From the Editor, Well, we’re back well and truly from holidays. Routine has kicked in, lunch boxes are being packed, alarms are being set and work has replaced the beach. Routine - not a very exciting word or world is it? Wrong! What if we were to take each decision, person and aspect of our lives and put them under the ‘Discipleship’ magnifying glass. Would anything change, would it create a world of exciting possibilities out of dreary repetitiveness? Would the change be so different that we would move beyond being participants in this ‘game of life’ to become ‘influencers’ of those around us battling with the same everyday situations? Of course honesty is always the best policy, and if you were to ask the people I live with, if this was my everyday reality, you’d probably have to wait for them to stop laughing before they’d tell you - ‘No, thats not how Melissa lives.’ But I’ve tasted it, and it is truly amazing!! I really love Aritstotle’s quote, ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit.’ Habits take a long time to create (and to break), but it can be done bit by bit, until you’ve reached the goal you were after, often only to see another. We’re very fortunate, that if true discipleship is the way we choose to go, we have the blueprint in our hands and a Master willing to allow us to learn and extend ourselves. There is no need to fear it, as God himself has said in Saumuel 15:22 He prefers obedience over sacrifice. He just wants us to be us, walking hand in hand with Him. And it all is based on the word ‘Love’. God’s love for us, our love for God, God’s love for those around us and our growing awareness of this fact, and ‘love’ is not a meek word...but that, that is for another edition.
Meet a Member - The Aslet Family
7
Winbap Family News
8
Wayne’s World
11
Carolyn’s Kitchen
34
Church Secretary’s Report
45
Coaching
5
Winchester Walks
12
Farewell Ed & Jacey Jackson
20
Discipleship: A personal pursuit or a call to a risky corporate lifestyle
23
No Excuses
35
Singleness: a gift?
42 Kingdom Business in India
Jen’s Burkina Faso Adventure
6
Melissa Ugandan Adventure- 2012
38
15
Letter from the Leadership
So here we all are at WBC only about seven weeks into the official interregnum, living through a period of change as we seek the person God has called to be our Senior Pastor in the years ahead. So far, however, it seems to me that there are not a lot of significant differences in what goes on in the day-to-day life within WBC. For example, I have the same line-manager that I had when Ewen was on sabbatical last year, I have the same supportive staff team colleagues around me, our Sunday services are familiar in their content and structure, the people I see in our building during the week are the same, and so on. In fact the only major difference is I have a new temporary storage or “hot-desking” facility in the room opposite my office to organise as Ops Manager! So why does the current situation feel this way to me? We are seeking a new person ‘at the top’, but we already have one – our loving heavenly Father. He has already been appointed to the main position at WBC and this got me thinking about how much significance, respect and honour that I, in practice, really give Him in this position. Reflecting on my time under Ewen’s ministry here and also as my line manager for the last 5+ years, I hope I gave him the significance, respect and honour he was due as best I could
(although that may not have come across in the Staff Team Rap we did at his leaving do!). However my motivations for doing so may have come from a different place, such as job satisfaction, earning money etc. When I thought some more about how I give significance, respect and honour to God however I realised that my motivations should be to do with my discipleship. Personally I do not think my discipleship is up to much – I guess many of us feel this way. UMC.org describes discipleship as our response to God; actively following in the footsteps of Jesus; not being passive spectators but energetic participants in God’s activity in the world; because of what God has done for us we offer our lives back to God; we order our lives in ways that embody Christ’s ministry in our families, work places, communities and the world. All in all, a lot to live up to, and the big question – where do I start with it all? Actually I don’t think any of us need to make a start because God has already done that in us as shown by Philippians 1: 6 which tells us …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus’, as well as Acts 16: 14 which introduces us to Lydia and how ‘The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message’. It seems to me that God has given us our response to Him (by being our creator, by opening our hearts, by changing our mindsets towards Him), an amazing gift in itself and one that I’m sure He gives us in order to inspire us to follow actively in His Son’s footsteps. I am sure many of us think that following in Jesus’ footsteps is about doing the things He did
when He walked the earth, and of course in many ways it is. But I wonder if coming to discipleship in this “being seen to be doing” mentality is the best perspective. I was struck recently when I read or heard it said that ‘we are human beings and not human doings’. This made me reflect on how this applies to me, my everyday activities, my discipleship, ie if it’s not about all the church activities I’ve been involved in since childhood, it must be about ‘being’ and that perhaps this is the only ‘doing’ I have to be concerned about – developing my ‘being’ in the Lord. So then, how? Well I think this is where the discipline element of discipleship comes in. Apparently, in its original sense, discipline is systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or any other activity which they are supposed to perform, or to follow a particular code of conduct or “order”. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says ‘if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.’ Can it be made any clearer? In truth, we find the time to do what we value and if we value becoming the person God created us to be, then we will find the time to humble ourselves, pray and seek His face each and every day and our discipleship will naturally progress out of this. And when this happens we are truly putting our God ‘at the top’, in His rightful place, and we will continue to move forward as His body of believers here at WBC whatever the season, with or without an appointed human ‘person at the top’!
Judy
“Knowing that we are fulfilling God’s purpose is the only thing that really gives rest to the restless human heart.”--Chuck Colson
s y a d
Autumn
All these things I love so well” I’ve never seen a jet plane filling up mid flight or spent much time examining the innards of chestnut shells but I love the description of dew covered grass being like jewels and along with that the absolute beauty of a sparkling spider’s web in the autumn sun. You won’t be surprised to hear that autumn is my favourite time of the year and it appears I’m not alone. A recent survey (ok, a handful of my friends on Facebook) put autumn firmly on the top of the pile for its beautiful colours and more bearable temperatures. Then there is of course the Crunchy Leaves phenomenon
While these are all very worthwhile reasons, the appeal for me goes a little further. Sometime in the middle of August I find myself longing for bright, crisp mornings, blustery days and the need to wear a coat. As temperatures cool and the strength of wind increases I feel a breath of freshness driving out the staleness of summer. Like someone opening the window in a stuffy room or the first sip of water to a dry, parched throat; autumn revives, relieves and refreshes. Now before I start to sound too much like an advertisement for a new soft drink, I am well aware that our seasons do not always behave themselves. Summer is definitely the worst culprit with winter not far behind but autumn can sometimes warrant a trip to the meteorological naughty step. They don’t always follow the rules. Rules? For seasons? Yes and here are autumn’s just in case it happens to be reading.
A coat should be required from October onwards without exception. Fallen leaves should not be rained on for at least a week so everyone who wants to gets a chance to jump in them and enjoy the satisfying crunch and rustle. Then, ideally, some freak wind should lift them up and drop them somewhere else so we don’t have to rake them up. Strong winds are welcome as long as I have not chosen to wear a floaty skirt. Strong wind combined with rain is only permitted when I don’t have anywhere to go. Finally, as it appears I have already left the realms of reality far behind There should be no calories in hot chocolate throughout autumn and winter.
{
Autumn days, when the grass is jewelled And the silk inside a chestnut shell Jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled
which is so popular it even has its own Facebook page.
{
When I was at primary school one of my favourite assembly songs was called Autumn Days. Here is the first verse:
So as the trees display their bonfire-coloured foliage and the nights draw in, I hope you won’t be feeling too sad about the end of summer (haha, yeah right). This season will change just like the last and we’ll all be getting our wellies out again before we know it. So whatever your favourite time of year, I hope you find time to appreciate some of God’s beautiful creation this autumn and thank Him for the changing seasons. Apart from all the proper reasons for them, they stop us getting too bored with the one we are in. Autumn days, when the grass is jewelled And the silk inside a chestnut shell Jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled All these things I love so well So I mustn’t forget No I mustn’t forget To say a great big thank you I mustn’t forget. Clouds that look like familiar faces And a winter’s moon with frosted rings Smell of bacon as I fasten up my laces And the song the milkman sings. Whipped-up spray that is rainbow- scattered And a swallow curving in the sky Shoes so comfy though they’re worn out and they’re battered And the taste of apple pie. Scent of gardens when the rain’s been falling And a minnow darting down a stream Picked-up engine that’s been stuttering and stalling And a win for my home team. Autumn Days by Estelle White
Naomi Best
Coaching
What is coaching? Most people associate coaching with a coach in sports, who is there to train the athletes to push their performance ever forward. However, the concept of coaching is also widespread in business for executives and managers and is even becoming more popular for individuals in their private lives as well; the latter is known as life coaching. Essentially, coaching is a goalorientated personal development process that results in lasting, sustainable changes. ‘Coaching’ literally means ‘transporting’ a person from one place to the next. I think of coaching as partnering with clients in a thoughtprovoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The role of the coach is to drive the process that will allow the client to make the change and reach their desired outcome. Coaching is available to anybody who wishes to change something or who has a goal they want to achieve. The range of areas one can be coached on is limitless. Just about every issue or challenge can be coached on. As long as the individual wants to change something in their life, coaching can help. In my practice, I have both business clients as well as private clients. As a life coach, I’ve coached people to make changes in their relationships with family and friends, children and husbands, preparing for a baby to arrive - the changes in the parent’s relationship - the changes to work
-life balance and family and friends, as well as weight-loss, changing careers and dealing with life-changing situations, just to mention a few. At the moment I’m also coaching a student on being successful in their studies.
“The difference between coaching and therapy is that coaching is forward looking, goal and action orientated. Some people are even considering life coaching to be their way of keeping a competitive edge to their colleagues in a very competitive world.” As a business coach, I’ve coached people on honing leadership skills, developing a team, positioning oneself for promotion, starting a new job, going back to work after maternity leave etc. Many organisations use coaching as a development tool to stretch their people and to make behavioural changes. One HR manager told me that he would far rather invest in coaching of an employee than in sending the person on a training course as coaching drives
sustained ever-lasting changes and development. And if some behaviour is holding an employee back from the next promotion, the business case for a coach rather than hiring a new person from outside or replacing that person is financially appealing. Through global research it has been estimated that the Return on Investment (ROI) of coaching is 5-7 times of the cost and the changes in individuals, teams or organisations are long lasting. I am passionate about helping people succeed and exceed even their own expectations of themselves and I thoroughly enjoy going on that journey of change with them. It is fulfilling and a calling I believe God has put on my heart. I believe God wants us all to fulfill our potential as individuals and in our walk with Him. If you have any questions about coaching feel free to come and talk to me about it, but make sure you have enough time set aside as I can talk for hours on the subject! Sys Aitkenhead SA People Passion p: 07702255414 e: sys @ peoplepassion . com i: www.sapeoplepassion.com
first experience of African church in Ouagadougou, which we soon realised was much longer than any service we’d been to in England, with most of them being four or five hours long.
rkina Faso Jen’s Buen adv ture
This summer I was fortunate enough to spend six weeks in Burkina Faso, Africa, on shortterm mission with Christian mission organisation Pioneers. At the time of writing this, I’ve only been back in the country just over a week and all of my thoughts and feelings about the trip are still slightly jumbled, but I’ll try my best to portray in words what was one of the greatest adventures I’ve ever been on. Before setting off, we had four days of orientation in Doncaster which was a great time to meet the other seven people on my team and focus on preparing ourselves for the trip ahead. By the time we reached Burkina Faso, we were already very comfortable around each other and I was blessed with a wonderful, Godcentred team. We spent the first couple of days in Ouagadougou, which I’m sure you’ll agree is the best name for a capital city! We had the chance here to meet a couple of church pastors and their families. We were also taken to meet some crocodiles which was an experience of sheer terror for most of us who tried to keep our distance while two of the boys from our team had other ideas and decided to sit on the crocodiles (which was very much encouraged by our leaders)! We also had our
After these few days, we set off to Bobo-Dioulasso, which is where we spent the majority of our time. We stayed with such a hospitable, loving host family who took care of us and we soon felt part of the family. Rotimi and Florence are long term missionaries and so a lot of the activities we got involved in were part of a longterm movement that they had spent years working on. They have two amazing boys, Joseph, aged eleven, and Stephen, aged nine, who made the trip so special for us. Unfortunately, Joseph has sickle cell anaemia which made him ill for some of the time we were there. One memory I will never forget is going to pray for him in the small room next to the house that the family were staying in. He seemed very weak and wasn’t responding very much. It was overwhelming to see him in this condition and in such a small room while we enjoyed the comforts of their home. We asked Rotimi if there was anything we could do, and he was adamant that the greatest thing we could do was pray. I told him that I would also ask my church to pray for him, so for those reading this, it would be so great if you could pray for a full recovery for him.
