Broadcast Dundee by IanG Black

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

The new magazine for the church in Dundee Autumn 2007

F R E E

in this issue...

Saved and Singing; TrĂŠ Sheppard

Graham Kendrick in concert at the Caird Hall

The Dawkins Letters - reviewed The Juan and Only Juan Sara!

plus competitions & news from D4C

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

Now is the time Dundee! Welcome to BRO AD CAS T! A new chapter for Dundee For Christ and the church in Dundee with the launch of a magazine specifically for Christians in our City of Discovery! Did you realise that Christians make up the largest unified group of people in the City with some 25,000+ people affiliating themselves to the Christian faith*? This magazine is published by Dundee For Christ; a local charitable Christian company that has attracted over 12,000 people to its events to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ since its launch in 2003. Our objectives are to work alongside the Church in Dundee to bring this City to know and love our Lord Jesus Christ! We want this to be a magazine that captures what is going on within the church in Dundee and ask you to send us your views, opinions and general feedback! Do you have events and goings on that you want to share with the wider church? Please tell us so that we can tell others! The success of this magazine will depend to a large extent on church goers in Dundee helping distribute the magazine throughout your church congregation, friends and family. Can you help do this? Please get in touch! The magazine will be published every four months with a print run of 5000 copies each time. 700 will be mailed directly to those on the Dundee For Christ mailing list and the remaining 4300 made available to 100 churches in Dundee to hand out to your congregation. If you would like a copy mailed directly to your door in future then please let us know! (See our contact details on page 5) B R OA DC A ST is another bold step of faith for Dundee For Christ and we would be greatly encouraged to receive both individual and church donations to help run both this ministry and fund the printing costs of this magazine. We believe that this is a very exciting time for the church in Dundee! Now is the time for this City; heralded as a Gift from God in our City crest; to recognise that everything we have comes from Him, The King of Kings and that we are each called for such a time as this to Win This City for His Name’s Sake and His Glory! We hope you enjoy the read. God Bless.

Ian Black, Ministry Leader, Dundee For Christ

(*data from Church of Scotland Dundee Presbytery and Dundee For Christ sources)

Contents D4CNews& Competitions 5 Win “Live to Worship 2” Wanted D4C Church Reps

Letters Letters to B R OA DCA S T

Feature Juan Sara

Worship Tré Sheppard

BookReview The Dawkins Letters

Interview Graham Kendrick

KeyPartner 17 Mission Aviation Fellowship Testimony Julian Speroni

Feature Dundee Evangelical Christian Alliance

BookReview All that Jazz

Support 28 Support the work of D4C 3

News&Competitions

Competition

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

Ministry Presentations Dundee For Christ have recently made presentations to Chalmers Ardler COS, Menzieshill COS, Broughty Churches Group and Anstruther Baptist Church. We would be delighted to come to your church, too! Please contact D4C to arrange a suitable time. DUNDEEFORCHRIST

Join our mailing list! In cooperation with PURASHOP (formerly Fierce! Distribution) D4C is offering you the chance to win a copy of “Live to Worship 2” featuring Delirious? Matt Redman, David Crowder Band and many others! To be in our drawing, simply answer the following question: Where will The Reel Fling Ceilidh 07 be held?? A. Bonar Hall B. Mark Henderson Centre C. Abertay University Send your answer on a postcard to: Dundee For Christ, c/o The Steeple Church Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4DG You can also send us an email: fierceCD@dundeeforchrist.com

Found BROADCAST in your church? In a shop? At a friend’s house? Want to get your own copy?

We DELIVER! Get BRO AD CAS T delivered to your door. Send us your details and you’ll be kept up to date with all the info from Dundee For Christ.

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

Dundee For Christ, c/o The Steeple Church Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4DG Telephone 01382 204700 Email ian@dundeeforchrist.com www.dundeeforchrist.com

CHURCHREPs

Letters

Church Reps

Dundee For Christ are looking for people to act as church reps. What would this involve I hear you ask? Well! Here are some responsibilities the D4C church rep would be asked to fulfil: • You would help collect and co-ordinate the distribution of BROADCAST to all members of your church. Posting 5000 magazines around the city would be too expensive and making sure the magazines are effectively distributed will be crucial. • Act as a point of reference for D4C to get information included in your church bulletin and magazine. • Make announcements in church about upcoming Dundee For Christ events (optional – if you feel confident enough!) • Coordinate a D4C visit to your church. Do you think you could help? If so your help would be so appreciated. Please give us a call if can help or you want any more information.

