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January 2014
A New Year, a Fresh Start,
the Same GOD
PEEBLES BAPTIST CHUR CH
Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday, today,
and forever Hebrews 13: 8 (NLT)
Jesus Christ is the Jesus Christ is the Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday, today, same yesterday, today, same yesterday, today,
and foreverand foreverand forever Hebrews 13: 8 (NLT)
H appy New Year! The last month has been a non-stop whirl of activity, both within the church and in our personal lives, so if you’re anything
like me it’s something of a relief to be able to sit back in January and take a breath.
As we do so, Morag (opposite) gives us an important prompt to reflect not just about the past year, but also about the year to come. In his blog, author and speaker Krish Kandiah suggests five questions to ask ourselves about 2014, and the part that we are allowing God to play
in it in our lives - I wonder if you’ll find these as challenging as I have:
1. Are God’s priorities driving my life?
Is there anything God wants to change about what I am doing? Has my personal growth, career, ambition or reputation dislodged God from the rightful centre of my life?
2. How can I demonstrate God’s character this year?
How can I be more godly in my family, workplace, neighbourhood, social media usage? What areas of my life is the Holy Spirit prompting me to shine more brightly for Christ?
3. What new habits might help me to be more attentive to God?
Prayer – how can I listen more effectively to God? Bible study – how can I allow God’s word to set the direction of my life? Communion – how can I deepen my relationship with God’s people? Whom could I help to grow in their faith? Who could help me grow in maturity? Rest – how can I make sure my work does not become an idol? Reading – how can I keep my faith fresh and engaged through reading helpful literature?
4. To whom can I show the hospitality of God?
Note the word “hospitality” rather than “generosity” - one way we sometimes try to alleviate a guilty conscience about poverty is to give money away rather than give ourselves away. Is there anything I can do to offer hospitality to the vulnerable in my community?
5. How can I effectively share the good news of Jesus in my life and words this year?
The thing I am most grateful for in my life is the gospel. The good news that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection have opened a way for me to be adopted into God’s family. I don’t want anyone to miss out on this incredible privilege and so I want to look closely at my life to see how I can better share the good news graciously, attractively and clearly.
Ian
From the Editor I am not very good at New Year Resolutions, but something I do like to do
is to reflect on the past and acknowledge all God has done for me/us, to
see how he has been with us and has been in control even when it may
not have seemed like it at the time, and to ask him to be continue to be
with us in the coming years.
A poem that comes to mind, and that I don’t think will ever lose its
impact on me is Footprints in the Sand, by Mary Stevenson.
Prayer Breakfast
Saturday 11 January
8.30 – 10am
(breakfast 8.30 - 9am)
1 Northcroft Road, Biggar
Vicky’s Tearoom
Sunday 12 January
3 – 4 PM
Deacons Meeting
Wednesday 8th Jan
10am
Sarah McArthur Visit
Come and meet our new BMS
link missionary, Sarah
McArthur, on Thursday 9th Jan.
7.30 - 9pm at the Drummonds
(No homegroups that week)
Messy Church
Saturday January 25th
3.30 - 5.30pm
Helpers needed to set up,
cook, serve, play, chat,
and clean - see Ian if
you’re available.
Diversity
Thursday 30th January
Batik evening, 7.30-9.30pm
Names to Morag or Lindsey – limited spaces, so the first 10 women who respond will get a
place.
Singing Together at
Dovecot Court
Wednesday 15th January
(postponed from Jan 1st)
2.00 PM
See Christine for
more information
Mens Group Thursday 16th January 8PM in Drovers Way
See Frank for details
Open Doors
Tues 14 January 10 AM
Willie and Wilma’s
8 Connor Ridge
Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity
Joint Service
Sunday 19 Jan, 11 AM
Old Parish Church
Sarah McArthur Visit
Come and meet our new BMS
link missionary, Sarah
McArthur, on Thursday 9th Jan.