We got involved in such a wide range of projects while we were out there. These included visiting a lot of churches to preach and share testimonies, teaching English, helping to run a holiday club, spending time playing with children in an orphanage and local children outside the house, preaching and singing on a Christian radio station, and preaching at open air film projections. We spent a weekend in Dano, where we visited and prayed for people in some of the villages there. We also participated in church planting, which involved spending time with Muslim women, some of whom were widows, that Florence had built relationships with and had been teaching them about the gospel. It surprised me just how open they were to hear and discuss things from the Bible and it was great to share with them.
I’ve learnt so much from the trip about hospitality, what it means to be a missionary, and seeing the bigger picture beyond everything that we do single-handedly. I’m sure I’ll continue to learn new ways of applying everything I’ve learnt to my life here in England. There is so much more I want to share so please do come and chat to me about the trip if you’re interested in hearing more. Finally, I want to thank you all for how much support I’ve had. I would have really struggled to do it without Winchester Baptist Church so thank you so much.
Jen Pringle
Christian family and has always had a faith, she was Baptised in 1978 at WBC.
What was your favourite childhood game? We both loved playing monopoly, a love shared by Sebastian! Did you gain any higher ed qualifications? Chris has a diploma in Nursing Studies and Jane is a Nursery Nurse. Where did you grow up? Chris was born and grew up in Eling, Totton, Jane was born in Crawley, moved to Newbury, Redhill and then Winchester. We have three boys, Jon is 16, Nic is 14 and Sebastian is 12. When we married at WBC in 1992, we moved to Eastleigh and have lived there ever since. Do you have any siblings? Chris has two brothers, and Jane has a brother and sister. We all get on really well now although growing up was a different matter! What was your favourite subject at school? Chris’ favourite subjects at school were environmental science and any sport, Jane liked the practical subjects such as cooking and sewing. Were you ever told off in school? Neither of us really remembers getting into much trouble, real goody goodies!
What was your first job and on what did you spend your first pay cheque? Chris’ first job was cleaning the floors in Woolworths, He saved up for a fishing rod, which he still occasionally uses. Jane’s first job was nannying. She lasted one week and came home again! Now, Chris works for Asda, filling shelves. Doing such an active job, he’s lost 2 stone and is so much happier. His previous job was as a nurse, working with people with Learning Disabilities, which was very stressful to say the least. Jane works at Shakespeare Infant School as a Special Needs Assistant, a job she just loves. How long have you been at WBC? Chris has been at WBC since 1993, Jane first came to WBC when she was 8 in 1972. When did you become a Christian? Chris became a Christian in July 1990, becoming Baptised in January 1991 at Bitterne Park Baptist. Jane grew up in a
What’s your favourite sweet? Chris likes toffee crisp although can’t eat it due to too many lost fillings and Jane likes sherbet and anything chocolate! Jon loves all sweets, Sebastian likes sherbet lemons and Nic’s favourite vegetable is sweet corn! What’s been your best holiday/ adventure so far? When Chris first had time off work from stress, we went to the Vendee, France with Martyn and Marie Davey, It was an amazing holiday. We just felt so blessed, we relaxed, the children had fun and God was so very present. Food was an important part of the holiday but never ask Martyn and Chris to go shopping in a French market. They came back with an enormous joint of garlic pork, yummy but costing about 27 euros! We often holiday with Martyn and Marie. Memorable bits include having at least one ice cream a day rule and trying to sort out Chris’ and Martyn’s pants. They have identical ones! Our holidays usually are camping, with most often rain and general bad weather are the main features. Jane’s colleagues at work check when the Aslets are camping and then arrange their holidays to be a different date or different country! How would you describe WBC to a newcomer? Friendly, welcoming, informal and inviting. A place where you can meet with the Holy Spirit. One of the most important parts of WBC for us is the youth work. We are watching our boys turn into young men of God and it is SO exciting!!
FA M I LY N E W S
IT’S CONGRATULATIONS ALL ROUND AT WINBAP THIS EDITION! Over the last few months we’ve seen engagements, a marriage, the precious addition of a birth, an author published and cafes bought...who said Summer was a time of rest!
Congratulations Matt Isaac and Eleanor Gray on the announcement of their engagement on the 8th June.
AU GU ST SEPT EM BER 2 01 2
Winbap
Christy Burberry and Daniel Archer were married on the 18th August in Coventry. They had a beautiful ceremony which truly reflected their faith and walk with God. Please pray for them as they begin their married lives together, and for their families too.
Congratulation to Raoul, Jo and Desi Jack on the safe arrival of Toby Simon born the 8th of September 10.01pm, 9lb 3oz (4.2kg).
BMS Birthdays
november 26th
janet sparkes
happy birthday
Congratulations to Wayne Isaac and Babs Klampe when they announced their engagement on the 21st of July.
Carolyn Breakwell & Janet Jones would love to welcome you to Leaf & Bean cafe at 3A Stockbridge Rd, Winchester SO22 6RN where you can enjoy light lunches, delicious snacks & home baking. They look forward to seeing you!
Congratulations to Abi Bettle for having her article on the Olympic Games Makers and the “Greenwich Bubble” published in Horse Hero. You can read it for yourself at http:// www.horsehero.com/ editorial?feat=87120 Check out the MAG board displays in the coming months: October: Babs & Wayne’s Ugangan Summer Mission. November: Jo Meharg’s ‘Where are you going in 2013?’
CU Weekend Away March 2012
CU Grad BBQ May 2012
Thank you for your continued support for us at Winchester University Christian Union. We wouldn’t be able to do any of the work we do on our campus without your support and we appreciate immensely everything that you do for us. As we go into this new academic year, we’re excited about the new intake of freshers to join us in serving our campus and fellow students. prayers. We’ve had an incredible term full of Evangelism events, Charity fundraising, a complete CU rebrand, saying goodbye to Graduates and an incredible weekend away learning about what Sharing Jesus Brings! Please keep us in your prayers as we strive to do God’s work on our campus! Sarah Branton (President)
Dates for your diary Fresher’s Week: 17th-23rd September Winter Term: 24th September- 14th December Events week: 12th - 18th November CU Weekend Away: 2nd-4th November 24 Prayer Weekend: 19th-20th October Carol Service: 10th December
How aware are you of what children and young people are doing online?
While sending a half-naked photo to a girlfriend or boyfriend may seem harmless at the time, the way children and young people use mobile technology and the internet can end up causing significant distress. These images are, in some cases, being shared amongst groups of young people and can result in the whole school or community seeing them. If they are posted on the internet, they could be available to anyone in the world and frequently can never be removed.
}
“Mobile phones, laptops, games consoles and MP3 players – all are great for entertainment and communicating with friends and family. Most people now have at least one of these in their lives and would be lost without them. They allow access to a world full of opportunities and excitement but how up to speed are you when it comes to how children and young people are using them? And would you know how to deal with a situation where a young person has been exploited by one or more of them?”
*Eli Stewart is a trained CEOP Ambassador and will be running an ‘Internet Awareness’ session for parents and carers, Saturday 6th October, 1-3pm
Over the last year, the UK’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre has seen an increasing trend in the number of self taken images, particularly
of young girls, being submitted into its Image Analysis and Victim Identification Unit. These images have, in some cases, also been found in the collections of paedophiles. In instances where this has happened, the young people had no idea their images had been copied, shared and uploaded elsewhere and that they were available to anyone, anywhere in the world. Apart from the extreme anxiety that this may cause, there have also been some reports of children being bullied as a result of their images being shared.A recent case in the United States resulted in a young man taking his life because images of him had been posted online. With this increase in young people’s risk-taking behaviour, awareness-raising and education is key. Empowering children and young people to make the right decisions and choices is vital, but it’s not just children who need to understand this issue: parents, carers, teachers and those who work with and look after children also need to know how young people can protect themselves and this includes how to encourage young people to think about their actions and any possible consequences they may face. The CEOP Centre is the UK’s national police agency that focuses on protecting children – visit www.ceop.police.uk for further information.
used with permission from CEOPS press
}
New and emerging technologies which enable people all over the world to connect more easily than ever before, have resulted in a big shift in the way in which children and young people engage with others. Celebrities are using Twitter and other online environments to share their lives with the general public and young people are copying this behaviour by sharing intimate and personal information and photos using mobile phones and social networking sites – often without thinking about the consequences of their actions.
This month, due to the travels of your usual correspondent, I will be sitting in, to give you some thoughts on a new release, which hopefully might bless you all with some new listening experiences! Last month Ewen said that music is a gift from God, and this month God’s gift of groove and cool comes in the shape of Pastor Marvin Sapp. Now be warned those of you who have little experience of Gospel music, or suffer from too much British reserve; there is nothing reticent about this album, or any music the good Pastor or his friends have blessed the world with. With that caution we shall get going….......
{
{
Marvin Sapp hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and has a full and emphatic back catalogue of gospel albums (and a voice to match!), culminating in this new release, ‘I Win’. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this material, Sapp’s work usually takes the form furiously complex, groove based tracks and delicate gospel ballads.
This album is no different, opening with an instrumental introduction, presenting the listener with the usual gospel statement of intent; huge band stabs, dexterous musicianship and Sapp’s opening call of “Are y’all ready to give God some praise tonight?!” before breaking into the opening track ‘Teach My Hands to War’. This is a huge battle cry of a track, with an irresistible groove, courtesy of the ever present drums and some heavy slap bass, all supporting the cohesive call and response between Sapp and the choir. The track leads into ‘I Belong to You’, via a massive musical bridge, which quickly falls away to a much more light hearted feel, but a further dose of rhythm to make you move. Be sure to listen for the mind numbing fill that ends the track! Third track ‘Never’ has a much more traditional Gospel feel, a drop in a pace, and is a testimony to God’s consistency. The track draws you along with the exquisite choir arrangements, giving you a break from the musical intensity of the previous two, before
slapping you across the face with a bridge full of incredible crossed rhythms, just to remind us that God is not stingy with his blessing of musical gifts!
The title track that follows after a brief pause (it is worth noting these albums are normally live), features a gliding melody, home to some gloriously lifting choir arrangements and the wonderful phrase, “neighbour you’re looking at victory!”. The absolute abandon and love of the gospel is incredibly striking in this musical culture and this becomes apparent especially in the track. ‘Glory’ follows up, another flowing 6/8 tune, which is almost cinematic in its string arrangements, really displaying how large the band really is. The next track is entitled ‘Hymn Medley’, and does exactly what it says, haunting hammond organ accompanies Sapp as he works through a fluid intertwining of hymns, too many to list in my word count! A glorious nine minutes, the medley rises and falls, grooves and rests, and is just
an honest use of music for worship. ‘Deeper’ brings the pace back up, to an epic and lifting track, a lot more song orientated than the opening tracks of the album, but still with some very clever arrangement, which drops away to a gentle end, leading into the very soft ‘My Testimony’, a ballad which expresses God’s faithfulness, swelling triumphantly and falling back to a gentle, personal feel. The penultimate track ‘Do Me Like You’, sees the return of groove, and a lyrical concept which takes the lead from some traditional gospel lyrics (heard briefly in the medley), and is an uplifting shuffle. Closing the album ‘Keep it Movin’ brings the feel back to somewhere near where it started, leaving the album feeling pleasantly circular. Horns return with enthusiasm and sit on top of a strong, driving rhythm, and a bridge groove that really makes the track, and ends the album, capping it off with some sublime guitar.
This album is definitely a large work to get your head round, unrelentingly musical, but if you’ve enjoyed this, I strongly recommend looking into Sapp’s work. Everything you’ll find is excellent, and absolutely drenched in God inspired groove! Editor’s Note: Thanks Matt for filling in for us this edition. If anyone would like more information on what Matt is up to these days then you can check out his website http://mattisaacmusic.com where you’re able to hear a sample of his beautiful Neon Moon.
“It is the habit off faith, when she is praying, to use pleas. Mere prayer sayers, who do not pray at all, forget to argue with God; but those who prevail bring forth their reasons and their strong arguments” Charles H. Spurgeon
Future Prayer Walk Dates 21st October - Town Centre 10th November - Oliver’s Battery (Times to be confirmed)
Winchester walks
I was a little disappointed that Ed’s recent walk was held on a day when we were visiting friends. If we hadn’t been doing that we would have supported the Oliver’s Battery Fete. Sometimes there’s too much to do. I have enjoyed a couple of Ed’s walks in the past and have been able to impart some of the information to our own guests when showing them around Winchester. Walking is good for us and following the recent Olympics and Paralympics perhaps you’ve been inspired to take a little more exercise. There are already a couple of walking groups in our church and we are not trying replicate them. A few months ago The Favour Cluster leaders felt a call to walk the streets. Joshua 1:3 says “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses”. We want to claim that promise for Winchester.