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

BONUS! As a church rep you will automatically be sent one free ticket for every D4C event! That’s an immediate saving of around £20 before Christmas 2007 on Graham Kendrick Concert and The Reel Fling Ceilidh! Hurrah!

Advertise in B R OAD CAST To advertise in future issues of BROADCAST call 01382 204700 or email advertising@dundeeforchrist.com

THE GIDEONS IN T ER N AT I O N A L

‘two bibles every second!’ The Gideons distribute two Bibles every second somewhere in the world!

The Gideon Dundee branch are looking for partners in our mission to place the Word of God in hospitals, schools, residences and throughout our community. Gideon Dundee branch and Dundee For Christ are hosting an open information evening at the Coffee Exchange, 20a exchange Street, Dundee

on Tuesday 11th September from 7pm – 8.30pm Why not come along to find out more about the Gideons? Coffee, tea and refreshments will be provided

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

“ Dundee is best known for its three J’s: Jute, Jam and Journalism. I feel excited when local people are so passionate about the spiritual and social welfare of their community that it spills out in ideas such as Dundee for Christ, where the goal is to add a fourth J for Jesus! I urge you to support and participate in this incredible ministry.” Tony Anthony, International Evangelist and Best Selling Author

Letters to B R O A D CA S T “ Everyone at MAF will support D4C both spiritually and practically as we in partnership with them to enable the gospel to be preached both in word and in deed in and around Dundee. We encourage everyone in Dundee who knows and loves the Lord to support all the D4C team in this vital life changing work. Blessings!” Andy Martin, Volunteer’s Manager for MAF “ The pursuit of unity across the churches in the Dundee area through Dundee for Christ will undoubtedly reap great fruit for the kingdom and for the area. Through learning from and blessing each other, churches supporting Dundee for Christ are releasing the commanded blessing of God upon the area which will transform and restore many lives.” Fiona Marks, Alpha Scotland Director “ By celebrating what God is doing in our City and beyond, Dundee for Christ is a valuable tool for informing, equipping and motivating the saints! Dundee for Christ works hard to bring many churches together and we are convinced that as it works for unity that God will command a blessing in the midst of what they do”. Nicola Reed, Alternatives

“ Great to hear that things are going so well there with you! It sounds like there is exciting stuff ahead! All the best”

Cameron Stout

We want to hear from you! Please send in your letters to the Editor to our postal address Dundee For Christ, c/o The Steeple Church, Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4DG or by email to letters@dundeeforchrist.com 7

FEATURE

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

Juan Sara if fondly remembered (perhaps less so if you are an Arab!) as Dundee’s top scorer from 2000-02. Indeed in 2001 he was the Premier League’s second highest scorer after Henrick Larsson. Juan was someone who was never afraid to proclaim the good news of Jesus. Today Juan is living in Italy and BROADCAST caught up with him to find out how God is using his skills and gifts.

“As you remember from my time in Dundee my relationship with Jesus is very important to me.”

“First of all, I would like to say “hello” to the people of Dundee as we had such a great time there. My wife and I really miss Dundee and we hope one day come back and maybe play again for Dundee FC. I am currently playing for Gallipoli Calcio in the Serie C1 in Italy, after a fantastic season in Switzerland where I scored 24 goals in one season, three of them in UEFA Cup. Gallipoli is in the south coast of Italy and is a small city with 30,000 inhabitants but in summer time increases to 200,000. We as a family attend a small church in the city of Maglie, as there are just a few Evangelical Churches in this region of Italy because Catholicism is very strong here. My wife Karina and I have two children, the older is Valentino who is 3 years old. The youngest is Kenson a baby who we are adopting from Haiti and is supposed to be with us very soon.”

Juan Sara “ I would like also to send our love to our congregation in Dundee, Central Baptist Church as they were such blessing to us in our time in Scotland.”

Worship

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

Worship leader and evangelist Tré Sheppard has kindly agreed to come to Dundee to speak at this year’s “Sing Like The Saved” event. The night is certain to be a fantastic time of worshipping the King of Kings with energy and passion!

Tré Sheppard Tré is lead singer with the band “Onehundredhours”. The last several years have seen the band rise to great acclaim in the Christian worship arena. They have signed with Matt Redman’s Soul Survivor music label and toured all over Europe, North America, South Africa, India and Australia. Graham Kendrick told BROADCAST : “ Tré is a very gifted guy with an unusually wide range of abilities, and passionate about the Christian faith. He has a very active and creative brain, and is a challenging speaker able to bring fresh thinking and motivation, especially to his own generation.”

