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MarchNewsletter
Mustard SeedEvangelical Church
The
For the people of Callington and the greater glory of God
www.msec.org.uk
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Welcome!I have begun to read a book of short stories on travel experiences. The story I read this morning was about the challenges of safari holidays in Botswana. The author was highly apprehens ive about the c lose proximity of lions to the tented compound where she was staying and so, to allay her fears, one of the guides gave her a horn to blow if she was in danger of attack during the night. However, he reminded her that what constituted an emergency was not a lion rubbing up against her tent; it was only if said lion tried to get into it! This illustrated to me the way in which church fellowships often treat the Holy Spirit. We are OK when He works in such a way to encourage the existing fellowship and to bring in respectable newcomers, but when the Holy Spirit charges into our meetings and brings unchurched people off the streets and revolution then we reach for the emergency alarm!
This last month has been an interesting time for the Mustard Seed. We have seen people at our morning services who have not attended our church in recent years. We have had times of great blessing in those Sunday mornings in singing and praising God and in listening to what God is saying to us. There was the challenge and reward of ‘Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God’ which still rings in my heart!
February has also been a time of change and of possible new challenges facing the fellowship. Frank Gray spoke about h is work with Far East Broadcast ing , cha l leng ing and encouraging those who were there. The sensation of hearing that around one hundred million Chinese are Christians-‐roughly eight percent of the total population-‐and that possibly half of those had come to know Jesus through l istening to the radio broadcasts! When we look at our own spiritually benighted country we should remember that God works throughout the world to bring people into His family and, for this time, the Holy Spirit is sweeping through Asia to redeem souls who have suffered under Communism, Buddhism and other pagan religions.
Clare Vincent from Hope UK spoke to us in a morning service about the need for more Christians to train as drug advisors to speak at schools and voluntary organisations. We hosted a Churches Together in Callington food bank presentation and those at the meeting were inspired by the vision, enthusiasm and stories of the Looe/ Liskeard food bank team, who have been able to help over three hundred families and individuals in dire need in the last year. There has also been the first women’s breakfast group where ten ladies enjoyed cooked breakfast and Bible study together. A few
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Saturdays ago we had a quiz night in the hall which attracted over sixty keen quizzers, an evening which saw many attend who have no involvement with the church and which gave us an opportunity to show our neighbouring community that we are a friendly and welcoming fellowship.
Since the last newsletter went to press, we have also had a church meeting. During this meeting, the members spent some time in the church as Peter and Roger spoke of their vision for the church building. Questions were asked and answers given and since that evening, there have been fresh visionary ideas given to Roger. In my Christian experience, revival in terms of the hunger in the fellowship to grow in the Lord and in numbers attending the services is often initially demonstrated by work on the church building! There are Christians who say that the building is unimportant; it is what is done in that place which is the important thing: but the Bible calls us to come together to
worship in the Lord’s house and to show our love for Him partly in the way we look after His house.
The other particular matter that the church members discussed was the renewal of Tim’s contract as student Youth worker. The vote indicated that we should not renew Tim’s contract. This means that Tim will leave us in August. Please pray for Tim, that he will find a new placement and that his first married year is blessed. Please pray also for our future involvement with the young people of Callington. Tim is beginning to build relationships with teachers and pupils at the Community College and if we want this to continue then as a fellowship we should think seriously about how this will be able to carry it on.
God bless you and may March bring new signs of God’s blessing upon this fellowship!
– David
Monthly ActivitiesDate Time Event Location
Sunday 6/3 18:30 Prayer Meeting The Mustard Seed
Tuesday 8/3 17:00 Pancake Race Pannier Market
Friday 13/3 18:30 Revive St. Mary’s
Sunday 27/3 10:45 Sunday School Anniversary The Mustard Seed
Sunday 27/3 18:00 Café Church The Mustard Seed
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Missionary News– Gianni & Angela Gaeta
Dear Friends!Our hearts are filled with gratitude to our father in heaven for his faithfulness to us during this past year and as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus, now at Christmas we acknowledge and are thrilled at the fact that the “Prince of Peace” is with us! Peace with God, at peace with who/where we are and in it all, called to be a channel of His peace in our world.