We don’t just walk aimlessly, but in groups of three or four, we walk and chat, sometimes chatting with the ‘other person’ walking with us. It all feels quite normal really. We keep our eyes open - this is rather important - to avoid tripping, but also to look around and see what God (He’s the ‘other person’ by the way), is showing us. Prayer Walkers pray on-site with insight.
If I was clever with words I would be able to come up with a mnemonic for what we do but here it is: Listen - we listen to what God might be saying to us. Look - We pray for whatever catches our attention. Bless - What can we bless whilst out, families, schools, businesses etc.. Displace - Pray against bad influence. Cleanse - Pray that God would wash away the influences of the bad things of the past. Connect - bring God’s kingdom to the streets. Whilst I missed Ed’s walk which would have interested me with the history of our city, I have been able to walk and be part of His story for our city. If you’re a walker or a pray-er please come and be a part of it too. We can’t have too many people (children and dogs welcome too) doing this!
GARETH BARTLETT
I remember very clearly the conversation I had with Ewen when he asked me to take over co-ordinating worship at Winchester Baptist Church. “It’ll be easy,” he said, “and it’ll involve almost no work. The rota will more-or-less write itself every term, every person involved will always be available for every possible slot, and if push comes to shove and you need extra help, it’s not like I’m leaving any time soon. Don’t think of it as a job – think of it as an additional way to relax.” I may be miss-remembering one or two of the finer details. I must admit, however, that co-ordinating worship at Bappo hasn’t been as much of headache as I thought it might be, largely due to the fact that our musicians (and by extension, the church as a whole) have been very gracious about the decisions I’ve had to make. Having been involved in worship teams at a number of churches over the years, I’m very grateful for this.
Seasons of wo r sh i p
This term though… this term’s been tough. Losing Ewen and the Tufts all at the same time has left some obvious holes, and it’s given me plenty to think about in terms of where our musical worship goes next. The fact is, it isn’t always possible to fill gaps when they arise, at least in the short term. Instead, you have to work around them and accept that, for a while, you’ll be in a different season. Anyone who’s been around churches for long enough will have seen this happen. As a teenager, I was part of a fairly small church plant. We had a small but relatively solid worship team which lost its key guitar-playing worship leader and its pianist at the same time. Out of necessity, through pushing background players front and centre, and drafting new and reluctant players into position, we made do. We had a season of finding our feet again, and eventually, we got back to full strength. You may have already noticed some changes during our worship times – no longer does an Ali-shaped blur rush across the church halfway through the first song to fill the empty drum stool, and not once have I heard Tim asking the sound team to “keep me up on the mic for this one”. There’ll be other changes to come. We’re very blessed with our resources as a church, and my desire for the next stage is to see people’s gifts grow as they get a chance to spread their wings a little more. When I was fourteen (or something like that), my church allowed me to stand up with three chords and a guitar to lead for the first time - it’s a wonderful
thing to be a part of a church that allows people the chance to do this in a supportive environment. Like those who do any other task, musicians and worship leaders don’t arrive fully-formed! In the longer term, we could do with some more people stepping in, drummers and bassists in particular, if only so that Wayne “two bands” Isaacs can have the occasional week off. I can’t help but wonder whether a church the size of ours has some hidden talents lurking within its number… It can be difficult to volunteer to join what looks like a well-established group, but this is a good time to have a go. Come and talk to me if this appeals. JON SENIOR
‘You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him.’ A W TOZER
the missing generation “As a 22 year old Baptist minister I often find it challenging looking out from the pulpit to see a congregation that is ageing and wonder where my generation has gone. Sometimes I sit in my office falling in to the ‘Elijah syndrome’, “I’ve been working my heart out for you God, but I’m the only one left!” Sometimes I go along to an 18-30’s service and remember I’m not really alone, but then start to see a generation that’s gifted and available but not always released into church ministry.”
I started with Elijah, and I’ll finish with Elijah. After his amazing ministry on Mt Carmel God says, “You think I’m not at work, but I am, You think you are alone, but you’re not. I’m going to work the next part of my plan out in a new way. Your job now is to raise up the next generation, make disciples. Prepare the way for others. I want you to take that cloak off your face and set it down on the new generation who will take my plans forward.” Maybe the Missing event will be part of that removing the cloak to set it down on a new generation, that will no longer be missing, but taking God’s plans further. We look forward to seeing you there!
In a nutshell, TheMissing Event is an initiative of the Younger Leaders Forum of the Baptist Union of Great Britain to address both these issues; to encourage a generation of young adults united in faith to build each other up, and have their voices heard. The event will resource, encourage and empower our churches, young adults and leaders into reaching the young adults of their locality.
Tim Haines
We have highly informed and engaging keynote speakers; Rachel Jordan, the National Adviser for Mission and Evangelism to the Church of England, and Phil Timson, the national youth director of Hope. There will also be a variety of resourcing and encouraging workshops lead by members of the Younger Leaders Forum in the afternoon. Add to the mix times of worship and leisure, we believe this could be one of the most significant conferences addressing the Missing Generation to date.
Date: Saturday 13 October
Student Pastor of Bristol Road Baptist Church
Venue: International Mission Centre, 24 Weoley Park Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, B29 6QX
Time: 10:00am - 4:30pm Price: £10 Book your place: www.missinggeneration.com
Rachel Jordan
Phil Timson
of business and politics and development and change. The whole place swells with change. It is in the air, in the traffic, in the endless building projects and in the economy. There is a noise and a chaos and an intensity to the senses, a pulsing with life that leaves you continually contemplating how it all works and holds together…but it does and it is so very precious.
s s e n i s u B Kingdom IA IN IND
The scent of drains, the heat and people asleep on the concrete make it clear that for many there is a rawness to life in India. There’s a feeling of transparency, that life is not hidden away behind walls or legislation. The very essence of life, of working and eating and sleeping and community is so visible and so palpable. And for the saint who loves Him and seeks Him, you can’t help but feel that God has beautiful words for such beautiful people, that somehow that rawness of life possesses an integrity that God delights in and that there are precious treasures of His heart that He longs to share. It is hot, it is the wee hours of the morning, a thick, musty smell really does pervade everything, but after a long flight there is an excitement in conversation and a feeling of adventure. Paul has been visiting India for fifteen years where it is only my second trip but there is a pull to this land for both of us and a gentle anticipation for the two weeks ahead as sights from the airport transfer bus prompt conversations
Six pastors sit in brightly coloured plastic seats. A travel projector, struggling against the bright Indian sun, projects the words ‘The Kingdom Business Course’ dimly onto the wall and something of God’s heart begins to flow. Paul speaks of the changes in the economy and that India is growing in prosperity. He speaks that India is now richer than much of the world and that the UN predicts that by 2048 average incomes will be the same as in the UK. He speaks of 8% inflation and that though the poor have more money, prices are rising so aggressively that they are, in real terms, growing poorer. And he hints at India’s super rich. His words succinct, researched and practiced are sentence by sentence translated into Tamil where they are imbued with extreme passion, ornamented with Hallelujahs and filled with excited crescendos and, one can but hope, the subtlety of Paul’s message. The centrality of business is clear from the car window. It is not that India doesn’t have its giant corporations, its factories or its multinationals, it’s that from that window you can see a model of business free from glossy brochures and marketing, not protected by the cushions of employment law and employee rights, but raw and transparent. A
lady sells mangos from the same pitch by the side of the road for fifteen years. She sells her fruit, she feeds and clothes her children. If the mango crop fails so does her children’s education. You can see that, beneath all, as our recession may be slowly revealing, it is ours to till the ground, ours to support ourselves through our labours from the products we are able to source and the skills we are able to cultivate, and that if a man shall not work he shall not eat, and that if a man shall not eat, that man shall die. I feel dramatic in my summary but my guts tell me that, at its roots, it is that simple. It is money that buys food and business that grows money. I had never seen it so simply, never seen our total dependence on business, never seen the centrality of business in all that we may come to take for granted. If I sell mangos I am a business. If I work for someone who sells mangos I work for a business. If I work for a multinational giant my income and my eating and survival is dependent on business. Paul’s teachings and the lessons from the Indian highstreet seemed to bounce off one another. It is all business! As I look around the room everything I see is borne of business, from the fruit in the kitchen to the rug on the floor to sockets in the walls. It’s all business. Someone has made these things their business, to source them and supply them and price them and sell them. And yet when Paul stands and speaks of the business wisdom that he has found in Scripture something in me still feels unrest. But why would God not have lessons to teach on business? Why would He not bless us with guidance in this horrifically central theme in life? And, as Paul articulates, why
would He not bless us not just with a notion of ethics and morals with which to root our business, but, within Scripture, with sound business wisdom for the everyday practicalities of business life?
and authority and sits amongst the decision makers in the town. She is discipled by her business in both her character and her intellect. She has built a successful career whilst retaining the respect
Paul expounds the perfect business life as presented in Scripture the Proverbs 31 wife of noble character is a business woman. He speaks of her character and of her integrity and that she has shown faith in the small things and is trustworthy. He speaks of the birth of her business as she works eagerly with her hands and how she begins to trade as her business grows. In her strong work ethic she gets up while it is still dark and she gives generously from the fruit of her labours. She invests towards long term income streams and introduces machinery but still has the humility to get her hands dirty amidst her success. Her generosity extends from those in her house to her neighbours and out into society. She finds peace and security in hard times through her business wisdom. She wears purple, the colour of kings, enjoying the fruits of her prosperity, her heart right before God and her freedom from the love of money now proven. Her husband has gained influence
of her family – she has found that precious work-life balance. Paul shares that as India’s prosperity grows, and as the West’s disposable income tightens, the flow of money towards India is going to reduce. The historic reliance of the Indian church on the West to fund ministry must change. He speaks of the vision that God gave him, while on the plane back to the UK a few years ago, for businesses amongst Christians, kingdom businesses, to grow and raise the funds to support the church’s ministry. Pastor Daniel is Paul’s main contact in India. He radiates something very special, from a beaming smile, to near-endless enthusiasm to extraordinary zeal in translating Paul’s words. And the book of Acts seems to have continued into his ministry. There are orphans to be fed and educated so he has an orphanage with forty plus children glowing with life as they crowd round the
camera. There are widows who will never remarry in need of support, some in their teens with children, and so they are fed. And there are those with leprosy whom Pastor Daniel seeks to house and support. And you feel that he is a man who shall not be content while there is yet suffering. The land and buildings for those with leprosy were funded with Western money. The money that Paul has brought on this trip feeds the widows. But Paul is excited that Pastor Daniel has really got his message now and business ventures are growing up around this ministry. They have a piece of land with buildings. They grow rice and they grow mushrooms and there is a sense of anticipation as to what more will grow in the future. There is an extraordinary feeling that Paul has a message that is right for the time, a message borne of his own walk with God in business over many years, and a message full of God’s life breathed into Scripture. And it was a message met with huge positivity, where senior pastors who have written many books and planted many churches confirmed the prophetic quality of that shared. Efforts were made to translate his resources into Tamil and having delivered the conference to the first year of students at a bible college there was enthusiasm towards including it within the syllabus. There were many early mornings and many miles covered. You could see the landscape changing as we drove for hours from church to church following Pastor Daniel’s zealous schedule. Those in business were inspired and pastors were encouraged of the necessity of supporting the businessmen
in their congregations, that they are on the front line and in need of validation and discipling. And Paul’s message grew fuller and fuller to me as it took on different shapes and was presented differently to different groups. A vision not just for businesses that generate money for ministry, but as ministries in their own right, kingdom businesses that embody the character and heart and ways of God in their dealings with their employees and their customers and their competition. It is after all so many of these businesses that have shaped our economy and supported ministries in the past: the businesses of Cadburys and Rowntrees and Heinz and Laing the construction company. Companies that in their conduct have shaped the employment laws and conditions that we are protected by today. For two weeks this message flowed. It flowed to pastors and it flowed to businessmen some of whom felt validated for the first time. Those at the conferences wanted resources and to be able to follow up Paul’s teachings. There was practical advice to a man with an auto-rickshaw business and to another with a business sourcing water and advice about the best rate at which to give away goats. I felt a deep excitement; an excitement of God hovering over the waters. A sense of God’s incredible awareness of our lives and incredible desire for our good. There was a taste of just how full and beautiful our God is, beautiful in His love for us and in His words and guidance to us. And there was a stirring feeling that Paul’s words were sweet with His presence and with His wisdom and an anticipation of what God might do with the obedience of one of His sons.
