BOULEVARD BAPTIST CHURCH |December 2018 edition | issue 73
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Boulevard Baptist Church
PASTOR: Devon Dick. EDITOR: Dorrett R Campbell. DESIGN & LAYOUT : Dorrett R Campbell. CONTRIBUTORS : Devon Dick. Garth Frater. Karl Henlin. Jermaine James. Ajala Kings.
COVER PHOTO: Women’s Federation Tea Party on December 1
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORSHIP Sundays: 9:00am and 6:30 pm Sunday School: 8:00am – 8:50am Prayer meeting: Wednesdays at 9:30am Community Bible Study each Wednesday at 6:45pm Prayer and Fasting: 1st Saturdays at 7:00am PUBLISHED BY THE BOULEVARD BAPTIST CHURCH. 2 Washington Boulevard. Kingston 20 Tel: 905-2422 / 905-0118 Email: boulevard.baptist@yahoo.com | facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boulevardbaptistmedia/ © 2017 2 | BBC eVoice
Advancing God’s Mission... THE YEAR IS ALMOST AT AN END AND SO IS MY TENURE AS THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA—MY PASSION CALLS AND YOUNG PEOPLE MUST NOW BE GROOMED TO LEAD MINISTRIES AS WE BABY BOOMERS PREPARE FOR THE RETURNING YEARS.
We’re not here to stay you know! But till the day Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour returns, the Church must be the Church and willing servants must be raised up to advance God’s mission.
Christ to humanity so that they will be restored and reconciled to Him. God’s mission is reflected in Jesus’ mission statement: The
Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour [ Luke 4:18].
Speaking of God’s mission: There are those among us who struggle with an explana-
God’s mission is the salvation of His people — to remedy and redeem the human condition thus bringing change, liberation and freedom [John 3: 1617]
tion of what that term means— Here’s the sting in the tail: How can we be advancing God’s mission if we cannot articulate what it is?
Our role is to partner with God in fulfilling God’s mission by inspiring others to acknowledge and embrace Jesus Christ as the crucified resurrected and exalted son of God and to intentionally improve the quality of life of God’s creation.
Here are some workable interpretations of God’s mission which came out of the All Members Fellowship so ably coordinated by our Deacon Lassom McDermott: God’s mission is to restore the harmony in God’s creation to what it was before man destroyed it; and to reconcile God’s most valuable creation to Himself. God’s mission is to avail His grace through His son Jesus
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In order to advance God’s mission we have to live in prayerful openness and flexibility. Openness in taking the gospel to all [Acts 11:1-18; Galatians 3:26-28] Rich and poor alike.- uppacity, downacity and ovacity, black white or brown.
Openness to the leading of the Holy Spirit to allow God’s gifts to manifest through whomever God chooses to use [Acts 11:1-18]. Openness to explore new territories and chart new directions [Acts 8:26-40]. Openness to concede to obey or to act when the truth is revealed [Acts 10; Acts 11:118]. Flexibility in seizing opportunities to witness in language others can understand - finding a common ground and making every incident, experience and event a platform to promote God’s mission [St John 4]. As I reflect on the reason for the Christmas, I will end the year with the same resolve with which I started: to do more, to love more, to serve more and to do better than I did in 2018 seeking neither praise nor reward, for I serve to advance God’s mission to God’s glory, hence I don’t pity and I don’t need pity, I help others; I refuse to be subjected to prejudice and I will not pre-judge anyone; I will support everyone. I will not despair. I will hold on to hope in the coming of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas to all of you.
GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE TO MEN ON WHOM HIS FAVOUR RESTS (Luke 2:14).
As we celebrate Christmas, it is difficult to blind our eyes to the negative around us. The carnage on our roads continues, our young girls and women are being slaughtered in domestic violence and other tragic circumstances, the government struggles to stem the crime that has become a nightmare and we hear about the corruption in the use of public funds while our public hospitals and other government owned entities struggle to cope. However, as people of God we are able to celebrate the coming of The Messiah as flesh among us.
