Editorial - July / August Edition

When unpacking some of my books recently I came across one called ‘The Grand Surprise’ by John Woolmer, a Christian pastor with a love of butterflies.He writes that Swallowtail butterflies undergo 7 stages in their life cycle once hatching from the egg. First they have five stages as a caterpillar, when they are only interested in self-preservation and food. At the end of the fifth stage they pupate. This can be likened to a state of ‘death’. But, in reality a wonderful transformation is going on inside the pupa. The caterpillar is undergoing metamorphosis — transformation, from caterpillar to butterfly.As Christians we are all on a journey of transformation, from our old caterpillar-like self to the new butterfly-like state of freedom in Christ. It will end with the final transformation in heaven. Meanwhile let God transform you here on earth.

Robert Mill

Death and Resurrection on the Transformational Journey

As a fellowship we rejoice in the baptism of Stuart Rendle on Sunday 6th July. It was a powerful occasion, especially since a visitor from Stornoway, Maggie, rededicated herself to the Lord and was then baptised. Please pray for Stuart as he continues on his own transformational journey.

WHEN SUFFERING COMES

When suffering comes
Grant me the grace, Lord
To accept it with the joy
That comes from recognising an opportunity to grow

To become closer to you
To become more like you
To be intimate with you

When suffering comes
Grant me the wisdom, Lord
To accept your teaching
And the opportunity to learn
To trust you even more to work out everything for the good

When suffering comes
Grant me the strength, Lord
To shine in the midst of darkness
To find peace in the midst of trouble
That others will wonder where my strength comes from

When suffering comes
Grant me the humility, Lord
To allow you to mould me
To achieve the full potential that you created me for

Made in your image
Refined by suffering
To show love and compassion
To those from whom my suffering comes

Andrea Mill

JOIN THE CONVERSATION—BE THE TRANSFORMATION

These are the headline words of the Evangelical Alliance’s Agenda for Change which Joel Edwards is encouraging in his farewell tour as Executive Director. The Edinburgh part of the tour was in Charlotte Chapel on Thursday 26 June. As I told Joel, I first heard him speak at the Alliance Assembly for Christian leaders in November 2001 in Cardiff. So it was appropriate that I was present as he gave his farewell message.

Joel’s address focused on the theme of our role as evangelicals in society. We are the “Good News Gang” whose task is to present Christ credibly to the post-Christian culture in which we live. Social action has always been a powerful, radical part of the evangelical legacy and is still relevant today. Jesus Christ is not just one of today’s competing deities which people can choose to acknowledge or ignore as they please. He is the unique Son of God whose Lordship is central and cannot be dumbed down. Christ must remain the cornerstone of our faith and witness. In this we need to hold on to the truth of Biblical teaching, which is about a Person rather than a proposition from the pulpit. Too often man tries to make God conform to his image of acceptable behaviour in today’s society. How do we witness to Christ? We can follow His example, reaching out to the poor and marginalised. Jesus was a conversationalist. He talked to people where they were, often asking searching questions. See, for example, John 4:1-30 or Mark 11:46-52.

The current issue of Idea magazine, available by the notice board, has an article about the tour Building a Cathedral (p. 4) and A conversation about true tolerance by Joel (p. 34). For more information on how you can become involved see the Alliance website at www.eauk.org/a4c.

Christine Lumsden

YOUNG PEOPLE’S WORK REPORT

It Club

“Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.”
1 Corinthians 12.

