“TURN YOURSELVES INSIDE OUT”
GWENT BAPTISTS TOLD
Christians need to practise their faith “on the outside” by engaging with people where they are in their lives and not just by praying inside the four walls of a church that God will send them in, the Gwent Baptist Association’s annual general meeting at Abertillery was told on Thursday (9 October).
“God is interested in people’s lives from Monday to Saturday and not just on a Sunday”, said the Rev. Dr. Craig Gardiner, tutor in Christian doctrine at the South Wales Baptist College, Cardiff, who was giving the keynote address.
“It’s time we Christians turned ourselves inside out…into our cities, towns and local communities so that worship becomes as relevant in public houses, shopping centres and other public places as in our chapels”, Dr. Gardiner continued. “We are commanded to go and make disciples just as Jesus did. The real challenge is to take the Gospel message out by living it in our everyday lives”.
The other guest speaker at the AGM held at Blaenau Gwent Baptist Church was Menna Machreth, mission co-ordinator for the Baptist Union of Wales and the Baptist Missionary Society World Mission. She gave details of a special BUW appeal being launched to fund the building of a new hospital maternity unit in Chad – a landlocked country in central Africa. Chad has some of the worst maternity mortality rates in the world.
Association president Mr. Geoffrey Champion formally welcomed two new ministers: the Rev. Jonathan Forman who will be inducted into the pastorate at Blaenau Gwent Baptist Church on November 8 and the Rev. Huw Stephens, a long-serving figure in terms of the Association and its work, who has been ordained and inducted as a second minister at Bethesda Baptist Church, Rogerstone.
The following Association officers were appointed: president: Mr. Geoffrey Champion; vice president, the Rev. Olwen Clatworthy; secretary, the Rev. Liz Squires; treasurer, Mrs Linda Price; superintendent, the Rev. Dr. Peter Baines and the following co-opted members: the Rev. Richard Harrison, the Rev. D. Marc Owen, Mr. Ron Spillards and the Rev. Huw Stephens.
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FELLOWSHIP MEAL
(BRING & SHARE)
Saturday 25th October
6.00pm
Everyone welcome
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WE ARE CALLED TO BE DOWN-TO-EARTH
HIGH FLYERS!
“But they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
When asked recently why the Christian church in the Western world seems to be in sharp decline, a preacher replied: “Because the church has too many sparrows in it and not enough eagles!”
Sparrows , like many other birds, fly together in flocks at low altitudes and are considered to be weak and vulnerable – albeit charming members of God’s creation. Eagles, in contrast, are icons of power and strength. So let’s look briefly at some of the characteristics of eagles and what this familiar text from Isaiah teaches us about what we can become if we wait upon the Lord.
First, an eagle has absolutely no fear of its prey, no matter what the size. We too must be fearless in telling others about the love and sacrifice of God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Way, Truth and Life in this dark, sin-sick world.
An eagle looks for and flies into storms. As storms approach, lesser birds head for cover, but the eagle spreads its wings and mounts upon the powerful winds, soaring to great heights. Eagles actually use the storm to lift them. As Christians we are urged to see our trials and tribulations as means of testing our faith in God and putting our complete trust in Him so that we can achieve great things for Him even though we live simple, ordinary lives.
The eagle is known for its ferociousness, yet no member of the bird family is more gentle and attentive to its young. At just the right time, the mother eagle begins to teach her eaglets how to fly. She gathers an eaglet onto her back, and spreading her wings, flies high. Suddenly she swoops out from under the eaglet and allows it to fall. As it falls, it gradually learns what its wings are for until the mother catches it once again. The process is repeated. If the young is slow to learn or cowardly, she returns it to the nest, and begins to tear it apart, until there is nothing left for the eaglet to cling to. Then she nudges him off the cliff. In summary, ask God to teach and train you to be reliant upon His Word, active in prayer, faithful in fellowship and a servant in seeking to meet the needs of others in church and in the wider community.
Finally, eagles can fly up to an altitude of 10,000 feet, but they are able to swiftly land on the ground. The descending glide of an eagle can be anywhere from 50-75 mph. Here’s the point: Christians, and especially those in leadership roles, must be down to earth. We must be able to touch people with the Gospel message of salvation in a way that enables them to know us, enjoy being with us and trust us. The message of the Gospel speaks loudest when people see Christ in us. That’s not possible when we are10,000 feet in the air!
BIBLE STUDY
The Pastor will be leading a Bible study entitled
‘Purpose Driven Life’ on a Thursday evening,
commencing on 23rd October at 7.00pm.
This Bible study will continue for approximately
40 weeks.
Everyone is encouraged to attend so please try
and come along.
Speakers for Sundays in October
5th: am: Pastor Peter Cho
pm: Mr Chris Parker-Jones
12th: am: Pastor Peter Cho
pm: Gail Dixon
19th: am: Mr Mel McDonagh
pm: “ “ “ “
26th: am: Pastor Peter Cho
pm: Rev Richard Harrison
Diary Dates for October
Tuesday 7th: Prayer Meeting
Thursday 9th: Luncheon Club
Gwent Baptist Association AGM
Tuesday 14th: Silk Road Ministries
Thursday 16th: Joint Prayer Meeting
Thursday 23rd: Luncheon Club
‘Purpose Driven Life’ Bible study
20th – 24th: Newbridge Renewal Exhibition
Saturday 25th: 6.00pm: Fellowship Meal
Wednesday 29th: Joint Deacons’ Meeting
Thursday 30th: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ Bible Study