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Bible Sunday (December 1991 edition of magazine) The Bible has been described as the world's least read best-seller. Year after year its sales outstrip those of any other publication. Most churches have pew Bibles; Bibles normally occupy the biggest single section in Christian bookshops; you will find Bibles in hotel rooms, prisons, hospital wards and in countless homes throughout the country. It's not as if we find it hard to find a copy and yet a vast number are hardly, if ever, opened and actually read. For many the Bible has almost come to be seen as an 'optional extra' and nonessential to their Christianity. However, the good news is that this appears to be changing, albeit slowly. The Decade of Evangelism, which has now begun, has caused many to stop and think: if we are to be able to share our faith with others we need, first of all, to get to rips with it for ourselves. Where better to begin than with a fresh (or perhaps even first) look at the Bible and what it has to say. It tells us about God, about his relationship with his people, about his son, Jesus Christ, of his love for us and, most significantly in these turbulent and uncertain times, of the hope and security for the future that God offers us, if we can come to him and put our trust in him. You may already read the Bible regularly. If you do, why not make a point of sharing with others why you do this and what it means to you. If you haven't recently read the Bible, why not make a fresh start now? You'll find there's lots of help available to get you started. Both Scripture Union and The Bible Reading Fellowship, amongst several others, produce Bible reading notes to help understand and interpret the Bible. Many have found their daily reading and notes a time of immense richness and support. If you wish to know more ask at St. Thomas' bookstall or the Church Office. Last summer Bishop Michael Marshall had a marvelous idea. He said "Why not make the whole Church a Bible Reading Fellowship". Just think of the impact we would have on the world if that were true. Let's open the Bible and let's allow God to speak to us, transform us, and enable us to do his will. Adapted from an article supplied by Bible Reading Fellowship, original author Richard Fisher. Partnership in the Gospel, Garry Bestwick from SAMS (April 1992 edition of magazine) On 26 January 1992, Canon Garry Beswick, then SAMS area secretary, threw out to us a fresh challenge in our missionary support work, particularly for our link missionaries Andrew and Mandy Lines, now out in Paraguay. He based that challenge by reference to St. Paul's letter to the Phillipians, beginning with St. Paul's opening comments "I thank you and I pray with joy for your partnership in the Gospel. No church shared with me except you Phillipians in the matter of giving and receiving". He explained that it created a bond between Paul and the Phillipian church but Paul was in prison about 900 miles away, as the crow flies, in Rome. In those days a very long way away. But Paul still said I thank you for your partnership in the Gospel. "Your giving to me, your receiving from me". In bringing us to 1992, Garry reminded us that 6000 miles away, as the crow flies, are Andrew and Mandy Lines and baby Alexander. They are in the country of Paraguay in the heart of South America and they have a number of "Phillipian" churches including St. Thomas', Brampton and he hoped they can say "we thank you for your partnership in the Gospel for your giving to us and your receiving from us". Gamy believes that there are four aspects to this partnership which come out in Phillipians. The first one, the most important is partnership in prayer Partnership in Prayer "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ...." wrote St. Paul, and there is Paul praying regularly for the Phillipian congregation. We can be assured, he said, that Andrew and Mandy Lines will pray for us. He hoped they pray with joy. As they see the church magazine and other information they hear something of our prayer needs. But St. Paul also hoped and believed the Phillipians would pray for him. As the supporting parish we need to be in touch with the Lines' prayer needs, and Garry mentioned several: 1) Language they have to master and learn Spanish as spoken in Paraguay. Pray especially for Mandy because as a housewife in South America and caring for Alexander she has less time to study than Andrew. Pray too they will have a sense of humour and learn the right words for the right occasion at the right time. A crucial prayer need. 2) Their local church, rife with tensions There they are trying to minister and to bring something of Christ's love to it. Pray their witness and contribution may help their church become more united and may help the Paraguian Christians to see 'one in Christ', not split in Christ. 3) Ministry of bible teaching which Andrew will be taking later this year. A crucial task because missionaries have to decrease, and national leaders must increase. But they must increase by knowing what they believe, who they believe and why they believe. And Andrew's job is to take the Word of God and teach pastors and potential leaders from it so they can grow and in turn teach others. He will do it in Spanish! First and foremost, partnership in prayer. Paul prayed for them, they for him. Andrew and Mandy Lines pray for us. We must pray for them. the second area of partnership is what he called practical Practical Now the Phillipians prayed for Paul and they were also very practical. They sent Epaphroditus to Rome to get some news of him. We need not send a messenger in person but we can send and hear news through letter writing, and we are asked to be practical by telling them something of England they will not hear. There are many things they will not hear about and some trivial things to us can transform a mundane letter into something very interesting. We