In August last year, as an expanded team of volunteers (coaches), we looked to also expand and deepen the ministry among the 11-16 year olds on a Friday night, following a vision of unity. This unity, was to be:

Expressed through Diversity (1 Cor . 12)

We recognised that as coaches we all brought different strengths and abilities to the group. To make the most of this, we acknowledged that we all had different parts to play in the running of It Club. Similarly, the young people had different strengths and interests of their own. To run an It Club that would be truly enjoyed and relevant to all, we would need to cater to these diversities while finding ways to bring the whole group together. As a result of these intentions, we have run a programme that has allowed young people to take part in different activities through the evening – sports, dancing, playing instruments together, baking, simply socialising – in the different areas of the church building available to us (lounge, upstairs hall, small hall, kitchen), before bringing everyone together for one large shared activity and a discussion, talk or sharing time, along biblical themes (more below). These ‘together times’ have been presented by different individuals, both adults and children and have varied greatly depending on the individual presenting them. Some of the most enjoyed times at It Club have been times when the young people themselves have dazzled us with their creativity. The idea of sharing our strengths seems to have caught on particularly with our dancing contingent who frequently offer to share a dance they’ve created. Of special note was our Burns night celebration – a real Ceilidh with a modern twist. Many members of the group came ready with a dance,
a poem (written by one of the group!) an instrumental piece and even videos they had made!
Brought about by God’s Transcendence (1 Cor. 12: 12-13)
We recognised that at the beginning of the year, this was a group of disparate age ranges and interests. The only way that this group would be truly be brought together was by God’s breaking through these barriers. In many ways we have seen God’s breaking through at work. The club is much more of a cohesive group than at the beginning of the year, though we recognise that there is still some way to go in breaking down barriers between different factions within the group.
Bound together in God’s love (John 17)
We have focused on developing positive relationship between ourselves as adults, before we even think to show God’s love to the young people. We have adopted the term coaches to describe our relationship with the young people, as ones who seek to come alongside, encourage, motivate and inspire them. It has been a pleasure to see relationships between both adults and young people develop and grow. It has also been a pleasure to welcome in new members who have come from the friendship groups of the S3 girls in particular and to see how they became involved right at the heart of the group.
We have had three major themes this year at It Club.
Join the Journey
In which we looked at the lives of the Jewish patriarchs and the Israelites in Egypt, and considering how we could follow their examples of faith.
Compassion for the Homeless
We explored the complex issues surrounding homelessness and how we could show God’s love to people in such situations. Practical outworkings of this have seen a small group of It Clubbers attend the annual Big Sleepout on the Royal Mile to raise money and awareness for Bethany Christian Trust and the beginnings of a video project aiming at raising awareness and challenging people’s attitudes towards the homeless.
The Revolutionary Kingdom
In which we viewed the Kingdom of God as being like a revolution that challenges the values and lifestyles of the world around us. This has led us into presenting the young people to use their creative skills to show us what the Kingdom would look like in our own lives.

Special events this year have included Ice-skating, a Japanese themed evening, bowling and movie nights. Our Coaches this year have been: Doreen Williamson, Pamela Graham, Sveta Barclay, Adam Connell, David Polland, James Trimble, Joshua Williamson, Matt Baines, Sam Kawamura and Yannick Onifade. Remarkable dedication has been shown by this group in aiding in the running of the It Club and developing of relationships with young people. Even though at times the amount of adults present at the club has been equal to (and on occasion greater than) the number of young people, this has by no means been a bad thing: It Club is more than a conventional youth club. It seems to work best as a group of young people from high school age to middle age, coming together to enjoy each other’s company and learn more about God.

We are sad to say goodbye to several coaches at the end of this term. Josh and Doreen have been the heart and soul of our team this year. Their characteristic combination of warmth and energy will be greatly missed when they return to the States. Yannick is leaving for Manchester University, where we wish him all the best and look forward to his visits home. As the coaches we would appreciate prayer and consideration as we look for God to add to our numbers and join our rota of coaches.


Encounter

Encounter, the youth group for 14 – 18 year olds that meets during Sunday evening services, has entered its second year of existence recently. At the beginning of this school year we were meeting weekly, but due to a greatly varying attendance, we decided by Christmas to revert to our previous fortnightly pattern. This was done in the hopes that although the meetings would be less frequent, we would see more of the group at the same time. I want to note that although this move has been met with mixed results – some weeks have seen a full turn-out, others have been very small – that these young people are on the whole coming to this group at a very busy and crucial time in their schooling. Overall, commitment to continued attendance has been very high. The group has grown over this year with younger teens joining the group. It is a very mixed group with young people from both within and out-with the church in attendance.

