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Connect January 2016
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Inactivity: the strength in activity
A month of busyness, celebration, and feasting is coming to an end. As the New Year begins, many people will now seek a place of detoxing, of fat reducing, and a place of reflection if they get the chance. Churches will do the same. Many will reduce their service load for a couple of Sundays, hold reflective communion services with congregations gathered around the table, a meditation rather than a full blown sermon. We will seek new strength, deep comfort and fresh guidance in the place of stillness. As Baptists it’s difficult for us to slow down, we are naturally activists. We have people to share the Good News with, clubs to be run, and programmes to get restarted, so the stillness will not last for long. Henri Nouwen wrote in Out of Solitude, “Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our lives are in danger. Somewhere we know that without the silence words lose their meaning, that without listening speaking no longer heals...” In the fast paced introduction to Jesus in Mark’s gospel where he seems to jump from one task to the next doing everything “immediately” we read: “In the morning, while it was still dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and then he prayed.” Jesus, before he began his gospel proclaiming mission, took time to listen to the Father heart of God. May we also take any opportunity we can find to listen, that we might be renewed in the love, joy and peace we will proclaim in our networks and neighbourhoods in the coming months.
Rev Alan Donaldson General Director Baptist Union of Scotland
Assembly is a place where Scottish Baptist’s have been learning to listen to one another as we explore a variety of themes and seek to participate in communal discernment. This year’s feedback analysis has been compiled by Rev Stephen Younger, exploring the theme of “mind the gap” and our Union’s mission strategy.
Find Out more at http://www.scottishbaptist.com/assembly/
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Gazing on the goodness of God
None of us find it easy, seeing the pictures of refugees flooding into Europe. We’re meeting them on the streets of Scottish towns and cities. John B Hayes, in his profound and easily read book, sub-merge: service, justice and contemplation among the world’s poor, reflects on crises that recently have affected western culture. Hayes comments on John 9 and Jesus dealing with a man blind from birth. On the culture of blame that can arise in the face of huge, social problems, Hayes remarks, “Jesus confronted the same inclination to find blame among his own followers …. Jesus sidestepped the counterfeit debate and recast the negative scenario as one of hopeful opportunity….. He simply reached out and touched the man. It was embarrassingly simple: Jesus acted. Christ committed himself to a ministry of compassionate presence, not dispassionate distance. He showed that the tragedies of the world are not first to be reasoned, but treated” (pp 56-57).
It is now over 40 years since the birth of Lausanne movement, initiated under evangelical leadership of both John Stott and Billy Graham, seeking to put to death an unbiblical and unhelpful contrast between Gospel proclamation and Gospel action. Today we see, partly the fruit of this and other Biblical initiatives, fine witness at the level of local church, where a commitment to biblical revelation and proclamation is accompanied by focused care, concern and action for the needs of the local community and the wider society beyond the compass of the local congregation. There is much effective work being undertaken both by Baptist and other Christian congregations. A bigger challenge lies in combatting a cultural pessimism of Scottish society and it’s affect on the church. There is a need to reaffirm and to declare, because of Jesus Christ, Rev Dr Jim Purves the integral relationship between hope and faith and love. Our Lord Mission and Ministry Advisor calls us to live with confidence in the covenant commitments of God towards his people and into the world. We are bearers of hope English language specialist teacher who, out of hope, act in faith. Pessimism has to be renounced and and with two grown up kids, a repented of, as we prayerfully look for and observe the wonderful doctor and a pastor, Jim is a keen swimmer and enjoys networking advance of God’s kingdom upon the face of the earth. and travelling. Theology doctorate from Aberdeen People often ask me to give account of the state of the church University in 1994, Jim has since in Scotland, as I have the privilege of travelling the length and taught and breadth of our nation, witnessing the real life and witness of local supervised congregations. I can see so many signs of hope and encouragement. theological I also see the potential of so many more, as people lift their eyes research from the fear and the failure of godlessness and look afresh to the part-time in power and purposefulness of God’s intervention, in response to the a number of seminary cries of his people. settings
On the 12th October 2015, I transitioned from my role as Associate Pastor at Calderwood Baptist Church (CBC) to Pastor at Dennistoun Baptist Church (DBC). We were aware of the possibility of replanting DBC through the support of CBC late last year. Two of the members at Calderwood had been involved at Dennistoun for a number of years and through their contact both churches were able to come together to discuss the potential of a replant of DBC. Fast forward to May of this year and the discussion between both churches had become an agreement to replant through a small church planting team from CBC. Within a short period of time Pauline and I have seen God’s hand leading us to a place where we would have a clear calling to both the church and community at Dennistoun. So what will this look like? Pauline and I will be moving to Dennistoun, with a clear call to serve and minister within DBC and the surrounding community with the support of CBC and the Baptist Union. The planting team (which Pauline and I will lead) provides DBC with support in different areas of ministry including preaching and teaching, worship, outreach, pastoral care and tech. This injection of ministry support into the life of DBC exists in order that the church will one day become a self-sustaining church. DBC will continue as an autonomous church and will be linked to CBC in terms of ministry enabling in different areas. Our heart for DBC is that prayer would be at the centre of all that we do. We see prayer as the engine room of the church, we meet together for prayer midweek and we gather before the morning service in order that we might ‘seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!’ (Psalm 105:4). Our vision for the church is that we would be a family of believers centred on the truth of the Gospel as it is lived out in our lives through four key areas: Prayer, Word, Community and Mission. We have been serving and ministering at DBC for just over a month and a half and are already seeing God at work. Sunday services have seen an increase in attendance. We have recently started a Christianity Explored course on a Monday afternoon. Our DBC Charity Shop (which has been an outreach of the church for many years) has been working with Asylum Help to provide clothing for Asylum Seekers living in Glasgow. In all of this we want to be a people that not only seek to understand the incredible truth of the Gospel but to demonstrate that truth in both word and deed. We are excited about the opportunity to replant DBC and at the same time constantly aware of our need of Him in every moment and experience of ministry. God is calling us to be faithful to Him and our prayer is that we might bear fruit for Him in the power of the Spirit and for the glory of His Name. We move forward holding onto Jesus’ words in John 15;
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’
Mark and Pauline
Marjorie McInnes. 1917 - 2015 A ‘one in a million’, as the Rev Stephen Crothers, minister of Adelaide Place Baptist Church put it, in the opening words of the Thanksgiving Service for Marjorie McInnes OBE, on Saturday 12th December 2015, where the eulogy was delivered by the Rev Jack Quinn. Marjory was born into a family that belonged to Adelaide Place BC. Brought up as a child there, coming to faith and baptised at a young age, Marjory served the Lord in the work of her congregation, where she was elected a deacon, also serving in the wider work of our Union, where she was elected as the Baptist Union of Scotland’s President in 1990.
Marjory at her 97th birthday
The middle child of three, Marjorie prevailed through the early death of her father and the assault of much illness to enter employment, moving on from early work in banking into what was to be a distinguished career in Social Work, at a stage when post-war vision for a unified, national scheme for social work was being developed. Marjory become Chief Welfare Officer with the Scottish Office and then depute in the newly created
Social Work department. After retirement, Marjory went on to serve in voluntary service with many social organisations, especially committed to disability issues. Marjory was awarded the OBE in 1982. Commenting on her joyful and sometimes mischievous character, the Rev Jack Quinn, citing Philippians 3.13-16, emphasised that Marjory was a woman who focussed on moving forward, in our Christian lives, to the glory of God. We would celebrate her example, to the glory of God.
January Prayer Link January 3rd Praise: We are very thankful to God for 4 new members which have joined our church recently. We are encouraged that more are also considering membership Prayer: We ask that God would continue to help us as we develop relationships within our community and make the most of contacts developed through our Christmas program
Adelaide Place Baptist Church Praise God for the launch of our first Missional Community among Students around 30 people at Alpha. Pray for us as we consider redeveloping our base and thinking about increasing our staff. Pray that we discern the marks of the Spirit in all things moving forward. ‘Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the Lord’s purpose prevails’
January 10th
January 24th
Marylee Anderson (Chaplain, Aberdeen University)
Nick Blair (Chaplain, Merchiston Castle School)
Please give thanks for those who have been baptised recently, mainly young people who have been brought up in the church and now have shown an eagerness to declare their own faith in Christ and desire to follow him. Pray that they would continue to grow in their knowledge of, and love for, the Lord.
Arran Baptist Church We are praising God for the number of adherents who have joined with us regularly at our services over the past year. We would ask you to pray for contacts with young families on the island and that we would see people coming to faith.
Please pray for continued togetherness and fruitfulness as I begin to ease gradually back into work- my chemotherapy finishes in April dv. (A huge thank you to all who have been praying for me throughout my treatment.) Alexandria Baptist Church Thank God for continuing interest in our midweek Bible study - presently on Nehemiah. Please support us in prayer as we work out the best path to take for our future as a small Fellowship in a vacancy
Praise point: relationships are building with people using our church centre out with a Sunday. Prayer point: that those connections and relationships would lead to people finding faith.
January 31st Carol Campbell (Healthcare Lead Chaplain, Clyde Area) Bathgate Baptist Church
Alloa Baptist Church
January 17th Graham Bell (Chaplain, HMP Glenochil) Alness Baptist Church Praise: We give thanks for God’s provision during our pastoral vacancy. We are also thankful for the faithfulness of our own lay preachers, and those from outside our own fellowship who have come and fed our spiritual hunger with words of encouragement and challenge. Pray: Please remember us before our Lord and God as we go through this time of vacancy. Looking to the Father for His guidance in the timing and Pastor who will come to share in the work of reaching out into our community in Alness and the surrounding area. Alva Baptist Church
Give thanks for our new Children and Families Worker, Mairi Nasr, as she settles into her new role and works with our volunteers in developing this growing area of the church’s life and ministry. Give thanks for all the work and creativity of our Youth Development Worker, Estelle McKean, as she leaves to take up a teaching position in a school in Canouan in the Grenadines. Pray for the recruitment process as we seek a successor to Estelle. Give thanks for our new connection with a Polish Gypsy house church in Clydebank which is launching with a bi-lingual baptismal service on Sunday 17th January and pray for our anniversary services at the end of that month. Bellshill Baptist Church