can tell them something of Britain that means a lot to them. And don't forget Christmas and birthdays, particularly for little Alexander. They also have their own needs magazines and articles to keep them informed are vital church magazines, ladies monthly magazines, hobbies and interests are particularly appreciated. In a more direct sense pounds and pence. Pounds and Pence Paul writes "Even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need". Epaphroditus went to take a gift to Paul, because the Phillipians realised he had to be supported. This too is the ministry of a supporting church. Do you realise that if 25 people gave SAMS £6 per month, the equivalent of a daily tabloid newspaper, it would raise nearly 2,000 a year? In compiling this resume I am convinced that of our number we must surely be able to rise to this aspect of the work. And finally pupil. Pupil There is much we can learn in humility and we can learn from Christians in South America. The Phillipians learnt an awful lot from Paul. Garry said he believed there were vital lessons that can be taught to us over and over again. And he was certain that when Andrew and Mandy come back in 2 years time and they share with us about their work, there will be some things where we will be pupils and we will be learning from them. We should pray with Paul with great joy for our partnership in the gospel through prayer, practical concerns, pounds and pence, and being a pupil. There are many aspects to this fresh challenge and we should respond according to our ability. If you are interested why not speak to a member of the clergy, or Richard or Dorothy Banks as to the many practical ways we can help in this work. Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International (August 1993 edition of magazine) Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International extend an open invitation to their dinner on.......... You may well ask, who are they, why do they have dinners, and what is the point of the long name. About 40 years ago several committed Christian men sat down to talk about forming a group. Not exceptional men, just average working people, businessmen, who know the Lord and love him but haven't known how to show it. And what would this group do? They would have meetings in restaurants and other public places, places which would appeal to men who would not normally attend a church or religious activity. They would tell other men, oral, no theories. They would tell what they have actually experienced of God to other men like themselves ? men who might not believe what a preacher said ? but who will listen to plumbers, doctors and farmers because they are plumbers, doctors and farmers themselves. We need a name, they said, an all embracing name. Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International said one. And like you the others asked why?
Please accept the open invitation, experience ordinary men and women talking about how they have been healed, the miracles they have seen and experienced and the special ways that God has dealt with their lives. It's an experience I commend to all. Perhaps you would like to know more or listen to a tape of one of these people speaking at a dinner. There are men in this church who are members of the FGBMFI who would be willing to tell you more. Ask the staff or contact the church office. Finally I ask you to pray for the work of the FGBMFI as we work to bring all men and women to a greater knowledge and love of the Lord, and may His blessings be upon you all. Yours in Christ Roger Smith, Businessman Mission Through Church (December 1996 edition of magazine) Is God calling You? Please pray regularly that the Lord will send workers into His 'harvest field'. And please pray that this church will give the advice, support and care which will help them to work effectively. When individual Church members are called by God to serve him in Christian service, in this country or abroad, it is the Church which is the sending body. We, who are the Church, have a responsibility to care for those who go at the Lord's direction. We encourage anyone who is seeking God's will for their future, with Christian service as an option, to contact one of the senior staff in the parish. This will bring the help of a "Vocation Advisory Group" into the situation. Such people, young or old, who may be considering this kind of' work need the support and care of the Church. This partnership in mission will be effective throughout its term, short or long, if there is a sharing of experience, beginning at an early stage, between those called and the membership of the Church. The Vocation Advisory Group is an extension of the parish World Mission Committee and has already begun to function. Its purpose is to help encourage and advise those members of the Church who sense a call from God to serve Him in Christian work or ministry, either in this country or overseas. This group aim to help church members to recognise their call and may suggest training, experience and other preparation needed to fulfil the ministry to which they are called. It will cooperate with any mission societies involved and through the World Mission Committee will be able to recommend the PCC's financial support as appropriate. The Church will be informed appropriately at each stage to ensure that support of every kind is provided throughout the period of preparation and during the subsequent service. So please continue to pray that this Church will provide support for all those whom God is calling or preparing for His work. Could it be You? (This article has been contributed by Horace Totterdell and John Goodacre who have been involved in the 'Vocation Advisory Group" as members of the World Mission Committee.) I was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me (October 2000 edition of magazine) There has been much talk in the media recently about asylum seekers, most of it couched in