Dear Friends,

The period of pastoral vacancy is an excellent time for the leaders of the fellowship to stand back and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the work of the Kingdom at Tottenham.  That is not a task for the deacons alone.  The whole fellowship should be asking the questions "In what spheres is the Lord leading us forward?  What gifts do we have which are still not being fully utilised?"

We have a dedicated group of deacons who are working hard for their Lord in the service of His people.

The music group and the singing group are enhancing our worship, and hidden talents are being revealed.

The plans for the buildings have been agreed, and soon the Finance Committee will be examining the practical steps needed for us to move forward in that direction.
We have an excellent group of Brigade Officers and Sunday School teachers. The Youth work, though difficult, still plays an important part of the life of the fellowship.
The Pastoral Committee is doing an excellent work, not only caring for the fellowship as a whole, but also in caring for new members and those many visitors we have in our worship services.
Perhaps our evangelism has been somewhat weak, but we have been prepared to have our services outside, and there has been one baptism, and a number of new members in the last few months.
There are many good things for which we should praise the Lord, but we still need to seek to know the way the Lord is leading us into the future.  It is not enough to say, "When we have a new minister he or she will lead us."  We know far more about the Borough of Tottenham than a new minister will have.  We know far more about the strengths and weaknesses of Tottenham Baptist Church than a new pastor will understand.  The dedication to the present by the whole fellowship is excellent.  Now we are seeking what the Lord would have us to be in the future.
Think about it;  talk about it; above all pray about it.  The leaders are doing their part.  Join us in this exciting journey of discovery.
In Christian love.
Roger Collins

Congratulations and welcome to Mrs Blair on her baptism and also to Hannah Deveneaux and Florence Mwainjande on their integration into membership in October.  It's good to have you join us!
Please pray for support in the healing of Mrs Annette Griffiths in her recent eye operation and Mrs May Richards for her cataract operation. Please also support Mrs Deveneaux in prayer for her back pain and Veronica Mitchell, who had also been under the weather recently. Please give thanks as Mrs Grace Tyzack's hip condition has improved of late.
Condolences go to one of our Pastoral Care Group members, Gloria Bipta, who recently lost her husband - surely our fellowship as a whole feels for you and want to supports you in your grief. Sympathies go also to a faithful brother of Tottenham Baptist, Albert Ryder, whose wife Jill departed to meet her Lord recently following an illness.
Kath Hatchett writes:  'As a church, we send our sincere sympathy to Mrs Sheila Love on the loss of her mother last month, and also to Catherine, who now lives in America with her young family.  Catherine was in Girls Brigade from when she was five until she married. Mr & Mrs Love were good helpers in many ways when they lived in Tottenham - they tended the gardens when they could, they certainly helped a lot in Miss Persson's garden, and Sheila was a regular keen helper of the Holiday Club every year. They moved away to Lowestoft last year to be near her mother, and now her mother has got her reward and is resting for ever.'
Mrs Lovia Ankrah and her children, Thelma Ankrah (King's College Medical School), AnnetteAnkrah (Hertfordshire Law School), Arnold Ankrah and Myna Nelson have just joined the fellowship.  Mrs Ankrah had been worshipping at Frampton Park Baptist Church since 1983 and has now moved into our area.  She writes, 'Many thanks for the warm reception and accepting us in the church.'  Thanks for joining us and we pray for you and yours in your growth in Christ with us also!
Congratulations go to Mrs Muriel Grant, who received an award from the NHS for over 30 years'service.  Let's thank the Lord that we can continue to encourage one another! It's also good to have Mrs Velma Patten back with us over the winter.
Our pastoral care group, child protection representatives and deacons are now pictured in the lobby for newcomers to help recognise;  thanks go to Janette Whitehead and Steve Turner for preparing the board! A new set of flyers for members and visitors to use with their acquaintances or neighbours - or with anyone else the Lord leads - are now in the lobby entrance also Thank God that we can spread the Word!  Please also remember our shut-ins, especially in this festive season!
Do continue to ask the Lord that we be faithful to His leadership as we continue to seek a pastor for our church.  We have a lot to be thankful for in the service of the officers, as the Sunday School teachers and Youth workers recommitted themselves at our Church Anniversary in October.  It was memorable event also in that we had a baptism - the first in living memory at our anniversary services!  Please support our deacons in prayer and particularly Junior Deane, newly nominated, plus Les Paskell and Belinda Plunkett, who renewed their commitments after completing another three-year term.
The Pastoral Care Team prays, visits, encourages and does what it can for anyone in our fellowship who may need it.  Care for the congregation is shared by different Care Team members but anyone on the Team would be happy to help.  If you have been ill or if anything is troubling you, they would be eager to hear from you.  Just call!

