CHRISTMAS 2012
the centre
for Contemporary Ministry Free to Live Page 2
Christmas Bible Study Page 3
Succoth 2012 Page 4
Home Farm Development Page 5
Unto thy name be the glory
With the completion of the bedrooms, Moggerhanger Park is now open for residential conference group bookings and also for anyone to come and enjoy this beautiful house and park on a individual basis. The story of the restoration is testimony to the grace of God in the lives of so many friends and supporters over the the last 18 years - yes the miraculous £1 purchase of Moggerhanger was way back in December 1994! We give glory to the Lord and thank him for all those who have given sacrificially of their time and money over these last two decades. Some - such as our dear sister Beni Wright who went home to be with the Lord just after the last newsletter was printed - are no longer with us but the legacy and the vision lives on. Since Cliff & Monica Hill started ‘handing over the baton’ we have moved forward on every front. The Feast of Tabernacles celebration was a great success and will be repeated (and expanded) next year using both the main house and the new campsite facilities. John Law has now established his horticulture enterprise (and is already seeing fruit in the form
of a regular stream of volunteers from local churches). Pete Stamford & Rex Careless are ????? developing the workshop in the new barn to support John and the development of the barns. Rex is a new CCM trustee with a lifetime of experience in training and developing engineering skills in the UK and Africa and we are privileged to have him at the centre of the Home Farm team. At the main house in addition to the monthly Pardes meetings on the 3rd Saturday of every month we now have the Filling Station on the 3rd Monday of every month! - at 7.30pm.Filling Station ‘speakers’ already booked include: George Verwer ‘Operation Mobilisation’, Barry Funnel ‘Word for the World’, Sandy Millar - former Vicar at Holy Trinity Brompton. Overnight accommodation is available for those who would like to book in advance and enjoy the surroundings on the estate.
Enjoy Bed & Breakfast
ACCOMMODATION in a Grade 1 listed house Rooms subject to availability
VISION DAY 2nd FEBRUARY 2013
This is the annual opportunity for all our friends and prayer partners to hear the big picture story of Moggerhanger Park. Alongside the exhibitions and presentations we will have a central time of worship and thanksgiving for the wonderful achievements of the last year and chart the spiritual course ahead. There will also be a tour of all the newly completed restoration work around the house and grounds Danny Stupple
Chair of Harvest Vision will be leading the programme of events
Free to live We are in the planning stage of a major initiative to commemorate the coming centenary of the First World War. Not as one might expect but the creation of an innovative programme of inspirational children’s activities and resources throughout the four years from 2014 - 2018. For this project we will use every media platform and hands on experience at Home Farm to help the 21st Century generation appreciate their place in the world and realise their mind-boggling potential being made in the image of God and having his life within. This could prove to be one of the most far-reaching projects CCM has ever been involved in. Please note ‘Free to Live’ on the attached donation form if you wish to support this project and receive further information.
Down on the farm a word from Rex Careless
This last six months has kept all the volunteer teams busy. We have been clearing and rewiring the barns, including installing a CCTV security system, for which we give thanks to Alan Hamilton. However, one outstanding need is for a 3-phase electrical supply (which should cost around £3,000) to run our planer and circular saw woodworking machines. We will then have all the machines up and running and be able to supply cut logs from the estate for the local community. Last month we were given a complete workshop of hand and power tools. To enclose the new barn completely we have just been given £150 to concrete a section of the floor and need a further £800 to supply bricks or breeze blocks. We have been given the sand, wood studding for partitioning, and sliding doors to give access from the workshop to the stores. We are praying that we can have the workshop up and running before the end of the year. What a blessing that would be to all the team members who have put in so much hard work this year, and to all those who will use the facilities. There is a possibility of purchasing an old tractor with fork lifts, and a three-gang lawn mower, to keep all the grass presentable throughout the park. This would enable us to save costs through doing it ourselves. We have found that under the Old Barn floor there is a lovely original stone paving floor. To expose its natural beauty we will need to remove a layer of solid concrete. Does anybody have a kango hammer to help us do this, please? There is so much to do and little funds available. Please come and help in any way possible, so that the five kids’ camps can be up and running before Easter 2013. 2
Carols in the barns
Friday 21th December 4pm The Home Farm team warmly invite you to enjoy Carol singing in the Barn for a second year. Jesus was born in farm buildings and we are going to celebrate his birthday in our very own farm buildings albeit 200 and not 2000 years old. With great joy we will declare deep theological truths ‘Christ by highest heaven adored’, ‘Christ the everlasting Lord’, ‘born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth’. Can you resist travelling over to Moggerhanger Home Farm barns to join the heavenly chorus and enjoy fellowship and mince pies. You will also be able to hear an update on the exciting progress with the Home Farm projects. Please email tracy@contemporaryministry.com if any of you would like to join in the volunteer days.