Much of the growth in relationships in the group has been due to time spent together outside the group, within It Club, over meals, lifts home and even in taking sandwiches to the homeless!

Many different topics have been covered in our studies together – the recurring theme being faith.

This group has a real need for adult support, with Josh and Doreen moving on again and Sally anticipating being heavily engaged in her studies this coming year. Please pray for the strengthening and growing of this group.

Matt Baines

Congratulations to Douglas Wilson who has completed the challenge of climbing all of Scotland’s Munros – mountains over 3000 ft. On 7th June he successfully climbed his 284th and last Munro – Mullach na Dheiragain (3222 ft.), which is no. 167 in the official list of Munros. Douglas first started ‘Munro-bagging’ in 1991 – his first one was Ben Vorlich. He is pictured at the summit of Mullach na Dheiragain holding his well earned trophy. WELL DONE!!

CARE SHELTER

Bristo is also involved in the Bethany Care Shelter over the winter months, which is also a ministry to the homeless. The Care Shelter offers the clients a bed for the night and a good dinner prepared by catering teams from the churches. Last year the halls at Bristo were used ten times by the Shelter, and Bristo catering teams provided the food for two of those evenings. The intention this year, 2008-2009, is to offer the same support again to Bethany for the Shelter.

It’s seldom the same church that provides both the catering and the venue, and like the Care van it’s a team effort with other churches in Edinburgh, centrally coordinated by Bethany Christian Trust.

It’s through this ministry that we can see first hand the trust that the clients have for the churches involved. On one occasion I was asked by one man I had never met to look after his mobile phone while he went to the toilet! Once again it’s a privilege to be part of this ministry, even in a small way, to meet with and minister to people that are on God’s heart.

Craig Smith

CARE VAN AND SHELTER

CARE VAN
Bristo has been involved in the Care Van since January 2003. For those who do not know, the van is owned and run jointly by the Edinburgh City Mission and Bethany Christian Trust. It operates on a strict route every night of the year serving soups, teas, coffees and buttered rolls to the homeless of the city. It is also an opportunity to give out donated clothing and blankets. Many churches are involved in operating it night after night and the team from Bristo has been given the responsibility of taking the van out every first Saturday of the month.
It’s a privilege to be part of this ministry, which is an excellent witness performed only by Christians, and every night. Some clients that come to the van do feel a genuine sense of appreciation for the time given up by the various churches. It is a part of the Edinburgh scene now, and many of the clients include in their plans for the night a visit to the van, or expect to be visited by the van at some point on its route.
Some clients are happy to talk and occasionally for someone new on the street we’re able to give them information about where to get help. Although overt evangelism is not encouraged, it is the faithfulness and consistency of the churches month by month and year by year, in showing care for the homeless through this ministry that speaks volumes for the Lord.
The team are grateful for the donations of clothing received so far. If you’d like to be involved in the Care van, or donate clothing, please speak to Craig or Alice Smith. It’s not onerous. On average team members man the van about once every two months.

