Connect
Obedience Rooted in Faith in Dumfries!
June 2018
Obedience Rooted in Faith in Dumfries! ‘The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy’ - Psalm 126 Rev Alistair Purss shares the exciting story of how the recently opened Dumfries Baptist Church Centre connects with the story of the church’s past, present and future. In the late 1870’s Christian believers belonging to the Baptist tradition in Dumfries built a church building which was a scaled replica of Spurgeon’s Tabernacle in London. This was a remarkable step of faith and incredibly visionary thing to do! The building our forefathers built was our spiritual base until the closing service on Sunday 18th March 2018.
In the 1960’s DBC was on the brink of closure. A handful of ladies with the support of the BUS decided to pray and see if God would revive the church. He did! Once again this demonstrated remarkable faith and vision. Through the 70’s-2000’s God has built the church up and today we have about 300 adults and 50 plus children and young people who consider DBC as their church family. Over 20 years ago a group of people from DBC had a vision to plant a church in the Georgetown area of Dumfries. This is mainly an owner occupier estate built in the 70’s and 80’s, which has never had a church building or any significant community facility within it. The area also includes the second most socially challenged area in Dumfries. Although the vision was right the timing was wrong!
About 13-14 years ago we decided that we either had to renovate and extend our existing building, find a new bigger building or build a new building to accommodate our growing congregation. About 11-12 years ago we moved our Sunday morning services to Dumfries High School. The decision to move our Sunday morning service to the High School was a significant and strategic step forward. Just over 6 years ago we found and purchased a 3.2 acre green field site in the Georgetown area of Dumfries and began the process of designing our new church centre. Our new centre has extensive facilities including a 500 seater auditorium, sports hall, 8 meeting rooms and a Cafe. The vision for the use of the building is fourfold; Church - Community - Commercial - Cafe. We officially opened and dedicated the Dumfries Baptist Church Centre to the glory of God on Saturday 12th May 2018. It was a day of fulfilment and at the same time the beginning of a new chapter! We are thankful to God for his incredible provision and for those who have stood with us in prayer and in giving, which includes friends and churches within our Baptist family in Scotland, other trusts and grant giving organisations as well as the remarkable people of DBC who have and still are giving sacrificially through finance, time, gifts and Christian service. We raised over £4,850,000 to build the centre through financial gifts and interest free loans, we have a bit over £850,000 of interest free loans to pay back over the next few years. One of the greatest lessons we have learned as a church is that, ‘God chooses to work through obedience that is rooted in faith’.
From Friday 20th April until Saturday 21st April churches and organisations that work with young people gathered together in Stirling Baptist Church for the first Youth Learning Community. 11 of our family of churches were represented as we gathered to consider ‘what does it mean to make disciples of young people in Scotland in 2018?’ Worship was led by young leaders from Stirling, Sheddocksley and Onelife. Teaching was delivered by leaders from BUS, HTB, ONELIFE, Reign Ministries and Cairn. The content was incredibly helpful, practical, challenging and inspirational. Each team had time to reflect on the teaching and work out what that meant for them in their church, when they went back home. As a Union we had a team made up of youth leaders and young leaders from across our network as we considered how we best encourage, resource and support churches to fulfil the great commission amongst a new generation. Team BUS brought together: Kirsty (Airdrie), Matthew (Stenhouse/ACF), Andrew (Adelaides/Ellon), Gary (Broughty Ferry), Irene (Westwood), Ally (SBC) and Ali (BUS) As a team, we found the experience to be of incredible importance and cannot wait for the next gathering on 6 November. If you or your church are Kirsty feeds back what team interested in working out how BUS have been working on. best to reach and disciple the young people in your area, then please do contact us for more information. There are some limited places available for the next gathering in November. God Bless Every church is prayed Ali Laing for at the end of the gathering.
Going Deeper with SBC The Hillsong United song, Oceans, has become popular in recent years and contains the refrain: “Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander.” The song resonates with many as they strive for a deeper understanding of God in their life. Though it might seem like life at the Scottish Baptist College is all about hours spent in the library writing essays, the real heart of SBC is to help people discern and discover their calling and to be enriched and equipped for their vocation. We look to explore that deeper walk with God. At our end of term service we heard from four of our graduating students, each going on to do very different things. Rebecca is going on to pursue ministry in the Salvation Army; Victoria is heading back to university – this time for teacher training; Sam is going to be part of the new Eden community in the Hillhead area of Kirkintilloch; and Ally is hoping to continue his call to ministry over the next year. Ally writes: ‘Studying at SBC has helped me to think both broader and deeper in areas that I might not have naturally considered. It has equipped me with a tool-kit that I know I will refer back to. In particular, I benefited from the workbased learning placements which has enabled me to sharpen my sense of call to ministry and has put me on the path to applying for accredited ministry within the Baptist Union of Scotland.’ If you’re looking for the next step or feeling challenged to go deeper, then SBC could be a great place to start the search!
