Houghton Regis Baptist Church newsletter Spring 2013

17 Dalling Drive Houghton Regis LU5 5EF Tel 01582 529788 February 2013 Dear Friends, At the beginning of the year we often stop to take stock and see if there are new choices and priorities we want to make. So I’ve been speaking through January on the theme of ‘What kind of church...?’

As a Baptist church we’re committed to seeking God’s way as we meet together in our members meeting. But what kind of church makes for a healthy church that grows and develops well? And what sort of church does our community need? We’re working our way towards our church meeting on February 7th when we will commit some more time to exploring what God’s vision is for our fellowship.

If you’re not a member at present but are interested then I’d be delighted to chat with you about becoming one. If you are already a member I would like to ask you to ensure you can come to both our church meetings this session, the second being on March 21st.

In our church meeting on April 18th we will be holding an election for elders and we will need at least 50% of us to be present.

After serving in our church leadership team for the last 34 years Keith Wallis is taking a well deserved break! Eric Gurney is willing to stand again and the leaders continue to pray about who God is calling to serve among us as either deacons or elders. Do speak to us about any thoughts you may have.

During 2012 we ran our first ever Growing Leaders Course in conjunction with St Hugh’s and Stanton Rd Baptist. In September 2013 we are planning to launch a new Growing Leaders Course involving at least 7 churches. It’s a great opportunity to invest in people to lead and develop ministry in and out of church life. Running up to Easter we will be on the lookout for people who would be interested to help us by acting as mentors. A mentor will be a good listener who is ready to share someone else’s journey of faith and discovery. After Easter we will be

inviting people who are interested to a taster session on Sunday July 14th. If you are interested to take part please let me know.

At the end of 2012 we needed to ask the congregation for pledges of financial support for 2013. Thank you to everyone who responded. If you still need to set up standing orders or gift aid forms please liaise with Jane Bentley or Penny Geraghty as soon as possible.

It was lovely to see Ethel Bareham’s family with us this Sunday.

Others amongst us have also experienced bereavement recently.

Through the summer of 2012 we often prayed in church for Beverley Payne. After a traumatic summer and a remarkable recovery she died peacefully at home in November. Steph Staples also died peacefully after a prolonged illness at Keech Cottage Hospice just before Christmas. She had been worshipping with us for a year or so and was enjoying rediscovering her faith. And most recently Margaret Elliot, who had been attending our Alpha course has also unexpectedly lost her first husband. And Mercy Ayesu Boapeah’s family have lost two of her uncles and her older sister within a few days. Please continue to pray for Mike and Vicki, Vic, Margaret, Mercy and Eric and their families.

Finally we have been invited to host the Civic Service, which will be held at 3pm on March 3rd. It will be a privilege and a delight to welcome the town councillors and representatives from many groups and organisations from Houghton Regis and beyond to share in worship with us. If you would like to join us for this special service then it would be lovely if as many of us who can are on hand to welcome and greet those who come.

Yours, David We continue to communicate by e-mail, face book and through our blog spot. Where Keith kindly maintains a full diary of church events so you can check ‘what’s happening and when’. So do keep in touch at http://houghtonregisbaptistchurch.blogspot.co.uk/

or find us on facebook for the latest on what’s happening.

---Church February: 3rd Sunday

Services at 11am & 6pm(communion)

4th Monday Funspace 8pm Leaders Mtg BMS day of prayer : http://www.bmsworldmission.org/news-blogs/blogs/bms-dayprayer-2013-join-us-monday-4-february

6th Wednesday

7.00pm @ Luton Central Baptist.

CBA: 'Transforming Communities'

7th Thursday

Parents & Toddlers

10th Sunday

Services at 11am & Afternoon service 4:30pm

11th Monday 12th Tuesday 14th Thursday

Funspace Pastoral Team Parents & Toddlers

17th Sunday

Services at 11am (communion) & 6pm Joint service with Stanton @HRBC

24th Sunday 25th Monday 28th Thursday

8pm Church Mtg

8pm Finance Mtg 8pm Housegroup

Services at 11am & 6pm Funspace Parents & Toddlers

8pm Leaders Mtg 8pm Housegroup

March Diary: 1

st

Women’s World Day of Prayer Friday ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ Every one welcome at St Vincent’s Church Friday March 1st at 2pm

3rd Sunday

4th Monday 7th Thursday

Service at 11am 3pm CIVIC SERVICE @ HRBC with Mayor Councillor Jones Funspace Parents & Toddlers

8pm Leaders Mtg

Diary--10th Sunday 11th Monday 14th Thursday 17th Sunday 18th Monday 19th Tuesday 21st Thursday 24th Sunday 25th Monday 28th Thursday 29th Friday 31st Sunday