Christmas bible study
Qumran Scroll - Isaiah 9 vs 6-7
The entire book of the prophet Isaiah was found in the second (and greatest) scroll discovered at Qumran in 1947. Scholars have since established that this ancient text is identical to modern bibles - down to every chapter and verse division, every jot and tittle. How heartening last year to hear our Prime Minister affirm at Christmastime that Britain is a Christian Country and to see the Royal Mint issue a £2 coin with the inscription In the Beginning was the Word - another wonderful verse read out in the Christmas ‘Service of lessons and carols’. How disheartening by contrast to hear this year how determined he is together with his Chancellor of the Exchequer to redefine the God-given institution of marriage. By 2015!
This may be future but the preceding text (v6) represents the One who was and is and is to come; both Son and Everlasting Father:
םוֹֽלָׁש־רַׂש דַעיִבֲא רוֹּבִּג לֵא ץֵעוֹי אֶלֶּפ Pele Yoetz, EL Gibor Avi-Ad Sar-Shalom. Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
We have a challenge to convey to a fatherless ‘Nintendo’ generation the enormity of these words. Please pray that this coming year we can bring together Christian leaders who will join with us in using modern media within an historic setting alongside ancient (yet ever contemporary) biblical truth to meet that challenge!
Isaiah writes, ‘Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end!’ (Isaiah 9 v7).
Flood geology museum
As in the days of Noah The CCM trustees are prayerfully considering creating space for a museum to house the unique fossil collection of Paul Garner. Paul is well known for his writings and lectures on the subject of flood geology. One display in the museum would look at evidence of the Global Flood in the geology of Great Britain. Paul’s DVD ‘Set in Stone’ addresses some famous sites such as Siccar Point, the Sutton Stone on the coast of South Wales and the chalk cliffs of Sussex. Please contact us to purchase this DVD.
The museum would have an educational and family focus with activity sheets provided for children and school parties. Information leaflets on the topics covered in the museum could also be available.Using the skills workshops with Pete Stamford and Rex Careless dioramas and working models would be created to bring life to the displays and add interest. We are also looking to create a star exhibit to draw people to the museum - your suggestions are welcomed. 3
Succoth
celebration by Danny Stupple ALIGHT AT THE PARK 6th October 2012 was a truly magnificent day for our work of contemporary ministry. A wonderful day of worship using Hebrew themes and melodies, led by gifted musicians, including Helen Shapiro, brought us into the Lord’s presence with great joy. There were talks from CMJ, tours of models of the Tabernacle and Second Temple in the old library (picture bottom right), a bookstall and various resources, followed by a visual presentation of the High Priest’s costume leading into biblical teaching. Our commitment to making the Clapham Connection in all that we do, was taken to a new level as we heard from Paul Hames how the Clapham Group were among the founders of CMJ. Paul said it was so fitting that he was with us given the CMJ connection to the Thornton family and the Clapham Group and speaking into our 200th anniversary year since the 1812 opening of the restored house, gardens and farm at Moggerhanger. This set the scene for an amazing talk by Israel Pochtar, from Ashdod, who explained how the Feast of Tabernacles is so special in Israel as families gathered under shelters and remember the Lord’s goodness. There was a sense of agreement in what was believed to be a Word from the Lord, namely “As the Clapham Group in the UK had sent help to the Jews in Israel 200 years ago, now Israel (meaning Israel Pochtar) was coming back to bring help to the UK”!