negative terms. What should be the attitude of Christians and what can we do practically? Asylum Seekers - refugees or economic migrants? First, let us arrive at an understanding of the term "asylum seeker". A genuine asylum seeker is a refugee. The UN Convention on Refugees defines refugees as those who have a "well founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion". Between 30% and 40% of those who apply for asylum are recognised as refugees under the Convention. Others are given "temporary leave to remain for humanitarian reasons". The remainder come into the category of "economic migrants" who are forced to seek a new life because of economic crises which are often the result of economic and foreign policies of countries such as ours. We need to remember that most refugees don't want to be here. They would prefer to be living in their own countries! Where should Christians stand? That Jesus Christ had a particular love and concern for the poor and the outcast is indisputable. It is therefore an essential part of the Church's mission and ministry to reach out to the marginalised and persecuted, and to stand in solidarity with them in their struggles, suffering and hopes. In so doing we also stand in solidarity with Jesus Christ. "Truly, I say to you, as you did to one of the least of these, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:10). As the Archbishop of Canterbury makes clear, "When we welcome the stranger, the outcast, the refugee we welcome Jesus himself. My hope is that our country which has had a great tradition of hospitality to the stranger will continue to be as open and as generous as possible." What is the current situation? The Archbishop's use of the past tense is accurate and worrying. "Our country which has had a great tradition of hospitality". The Immigration and Asylum Act of 1999 treats asylum seekers more harshly than ever before. After being dispersed throughout the country they are given no choice as to where they will live and can find themselves in isolation from their natural support groups. Accommodation is very often in poor bed and breakfast establishments. Asylum seekers are unable to claim social security benefits - they are given vouchers for food and a small amount of cash. More are being held in detention, and the rights of appeal against refusal of asylum have been reduced. Because these new arrangements are making life even more difficult for those cling asylum, churches and individual Christians will find they are increasingly drawn into supporting asylum seekers through personal encounters on the streets, at the church door; or through local action. So what can Christians do? We can:
Never Get Too Comfortable (October 2002 edition of magazine)
After forty odd years serving as an evangelist with the Church Army based mainly in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Suffolk and Norfolk as well as mission work in other parts, it might have been the natural thing to drop out and leave things to others. However, it is never that simple, the Lord's agenda is often quite different from ours and has a habit of moving us on to something new, just at the point when we think we have got it made. There is something profoundly disturbing about following Jesus I have observed that those churches which are serious about growth have reshaped their leadership structure and developed a collaborate leadership. This appears to be what St. Paul has in mind in Ephesians (Eph 4:11-13). Once we decided to go down this route at St Thomas it seemed to me that, under the Lord, the best way I could offer my support was to get involved and help carry it forward to the next stage. Hence I found myself facilitating the Nurture and Evangelism team. Over the years formal ways and means of doing evangelism and nurture have changed radically. In my lifetime focus of evangelism has moved through Parish Missions, Billy Graham type missions, Youth coffee bars, Evangelistic house groups, Church Growth methods, Church planting, Nurture groups such as Alpha and developing new kinds of churches. Most, if not all, of these I have been involved in at some level. However, we need to look forward and not back. This is where it gets very disturbing. It seems to me that the biggest challenge facing us today is to make an impact on a secular culture, which has little place for God. Clearly we have good news of how the crucified and risen Jesus can change people and communities. Yet the challenge for all of us is to be involved with people in our neighbourhood and wider community and to share the love of Jesus. What is required is talking pictures of Jesus i.e. ordinary Christians sharing faith in word and action. David Sanderson. Derby Diocesan Springboard Initiative June/July 2003 (April 2003 edition of magazine)
The Focus of Springboard Springboard follows three strands: Spirituality: The promotion of the spiritual life of the church, its worship, prayer and lifestyle as the basis for authentic evangelism. Apologetics Helping the church find a renewed confidence in the truth of the Gospel and the task of proclaiming it. Evangelism Helping to identify gifted people and provide practical resources for laity and clergy. The Springboard team visiting the diocese will be: Rev Tim Sledge (Missioner in the Peterborough Diocese) and Canon Chris Neal (Springboard Missioner). By David sanderson Faith sharing: A worldwide vision (April 2005 edition of the magazine)