“Amidst that life and beauty and rawness the seeds of an extraordinary vision were planted: seeds of a long term vision, but a full and beautiful vision alive with that sweet life of those who have been close to the Father. A dream filled with love and care and humanity and a healthy measure of wild, soaring adventure.” Robin Penfold
W
e at the WSA Christian Union love to serve our campus, and have been organising events to welcome the new students starting this year. It is always a fairly hectic time for freshers, trying to settle into an unknown place, with strangers who may or may not become your friends. We want to make the first years feel welcome from the word ‘go’ and so we have planned to be there for moving in day, helping haul heavy boxes up flights of stairs and serving cups of tea to break those initial awkward silences. We also aim to encourage people to get involved in a local church as we believe a church family is essential. We are holding a five week church crawl going around a variety of churches to help the freshers find a church which will build them up in their faith, in a way best suited to their needs, and one where they can use their spiritual gifts and serve.
We know a good way to a student’s heart is through their belly. We hope to disperse our love through free cakes given out on campus. We also intend to serve the many international students we have through an international café, where we can share different cultures, time and more cake.
through showing the gospel as well as telling it, and encourage one another through doing so. We feel passionately that despite the size of our Christian union, God can still work in us to spread the good news of salvation. The story of the woman who poured out all her perfume (Mark Ch.14) onto Jesus’ head springs to mind, as the woman did all that she could. WSA Christian Union aims to do all that we can to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. We would be very grateful for your prayers as we embark on another year at the School of Art.
‘As we are such a small Christian union, we like to make our meetings a relaxed community feel, where we can get to know everyone.’ We have also organised a tea and testimony night, to help encourage people of how Christ Jesus works through all of us. We hope it will raise some questions amongst those who don’t yet know God, or just plant a seed in others. All in all, we hope to evangelise
Lydia Viccary WSU CU
“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Birthday s c h em e The BMS Birthday Scheme enables you to make a difference. By making a donation on your birthday you can support the work of world mission in a real and practical way. If you want to join the BMS Birthday Scheme, ask your Birthday Scheme Secretary, Barbara pratt for details and join those already raising over £300,000 a year primarily for health work.
The money raised through the Birthday Scheme transforms lives and gives hope. It is used from helping build better sanitation, to encouraging those with disabilities in poorer countries. There are millions of stories all over our world that could benefit with an ending written with generosity from those who are better off. If you’d like to read a more in-depth article on where this money is used please visit the BMS world mission website and follow the link to The Birthday Scheme. What better occasion than on our birthdays to give a ‘thank offering’ to God for all his goodness? This includes children and young people, so, all the family can take part - Good Training! As the enclosed leaflet says, the money given through the Birthday Scheme supports the health work of the Baptist Missionary Society - sometimes in the harshest of conditions. Please read again ‘Where Does your Money Go?’ - this is such a worthwhile cause. As Secretary of the scheme at Winchester Baptist Church, I shall be pleased to send you a birthday card and gift envelope. If you would kindly let me have your gift - large or small - or put it in the Sunday offering, I can send it to BMS. Firstly, please consider filling in the form and handing it into the office or giving it to me. Many thanks,
Barbara Pratt
farewell
Ed & Jacey Jackson
As Christians we all try to serve the Lord Jesus in some way – in our work, and through the work and witness of our church. From time to time people join us who have real servant hearts. We have been very blessed at WBC with two such people – Jacey and Ed Jackson. They arrived in Winchester after their honeymoon during the pastorate of John Stroud. It is just amazing the things they have been involved with during their time with us. Together they ran the bookstall for years, were involved in the youth group and a teenage version of Holiday Club. In 1975/76 Jacey took her PGCE at King Alfred’s, teaching RE, eventually becoming Head of RE at Henry Beaufort School. Ed became a Deacon in the 1970s with responsibility for Publicity and, together with Jacey, started a weekly printed service/notice sheet in 1978, and the following year began producing the monthly magazine ‘in-house’, which they did for six years. After focusing on the family, Jacey was on the communion rota, attended ladies groups, and together they hosted study groups in various homes and at the church. When Ed and Jacey lived in Ireland for two years, she took the opportunity to learn the clarinet, and also gained a certificate in social welfare studies and counselling. In the 1980s the Care Centre (a counselling service for people inside and outside the church) was set up by Liz Parsons, and when she moved Jacey took it over. She carried on until she and two or three others started the Olive Branch. This was a huge job, taking a long time to set up, finally opening for business in 1996.
Ed’s involvement with Street Pastors dates from November 2010, when he offered himself as a Street Pastor and to help set up the project. His wisdom, experience and administrative excellence have enabled him to make an invaluable contribution; both to the successful launch of the project and the favour it enjoys today. Ed drew up much of the paperwork essential to the smooth set-up and effective running of the project. In addition, he has served as a Street Pastor. His quiet compassion, unflappable nature and sense of humour have helped his team to make its mark on the night-time economy. - Mark Hibbert-Hingston
At WARG (the very active Winchester group for archaeology and local history), we see Ed on his knees in a different context. Ed became a member of WARG I think as a bit of a pre-retirement “I’ll dip in and see if I like it.” Well he got the bug. For the past five years he has been seen very actively trowelling trenches at our excavations. He has also been extremely helpful in the less glamorous jobs that need doing, like putting up shelves in finds huts, and positioning the loos for digs. You don’t have to ask, Ed just says “I could give you a half day ...” We shall miss his clear thinking and dry humour and wish him and Jacey all the best in their move. -Techer Jones, Dig Organiser, WARG
Jacey is one of those people who live their Christian life out in the community, rather than spending her time just with church folk. But our lives crossed through praying together one January, and our mutual interests in counselling and Africa. She has been a good friend – honest and open, and we have enjoyed helpful discussions. When I had just returned from Obunga for the first time and was wondering what to do next, Jacey suggested something like this: ‘Go out to every country in Africa and then write a book about it.’ To me this was a crazy idea as I had very little self-confidence at the time. Where this sits in the line between prophecy and suggestion, I don’t know but her words stayed with me and had a huge influence. She has affirmed and supported me and I shall miss her. - Helen Howes
In church life Jacey was very active in the First Friday ladies group led by Janet Clarke in the 1980s/90s; church rep for the Women’s World Day of Prayer in the 1980s; in the 1990s was involved with the Churches Historic Bike Rides, various Pantos at the church, and the shoppers crèche; and currently plays in one of the worship bands. Ed’s work as a civil servant, meant that he was unable to devote a lot of time to church activities, although for many years he taught in COGs and was responsible for its administration. He was more than a teacher, also being a tremendous encourager for the other COGs workers. Although often in the background, behind the scenes Ed has been a significant person, helping to shape our thinking as a church and has always been approachable for advice. Jacey’s love of cycling led her into cycle training with Hampshire County Council and she has her own business which includes ‘cycling proficiency’. In 2006 she set up her 2Jays Celebration Cakes business, producing fabulous cakes to order. Her background in teaching and counselling gave her the opportunity of working with the Army Training Regiment Independent Advisory Panel, which does spot checks
- a conscience for the Army, pointing out short comings and improvements. She progressed from being a panel member to being chairman for the last 2 or 3 years. Although Jacey’s work with the Olive Branch and as a local councillor for Littleton and Harestock for the past eight years has restricted her activities in the church, she has been salt and light in our community. Several years ago Ed helped Carol Bailey with the procedures for implementing charity status through the BU, taking over the responsibility when he became Church Secretary in 2008. For the church’s 150th Anniversary in 2011, Ed somehow managed to present a nutshell history of the Winchester Baptists during the anniversary service on Sunday 6th February, and assisted Paul Tipple in updating the church’s history. Encouraged by Jacey, Ed also produced a fantastic, professional display about our church, past and present, which was exhibited in the Discovery Centre, later at the Hampshire Records Office, and in our church when he organisation our participation in the National Heritage Open Day scheme that year.
In his role as Church Secretary Ed has taken the opportunity to sort out all the old documents on the church premises, of which the important ones, including a full set of magazines, are now kept at the Hampshire Record Office, except for those which need to remain on our premises. He has also sorted through the tape library and has compiled a list of all the baptisms which have taken place here since 1990. Ed and Jacey have given much to our church and the community and their going will be a great loss to the church family, not least to the Location Cluster and the Teg Down small group which they attended respectively
“Ed and Jacey, we shall miss you both – your wisdom and humility, your passion for the wellbeing of our church, and your passion for God and the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for God’s richest blessing on your lives in the future, and although you no longer have any responsibilities in Winchester, we know that once you are settled in your new home, it will not be long before you will be serving in another church and community.”
farewell
Ed & Jacey Jackson...
I would like to add my thanks, love, respect and best wishes to Ed and Jacey as they move on. Ed and Jacey were both major ‘movers and shakers’ during my time at WinBap. I can still picture where Jacey was sitting almost 15 years ago on my church interview day and hear the question she asked me about pastoral care and counselling - something very dear to Jacey’s heart (caring for folks, running our Care Centre, counselling, Olive Branch etc not to mention being a local councillor, cake maker, hero, cycling enthusiast and trainer etc). I count both Ed and Jacey dear and wise friends - and I called on their counsel often! Both were involved in a major restructure we did in 2000 and frequent reviews of me. When Ed came onto the Leadership Team (at last!) it was like we entered a new era; he just produced such confidence in us and the congregation. What a superb Church Secretary: always calm, methodical, wise, open minded and efficient. Ed did so many other things as well (vision, COGS, displays, trouble shooting...) and there simply ins’t the space or the gratitude to record their decades of service to us all at WinBap. You will be missed! Ewen Huffman Lead Pastor Creech St Michael Baptist Church & Evangelical Alliance Ambassador
palaces & castles In June I led a short walk looking at the history of the area immediately around the church buildings. We talked about subjects like Roman burial practices and Winchester’s historic Jewish quarter; and we looked at the visible remains of, amongst other things, an Iron Age embankment, the city ditch, the place where the Domesday Book was probably written, a couple of former prisons and a remnant rescued from Winchester’s medieval leper hospital. Ed’s Tour, what can I say! Very enjoyable, we saw a variety of wonderful buildings and also interesting for children, jam packed with nuggets of history spanning many centuries, from Roman occupation, Anglo Saxon times to more modern times; the Charles and Diana gates in The Great Hall. Speaking of The Great Hall, for both my children aged 12 and 10; the Knights of The Round Table (The King Arthur legend) was a highlight, as was Wolvesey Castle! We walked along a footpath, turned a corner, walked through an arch... then I gasped as we saw the most amazing ruin stretching out before us. It is huge, full of arches of all sizes, the best ruin I’ve ever seen in England. Being fairly new to Winchester, I am astonished at how many beautiful historical places there are stuffed in such a small geographical area. Ed had also shown us many maps of the trench, walls, palaces and castles dating back for more than a millennia. I would eagerly go on another one of Ed tours. He is a fountain of information. Charlotte Pilavachi
“A really informative, enjoyable evening and afternoon. After 25 years we now have a completely different view of Winchester! Ed’s attention to detail is second to none and his research and knowledge of our city is no exception. Thanks for always giving up your time for us here at WBC in so many ways - we shall miss you both.”
The Marshalls
DISCIPLESHIP:
A PERSONAL PURSUIT OR A CALL TO RISKY CORPORATE LIFESTYLE?
The theme of ‘discipleship’ forms one of the four core components of our draft new church profile, alongside that of care, presence and mission. Although this document has yet to be agreed “Some form of the word by the membership, nevertheless ‘disciple’ occurs hundreds of I hope that we would all support times in the gospel narratives. the desire for WBC to be a Alongside their intention church that is..
to introduce Jesus and to clarify his significance, all the gospel writers were deeply concerned to communicate the meaning and implications of discipleship.”
‘…as welcoming and inclusive as possible… a family where people of all ages are helped to discover their destiny and grow into mature Christians who are confident to practice their God-given gifts and capable of leading and nurturing others.’ (WBC Draft Church Profile – July 2012) The profile hints that in order to achieve these goals we need to be a people who are ‘prepared to commit themselves seriously to
the task of discipleship’, or to express it more personally, to the task of being discipled. But as someone old, wise and grey once told me, ‘don’t sign anything until you’ve read, understood and agree with the fine print’. I therefore want to take the opportunity to explore what the implications of our commitment to discipleship might look like as the gospel people of Jesus at Winchester Baptist Church in light of Jesus’ call to those very first disciples. Historically, the ‘discipling’ of new believers, leading them into a deeper personal relationship with Christ, has long been a practice within the Christian church. But the perception that discipleship is something other than a personal pursuit or is something that touches relationships, reconciliation, ethics and justice has not been so obvious. Christians often have tended to view discipleship more as an individual, spiritual affair, a
matter of personal piety rather than corporate lifestyle or social commitent. Below are the four areas that I want us all to reflect on and pray about as we move forward as his people seeking to discern together the Lord’s perfect plans and purposes for us.