QUICK REVIEW: The Vienna City church which we lead continues to grow, numerous decisions made to follow Jesus, foundation courses attended, water baptisms and an enlarged leadership team to carry the responsibilities! Over 200 committed to the Church and many more attending. Creative methods of outreach used s u c c e s s f u l l y i n c l u d i n g a n attractive stand at Europe's largest “New Age” Fair in Vienna offering prayer which was gladly received by dozens of searching individuals. (A number now at tend ing the C i ty Church regularly)
T he n e two r k o f c hu r c he s throughout the nation called “Vision for Austria” continues to facilitate church planting (3 pioneer works at various stages of development) and enables close fellowship amongst pastors and churches as well as organizing larger events. Early summer we enjoyed “XL retreat”, as all the churches united for 4 days of fe l lowsh ip , input and fun ! “Extreme” youth camp has taken on dimensions that are unknown here in Austria for Christian events , a wonderful opportunity for us to influence the lives of precious young people and teenagers.
I n te rna t iona l l y G i ann i ha s accepted more invitations than ever before to minister back in his home country, Italy, and is expecting God to give him clear direction for his future input in building something lasting and significant. An annual USA trip in summer seems to be established (which Thomas also enjoys) and usual ly involves leadership training, both receiving and
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giving! Visits to England tend be short and specific but always a joy to be amongst church leaders, friends and family.
FAMILY Matthias (19) completed his A levels in summer, spent 6 weeks travelling in Australia and is now working while deciding what/where he wants to study or just what to do! Many options open and not easy to decide. Thomas (15) has just cut back on time and effort being put into basketball (voluntary) to concentrate on schooling (compulsory)!! They both love to be involved in the life of the church, particularly with their musical talents. Esther (21) is working here in Vienna and planning to attend a course on Hotel management.
An absolute highlight of 2010 was our Silver Wedding Party at the end of November, when 180 family and friends gathered here in Vienna to celebrate 25 years of marriage and ministry! WAW, what a wonderful evening! And the honeymoon that we didn’t really have back then, we have just thoroughly enjoyed as we spent 12 days in the Caribbean!
Thank you to all who contributed to make it possible.
A relaxing holiday was just what we needed after what has been a very “interesting” year. Gianni unexpectedly ended up carrying a double work load for many months after I experienced a rather sudden breakdown in my health at the beginning of the year and have had some very quiet months, slowly recovering from extreme exhaustion. Much could be said, much has been learned, definitely not the easiest of years but as always a time when we have exper ience again the faithfulness of God and so thankful for renewed energy, restored health and the joy of looking forward to a great future.The opportunities for us to promote Jesus and see the Kingdom of God established here in Austria have never been greater and so we continue to value your prayers and support for us and take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful, enjoyable Christmas Season and richest Blessing throughout 2011.
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Takanori Nagakura was a high school student when he first tuned into FEBC. Later he began a correspondence with FEBC-‐Japan that changed the course of his life.
October 11 1996Hello FEBC, This is my first letter to you. I am a high school student and I listen to you every night. I am not a baptised Christian, but I feel strongly about God. I read the Bible every night, but I don’t go to church because I’m super busy at school.
When I was 16, I developed an intestinal infection and an early stage of mental depression. They were all stress-‐related. Since I was so miserable, I prayed to God, who I had never believed in. I said, ‘Please, God, help me if you’re really out there’. The moment I prayed, I felt good. It was awesome. That was my first encounter with God. Thank you. I’ll write again soon.