(March ‌.continued) Services at 11am & 6pm Funspace Parents & Toddlers

8pm Finance Mtg 8pm Housegroup

Services at 11am (All age communion) & 6:30pm Joint service at Stanton Funspace Pastoral Team Parents & Toddlers

8pm Church Mtg

Services at 11am & Afternoon service 4:30pm Funspace

8pm Leaders Mtg

Maundy Thursday: 8pm (communion) Good Friday: 10:30am Service Easter day. Services at 11am & 6pm

April 7th Sunday 14th Sunday 15th Monday 16th Tuesday 18th Thursday 21st Sunday 22nd Monday 25th Thursday 28th Sunday

Services at 11am & 6pm (communion) Services at 11am & 6pm Joint service with Stanton @HRBC Funspace Pastoral Team Parents & Toddlers

8pm Finance Mtg 8pm Church Mtg

Services at 11am (communion) & Afternoon service 4:30pm Funspace Parents & Toddlers

8pm Leaders Mtg 8pm Housegroup

Services at 11am & 6pm

As we begin Lent we continue the theme in our morning services ‘What kind of church?’ and in the evenings ‘Follow that’ as we explore Old Testament pictures of God. If you would like to join us we always have groups for the children to enjoy alongside the morning services.

Sunday February 3rd 11 am ‘Starting out with the end in mind.’

6 pm ‘Paying the debt I owe’ Communion Sunday February 10th 11 am

Guest Speaker: Pete Winmill (from Prospects: A dynamic Christian organisation working together with people with learning disabilities so they live life to the full.)

4.30pm ‘The Afternoon Service’ ‘Saying Our Father’

Sunday February 17th 11 am Guest Speaker: Ann-Winter Goodwin 6pm Joint service with Stanton at HRBC Guest Speaker Richard Starling Sunday February 24th 11 am All Age Celebration 6 pm ‘God as our King’

Communion

led by David

Sunday March 3rd 11 am ‘A Generous Church’ 3pm The Civic Service Sunday March 10th 11 am Mothering Sunday ‘A morning of surprises with something for all your family and friends!’

6 pm ‘God as lover’ Communion Sunday March 17th 11 am Celebrating All Age Communion 6 pm ‘Before the throne of God’

news from Johan and Maryna We hope you are all well and blessed.

On our side everything is fine after a winter of two weeks when the temperature plunged to 25 degrees C. From what I gathered from your last email appealing for help to deal with the snow, it was a bit cooler there.

We are blessed with good health and still enjoy every bit of our stay in the land of smiles. Here they greet you with 3 questions: Where are you going? Have you eaten? and Are you happy? If you haven't eaten they wil soon offer you something to eat and if you are not happy they'll try to make you happy.

We thank the Lord for His blessing on our small but growing congregation. Since we moved to Kanthararom more than 20 people surrendered their lives to the Lord. Only a few of them attend services regularly and the others are visited weekly by pastor Tawisak. Please pray for them.

Unfortunately we couldn't start with our building program because planning permission is not granted. Tough negotiation is ongoing and we wait on the Lord prayerfully to intervene in this matter.

The Lord opened a door to continue with the Child Development Plan and we are involved, teaching English to primary school children (and a 90 year old great grandfather ) who couldn't speak a word English. Their enthusiasm makes it worthwhile and we have lots of fun with them.

Pray that they will see Jesus in us and long to meet Him. Please pray for the 17 million people in the Isaan region where less than 1% are believers and less than a hundred missionaries have to spread the gospel.

We lovingly remember you all in our prayers, asking the Lord to bless you all abundantly.

Our love in Christ , Johan and Maryna.

Mission Scene is the Baptist Union’s newsletter which flags up issues, events and resources which will be of interest to all sorts of groups in local churches. If you’d like to go online you can read about a couple of school initiatives David Skinner is referred to on pages 10 & 11 of this issue.

Just follow the link. http://www.baptist.org.uk/resources-events/missionscene.html

________________________________________________ Dates we have assigned for church work days for this year: 23rd February (Cleaning up Day) 20th July th 28 September 23th November (these are subject to final confirmation)

Please add the dates to your diary so that you can spare some time to help with some of the maintenance tasks, around the Church.

Thanks for your support Paul

NB. We are still looking for an editor for the newsletter, who can work with David to gather and prepare items for publication. Keith Wallis will continue to prepare the layout of the magazine. If you’re interested please speak to David.

Contact Number David can be contacted on 01582 529788 at anytime of day apart from Saturday. Otherwise contact one of the leadership team (Keith Wallis, Eric Gurney, Jane Bentley) or for Community Link project Penny Geraghty.