For your diaryFor your diaryLots to look forward to! Please remember lifts are available to these events, you only need ask, and family and friends always welcome.
Saturday May 21st 10.30am - noon. Coffee Morning (see article)
Sunday June 5th - Open Day @ House of the Open Door Childswickham, a chance to see in daylight! What we missed last time, crafts, gardens, cream teas.
Wednesday June 8th House Group - 1st in a series, looking at The Purpose Driven Church (see article)
Friday 10th June 8 pm Share prayer together @ Mel & Carolyns
Wednesday 15th June House group, week 2
Wednesday 22nd June House group, week 3
Sunday 26th June Picnic lunch and walk at Ragley Hall (following morning service) Lifts available. Bring your own picnic to enjoy down by the lake, afterwards enjoy the adventure playground, rose garden, lovely walks. Admission charge.
Wednesday 29th June House group, week 4
Wednesday 6th July House group, week 5
Saturday July 9th 6pm Barbecue and games evening @Liz & Hugh's
Sunday 7th August 10.45am We have been invited to join Salem Church in Cheltenham for morning service followed by lunch. Lifts available, sign up sheet will shortly appear. Please note there will be no service in Harvington that morning.
Saturday 10th September Possible Snowdome outing - details to follow
*Deacons meetings May 16th, June 6th, July 4th and September 5th.
Any issues anyone would like raised, any questions or concerns you may have - please see one of your deacons, they are there to serve you.
What will our church look like in the future? A number of ideas are now coming together and to raise funds to improve the property we have held a beetle drive, other events will follow, the next of which is:
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Saturday 21st May Come along, maybe bring a friend, enjoy a coffee (or tea) |
I was having a think the other day. I was thinking what it might be like to walk along the shore of Lake Galilee as Jesus did. Then I thought, I wonder what it would be like to walk through Jerusalem as Jesus did. Then another thought came into my head. I thought I wonder what it would be like to stand where Jesus was killed for our sins. And then it came to me. Wouldn't it be nice to go and see for ourselves!!!
So I would like to put a thought in your minds. Just suppose we could arrange a trip next year to Israel to see some of these places, would you be interested? A lot would depend on cost. I heard of one trip which was £600 for two weeks, and another £345 for one week. Obviously, a lot more information is required, time of year, length of stay, type of accommodation - group discount etc. Anyway, just have a think and maybe your thoughts might be the same as mine.
Paul
So far today, I'm doing all right.
I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy,
Grumpy, nasty, selfish, or self indulgent.
I have not wined, complained, cursed, or eaten any chocolate.
I have charged nothing on my credit card.
But I will be getting out of bed in a minute, and I think that I will really need your help then!
Thanks Irene for this!
On 1st March 10 of us went to the House of the Open Door for a curry evening. The food was great and we were told a little of the history of the centre and the work they do there today, we all thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to a return visit (see diary)
On 9th April 22 of us went to the Coach & horses for a skittles evening. Two teams were picked by James Nicol and Tom Evans and the competition was fierce! Lots of laughs good food, all in all a great evening.
Thanks to everyone who came.
Like Peter in the last newsletter I was born in Southend, Essex, he in another seaside town, Clacton. In fact we wondered if his father and I ever passed each other on our many bike trips to each others towns!
At the age of two my twin brother Peter contracted pneumonia and died, so I never really got to know him.
My introduction to the church came about in a rather unusual way. My sister, 5 years my senior, and I were taken to a children's party at Clarence Road Baptist Church in Southend by a non Christian aunt. The following week it was agreed we would go to Sunday school (so my Granddad could have his Sunday afternoon snooze in peace). However, my sister and I, only 10 and 5 respectively, ended up in the wrong church in the same road. We spent three hours in the salvation army citadel listening to the band and various speakers, wondering where all the kids had gone. The situation was rectified the following week when we found the Baptist Church and our lives really began. Following our introduction to Sunday school, we naturally progressed to GLB (Pat) Life Boys and Boys Brigade, and eventually to teaching in Sunday school.
After starting work I found myself moving constantly around the country. I became an occasional rather than regular attendee at various churches. I met my wife in Yorkshire and then found myself moving back to Wiltshire where we had some of our happiest years. Our son Christopher was born there. Five years later we returned to Yorkshire and I worked at the Huddersfield Examiner. Helen our daughter arrived soon after. To progress in the newspaper business you have to keep moving. So when I was offered a senior management post at Berrows newspapers in Worcester, I found myself down this way again.
My life in the newspaper business was fantastic. Excitement, deadlines, travel, working with great people, late nights, early mornings! And always something new. My attendance at church had suffered and become a rare experience. It was only when I found my way back to Christ in Harvington I realised what I had been missing.