White Webbs Motor Museum Silver Band
You are invited to a concert of Christmas Songs and Music by this band, which has been visiting us for years.  Come and fellowship on Tuesday, December 2nd at 8 pm.  Tea and coffee will be served at the interval.  There is no charge although a retiring offering will be taken to help with their expenses.

FAMILY GOSPEL FESTIVAL - A GREAT SUCCESS!

Over three hundred adults and children enjoyed an evening of uplifting live performances at the third annual Broadwater Farm Family Gospel Festival, held at the Broadwater Centre on 13th September.

The purpose of the Festival is twofold:  to bring people together to be spiritually elevated by talented solo artistes and choirs, and to raise funds for sickle cell and thallasaemia sufferers.  The event raised £2000 for this worthy cause.

The festival was funded by the West Green Learning Neighbourhood community chest and supported by Haringey Council and the Broadwater Centre Trust.

Next year's event is on 25th September 2004 at the Broadwater Centre Adams Road N17.

May Richards wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.  God bless!
 
 

It was with great sadness that we heard of the death, after a long illness, of Maurice Holden.  He had been Church Secretary at Tottenham for a number of years until his move to Frinton-on-Sea.

I never knew him without a smile on his face;  always ready with a word of advice if needed, a lay preacher much in demand, and a great sense of humour which helped to defuse a tense situation at some church meetings some years ago.

A man with tremendous faith, he will be much missed.

V. Maddison

Thanks from Mill Grove House

Keith and Ruth White write from the orphan home we contributed to at Harvest time:

Thank you so much for the Harvest gifts brought to us today from Tottenham Baptist Church. We are most grateful and appreciate all that they mean in terms of your love and prayer support.
We continue to provide care and support to children, young people and families in need and to find over time real evidence of emotional and spiritual healing and growth. I wish you could have been there at our prayer times to see the real and lively evidence of this!  One of the young people was baptised in the summer.
And the effect of such change is finding its way to children's children. Imagine our joy when Mill Grove 'grandchildren' are growing up in happy and stable Christian families, and feel a natural part of the extended family.
Thank you for supporting the work here in this way. Please continue to pray for the hundreds whom we help week by week and many more who are part of the Mill Grove family, around the world.
Warm Christian greetings
Keith & Ruth
 

Driver's Permit
A young boy had just got his driving permit.  He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss his use of the car.  His father saidto him, 'I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your Bible a little and get your hair cut, then we can talk about it.'
A month later, the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss the use of the car.  His father said, 'Son, I'm really proud of you.  You have brought your grades up, you've studied your Bible diligently, but you didn't cut your hair.'
The young man waited a moment and replied, 'You know, dad, I've been thinking about that.  You know Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair and even Jesus had long hair.'
His father replied, 'Yes son, and they walked everywhere they went.'
   Submitted by Kathleen Hatchett
 
 

   From St Peter's Church of England Parish Bulletin, Edmonton
 

Jose Jurado Aranda
E-mail:  tbceditor@hotmail.com

You can also read Focus online at:
http://freespace.virgin.net/jamesimac.mcglynn/tbc.htm
 
 

When most people hear 'The 12 Days of Christmas' they think of the song.  What is not so well known is that this song had its origins as a teaching tool to instruct young people in the meaning and content of the Christian faith.  From 1558 to 1829 Roman Catholics in England were not able to practice their faith openly, so they had to find other ways to pass on their beliefs.  The song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' is an example of how they did this.

The song goes,

'On the First day of Christmas my true love gave to me'  The 'true love' represents God and the 'me' who receives these presents is the Christian.

The 'partridge in a pear tree' was Jesus Christ who died on a tree as a gift from God.

The 'two turtle doves' were the Old and New Testaments - another gift from God.

The 'three French hens' were faith, hope and love - the three gifts of the Spirit that abide (1 Corinthians 13).

The 'four calling birds' were the four Gospels, which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The 'five golden rings' were the first five books of the Bible, also called the 'Book of Moses'.

The 'six geese a-laying' were the six days of creation.

The 'seven swans a-swimming' were 'seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.' (1 Corinthians 12 v9-11, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 4 v10-11).

The 'eight maids a-milking' were the eight beatitudes.

The 'nine ladies dancing' were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5 v22-23).

The 'ten lords a-leaping' were the Ten Commandments.

The 'eleven pipers piping' were the eleven faithful
     disciples.

The 'twelve drummers drumming' were the twelve
   points of the Apostles' Creed.

