Newsletteraugsept2013

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David’s letter 17 Dalling Drive Houghton Regis LU5 5EF Tel 01582 529788

July 16th 2013

Dear Friends, On July 7th Steve Gaukroger spoke to the 10 Luton Baptist Churches of which we’re a part and asked...’Does the mission of God have a church?’

And pointed out that when Jesus said ‘go into all the world’ there was a problem for his disciples, not of passports but religion. As Jews they focussed inwards because they believed they were God’s people and His primary concern. In the same way he suggested the church has been looking in too long. He gave us a question to help us reflect on everything we do as a church. ‘Can this be made missional or do we need to stop it?’

And he suggested we need to be ruthless, becoming more outwardly focussed.

So if one mark of ‘a healthy church is it seeks to find out what God wants’ then I’m delighted with our new weekly

prayer initiative. It’s short but it is about seeking God’s agenda for our church! Anyone can join in anytime between 10.45 & 11am each Sunday. So would you be up for arriving a little earlier in order to pray?

Up

And it was great to welcome so many people to our church BBQ. Thank you to everyone who helped in any way to make that such a great event. Around 130 people came – everyone enjoyed – some stayed late and some have chosen to stay at our church. Thank you especially to Eric and Elias for pulling it together.

Out

It’s been a delight to welcome Hannah, Joele, Peggy and Denise into membership. It’s exciting to realise that we now have around 130 children and adults involved in our church life. Look out for the new church directory which will be published this Autumn. Let’s continue to invest in being hospitable to each other and in getting to know each other better.

I’m thrilled there’s another group of people looking to attend the next Growling Leaders course starting this September. Interested? It’s not too late to get involved. Do pray for them as they start out on 12 months of training and growth. And it was a joy to share in the wedding of Hannah’s daughter Lauralee and her fiancée Beckleys last weekend. It was a great day!

In

Up – in – out are 3 corners of a triangle. If they are all covered they’ll bring balance to any activity we run, to our church as a whole and to our individual Christian lives. Where are we / you focussed most?

I’m most grateful to everyone who is enabling me to step back for a sabbatical study break until November 1st. I’ll be stepping out of church life in order to rest, be refreshed, study and pray. While I’m away please contact Jane Bentley or Eric Gurney in my absence.

We have planned a Sunday programme which I hope will offer you opportunities that wouldn’t be possible if I was about. I’ll be praying this will be a time, when you will hear God guiding both you and our church in new ways. There’s a lot to anticipate – I hope you’ll enjoy!

Please pray for Ken and Jerusha getting married in Kenya, Rachel Carey and her fiancée Ian as they marry on July 29th at Mutley Baptist in Plymouth and Jeanie McCaw and her fiancée Derek as they marry at HRBC on September 14th.

This autumn, do come along to the Harvest Celebrations on the weekend of September 21st and 22nd. There will be a harvest supper and a ‘Beatle Drive’ on the Saturday evening. No previous experience required – lots of fun for all ages – a great way to have a laugh and meet loads of people along the way.

Please join in with the new CLP project ‘Singing Cafe’. If you enjoy singing songs from yesteryear, eating homemade cakes and tea / coffee please come along and be part of the fun and the welcome we offer to the other people who we are inviting to join us each Tuesday afternoon from 1.303pm. Every blessing!

David Contact Number While David is on Sabbatical, please use the contact numbers for Eric Gurney & Jane Bentley for the time being: Jane email: jane.k.bentley@gmail.com phone: 01582 475479 Eric email:

ericggurney@tesco.net

phone: 01582 606494

mob: 07831719407.

Or, for the Community Link project: Penny Geraghty: email: penny.clp@hotmail.co.uk

The Singing Cafe.

The Community Link Project is starting a new activity in September called The Singing Cafe. It is based on the idea, Singing for the Brain, which is music therapy for people with dementia. However, we will also offer a place to people who would benefit from this type of social activity. I am looking for a team of volunteers who think they would enjoy helping at these sessions, chatting to the people who come along, singing and dancing!.