Scottish Baptist College: www.scottishbaptistcollege.org
Available at scottishbaptist.com/migcast
Prayer Link June June 3rd
• Rebekah Sharp (Chaplain, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow) • Dunoon Baptist Church • Dunrossness Baptist Church • East Mains Baptist Church
June 10th
• Jim Simpson (Chaplain, Values Based Reflective Practice Lead Facilitator, NHS Grampian) • Easterhouse Baptist Church • Elgin Baptist Church • Ellon Baptist Church
June 17th
• David Vogan (Chaplain, Nethervale Care Home, MHA Auchlochan) • Erskine Baptist Church • Falkirk Baptist Church • Forres: The Lighthouse Church
June 24th
• Chris Withers (Chaplain, 2ITB 2nd Infantry Training Battalion, Catterick) • Fort William Baptist Church • Fraserburgh Baptist Church • Galashiels Baptist Church • Garioch Church Dunrossness BC – We are very thankful for the appointment of a new pastor and are looking forward to this new chapter in the family life of the church. We are excited as there is fresh interest in baptism, signs of people maturing in their faith and more adherents attending. Please pray for the best ways in which to engage both our local communities in a rural setting.
Easterhouse BC – We are excited about new and revamped church children’s groups that are reaching out into our community, and the ongoing use of our building for the needs of the local area. We are delighted that Niall and Pam Fulton have been inducted as our new pastors which will allow Sandy Weddell to retire after an incredible 38 years in Easterhouse.
Jim Simpson - Please pray for NHS staff, working in the many health boards across Scotland. They often respond in going beyond the call of duty. Pray for resilience and reward in who they are. Please pray for Values Based Reflective Practice, as I facilitate groups or teams of staff. In using this set of tools I am alongside people of all faiths and none, seeking to enhance person-centred practice, improve communication, and enrich relationships with colleagues. It is such a privilege to minister in this way across the breadth of Grampian.
Erskine BC – We give thanks as our community engagement expands through art and craft groups, school and nursery contacts, and the continuing baby and toddler group. Please pray as we look to run Alpha later in the year, to engage with the many people who come through the building each week. The grant for our community worker will end this autumn and we need prayer to consider the way forward on a tight and limited budget. Please also pray for the Erskine Churches Together group of leaders as two of the churches in the community will be in vacancy.
Falkirk BC – Praise: We thanks and praise the Lord for growth, a vision & values statement, and an increasing sense that God is going to bring new believers to us via the Will Graham Celebration of Hope event in June. Prayer: We ask for prayer that the new vision of the church will move us into new ministry areas; for our journey into restructuring the leadership of the church; and efficiency as we update our data and child protection policies. East Mains BC - Give thanks for the appointment of Ruari O’Brien as our new Associate Pastor and the appointment of a Children & Youth Ministries Coordinator. Please also pray for our leadership team as they seek God for a new vision and direction for the church. Forres: The Lighthouse Church - Toward the end of last year we held an Alpha Course which saw twenty participants join seven leaders for the full duration, resulting in a great time of fellowship, plus three conversions and baptisms. We give thanks to God for this and ask that you join us in prayers for the new disciples to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord. Chris Withers – As I work at the Infantry training Centre Catterick, I thank God for the many opportunities to share Kingdom truth with recruits and staff. Thank God too for our team of Chaplains and SASRA rep (Soldiers and Airmen’s Scripture Readers Association) Please pray for open hearts and minds as we minister to recruits and staff. Please pray for divine appointments as I share in community as governor in local high school and in leading assemblies in primary schools.
Rebekah Sharp – Preaccreditation study and support is ongoing. Please pray that I continue to grow and develop through the process. Over the past 1.5 years we’ve seen massive loss in staff throughout GG&C chaplaincy for various reasons. This is a time to really work together, be an example of Jesus’ grace and love and hold up integrity, all of which I am prayerfully working hard to do but as many of my colleagues are, I am tired. Prayer for restoration, positive Christ-like working and vision for the future near and far is needed. Garioch Church -We praise God for growing clarity and focus about our vision and ethos, following Lead Academy, and thank him for the ways in which adults and children are together learning and being changed as we study Luke’s gospel. We pray for growing courage and confidence as we all seek to share Jesus and bring justice on our various frontlines: at home, school, work – wherever we are. Galashiels BC – We praise and thank God for His faithfulness during our Vacancy, blessing us and feeding us with good ministry and teaching. We give thanks for new people coming among us. And now, we praise him for our new pastor and look forward to what God will do among us and through us in our community. Elgin BC –We give thanks for the new growth group structure that is beginning to bear fruit and for the many opportunities in the local schools. Please pray that we will be a community of God’s people who remain united in our love for the Lord, one another and the unsaved.
FEARLESS BAPTIST ASSEMBLY IN SCOTLAND 25th-26th October 2018 Motherwell Concert Hall
Registered Scottish Charity SCO04960