So the next time you hear 'The 12 Days of Christmas' consider how this otherwise non-religious sounding song had its origins in the Christian Faith.

Submitted by Lena Starling
From St Anselm's magazine

Heat wave

On Saturday the 9th August 2003, as I sat down behind one of my church sisters I began to realise how hot we all were:  everything and everyone was fanning.  Sweat was pouring down her back. Before looking at her it was as if God had spoken to me and told me to look in the direction of my church sister. It was then that I noticed she was sweating profusely.  At this point, I touched her and said, "Your back is wet!"

When the weather is cool we do not sweat.  Yet we need to rid ourselves of all the toxins, alcohol, acids, salts and other things in our body that sometimesmake us feel unwell.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is looking after us in so many different ways - He is looking after us in ways we cannot comprehend.

We moan about the heat, but there is a reason why we have heat waves, a reason why we have snow, rain and the wind - all this is part of God's plan.

I sat back and smiled to myself thinking that after losing all that fluid, we should be so much healthier;  our Lord continues to work in mysterious ways.

At times, we may feel tired but I am sure He is looking after us. looking after our health.  We must give thanks to Him, His work is wonderful - praise His name! Our body is His temple.  It has been cleansed from all its toxins, thus leaving us with a healthy heart, soul, body and mind

Gloria Bipta
 

BMS
Birthday
Scheme

DECEMBER
MS VICTORIA PLUNKETT          14th

JANUARY
MISS OLIVE PERSSON                 5th
MR ADAM HATCHETT                26th

Young Christians embark on BMS Action Teams
Thirty-four young Christians left the UK this Autumn to begin their six-month overseas mission experience on BMS Action Teams.
Nine Action Teams departed in October - the largest number of teams sent out by BMS since the ten-month long programme for 18-25 year olds started over a decade ago. The teams will be based in Italy, Thailand, Trinidad and Uganda, with three teams in Brazil and two in India.
The team members come from as far north as Aberdeenshire and as far south as Cornwall - plus one person from Germany. For many of the young people, the next twelve months represent a gap year before university; for others it's time out before or between employments.
Lyndsay McLellan, on Brazil South Team One, said: "Because I'm going out of my comfort zone, everything will change. I hope that I will just be able to trust in God throughout the year. I want our team to grow, stay together and support each other. I hope to make some good friends as well."
Throughout September, all the Action Team members were taken through a cross-cultural training programme at the BMS International Mission Centre (IMC) in Birmingham, to prepare for their mission experience. Tom Howell, BMS Mission Teams Organiser, said, "Once again we're challenged by the commitment, enthusiasm and passion of these guys. They proved during training that they're a fantastic group and they're in line for an amazing experience with all its ups, downs, tears and laughs. Please pray for them as they step out in faith for Jesus."
The Uganda team will be working with the Baptist Union of Uganda, getting involved in evangelism, youth ministry, supporting people with Aids and encouraging church work and building projects.
The Trinidad team will do primary and secondary school based work and will also help run Christian camps and retreats. They will work with the Baptist Union of Trinidad to encourage other young Christians in mission.
In Italy, the team will work alongside BMS mission workers at a multi-cultural Baptist church in Genoa, working with immigrants, homeless people as well as teaching.
The Brazil North Action Team will work with the Rio Grande do Norte Baptist Convention in Natal with children and teenagers, teaching English, drama and art workshops and also doing evangelism and sports ministry with local churches. The two Brazil South teams will be teaching and doing pre-school and church work, supporting BMS mission staff in their work amongst the children and families living in favelas in São Paulo.
The two Action Teams in India will work on long-term social action and education projects, ministering and helping street kids and drug addicts.
On their return in April, the teams complete the ten-month Action Team programme with a tour of UK churches and youth groups, sharing their experiences and challenging others to get involved in mission.

