Pastors Blog Oct 2016

Hi Readers.

 

For the next 4 Monday evenings I am attending the EMBA ‘Equipped for Change’ course. This is because ‘change is constant; it is the rate of change that changes.’ We heard on the course, “If it isn’t changing it is dead.” So as a growing church we are changing. But we need to change in line with our aim of ‘God ‘in’ – love ‘out’. Our reason for being is to bring God’s love into our church family, and take this out to our community to transform people’s lives. Hence the course…to get some wise advice!

There is one thing, however, that never changes. This is the only one I can think of. And also the most important. God.

Hebrews 13 says He is the same yesterday, today and forever. In fact, this Scripture dominates the main internal wall in our fellow church at Dyke. This message is important because we need something solid, at the base of each of our lives

Morton New Day had a thorough refurbishment over a decade ago and through good stewardship all the important things are fine. In my 3 years we have upgraded the sound desk and speakers. We have TV monitor for the Worship Team. Recently the guttering causing damp was repaired, and the affected area plastered. In the next few weeks we are having 5 folding soundproof frosted glass doors fitted behind the organ. Curtains are being made, and Derek will be painting the following month. So changing we are!

So it is good that are building, again through careful stewardship, is becoming more functional and attractive.

But we need to remember we are not about the building, or the sound system, carpets, and all that stuff. No! We are here for one reason, to love our never-changing God and take this Good News out to our community.

So community…if you haven’t ventured in to Morton New Day Baptist church, please pop in at one of our many weekly events, and I believe you may just experience the greatest change ever!

Be richly blessed, Pastor Andy.

 

 

Word for Today…Jesus doesn’t blame, just brings PEACE…

http://www.ucb.co.uk/word-for-today-40851.html

This is taken from UCB’s ‘Word for Today’ this week

One of the first things Jesus did after His resurrection was to go looking for the disciples who’d failed Him so badly. ‘On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”’ (vv. 19-21 NIV 1984 Edition). Among the group was Peter, who’d walked on water, whose hands had distributed miracle food to five thousand hungry people, who’d witnessed Moses and Elijah standing next to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Big, bold, brave Peter who said, ‘Even if I have to die with you … I will never deny you!’ (Matthew 26:35 NLT). And he wasn’t the only one. ‘All the other disciples vowed the same’ (v. 35 NLT). Yet the record reads, ‘All his disciples deserted him and ran away’ (Mark 14:50 NLT). Saint John, Saint Andrew, and Saint James – all guys depicted on the stained glass windows of churches worldwide – abandoned Jesus when He needed them most. Yet when He rose from the dead, He never once brought it up. Instead: ‘He showed them His [wounded] hands’ (John 20:20 NKJV). Why? To let them know He loved them in spite of their failure.

 

The Bristol vicar who could not forgive…

This is such a sad story. Rev Julie Nicholson has been unable to return to the pulpit since daughter Jenny, 24, died in the blast at Edgware Road Tube station on July 7. I have put the link below…

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/77-vicar-i-quit-as-i-cant-forgive-581622

Central African Mission update (end Aug 16)

Here are the prayer items for Newslink, 30 August 2016.

 

CONGO

Lloyd Rowlands will be speaking at the Living Waters church this evening and tomorrow (Weds) evening. Pray for him. His weekend seminar was postponed, so will have to wait until later in the year now, as he and Sandy are taking a break. Sandy has finished her devotional notes for the Lighthouse School. She is busy preparing for their leaving Congo next Tuesday for a break in Australia. Lloyd plans to return to Lubumbashi in November; Sandy will stay in Australia until after Christmas, to spend more time with their two sons, Gareth and Michael, who are both at university. Pray for Lloyd and Sandy as they prepare to leave their work in good hands and pack up for this trip home.

Carol Seymour and Ginny Perkins had a good week, with all their ministries going to plan. Thank God they are able to bless the prisons they visit with food – adding soya now to enrich the maize flour they give. Ginny had a good time teaching on worship at the Lighthouse Church on Sunday. Pray for those who meet there to be shining lights, witnessing to those who are in darkness in their communities. Pray for TV/Radio recordings on Thursday to go well.

