Pastor @ mbc’s Weblog

Monday 24th November

I’m getting very excited about next Sunday (30th November) – our Morning Service at 11am will include Emma Williams’ baptism, and I’m sure its going to be a great and wonderful day.  Emma has come to a real and personal faith over the past few years, and has been thinking about baptism for some time. She finally made the decision to be baptized this autumn, and now she is inviting many of her family and friends to come and share the day with her. Baptism is first and foremost a public profession of faith – a way of saying to the world “I am a Christian, and I love Jesus”. It is also an act of witness – a challenge to others to decide where they stand with God. Thirdly, it is a symbol of washing and new life. The water is an outward sign that we have been inwardly washed clean by God, and have started to live a new life for him. But finally, baptism is God’s consecrating – it is a moment when God touches and blesses and fills us with his Spirit. Pray for Emma this week, and in the coming weeks. Come and join us on Sunday – and ask God to make it a moment which speaks powerfully to many people.

Next Sunday evening (30th November) – there will be no evening service at MBC – instead, we will be joining together with other local churches in a united “Songs of Praise” at New Life Family Church, at 6.30pm. Do come and join us if you can – it should be a great evening!

Our good friend and faithful Church member, Dolly Dolman, died on Saturday morning. She will be greatly missed, and we offer our condolences and prayers to her family. Dolly had a great attitude in her final illness. She often said “I’m not worried about anything – I just leave it all to the Lord”. She meant it too – it wasnt just words. I will miss being able to say “Hello Dolly!”, whenever I saw her – but I look forward to saying it again one day in glory. God bless you, Dolly!

Have a good week. Try not to get washed away in the rain. Stephen.

“Roses are red, violets are blue; If a poem doesn’t rhyme, some people think its superior to one that does.”

Tuesday 18th November

Its almost thirty years since I left college – mind you, I had been a student for seven years, so it was time for me to get out into the sunlight! From time to time though, I get the chance to go back to college, either to do some short-term study, or to attend a conference or training event. This Friday, I will be at Spurgeons College in South London, for a “Supervisor’s Training Day”. As I have been involved in supervising both Mark and Vivienne Alexander during their ministerial training over the past two years, it is probably time that I found out what I am supposed to be doing!  My own training was done at Regents Park College in Oxford; and at that time Spurgeons College was our great rival (in Baptist terms). These days, the colleges all work together very closely, and it will be interesting to spend some time at Spurgeons, as an “outsider” looking in.

Its a busy week actually, as we have a Church Meeting on Wednesday, I am leading two school assemblies, I took a funeral earlier today, and I have various other meetings later in the week. On Sunday, though, we will be continuing our look at “Being Fruitful” at the Morning Service (11am); and in the evening at 6.30pm we will look further at the Sermon on the Mount. After Morning Worship, there will be a short meeting for those who are going to the Church Weekend at Eastbourne next May.

Last Sunday’s Gift Day went very well, and we had a good response to our appeal. In the evening, the Cafe Church Service was well attended, and we looked at the theme “Worship Untamed” – comparing the way that we worship today with the worship of the Old Testament.

Have a good week, and we hope to see you on Sunday. Stephen.

” I used to be the sort of child my parents told me never to play with!”

Wednesday 12th November

This Sunday will be our Church Gift Day. Each year, we set aside one Sunday for giving thanks to God for all that He has done for us – and we invite people to make an extra gift, which is then given for a specific purpose. Usually, the gifts go towards some special project at the Church. Last year, to mark the fact that God had been very good to us, we felt that we should give the whole of our Gift Day offering away to godly causes. In the event, we raised a record amount of more than £4400 – and we were able to support Christian work here in Thanet, accross the UK, and all over the world.

This year, our Gift Day offering will go towards the cost of our new data projector at the Church. We bought it in the summer, with money borrowed from another fund, and it has proved to be a great improvement on the old equipment. The pictures are now clear and sharp, and we can all see clearly. However, the money needs to be repaid – so we decided to use this year’s Gift Day for that purpose.  Times have changed, and we are all now having to be careful with our limited funds – but we do hope that you will want to give generously and sacrificially, as an offering of thanks for God’s goodness and blessing.

On Sunday evening, there will be another Cafe Church Service at 6.30pm. These have proved to be very successful and challenging in the past, and I am sure this one will be the same. Coffee and cakes will be available throughout the evening, and there will be music and drama, as well as other input to make you think. Do come and join us if you can.  Have a great week – Stephen.

“A batchelor is a young man who is foot-loose and fiance-free “.

Tuesday 4th November

I have had some hearing problems lately. It all started when we flew back from the States, and my ears didnt seem to adjust properly to the pressure changes. Both ears were affected, but the right ear was worst, and I found myself struggling to hear what people were saying. A trip to the local surgery revealed that I needed to have my ears syringed. The first attempt made matters worse – I came out with no hearing at all in my right ear, and only a little in my left. I was told to use lots of oil, and to come back in a week. I got a little hearing back over the next few days, but the second attempt at syringing once again failed to improve matters. At the present moment, I am still almost deaf on my right side – and I have been told to wait for a call from my doctor. This is all a little worrying – deafness runs in my family, and I dont want to end up like my grandad! Anyway – I still hope that this problem will be sorted out soon, but in the meantime – forgive me if I have to ask you to keep repeating things!

Deafness is one of those “unseen” handicaps, which are often overlooked or treated with less than sympathy. We tend to be kinder to those with a disbility that we can see – something obvious like a limp, or a burn or a bruise. Other conditions – including deafness – are less obvious, and sometimes get treated with less than seriousness (I have had a bit of fun poked at me for being deaf – sorry, but its not my fault!) The truth is that we should always treat others with courtesy and kindness, whatever their condition. Maybe God is wanting to teach me a lesson about understanding others’ limitations? He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Holiday Club was brilliant – a very successful week, with great team-work and some really encouraging things happening. Well done to everyone involved! This week, we have our monthly Prayer Meeting on Wednesday at 8pm – such an important time to spend together before God. Please pray for the Deacons as they meet on Thursday evening. On Friday, a group of children from Salmestone School will be visiting our Church in the morning; and in the evening the Brigades will be holding their annual “Captain’s Crazy Challenge” evening at 6.30pm. On Saturday, I will be preaching at the wedding of one of the young people from Clacton – a girl I have known since she was five, and whom I baptised several years ago. All this makes me feel very old!  Then on Sunday, our morning worship will be at 10.50am, so that we can include a time of quiet for Remembrance Sunday at 11am. Evening Worship will be at 6.30pm as usual – join us if you can!

Every Blessing, Stephen.

“Just when you learn to make the most of your life, most of your life is gone!”