*   *  *
Indonesia's village vision
Indonesia: the world's largest archipelago; a Muslim majority; instabilities, rebellions and conflicts. And... an expanding Christian Church! BMS World Mission partner, the Convention of the Indonesian Baptist Church (KGBI), reports great growth in recent years - and has huge visions for the future, with a desire to plant a church in every village on every island in Indonesia, at more than 13,000 islands!
Speaking passionately at the Baptist Assembly in Cardiff in May, BMS supported partner worker in Indonesia Rony Welong (right) said, "In this generation, we want one church in every village. We are just instruments for God and work together for his purpose. This is not impossible."
BMS supports ten partner workers in Indonesia. They joined together in June 2003 for the KGBI Annual Meeting in Indonesia, attended by BMS General Director, Alistair Brown and Regional Secretary for North Africa and Asia, John Passmore. KGBI now has a total of 345 churches and nine preaching posts across 13 districts of Indonesia. John added, "In northern Sumatra alone, numbers of families attending Baptist churches have grown from 86 to 109 in the last year." There are two BMS supported workers - Wendles and Julyanus (below) - based on the small island of Nias, just off Sumatra. 85 per cent of its people are said to be Christian but pastors hope to bring renewal amongst nominal Christians.
John explained his visit to the island. "The church led by Wendles was one of the liveliest churches we visited. It is the village of Watastiga. There are 67 people there with baptisms planned." Julyanus pastors a church at Gunungsitoli, the island's capital.
BMS World Mission has also supported work in Indonesia through sending Relief Fund grants. A grant of £14,000 in October 2002 helped resettle 84 families back to the Moluccas Islands after they had fled because of fighting. John explained, "A lot of the grant went through the local state governor whom I met on our visit. The money is helping to rebuild homes with wood and tin. There are no reports of new fighting on the Moluccas Islands."
Continue to pray for Christians in Indonesia, for the work of KGBI, for the outreach on Nias and the people re-settling on the Moluccas islands. Pray too that Rony and his colleagues' 'village vision' may be realised.

*   *  *
BMS Relief Fund supports victims of earthquake in Algeria
A grant of £5,000 helped to supply provisions to people left homeless after May's major earthquake in Boumerdes. The earthquake killed over 2,200, wounded 10,000, made around 200,000 people homeless and disrupted services in the region. BMS money provided food, tents, blankets, clothes, oil lamps and medicine for around 50 families. This project was carried out by a team of volunteers from the Church in Algeria.

TBC Baptist Missionary Society Report 2003
Our annual BMS appeal for 2002, which was included - as usual - as part of the Sunday School and Youth Nativity Service, was entitled 'Jungle Fever' and focussed on the great needs and plights of hospitals and medical care in Congo - especially, the hospital in Bolobo.  We heard how war and conflicting forces had ravaged the country and left the hospitals with hardly any equipment or medicines - not even anaesthetic!
We gathered a wonderfully generous offering of £888.94 - a record amount!! This was soon sent to help provide whatever items were needed in Congo via the BMS - whether it be the simplest re-hydration solution, vaccines, new mattresses or a new roof!!
Those of you contribute to the BMS Birthday Scheme have raised £314.00 during the last year which has been sent to finance medical work and greatly needed medical supplies abroad. A huge "Thank you" to you all.
Looking ahead, our World Link missionaries - John and Maria Dyer and their son João Marcos - will be visiting the UK next year, from July to October, for Home Assignment.  Hopefully, we will have another opportunity to share fellowship with them as well as receiving their latest news and prayer requests.  They send regular newsletters to let us know what is happening in Natal, Northeast Brazil, where they live and serve.  These newsletters are given out at church but if you have not received one there are extra copies in the lounge plus one on display.
Please remember them, especially as Christmas draws nearer, along with all other missionaries who may be parted from family and friends at this special time of year.

Janette Whitehead

Sunday School / Youth Group Report 2003
 
 

We have enjoyed another year teaching - and learning from! - the children and young people in the Sunday School and Youth Group.  We currently have the following youngsters on roll although our actual numbers are usually less and fluctuate weekly: there are 3 in the Primary Group (4-7s), led by Ivy Legore; 15 in the Juniors (8-11s), led by myself;  10 in Youth I (12-13s), taken by Kath Hatchett and Leola Reid; and 8 in Youth II (14+), led by Les Paskell.
Our Christmas Nativity Service last year was well performed by the Sunday School ? including a solo by Rochelle - whilst the Youth Group presented a sketch based on an Advent calendar which reinforced the true message and meaning of Christmas.  Special thanks to Larry who took part in both the Youth and Sunday School performances - double the words to learn and twice as many rehearsals! A lot of hard work by the youngsters and adults went into the practices and the Service itself and I'd like to say a huge "Thank you" to everybody who helped out in any way including, of course, those of you who got us through by praying for us during the weeks before Christmas.  What a difference your prayers made!!
Our holiday club, which ran the week after Easter, was based on "The Lion King" and the children and adults all enjoyed ourselves as we journeyed through Africa with Simba, the lion cub, and at the same time learned more about Jesus, God's Son, who was born to be King of our lives. There were crafts, games, songs, a memory verse and cookery, not to mention several appearances by Simba the lion himself (even though his tail did get pulled off by one eager youngster!). One of my own highlights, however, was the drama performed by members of the Youth Group and Boys Brigade.  It was a joy to see them so enthusiastically practising and acting out stories from the Bible for the rest of the children to see.  We had a taste of one of these sketches during the Holiday Club Service the following Sunday morning, which gave everybody a glimpse of what it was like to be at Holiday Club.  Thanks, again, to all of you who supported us in many different ways.
During the first part of the year, we spent several weeks studying the miracles of Jesus and these studies culminated in a Scripture Search examination, which the children and young people completed in May.  They were subsequently awarded certificates for their efforts.  "Well done!" to everyone who took part.
We are beginning to obtain police checks for all those adults who work with children in church - whether regularly or very occasionally - and have two named Child Advocates to help support the younger members of our church family.  Hopefully, by this time next year, our Child Protection procedures will be more fully and comprehensively established.
We look forward to another year of working with the Sunday School and Youth Group and thank God for the privilege.  Please keep on praying for us - so that we can help to bring these children and young people to Christ in the best possible way.