Paul
God of Stillness and
Creative action, help us to find space
For quietness
Today, that we may live creatively,
Discover the inner meaning of silence,
And learn the wisdom
That heals the world.
Send peace and joy to
Each quiet place,
To all who are waiting and listening.
May your still small voice
Be heard through Christ,
In the love of the spirit.
Amen. National Retreat Association.
'The problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the alter, and we often do that. We sing Onward Christian Soldiers on Sunday, and go AWOL on Monday.' Page 105
'The most desired gift of love is not diamonds or roses or chocolate. It is focused attention.' Page 127
'You can't have fellowship without forgiveness.' Page 142
'Listening to gossip is like accepting stolen property, and it makes you just as guilty of the crime.' Page 164
'When God has a bunch of baby believers he wants to deliver, he looks for the warmest incubator he can find.' Page 167
'God is far more interested in what you are than in what you do. We are human beings not human doings.' Page 177
Thanks to Chris
If you enjoyed reading these, and would like to find out more, come along to one of the Wednesday house groups in June. We are looking at 'The Purpose Driven Church' by the same author, Rick Warren. We will meet informally in one anothers homes, on a Wednesday evening at 8 pm. There will also be an afternoon session for those unable to make evenings, times and venues for both groups to follow, please don't worry if you can only make one of these sessions, come anyway as we share and explore together. Meetings last for one hour, with the opportunity to stay and chat over coffee afterwards, but with the understanding that it is absolutely OK if you need to leave at 9. We have been very good about sticking to times!!
Its now several months since the tsunami in South Asia impacted millions of lives in the region. The media spotlight may have moved on, but the HUGE needs remain, and BMS personnel and partners continue to play their part in the rebuilding work.
One such person is Judy Cook, who has been working with BMS for many years. Her father is Peter Cook, the minister at Cookhill Baptist Church just down the road. Judy has been involved in relief work in Southern Thailand as part of a team from Chiang Rai Christian service.
She says " We were able to help particularly in one village, Khukat, with very practical needs such as drinking water supplies, bedding and cooking utensils, and supply all the building materials needed to repair houses. We trust our presence there was more than practical help only, but a visible demonstration of Gods love and concern for them."
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Tell me and I'll forget Chinese Proverb |
Nepal is in a state of change following the King seizing power on 1st February of this year. The Government were all sacked, many were put under house arrest and freedom of speech was completely removed. This was the situation when I was there in the early 1970s. So it is difficult to find out exactly how things are there. However, Bonnie who runs AmaGhar on a day-to-day basis, is optimistic for the future and has been stockpiling rice and dhal and cylinders of gas for when the road to India is closed and supplies become scarce. There have been two long national strikes called by the Maoists since 1st February when only vehicles with Police or Army protection have been able to move. The children have had a month's holiday from school but are now back into their new school years. The end -of -year exams they took in March were very successful with many of the children being in the top few in their classes so all were happy and realise that all the study is worthwhile.
Sarada, aged 15, has taken her School Leaving Certificate and is optimistic of the First Division pass that she needs to go onto further study, maybe AS and A Levels, so she can try for Medical School. She is very bright and has a lovely disposition so would be well suited. But the competition is enormous. Bindu has been doing her nursing training now for 6 months and sounded to be enjoying it although I think does find it tough, still living at AmaGhar she the added responsibility of being the 'big sister' there as well as her studies. There is a new little boy there who will be a playmate for Sandesh - he was the only boy under 7 and got fed up with the games the little girls wanted to play!!
They had a busy time in the holidays and had a few outings to museums and temples as well as doing the usual things children do in school holidays like getting their teeth and eyes checked.
More need glasses which is not surprising given the level of lighting out there. I look forward to being there for 3 weeks in the summer to try to help out a bit and catch up with everyone. Many are heading into the teenage years now which will inevitably bring its challenges!
As usual, words can be found in a straight line, that can run forwards, backwards, up and down or diagonal and some letter/s may form more than one word, e.g. SONG OF SOLOMON.
You are looking for the following books in the old testament:
Chronicles Daniel Ecclesiastes
Ezekial Habbakkuk Haggai
Jeremiah Joshua Lamentations
Leviticus Numbers Nehemiah
Proverbs Zechariah Zephaniah
S N O I T A T N E M A L
O Z Z E P H A D D H D E
N E H E M I A H A J E C
G P Z C C N O B N E L C
O H Z E I H A P N R C L
F A E E K K A U I E I E
S N L Z K I M R E M N S
O I E U G B E K I I O I
L A K G E J K L L A R A
O H A R I A G G A H H S
M H S B A U H S O J C T
O S B R E V O R P R P E
N L E L E V I T I C U S
May 2005