14:27

Saturday, September 27, 2008, was a wonderfully warm afternoon. Straight after the usual morning service, several of the Camberwell congregation walked round to the Camberwell Green Care Home. We were warmly welcomed by the staff and the residents who had been encouraged to stay in the sitting room after their lunch in expectation of an afternoon of singing and jollity.

Led by Geoff Stilwell on guitar, everyone joined in with ‘olde tyme’ songs such as, ‘Waiting at the Church’, ‘Henery the Eighth’, ‘Pack Up Your Troubles’, ‘We’ll Meet again’ and ‘Waltzing Matilda’. This was interspersed with hymns old and new such as ‘Blessed Assurance’, ‘All Hail The Lamb’ and ‘Amazing Grace’. Some of the residents were really getting into the mood with hands raised as well as their voices. The living room French windows were open and the sound of our songs floated out on warm summer air on to Camberwell Green that afternoon.

Monica, Corinne, Annie & Geoff at the Camberwell Green Care Home

Singing is thirsty work and we all enjoyed a very welcome cup of tea and a chat afterwards. We got to know some of the residents and their visiting sons and daughters. Although it appeared that some of the residents were just sitting very quietly, their relatives told us later that they had really appreciated our visit and would like it more often.

This wasn’t the first time we had been to the care home. Just before Christmas 2007 we sang carols and handed out gifts of toiletries to the residents. We plan to visit again before Christmas 2008 and continue to establish an on-going relationship with the home.

The Manchester congregation joined with the members of St. Andrew’s Church where we meet for services on Sunday, September 28, for a “Harvest Festival Back to Church Unity Service.”

Other organisations which also use the hall joined with us for the service. There were members of the Cubs, the Scouts, the Guides, a keep-fit class, plus a children’s drama class and others. Most were led in by their flags, or banners.

Special Service in Manchester

Lisa Battye, vicar of St. Andrews, led the service throughout. After a representative from each group introduced themselves, Kath Disley of St. Andrews read John 17:20–26 regarding Christ’s prayer for unity. Margaret Bedford then sang “You Raised Me Up,” followed by David Bedford preaching a 10-minute homily on unity in all walks of life. Kevin Fajkis and Zygmunt Bartosz of the WCG led prayers for unity of the families and the races. Two teenagers from St. Andrews offered prayers for unity in the local community. A large amount of food was presented in thankfulness for our needs being supplied over the year. This was later to be distributed amongst the poor in the area. During the service the children individually wove various ribbons symbolising unity. At the end of the service the ribbons were tied together to make a long cord, representing greater unity.

As a result of the Manchester Worldwide Church of God’s meeting each week in St. Andrews, they have been listed on the Church of England website www.achurchnearyou.com. It states: Both of our buildings are well used and on Saturday afternoons St Andrew’s hosts a Worldwide Church of God congregation, with whom we work with shared intent in local mission for the extension of God’s Kingdom.

Margaret Channon of the Watford church has sent in some new designs for Prayer Postcards. She has received some response already, including one from another church for which the request was to pray for revival for their local church. Let’s all pray for revival wherever we are. Why not use some of Margaret’s postcards for your congregation or design some yourself? Maybe there are some keen photographers in your congregation whose photos you could use. The thought is to distribute the postcards however you can and thereby give people the opportunity for prayer and to contact us.

Can We Pray for You?

Can We Pray for You?

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of” wrote Tennyson in his poem about the death of King Arthur.

London Prayer Ministry Table

Our congregation in London offers to pray for people in the streets around where they meet. When they do this outreach suddenly Fitzroy Square becomes a place where prayer is “customarily made”, just like it was by the banks of the river in Philippi ((Acts 16:13).Offering to pray for people invites them into the fellowship of God and is a way of meeting others at their point of need. Please continue to pray for this special ministry of the London church.

Are you Burdened?

“What hinders me from being baptized?” the Ethiopian asked Philip. The reply was, “If you believe with all your heart, you may” (Acts 8:36 37).

After baptism people receive the laying on of hands of the ministry to indicate that God has set them apart for sanctification by the Holy Spirit. In this photo Karen Griffiths receives the laying on of hands from James Henderson and Fraser Murdoch.

Karen Griffiths of the Birmingham congregation and Michael Beech of the Great Baddow congregation confessed their faith in Christ through baptism in the month of October. Welcome, Karen and Michael, to the Body of Christ, which is the church, and to the fellowship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Michael Beech from the Great Baddow congregation

The Tororo brethren, in Eastern Uganda, can now enjoy worship services in their own church building. Built with thanks to financial assistance from the Churches in the UK and Ireland, the building is a welcome sight in the rural Tororo village of Poyameri. The building, constructed of white-painted brick and roofed with blue corrugated metal sheets, can seat over one hundred people. The structure is divided into a meeting hall, reception and a small office, and sits on a parcel of land which is large enough to allow various other activities such as socials or sporting activities. Ownership of the building enables the Ugandan church to renew its national registration.