Janette Whitehead

The Music Group/Choir Report 2003
 
 

The choir consists of about twelve people at present, and has been practising every fortnight.  We sang in church during special services like Christmas, Good Friday, Easter and the Church Anniversary.  In September, we contributed to the Broadwater Gospel Festival.
The music group leads part of the worship during the Sunday morning service.  The songs are either chosen by the preacher for that day, or by the music group itself.  The members practice the songs at home and before the morning service.  The music group sometimes accompanies the choir.
In the coming year we aim to play and sing together more frequently.

Louise and Jaap van der Weerd
Pastoral Care Group Report 2003
The Pastoral Care Group has been very active and we have received six written requests for membership.  To encourage fellowship we are hoping to have a get-together in January. We have been visiting a number of people, including the sick and people who haven't attended recently.
We have also received a very good response from those being given welcome forms:  17 forms have been returned.  The Pastoral Care Group  also had a gathering this year that resulted in a number expressing interest in joining the fellowship.  So God is doing a good work through the Pastoral Team!

Thornton Reid

The Girls Brigade Report 2003
 
 

This year we have 6 explorers, 6 juniors, 2 new seniors, 1 brigader, five staff members and myself.
Last February Kelly took part in young leaders training and gained her grade 1, which was presented at our annual church parade in March by Jo Critchley mission co-ordinator from HQ.  Kelly also raised £48.00 for cows for Kosovo, at last December's White Webb Band concert.
In June this year we took part in the District sports day and came third.  In July we celebrated our 80th birthday by taking the girls out for the day to the Bethnal Green museum and we then came back to the church for supper and a sleepover before church parade the next morning.
In October some of us joined other GB companies at Legoland Windsor;  we came back very worn out.
Although no camp was booked for this year, we are planning to take part in the District weekend camp in September and are hoping to get a weekend in on a narrow boat in the springtime.
In the next few weeks we shall be having our awards evening and Christmas fayre on the 4th December and our annual joint Christmas party on the 12th December.
As you probably all know I took over as Commissioner for the London North District (then went into hospital) and would like to thank my staff for their support, for the all the time I leave them to get on with things here.

