A H O U S E O F P R A Y E R
A corner of the Prayer Room set up in the lower
lounge for 24 hours of prayer in September (see article 2)
Wednesday 3 November 2010
Vision for Change ~ November 2010
A H O U S E O F P R A Y E R
A corner of the Prayer Room set up in the lower
lounge for 24 hours of prayer in September (see article 2)
FROM THE EDITOR
While walking along the bank of a river in Hungary recently, I saw a hairy caterpillar crossing the path. Some time, probably sooner rather than later, it will feel the urge to pupate, during which season it will be transformed into a beautiful moth or butterfly. Instead of being confined to walking on the ground, it will be able to fly through the air. It will feed on different food, live a totally different kind of life.
Are we still stuck in old ways that keep us ‘confined to the ground’, or can we catch God’s vision that He has to transform us, both as individuals and as His church, so that we can change our
ways of doing things, see things from a heavenly perspective, soar with God on eagles’ wings?
God wants to take us into new territory, do new things with us, give us a new vision. We can’t be caterpillars all the time. Let God change us as we seek to discern His vision for change.
Robert Mill
Are we still stuck in old ways that keep us ‘confined to the ground’, or can we catch God’s vision that He has to transform us, both as individuals and as His church, so that we can change our
ways of doing things, see things from a heavenly perspective, soar with God on eagles’ wings?
God wants to take us into new territory, do new things with us, give us a new vision. We can’t be caterpillars all the time. Let God change us as we seek to discern His vision for change.
Robert Mill
FROM BILL CLARK, INTERIM MODERATOR
Dear Friends,
It has been for me a privilege to spend some time with the Bristo deacons as we have thought, prayed and discussed together during these past weeks the health and f u t u r e o f t h e fellowship here. It quickly became clear how important the building is when t h i n k i n g a b o u t anything to do with the future of the church at Bristo. It got me thinking back over my ministry, to the part buildings have played. In Bradford we grappled with the costs involved in maintaining an old building. In Alness I was clerk of works while a new building was erected and I arrived in Dedridge to be pastor in a church where a brand new building had just been completed one year previously. It seems we simply cannot get on without buildings!
Leaving you to contemplate that issue, let me say something about the church as building. The idea of the church as ‘the building of God’ is rooted in the Ta b e r n a c l e a n d Temple of the Old Testament covenant, but now that Christ has come and is now our only high priest, the old sacrificial system has been abolished. Christ has become the fulfilment of tabernacle and temple yet people still talk of the church as a material building. Yet a building is no longer the temple or house of God. It is God’s people who are now called God’s Building. There are no more holy places, only holy people. It seems that God deliberately chose a tabernacle, as the symbol of His presence among his people, because of its mobility! God’s people moved when He moved and the tabernacle was easily carried with them. From the start then God intended that his dwelling should be among his p eople (Exodus 25:8). On the other hand the temple was not God’s idea but David’s, he allowed a temple to be built as a concession in the same way as he allowed them to appoint a king.
What then does it mean for the people of God to be God’s building?
• The Church must be centred on Christ (Matthew 16:18); He is the a r c h i t e c t a n d builder and it is to Him that each local church must take its direction.
• The Church must be founded on Christ (1 Cor. 3:11). It is possible to build a sizeable s u p e r s t r u c t u r e wi thout taking enough care to the foundations. This must refer to a p e r s o n a l relationship with Christ.
• The Church is held together by Christ (1 Peter 2:4 ff).
• The Church is sustained and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16).
• The Church is made of human stones (1 Peter 2).
Note this: The Church is still under construction (Phil. 1:12-14; 2 Cor. 5: 1-15).
Buildings under construction can look a mess. Thus, we as the living stones which make up the building of God are not the finished product.
What does this picture say to us? Let me answer that question by posing some more.
1. Are our lives shaped so that the vice of Christ is the voice we listen to individually and together?
2. Amid the other sessions we may give, do people who come among us see
that Christ is central t o o u r l i v e s together?
3. If the church is filled with God’s Holy Spirit, then the presence of the
Lord will be evident to all. Is this true of this fellowship? If not what do we
need to do?
4. If the building is s t i l l u n d e r construction, in other words we are
not the finished article and we understand this to be true, how will this understanding affect how we behave toward one another?