As we celebrate with family and friends, let us remember those who live alone, especially the elderly, and have no one to visit them or to celebrate with them. We should make every effort to bring some cheer to at least one shut-in. Also, there are many who have lost loved ones tragically or otherwise and are still
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grieving, and will experience their first Christmas without their loved one. This will hardly be a time of joy and happiness for them, and we should be mindful of this. Thanks for your prayers, advice and support during the year. I hope that you will all have a peaceful and safe Christmas season. Mary, Deon, Duvaughn, Dana-Marie and I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with attendant peace, which is beyond all human understanding.
You pastor and friend Devon Dick
MY FELLOW JAMAICANS AT HOME AND ABROAD: We celebrate another Christmas as a nation, and we are grateful for the reminders of the power of peace and goodwill in shaping our lives. Christmas is a time that brings together families, friends, and communities, in thanksgiving and celebration, for the gifts and blessings we have received throughout the year. All of us have faced difficulties and disappointments of one kind or another during the year, which is now closing. However, even as we look back on the challenges we experienced this year, we recognize the meaning of the Season, the traditions and the symbols which give us cause to enjoy the unique feeling that this special time of year brings. We fully embrace any opportunity to engage with each other in an atmosphere of cordiality and conviviality, and to appreciate how good it is to ‘dwell together in unity.’ At the heart of this fellowship and goodwill is the true message of Christmas- that of building harmonious relationships, and a world where peace reigns in the hearts of humankind. In the spirit of the Season, I urge us all to focus our minds on all that is positive in our past – our values, our faith, and our generosity of spirit. It is equally important for us to recognize where we have fallen short in our responsibilities to the vulnerable; draw inspiration from the Christmas Message, and resolve to correct our oversight or neglect.
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As we spend time in reflection and renewal, let us: Remember and sympathise with, those who are spending their first Christmas without a loved one who was taken by crime, illness, road fatality, or other travails. Spend some quiet time in taking stock of our individual lives, and our impact on community and country. Strengthen the bonds of responsible family life, and protect our children. Be constructive with our suggestions as we are critical of our faults. Renew our long-term resolve to serve those in need and show kindness to those experiencing difficulties. And let us continue to exude the warmth and generosity which reflect the best of our Jamaican traditions. During this time of faith and family, I hope you will experience the love, gladness and heart of Christmas.
Lady Allen joins me in wishing for everyone a safe, holy, peaceful and joyous Christmas Season. Happy Holidays everyone, and may God bless us all. Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon Sir Patrick Allen ON, GCMG, CD, KSt.J
BBC 50
Building partnerships
Balancing lives Building community
T
HE BBC 50 TH ANNIVERSARY CHURCH SERVICE IS JUST A MONTH AROUND THE CORNER AND OH WHAT AN AWESOME TIME WE ARE EXPECTING TO HAVE!
dedication of the space to house the long awaited music and recording studio for the youth, the possible dedication of a bus and an after worship reception.
The Rev Karen Francis Kirlew , the very first female president of the Jamaica Baptist Union will be our guest preacher for the day. She will speak to the theme: BBC50 Building Partnerships. Balancing Lives. Building Community.
For this service, we play on 50 and seek to invite the following categories of persons to join us in worship:
Rev Kirlew is also the pastor of the St Anns Bay Circuit of Baptist Churches. The worship service, which commences at 9:00am will be led by our own pastor the Rev Dr Devon Dick and is expected to be broadcast live. The worship service will assume an ecumenical tone with the head of three other denominations participating. It will also include greetings and endorsements from the Jamaica Council of Churches, The Private Sector Organisation or Jamaica among others. Other major highlights will include the cutting of the 50th anniversary cake; the
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50 Business leaders 50 NGO leaders 50 Political leaders 50 Civic leaders 50 Educators
The intent is to target organisations which have worshipped at the BBC over its 50 years of ministry. Please do invite as many persons as possible to join us in divine worship.