Belinda Plunkett
 

For really young ones - Israel sheltered from plagues by the Lord
Remember in the last issue how Pharaoh was defying what Moses was asking for? Moses' people, the Israelites, were about to leave Egypt to worship the creator of Heaven and Earth, the Lord, but King Pharaoh was being arrogant despite all the miracles and amazing plagues that the Lord was bringing against him because Pharaoh wouldn't obey.  Can you read this story, or get someone to read this for you-  There's a puzzle at the end for you!
The Plague of Boils
After all these plagues, Moses tossed soot into the air as the LORD had instructed him, and warned Pharaoh that it would become fine dust, and that boils would break out on men and animals across the land.  Sure enough, that's what happened, and this time Pharaoh's magicians couldn't even stand before Moses because of their boils, which festered on them.
The Plague of Hail
"Let my people go, so that they may worship me!" said the LORD through Moses.  "By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.  At this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now."  God also told Pharaoh to give an order to bring in Egypt's livestock and every slave they owned into their shelters because otherwise the hail would kill them!
Those officials of King Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD rushed to shelter their slaves and their livestock, but those who ignored God's Word also ignored the warning. When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky the LORD struck with thunder and hail, and lightning flashed.  Only the land where the Israelites lived, called Goshen, didn't get hail.
"This time I have sinned," said Pharaoh, and claimed he would let the Israelites go.  Moses told Pharaoh that he would pray to have the hail stop so that Pharaoh would know that the Earth is the LORD's.  But Moses knew that Pharaoh still did not fear God  Sure enough, when Moses prayed and the hail stopped, Pharaoh hardened his heart again and would not let the Israelites go.
The Plague of Locusts
The LORD said that He was performing these miraculous signs so that the Israelites could tell their children and their grandchildren how he dealt harshly with the Egyptians so that we might know that he is the LORD.
Moses passed on God's message to Pharaoh:  "How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let my people go, so that they may worship Me."  God warned him that otherwise locusts would cover the land and eat up what little there was left, and all of the Egyptians' houses would be filled with them
The officials advised the King to let the Israelites go.  Yet Pharaoh would only allow the Israelite men to leave, and not their wives and children.  Moses and Aaron were even driven out of the Pharaoh's presence.  So God commanded Moses to stretch out his hand, and the wind blew all day and all night.  A swarm of locusts flew with it across the land.  When the locusts ate, nothing green remained on any tree or plant.
Pharaoh called on Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me."  When Moses prayed, the LORD God changed the wind and the locusts flew out of the land but, again, Pharaoh's heart hardened.
The Plague of Darkness
So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky and total darkness spread over Egypt for three days, except where the Israelites lived. No one elsewhere in Egypt could see or leave their homes.  Pharaoh thought he would allow the Israelite men and women to go, but he would not allow them to take their flocks and herds.
But Moses would not permit it:  "Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the LORD our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the LORD."  This time, Pharaoh replied: "Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die."
"Just as you say," said Moses, "I will never appear before you again."
The Plague on the Firstborn and the Passover
The LORD told Moses that He would bring one more plague to Egypt to strike down every firstborn, and that He had made their people to be favoured by the Egyptians:  the Israelite men and women would now ask their neighbours for articles of silver and gold and they would receive them, yet they would now be driven out completely from the land.  Yet the Egyptian officials would also come and bow before Moses.  So Moses warned Pharaoh about the last plague to come and left, hot in anger.
That's when the LORD instructed Moses and Aaron that all the Israelite men were to take a Passover meal by first taking a year-old male lamb without any blemish for their families. They could share one with their nearest neighbour if the households were small enough.  The Israelites would take care of their chosen lambs for four days that month, after which they would all slaughter them at twilight. They were to put the blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they ate the lambs. They had received other careful instructions from the Lord on how else they would eat the meal - they would even eat the meal quickly, with their cloaks tucked into their belts, like people who were about to be driven out of the land in a hurry!
On the night of the Passover, a destroyer went through the land to strike down the Egyptians, but when he saw the blood on the top and sides of the doorframes of the Israelites, he would pass over their houses -which is why this meal is called 'Passover'- as the Lord would not permit the destroyer to enter those houses to strike the Israelites' firstborn. The Passover would be remembered and re-enacted in part as an instruction from God, and Christians who are old enough also remember this supper with Communion because Jesus was the lamb whose blood was shed to cover them from God's wrath for their wrongdoings!
At midnight, the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, "from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well", except those of the Israelites. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night and there was a lot of wailing then. Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron: "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me."
They wanted the Israelites to leave in a hurry or else they believed they would all die.  So the Israelites obtained from the Egyptians all the silver and gold items they asked for and left, and that is when they escaped the oppression of Pharaoh!  There were six hundred thousand men on foot plus the women, children and all their flocks and herds!
Many other stories happened to the Israelites when they left Egypt:  they even crossed the Red Sea and a big miracle happened to save them from Pharaoh You can read about those stories in the Bible, or ask your Sunday School teacher!
Puzzle:  Israel sheltered from plagues by the Lord

Can you find the underlined words in the grid? They're written across or down!

Finished? You'll find the words shaded out next page!

For 11 year olds and up - Handling Fear
What are you scared of? Most of us have a fear of something and the list of recognised phobias is enormous. Some fears are Ok as they don't stop us doing anything but others are crippling and stop us enjoying life to the full or reaching our full potential.
I have a fear, which I'll share if you promise not to laugh! I have a fear of earwigs, and just the very thought of them makes me cringe. If I go camping I cannot sleep if there is an earwig in the tent and my ever-valiant wife has to remove the offending creature.
Now the thing is, I know that this is very irrational: earwigs are tiny and I'm not - with one small squash they would be no more. Earwigs don't bite but how ever hard I try and convince myself they still scare me. It all came about one day when I was repairing the eaves on a roof in the days when I was a builder and as I removed the section that was rotten hundreds of earwigs fell down on me, in my hair, my clothes everywhere and that is where it all started from.