Tré told us a little about himself: “ Well, I’m from the southern part of the US, but I’ve lived in the UK since 1993 and currently live by the sea in Northern Ireland with my wife, Tori, and my two kids. “ I head up EngageHIVAIDS, an HIV/AIDS activist organisation working to serve the many suffering from the impact of HIV/AIDS, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. I also work with Avalon Guitars as a product specialist and I speak and teach at various things internationally.

Bookreview

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

Dawkins Letters Review Did you know that a book from Dundee was for a time earlier this year the fastest selling Christian book in Britain? Local author David Robertson gives his story.

DAWKINS LETTERS “No preacher or church leader should be without this remarkable book. Arch-atheist Professor Richard Dawkins is campaigning to banish religion in general and Christianity in particular from our schools, government and all significant areas of public life. David Robertson has written a brief, brilliant and compelling rebuff to Dawkins’ latest book, ‘The God Delusion’. It is a remarkable apologetic for the Christian faith and an essential tool in winning the battle of ideas. I’d give it ten [out of 5] stars if I could!” Richard Morris, WesleyOwen Rating 5/5

“The success of The Dawkins Letters was a surprise for everyone concerned, not least of all publishers Christian Focus Publications, who found that they had run out of the book before it was even officially launched! “As the author, of course I have been thrilled by this, but I long for so much more to happen. My book was not primarily intended to reassure the Christian community, but rather to engage the vast majority of people who are not yet Christians. The fact that we have been in any way in able to do this is entirely due to the grace of God and to the fact that he has placed me within the Christian community of Dundee.

This book was born from my experience within that community. We do not live in isolation, we do not do evangelism in isolation and I do not write about theory. My writing has come out of my experience in such joint events as the Da Vinci debate in the DCA, dialogue with the Islamic society and the Christian union in the University, arguing for the Christian position in The Courier and in other interaction in many ways with my Christian brothers and sisters here in the church in Dundee. Many many thanks!

David hosts the discussion at Borders bookstore.

“Please make use of this opportunity and buy a copy of the book to give to your friends, give thanks that wherever the Dawkins book is sold then a Christian response is being sold beside it, and please continue to support both the secular and Christian bookshops which stock The Dawkins Letters, and let them know that there really is a place for the Christian worldview within the secular marketplace.” A message from David A. Robertson St Peters Free Church Author of The Dawkins Letters

Besides “The Da Vinci Code,” few books have sparked as much publicity and controversy about Christianity in recent years than Richard Dawkins’ “The God Delusion”. Tired of waiting for an intelligent Christian response to Dawkins’ attacks on theism, Dundee minister David Robertson wrote an open letter to Richard Dawkins on his church website. It later found its way onto Dawkins’ own website, where it generated the largest response of any posting before or since. The ferocity of the responses to that original letter, and the shallowness of thinking that it exhibited, spurred David to write this book. It reads like a series of open letters addressing atheist myths so widely accepted in popular culture. Robertson believes Christians need to know where Dawkins is weak - and where we need to explain things better! David Robertson is an experienced debater, letter writer, pastor and author. He carries the office of revivalist Robert Murray McCheyne as minister of St. Peter’s Free Church in Dundee. David’s book is available from www.christianfocus.com and www.amazon.co.uk

Competition To win one of three signed copied of the Dawkins Letters just answer the following question. Which famous author and preacher recently spoke at St Peters Church? 1. John Stott 2. RT Kendall 3. Philip Yance Answers on a postcard to Dawkins Letters Competition at D4C, c/o The Steeple, Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4DG or email dawkinsletters@dundeeforchrist.com

INTERVIEW

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

Graham will be in concert at the Caird Hall Friday 21st September for a night of worship and music. We asked him a few questions about what life is like for one of the world’s most prolific Christian songwriters.

Graham Kendrick

“ Those who wait for perfect conditions may never get anything done”

See Graham in concert at the Caird Hall on Friday 21st September Graham: “I’m not a great Graham Kendrick one for choosing favourites, songs & hymns are but in the singer-songwriter sung by millions of genre I grew up with it is hard to people in numerous beat ‘Vincent’ by Don McLean. languages around the world. It was one of those songs that, This is a amazing when it came on the radio everybody stopped what they opportunity to see the singer songwriter were doing, gathered round in concert in and just listened. Dundee! The song people comment Tickets priced on most from the Out of The £10 & £7 concession for children, students Ordinary album is ‘Crucified & OAPs are on sale Man,’ which is very much a NOW from the solo performance song in my Caird Hall Box Office, original acoustic ‘troubadour’ Tel 01382 434941, style. Perhaps a whole album CLC and of these kind of songs will WesleyOwen eventually emerge! bookshops and at puratickets.com

BROADCAST : Hi Graham,

BROADCAST : Can we expect

BROADCAST : You’ve obviously

BROADCAST : Good point.

great that you are coming to Dundee! What are you up to just now?

a concert or a worship service at your Dundee event?

travelled a lot. Have you witnessed any signs of revival in far-flung places?