Faith sharing where we are 'Faith Sharing' happens informally and every day when those who have found Jesus to be the bread of life pass this good news on to others who as yet do not know him in a personal way. There are a variety of ways in which faith sharing can happen, both formally and informally. In a more formal way faith sharing happens through the regular ministries we exercise. Faith sharing in Brampton As a church we are very committed to helping people to understand the Christian faith better. To that end we have run a number of courses, not least the , which have enabled many to discover for themselves what it really means to be a follower of Jesus. Recently we introduced a six week course designed to help people grasp the basics of the Christian Faith. This is open to anyone who wishes to join. No strings attached. Anyone interested in joining the course can simply book in through the church office (01246 558461). Faith sharing throughout the world St Thomas' has a worldwide vision. We are also committed to support financially and through our prayers a number of mission and aid agencies working throughout the world, from South America to the Arctic and from the Far East to Eastern Europe and Africa. These agencies provide a variety of support people in the UK and overseas including aid workers, evangelists and pastors. There is also a strong commitment with some of these groups to alleviate world poverty. Recently our missionary work has been given a new focus with two of our members offering themselves on voluntary overseas posts one to Afghanistan and the other in Uruguay. All this brings the Two- Thirds World closer to home and reminds us how much more people overseas need our help. Faith sharing in 2005 and 2006 Of course, the work of all the above will continue into the future. However, a few months ago St. Thomas designated July 2005 to July 2006 a year of mission in our local community. We have entitled the programme 'Living Stones Project - Building to Grow' a title which expresses our aspirations. As we look forward to refurbishing and extending our church premises we are looking to God for growth with new people entering into a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. A small committee is prayerfully planning a programme that may enable us as a church to share faith with others in an imaginative and effective way. Clearly this is a call to all of us to share faith. The following events are already in the diary for this year [2005]:
As 'Mary' passed her she burst into tears. Mary stopped and discovered that 'Ruth' was waiting for a bus into town in order to register her brother's death, Mary took Ruth back home, and as they chatted over a cup of tea, Mary mentioned that she had been on her way to a church service. She went on to tell how her faith in God had helped her throughout her long life. 'Mary' arrived at church that day when the service was almost over, but she arrived with her new 'friend' Ruth. Afterwards, they both went into town on the bus to continue Ruth's journey. It was a journey that has continued in a remarkable way. Ruth says simply that she 'came home' that day and entered into a vital experience of God. Ruth's new life in God began when Mary shared her faith with her in both word and action. Much of this is well summed up in St. Thomas' vision statement: Sharing the love of Jesus. David Sanderson. Prayers for the South American Missionary Society (SAMS) (February 2007 edition of the magazine)
Again in Lima Juan Carlos & Penny Marcés ask prayer for the new Alpha course at Jesús el Salvador and the children’s group in the shanty town of Oasis. Also pray for a new mission in an area called New Jerusalem. Here the people are extremely poor, many have TB and their children are undernourished. Pray for Peru’s government with Alan García as the new president of Peru. Especially pray that there will be justice, peace and a less corrupt future under the new government. Pray for Bishop William and Judith Godfrey and their team of Anglican pastors as they lead the Peruvian church. Further south near Arequipa pray for Alejandro Mesco who is to establish a new mission called San Felipe in a village in the Colca Canyon. He writes: “My family will stay in Arequipa and I will visit them at the end of each month, for we do not yet have a place where we can stay. I shall rent a room and then we will build accommodation on ground that the church has bought in Cabanaconde. From there we shall go out to visit other villages, to serve and help people and tell them the good news of Christ. It is a very Roman Catholic area and local traditions and alcohol are very dominant in these places. It is a huge challenge for my family and myself, as we have never been separated.” Peter Rolfe Mission Weekend at St Thomas’ 6 and 7 March 2010 (April 2010 edition of the magazine) St Thomas’ gives away ten percent of all the money received from giving to mission, both in this country and overseas. At present the ‘mission partners’ supported are: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), The South American Mission Society (SAMS –now part of Christian Missionary Society, CMS), Scripture Union, Novimost International, Tear Fund, Samaritans Purse, the Overseas Mission Fellowship (OMF) and Church on the Bus. Each organisation has a member of St Thomas’ as a link co-ordinator. Saturday –Prayer and Breakfast As well as financial support it is equally important to know what the needs of the organisations are and to support them in prayer. So on the Saturday at 8am some fifty or so members of St Thomas’ gathered for Prayer and Breakfast. Displays about our eight mission partners were set up around the church. We divided into two groups and each group moved round to four mission displays spending fifteen minutes at each. Before we prayed our mission co-ordinators up dated us on each organisation and told us of any specific prayer needs. Following our prayer time we adjourned to the meeting room where we found a wonderful breakfast of toast, cereal, hot bacon cobs and croissants (warmed to perfection) waiting for us. The morning was, in my opinion, a great success. Our corporate prayer for mission, which had previously been held on a weekday evening, had become stale and poorly attended. (I have to admit that I would be there looking at my watch and wondering how much longer!) This was a new and fresh approach. We were able to learn more about our mission partners, pray for them (I didn’t look at my watch once) and enjoy fellowship together. We give a big thank you to all who Sunday –Mission Sunday for Church on the Bus At the Saturday prayer morning with the Church on the Bus display were Church Army Captain Alan Park, who is in charge of the Bus project, and Captain Rob Lowe, who has recently joined Alan to help, and Robert Batten, a volunteer who often drives the bus. The three of them plus other Church on the Bus volunteers were at our three services on the Sunday as it was our Mission Sunday for Church on the Bus. (The last one was in 2007.) Captain Alan spoke at the 9am and 6pm services. His theme was ‘How to we respond to Jesus?’ Captain Alan said that everyone should take time out and ask God for opportunities to share His love in words and actions. However it is one thing to agree to do something; doing it is another matter. How many times have we promised God to share his gospel then failed to do so? Before the team take the bus out of an evening they pray for God’s Holy Spirit to equip them with patience and a loving attitude and most of all to take control of the situation as they minister to the many broken people they meet. This gives them confidence in their faith and they have the assurance that Jesus is in control of everything they do that evening. The Church on the Bus project is all about those who don’t know Jesus Christ; being there for them and giving them a promise of salvation. He told the story of Cider Dave who wasn’t a Christian before he came to the bus. Over a period of years he came to accept Jesus into his life. A few weeks ago he came to the bus and asked Captain Alan to pray for him as he was dying. He told Alan that a few years ago he didn’t know where he was going after he died but now he did. God had met Dave where he was through the bus and the people on it sharing their faith. In our communion services we use the words ‘Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory’. Do we fulfill this promise or do we come to church and leave God at the altar when we leave? Captain Alan left us with a few questions: How are we going to respond when Jesus calls us? Are we going to follow through our promise to Him and act upon it? Jesus does not offer us material wealth and power but an awesome, powerful and transforming love giving meaning and purpose to our lives. So we need to encourage people to make Jesus special in their lives. Are we ready to follow Jesus with all our heart, soul and mind to show people that Jesus exists today? Captain Rob Lowe spoke at the 11am service. He spoke about homelessness and what the Church on the Bus project is doing. He illustrated his talk with a number of examples. Church on the Bus base their work on WWJD –what would Jesus do in this situation. They don’t want to just feed and clothe homeless people but to deal with other issues that may be affecting their lives, for example alcohol, drugs. Jesus would journey with these people and meet their needs. This is what the bus team wants to do and in doing so show those they serve something of Jesus. Rob, like Allan, challenged us with some questions. Are we putting our faith into action: helping the poor and the vulnerable? Do we really know Jesus? Do we know, like Cider Dave does, where we are going after the grave? At the 9am service Robert Batten explained how he got invoved with Church on the Bus and another project that has developed from it for the homeless. About ten years ago St Thomas’ was supporting a scheme for the homeless in Chesterfield called Rootstock providing them with housing. It was for 18-25 year olds and was part of a larger project run by Social Services to provide housing. However there were a lot of complaints about anti-social behaviour from these houses and the Social Services project, including Rootstock, was closed down. However the need did not go away. In 2004 Chesterfield Baptist Church held a meeting about homelessness. Representatives from a number of organisations attended. One of the people there was an Alan Park and he spoke about a bus he had and the work he wanted to start with the homeless. Being interested in homelessness and being qualified to drive a bus (though not a bus driver) Robert joined the fledgling Bus team becoming their driver. The team started parking the bus one night a week outside Chesterfield Town Hall. (They now have two buses going out four nights a week going to Clay Cross and Matlock as well.) Robert said they make no apology for proclaiming that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. They don’t overwhelm the people. However they do talk about Jesus, pray, study the Bible and give out tracts. People who come to the bus accept this. In 2006 Alan said to Robert that they needed to do more. People come to the Bus but then where did they go? They went back to sleeping rough. People needed a home. And within two months they had acquired a house! They started taking people in and to date they have had thirty seven people living in this house –some for a few days, others for over a year. Their prayer is that they can rehabilitate those who use the house. Robert says they are sowing the seed of the Gospel. Psalm 126 says ‘we sow in tears but reap in joy’. It has been hard. There have been tears. The police have been called a number of times to deal with problems. But there have been happy times and laughter as well. Robert describes Alan as a wonderful person. He is fearless, committed and absolutely focused on this work. He has an affinity for these people, having been homeless himself for seven years. Alan has prospered with Church on the Bus and the Bus has prospered with Alan. Robert said he thanked St Thomas’ for the financial support, prayers and encouragement for Church on the Bus over the last five years. They are looking forward to the next five years. See pictures and listen to Alan, Rob and Robert speaking |