We are starting on Tuesday 24th September and will run term time only from 1:30 until 3:00 every Tuesday. If you are interested please see Penny Geraghty or call on 07882887229 for more details. We will also have a volunteers meeting on 10th September* and a taster session for people from Houghton Regis Day Centre on 17th September. *probably at 1:30pm Penny Geraghty

Church ‘work days’.

Dates we have assigned this year: 20th July 28th September 23rd November (all subject to final confirmation nearer the dates) Please add the dates to your diary so that you can spare some time to help with some of the maintenance tasks, around the Church.

Thanks for your support, Paul

Church diary July 15th Monday 16th Tuesday 18th Thursday 20th Saturday 21st Sunday

Funspace 2.30 Garden Party Parents & Toddlers Church workday

8pm Leaders Mtg 8pm Housegroup

Services 11am – speaker Bob Davey (Communion) 6pm

22nd Monday 25th Thursday

Funspace Parents & Toddlers

28th Sunday

Service 11am – speaker Tim Price no evening service

8pm 8pm Housegroup

Church diary August 4th Sunday

Service 11am – speaker Frank Sherburn no evening service No mid week meetings during August due to holidays

th

11 Sunday

Service 11am – speaker Eric Gurney (communion) no evening service

No mid week meetings during August due to holidays th

18 Sunday

Service 11am – speaker Martin Shorey no evening service

No mid week meetings during August due to holidays

25th Sunday

Service 11am – speaker Pastor Sami Esnel no evening service

Church diary September 1st Sunday 5th Thursday 8th Sunday 9th Monday 12th Thursday 14th Saturday

Service 11am – speaker Ann Winter-Goodwin no evening service Parents & ToddlersPar8pm Housegroup Services 11am – speaker Andy Stockbridge 6pm - speaker Ant Wilson Funspace Parents & ToddlersPar8pm Housegroup Jeannie & Derek’s wedding

15th Sunday Services 11am – speaker Adrian Bagg afternoon service - 4.30pm - speaker Harold Liberty 16th Monday 19th Thursday 21st Saturday

Funspace Parents & ToddlersPar8pm Housegroup ‘Beatle Drive’ and nibbles

22nd Sunday

HARVEST Services 11am & 6pm speaker: Phil & Rosemary Mader-Grayson Funspace 8pm Craft Workshop Singing Cafe 1.30 - 3.00pm Parents & ToddlersPar8pm Housegroup Church workday

23rd Monday 24th Tuesday 26th Thursday 28th Saturday 29th Sunday

Services 11am & 6pm speaker: Phil & Rosemary Mader-Grayson 30th Monday Funspace 8pm Craft Workshop

Church diary October 1st Tuesday

Singing Cafe 1.30 - 3.00pm

3rd Thursday

Parents & ToddlersPar8pm Church Meeting

6th Sunday

Services 11am & 6pm speaker: Phil & Rosemary Mader-Grayson 7th Monday Funspace 8pm Craft Workshop th 8 Tuesday Singing Cafe 1.30 - 3.00pm th 10 Thursday Parents & ToddlersPar8pm Housegroup 13th Sunday

Service 11am – speaker Alasdair Coles No evening service – Growing leaders course

14th Monday 15th Tuesday 17th Thursday 19th Saturday 20th Sunday

Funspace 8pm Craft Workshop Singing Cafe 1.30 - 3.00pm Parents & ToddlersPar8pm Housegroup BARN DANCE

Services 11am – speaker Chris Curtiss 6pm - speaker Phil Frank Sherburn No mid week meetings – Half term holidays 27th Sunday Services 11am – speaker Adrian Bagg no evening service

We’re delighted to announce that Tim Price has been elected as a deacon and will join the church leadership team straight away.

Tim Price introduces ‘FAMM’ When in Abu Dhabi I had the privilege of working with an exciting evangelical project that was meeting the needs of the labourer community in Abu Dhabi and then sending out gospel workers to India and other countries in the Sub Continent.

FAMM is “For All Mankind Movement”. It is project that focuses of the needs of immigrant workers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and uses that opportunity to tell the gospel and train Christian workers to go to mission fields in their home countries. for more details visit: http://vimeo.com/45085608 Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is an emirate within the United Arab Emirates. It is an oil rich country and has ambitious plans to expand the city and build the city upwards and outwards, much like neighbouring Dubai. Like many emirates the ex-pat population is vast compared to the native population.