Craig Smith

‘HOME FROM HOME’ REPORT

Looking at our contact list for Home from Home, I realised the other day that since we started a couple of years ago we have helped over 45 people from 15 different countries to feel welcome and a little more confident in speaking English. Some have been with us just a few weeks before finding a job or moving on, while others have continued to attend the group for months and even years in the case of one learner, who has persuaded her boss to arrange her shifts so she can have Tuesday afternoons off to come.
The clientele has changed recently from young mothers with pre-school children to young Europeans who have been sent to us by the Careers Office because they need to improve their English before getting a job. After a slow start to the year, we currently have eight learners. Everyone who spends time with the group expresses deep appreciation for the care shown to them. It seems to us that we do very little but to them it is often a lifeline at a time of stress and loneliness. Only the other week, two of our newest participants asked me why the church ran a group like this. I was able to share with them that the bible makes it clear that there is a special place in God’s heart for those who vulnerable and that includes people who are foreigners (Psalm 146) and as Christians we want to express God’s love in practical ways. It led on to an interesting discussion and opportunity to share a little more of the gospel and talk about church.
Many thanks to the volunteers over the last year - Maureen, Gill, Julia, Joshua, Doreen and Fiona. We will be needing new volunteers after the summer, when Josh & Doreen go home so if anyone is interested in helping, let us know. You don’t need any great expertise – just willingness to welcome and encourage people and to listen and talk a little – and you don't have to be able to come every week.

Jennifer Purves

BRISTO CHILDREN’S GROUPS ANNUAL REPORT

Crèche currently has 3 pre-schoolers attending and we have just recruited three extra volunteers for the rota (Luci, Pamela and Natalia), who have now completed child protection procedures, meaning that people will be on duty about once every 6 weeks. A volunteer to take over coordination of the crèche rota in the autumn is needed. Thanks to Terri, Jeanette and Ute, who are continuing on the rota and to Lorraine Milne, Lorraine Polland, Sally and Barbara who have helped out over the last year.

Doreen has been working with our two junior school aged children two weeks out of three, with Sveta teaching them on the third week of the cycle. A replacement for Doreen is needed in August so please pray about this and for wisdom in finding suitable materials, as the boys already have a strong biblical foundation and many Sunday school materials are for children with little or no Bible knowledge. It would be great too for the boys to have friends nearer their own age in church. The Bible class continues to use Scripture Union ‘Light’ material. Curt Harrier now leads the Bible class alternate weeks with Linda Watson. Between 2 and 6 youngsters meet each week, and enjoy a time of open prayer, study, discussion and fellowship. We are particularly pleased that the young people are prepared to share their prayer requests and pray for each other.

The church’s thanks are due to all these adults who faithfully work with our youngsters, and to Alice Smith who has negotiated a mountain of paperwork to ensure we comply with child protection law.

Finally, it is now two years since I agreed to ‘fill the gap’ until a replacement Children’s Work Coordinator could be found and I am not now able to give this enough attention due to other responsibilities, so from August I will no longer be doing this work. We praise God that in answer to our prayers Linda Watson will be taking over this role.
Our current church children’s policy states that
“………The Church recognises that:
· children and young people are part of the Body of Christ and are to play a full part in the life, fellowship and worship of the Church.
· discipleship and training is for the whole church and children will learn alongside adults.
· God’s commission and mission to ‘go into all the world and make disciples’ is for the whole church of whatever age.
· at times children and adults require teaching in separate age groups and this will be provided with equal consideration.
· children and young people are open to spiritual, moral, physical and emotional dangers - so they require special love, attention and nurturing in their formative or dependent years.
· The Deacons’ Meeting and members take seriously our responsibility to care for and protect the welfare of the children and young people entrusted to the church’s care and to keep them safe from harm while they are with staff and volunteers in the Church.
· As part of our mission and ministry, the Church is committed to encouraging and supporting parents/guardians; listening to, relating effectively to and valuing children and young people and ensuring that our children’s/youth workers are properly selected, supported and trained.”

These are the responsibilities not just of a few church leaders or of the volunteers working directly with the children week by week, but of the whole church. Each one of us, as a member of the family of God, needs to consider what part we can play individually in ensuring that we as a church live up to this policy, whether that be in prayer, working directly or indirectly with the youngsters or in just showing an interest and encouraging the young people and their leaders.

