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Connect April 2016 @scottishbaptist
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How comfortable are you with change?
We live in a world that is changing all the time. What the world around us classes as moral behaviour, wise stewardship, and family values has been dramatically challenged in recent years. The whole global picture is changing. Shanty towns of refugees in Europe, migration like we have never seen it before, growing economies in South America and Asia, shifting political ideologies in the Middle East; all are impacting upon the way we live. This week’s terrorist attacks in Brussels have invaded the lives of many families, now grieving the loss of their precious loved ones: this will be reflected in our prayers, personal and corporate, this weekend. It will also change the way many of us travel in the coming days if not years. It may even affect the way we view others in our community. As the nation of Belgium respects three days of national mourning, Christians now prepare to celebrate three days that changed world history and have personally transformed our lives. We as the church are believers in the power of the Gospel to change things: “it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes,” Romans 1:16. We know that our Lord can turn our lives around; and also has the power to turn around the lives of each person on the planet. And yet we struggle at times to understand the outworking of that power. Like the apostles, the reality of death intimidates our expectation of new life. Like Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome, “trembling and bewildered the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid,” Mark 16:8. I love Mark’s account of the resurrection in chapter 16, because it is so matter of fact. “Jesus the Nazarene was crucified: Has risen.” It is a stark and clear contrast, a monumental transition that Mark wants to emphasise. He simply invites us, his readers, to put our faith in Jesus. This is all part of Mark’s presentation of faith and discipleship. For the first half of the Gospel, people who see miracles are told not to talk about them: there is a mystery as to who Jesus is. In the second half of the Gospel, we find out why: discipleship. It is not simply about following a spectacular, charismatic leader who does miracles. It is about living a life of servanthood that carries us through suffering. Once he has explained the path of discipleship, Mark is ready to declare who Jesus is: he is the resurrected Lord, the Messiah.
Rev Alan Donaldson General Director Baptist Union of Scotland
We receive this good news in faith, for we are either going to embrace this Jesus or not. The invitation to discipleship that we meet with in Mark’s account is rooted in the character and life of Jesus, not in clever arguments. If our path is to pursue the path that Jesus has walked, then we too need to die in order to be raised to new life. Paul picks it up in Romans 6:4: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of
the Father, we too may live a new life.” This is Jesus’ pattern for our life. We are a people called to die to the selfishness of the age we live in, to our own desires to be popular, and to the sinful desire to do life our way rather than his. This is the daily challenge that faces us all. Yet, as we celebrate Easter, we need to remember that neither the struggle towards Christ-like living nor the pain of this present world is unending. As Tony Campolo often says, “It’s Friday but Sunday’s coming.” The reign of our God and King has begun and is coming in its fullness; and nothing can withstand it. It may be that life is hard for you, as a disciple right now. It may be that challenges will come into your life that are unexpected. It may even feel as if the darkness of Good Friday is overwhelming, but we are not without hope. As we reflect on the power of the Resurrection, we are reminded that God is victorious, life will conquer death, light will triumph over darkness, and hope will swallow up despair. What a change the Resurrection brings. “He was crucified but has risen.” It’s a reason for faith, it’s a pattern for discipleship and it’s a cause of great hope as we wait for the fullness of his reign in our lives and in this world. Christ is risen. Hallelujah! Level One is a youth centre based in the heart of Stirling City Centre and run by Stirling Baptist Church. Level One has just been awarded the Love Britain + Ireland Award for youth and children’s work and in November won the award for the Most Innovative Youth Work in the UK at the 2015 Christian Youth Work Awards. Level One was launched in January 2014 and is now, not only the base for a great deal of Christian discipleship but has also become a community hub and the first place to which a large number of young people turn for support.
The Angela Lynsey Macdonald Trust was set up in 2014 with two main aims. Firstly, to provide grants primarily for children and young people, to help them find faith or help them in developing their faith. Secondly, to assist in the development of music in worship by providing grants for access to relevant courses and events and/or the provision of musical instruments. Grants can be made to individuals or organisations to further these aims. To date, the Trust has supported those involved in overseas mission and various musical projects throughout the country.