@ discipleship is central to the gospel narratives Jesus called all people to repentance and faith in light of the dawning of God’s kingdom – see Mark 1:14-15. He sought positive response to his message and a personal allegiance to himself as bearer of that message from all his hearers. But within this general summons, Jesus called certain individuals to a more exacting commitment of discipleship that involved leaving family and home to follow Jesus physically on his journeys around the countryside proclaiming the kingdom. This means that Jesus had two main kinds of supporters: local sympathisers, who embraced his message but did not join him on his itinerant ministry, and disciples or followers, who accompanied him on his travels and who were personally authorised to minister on his behalf. The mutual sharing and fellowship of this group of men and women compensated for the loss they suffered as ones who left all to follow Jesus (Mark 10:28-
30). Discipleship, then, is only one form of positive response to Jesus described in the gospels. Not all who repented and believed became disciples - most did not. Yet the gospel writers concentrate most attention on the experience of the disciples because the disciples provide the clearest illustration of what it means to encounter the kingdom of God. They exemplify most powerfully how a commitment to the way of Jesus touches relationships, reconciliation, ethics and justice.
@ Jesus’ initiative in calling disciples Discipleship always began with Jesus taking the initiative, calling those whom he wanted and laying down the conditions he required them to meet. Jesus delighted in choosing individuals who, by contemporary standards, were least qualified for the job. He chose fishermen, not learned experts in religious affairs. He chose small-town Galileans, not sophisticated urbanites from Jerusalem. He called tax-collectors, individuals regarded as “unclean” outcasts in Jewish society because of their collaboration with Rome in exploiting God’s people. At the same time he chose violent, dangerous Zealots, fanatical nationalists who would as soon assassinate Romans and tax collectors, as handle their coinage!
Jesus did not bulldoze people into the cause of the kingdom. His call, though authoritative, was not irresistible. It could be refused (cf. Mark 10:17-22) - and for good reason! Accepting Jesus’ call involved some very difficult choices. It meant accepting the conditions of discipleship he laid down, and those conditions were not easy. In Mark 1:15 Jesus demands a twofold response to his proclamation of the kingdom of God: repentance and faith. The fishermen respond to Jesus’ call to discipleship in a twofold way: they leave all and follow Jesus. Becoming a disciple involved a fundamental act of repentance, expressed in their ‘leaving’, and a radical commitment of faith, expressed in their ‘following’. In the biblical tradition, metanoia or ‘repentance’ is not simply a change of mind or opinion, as it was in secular Greek. Nor is it primarily a feeling of remorse or sorrow for wrongdoing, as in popular usage today. Biblical repentance means the redirection of one’s entire way of life. The term requires a turning away from an existing way of life, with all its values, ambitions, priorities and allegiances, and turning towards a new way of life, with a new set of values, ambitions, priorities and allegiances.
@ a decisive break with the social order For the four fishermen in Mark 1:16-20, conversion to discipleship required them to make a decisive break with the existing social order in three main areas: They abandoned their possessions and means of livelihood: they left their boats and nets. Discipleship had economic implications.
They relinquished their positions of authority and control; they left behind their hired servants. Discipleship had implications for existing patterns of social status and power. Most demanding of all, these fishermen detached themselves from family ties and traditions, the primary source of identity and stability for first-century Palestinians. Discipleship had costly ramifications for family life and kinship responsibilities. Perhaps Jesus placed such severe demands upon his followers because he wanted his company of travelling disciples to serve as a symbolic demonstration that God’s kingdom lays claim to the whole of one’s life and requires the radical transformation of everything one is and does. Jesus’ disciples had to make a categorical break with life as usual because life in God’s kingdom, now breaking into the present, required a fundamental recalibration of their social, political and economic values and commitments. I wonder is the same true of us as disciples of Jesus Christ today or have we ever so subtly lowered the bar? It’s significant to see how later in Mark’s gospel, Jesus gives ethical teaching that corresponds directly to, and redefines the values of, the three spheres of existence left behind by the fishermen in order to become disciples of Jesus: They had to make a break with their possessions and livelihood because within the new order of God’s kingdom, a wholly new attitude toward wealth prevails: ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! - Mark 10:23
They needed to leave behind their hired servants because within the kingdom community there is to be a new attitude to social power, prestige and authority: ‘Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all’ - Mark 10:43, 44 The break with family was necessary to show that in the messianic community an entirely new concept and experience of family comes into being: ‘Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother’ - Mark 3:35 In short, those entering discipleship had to leave behind the world as they knew it in order to enter a new world, with a disturbingly new vision of life. The almost suicidal renunciation of all means of human security placed the fishermen in a situation of radical dependency, even powerlessness. In order to follow Jesus they had divested themselves of all that gave them control or power over their own and others’ lives. It was an unwillingness to live at such extreme risk and vulnerability that disqualified the rich man in Mark 10, despite his obvious piety, from following Jesus.
Discipleship had to be radical. Otherwise there would have been a yawning credibility gap at the heart of Jesus’ message. How could Jesus have gone about announcing the inbreaking of God’s reign on earth - the climactic fulfilment of all human history - while allowing his followers to go about their normal lives as though nothing had changed? The discipleship community was to be a living, breathing demonstration that God was making a new way of life possible. It was to serve as a visible incarnation of God’s kingdom on earth. It was the calling upon the disciples of Jesus 2000 years ago and it is the same call on us as his disciples at Winchester Baptist Church today in 2012.
@ called to a risky, dependent faith As one of your Pastors I have to nail my colours to the mast and declare that as I read the gospels I can see no other form of discipleship to which we are called, other than a ‘radical discipleship’. It is radical because it requires a thorough and continual conversion of one’s personal, social and political values and commitments. It requires a risky, dependent faith that looks wholly and solely to Jesus for its identity, provision and protection. It is true that the economic dispossession and itinerant lifestyle of those first disciples was a response specific to, and appropriate for, the unique circumstances of Jesus’ historical ministry. Their lifestyle was not a blueprint to be replicated but a model to learn from. As the foundation of the messianic community, they are a paradigm for all Christians, not in the sense that we copy them in specifics but that, like them, we allow the reality of God’s kingdom to challenge and transform every dimension of our lives so that we, together as the corporate disciples of Jesus known as Winchester Baptist Church, become living proof that God has made a new way of life possible, and in doing so perhaps we as a church discover afresh the compass bearings that enable us to truly be… ‘a church where people are fed, valued, loved, refreshed, included and challenged, stretched, grown, transformed and sent out… to [put into] practice what they learn about Jesus, in their places of personal mission.’ (WBC Draft Church Profile – July 2012)
Tim
WHO KNOWS, WHO CARES...
WHY BOTHER... I hadn’t been a Christian very long when I attended a TEAR Fund meeting to learn about their work. George Hoffman walked into the room and told us a brief story about a political meeting he remembered where various candidates were trying to get people’s votes. One candidate had a big rosette with the words; who knows, who cares, why bother written on it. Obviously he was trying to make a statement that he was the candidate who cared but George Hoffman used those three thoughts; who know, who cares why bother to give a great talk. He said if you want people to bother you have to get people to care and if you want people to care then they need to know. If you don’t know, you won’t care and if you don’t care you won’t bother. I have found those words to be so true, if you don’t know about a situation you won’t care and if you don’t care you won’t do anything about it. My life was completely changed when I went out to Ukraine in 1998 and spent two weeks in an orphanage. I saw real poverty for the first time and simply thought I’m sure I can do something to help these children. When you move out of your comfort zone and visit some of these developing countries you find some amazing people but also you realise that actually you can do something to make a real difference. It all starts by getting to know. I have just returned from Abyei in South Sudan. I had heard about the attacks by the Muslims on the town but it wasn’t until I actually went to the town and met the people and saw it for myself that I started to care and wanted to do something. A town of 120,000 Dinkas was totally destroyed. Every church, every school, the hospital and every single building except the mosque was destroyed. Now that I know the names of the pastors and some of the people that ran for their lives I now care enough to want to do something to help them. They want to return and rebuild their church and I want to help them. I would encourage anyone who has the possibility to go somewhere on a short term mission trip to a developing country. Once you know the name of a child or adult that touches your heart it transforms your attitude.
Ian Thompson
September 12
50 mile sponsored bike ride
We started the bike ride from James Street church, Southampton Although only five in the picture 6 of us were blessed with a beautiful sunny day on Saturday 22nd September to complete the 50 mile sponsored bike ride. We visited 6 churches in Hampshire on route and at each church received a very warm welcome and a lovely cup of tea. We gave a cake to each congregation as a token of our thanks for their support. I would like to say a very big thank you to all of you who sponsored us. I have to work out the practical details with Bishop Andudu of the Nuba Mts but we have raised enough money for the training of 6 or 7 students from the Nuba Mts to become teachers. Thank you for investing in the lives of the Nuba children who are in great need of help.
Maggie Smith, one of our trustees, giving the pastor of Winchester Baptist church a cake to say thank you.
The Edge asks you to pray for them:
ON THE
15th
OF SEP TEMBER THE EDGE JOINED TOGETHER FOR A WAKEOVER STYLE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY
“Thank you to everyone who came to the Edge 10 year birthday party to celebrate 10 years of fantastic fun, fellowship and friendship through the Edge youth group. The young people organised, set up and even cleared up a fantastic afternoon of cake eating (amazing cakesee pictures, thank you Jacey!), catching up and chilling out over shared memories. The Edge young people had a great night of worship, party planning, film watching and not-so-much-sleeping the night before at the Edge 24 hour ‘sleepover’. This was a great chance to build on existing friendships and build new ones with those who have just joined the Edge. They also came up with some things they would like you as a congregation to commit to praying for over the next year for them and for the youth of the city of Winchester…
TURNS�TEN
-
That more people will come to Edge!
-
That we would have more courage to evangelise, talk to friends and others about Christianity
-
That we would not focus on finding sin, but on finding love
-
For unity and togetherness
-
That our faith would grow
-
That new people in Edge would settle quickly
-
That the Edge would continue to feel part of the wider congregation.
For the youth of the City: -
For all the young people starting new school years, schools and colleges this term
-
That the young people of Winchester would be joyful, happy, released and in unity with one another.
-
That young people in Winchester would grow in their faith, or find faith for the first time.
-
For those young people who are homeless, in care or in sheltered accommodation, that God would provide for them and comfort them at this time.
-
For those young people not in education, employment or training, that God would guide them in their gifts and skills, and that they would find work or training.
edge's
wales residential...
“27 of us invaded Wales back in July for the Edge summer residential, and here’s some of what happened… We rock climbed, abseiled, gorge walked, canoed, caved and swam our way round the Brecon Beacons for a week in 23 degree sunshine (unheard of !). Sam Smith took us trekking up a Welsh mountain (well, a big hill), the young people attempted to re-baptise Becca in the Gower, Nic was found duct taped to a chair in the dark at 2am… (who knows how he got there?!!!), Tim lost Risk Mullet (the Edge forfeit card game…play at your own risk!) for the first time ever, the boys had their room turned into a spiders web, we worshipped through song, art and mosaic cross making, we prayed for each other, learned from each other in small groups and out in the activities, and ate some pretty incredible food (thanks Alan and Clare Gregory). We danced, we sang, we played guitar, Frisbee, keepy-uppy, Slam and all the usual Edge pranks. We learned about how God’s Kingdom is shown to the Lost, the Last and the Least and how God loves to receive our offerings however little. All in all it was a God-filled, blessed and fantastic week away.”
ewen's induction 15th September CREECH ST MICHAEL, TAUNTON
Our first sighting of Ewen at Creech St Michael on Saturday 15th September prompted the question as to whether we had arrived for a wedding or a funeral. His suit was having a rare outing! Pleased that we had made the journey for his Induction as Lead Pastor at the Baptist Church, John assured Ewen it was to make sure that he had definitely left Winchester! Joking aside, we were glad to have made the trip and see how very much at home he and Pam were in their new church. While waiting for the service to begin, we were treated to a variety of pictures of Huffmans on the screen. Does the church really know what they’ve let themselves in for? It was encouraging to see from the outset of the service how well Ewen and Gary Birch, their minister, ‘clicked’. After an inspiring time of worship, with great singing from the nearly full church, the business of the afternoon started, during which Gordon Lockhart gave an excellent commendation. The Induction itself was led by Jez Brown, Regional Minister for the South West Baptist Association, with both Ewen and Pam making promises, followed by the church leadership, then by the church. A question was then asked of the whole congregation and Ewen together.
Will you all, from this day forward, covenant together to further the work of Christ in the ministry and mission of His Church, be that in service as a member of this congregation or in prayerful support as a member of the wider church family? To which we all heartedly replied, This is this ministry of Jesus Christ in which we are glad to share. Thanks be to God. Following the singing of ‘We rest on Thee, our shield and our defender’, a favourite of Ewen’s, Jez Brown brought us an entertaining but challenging word from the story of Jesus healing a demon-possessed man. The singing of ‘Hear the call of the Kingdom’ brought to an end the formal proceedings. Even though the church has a good size hall, we crossed the road to the village hall opposite, to slake our thirst with numerous cups of tea, and indulge ourselves with a fantastic spread of cakes against the background of lots of chatter.
