereby bring us back into fellowship with Him. Glory to God! So
look for Jesus in every book of the Bible.
All scriptures either point forward to the Cross or look back on it.
Settle in your mind that while the Bible is God's
inspired Word it was also meant to be down-to-earth. Don't just reverently give
it a place of honour on a bookshelf, but treat the Word as your personal
hands-on reference book on life - a how-to book for everyday living. Get rid of
the negative idea that it is just a set of rules.
God's Word is our very source of liberty. God sent His
Word to set us free, not bind us up and load us down. So read the Word with a
positive attitude, approaching it as an open door to freedom, not as a list of
dos and don'ts.
Knowing why studying the Bible is
important will hopefully make it easier for you to make that quality decision
to get started. For some, getting started is the most difficult part. But all
it takes is a decision followed by pure and simple grit-your-teeth
determination. We suggest treating this period of study as an appointment that
you're required to attend. Then, every day, follow through by building your
schedule around this appointment - and not the other way around. Soon, you'll
develop a determi-nation to keep your appointment and it will become easier and
easier. And if you miss an appointment once in a while, don't worry, just get
back in the flow.
As you get started studying, it is wise to use a Bible
you feel free to write in and take notes. Start underlining scriptures that
have significance and special meaning to you. This will help personalize the
Word for you. Marking these scriptures will also help you find them more
readily when you need them.
At your appointment, one of the best ways to
"dig" into the Word is to find a subject or certain scriptures you
need to understand. Pray for understanding and discernment of the scriptures.
Allow the Holy Spirit, Who inspired the Word of God, to reveal it to you. Read
and think about each word in each scripture.
An important part of your study of the Word is
meditating. To meditate means to think deeply and continuously, ponder or
reflect. It also means to murmur, to mutter and to converse with oneself. This
takes some time. Read the scripture over and over again as you pray in the
Spirit. Meditation brings your spirit and your mind together and builds a
capacity for your faith to be released (Romans 10:17). Ask the Holy Spirit to
open the eyes of your understanding so you can comprehend the deep things of
God. Then expect the Lord to do it. Expect Him to meet you on the level of your
need and reveal His Word to you.
When starting out, spend the majority of your time in
the New Testament (primarily in the letters the Apostle Paul wrote to the early
churches). In light of this, try to look for and underline phrases such as
"in Him," "in Whom" and "in Christ." These
phrases are found 134 times in the New Testament from Acts to Revelation. Every
one of them has something to offer you personally because, according to
Ephesians 2:6, you are in Christ!
Make what God says the authority in your life. That
means we shouldn't just believe what God says to us in His Word, but we should
also act on it. Acting on it is what produces results (Matthew 7:24-27). Part
of acting on the Word includes speaking it. You will find that what you really
believe in your heart is what you speak all the time - and what you speak
determines what happens in your life (Mark 11:23).
Once you start speaking God's Word about your needs,
do not speak anything contrary to it. For example, if you need healing, do not
let the focus of your words be about your sickness. Rather, confess what the
Word says about it, "By His stripes I am healed,î according to Isaiah
53:4-5.
Like a sponge, soak in as much Word as possible. Then,
when you are faced with a situation that requires the wisdom of God, the life
of God will flow from you - through your words - to meet any man's need on any
level. And that's the best way to study the Word - with the intent of helping
and loving others as well as yourself.
Solution -
Puzzle
The lady in the
parable of the lost coin had lost a SILVER coin.
She LIT a lamp, SWEPT
the floor and SEARCHED carefully.
The lady REJOICED with
her neighbours when she found the lost coin.
Heaven is glad when a SINNER
repents.
GBs Take Victories & Celebrate 70th
Anniversary
On Saturday 28th June, we took part in the
District Team Games and although we only had Explorers and Juniors in the games
we took four first places (you may have noticed the girls proudly wearing their
medals). We came third overall, and I
was very proud of the girls.
On 3rd July 2003 the
company celebrated its 70th birthday, and on Saturday 5th
July Janet and I took a group of girls out to the Bethnal Green Museum of
Childhood. Although the Juniors did
claim to have seen the entire museum in fifteen minutes flat we had a wonderful
day, returning to the church for a supper of sausages, chicken nuggets and
chips kindly cooked by Margaret McGlynn.
The Explorers left us for the evening and the Juniors spent an enjoyable
couple of hours with Olive Perssons asking her what it was like on the first company
evening, and how things used to be.
Then, back to the church for a sleepover before parade on the Sunday
morning. Here's to the next
70 years!
Belinda Plunkett
AND
CAN IT BE
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
And can it be that I
should gain
An interest in the
Saviour's blood?
Maybe like me, you find it difficult to choose a favourite
hymn by the Wesleys. However, this one
I do particularly like: 'And Can it Be'
- both words and tune. Altogether,
Charles wrote six thousand hymns and how he managed to find the time in his
action-packed life to put pen to paper on so many occasions is amazing.
Charles Wesley came from a large family where life was never
dull. His father, an unpopular
Lincolnshire parson, was mobbed by his parishioners when he voted Tory,
imprisoned in Lincoln Gaol for non-payment of a debt, and his rectory seemed to
be under constant attack from those who supported dissent. Even within the Wesley home there were
disagreements. Mrs Wesley refused
to say Amen when her husband prayed for King William III.