Succoth Date 2013 - 28th - 29th September
by Howard Roberts Inspired by a vivid dream, the Emmaus Road Show was launched in March 2000. Since then it has welcomed 28,000 school and church visitors for intensive 90-minute study sessions. The exhibition’s four compartments and interactive programmes are designed to appeal to today’s youth, while presenting them with an overview of the Bible’s key characters and events. Recently, through a chance meeting with Charles Wright at the CRE, we identified Moggerhanger Park as an ideal base and useful addition alongside CCM’s educational facilities. The move to Moggerhanger prompted an upgrade in the exhibition’s main set piece. After filming in Israel this spring, the life and world of Jesus is now illustrated with state-of-the-art 3D HD video linked with an extensive model of New Testament Jerusalem. As the field on the Moggerhanger estate appears to be the setting seen in the original dream, we feel the Lord has led the roadshow home, and look forward to it becoming an integral part of the planned outreach among the young and young-atheart from Bedfordshire and beyond.
Helen Shapiro Worship leader 4
Israel Pochtar Headline Speaker
Home Farm
development planning for 2013 These plans have been drawn up for the proposed use of the spaces in the barns. We are now ology in discussion with the local council on how this new facility will benefit the community. ood Ge
Fl m museu
s/ hibition x E / s io TV Stud erence f n o C g& Trainin s facilitie
eology Flood Gm museu
Team Office Team Offices
tyard r u o C Main yard
ourt Main C
Skills ops h works
Skills ops worksh
ions / Exhibit / s io d ce TV Stu onferen C & g Trainin s facilitie
Skills ops illsorkshs Skw op worksh
Home Farm projects A
Kid’s Camps & Unique school
B
Adventure playground
C
Forest school
D
Working farmland
E
Amphitheatre & Arts centre
F
Barns Training / Education
G
Berry Fruit farm
A B
C D
F G
E
Home Farm Land footprint
5
Leaders’ Christian open day
TV recordings
25th March 2013
The TV production suite at Moggerhanger Park is very nearly complete.
This will be a special day to show Church Leaders the newly refurbished, first class conference accommodation and facilities available at Moggerhanger Park. With 22 en-suite bedrooms there is plenty of room for a Christian retreat, house party or conferences with overnight stays. Please let those who decide on such conferences at your church know about this day. If they can’t make this date and would like to come on another date please contact: tracy@contemporaryministry.com
We have the use of a four-camera HDTV studio and need just a few more items of infrastructure to enable us to transmit live. TV equipment is very expensive but the costs of distribution have shrunk considerably in recent years from hundreds of thousands of pounds per year to tens of thousands. Moggerhanger can now provide state of the art facilities for other Christian ministries and also for our own productions. We are in the final stages of producing a weekly ‘magazine’ format show which will include Bible teaching, commentary on current national and international events and the unfolding prophetic witness of the growing Home Farm community projects. The programmes will be immediately available on the web and DVD.
Conferences
for leaders in ministry
Before we go ‘on air’ we will need to originate high quality motion graphics for live mixing, purchase encoders and decoders and rent the high bandwidth links to the telephone exchange. If you would like to help in the purchase of these final elements of our broadcast infrastructure please use the donation form attached and note CCM Broadcast. We will be able to tell you specifically what your gifts are to be used for.
Luxury
accommodation
the centre
for Contemporary Ministry
Television reaches all age groups and we hope you will see the importance of using the available technology to speak biblical truth to a confused society and also encourage the saints!
Moggerhanger Park
T: 0l767 64l005
Park Road
info@contemporaryministry.com
Moggerhanger MK44 3RW
www.contemporaryministry.com
The Centre for Contemporary Ministry is a Christian Charity and a member of the community of charitable organisations at Moggerhanger Park in Bedfordshire. The Ministry is limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales No: 0565312 Charity No: 1129788