Watch this page for more on BBC50
All members Fellowship…
The prayerful life
I
T WAS ALL MEMBERS FELLOWSHIP AT THE BBC ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25 AND THE PREACHER FOR THE DAY WAS THE REV DR BURCHEL TAYLOR, retired pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church; his choice of topic: The prayerful life; his scriptural reference, Ephesians 3: 20-21. Rev Taylor introduced his sermon by establishing that God’s mission is about restoration of justice, peace and righteousness to humankind. In his estimation, we can’t be and do what God expects us to, out of our own self-generated resources – we fail even before we start and even if we start we are fooling ourselves into selfdefeat by thinking that we can do very well without God. The preacher added that it was on this premise that the apostle prayed for three things for the congregants at Ephesus: Inward integrity, which is inner strength of character enabled and empowered by the spirit of God. According to the preacher only when we have this inward integrity that we would be able to live with outward consistency and stability.
Spirituality, which is shaped and structured by the in-dwelling presence of the crucified resurrected and exalted Saviour Capacity to make sense of the all-embracing dimensions of the love of God in Christ The preacher raised a poignant question: How do these virtues influence the manner in which we pray and the priority we place on the things for which we pray? Rev Taylor explained that the Doxology which followed the apostle’s prayer was a recognition 7 | BBC eVoice
of his implicit trust in God as the only one who could do more than he could ask for or even imagined. The preacher further explained that the Doxology provided three premises for living a prayerful life: (1)Total confidence in the power of God; (2) Faithful patience because we know God will come through for us; and (3) Trustful dependence on God, simply because He is able. The preacher urged us to exercise those three virtues, because the God we served is a God of quantity, quality and necessity: God is a God of quantity because he can do immeasurably more. God is not limited by any quantitative challenge and therefore we ought not to impose any measured calculation on God’s willingness to supply. According to Rev Taylor, if God is a God of quantity, then we should never conclude that we are asking God for too much and we should not fill our lives from sources other than God; or form alliances to make personal profit. He urged us to accept that when God isn’t willing to give, it’s because it isn’t good for us. God is a God of quality because He is able to do better than we ask. God, Rev Taylor said, makes a qualitative difference in our lives. “God is able to do for us, to us, in us, through us and by us better that we can imagine. That’s why we are salt of the earth.” In this regard, the preacher said, we attract envy and jealousy because God is making a difference in our lives. God is a God of necessity because He is able to do other than what we ask and what we ask and what we want is not necessarily what we need. God will supplies all our needs.
Welcome
To our
welcome to the fellowship
Newly Baptised AND THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH DAILY ALL OF THOSE WHO WERE SAVED. We are pleased to welcome to the BBC fellowship, seven new members, five of whom were added via
baptism and two by transfer. They gave their testimonies on Wednesday December 4 publicly declaring their decision to join the Jesus movement. Five, followed up with
Baptism on Sunday, December 9. Let’s pray for and mentor them so that they may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
CHRISTOPHER MADDEN
SOPHIA BOYD
SEYMOUR EDWARDS
Chris is the son of Geoff and Carol Madden. He is an active member of the Sunday School and a member of July Fellowship group.
Sophia has now joined the August Fellowship Group. she has been attending the BBC for quite some time now
Seymour Edwards is the father of Dianne Johnson and father-in-law of our deacon Vince Johnson. He is now a member of April Fellowship
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...And
To our Transferees Faith McFarquar Gordon pictured above is a transferee. She is the mother of our own Claude Reynolds who plays the keyboard the piano and facilitates a Sunday school
class. In her testimony Faith declared that her son’s example also contributed to her decision to transfer her membership to the BBC. The pastor’s sermon encour-
aged the new members to identify a mentor and also to be a mentor to others, not pitying but helping; not prejudging but being happy; not despairing but hoping.
IRVINGTON BUCHANAN
MARTIN RAMSAY
SHANIQUE PESSOA
Irvington is now a member of the March Fellowship.
Martin is a member of October Fellowship.