7.30 - 9pm at the Drummonds
(No homegroups that week)
Dovecot Court Service
Wednesday 8th January
Please join us at at 3pm, as we
take our turn to lead the
fortnightly service at Dovecot
Court.
Diversity
Thursday 30th January
Batik evening, 7.30-9.30pm
Names to Morag or Lindsey – limited spaces, so the first 10 women who respond will get a
place.
Prayer Points from BMS As agents of change, mission workers are placed in various ministries to equip and empower others, enabling those they seek to serve to also become part of the change.
Please pray for:
Health: Mary, Ismay and Anne, working to see change for those who are terminally ill in Tunisia.
Justice and Advocacy: Kathy Russell, Annet Ttendo and Damien Miller as they learn Portuguese and begin work alongside local Christian law-yers.
Education: for those mission workers at GDQ school (Albania), KISC (Nepal) and Grace School (Bangladesh), building up, teaching and equip-ping missionary children.
Business initiatives: that business involvement in South Asia would re-sult in tangible, positive changes in thousands of factory workers’ lives.
Development: Tim and Rachel Eagle settling into Mozambique and learning Portuguese.
Training and mentoring Pastors: Andrew and Gwen Millns in Bangla-desh and Harland Rivas and Gill Thurgood in Peru, that Pastors will be equipped.
Leadership development: BMS enables about 200 Supporter Partner Workers to be agents of change within their locality.
Local Give thanks for all that has happened in 2013, especially over Christmas.
We have a significant number of people in our fellowship who are ill at the moment - please continue to pray for them.
Also remember the work of the Gideons in schools. They will be going in to Peebles High School on Tuesday 14 January to present bibles to all the first year pupils. Pray that they would be well received and that each bible would be able to positively influence each child that receives one.
The word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty, but I will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.(Isaiah 55: 11)
BUS Prayer Link Calendar: January 2014 Sunday 5th January
Neil Allison (Army Chaplain)
Abbeyhill Baptist Church
Aberdeen Christian Fellowship
Adelaide Place Baptist Church
Sunday 12th January
Marylee Anderson (Chaplain, Aberdeen University)
Airdrie Baptist Church
Alexandria Baptist Church
Alloa Baptist Church
Sunday 19th January
Graham Bell (Chaplain, HMP Glenochil)
Alness Baptist Church
Alva Baptist Church
Ardbeg (Rothesay) Baptist Church
Sunday 26th January
Nick Blair (Chaplain, Merchiston Castle School)
Arran Baptist Church
Ayr Baptist Church
Barnton Baptist Church
A quick mention of the Community Christmas Meal -
thanks to everyone who came, and to the many who were involved in one way or another in setting up, decorating,
transporting, cooking, serving, entertaining, clearing and cleaning. The main point of the meal was to be able to
share our celebrations with those who aren’t normally part of our church family, so it was really exciting to see
so many new faces at the meal!
Rachel and Tim
Eagle
Prayer Letter, December 2013 bmsworldmission.org/rteagle
“Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteous-ness.” Matthew 3:15
This quote is the first words Jesus says in the gospel of Matthew as he asks John the Baptist to baptise him. We often wonder what John would have felt at this point, having prepared the way for Jesus, now here Jesus stands before him wanting John to bap-tise him, all the while John thinking who am I worthy enough to baptise you.
Jesus was and is amazing, and as the last six months have passed and we have often sat in our house, hot, confused and tired, we have felt some of what John may have felt. Asking ourselves if we are worthy enough to be here working for Jesus. Our continued strength comes from John’s re-sponse here in relation to Jesus’ words, just as he baptised Jesus because it was the right thing to do so we must continue to do what is right and re-spond with joy to the call God gave us and the advancing of his Kingdom.
We have settled into life in Mozambique and feel much more at home here. Daily life such as shopping at the wee market stalls close to our home, frequent power cuts and no water pass by almost without us notic-ing now. Other things, however, we are still very much getting used to, like the intensifying heat and many cultural differences to understand.