5. Forgiveness and love are the cement which hold the stones together. Are
we noted for this? Is forgiving love above everything that which makes us
a church?
What a responsibility! What a privilege! We are the people of God! God’s temple! Let us live what we are day by day as we move into the future, for the future belongs to
Him!
Bill Clark
It has been for me a privilege to spend some time with the Bristo deacons as we have thought, prayed and discussed together during these past weeks the health and f u t u r e o f t h e fellowship here. It quickly became clear how important the building is when t h i n k i n g a b o u t anything to do with the future of the church at Bristo. It got me thinking back over my ministry, to the part buildings have played. In Bradford we grappled with the costs involved in maintaining an old building. In Alness I was clerk of works while a new building was erected and I arrived in Dedridge to be pastor in a church where a brand new building had just been completed one year previously. It seems we simply cannot get on without buildings!
Leaving you to contemplate that issue, let me say something about the church as building. The idea of the church as ‘the building of God’ is rooted in the Ta b e r n a c l e a n d Temple of the Old Testament covenant, but now that Christ has come and is now our only high priest, the old sacrificial system has been abolished. Christ has become the fulfilment of tabernacle and temple yet people still talk of the church as a material building. Yet a building is no longer the temple or house of God. It is God’s people who are now called God’s Building. There are no more holy places, only holy people. It seems that God deliberately chose a tabernacle, as the symbol of His presence among his people, because of its mobility! God’s people moved when He moved and the tabernacle was easily carried with them. From the start then God intended that his dwelling should be among his p eople (Exodus 25:8). On the other hand the temple was not God’s idea but David’s, he allowed a temple to be built as a concession in the same way as he allowed them to appoint a king.
What then does it mean for the people of God to be God’s building?
• The Church must be centred on Christ (Matthew 16:18); He is the a r c h i t e c t a n d builder and it is to Him that each local church must take its direction.
• The Church must be founded on Christ (1 Cor. 3:11). It is possible to build a sizeable s u p e r s t r u c t u r e wi thout taking enough care to the foundations. This must refer to a p e r s o n a l relationship with Christ.
• The Church is held together by Christ (1 Peter 2:4 ff).
• The Church is sustained and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16).
• The Church is made of human stones (1 Peter 2).
Note this: The Church is still under construction (Phil. 1:12-14; 2 Cor. 5: 1-15).
Buildings under construction can look a mess. Thus, we as the living stones which make up the building of God are not the finished product.
What does this picture say to us? Let me answer that question by posing some more.
1. Are our lives shaped so that the vice of Christ is the voice we listen to individually and together?
2. Amid the other sessions we may give, do people who come among us see
that Christ is central t o o u r l i v e s together?
3. If the church is filled with God’s Holy Spirit, then the presence of the
Lord will be evident to all. Is this true of this fellowship? If not what do we
need to do?
4. If the building is s t i l l u n d e r construction, in other words we are
not the finished article and we understand this to be true, how will this understanding affect how we behave toward one another?
5. Forgiveness and love are the cement which hold the stones together. Are
we noted for this? Is forgiving love above everything that which makes us
a church?
What a responsibility! What a privilege! We are the people of God! God’s temple! Let us live what we are day by day as we move into the future, for the future belongs to
Him!
Bill Clark
2 4 H O U R S O F P R A Y E R
Over 24 hours, from 9.30 a.m. on Saturday 18 September until 9.30
a.m. on the Sunday, the church was soaked in prayer even during the
middle of the night. A dedicated Prayer Room was set up in the lower
lounge and filled with scripture verses and other aids to prayer, as well
as art work on the theme of the Fruit of the Spirit by members of the IT
Club.
A total of thirty people signed up to pray in the Prayer Room for a
minimum of one hour, although on the day two folk were prevented
from turning up at their appointed
hours due to traffic congestion!
Nevertheless there was a
continuous chain of prayer over the
twenty-four hours. Some of those
present testified to the power of
God’s presence that filled the room.
Here are some responses from those
that took part:
Isaiah 43: 16a, 18-19, 20d-21: This
is what the Lord says – Forget the
former things, do not dwell on the
past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up, do you not
perceive it? I am making a way in
the desert and streams in the wasteland ... to give drink to my people,
my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my
praise.