Shanique is now a member of February Fellowship and a transferee from Linstead Baptist Church
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DEVELOPING CHRISTIAN CHARACTER Verse 28: remove stealing and replace with hard work. Verse 29: Remove unwholesome talk and replace with edifying conversation
Karl Henlin CHRISTIAN LIVING IS ABOUT DEVELOPING CHRISTIAN CHARACTER, WHICH IS ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN THERE IS A COMMITMENT TO PURSUE A LIFE OF TRAINING IN DISCIPLESHIP AS DISTINCT FROM SIMPLY ‘TRYING TO BE A CHRISTIAN.’
Following Jesus takes discipline and unwavering commitment as well as a set pattern to follow and a practice to pursue which will involve routine, repetition and discipline. In the letter to the Ephesians (4:22-32) Paul makes it clear that we develop Christian character by training ourselves in righteousness and holiness and that it involves a process of removing and replacing somethings in our lives: Verse 25: Remove falsehood and replace truthfulness Verse 26-27: Remove lingering anger and replace with quick resolution.
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Verse 31-32: Remove bitterness and rage and replace with gracious speech, Having looked at these, there are additional negative character traits which afflict the human experience and the Christian walk. I offer to us the following as a program for life which, if we pursue its habits, will help us to become more obedient and open to the Spirit’s character formation within us.
Develop a Sabbath rhythm to life (Learn the discipline of giving up something special in order to train ourselves to do without) Practise regular selfexamination Develop a rhythm of abstinence Involve yourself in a systematic program of study Practise spiritual reading
DEVELOPING THE VIRTUE OF HUMILITY
Humility is to think of yourself less; and its antidote is to think of others more. Whenever a person thinks of himself less (NB: not thinking less of self) the person becomes freed from
an attachment to their own world, world view, words and wishes. Such a person is freed from addiction with himself and thus freed to become useful and flexible in the service of God as he serves the world. I offer to us some practical attitudinal strategies as we become trained in the life of Christ: Do not allow your life to be driven by the applause of men Do not overvalue or overrate your accomplishments and possessions Be willing to give up the desire for respect, recognition and reward in the service of others Do not value yourself by the lack of or the presence of positions and possessions Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to Become poor in spirit, practising a posture of dependence and gratitude Open yourself to be critiqued and appraised by others whether a mentor, spiritual friend or a small inner circle group.
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Kudos
And Kongrats... O
UR BROTHER, THE REV ERON HENRY HAS PRODUCED ANOTHER BOOK!
The book titled, Constitutionally Religious: What the Constitutions of 180 Countries Say About Religion and Belief, is a compilation of most of the important provisions, clauses and texts within national constitutions on religion. The book offers a roadmap and guide for the reader or researcher to what a country says or values about faith and belief.
“Eron Henry offers an invaluable contribution,” says Raimundo Barreto, professor of World Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey in the United States. “Religious advocates and others now have within hand’s reach the references to freedom of religion and belief in the constitutions of 180 of the 195 countries that exist in the world,” Barreto adds. Neville Callam, former general secretary and CEO of the Baptist World Alliance, the global umbrella organization for Baptists, commends the book as “a laudable effort that provides ready assistance to those who need a quick reference guide for the place accorded to religion and religious liberty in countries around the world.” “This volume provides a valuable resource to all who are concerned with official policies on
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religion throughout the world,” says Tony Cartledge, a Divinity School professor at Campbell University in North Carolina in the USA. Henry, who has been to some 30 nations, notes that “countries have very different understandings of how religion is governed.” While for some nations “religion is at the heart of national life, for others, it lies at the periphery.” Henry is the author of the novel Reverend Mother, a former member of the BBC and retired Associate Director of Communications at the Baptist World Alliance. Constitutionally Religious is available on Amazon.com in both Kindle and paperback.