By Christmas we will have finished the first two units of language, and thankfully verbs and prepositions are becoming fixed in our heads as daily conversations and understanding improve. As well as studying hard to learn the language we have been meeting people in order to establish con-tacts and making a life for ourselves here.
&
Rachel has been visiting the hospital, trying to get her head around a com-pletely different health system with by and large different diseases. She has been shocked by the age of the patients, the majority under 30 years old. So different from the UK where the majority of the patients in hospi-tal are elderly. Last week she met two young women, both in their 20's, very unwell and in the late stages of HIV and both of whom had young children that could so easily be orphans soon. It is striking just how des-perately poor the state of the hospital is, many patients can not be provid-ed with basic things like oxygen, medication and tests like a simple heart tracing.
Tim has been going to farms, reading reports on agriculture in Mozam-bique and attempting to grow for himself some crops in a small patch of soil under the coconut tree in the back garden, all in an attempt to under-stand a little more of tropical agriculture. He has also been involved with a new agricultural project proposal in Sussendenga, Manica province. The project hopes to buy and use cattle to improve the local pastors’ ability to produce food, so he can spend more time in and with the church. We hope this project will receive funding soon.
Hannah and Sam continue to adapt well to life here. Sam loves the roads as there are so many big trucks and bikes to look at. Hannah knows a bit of Portuguese but is still a little reluctant to speak it. Sam on the other hand seems to under-stand both English and Portuguese and is speaking many words in both lan-guages. He still tells a lot of stories in his own Sam language and it makes us smile when our guard asks us to trans-late his babble into Portuguese!
We have been fortunate to have been welcomed to visit an orphanage close by called Kadesh, we visit every week and are enjoying getting to know the young boys that live there. Kadesh has a small farm, with some cows and goats and a vegetable garden. For us being there feels a little like home, but there is a sadness that so many children in Mozambique are or-phans. There are several orphanages in Beira and many of the children that live in them have had such difficult childhoods, often having been liv-ing rough for a long time. Please pray for the work of Kadesh and orphan-ages like this.
The church we have been attending is good, although long and hot which
in honesty we are still getting used to. One of us plays with the children outside the church during the services which gives us the benefit of enjoy-ing time with the other children and chatting with other mums. The church is crammed full each week and full of life. Please pray for the continued strength of the local church and that the Mozambican people will be blessed with a greater understanding of God.
Life and plans have changed a little for us since we arrived. The other family that we were due to join and work with are unable to return at the moment which changes work plans a bit. We have also just been through some local elections here and unfortunately there had been outbreaks of violence before and after the elections. Many local people here are feel-ing a little un-nerved by the situation, and with the main elections next year these tensions may continue. This disagreement with the opposition party, coupled with a spate of kidnappings means we have had to be a lit-tle bit more low key recently and are unable to travel outside of the city and have to be cautious within. There have been some incidences where we have been grateful for the protection of God and for the love local peo-ple have shown us in advising us where to, and to not go. As these tensions continue please pray that God will bring peace to the country.
We have a long break from language over Christmas which is their main summer holiday here, and because of the recent tensions and the restric-tive impact of it on the kids we have decided to have a holiday in the UK for three weeks. We are very much looking forward to seeing our family and friends again and Hannah and Sam are very excited by seeing their grandparents and also hopefully some snow.
As plans and life in Mozambique have changed from what we first thought there is a natural feeling of the unknown in us as we look into the future. The plan, however, is for us to still consider moving to Chimoio, inland from Beira to commence work after language finishes around Easter 2014. We remain certain that God will guide, protect and sustain us and we ask for your prayers that we will continue to seek God and trust God.
Many thanks for all your prayers, we are certain that us being here is a team effort and your prayers make up a significant part of that team.
Much love, Tim, Rachel, Hannah & Sam
Sarah McArthur
Prayer Letter, December 2013
bmsworldmission.org/smcarthur
For those of you who don’t know me I would like to just share a wee bit about me at the begin-ning of this journey. My name is Sarah and I live outside Perth in Scotland. I was born in Kuwait and am from a big family. I am a practical person and love to be outside. For the last five years I have been working as a plant propagator at Glendoick Nursery and have enjoyed all the practical elements of this job.
