17 Dalling Drive Houghton Regis LU5 5EF Tel 01582 529788
September 4th 2012
Dear Friends, Welcome back to church after the summer break. I hope you’ve had a good break, enjoyed the amazing athletics of London 2012 and are refreshed and ready for the new session. Congratulations to Amy, Esther, Jacob, Rachel, Adrian and Antony for some great exam results. Amy has already succeeded in gaining work and Jacob will be heading to Leicester University at the end of this month. It’s also a delight that Beverley, Vicki Peter’s mum, is now home after being critically ill in hospital. There is much to be thankful to God for! As ‘normal church life’ returns we are re-launching some of our Community Link Project activities for parents and children. Look out for the new publicity and please do invite friends to come and join the coffee morning on Tuesdays and the toddler groups on Thursdays. On October 9th there will be a ‘Special Coffee Morning’ which will raise money for McMillan Cancer Care. We’d love everyone who’s around to come and join in the fun. Immediately, we are looking forward to our Harvest Celebrations on September 22nd and 23rd. The Saturday evening will include Line Dancing as well as a Harvest Supper. Bring your friends and family along – all ages can join in. We’ll have a professional caller to guide us on ‘what to do when’ so come and enjoy a dance or simply watch the fun and share the meal. On September 27th we will also be holding an Alpha Supper. The Alpha Course has been successfully run around the world as a way of introducing the Christian faith. We meet weekly and enjoy a meal, a DVD and a time for questions and discussion. It’s a great way to build friendships, discover the Christian faith and explore questions you need an answer to. Running through the autumn we have a series of events planned especially with older people in mind called ‘A Word in Season’. We continue with our pattern of afternoon service but are also adding in some midweek devotional meetings. So look out for these dates.
On Sunday mornings we will be reading through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and letting it speak to us as we: ¾ Reach out to invite others to explore the Christian faith ¾ Seek to grow closer and more united as a group of Christians ¾ Ask God what his vision is for our church fellowship. ¾ Wrestle with challenges as well as joys in our lives On Sunday evenings we have a range of things happening. In particular we would like to invite everyone to join us for: ‘Introducing Houghton Regis Baptist Church’ on October 7th at 6pm
Look back in time and enjoy the church’ version of ‘Who do you think we are’ – Discover how our church works now – How to get more involved and what it means to be a member – Find out how we are currently being helped by the Baptist Union of Great Britain. An Open Church Meeting on October 14th at 6pm
When we’ll be seeking to discern what God is saying to us about our future direction as a church. In the last year we have increasingly been communicating by e-mail, face book and though our blog spot. We are grateful to Keith who helps us to maintain a full diary of church events on the web so that you can check ‘what’s happening and when’. So do keep in touch at http://houghtonregisbaptistchurch.blogspot.co.uk/ or find us on face book for the latest on what’s happening.
Every blessing!
David
This harvest we will be supporting Dunstable Foodbank:
Dunstable Foodbank launches in September Dunstable Foodbank will have its official launch on September 8 in the presence of local MP Andrew Selous and the deputy mayor of Dunstable, Councillor John Chatterley. Two days later, Monday September 10, the real business will begin when the first Distribution Centre opens to the public at New Life Church in Houghton Road. There will also be Distribution Centres at The Way, West Street, Dunstable; St Augustine’s, Oakwood Avenue, Dunstable; and Wilkinson Hall, St George’s, Toddington. Between them, the churches which have so far established the centres, will be open for two hours each, every day between Monday and Friday. The Foodbank trustees are hoping that a Houghton Regis church will also offer to set up a centre in the future. Foodbank is totally dependent on the involvement of local churches to function. It needs financial support and volunteers. It also needs food, donated freely by individuals and churches. This is stored in a central warehouse and taken to each of the Distribution Centres on their open days. Anybody living in the LU5/LU6 postal districts, who find themselves in sudden financial crisis can go to a professional front line agency, such as GPs, social workers, child support officers, housing officers, their church minister, or a wide range of other bodies which have face to face contact with the public. These agencies will assess if the need is genuine and if so, a voucher will be given to the individuals which they can take to one of the Distribution Centres, where they will find teams of volunteers to offer them a friendly chat, a cup of tea and sufficient food to support the number of people in their household for three days. They can receive three of these vouchers in total over a nine day period. It has been estimated that the time period for which the food is provided is the average time it takes to put state benefits into place which will provide the cash for those in need to fend for themselves. The Dunstable Foodbank is part of the national charity, Trussell Trust and one of over 200 Foodbanks in the UK. It is a Christian organization, run by Christians for the benefit of the whole community.
If you would like to be involved, either as a volunteer, to donate food or cash, or know more about Dunstable Foodbank, you can visit www.dunstable.foodbank.org.uk or email the office on info@dunstablefoodbank.org.uk
Our HARVEST services this year will support the foodbank. Please bring along some things from the ‘shopping list’ below on Sunday 23rd September.