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Fake Versus Real Christmas tree S
O I LOVE THE SMELL OF PINE TREES FULL STOP— YOU KNOW THE KIND THAT MAKES GOOD CHRISTMAS TREES? But trust me when I say, I am not heading out to Constant Spring Road or up the Blue Mountain to find one of dem real pine trees for Christmas ...Hmm but some peeps do and those peeps will call me and others like me fake because we prefer the convenience of an artificial Christmas tree. Let’s look at the pros and cons of artificial and real Christmas trees:
put it in a box along with the decorations until the next Christmas rolls in. There’s no upkeep throughout the season — such as watering or sweeping. But the purists who go for the real live tree say it isn’t about convenience, it is about the experience and sharing that experience with friends and family: When they go to pick out a tree from a farm or on Constant Spring Road, it is a family outing that engenders togetherness that one can never find in a box at Azans or Rapid True Value or any other similar stores.
Those who draw for the artificial tree used the argument of time and cost efficiency as their major arguments. They say the Christmas season is so busy that it is really counterproductive to go hunting for a real pine tree which costs more in terms of time, money and energy.
Their second argument is very similar to the first. Christmas, they say is about genuine emotions of love, compassion and sincerity . It is a tradition which encourages people to put aside all things fake and enjoy the natural beauty and wonder of the real meaning of Christmas. A real autical tree falls neatly into that argument.
In addition, the artificial Christmas tree is durable and can serve many Christmases. One just needs to pull it down and
Truth be told, the moment you chop down the tree it is no longer live!
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Similarly, we argue about coinages such as seasons greetings, happy holidays versus Merry Christmas and there are those who push the argument that everyone enjoys the season and the holidays but not everyone embraces Christ in Christmas. Well I may pull out my fake tree to save the trouble of buying a real one each year; but it sure isn’t a ‘seasons tree’ or a ‘happy holidays tree;’ it is a Christmas tree fake or real! And Jesus Christ is still the reason I celebrate. The tree is fluff—pretty fake fluff, but still fluff.
The 12 cakes Of Christmas W
E GAVE YOU SIX DELICIOUS CAKES IN LAST MONTH’S ISSUE. NOW FOR THE OTHER SIX:
CARROT CAKE III The eighth cake of Christmas gives a shout-out to the vegetable kingdom, which is just so un-
CLASSIC WALDORF RED CAKE The sixth cake of Christmas has gorgeous holiday colour baked right in, and because it’s made with Almond Breeze almond milk, it’s dairy-free. You’ll love how it looks on your holiday dessert table.
der-represented in the dessert category. Topped with cream cheese and pecans, it's a moist, marvellous cake.
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE The holidays give us permission to indulge, and this rich, dense, utterly elegant gluten-free chocolate cake pictured above offers itself as tribute. Continues next issue OLD FASHIONED GINGERBREAD Our 11th cake of Christmas needs no introduction. The recipe submitter, Charles, calls it "everyone's holiday favorite -even the busy cooks, because it's so easy to make." That about sums it up.
CHOCOLATE DECADENCE YULE LOG The yule log is truly one of the quintessential Christmas cakes. You may also know it as "bûche de Noël." The recipe submitter describes it as "a classic holiday
STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING CAKE Here's another Christmas pudding cake. No figs here, but plenty of dates, and it's crowned with a wonderful homemade caramel sauce
CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE Delicious candied fruits and nuts and a cake soaked in rum or brandy.
cake that is so rich, it makes you feel absolutely decadent! You roll it up jelly-roll style, and then decorate it to look like a log.