Prof Mwamba, Director of ISTELU Bible College, reported back on his Pastors’ Seminar at Kabongo, held during the College’s vacation. It went very well and was well-attended. Thank God for this teaching opportunity. Pray for the pastors’ ministries to be strengthened as a result. Pray for Mwamba as he takes a seminar at Kipushi this week, that his teaching will have a great impact that will bless many churches.

Sad news. We’ve just heard that Kyungu, son of Simon, a senior Congolese worker at the Living Waters Centre, has died in hospital. Two weeks ago he was badly beaten up after an unpleasant incident. Please pray for Simon, his wife and family at this difficult time, with investigations still going on into what happened, etc.

 

ZAMBIA

Gordon McKillop is glad to have his wife Sybil with him again at Nyangombe. Thank God for her safe journey back from Scotland last week. In recent weeks, 23 visits have been made by Nyangombe teachers and some pastors to surrounding villages, where churches have come together for teaching on evangelism and discipleship. Praise God! Prayer requests: (1) For a court ruling expected next week following the disputed presidential election result. Pray that peace will be maintained in Zambia. (2) For 1,000 children at Nyangombe for Camp until Thurs. Pray for great blessing. (3) For a large inter-church celebration over the weekend.

 

ETHIOPIA

Thank God that CAM is supporting 65 Ethiopian church planters on a regular basis. Pray for more individuals and churches to help the Mission shoulder this burden.

 

MOZAMBIQUE

Wanderley & Rosaria da Silva are concerned about the crisis in Mozambique: peace talks have been suspended, with no cease-fire agreement. Pray for security and peace in this nation. They are also worried about the situation in their home country of Brazil, with the president’s impeachment trial. As they write, ‘Only God can change the situation of both nations.’ Pray for peace of mind for the da Silvas as they seek to continue their ministry in Chimoio. Pray for the ongoing work on the Vocational Training Centre, especially with the water shortage in mind. Pray for success with their request for a regular mains supply on site.

 

Thank you for praying. Your prayers are greatly appreciated by all our CAM personnel.

 

Compiled by Lyn Ramsey. The next Newslink will be sent on Tuesday 6 September

Pastor’s Blog Sep 16

Hi Readers.

 

I type this at the end of a very joyful August. The ‘Big Event’ for this month has clearly been the wedding of Steve and Cherry Smith. What a truly fabulous day. The message ‘Love is seen’ was clearly evident and appropriate. Thanks to all the church that really pulled together, and we ask that God richly bless their married life.

Our 2nd Holiday Club saw 21 young people in ‘God’s Plaice’. Yes, that is a pun! We had Ann dressed as Charlie Chips, me as Todd the Cod, and Kay as ‘the big blue fish with no name’!

An impromptu BBQ after Holiday Club saw friends and young ones sharing food, chat and laughs with our wider church. It was nice to see Jo, Steve and Izzy again before they leave for South Africa.

The Family Service to show what we got up to is this Sunday 4th Sept.

Grapevine, now called ONE, was superb. Kay and I have been to 11 now, and they just keep getting better. Several of our church camped or visited, including Margaret Clark residing in a tent! Great teaching, worship, and fellowship with like-minded friends. A highlight for me was Margaret trying to get into the 18-30yr old ‘Authentic’ venue one evening. The security doorman explained they could stretch the age upto 40. But in his opinion Mrs C was exceeding even this. Then we realised we all are over, and shuffled off to the ‘Oldies’ marquee! (View the video ‘Margaret Clark Vs Security’ on www.mortonnewday.co.uk) I am sure we would have livened up their barn dance.

We have just concluded a sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer. What a joy this has been to look at again and appreciate He truly is OUR Father. All of us. And He wants the very best for us. All we need to do is reciprocate His love and follow His direction. If you would like to find out more about which direction that is, and what this might look like for you, please come and join us any Sunday at 10.30am. We’d love to share this Good News!

 

Be richly blessed, Pastor Andy.