***
I am a small piece in a wonderful big picture but though I am small I
am important in completing this beautiful picture and the Lord is
shaping and perfecting and honing me so
that I may enhance and fit perfectly into
His Kingdom. I am a child of God and a
disciple of Jesus Christ and filled with
energy by the Holy Spirit.
***
I didn’t attempt the jigsaw, but it did
make me think about how I am a small
part of God’s plan for the world. Too
often, especially as I struggle to make
time for God in a busy day, I am guilty of
seeing time with God as something which
has to be fitted into my plans.
***
I love the idea of the prayer room, and
have to say that one hour flies by. At
home I find too many distractions
whereas here I could focus 100% on the
Lord and was inspired by the different stimuli that were in the room. It
was a very uplifting experience. God didn’t speak to me in a vision or
anything else but he taught me how to be free in worship, how to come
out of restrictions that don’t allow me to live life to the full in Christ.
So thank you Lord for your freedom.
* NEXT 24 HOURS OF PRAYER: 09:30 27/11/10 — 09:30 28/11/10 *
F R OM T H E T R E A S U R E R
Less of a report this month, more like a few comments.
We're pretty much on target for both income and expenditure. Our only
worry is that the Church boiler annual service is just about due ...
depending on the diagnosis, this could get expensive, and it’s likely
that if extensive repairs are required we will have to dip, again, into
our reserves, or partake in some serious fundraising! Currently
preparing our latest Gift Aid claim which should give us enough extra
money to see us through Christmas, and through the donations we send
to Lom to support their winter soup kitchen.
On the subject of Lom. We agreed at the last Church meeting again to
support, fully, the winter soup kitchen. £3500 is a not insignificant
sum .... it represents roughly 7% or our annual Sunday offerings .... it
roughly equates to a single month of bills we have to pay out at
Bristo .... stipend, income tax, council tax, utility bills ... all essential, if
not particularly worthy things. But for Lom £3500 gives the Church
the ability to feed and support over 100 people each day for four
months over the cold winter. It’s also interesting to note that even
though the Church at Lom has so little, they don’t keep the money we
send to spend on themselves, but choose to use it to help other people.
Many of us at Bristo have helped on the Care Van. I suspect being out
of a job, or being homeless here in Edinburgh, is a very different
proposition to being in a similar situation in Lom. The cause is one
we’ve supported for several years, and willingly wish to support.
Now for the appeal bit .... Last year we sent out £3500, and held
several appeals and gave out envelopes etc, but we only received £800
specifically given to Lom. This meant we had to draw the remainder
from our reserves. This year, however, we should get off to a really good start. We now have one of the finest Wind Bands in Scotland, the Central Band of the Royal British Legion Scotland, rehearsing in our premises, and they’re putting on a concert for Bristo (see below for details).
Please consider though if you can find some Please consider though if you can find some extra to your regular offering. I’ll get some labelled envelopes made up and these will be left inside the sanctuary. Any money given, and any Gift Aid we can
claim from these donations will go straight to Lom.
Thank you,
Paul Watson
We're pretty much on target for both income and expenditure. Our only
worry is that the Church boiler annual service is just about due ...
depending on the diagnosis, this could get expensive, and it’s likely
that if extensive repairs are required we will have to dip, again, into
our reserves, or partake in some serious fundraising! Currently
preparing our latest Gift Aid claim which should give us enough extra
money to see us through Christmas, and through the donations we send
to Lom to support their winter soup kitchen.
On the subject of Lom. We agreed at the last Church meeting again to
support, fully, the winter soup kitchen. £3500 is a not insignificant
sum .... it represents roughly 7% or our annual Sunday offerings .... it
roughly equates to a single month of bills we have to pay out at
Bristo .... stipend, income tax, council tax, utility bills ... all essential, if
not particularly worthy things. But for Lom £3500 gives the Church
the ability to feed and support over 100 people each day for four
months over the cold winter. It’s also interesting to note that even
though the Church at Lom has so little, they don’t keep the money we
send to spend on themselves, but choose to use it to help other people.
Many of us at Bristo have helped on the Care Van. I suspect being out
of a job, or being homeless here in Edinburgh, is a very different
proposition to being in a similar situation in Lom. The cause is one
we’ve supported for several years, and willingly wish to support.