From a very early age God placed a love for all different people and cul-tures in my heart. I have always enjoyed travelling and seeing how other
people live. The time has finally come when I’ve been called to use all God has given me and share it with others. Time is flying. Training is nearly over and my leaving date for Peru is getting closer.
International Mission Centre (IMC) Training
Before I started my training I will be honest that I wasn’t really wanting to do it. I just wanted to get on a plane and get on with the work. I do not like to learn in a classroom, I do not like to be inside and I don’t really like to read. I’m so glad that I have done this training, God has blessed me so much and I thank Him daily. He has given me the strength to stay in-doors, a hunger to learn all I can and understanding to write the essays that have been asked of me.
I thank God for the amazing teachers here. They have encouraged, sup-ported and challenged me through the beginning of this journey, giving me a great foundation to start from. The friendships I have made here will be lifelong and I look forward to deepening these as we keep in touch through email.
I have learnt so much through the lectures here. We have been learning about cultural issues, Theology, spirituality and also my favourite class
of rediscovering the Bible. All of the classes have stretched me and partic-ularly taught me how to read God’s word with greater understanding.
Fundraising
I would like to say a huge big thank you to all my friends and family who have and are supporting me. Words really can’t express how grateful I am to you all. After various car boot sales, people supporting me on a monthly basis and the big family fun day I had in August I have nearly reached my target. Please do feel free to support me if you are able.
The work
I head to Peru at the end of January 2014 and will be heading to Arequipa for 6 months of lan-guage school learning Spanish. This is not a part of Peru I have been to before so am really looking forward to this.
I will then head to the Loreto region in the north of Peru. It is undecided as yet where I will be living but it will be Iquitos or Nauta. I look forward to joining the BMS team that is already out there and getting involved with the work. I do not know all that I will be involved with but it will consist of some plant propagation, creation care teaching and I have also been asked to start something up for the youth which will probably be along the lines of a Bible study.
I have previously been to Peru on a short-term mission with the Vine Trust in 2011. One of the weeks I spent in Iquitos painting and plastering a home for street boys. I really enjoyed my time and also the Peruvian people and look forward to returning to see what has changed and to learn more of the culture.
Thank you once again for all your support. I look forward to journeying with you in this new adventure.
Prayer Points
That I may be able to say goodbyes and see everyone before I leave.
For the finalisation of my visa and all that is involved with my flights
For my family at home
With love
Sarah xx
Peruvian snake at Ad Den
Animal Farm
Sarah in Peebles
Before she sets off for Peru, Sarah is coming to visit us here in Peebles! Please come and meet her on Thursday 9th January, from 7.30 - 9pm at the Drummonds house (12 Drovers Way) - there will be no homegroups that week, so your evening is clear!
There’ll be a talk, a quiz, a chance to pray together, and generally get to know Sarah a bit. This may be our last chance to see Sarah for some time, so please come and encourage her as she spends her last few weeks in the UK.
Peebles Baptist Church is now linked to four sets of BMS mission workers:
Sarah McArthur, who will be going to Peru in January;
Rachel and Tim Eagle and their family, based in Mozambique;
Andy & Jutta Cowie, based in Haiti;
and Ann & David MacFarlane in Italy.
If you would like to support any of our link workers by prayer and committed regular giving, visit bmsworldmission.org/partners or call 01235 517617 for a 24:7 Partners leaflet.
for women of all ages
Diversity Batik evening
Thursday January 30th – 7.30-9.30pm
Victoria Park Centre
Spaces are limited to 10 for this evening, so please give your names to
Morag or Lindsey – the first 10 women who respond will get a place.
Discover Batik with Frances Hider
If you love colour, enjoy working with fabric, and are happy to have a go,
this is the class for you.
Batik is a method of using wax on cloth to resist the flow of dye and create
unique and original designs.