One final question: Favourite song?

Graham: “I continue to be highly motivated to write songs, and there is always the desire to come up with something really special. I am writing and recording a collection of Christmas songs, and have enjoyed the breadth of creative possibilities that the season and the story inspire. Actually, I am especially enjoying writing in my original ‘singer-songwriter’ style even more than writing for church worship. People seem to appreciate it, perhaps because there are so many worship songs around today, and it allows for more adventurous writing.”

Graham: “The event will be a blend of both participation and concert, which is something I find works very well. Although the song-list may be similar, every night is unique, and I never quite know how it will turn out, especially as I am blessed with such a talented and creative band.” BROADCAST : What do you

think of Dundee? Graham: “I have been to Dundee, but I travel so much and usually only see the inside of venues, so I can’t claim to know it at all. However, I understand that it is the best City in Scotland if not indeed the whole world!”

Graham: “This year I have travelled to the USA, New Zealand, Egypt, France, South Africa and various places in the UK, and last year even included Mongolia and China. I have not had the experience of visiting what you might call revival hot-spots, though there were plenty of reports of unusual happenings in such places as Mongolia. However, I regularly witness God powerfully at work as Christians get on with sharing their faith and serving the poor in whatever circumstances they find themselves. Those who wait for perfect conditions, may never get anything done.”

KEYPARTNER

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

D4C & MAF Collaboration

Growing Teamwork between Dundee For Christ and Mission Aviation Fellowship

In promoting collaborative work that focuses on what unites us as Christians rather than what divides, D4C partners with churches and other Christian ministries at both local and national levels. The partnership that D4C has established with MAF has been a particular blessing! If people are going to be reached with the Gospel, it has got to be a collective effort. Sharing ideas on promotion, fundraising, event management and more through regular meetings with Andy Martin has seen the relationship develop. And we are both keen to see this partnership flourish in years to come!

TESTIMONY

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

In the second of our football feature articles we catch up with former Dundee FC goalkeeper Julian Speroni. Julian was a revelation at Dens Park making over 100 appearances for the club including a Scottish Cup final appearance with the club before moving to newly promoted premiership side Crystal Palace in 2004. BROADCAST caught up with Julian and asked how he became a Christian.

julian speroni About seven years ago I was in my native country Argentina and going through a very hard time in my career. I was not playing for a football club and it was about a year and a half since I had been playing football. When the opportunity arose for me to play in Scotland it was like a dream come true because from the time I was a child I dreamt of playing in Europe. This kind of opportunity is almost unheard of because normally you play in your own country before getting a transfer to another country. The first problem that came my way was obtaining a work permit. I actually travelled to Scotland without the permit while my father started to process it.

I started to train with Dundee FC but the news from Argentina was not good; I would not be able to get the permit unless I obtained a European citizenship and that could take up to five years! Despite the odds, I began the paperwork. It was in Dundee that I met Juan Sara who is Christian and also an Argentine. I began to speak to him about the problems I was having. I confessed to him that I was tired, I could not sleep and therefore I could not to train effectively. He started to tell me about Jesus and the things that he had done in his life, and he read Matthew 11:28 to me. I prayed that night and said “Lord, if you are really there, I want to leave everything in your hands, I am very tired.”

Some days later I returned to Argentina with very little hope. After a few weeks, somebody called me from the Italian consulate saying that my citizenship papers were ready to be picked up! I could not believe it and immediately I called Dundee FC to ask if they still needed a goalkeeper. They said they still needed a substitute goalkeeper. Without hesitating I made the trip to Scotland and signed my contract with the club. In my first year at Dundee FC I was chosen the best young player of the year. I signed a contract with Dundee FC for a second season and in that year I was chosen the best player of the year. I then married Marina and in my third year I was transferred to play in the Premiership in England.

I remember Juan Sara invited us to Central Baptist Church and there we got to know a couple who played a very important part in our introduction to the Christian life. They translated each word of the service every week to us and later we did the Alpha Course in their house. Months later I gave my life to Christ.

“ Lord, if you are really there, I want to leave everything in your hands, I am very tired.”