When he went to Westminster School, his eldest brother
Samuel was on the staff and paid his fees.
It was a good investment, as Charles went on to Oxford and was ordained
in 1735. Three years later, he was
converted and the hymn writing and the evangelistic missions began in
earnest. He was particularly good with
prisoners and accompanied many to the scaffold. In between all this activity, he did find time to court the young
Sarah Gwynee, twenty years his junior and although her mother and brother tool
a lot of persuading the family eventually gave their blessing and his 'faithful
Sally', as he called her, could often be seen riding pillion on his horse as
they travelled the countryside together.
It is a very powerful hymn and many see it as Wesley's conversion hymn,
and it is known that this and another hymn were written only a matter of hours
after his conversion.
Submitted
by Vi Maddison
(taken from 'Hazel's Hymns')
Meeting
Nicodemuses today
To consider how to show God's goodness
to as many people as possible you may be interested to read the following
excerpts from an essay by William Easum, a consultant who has had a
thirty-five-year pastoral ministry in four churches and whose church during his
last pastorate of twenty-four years grew from 35 in worship to over 1,000. He has written seven books and consulted
with more than 600 churches.
The 21st Century church
ìdevelops ministries for unchurched people rather than for people who grew up
within a churched culture. A rediscovery of and appreciation for the Holy
Scriptures will be a major trend.î With
our hearts in the right place, perhaps we might one day soon be able to provide
services for adults and youngsters to attract them into our churches, like
basic skills training (reading and writing), homework clubs, etc. - so that
from their own experiences they can appreciate that there must be something
useful (many things, actually) and lasting to the time-tested value of the
Scriptures in this throw-away society.
A further characteristic of the 21st
Century church - which, like other traits, must be ages-old, but which we could
appreciate anew - ìfocuses on making disciples instead of making decisions
or 'running the church.' Encouraging
laity to develop their God-given spiritual gifts instead of holding an
institutional church office is a trend.î
Have we considered which spiritual gifts we have been individually given
by the Lord? Once we identify them, we
can put them to better use in the church.
We all have a role to play in the Lord's body, the church, as Ephesians
4:16 says: ìFrom Him the whole body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself
up in love, as each part does its work.î
The healthy church nowadays, Easum
writes, ìmobilises laity for ministry instead of relying on paid clergy. The
trend is toward fewer church leaders attending seminary and more laity taking
hands-on responsibility for ministry. The few clergy that do exist in the 21st Century
are equippers of those who equip others and administrators of the
congregation's ministries.î Are you
thinking about how to develop yourself to help others in church?
Let's help each other to witness about the
Lord and encourage each other by writing about any mission inspirations or
thoughts, or by telling some of the witnessing you have done in your community
or beyond on these pages. Please write
or tell your witness stories or thoughts on evangelism to the Focus editor.
Bible
Society News
Making
The Bible Heard in Culture - Nottinghamshire Pilot Campaign
Bible Society's
task today - as was the passion of its founders nearly 200 years ago - is not
only to ensure that the Bible is known and loved worldwide, but also to put it
back at the centre of personal and public life. To do this Bible Society needs
not only to make the Scriptures available, but also to champion the Bible in
our culture.
The Society is seeking to
pioneer new ways, new concepts and new ideas of helping people to engage with
the Bible. They want to break down barriers, challenge prejudices and get
people thinking about biblical themes and messages without preaching to them.
Bible Society's
campaign to engage with our ever changing culture and make the voice of the
Bible heard is the driving force behind an initiative set to go live in autumn
this year, when they will be running a pilot campaign throughout
Nottinghamshire, in partnership with many churches in the region.
Their objective is to
reach those people in Nottinghamshire who are not churchgoers or involved in
Christianity in anyway. They would like the locals to consider the relevance of
the Bible in their everyday lives. The campaign will seek to raise awareness of
the Bible and the Christian faith as well as creating debate, provoking
reaction and changing people's thinking towards the Bible. The Society would
like there to be more emphasis on the relevance of the stories contained within
the Bible rather than on the book itself.
The media-led campaign will
be innovative, engaging and imaginative: Bible Society wants to produce
something that connects with people's everyday experience.
Many churches across the
denominations in the region have already expressed support for the initiative
and are planning ways in which they can use the opportunities the campaign will
provide.
Surrounding the
campaign will be a number of events to raise awareness and create a cultural
forum, including storytelling, film, debates, etc. A full diary of events will
be available online nearer the time, and churches will also initiate their own
unique responses and opportunities.
If we are truly to engage
with modern day culture, we need to be both flexible and adaptable, taking
biblical stories into culture through the arts and various other ways, thus
building bridges between the Bible and people's everyday lives.
There is a tremendous
amount to do, but the Society is looking forward to the Nottinghamshire
campaign. Share in their vision to make
the voice of the Bible heard!
Songs of Praise
We read in the last issue how the Margate Action
Group, made up of people like you and me, built bridges into the Bible in its
community and raised funds for Bible Society by holding a 77-hour Bible
Readathon.