Most of us from Winchester, followed up on the invitation to visit Ewen and Pam’s new home, quickly assessing its suitability for a small church weekend, or an Alpha away day! Our recently completed Church Profile includes these words: ‘Ewen Huffman, who has brought tremendous blessing to us over fourteen years is being called to lead another church… We release him and his wife Pam with sadness but also with great love and thankfulness for their care, leadership and service during their time with us.’ We pray for God’s blessing on Ewen’s new ministry and that the fellowship there will also be able to give thanks for Ewen and Pam’s care, leadership and service in the years ahead. MARGARET PICKETT
“Until you have given up your self to Him you will not have a real self...” –C.S. Lewis
#2. LYING EARNS CONSEQUENCES In the event that a child tells a lie, the generic Love and Logic consequence, called the “Energy Drain” technique, can be used.
SENT IN BY NAOMI BULKELEY
Lying is unacceptable and wise parents don’t ignore it or condone it. The wise parent does two things about lying.
“Son, I know that you lied to me about talking back to your teacher. That’s not acceptable in this family. I spent a long time on the phone talking with your teacher about your behavior, and didn’t get my own work accomplished. I’ll let you know later how you can the replace the time and energy I used up dealing with this.”
Firestarters As part of the consultation process for the Church Profile, the need for discipleship was raised and we want to put in place something that will help people of all ages to discover their destiny as God’s beloved children and to grow into mature Christians, confident to practice their God-given gifts and capable of leading and nurturing others.
One of the courses we are exploring is Firestarters, a 12This boy can do some housework week course from Bethel Church, to replace the parent’s “drained in Redding, California. It is #1. AVOID THE “DID YOU?” energy.” conducted in a group setting, SITUATIONS with a workbook and supporting You can hear more about dealing DVD, and involves discussion Very few humans, including with this problem by coming to groups. It also involves a time adults, are like young George the parenting course. to testify and for practice. The Washington in the cherry tree course covers topics such as God story. Most people, including Thanks for reading, and remember is good, passion, joy, serving, children, tend to lie to protect that the child’s job is to test the identity, destiny, prayer, healing themselves. If the youngster didn’t limits, and your job is to enforce and prophesy. Risk is a key brush his teeth, and the parent them. component to this course as it asks, “Did you brush your teeth?” is aniticipated that most of the the answer will probably be a lie. From people who attend the class will So, why ask in the first place? have never prophesied in public or ministered. The goal is to equip, A better approach might be to empower, and activate people say, “I hope you’re protecting your into a Kingdom revival lifestyle teeth by brushing. I’ve been a little so that one learns to live naturally worried for you since I pay for the supernaturally. good dentist reports and you pay for the bad ones. I hope you get a So if encountering the fire of God good report from the dentist.” appeals let us know and we will “We may not be able run the course. And yes, a Love and Logic parent For more information you could to prepare the future would have the child pay for check out: the bad report. We don’t make for our children, but http://www.ibethel.org/ hollow threats. Remember that testimonies/2010/06/30/ we can at least prepare sincere empathy precedes the testimonies-from-fire-starters-classconsequence. “How sad, a bad our children for the june-2010 dentist report. Do you want to use
your allowance money or what? Could you use a hug?”
future.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
God’s Care
I have had pneumonia twice, I will try and describe the difference. When I was eighteen years old I was hitch hiking to my RAF station in Norfolk from Bath where I lived. I had began to feel quite I’ll sitting by the road trying to hitch a lift. I must have passed out because the next thing I knew, was that I had woken up in the RAF Filton hospital. I was about to go through the “crisis” when you either make it or you don’t. Anyway, I found myself somehow floating above my bed in the corner of the ceiling looking down on myself in the bed, inside an oxygen tent. A nurse appeared to adjust my oxygen intake, and then a doctor strode into the room and started to monitor my breathing. After a while in this strange setting I gradually regained my bed and the crisis had passed. In all this time I did not once think I could get any help for my illness apart from the RAF nurses and doctors. I did not have a faith back then. So I eventually ended up staying at Filton hospital for another two weeks for recuperation in which time I was given a tin of 50 Players cigarettes to keep me relaxed so that I could regain my health would you believe!. My second bout of pneumonia occurred about May 5th this year. I just felt very short of breath and totally exhausted. I remember Jean saying I had 40.5 temperature and her calling the NHS direct and me mumbling something in the phone and then finding myself
in hospital on an anti bacterial drip. Needless to say I did get better in time to go to Spain for a relaxing holiday, for which the flight was three days after my release from hospital. The amazing thing about all this to me is the first time I had pneumonia I fretted and worried about it, but this time I felt absolutely safe in the knowledge that I had friends and a church that prayed for me and that the Lord would and always does care for me. I suppose it is due to the fact that death really has no fear for me now that I am a Christian (allbeit a struggling one) and I thank the Lord for that.
Ron Sweetenham (still here!)
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit.” - Aritstotle
Old church magazines As we’ve been sorting out another batch of documents to lodge in the church archives at the Hampshire Record Office (HRO) we’ve assembled a spare set of old church magazines which are surplus to requirements. They cover in full the periods from June 2002 to January 2007 and from September 1983 to December 1997, together with a few earlier issues. Would anyone like them before I put them into the recycling bin? Church magazines are an important source of information for social historians and we now have a complete set dating back to 1980 lodged with the HRO, together with a few random ones from previous years. If any of the longer-standing members of the congregation have kept copies of church magazines dating from 1979 or earlier (or the May 1980 issue, which is missing from the archive) and would like to donate them to us, please do let our Assistant Secretary, Alan Gregory, know.
Judy Marshall
God live
created us for this: to our lives in a way that makes him look more like the
beautygreatness and the infinite worth that really is. This is it means to be created
and the he what
God in the image of
JOHN PIPER
It’s the 7th July and outside, its tipping it down with rain. Lucky enough David Duffin had booked the Velodrome in Calshot for a men’s morning out. A bit of info on what a velodrome is. It’s an indoor oval track with banked sides (steepest on the tightest parts of the oval). The angle helps you to go around faster – which is extremely fun!! The bikes look a lot like sleek road bikes, with drop handlebars without the brake levers. There are no brakes on these bikes at all and your shoes are clipped into the pedals, so to stop consists of resisting the pedals until the bike stops and unclipping is as easy as turning your foot outwards, then leaning the bike towards the released foot. Lean the bike the other way and you meet the floor quite quickly!
wbc men try out for olympic track cycling
adrian baxter
If many of you had been following the Track Cycling at the London Olympics this summer, we didn’t make it onto the GB Team this time around! But we did have a lot of fun. A good number of WBC men turned up along with a few mates, though it would be great to see more of you next time around! In fact, if you were ever thinking about an event to bring friends who don’t yet know the Lord, then this might just be that little starting block for their own personal journey. At this point, if you’re thinking that you need Chris Hoy’s thighs and Bradley Wiggins’ heart and lungs to come along, you really don’t. We did lots of small group cycling drills as well as big group exercises, so you can pick who you want to ride with and at what pace.
carolyn’s kitchen I first made this recipe for a church lunch when August Basson and family were with us at WBC in 2009. I made it again recently for Heather and Barry’s leaving do when we kept to a true African themed menu. I was reminded how nice it was and decided I needed to make it on a more regular basis at home. I had a request from Betty Harfield who had enjoyed it at Heather and Barry’s do to print the recipe in the next magazine, so here it is. I hope you give it a try, you will be pleased you did! 6
Darling Evita’s Dried Fruit Bobotie of Reconciliation ( A Cape Mal a y Di s h f r o m S o ut h A f rica ) Se r ves 6 Pr ep ar at i on t i m e : 4 5 m i n ut e s C ook i ng t i me : 4 5 m i n ut e s wha t you nee d : 6 dried apricots (diced) 6 dried apple rings (diced) ½ cup (125 ml) seedless raisins 1 cup (250 ml) cold black/ ‘rooibos’ tea 2 large onions, peeled and sliced 1 cup (250 ml) orange juice 2 T (30 ml) olive oil 1 T (15 ml) curry powder
2 t (10 ml) turmeric 1 kg minced beef 2 thick slices stale white bread, crumbed 3½ T (52.5 ml) Mrs. H.S.Ball’s Chutney salt and pepper, to taste / beef stock 4 eggs ½ cup (125 ml) milk fresh lemon leaves (optional)
h ow you do i t : • • • • • • • • •
Preheat oven to 180°. Grease an ovenproof dish well. Soak the diced apricots, apple rings and raisins in the tea until soft. (Overnight is good) Boil the onions in the orange juice until soft, then strain & fry lightly in oil. Add curry powder, turmeric, minced beef, breadcrumbs, vinegar/ Mrs. Ball’s Chutney, salt, pepper and soaked fruit. Mix lightly with a large fork and place in the dish. Beat the eggs and the milk together and pour over the mixture. Fold a few lemon leaves into triangles and tuck them into the mixture. Bake the bobotie in the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes, or until egg ‘custard’ has set. Cover with tin foil for first 30 mins then uncover for final 15 mins.
NO
EXCUSES I love to incorporate my faith into the way I train and achieve my goals; quotes like ‘hard work and dedication’ can be replaced with scripture such as Philipians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”. There are many Bible verses that provide encouragement and motivation allowing you to rely on God for strength and stamina, and to also remind you of the importance of valuing yourself as a vessel for God’s Kingdom. As a Christian it is key that we love and value ourselves so exercise and diet should be one of our priorities; with so much scientific evidence proving ‘we are what we eat’, there should be no excuses. It’s medically proven that people who do regular physical activity
have: •
up to a 35% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
•
up to a 50% lower risk of type 2 diabetes
•
up to a 30% lower risk of depression
•
up to a 30% lower risk of dementia
These are just a few of the many health benefits we can take advantage of by exercising...so what’s stopping you? Obviously, with winter approaching, it often feels more difficult to get started so here are a few ideas to hopefully encourage you to kick start your own fitness regime:
•
Exercise with a friend - this way you can encourage each other and are less likely to miss a training session as you have already arranged it.
•
Aim to exercise in the morning; even a brisk walk before work will get your heart pumping, give you a boost in energy, and you are more likely to complete your exercise in the morning than after a hard day of work.
•
A lot of gyms offer free gym passes - this is a great opportunity as you can sample what’s on offer and make the most of the facilities with no initial financial commitment. Once you have tried the facilities, you can decide whether you want to join.
•
If you feel you lack motivation, Personal Trainers are great (obviously I’m biased!). A Personal Trainer can assist you with a tailor made exercise programme to achieve your specific goals, ensure you are exercising correctly to minimise the risk of injury, and keep you motivated. Personal Trainers can also advise you on nutrition.
Healthy eating - where to start? There are many thing that you can do to improve your health: •
Start by recording your daily food and drink intake for a week; this will give you an initial detailed breakdown of your eating habits. Ensure you make note of every item that is eaten and portion sizes. Often it is the little added extras that we don’t even count as part of our daily intake that cause additional weight gain or health issures.
Once recorded: •
Look at bad habits and ways of replacing poor diet choices with healthier alternatives. Replacing full fat for lower fat, reducing portion sizes, ensuring we eat little and often to stabilize blood sugar levels, and aiming for a minimum of 5 portions of fruit and veg per day all helps. Most people don’t drink enough water - monitor what you are drinking and aim to gradually increase this daily (2 litres per day is preferable, with an increase when exercising).
•
Think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. Gradual changes and commitment will ensure you have a healthy diet sooner than you think.