Some will say it was all chance, but I don‘t think so; on the contrary, I believe that God has a plan for my life. There was one thing I still needed to do, and here I am ready to do what Jesus commands us to do: to be baptized.

Feature

DUNDEEFORCHRIST

Bookreview

DECA

Have you ever made a really major mistake in your finances which really bothered you? Having lived in Scotland for 43 years, I have to say it really hurts when I discover that, by not comparing prices, I am £’s worse off! When that happens, one way I encourage myself is by recalling incidents like that of the “Beatles” and the Decca Record label. In 1962, British Decca executive Dick Rowe turned down a chance to record The Beatles in favour of Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. Dick is recorded as saying of The Beatles, “We don’t like their sound, and ‘guitar music’ is on the way out!” Thankfully for Decca, the label survived that financially catastrophic decision! Well, I want to introduce you to another Deca - one spelt slightly differently and with a very different emphasis! The word is an acronym for Dundee Evangelical Christian Alliance and, hopefully, it is going to be around Dundee for a long time! It all started when four Ministers, all serving churches in downtown Dundee, started to meet once a month for coffee over lunch time. Each brought his own lunch, a hot drink was provided and the time was used for fellowship, sharing of news about each church and praying for one another.

“It was felt there should be an official launching of this new group and so we plan to have an official dedication service at 7.00pm on Sunday 21st October in Central Baptist Church, Ward Road”

The most interesting feature was there were four different denominations were represented: Church of Scotland, Elim, Congregational and Baptist. The meetings lasted two hours and were a real blessing to the four attending. After a while it was felt that other Ministers might welcome the opportunity to share in these meetings and invitations were extended to other Ministers and Ministry Leaders to meet up with the group.

Today, the group represents Church Leaders from Church of Scotland, Free Church, Associated Presbyterian, Elim, Full Gospel, Gate Fellowship, Congregational, Salvation Army, Episcopalian, Lifegate, Baptist, Independent Churches and Dundee based Ministries such as Dundee For Christ, Urban Impact, UCCF, Scripture Union, Friends International and Signpost International. Over the past six months, the average attendance has been around twenty and the format is reasonably simple! People arrive in Ward Road around noon to renew friendships or make new friends. Everyone brings their own lunch and the Baptists provide the non-alcoholic drinks - of course! Devotions are then led by a different group member each month, following which we discuss any business. After that we share prayer requests, encouragements etc and pray for one another, before departing at 2pm. Over the months, as the group gelled, it was felt we should seek affiliation with the Evangelical Alliance - whose Constitution every church leader could agree with and adopt the name DECA.

Dundee Evangelical Christian Alliance

ALL THAT JAZZ New reading from Evangelical Alliance Director Fred Drummond

Also, it was felt there should be an official launching of this new group and so we plan to have an official dedication service at 7.00pm on Sunday 21st October 2007 in Central Baptist Church, Ward Road. Why is this group needed? There are several reasons: 1. I t is a genuine effort to contribute to the fulfilment of Christ’s great prayer for His Church to be one. 2. I t unites people who are at one on the evangelical essentials of the Christian faith and breaks down barriers of suspicion. 3. I n praying for each other’s church or ministry, our vision for Dundee is inevitably enlarged and, hopefully, Dundee is blessed. 4. I t is hoped that - as, when and where appropriate - we will unite to bring the Good News of Christ to our city of Dundee. 5. I t will, it is hoped, enable the evangelical voice on moral and ethical issues to be heard in our multi-cultural and multi-faith society. 6. T he humour during the meetings is so good everyone leaves spiritually and psychologically the better for having met! Here let me assure you that this is not an evangelical clique! The opportunity to join is extended to all who agree with the Evangelical Alliance Statement of Belief and are willing to pray and fellowship with other evangelicals in the city of Dundee. So, if you would like more information about DECA, please contact Dundee For Christ who will put you in touch with a Minister of DECA in your area or denomination. In closing, we hope you will be able to join us for our official launch and, maybe even become a regular attender at our DECA meetings on the second Thursday of every month in Central Baptist Church, Ward Road, Dundee. James R Clarke, Chairman.

Fred Drummond’s new book uses the metaphor of jazz to contemplate the church’s future: its pain and thrill; its improvisation and lack of predictability. The church is facing a sea of change. Internally, church members are competing with falling numbers and lack of resources. Externally, the church is being marginalized and labelled as an aging institution with no relevance. What can be done? How can the church respond? Will we sink or swim? These are questions that Fred challenges us with. Taking his lead from the world of music, he shows how jazz and its association with its improvisation and risk, harmony and dissidence, can shed light on these difficult times. 21

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