Now the good thing is I don't have to meet earwigs very often so it is not much of a problem but I know young people who have a fear of what people think of them, a fear of open spaces to name a couple, and fears like these stop them from being who God created them to be.
I once heard it said that FEAR stands for false evidence appearing real.  Think about that for a moment: false evidence appearing real means in most instances we are scared of a lie.
The Bible tells us that perfect love drives out all fear and that God is Love. With that knowledge we can start to face our fears not alone but with God.
For me that means getting over the earwig thing! What is it for you? The fears we need to conquer more than any though are the ones that stop us moving on in our faith; do you have any of those? Think what would have happened if many of the great spiritual giants in the Bible had given into their fears instead of trusting God, and He's the same God today!
By 'Beef'
Morden Baptist Church youth website www.nuclearyouth.com

The Boys Brigade Report 2003
We are one of only three Companies now working in Haringey.  Our numbers stand at 3 Anchor Boys, 10 Juniors, 7 Company and 1 Senior.  After a nail-biting finish we won the Junior Section Team Games competition.
Since we started the new session in September it has been quite difficult at times because of the behaviour of some of the new boys.  So please pray for the leaders as we seek to show the love of Christ to the boys.

Vi Maddison, Paul Ambler, John Bambridge, Stephen Cook

---------

HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING

Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Hark! The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn king

Peace on Earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled
On Christmas Day 1736, Charles Wesley preached at St Mary's Church Islington, and gave the Wine at Holy Communion.  Next day, it was George Waitfield's turn:  "We had the sacrament this and the four days following, the whole week was a festival indeed:  a joyful season, holy unto the Lord."
Was that the first Christmas ever to be enriched by this hymn?  In its original version, it was published a few months later.  Whitfield was one of those who afterwards shaped it to its present form.
So whenever we hear or sing these words today, we are heirs to the work of England's finest hymn-writer and her greatest preacher.
The composer Mendelssohn belongs to the next century, but he did not live long enough to hear his famous music matched with this magnificent hymn.

Submitted by

Vi Maddison
(taken from 'Famous Hymns')
 

The office holders were elected by the church at the AGM as follows:-

Meeting Nicodemuses today
Are we fulfilling the Lord's commission? Bill Easum, author of Dancing with Dinosaurs, considers the thought that "caring for the members of the church is the primary mission". He points out that, actually, "The purpose of the church is to win the world to faith in God through Jesus Christ. The purpose of the pastor is to equip people to build up the Body of Christ. The purpose of laity is to pass on to others the new life God has given them." Thus, the church is not just to consume the Word and its benefits, but also to carry on Christ's commission to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20).

Jeff Patton, author of If It Could Happen Here, agrees: "The whole purpose of the church is to make disciples. We have no other reason for being, no other reason to exist and no reason for God to bless our efforts if we neglect this crucial aspect of our call. This does not mean we should not feed the poor, visit those in prison, care for the needy. But clearly the purpose of the church is to make disciples in all of these activities as well in the hundred more activities any community of faith involves itself in. The early Methodist Church seemed contagious. The early church (and many congregations today in South American and in the Third World) didn't just make disciples, they multiplied disciples." Patton then considers why, in his view, this wasn't happening in his country.

He advances the need, as he puts it, "to mentor or coach people into the passion we have for Christ..." "What is your passion? What do you think about first thing in morning as you rise from sleep? Would the people in your congregation know you for your passion? Perhaps we should stop thinking we can teach passion. Perhaps passion must be caught." Indeed, in Soul Winning, T.L. Osborn writes: "You can memorize the mechanics [of personal evangelism]. But the dynamics must be born in you. It must be a revelation - a miracle." Have we been seeking God's Spirit to be full of that passion to share the Good News? Let's pray to appreciate His goodness and to share it with others!
Let's encourage each other to witness and share the Good News of the Lord! You are welcome to tell your witness stories or thoughts!
 

"Prayer is simple, as simple as a child making known its wants to its parents. The prayer of the feeblest saint on earth who lives in the Spirit and keeps right with God is a terror to Satan. The very powers of darkness are paralysed by prayer."
Oswald Chambers
 