This includes many from the UK, US, Australia and Europe but also several million from the Indian Sub-Continent.

Who are we serving These men and women from countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India move to the Middle East in search of a better life. Often they are from muslim or Hindu backgrounds and have no concept of who Christ is or what the core message of Christianity is. When they arrive, the promise of ‘streets paved with gold’ turns out to be very much a fiction.

They find themselves working intense hours in searing heat. Often they have very few rights in terms of their employment and no way of escape as the employer keeps their passport. They are vulnerable, taken advantage of by their employer who simply sees them as a resource. They are desperate to feel loved and wanted.

The Compassion Kit The Compassion kit is a very basic but very powerful idea. There are many things that immigrant workers need and often don’t have the money to pay for. These items include toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, hair clips, shoes, socks, soap, shampoo and the most desirable item – a phone card. Often people have left their family, some say they have never seen their children, to come to the Middle-East and so the opportunity to call home is something they really desire. for more details visit: http://www.compassionkits.com/ Story Telling The ‘Compassion kit’ is an important tool to provide for key physical needs, but there is a more important spiritual need that FAMM looks to attend. Many have not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and so after the compassion kits are given out. “stories” are told. There is a “word of mouth” tradition in the sub-continent and so the most effective way of the gospel being shared is the stories of Jesus being spoken.

The Long Term The Word is powerful. Many hear the word and believe. But FAMMs mission does not stop at conversion. This is just the beginning! FAMM trains men and women in spreading the gospel, techniques that they use when they are in the UAE and then also can use when they eventually go home.

Something for the Autumn A Barn Dance with ‘nibbles’ times will be announced nearer to the date.

‘Sow’s Ear’ are Phil & Rosemary Mader-Grayson’s band.

Looking for Adventure?

New friends?

Different activities?

You could find what you are looking for in Guiding!

Girlguiding is one of the largest organisiations in the UK for girls and young women and allows young people from the age of 5 to 26 the chance to take part in a wide range of activites to develop their full potential.

Girlguiding celebrated it’s centenary in 2010, and in 2014 Brownies, the section for 7 to 10yr olds will also celebrate their centenary.

In Houghton Regis we have the whole range of units, from Rainbows (5 to 7yr olds) right through to the Senior Section (14-26 yrs).

All units meet at Houghton Regis Baptist Church at the beginning of the week.

On meeting nights you can find us decorating cakes, making masks, playing games, singing, finding out about the past, dreaming about the future, completing badges, taking up challenges, planning camps and holidays, listening to music, and – just occasionally – chilling out!

Further information can be found at https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/home.aspx Our Brownie, Guide (10-14yr olds) and Senior Section units all have spaces.

Our Rainbow unit currently has a short waiting list.

If you are interested in joining us please register on https://enquiryym.girlguiding.org.uk/

Ann-Marie Rigby

Leader : 4th Houghton Regis Brownies 1st Houghton Regis Guides Houghton Regis Senior Section.

Sunday Mornings at HRBC This Autumn Our calling....

To be Christ’s Church 11am Sunday September 8th ‘Key Questions’ Andrew Stockbridge Andrew has worked with the ‘Toy Box’, Scripture Union and BMS World Mission

11am Sunday September 15th Adrian Bagg ‘Moving Out’ A frequent visiting speaker at HRBC Adrian works with a leading disability charity

11am & 6pm Sundays: Sept 22nd, 29th & Oct 6th ‘How to listen to God’ Rosemary and Philip Mader-Grayson Philip & Rosemary lead Bridge House, a retreat centre and are members of the Northumbria Community. Philip also works with young offenders.

11am Sunday October 13th ‘When to say more?’

Alasdair Coles Alasdair is the full time chaplain at All Saints School Dunstable

11am Sunday October 20th ‘It’s MAD’ with Chris Curtis Chris heads up ‘Youthscape’ in Luton – giving ‘young people the best social, emotional and spiritual landscape on which to build their lives and achieve their potential’.

11am Sunday October 27th ‘Being Church’ Adrian Bagg A frequent visiting speaker at HRBC Adrian works with a leading disability charity