Ugandan Church Building

The WCG East Africa Area Pastor, Mr. Kimani Ndungu, officially opened the church building on Saturday, September 27, 2008. It was a colourful ceremony attended by several representatives of the Uganda government, various leaders from other church denominations and the local people. Also in attendance were several church leaders from Kenya; Stephen Ochana (Teso & Bungoma churches), John Amadala (Western Kenya Region Overseer), Anne and Kagema Muriuki (Shalom Church, Nairobi) and Mary Wainaina (Shalom Church, Nairobi).

Ugandan Congregation

Mr. William Othieno, pastor of the Tororo congregation, gave a brief history of the church, starting from the humble beginning of two baptised members in 1966. As a matter of interest, Mr. Othieno and Mr. Eldad Opiyo, a deacon in the Tororo church, were the first two members of the church in the East African region.

Podium of the new Church building

“This building is not just for the Worldwide Church of God members,” said Mr. Othieno, “it is for all the people in this area. It is for use by the surrounding community, provided it is not used for activities which do not glorify God or are contrary to the government of Uganda. ”

“This is a wonderful moment for the church in Uganda, as we celebrate the first church building ever built for the Worldwide Church of God in this country,” Mr. Ndungu said in his brief speech before cutting the ribbon across the door of the meeting hall. Representing WCG Church administration, Mr. Ndungu thanked the brethren of the UK and Ireland churches for their love for their brethren in Tororo. “This building is a visible sign of the international ties between members of the Worldwide Church of God locally and overseas.”

Ugandan Congregation

After cutting the ribbon at the entrance, church members sang and danced their way into the meeting hall. Mr. Ochana then led the worshippers in a rousing praise and worship session featuring a lively mix of songs in the English and Kiswahili languages. The Tororo church worship team enthralled the congregation with a medley of songs accompanied by local drums and stringed instruments made from wood, strings and dried cowhide.

Mr. Amadala, in the sermonette, talked about recognising God’s direct involvement in the church in Tororo. Later, in the first sermon preached in the new hall, Mr. Ndungu talked about the functions of the church as the body of Christ. The activities of the day closed with a feast of chicken, beef, rice and a local dish prepared with a mixture of maize meal, millet and cassava. It was a memorable day for all who attended, and a springboard for growth for the local Tororo church.

I needed help.   My relationship with Christ had stalled.  

This was not the first time it had stalled and the pattern was always the same; my life would get busy and I would compromise my time with God.  I lacked the discipline that enabled my relationship with him to grow.   “God loves me,” I reasoned, “he understands.”  Yet deep down I knew I was missing the point.  I wasn’t giving my heart to him.

 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Where could I begin?  During this time I was given a book called “Choose the life” by Bill Hull.  His book embraces the concept of discipleship and the discipline that is required to be truly transformed by Christ.   The disciplines are not easy, they need to be worked into our lives so that they become habit but getting to this point requires hard work.   As disciples of Christ we should help support other disciples follow the doctrines of Christ so that they can truly give their heart to God.    We should be accountable to one another (James 5:16), esteem, comfort (1Thess 5:13-14), and agree in prayer with one another (Matt 18:19-20).   

For a long time I had been a Christian in isolation because getting to church on a regular basis was difficult (I lived too far away). I realised I was probably not alone in this situation and that there had to be a way around it.  Surely in this modern era fellowship did not require a church hall?  Moved to do something about this, I met with my old friend and fellow Christian, Cherilee.   On meeting we prayed together that Christian friends who lived apart from the church congregation might still be able to grow in faith through fellowship and friendship.   I explained to Cherilee all the places where my faith was beginning to fall down.  Together we planned baby steps to help bring me back to God.   On parting we decided to email each other every week and share our spiritual journeys.   Both of us had decided to set aside time just for God every day, a simple step that I had never managed to stay committed to before.

That regular contact with Cherilee was a turning point in my life.  Being able to share the scriptures that inspired me motivated me to read further.   From time to time our emails sought reassurance, shared confessions and asked for prayer.  Sensitive issues were raised that were crucial to the building of our faith.   To ensure God was with us in these times we would pray before every correspondence that he guide our hearts to speak his word only.  Throughout Cherilee was an example of Christian love; because of the trust I had in her to respond as Christ would I was able to confront my doubts with her and not feel judged.  Through doing this I was able to grow. After a year my faith had reached a new level entirely and both Cherilee and I wanted to share what we had learnt. Although we still keep in touch we have begun to form new accountability friendships in the hope that it will help other people grow as we did.  

The idea of accountability friendships is not new. This is just how it worked for me.  If you haven’t done so already, why not start an accountability friendship of your own?

“Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (Galations 6:2).