December 10, 1996Hello, my friends at FEBC: I’d like to ask you about God. Right now, I am reading the book of John. I used to think the notion of God was nonsense. But the Lord found me and changed me. In John 5:6, Jesus asked the invalid, ‘Do you want to get well?’ I ask myself the same question. I think it is the answer to everything. I’m not a churchgoer...yet. I know it’s not a good excuse to say I’m too busy, but I really don’t have time. ‘My Lord, will you still not forget a person like me? Please’.
December 20, 1996Hello, my friends at FEBC: Let me tell you, I went to church for the first time! The pastor is very kind and his sermon was titled, ‘Trust your God’. It was good and I think I understood it. It was such a fruitful day I want to go back. Thank you all. God bless you.
December 20, 1997You haven’t heard from me for quite some time. I’ve been studying very hard for the college entrance exam. My parents say they will make my wish come true if and when I pass the entrance exam. Guess what my wish is? I want to be officially baptized so I can be a bona fide Christian. Hurray! I can hardly wait.
An example of the saving power of the Gospel broadcasts on FEBC
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April 15, 1998.Hello my friends at FEBC: I have a surprise for you. I was baptised on April 12, 1998. It will always be a special day for me. However, I bombed the entrance exam. I was shocked. My friends consider me a loser. Had I not known what Jesus taught I would have called myself a loser, too. But I remembered this verse, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’. My life is not over yet. ‘Lord Jesus, my Saviour, I’m going to follow you no matter how my future shapes up’. That is my commitment as I start this new phase of my life.
July 8 2002.My dear friends at FEBC, Remember me? Three years ago, I was baptised. I moved to Tokyo and now I am in my final year at college. And I am not going to church. I have no interest in it for the time being. I could sense I was losing touch with my religious commitment. As my situation changed, my priorities changed. There’s so much more out there. Why not enjoy life? This must be a part of God’s plan.
Eternal death..everlasting life. To me, what’s important is now and whether or not I am happy. But one thought keeps nagging me. What does Jesus mean to me? I used to call him Lord. Why is he still on my mind? I’m sorry to say my Christian days are over and I don’t think I’ll ever come back. But my question about Jesus is still unanswered. I know how you must feel about this letter and I’m sorry. But at least you know I’m not lying.
August 26, 2003In my last letter I said, What does Jesus mean to me? That question still bothers me. Why doesn’t it leave me alone? I’m the one who betrayed Jesus like Judas. I haven’t touched the Bible. Prayers? I’ve forgotten how to pray.
September 12, 2003.Dear friends at FEBC, Thank you for your reply. It really saved me. I went back to church. My pastor wholeheartedly welcomed me and said, ‘Bless you, my child. God is always kind. Why would he not forgive you? He’s living within your heart’. Yes, it was a long journey but I’m back now. All because of the love and mercy of God. I may stray again, but God is leading the way, so I will trust him.
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Youth Work UpdateWe had another meeting with the group who will help with the planning and running of Café Church each month. They came up with the idea of having discussions on some of the questions that they face in their lives. We decided to have a discussion about why God allows suffering. We had a really good time at Café Church, and it was great to see the young people engage with each other and share their opinions.
We’re opening up the floor to their ideas, and it’s encouraging to see them being empowered to decide the future of our group. We have started a Questions Box each week, where people can put in their questions and things they want to look at in the future. We had a good number of questions this first month, and it will be interesting to see how it continues to grow and develop over the coming months.
We’ve had some more events at the Town Hall with the Friday Night Project. In February, we had over 160 young people for a Valentine’s Disco, and we’ve had a few more of
our smaller Café Nights. It has been a good opportunity to build relationships with the young people who come, and to see friends bringing their other friends. Please pray that I would be able to witness through my actions and presence at these events, and that they would serve the town we live in.
I was also at the Reunite Weekend with the Faith Mission at the end of February. We had a good time, with 14 young people up near Manaton; and it was encouraging to see the young people grow in Christ throughout the weekend.
I’ve also been invited back to help with the Community Act ion P e r s o n a l E n c o u r a g e m e n t Programme. I am working with a group who are planning some events for Comic Relief in a couple of weeks time. We are still waiting to hear back from the Religious Studies department, so please pray that the door would be open there also, thank you!