The Society also reports how monthly sing-a-longs
in support of Bible work raised the roofs of local village churches, continuing
a ten-year tradition by the Thanet Village Action Group.
From Easter Saturday through to December its group
members join local congregations of all denominations for an hour of praise
each month - raising funds for Bible Society and using Bible a Month Club
information as their focus for prayer.
Perhaps the Lord may be calling some among us to join the local action group
and do similarly.
'From Mill Grove' clipart from:
© 1999-2003
www.clipartconnection.com
Family Gospel Festival clipart from:
http://www.intcon.net/~songbird
'A Close Encounter of the Cricketing Kind' clipart line
from:
Prayer Calendar for August 2003
Lord, hear my prayer!
In your righteousness listen to my plea; answer me in your faithfulness!
Psalm 143 v.1
Pray for or about:
Friday 1st Pray for all families recently bereaved
Saturday 2nd Mr & Mrs Paskell on holiday. Bless them Lord
Sunday 3rd Bless the Lord and come to His table with thanks
Monday 4th Thanks for the safe arrival of baby Anna Joy to Malcolm
& Maria
Tuesday 5th Bible Society as their Missionaries distribute Bibles
Wednesday 6th Arrangements being made for open air services
Thursday 7th All our young people on holiday anywhere
Friday 8th Pray about future plans for our Church
Saturday 9th Thanks for our deaf aid system and overhead projector
Sunday 10th John Ellis conducting our services today
Monday 11th Thanks for 'Dial-a-ride' Transport for the elderly
Tuesday 12th Pray for people who suffer arthritic pains
Wednesday 13th John Akerman now living in Swaffham Norfolk
Thursday 14th Give thanks for new members joining recently
Friday 15th All nurses everywhere -- male and female
Saturday 16th Revd Roger Collins as he ministers to us tomorrow
Sunday 17th Come to the Lord's Table with thankful hearts
Monday 18th Young people waiting for exam results
Tuesday 19th Give wisdom to leaders of councils and government
Wednesday 20th Miss Maddison & Miss Starling on holiday this
week
Thursday 21st Bible Translators working at Wycliffe College
Friday 22nd People who cannot get to church because of age or
infirmities
Saturday 23rd John & Maria Dyer our 'Link' missionaries and
their son.
Sunday 24th Visiting speaker(s) for today
Monday 25th Safety on the roads, air and rail this Bank Holiday
Tuesday 26th May Richards and all she does to organise the Gospel
Festival on 13/9/03
Wednesday 27th Thanks for trainers of guide dogs for the blind
Thursday 28th Young people still trying to get into college
Friday 29th Animal sanctuaries and suffering animals
Saturday 30th Catherine( nee Love) and family living in America
Sunday 31st Thanks for Summertime and recent holidays
Remind me each morning of your constant love, for I put
my trust in you.
My prayers go up to you;
show me the way I should go.
Psalm 143 v8
Prayer Calendar for September
2003
It is good to sing praise to our God; it is pleasant and right
to praise Him.
PsaIml47 v.1
Pray for or about:
Monday 1st Jaap and Louise as they lead Music Group
Tuesday 2nd Revd Roger Collins and Deacons as they meet tonight
Wednesday 3rd Thanks for our CCTV Cameras and the security they
give
Thursday 4th Jane and Neil with baby Matthew in Canada
Friday 5th BB Officers and Boys starting a new session
Saturday 6th Innocent sufferers of Aids and Hepatitis
Sunday 7th Bring your petitions to the Lord and give thanks
Monday 8th Thanks for all Specialist Baby Units
Tuesday 9th People living in Caring Homes for the elderly
Wednesday 10th Thornton Reid as he prepares for preaching engagements
Thursday 11th GB starting a new session and new year
Friday 12th Meeting of Lea Valley Christian Education Fellowship
tonight
Saturday 13th Festival of Praise at Broadwater Farm
Sunday 14th Visiting speaker(s) today
Monday 15th Thanks for Pastoral Care Team and the work they do
Tuesday 16th Church Members Meeting and all to be discussed
Wednesday 17th Elderly Members who cannot get to Church now
Thursday 18th Belinda Plunkett GB Captain and now Commissioner
of District
Friday 19th Children who suffer bullying at school or home
Saturday 20th Stephen Turner as he takes boys for football
Sunday 21st Come to bring thanks at communion
Monday 22nd Carers for family at home like Hazel Whitehead does
Tuesday 23rd Give thanks for love of your own family
Wednesday 24th Mid week Bible Study & Prayer Meeting led by
Revd Roger Collins
Thursday 25th Pray new people will find peace at TBC
Friday 26th Miss Olive Persson who cannot come to play organ or
piano now
Saturday 27th Revd Roger Collins preaching tomorrow and Harvest
Supper tonight
Sunday 28th Harvest Thanksgiving and children on parade
Monday 29th Thanks for Harvest gifts going to Mill Grove / SS
Teachers meeting
Tuesday 30th Young people in Sunday School, BB and GB
Jesus words;
'This, then, is what I command you:
love one another'
John 15 v. 17