Bible Society News

Using many means to reach Nottinghamshire
Bible Society launched its Nottinghamshire outreach this autumn as part of its vision to make the voice of the Bible heard. They want to engage directly with contemporary culture as a whole rather than with groups of people who already have some connection with the Christian faith by making some credible, creative connections between the Bible and everyday life. Bible Society sees this as a long-term campaign and they are making a start in Nottinghamshire.
In October, an interactive discussion was held with the Mayor and invited councillors called 'Building Community in the 21st Century - The Power of Story to Shape Our Lives". On another day, there was also 'An Evening with Norman Stone', the BAFTA award-winning producer, talking about his life in broadcasting and the things that matter to him.
Bible Society also published material on the worldwide web to challenge Christians and engage friends and others during this campaign. Why not drop by at their outreach website (www.getthestory.co.uk) for ideas to use wherever you live?
Links between recent movie attractions and a book written 2000 years ago
For a hundred years films have hooked us with suspense, shaken us with laughter and moved us to tears. They can grip us because they touch on the things that really matter- our hopes, dreams and fears. Phone Booth and Minority Report are two films taken from different genres but with storylines to get you thinking. Because film is something to discuss together, Bible Society has included questions online for this outreach to discuss with a few friends.
For example, in Steven Spielberg's Minority Report, set in the mid-21st century, a controversial crime prevention method in Washington DC is being tested by the 'Department of Precrime' whereby the psychic abilities of genetically engineered people ('precogs') are used, through computer technology, to provide data about future crimes. This allows the arrest and sentencing of people for crimes yet to be committed.
Bible Society engages the web visitor with some key issues from the movie: genetic engineering, freedom to choose, and fate. It suggests small group discussion, role play and feedback with questions like, 'What do you regard as acceptable and unacceptable in the world of genetics?' It counterbalances the movie with passages like 1 John 3.1 (we are loved by God as His children). Why not set a date, buy/hire a copy of the movie, and have friends and acquaintances round for an evening of viewing and chat?
Outreach using soaps as springboards
Many are soap addicts, caring about the ups and downs of communities of fictional neighbours like our own. Others try to give them the slip, but when their guard is down somehow find themselves drawn in. This is because soaps aren't all froth. On a daily basis, they get us thinking and reacting to the lives and loves of everyday people and the countless scrapes they find themselves in.
Bible Society set up web pages in this campaign to make people think and react about these also. Each web page starts with a recent East Enders and Coronation Street storyline, outlines a relevant story from the Bible itself- a kind of shadow to the soap, with similar challenges or situations - and ends with a space to reflect...
In East Enders' 'Who Cares?' episode for instance, Kate and Phil have just married and are all set for marital bliss and parenthood - caring for Phil's daughter, Louise, as their own - when into the Square walks Lisa, Louise's real mother. Given their past battles over Lou, it's no surprise that Phil and Lisa go straight into the next round. So should it be Lisa or Phil and Kate who care for Lou?
Bible Society takes the web visitor through the story of King Solomon's wisdom in settling disputes when two women came to him claiming a child as their own (1 Kg 3:23-27): 'Lisa's situation is typical of many today. Relationships break down and are often followed by a tug of love over care of the children. In this case, his wisdom was based on the care that real mothers naturally feel. The decision was also based on giving care to the woman who actually had the child's interest at heart, whichever that was.'
Where the journey goes next is for the reader to decide. Bible Society writes: 'If we've whetted your appetite for the Bible's stories and wisdom or encouraged you to dig further into its relevance and meaning for today, we'll be happy.'

12 Days of Christmas:
http://office.microsoft.com/clipart

Coming events White Webbs Band clipart from:
www.intcon.net

Coming events Carols at Almhouses clipart from:
www.intcon.net

Coming events Carols by Candlelight celebration clipart from:
www.shermanisd.net

Coming events Nativity Service clipart from:
www.100000freecliparts.com

Coming events Christmas Day celebration clipart from:
www.cc-art.com

‘Thank Offering 2003’ clipart from:
www.hellasmultimedia.com

‘Driver’s Permit’ clipart from:
www.hasslefreeclipart.com

‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ border clipart from:
www.awesomeclipartforkids.com

‘Heat wave’ clipart from:
www.sijcomputers.com/cruzblanca/hermanoleon

‘Specially for Young People’ hail plague clipart from:
www.100000freecliparts.com

‘Specially for Young People’ Moses clipart from:
www.100000freecliparts.com

‘Specially for Young People’ Aaron clipart from:
www.100000freecliparts.com

‘Specially for Young People’ darkness scene clipart from:
www.100000freecliparts.com

‘Specially for Young People’ exodus clipart from:
www.cc-art.com

‘Specially for Young People’ lamb clipart from:
akidsheart.com

‘Specially for Young People’ blood on doorframes clipart from:
www.100000freecliparts.com

‘Specially for Young People’ boy and fence/boy and bicycle clipart from:
www.100000freecliparts.com

‘I rejoice at Your Word’ clipart from:
www.uponthisrock.com

Oswald Chambers border clipart from:
allclipartsite.com

Oswald Chambers quotation banner clipart from:
allclipartsite.com