– Tim Cadoux
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Weekly ActivitiesMondaysMondays
19:30 Home Group at Iris Wilson’s Led by John Cole
19:30 Youth Group in the Hall. A chance for all the young people aged 13-‐18 to get together and have fun playing games, pool and table-‐tennis.
TuesdaysTuesdays
14:30 Home Group at Jenny Jane’s led by David Jewell
WednesdaysWednesdays
09:15 Seedlings in the Hall. For pre-‐schoolers and parents/carers.
19:45 Home Group at David Jewell’s led by David Jewell
ThursdaysThursdays
10:00 Ladies Bible Study in the Parlour.
SundaysSundays
10:45 Morning Worship at the Mustard Seed. Join us for a time of prayer, worship and teaching. There are groups for children and young people, through which they will learn more about God and enjoy finding out more about Him.
18:30 Evening Service
Contributions for December newsletter:
Deadline: 21st March 2011Speak to: Tim CadouxEmail: [email protected]
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ContactsLeadershipLeadership
David Jewell(Pastor)
Peter Coombe(Elder)
(01579) [email protected]
John Cole (Elder)
01752 [email protected]
Youth and Children’s WorkYouth and Children’s Work
Tim Cadoux (Youth Worker)
OutreachOutreach
Kathy Cole (Seedlings)
01752 [email protected]
Geraldine Parkyn(Residential Homes)
(01579) [email protected]
Other ActivitiesOther Activities
John Cole(Monday Home Group)
01752 [email protected]
David Jewell(Tue/Wed Home Groups)
Maureen Lloyd (Women’s Ministry)
(01579) 351853
If you have anything which you think might be appropriate to go in the newsletter, such as a joke, an event which is happening in the future, or a report about something which has already taken place;
please pass it on to Tim.
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The Back PewQ: Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?A: Noah; he was floating his stock while everyone was in liquidation.
Q: Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?A: Pharaoh's daughter; she went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.
Q: What kind of man was Boaz before he got married?A: Ruth-‐less.
Q: Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?A: Samson; he brought the house down.
Q: The ark was built in 3 stories and the top story had a window to let light in, but how did they get light to the bottom 2 stories?A: They used floodlights.
Q: After the flood, how many people left the ark ahead of Noah?A: 3 because the Bible says that Noah went forth out of the ark.
Q: Where is the first mention of insurance in the Bible?A: When Adam and Eve needed more coverage.
Q: What is the best way to get to Paradise?A: Turn right and go straight.
Q: Why shouldn't Christians watch TV?A: At the transfiguration, Jesus said, "Tell the vision to no one."
Q: Who was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?A: Moses, because he broke all 10 commandments at once.
Q: Who was known as a Mathematician in the Bible?A: Moses, he wrote the book of Numbers.
Q: Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?A: The area around the Jordan, the banks were always overflowing.
Q: How do we know that Job went to a chiropractor?A: Because Job 16:12, 14, 16 says, "I had come to be at ease, but he proceeded to shake me up: and he grabbed me by the back of the neck and proceeded to smash me."
Q: Will there be dogs in the new system?A: No, 2 Peter 3:14 tells us that we will be without spot.
Q: Who was the straightest man in the bible?A: Joseph, because the Pharaoh made him a ruler.
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Who We Are:
The Mustard Seed is a fellowship of Christians committed to discovering God’s love and truth for today. During our worship and study times, in our family and social events, and through our caring and Outreach Ministries we explore and share God’s grace and guidance as He helps us become and grow as His followers.
What We Believe:
•God is real.•Jesus is Lord.•The Holy Spirit gives life.•God speaks through the Bible.•God forgives us.•Jesus cares for us.•Jesus is coming back.
Mustard SeedEvangelical Church
The
For the people of Callington and the greater glory of God
www.msec.org.uk
We warmly welcome you, or anyone else to meet with us!