Thank you! Milk (UHT or powdered) Sugar (500g) Long life fruit juice Tins of Soup Pasta sauces Sponge pudding (tin) Tinned Tomatoes Breakfast cereals Tinned Rice pudding Tea Bags
Jar of instant coffee Instant mash potato 500gms Rice 500gms Pasta Tinned meat/fish Tinned fruit Jar of Jam Packets of biscuits Snacks
----------------------------------------------------------I am the seed of the flower God is my soil, water and sun. Without you I cannot grow and be a part of you. Because I am a part of you my seed will grow to be healthy and strong. Zeeta Muigai
September Church Diary mon 3 tue 4 thur 6 fri 7 sat 8 sun 9 mon 10 tue 11 thur 13 sun 16
8pm Leaders mtg 9.30-11am Coffee Morning Parent & Toddlers 8pm Sunday / Donut Leaders 9.30-11am, 1.30-3pm Lewsey Prayer W/E BBQ at St Hugh’s Men’s Prayer Breakfast & Women’s Prayer Lunch at Stanton Rd BC
11.00am Service (with Alan Sutton) Fun Space 9.30-11am Coffee Morning Parent & Toddlers 9.30-11am, 1.30-3pm 11.00am Service
6pm Prayer Service 8pm Finance Group 10.30am Pastoral Care Group 8pm Church Members Meeting Growing Leaders LCET Celebration at Stopsley BC 8pm Leaders with Helen Wordsworth
mon 17
Fun Space
tue 18 thur 20
9.30-11am Coffee Morning Parent & Toddlers 9.30-11am, 1.30-3pm 10:00-12:00 Flower arranging workshop 6:30 – 9:00 Harvest Supper & Line Dance Harvest Festival Services 11am “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be opened” & 6pm Your faith and hope are in God” Fun Space 9.30-11am Coffee Morning Parent & Toddlers Alpha Supper 9.30-11am, 1.30-3pm 9.00 church work day
sat 22 sun 23 mon 24 tue 25 thur 27 sat 29 sun 30
11.00am Service "We are God's workmanship"
4:30pm service "You crown the year with Your bounty"
‘Fun with Flowers’ Come and discover how to make a simple table decoration for Harvest Saturday Sept 22nd 10-12 noon at the church. Please call 01582 529788 to let us know you would like to come. Carole Green and Katherine Skinner
HRBC Harvest Supper & LINE DANCING Saturday 22nd September 6:30 - 9:00pm everyone invited
October Church Diary mon 1 tue 2 thur 4
Fun Space 9.30-11am Coffee Morning Parent & Toddlers 9.30-11am, 1.30-3pm
8pm Leaders Alpha
sat 6 2:30pm Induction of Kevin Price at Leavesden Rd BC Watford sun 7
11.00am Service "Live a life worthy of the calling you have received"
6pm service "An evening of welcome & introduction to church”
mon 8 tue 9 thur 11
Fun Space 8pm Finance Group 9.30-11am Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support Parent & Toddlers Alpha 9.30-11am, 1.30-3pm
sun 14
11.00am Service “Live a life of love”
6pm Communion Service incorporating Open Church Meeting
Fun Space 9.30-11am Coffee Morning Parent & Toddlers 9.30-11am, 1.30-3pm
8pm CLP meeting
mon 15 tue 16 thur 18 sun 21 mon 22 tue 23 thur 25 sun 28
Alpha
11.00am Service “Be filled with the Holy Spirit”
Growing Leaders (no evening service)
Fun Space 9.30-11am Coffee Morning Parent & Toddlers 9.30-11am, 1.30-3pm 11.00am Service Half Term
8pm Leaders 10.30am Pastoral Care Group Alpha no evening Service
Alpha Course 2012 Thursday evenings at Houghton Regis Baptist Church. Join us for a taster evening exploring the Christian faith September 27th
Alpha Supper ‘Is there more to life than this?’ Come to eat from 7.30pm ( the evening winds up by 9.30pm) October 4th October
11th
October 18th October 25th November 1st November 8th November 15th Saturday Nov 17th
“Who is Jesus ?” “Why did Jesus Die ?” “How Can I Be Sure Of My Faith ?” “Why and How Should I Read The Bible ?” Break for half term “Why and How Should I Pray ?” “How Does God Guide Us ?” Alpha Day “What about the Holy Spirit ?” (10.00am – 4.30 pm)
November
22nd
December
6th
December 13th
“How Can I Resist Evil ?” “What About The Church ?” “How Can I Make The Most Of the Rest of My Life ?”
Tuesday October 9th Coffee Morning 9:30-11:00am in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support
Church Directory The church directory is a valuable resource – keeping all the church contact information in one document. However, our current directory is nearly two years old so we need to update it. This will require you to fill in a form so that the directory can be compiled for issue in the autumn. The forms are on the back table in the church. Please fill one in before the end of September.
Contact Number David can be contacted on 01582 529788 at anytime of day apart from Saturday. Otherwise contact one of the leadership team (Keith Wallis, Eric Gurney, Jane Bentley) or for Community Link project Penny Geraghty. For ‘up to the minute’ information visit the Houghton Regis Baptist Church blog. It is frequently updated during the month: http://houghtonregisbaptistchurch.blogspot.com
Newsletter Deadline for items for the next Newsletter: 21st of October. All items to David Skinner on or before that date please. NB. We are still looking for an editor for the newsletter, who can work with David
to gather and prepare items for publication. Keith Wallis will continue to prepare the layout of the magazine. If you’re interested please speak to David.
Harvest: in memorium …….For the beauty of the earth. Incense of apples in a chapel, bread, unbroken, on the lectern, flowers spilling from the communion table like troubled wine. …….Come ye thankful people come. The ‘five-a-day’ unknown at table displayed before a bountiful God. …….We plough the fields and scatter. Stolen bites, apple cores pocketed disposed evidence of thankful appetites. …….All things bright and beautiful. Children parading like soldiers with baskets fused with runner beans armed with potatoes as the clock ticks away innocence. The world turns, seasons wax and wane in tidal sweep. ’Seed time and harvest, while earth remains…..’ slides into the oblivion of war’s cordite mist, famine, ethnic cleansing a tarnished harvest of unthankfulness, and the weeping eye of God.
Keith Wallis The ‘cover’ picture for this issue is a view, from the rim of Houghton Regis chalk pit nature reserve, looking out to Thorn and beyond. It won’t be a view that will be available in a couple of years.