So now that you are feeling motivated, have started making changes to your diet, and begun exercising, what do you do in those dark, cold winter mornings (and evenings) when you are lacking in motivation and energy, and feeling tired? Isaiah 40:29-31 says: “He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will stumble and fall. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. they will fly high on wings like eagles. they will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” So...there really are no excuses!
gyms and fitness in winchester
Jogging On Fitness Centre The Education Centre Royal Hampshire County Hospital Romsey Road Winchester SO22 5DG 07817 251362
Movers and Shapers 4 ST George’s Street Winchester SO23 8BG 01962 840666
The Ladies Club 12-14 City Road Winchester SO23 8SD 01962 606060
The Winchester Hotel and Spa Health Club Worthy Lane Winchester SO23 7AB 01962 709988
River Park Leisure Centre
Dan Hall Dan Hall works as an independent Personal Trainer. To discuss this article or anything else to do with Personal Training please contact him at danielhall2011 @ live . co . uk
Gordon Road Winchester SO23 7DD 01962 848700
Zumba - Winchesters Jewry Street Winchester SO23 8SB
01256 389275
}
}
Women’s Fellowship
The Women’s Fellowship
The Women’s Fellowship - what is it? It’s a group of older Christian ladies who meet every other Tuesday in the Tweedley room. I was fifty-eight when I was encouraged by Jean Davis to come along. There were fifteen to twenty ladies, all a lot older than myself. I was made very welcome by the group. Age makes no difference. The meeting starts off with tea and biscuits and, a chat. Then Jean calls us to order a difficult job with so many wayward ladies! Jean welcomes us and reads the notices. Next comes a hymn. Each meeting the speaker gives us a word - mainly one from whatever they have spoken about. We find the word from a verse in the Bible ready to read at the next meeting. An offering of one pound is given, which is used for speaker’s fuel or parking ticket. Also we make various donations to local charities. After that we have prayers or an appropriate reading. Then we have a Speaker - almost always very interesting. Once we had a lady minister who taught us a short song with a slow dance - all holding hands in a circle. It made us all feel at peace. Next a hymn chosen by the Speaker. We end with Blessings and Grace. We have an open meeting every
term where we have a ‘Sales Table’ full of goodies brought in by the ladies. We have a Christmas Tea and a Summer Tea, where we display blankets, hats and little jumpers which we knit or crochet to be given to a Polish Orphanage. These Teas were held at Lois and Trevor Gray’s lovely home and garden. Sadly Lois, who was our pianist, died early this year, so it was held at Homerise, where I live, in the Resident’s Lounge. We were pleased to welcome eight of the residents. What a really pleasant afternoon! Over the past five years we have lost several of our ladies. Some who went to be with the Lord and others who are too frail to come. So we are left with eight to ten regulars. We would be so pleased to welcome new ladies. Age is not important, though it would be nice to have some younger ladies. Young, meaning 60+ (ancient!). Please consider joining us for a very pleasant afternoon. We would be delighted to have a lady that can play the piano. Give me a ring on 850416 if you want to know more. earon
Roz G
October Dates
•
2nd Harvest Open Meeting
•
9th Whitchurch Anniversary
•
16th Rev. Chris Ricketts
•
30th Gideons
November Dates •
13th Mrs Nan Deedes
•
27th Mr David Marke
The meeting starts at 2.15pm for tea and biscuits and are held in the Tweedley Room downstairs. The ladies would love to welcome new members to their meeting.
“Understanding is the reward of obedience. Obedience is the key to every door.”
George MacDonald
UGANDAN ADVENTURE - 2012 We arrived ...
}
have been here, have helped to provide this place of excellence First impressions and thoughts in education for the children of - red soil, very green vegetation Uganda! The school now has 900 (does it rain a lot?), not as hot as pupils, about half of whom are expected... I’ve come home - and orphans and is ranked in the top 5 already I dread the flight back to schools in Uganda! The classrooms UK! appear, to our western eyes, bare, After a long flight with a stoplacking in notice boards, colour, over in Dubai, we are allowed sense of fun. I question myself an afternoon’s rest and play in a - is learning meant to be fun? nearby pool before journeying on Is the way we teach in the UK the next day to Rukungiri- 10hour better?... right?... There is a sense bus trip heading to the Western of earnestness here - the children border, including stops every here learn in order to survive! couple of hours to stretch our legs and let the numerous children We worked... with us let off steam. The Team: different families Kitazigurukwa Primary School (between us 10 children aged - about 20minutes minibus 8-16yr and two 18yr olds), drive away from where we are different histories, different staying. The school is smaller than denominations, all 20 of us friends Rukungiri Modern Primary, only already, anticipating serving the 206 children, and most are away one Lord. on holiday. The classrooms are basic-one big blackboard and rows Rukungiri... of desks - girls sit one side, boys the other. One text book, from Quite a busy town and district. which the teacher reads and writes We visit the Modern Primary the questions onto the board - the School, built by previous Mission children wait, silently, expectantlyDirect volunteers. How exciting eager to learn. They have come in to know that our City Chaplain, especially during the holidays, to Howard Rowe and his wife, as boost their learning before exams well as Lauren Sylvester, next term! We are here to build the first classroom and toilet facilities for disabled children
‘The
}
dormitories at first seem acceptable almost, clean, tidy....until we are told that each bunk bed will double up, thus a room with 12 bunks, not all with mattresses, provides sleeping space for 48 children.....’
at the school. Not only is this unique to the school, but to the whole area - in fact, this will be the first of its kind outside of the capital, Kampala! This involves getting water from a water pump in yellow gerry cans, moving soil and bricks (the builders lend us their 2 wheelbarrows and 3 shovels), mixing soil, cement and sand to the right consistency by turning over the piles until the colour is uniform, brick laying and rendering. It is all hard, manual labour and soon everyone is covered in fine dust and sweat. The local builders laugh at us, but after a while, are impressed at our abilities and willingness to do such physical work. On 2 days, some of the team ran a holiday club for children at the school and in the neighbourhood. Various activities such as story reading, parachute games, running games and crafts such as making necklaces were held on the school grounds. This provided a welcome change for the younger members of the team as well as giving those adults with back problems the opportunity to serve in a different way! We experienced... Not all the time was spent at the building site. We were given opportunities to see, meet and experience many different projects linked to the work that Mission Direct is involved in. A group of deaf children visited us with their carers - and they gave each one of us our unique “sign name” which they unanimously decided upon. It was fun playing with them and getting caught in the rain “funny” how language was not a barrier! We visited the Chilli Children Project - a meeting place run by an occupational therapist, Evas,
and her team, for families with disabled children. Evas explained that in Uganda when children are born obviously disabled, they are hidden away from society by their mothers. This is because often the mother’s parents, parents-in-law or even husbands will blame the disability on her, saying that they have not been honoured enough or the mother has caused some terrible “sin”. The mothers are then ashamed of their children and the consequences of the disability. We saw many youngsters with encephalitis, spina bifida and club foot. It was moving to hear the individual stories behind such precious lives. ‘One in particular touched me
deeply: a woman with 3 week old twins, one born normal, the other with an enlarged head - the starting signs of encephalitis.’
Evas explained that it was good that she had braved it to the centre - here she would be encouraged, would meet other parents and be able to learn more about the condition of her child. More importantly, she would be helped to get across Uganda, to Mbale - to the only hospital in the country which performs the life-changing operation, inserting a stent to relieve the brain of the pressure caused by the excess fluid which was making her baby’s head already increase in size. She will be expected to pay the transport to Kampala, and if possible the £200 for the actual operation - but she would be helped along the way! I wondered how many people back home spend that much money on...PSP, new games, i/Apple-technology, a camera, other gadgets, Christmas presents? As for me, I sat there and felt despair; hopeless, unable to help this woman financially and so desperate for her situation.
‘My own 2 children, born prematurely by 7 and 8 weeks would not have survived at all had they been born in this beautiful country. I too have sat with my babies in my arms and worried about their future - but at least did not have to worry about being able to afford the necessary treatment. In the western world, we take so much for granted....’ A visit to a chilli farm showed us how some farmers and relatives of the children help the project by planting and growing chillies under their banana trees. Chillis are specifically grown as they cannot be eaten as a staple food source, so even in times of extreme hunger when barns and store houses may be robbed this income is safe.
education Showing of the Jesus Film - to a church packed to bursting with children and then as the evening grew late, their parents; sharing a testimony A cuddle with a baby in hospital- sharing encouraging smiles and a simple greeting with relatives
It was an honour to meet and spend time with these children and their families, and it was exciting to know that they are some of the intended beneficiaries of the new classrooms that we were building!
We came home...
We had fun... A visit to Prayer Mountain, with views across the valley and almost as far as the Congo, gave us an opportunity to stop for a brief moment. Energetic and colourful Mpororo dancers came to entertain us and the local community - although maybe our attempts at joining in showed, in my opinion, once again that “Mazungus” just don’t have the same sense of rhythm as Africans! A short safari trip ended our stay in Western Uganda. There were elephants and hippos, water buffalo and crocodiles, white crested eagles and 3 different types of kingfishers, wart hogs and mongoose - just to name a few of the vast array of God’s amazing creatures that we were able to see in their natural habitat. We shared.... The people we saw, met and spent time with were amazing - they taught us so much... Zipola - the head teacher’s daughter, who joined in and helped us with the building. The children in the street, calling out “Mazungu, mazungu” waving cheerfully as we drove past. Paul, Trevor and other children of Rukungiri Modern Primary School who came and gave their testimonies, hoping for someone to sponsor them through
and thank all those who supported us, financially, in our fundraising attempts, and prayerfullyespecially whilst we were away. There was a true sense of a spiritual battle going on - however, God’s work WILL be done! Now we serve Jesus right where we are... and wait..... If you would like to know more- about our trip, how you could help, or even sponsor one of the special children we met - please come and talk to one of us. We’d love to share more of what we did and learnt!
Babs, Wayne, Marie-Louise and Joshua
They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them. When you go home, tell them of us and say; For your tomorrow, we gave our today. And from the hymn, O God our help in ages past, O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home. Isaac Watts
Remembrance Sunday 11/11
...Lest we forget...
Singleness: a gift?
A while ago Melissa asked if anyone could write an article on the gift of singleness. I would like to respond to this. I don’t think I really chose to be single; for me it is the way things have turned out, probably as a result of the choices I have made, and I am happy to embrace it. I am aware that people can be single for a variety of reasons. Some have never married while others are divorced or bereaved. Some live on their own and some live with family or friends. I can only speak about my own experiences. Although I currently live with my Dad and brother, over the past twenty five years I have shared a flat with friends and lived by myself. In these situations the quality of relationship I have with God, with self and with others has been the key to personal fulfilment and happiness. I have experienced loneliness and times of great togetherness with others.
The first ‘not good’ in the Bible refers to Adam being by himself. God knows how much we need relationship so He makes Adam a helper. Eve becomes his wife but I don’t think that marriage is automatically the answer to loneliness, a network of good relationships is; this includes a good relationship with God and oneself. Apparently one half of UK households consist of single
people. Singleness is often associated with loneliness. Loneliness deserves a whole article to itself, sufficient to say here that it is very closely correlated with depression and can also have serious effects on physical health in that it diminishes the immune system. The church needs to be aware of these facts in its dealings with people who live on their own. However loneliness can crop up within families too
and can arise for a variety of reasons. What is important is that we all have supportive, warm relationships with others.
hands. I am so grateful, for example, for the way I was supported by the church through my cancer treatment.
I find there are many great aspects to being single. I value my independence and freedom, although I am tied to some family responsibilities. I can largely work to my own schedule and I can easily pursue my hobbies and interests of painting, gardening and natural history. I love my job as a primary school teacher but I am very happy to send the children home at the end of the day and not to have the responsibilities of being a parent.
I believe I can be fulfilled and complete as a single person without having to be in a sexual relationship with anyone. This is often greeted with raised eye-brows by those who do not share my Christian values. To be celibate can be seen as being both physically and emotionally unfulfilling and even unhealthy; certainly eccentric! Singleness is not the issue out there in the world as it is for Christians, cohabiting is accepted and sex out of marriage considered the norm by many.
To some extent I have freedom in how I use my time and money although I seek God’s guidance with these. Of course, I am not currently living by myself and this makes a huge difference. I can share cooking and jobs with my brother and have people to sit down and eat with, for example. I am blessed with a number of close friends and I value time by myself and with others. I can often find a friend with whom to do specific activities but simple companionship when doing nothing in particular is harder to find. It can also be difficult to find help, guidance and emotional support when there is no-one who automatically fills that role. Sometimes singleness is lonely. I find that illness, difficult or big decisions, house and garden jobs, tragedy, anxieties, crises of all kind are easier to deal with when someone comes alongside. They can be times when I am more vulnerable to the arrows of the evil one, the lies of Satan. In my head I might know God is there but at these times He needs human
I have been considering what makes a singles friendly church. It is certainly one that values all people equally. We all come to the church with different gifts and expectations so we need to take the time to understand one another’s personal circumstances and struggles whatever they are. Within the church I look to my brothers and sisters for spiritual, emotional and social encouragement and support. Most of my closest relationships are with church folk and I feel that it is important that the church values single people and makes the effort to understand where they are coming from. With its emphasis on love, community and family, Church should be the best place in the world to be single. Unfortunately some churches can be difficult places to be single especially those who treat singles as somehow inferior to married couples (strange, as Jesus was single). Often, even in our lovely church,
families are catered for, the elderly and the youth and students have their special groups and services but if you are single (and especially if you are in the middle age-wise) you can feel left out. Normally I think our church is fantastic. It is very inclusive and caring but we can always do more to ensure everyone is made to feel they belong and are able to make a contribution. To me all of the following are important: being able to play a valued role in the ministry and decision making of the church, feeling included in social events, a warm hug, knowing there are folk I can call on easily and being shown hospitality. I enjoy showing hospitality but it can be hard when that hospitality is not reciprocated. I value on-going friendship, prayer, mentoring and it is my wish to offer these to others. A group called Polo, for people on their own, ran for a number of years. We met for prayer teas and social events. If you think a programme of similar events might still have its place in our church then do speak to me. Lois Gravely
Seasons “ You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream” CS Lewis
Seasons indicate change. Change implies different circumstances, unfamiliar environments, and new challenges. As human beings some of us like change and embrace it but others don’t. I’m still undecided if I like change or not but I often think about it and how I respond to the change process. Working for the NHS for 27 years has provided me with an ideal opportunity to experience major change every 5 years or so. It certainly concentrates the mind when another reorganisation is muted. Now working in the education sector I can see that change is a constant and a characteristic of any work environment. Change has been a continuing theme in family life with both our sons leaving home for jobs around the UK. It has been a real privilege to see them as fully grown men dealing with the ups and downs of life.