Jennifer Purves, Children’s Work Coordinator

NEW MEMBERS

We have welcomed the following folk into membership over the last few weeks:

Ryan and Natalia Gladwin
Luci Kurtyka
Stuart Rendle

We expect that further folk will be received into membership over the coming months.

TREASURER’S REPORT

First of all I’d like to thank the members of the church for approving the annual accounts, and the budget for next year which I presented at the AGM last month. For those who were not able to attend the AGM, I’d briefly like to summarise part of our budget for the coming year.

We’re budgeting this year overall to spend around £78,000. This includes our day to day running costs, heating, lighting, ministry stipend, sundries etc. To a total of £56,000, building repairs of £14,000 and gifts to the causes we support of £7,700.

To meet these costs without spending from our reserves we need the following income:

Church Offerings
50,000
Tax Refund
7,400
from Fair (in lieu of rent)
2,400
from Fair (bills)
1,200
use of Halls
10,000
Total
71,000
Special offerings

Income

LOM - winter kitchen
3,500
BMS
500
Bethany
500
LOM - gift with mission trip
1,500
Total
6,000

We intend to have four special envelope offerings through the year. One to provide a gift for Lom that the mission team will take with them. One to raise funds to support the Lom winter soup kitchen, an activity we have joyfully supported for the last two years. The other two to provide gifts for the BMS and for Bethany, both of which are organisations we are closely linked with.

To meet our budgeted expenditure, including the above four special appeals to which we are committed, we need to achieve an average weekly offering of £1502.

Last year our income totalled just under £62,000. The target this year is challenging, but I’m sure that it is achievable.

Paul Watson

ONE YEAR IN EDINBURGH

We can’t believe that it has already been a year. Time goes by so fast just when you don’t want it to. Doreen and I want you to know right from the start, that we love you; your community of believers here at Bristo is a part of our family now and forever and we are going to miss you a lot more than you know. Thank you for welcoming us into your family here and strengthening our faith with the way you choose to live your lives. We will always look back on Edinburgh and remember that God used people to sharpen our lives. God used His people to build up and encourage, and God used His people to express His great love for us. So we do thank you, and we will always hold you in our hearts with joy and thanksgiving.
As for Doreen and me, life is at an exciting time. We return to the States with more thirst and more hunger for ministry. I have one year left at Ozark Christian College, and will be exploring options during the school year. Doreen and I will spend a lot of time in prayer as we listen to the Father’s voice through His Spirit. Doreen will return to her university studies in the field of nursing. She has a little way to go, but I think she really enjoys it at a deep level, and this year has added to her excitement of studying.
And now I leave you with this, the transformational journey. When I was young I attended many different camps and work-outs for basketball. On more than one occasion I was given a trophy or plaque, honoring me for my ability to work as part of a team. I blend with people on the basketball court as well as the classroom. So upon coming here, I thought that the one area I wouldn’t need to be built up anymore would be this idea of working with people. Of course I would work with people but I knew everything about that. Amazing how God works just when you think He can’t. More than anything, it has been working with others, alongside other Christians that has shaped me most. And it begins at the church, working with Jim and Matt, with the youth coaches and students for It-Club and Encounter. I changed as I worked with Jennifer and her team on a Tuesday afternoon or when I worked with the different people at the Edinburgh City Mission. Whether it be care shelter, care van, church lunch, church holiday, or serving with some crazy missionary people in Turkey, God has refined me in the area of working with people. It wasn’t always easy. I didn’t always like it. Yet here I stand at the end of one path, looking back over the year realizing the one place I didn’t expect God to work, He worked and it was the right place. He knew where and how to work in me, even though it was the last place I would have prayed for God to work.
God knew that a church like Bristo, and a family of believers like this one would be a great tool to transform my life. I encourage you to continue depending on the Spirit, continue to love one another, and continue to allow God to stretch, deepen, and bless according to His unfailing love. We love you guys, and we look forward to the time when God brings our paths together again.
Holding you in our prayers and in our hearts,

Joshua and Doreen