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Jermaine James
Diet and detoxification LET YOUR FOOD BE YOUR MEDICINE AND YOUR MEDICINE, YOUR FOOD. If the food we eat is our medicine, should we ever become ill? It is common knowledge that good nutrition will lead to good health. The term nutrition refers to the science of consuming and utilizing food. While consuming nutrients is important, equally important is the body’s ability to rid itself of unwanted toxins. This ‘’extraction’’ process is a normal physiological process which is needed to maintain the body’s biochemical balance. Detox is the process of removing toxic substances from the body and good nutrition is essential in ensuring the efficiency of this process. During our daily lives our bodies are introduced to high levels of toxins e.g. chemical compounds in deodorant, shampoo, and makeup, not to mention artificial substances and heavy metals ingested through food or chemicals inhaled through air-
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sanitizing products or air pollutants. Being able to rid itself of these toxins is critically important, so the body needs all the help it can get to be able to perform this, detoxification, function efficiently. Research results have revealed that detox is an enzyme driven process which takes place in two major phases. Phase one of the process involves the metabolism of the toxins to an intermediate free radical state. This phase is influenced by B vitamins, glutathione (the body’s main detoxifying antioxidant), and flavonoids. During phase two, the free radical is further metabolized into a water soluble molecule which is later excreted from the body via urine or faeces. Glycine, Nacetylcysteine (NAC), B vitamins, cruciferous vegetables, onions, and garlic are needed for this phase. It was also observed that an individual’s nutritional status and genetic variability influenced the efficiency of the process.
It must also be noted that, fiber generally, but more so, brown rice fiber, may be particularly beneficial in eliminating fatsoluble toxins. Turmeric protects the gallbladder and promotes bile flow, while, pomegranate and green tea are useful in assisting the detoxification process. The literature available about detoxification and the influence of nutrition on this process reveals that further research needs to be done for public knowledge as well as to help health care professionals when recommending dietary advice. Having healthy meals will always produce positive results in organ and systemic function. Detoxification is an ongoing physiological function which restores biochemical homeostasis by ridding the body of unwanted toxins. Good nutrition will positively influence the detoxification process and allow for further optimized body function.
Jermaine James is a licensed physiotherapist
Maverly PJH says thanks to BBC
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Suzette Faulknor, Guidance Counsellor
WATCH NIGHT SERVICE Let’s end the year in fellowship on December 31. Join us at our Watch Night Service which starts at 9:30PM. Preacher: Rev Dr Devon Dick.
KESWICK 2019 The Annual Believers’ Week, Kingston Keswick Convention takes place here at the BBC on 20—27 January , 2019..
ANNUAL MEMORIAL SERVICE
Please join us on January 6 at 5:00pm, as we give thanks and reflect on the lives of those who have gone on before. Our Preacher: The Rev Dr Learoy Campbell .
BBC50 CELEBRATIONS Plans are underway to mark the BBC’s 50th year of ministry on the Boulevard. The Committee meets every Saturday at 5:00PM. If you’re interested, please join
ANNUAL DAY OF FAST Our Annual Day of Fast takes place on January 9, 2019 . Let’s fast and pray for a year of rejuvenation . MEN’S BREAKFAST The men of the church under the guise of the Brotherhood will host their annual breakfast on 26 January
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2019 at the Luther Gibbs Centre @ 8:30am. All brothers please come and support them.
Gordon
BBC Core Values .
This is the central aspect of our faith. We acknowledging God as the Supreme Being in our lives and the One who guides our faith and actions. 1st Timothy 4:8
We strive to show unselfish love for our fellowman inspired by and based on God’s love for us. 1st Corinthians . 13:4-7
We are honest and trustworthy, living rightly; not divided or being a different person under different circumstances. Our word is our bond. Proverbs 11:3.
We believe in God and trust Him in and for everything, allowing God to work through us. 1st Corinthians 4:2.
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We submit to God so that we can be forgiving, respectful helpful and and unselfish in our dealings with our sisters and brothers James 4: 10
We give thanks to God for everything that we receive at His hand. We receive from Him our life and provisions to sustain us. Every good thing in our life comes ultimately from God and we owe him thanks for all. Psalm 100:4
We live a life characterized by prayers to God, acknowledging Him as creator, Lord of everything; who is gracious and forgiving, so that we are able to bring all concerns and requests to Him in His name. Philippians 4:6
Boulevard Baptist Church 2 Washington Boulevard, Kingston 20 Telephone: 905-2422 Email: boulevard.baptist@yahoo.com Website: www.boulevardbaptist.org.jm 20 | BBC eVoice