In this two hour workshop we will be working on fine cotton, with hot
wax and fibre reactive dyes. We will stretch the fabric on wooden frames
to provide a firm canvas. You will learn about the dyes and colour mixing
as well as how to apply the wax to fabric to give shape, line and texture to
your artwork.
You will be guided through the learning process with a tutor led project.
There will be plenty of images and ideas available to inspire you, but if
you have a motif or shape you like, bring it along.
At the end of the evening you will have a cushion cover sized piece of fab-
ric art work that is completely original and of your own design.
Suitable for beginners and those with experience.
What to Bring
Roll of Kitchen Paper Towel
A pair of latex type gloves to protect hands from the dyes
A jar for water to wash dye brushes
An apron or overall to protect clothes (wear old clothes)
A soft pencil for marking your design on the fabric. A 4B pencil works
well.
If you have an old embroidery ring or a small wooden frame (no more
than 12”x12”) bring it along as it is handy to have a tester piece.
Cost per person: £2.50 per person
Maximum no: 10
Diversity Drumming evening
Thursday 27th Feb
Men are warmly welcome to come along and join us!
Nomad Beat, Cavalry Park, Peebles.
The workshop is for up to 20 people – please give names to Lindsey or
Morag as soon as possible.
There will be a small charge for attending the evening
Diversity Kolkata evening and Freeset bag and gift party
Thursday 27th March
Venue to be confirmed
Sue Swift came and talked to Diversity in November, and told us all about
the forthcoming BMS trip to Kolkata. We learned a lot of information
about life for women in Kolkata where the sex trade is a fact of life for
hundreds of women and girls. Those present were touched by what we
heard and we committed to pray for Sue and her friends as they go on the
mission trip, and to pray about the situation in Kolkata. (See back page
for more information about the trip.)
Sue will be in Kolkata from 24th January until 6th February with a group
of Christian women from around Scotland. Sue will come to visit us on
the 27th March and tell us all about the trip.
No shock
Soldiers aren’t surprised when they have to engage in warfare. But I sense that sometimes we’re shocked when we hit difficult times. We think we’ve found the secret of happiness but we’ve also found a life in which we need to wear the armour every day! It’s rather like climbing into the boxing ring with Mike Tyson and complaining, ‘He hit me!’ You’re lucky he didn’t bite your ear off!
Sometimes it’s the sense of shock that throws us out of military motiva-tion and into stagnation. The commentator Ben Witherington III tells us that Peter’s words, ‘Don’t be surprised’ are in the present continuous tense and could be expressed, ‘Stop being regularly surprised’.
We’re in a battle – in fact we’re in a historic battle – the battle of all bat-tles, the coming in of the rule and kingdom of God. We’re invading na-tions and cultures with another culture. We’re saying that there’s another king called Jesus. It’s that mixture of warfare and peace that makes things strange. Dead soldiers come back from Afghanistan in coffins. The hears-es that carry them drive down Wooten Bassett high street, past the super-markets and cafes, and the surreal scene somehow doesn’t fit with normal life. In Afghanistan life and death is familiar territory. Here, it’s shocking.
The fiery arrows will come into all kinds of settings. They’ll fly into our domestic scene. Suddenly you’ll find them in your marriage. Wife, you’ll be saying, ‘When we fell in love I thought, “Wow, he’s so bright and unor-thodox and such a great guy, there’s something about him, he’s so excit-ing.” But now I’m married to him, I’ve noticed how impulsive he is in dealing with our money.’ The bright and unorthodox has become irre-sponsible. Husband, maybe you’re thinking, ‘She was so together, so sharp, but now she’s swamping me with detail and everything has to be
‘Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to
test you, as though something strange were happening to you’
(1 Pet. 4:12)
Part 3:
Genuine
Conflict
written down. We thought we loved one another, what’s happening?’ Sud-denly you realise you’re being hit, your very marriage is under attack.