Technological advance has probably been one of the biggest changes in recent times. Certainly as a child of the 60’s the concept of having a hand held device which connects to all the world’s knowledge would have been purely in the realms of Science Fiction.
Change is all around us all of the time. But how do we respond to it?
We can be assured that the Lord never changes but He is in the business of change. He leads Change seems to be affecting my and guides us along our journey body rather worryingly. When I of faith which by definition will look in the mirror a middle aged require change. We need to trust Him for each new step along the man is staring back. How did path. that happen? My eyesight has changed and I now can’t read Let’s remind ourselves: small print as well as I could a year or so ago. Middle aged I the Lord do not change. spread is setting in! Malachi 3:6 We have experienced recent change within the church family Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own with Ewen our pastor for 14 understanding: in all your ways years moving on. Within the acknowledge Him and He will make Mission Action Group we your paths straight. are constantly planning for Proverbs 3:5,6 change in terms of promoting short and longer term mission And we, who with unveiled faces opportunities. all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with Ok so I do find change difficult ever increasing glory, which comes (my wife has just reminded me) from the Lord, who is Spirit. but I’m learning to accept that 2 Corinthians 3:18 change can be a good thing in the right context. Mark Cole
Church Secretary’s Report Well so much for the summer being the quiet time in Church life... Since I last reported we have said good-bye to Ewen; his leaving party was a superb evening, made very special by all of the effort that so many people put in. The entertainment was delicious, as was the food. Space, as well as the sure conviction that I would fail, prevent me from mentioning all those who set the event up, arranged and brought the food, contributed to the entertainment, decorated the hall, sorted out the sound, wrote, delivered the speeches - both moving and funny in equal measure - and then took it all back down again (save to say that Judy carried a huge responsibility for the whole thing and I understand that Jess Marshall was, in large part, responsible for the amazing rap!) It was a great evening and a tribute not only to the Huffmans but to all those who contributed. Tim came back from his sabbatical just in time, having secured excellent results in his work on the Anabaptists, who, I have discovered from talking to him, are particularly relevant for our time. He has taken up the reins as we continue into the interregnum. It is an exciting time.
On the leaving theme, Barry and Heather have gone to Lesotho to join in August’s work - our loss is definitely Africa’s gain; but at some level it is our gain too, because it is not so much that they have left us, as we have diversified... Their commissioning service took place on 1 July. On the same day we had the baptisms of Rachel Jones, Dan Myers and Andrew Breakwell. It may be a bit trite, but it is true that the youth of today are not the Church of tomorrow - they are the Church of today; and we are much the better for having these and other young people with us. The Church was full of their friends from their college and social lives - discipleship in action. As well as commissioning the Manns, we have also said goodbye to the Tufts who have moved so that Ali can move into more formal ministry; we commissioned them on 16th September and look forward to hearing the adventures of the next stage of their family journey. On baptism, Ed Jackson has completed his list of the people who have been baptised in WinBap in the last 30 years; Paul Tipple is going to write it out in a book. It is very interesting to browse through, so get a copy if you can. And talking of going overseas, we have seen Paul Bulkeley and Robin Penfold go to India, Di and Charlie Wills and the Hurrell family go to Kenya, Jen Pringle go to Burkina Faso and Wayne Isaac, Babs, MarieLouise & Joshua Klampe go to Uganda. James Findlow remains overseas, working away, as do our longer term colleagues, Millie Smith is finishing her time in South America and returning to us. Dan Myers has commenced his course at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, School
of Ministry. More discipleship in action. We have also had the dedication of Bethan Senior. There is much to be positive about. Edge had their week away in Wales. Lots of people gave up their days and nights (I hear) to make it so much fun, as well as making it a true building block in the lives of the participants. I suspect that no matter how old we are, we can all remember the camps of our youth and the leaders who spent themselves on our behalf. Edge also made it to its 10th birthday! A “sleep” over was held - Congratulations to Edge and all who have worked in it for the last decade. On the administrative side, the Future Directions Group presented the draft Church Profile which was approved at the Church Meeting in September. At the July Church Meeting, we approved a process to involve the congregation more in the selection process for future members of the Leadership Team. Gareth Bartlett moved on after 6 years on the Leadership Team; we shall greatly miss his input- more than once he has given me a quiet but crucial steer; he has agreed to stay on to oversee the letting of the Manse with Joanne Meharg. At a Special Church Meeting in July, the principle of letting the Manse was approved. At the time of writing, we have instructed letting agents and tenants are due to move in, in mid September. Ed Jackson and Christine Lockhart have also continued and completed the mammoth task of archiving the church documents. There are many, many other things I could mention, Adrian Baxter’s 100 mile bike ride for
CAP (which started a new course in September), the Family Bring and Share Lunch in the Hall. As I write Ian Thomson is due to complete a sponsored bike ride on 22nd September to raise funds for the people of the Nuba Mountains in Sudan. The list is huge and I don’t know the half of it. I had the opportunity to drop into Friday Fun in July, they were making Olympic torches with the children - who were clearly having a great time. It again reminded me of the work so many people do, week in week out, without making a song and dance about it. The vast majority of the mums/ dads/ wider families/ nannies etc who go to Friday Fun don’t join us on a Sunday, and yet here they are having weekly contact with people from WinBap - who do it only to serve them. Likewise the tea-towel rota has been refreshed. You may think it a strange thing to mention, but we would truly miss that if people were not prepared to do it - and the many other rotas that go round. All of the volunteers seem to me to be summed up by the people working the PowerPoint projector for the songs - you never notice what they are doing until the words aren’t there; and then you realise how crucial they are. Until next time.
James
“When the will of man comes across the will of God, one of them has to die.”
As Millie Smith came back from eight months in Argentina now seemed a good time to reflect on those who had gone before her to South America. Rev & Mrs ? (We are unaware of this couple’s name) (Brazil) Mid 1980’s Frank Braithwaite (Brazil) Mid 1980’s Sue Marsland – 2000 - Peru Pete Lockhart (LatinLink) – 2002 – Brazil Rachel Dunn – 2005 – Peru Sarah Prior – 2005 – Brazil Clare Fowler (LatinLink) – 2006 – Bolivia Peter Charlesworth (LatinLink) – 2006 -? Millie Smith (Latin Link) 2012 - Argentina Please Remember also those people who went on short overseas trips this summer, Jen Pringle, Di and Charlie Wills, The Klampe family and Wayne Isaac, Paul Bulkeley and Robin Penfold. Don’t wait for them to talk to you. Make the first move and find out what exciting stuff God has been doing. Did you hear Tim’s sermon 16th September pm, Capacity and Expectancy? What an amazing challenge when we consider our view of mission. Why not come along to the Missionary Prayer Meeting, third Monday of the month at Gareth and Catherine Bartlett’s home. A great opportunity to come together and pray with expectant hearts for the work that God is doing internationally through people conected with WBC.
WBC South &America Joanne Meharg
Whats on.... Sunday 10am - Tea & coffee provided afterwards Creche - up to 3 yrs Sparklers - 3 to Yr R All Stars - Yr 1 - 3 Trailblazers - Yr 4 - 6 FRESH - Yr 7 upwards 6.30pm - Tea and coffee provided afterwards Monday Re:store - 10am creche provided
Helen Revans
Tuesday 2.15pm - Tuesday Afternoon Women’s Fellowship alternate weeks - Jean Davis 8pm Church Prayer Meeting (first Tuesday in the month) 8pm Teg Down Small Group (Favour Cluster) Jo May 8pm Location Cluster (2nd & 4th) David & Ann Hook 8pm Favour Cluster South Winchester (Gareth & Catherine Bartlett) 8pm - Kings Worthy Small Group (Connect Cluster) Ben Clifton (Connect Cluster) Rachel Dawson Wednesday 7-8am - Prayer Meeting in Tweedley Room 8pm - Chandler Ford Small Group (2nd & 4th - Favour Cluster) Carol and David Bailey 8pm - Stanmore Small Group Luke & Jo Meharg
Associate Pastor Rev Tim Williamson tim @ winbap . org . uk Mission to Seniors Hannah and David Strutt hannahanddavid @ winbap . org . uk Children’s Ministry Worker Eli Stewart eli @ winbap . org . uk Associate Youth Worker Becca Baxter becca @ winbap . org . uk Pastoral Worker Eunice Nicholson eunice @ winbap . org . uk Elders Sheila McAulay Andy Marshall Carol Bailey
01962 868770 01962 868770 01962 858770
Secretary James Dawson churchsec @ winbap . org . uk Treasurer Peter Howes churchtreas @ winbap . org . uk Bookkeeper Alison Stanbrook bookkeeper @ winbap . org uk Deacons
Thursday
Wayne Isaac
01962 868770
1.30pm - Silver Service (1st in the month) David & Hannah Strutt 7.30pm - The Edge (Yrs 9 and above) Becca Baxter 8pm - Badger Farm Small Group (Honour Cluster) Jean Sweetenham
Mission Joanne Meharg
01962 868770
Friday 9.45am - Real Life Cluster Tony Mundy 10am - Friday Fun (2 ¹/2 - 5 year olds) Diana Wills
t
Ops Manager Judy Marshall 01962 686770 opsmanager @ winbap . org . uk Winchester Baptist Church Swan Lane Winchester SO23 7AA 01962 868770 office @ winbap. org . uk
OCTOBER SUN
MON
TUES
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
1
2
3
4
5
6
Church Prayer Re:store Ladies Groupp Meeting 8pm Love & Logic Parenting
7
14
8
9
Re:store CAP course Ladies Group
15
16
22
23
10
Prayer Meeting 7-8am
17
The Edge Silver Service Harvest
11
The Edge
18
Re:store CAP course Ladies Group Love & Logic Parenting
Prayer Meeting 7-8am
The Edge
AM Re:store CAP course Communion Ladies Group Service Families Project Offering
Prayer Meeting 7-8am
Silver Service
PM Communion Service
21
28
Bible Sunday
D AT E S F O R Y O U R D I A R Y
29
30
24
25
October
2nd - Prayer and Praise Meeting 8pm 3rd - Special Church Meeting 8pm
13
4th - Harvest Silver Service 1pm
19
20
6th - Children’s Workers Training morning 10-12am ‘How to keep your child safe on the internet’ course 1-3pm
26
27
12
Friday Fun
Friday Fun
Friday Fun
9th - CAP course begins 7 - 9.30pm 14th - Honour Cluster Songs of Praise
31
17th - Welcome Evening
Winbap Kids Light Party
18th - Silver Seekers 21st - Families Project Offering All Age Communion
NOVEMBER SUN
MON
TUES
WED
THURS
1
Silver Service Remembrance
4
5
11
12
PM Communion Service
Remembrance Sunday
18
AM Communion Service Fellowship Offering
25
19
26
6
Prayer and Praise Meeting 8pm
13 20
27
FRI
2
27th - Clocks go back tonight SAT 3
Bonfire Night
7
8
9
10
14
15
16
17
Prayer Meeting 7-8am Prayer Meeting 7-8am
21
Prayer Meeting 7-8am Church Meeting
28
Prayer Meeting 7-8am
Silver Seekers
22
29
28th - Bible Sunday 31st - Winbap Kids Light Party
November 1st - Remembrance Silver Service 3rd - Bonfire night(?)
23
30
24
6th - Prayer and Praise Meeting 8pm 11th - Remembrance Sunday 15th - Silver Seekers 18th - Fellowship Fund Offering 21st - Church Meeting 8pm 30th - W2W Quiz night