Accountability does not replace the benefit of fellowship in a full church congregation, but it can help individuals grow spiritually, especially in circumstances where regular attendance is difficult.

Simone Royle is a Science teacher in Coventry and attends the Birmingham congregation.

Scammonden Youth Weekend

Following on from last year, it was requested that the Christian Youth Weekend in Scammonden become an annual event.  That request was duly granted and so forty people from across the UK got together on the 12th-14th September at Scammonden Scout Camp in Yorkshire for a weekend of fun and spiritual enrichment. The great thing about the timing of Scammonden is that it is barely five weeks after S.E.P Loch Lomond and gives everyone a chance to catch up, enhance friendships, make new ones, and assess our spiritual journeys. Scammonden is an ideal opportunity for young Christians to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Sailing at Scammonden

The programme for the weekend was well planned and many thanks must go to Steve and Moira Hudson and their team from the Leeds/Bradford congregation for working so hard.  Friday evening saw the arrival of all the young people, including a mini-bus full of youth from Scotland. There were snacks and drinks on arrival along with lots of smiles and hugs as everyone renewed their friendships.

Following a weekend orientation everyone was off to bed (although some went to sleep later than others….).

On Saturday morning, Hannah Mill and the Scottish young people led a fifteen minute worship time including songs, prayers, readings and an excellent sketch which illustrated the need for ongoing communication if a relationship with God is to flourish. After worship many staff and teenagers went sailing on the water right outside our camp building, and a few got rather wet!

By 2pm, after lunch had gone down well, members of the Leeds/Bradford congregation joined us for our church service, swelling the numbers considerably. Laura Hudson and Adele Dewhurst did an excellent job preparing and leading the service and a message on the Fatherhood of God was given by Fraser Murdoch.

A Life Club was held later in the day. Chairperson was David Francis, and Mark Francis asked some of the most thoughtful table topics questions many people had heard. Among them was the question; “If you were your favourite historical figure, what would you make of today’s society?” Speeches were given by Dorothy Dewhurst, Lucy Keen, Jonathan Carion and a hilarious double-act by Laura and Matt Hudson entitled “How to drive like a moron!”  The evening activities were a campfire, a table tennis tournament and some time to be with friends.  

Trophy Winners at the Scammonden Life Club

Sunday morning after breakfast, Helen Francis led a very thoughtful worship time which fitted perfectly with the message God had been repeating to us all weekend, that God wants a relationship with us.  Geoff Sole then prepared a morning of games including shooting, throwing, ball skills, crazy golf, skipping and more. Congratulations to team Logos for winning.

By early afternoon it was time to pack up and say goodbye as many had long journeys ahead of them. A great time was had by everyone and we are looking forward to getting together again in Perth on 22nd-23rd November for a similar weekend of activities.

The Climbing Wall

This year’s Adventure Camp took place over the August Bank Holiday, Saturday 23rd to Monday 25th. More than sixty people travelled from many parts of the country (North Wales, Plymouth, Northampton, London) to attend the event, which was held at the Well End Activity Centre near Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. There were 24 campers aged between 6 and 13, along with a large group of teen helpers/campers and staff and all enjoyed a fabulous weekend of fun, friendship and activities.   Many were first time attendees which was most encouraging.

Children took part in a wide range of activities: archery, orienteering, field games, candle making and many more. The young adults helped organize and run activities – many thanks to them. Adults and children commented on the great atmosphere.  The weekend also included an engaging interactive church service, organized by Sylvia Lowe with singing, prayers and scripture readings by children, while Tony Goudie gave the main message. The theme this year was ‘The Olympics’.

Fun and Games

At the close of the event there was a sad but very grateful and fond farewell. Judy Harper who has helped run, organize and administer Adventure Camp for many years is stepping down from the organizing committee. A beautiful bouquet of flowers was presented to Judy by the children as a token of appreciation for the countless hours of her time she’s given to help make Adventure Camp run smoothly. She will be missed!

The whole weekend was a very successful, fun-filled event and the campers have vowed to return. It was indeed a fantastic Camp.

 

 

Baptism in Loch Lomond!

Since the middle of July there have been seven baptisms within the WCG UK. Three took place during SEP with some of the older campers who wanted to make a commitment to Christ (Glen Thompson, Mark and Anise Francis). Two more baptisms took place in Loch Lomond - Darren Glennie’s occurred during SEP set-up and Steve Dickson’s took place at the end of SEP take-down.  They are both from the Glasgow congregation.  Another one took place on Saturday 26th July, as members from WCG Nottingham gathered to celebrate the baptism of Paul Bescoby in Lincoln.  A Bible Study is held there once a month, which Paul started attending after being invited by his friend, Daniel Gray.  The baptism was performed by the WCG Nottingham Pastor, Ian Woodley. Sebastian Woolford’s baptism took place during the first part of August in London.  To all of the people involved, a warm welcome to the body of Christ and we rejoice with them.