Maybe we’ve moved home to be involved in a church plant. Initially, it’s a small group and then someone gets sick and the group struggles. Don’t be shocked. It’s part of the battle.
It can also invade our place of work. Suddenly you get a new boss or the expectations of the firm alter. The change is unpleasant. Then we find that we’ve lost our job and after months of unemployment you think, ‘What’s going on here? Where’s God in all this?’
No fear
On the one hand, we mustn’t be shocked by the warfare, on the other hand, we mustn’t be frightened by it. Fear is one of Satan’s greatest weap-ons. Initially, it prevented Israel from getting into the Promised Land. The Israelites were afraid of their strong-looking enemies and decided that they couldn’t possibly defeat them.
People today hit this sort of thing. ‘I’ve been asked to take on this strate-gic role, but I’m not sure that I can fulfil it,’ they say. Fear grips them and then they hear a cunning Satanic voice which suggests that God is actually accusing them. It’s a deceitful wile of Satan’s to put you down and let fear dominate your heart. You end up feeling, ‘I can’t produce what God wants of me. I haven’t got what it takes.’ Fear cripples you and terrifies you into a sense of appalling inadequacy.
These days newly married couples are signing pre-nuptial agreements which state, ‘If this doesn’t work out, we’ll back out.’ What’s your exit strategy if this doesn’t work? When Field Marshall Montgomery went to North Africa he said, ‘Here we stay. There is no more retreat. We either win or we die. We’re not withdrawing from here.’
Soldier of Christ, don’t be shocked or frightened by thoughts of defeat. The Scriptures declare, ‘Come on, be strong in the Lord. Stand your ground.’ God expects us to be strong. That’s how it starts – with that mo-rale. Have your head lifted. Get ready. Then he says, ‘Put on weaponry.’ We must put on armour from a positive perspective. First of all, let’s be strong.
This post was adapted from the 1st of three sermons on the Armour of God preached at Together on a Mission 2010; www.terryvirgo.org/Articles/264622/Terry_Virgo/Resources/Articles/Series/Armour_of_God_Genuine_conflict.aspx
Sunday 5 January
Children’s talk: Christine Drummond
KAOS: Christine Drummond, Janlyn Townley, Jan
Gordon
Teens: Stay in service
Flowers: Isobel Clifford
Stewards: Frank Drummond, Carolyn Munro
Teas: Pat Hamilton
Setup: Team 2
Communion Servers: Rab Bramhall, Moira Dalrymple
Sunday 12 January
Children’s talk: Rab Bramhall
KAOS: Christine Drummond, Carol Jones, Moira
Dalrymple
Teens: Rab Bramhall
Flowers: Linda Bell
Stewards: Jennie and Bill Jacobs
Teas: Kenny Hamilton
Setup: Team 1
Transport
Christine Drummond, Margaret Cowan, Jackie Tidder, Douglas
McCall
Services in Victoria Park Centre (unless otherwise indicated)
Pastor: Ian Gray
07881 518854
Secretary: Christine Drummond
01721 722062
Treasurer: Liz Keiro
01721 730217
Website: http://peeblesbaptistchurch.org
Sunday 19 January
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
United Service in the Old Parish Church at 11am
(No service at Victoria Park Centre)
Sunday 26 January
Children’s talk: Jacqueline Wilson
KAOS: Jennie Jacobs, Pat Hamilton, Wilma Wintour
Teens: Helping with KAOS
Flowers: Margaret Cowan
Stewards: Stan Henderson, Lindsey Gray
Teas: Hazel Hoggan
Setup: Team 1
Setting up
Team 1 – David Tidder, Frank Drummond, Janet Smith,
Team 2 – Janet Smith, Bill Jacobs, Jacqueline Wilson
Laying Communion Table in January
Lindsey Gray
Services in Victoria Park Centre (unless otherwise indicated)
Pastor: Ian Gray
07881 518854
Secretary: Christine Drummond
01721 722062
Treasurer: Liz Keiro
01721 730217
Website: http://peeblesbaptistchurch.org