Further information and application forms can be found on the website: www.angelamacdonaldtrust.org
Could you be a workplace chaplain? DEMONSTRATING the love of Christ, in action, is the translational ministry of Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland (WPCS). The charity’s team of faithful volunteers - both non-ordained and ordained - across the country, offer a confidential listening ear and where necessary, signpost people experiencing particular challenges in their lives to more specialised support. From the manager or sole proprietor facing staffing or cash flow problems, to the mum juggling two low-paid jobs while caring for a young family, all are valued and helped by being able to talk to a chaplain. Could you be that chaplain? With training and a team around you, could you help someone stay resilient through illness, bereavement, health or money worries? Jack Quinn, for many years pastor at Adelaide Place Baptist Church, in Glasgow and a former volunteer with WPCS who now works full-time as the charity’s West of Scotland Regional Organiser, offers his insight into chaplaincy: “It is about being available and letting the individual set the temperature of the water before you venture in. You really have to have an open approach to people and have to win the right to speak to them at any level. Chaplaincy is not about preaching sermons to people. “In times of crises and in their day to day interactions with people in the workplace, our chaplains continue to demonstrate the compassion of Christ to all they encounter. Demand for our services is growing and we urgently need new volunteers to enter our training programme. Volunteers can gain confidence, a new insight into their own faith and develop skills which make a real difference to their own continued professional development. As one volunteer chaplain said: ‘It makes my faith real.’ WPCS is an independent Christian charity supported by all the main Scottish Christian churches and serving 1500 business and local authority outlets across the country. Anyone wishing further information on WPCS or to volunteer is asked to email info@wpcscotland.co.uk
Off and Running Coming back from maternity leave feels a bit like starting a marathon without having done any training for a while. It’s definitely meant hitting the ground running as planning is underway for the summer! This, of course, includes Sports Day. The date for Sports Day 2016 is Saturday 4th of June at Stirling University. Sports Day registration forms will be sent to our churches during April and we’d encourage as many of our churches and young people to participate as possible. It’s a great day where we get together as a family of churches for some friendly and fun competition, celebrating our young people and spending time together. This year there will be a few changes to the day as we continually seek to make it the best it can be. Amongst them is that we’ll be encouraging football teams to organise friendly matches between themselves if they are knocked out of the competition, encouraging relationships amongst churches and youth leaders and giving more opportunity for play. Another is that the 10 and Under events will not contribute towards overall church scores, but children will be awarded medals at the race area that they can take home on the day, giving those competing a tangible memento of their day. Our volunteers make the day the success that it is every year, and we appreciate all that they put into the day! For the first year ever we’re going to be asking each church that enters to also provide at least two named volunteers to help support the running of the day. This will be a chance for even more people to get involved in what happens at Sports Day as we serve the churches and young people in our Union. If you have people with specific sporting expertise, e.g. knowing how to referee football or umpire badminton, please encourage them to come along and be part of the team. However, there are many roles that don’t require specific sporting knowledge like timing swimming races and taking a shift at the inflatables, so there really are jobs for anyone and everyone. We’ve also appointed a Volunteer Coordinator to help manage our team of supporters and for the first year ever there will be a dedicated volunteer’s area available. If you, or your church, have any questions about this year’s Sports Day then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at our office. It’ll be a brilliant day and we look forward to welcoming many of you to the University in June!
April Prayer Link April 3rd Jim Meighan (Chaplain, NHS Glasgow, North & East)
April 17th Stuart Murdoch (Chaplain, Strathcarron Hospice)
Collydean Baptist Church Crookston Baptist Church Praise God for our new children’s and youthwork intern and new church members. Crown Terrace Baptist Church gives God the praise for the baby dedication we Please pray for our Sunday school, which is hopefully recently celebrated and a gentleman from Romania starting after Easter. who became a member. We would value prayer for our Friday evening drop-in for the homeless as Colonsay Baptist Church we seek to develop this work and provide greater support to that community in Aberdeen
We give thanks to God for his continued provision and blessing as we seek to love and serve the community of Cornton and each other. We are encouraged in particular by deepening school and community links and the fresh opportunities this brings.
April 24th
Pray for us as we look to employ a new youth and community worker after 5 fruitful years of this ministry.
April 10th
Culloden Baptist Church
David Middlemiss (Army Chaplain) Cowal Baptist Church
Give thanks for three baptisms at Easter and for a further enquiry for baptism. Please pray for the housegroups and for the Chaplaincy at the local High School and Cowdenbeath Football Club. Crieff Baptist Church Praise God for the celebration that is Easter with the wonderful resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Pray for some new ventures planned to share the Gospel with our community.
Dalbeattie Baptist Church
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