Now for the appeal bit .... Last year we sent out £3500, and held
several appeals and gave out envelopes etc, but we only received £800
specifically given to Lom. This meant we had to draw the remainder
from our reserves. This year, however, we should get off to a really good start. We now have one of the finest Wind Bands in Scotland, the Central Band of the Royal British Legion Scotland, rehearsing in our premises, and they’re putting on a concert for Bristo (see below for details).
Please consider though if you can find some Please consider though if you can find some extra to your regular offering. I’ll get some labelled envelopes made up and these will be left inside the sanctuary. Any money given, and any Gift Aid we can
claim from these donations will go straight to Lom.
Thank you,
Paul Watson
FUNDRAISING CONCERT FOR LOM
On Friday 3 December at 7.30 p.m. the Central Band of the Royal
British Legion Scotland, who practise weekly in our church, will give a
concert in the sanctuary. Tickets are £5 and available from Brian Wilson.
Refreshments will be provided and there will be some sale tables.
You are encouraged to think about what you could sell—home baking,
unwanted books or CDs, home made crafts—whatever you have or do,
think about having a stall in the Crush Hall to raise money for Lom. All
proceeds will go towards the winter soup kitchen of the Lom Church in
Bulgaria so please come along and give your support.
Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that
keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29: 18 21st Century KJV
British Legion Scotland, who practise weekly in our church, will give a
concert in the sanctuary. Tickets are £5 and available from Brian Wilson.
Refreshments will be provided and there will be some sale tables.
You are encouraged to think about what you could sell—home baking,
unwanted books or CDs, home made crafts—whatever you have or do,
think about having a stall in the Crush Hall to raise money for Lom. All
proceeds will go towards the winter soup kitchen of the Lom Church in
Bulgaria so please come along and give your support.
Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that
keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29: 18 21st Century KJV
BRISTO ARCHIVES EXHIBITION : AN EXPLANATION
In the August issue there was an article about some of our archives
exhibited in the sanctuary. Perhaps I should explain why it was there
and also take the opportunity to flesh out some of the details.
On 14 July I was asked to lead a party of about twenty from the New
Orleans Baptist Seminary, Louisiana, on a tour of Baptist historical
sites in Edinburgh and Leith. While I have often taken small groups on
walking tours down the Royal Mile and thereabouts, this was the first
time I had such a large party. Fortunately they had hired a minibus and
we had a local driver. What I had not taken into account, however, was
the weather, pouring rain, road works with the resulting traffic
diversions, and the Queen was in residence at Holyrood, so the
approach to that section of the Canongate was closed for security
reasons. Another problem was, as a non-driver, I was not fully aware
of one-way streets or pedestrianised sections in planning our itinerary.
Despite these setbacks, we covered a lot of ground, including some
general Edinburgh history, with the whole tour lasting over four hours.
I thought Bristo would make a good stopping off point, given our
history as the original Scotch Baptist Church. I chose the items on
show to give a brief portrait of Bristo over the years.
The picture on the front of the August issue showed the laying of the
foundation stone of our present building on 25 October 1933. Of the
two men officiating, on the right is Percival Waugh, our last lay pastor
who served in that capacity from 1903 to 1923, although remaining a
member of the church. This laying of the foundation, or memorial,
stone was his final public service for Bristo. He died in 1934, aged
eighty. The other, on the left, is Bailie John McMichael, the senior
deacon. (For the non-Scots among us a bailie was a member of the
town council who presided over the burgh court, equivalent to a
magistrate in England). Between these two men is George Yuille, who
had been pastor of Stirling Baptist Church, his only charge, from 1870
to 1913 and Secretary of the Baptist Union of Scotland from 1880 to
1919. (Yes, the dates did overlap!) He also served as the BU president
from 1902-03, the only serving Secretary to have held that honour.
George Yuille’s last public appearance was to dedicate the new Bristo
building on Wednesday 20 February 1935. (See p.15 of the August
issue). Yuille died on 18 December that year, aged ninety. While
Bailie McMichael had been present at these opening services, he died
suddenly on the following day, having served the church for sixty
years, forty-five of which were as a deacon. His death must have cast a
shadow over the first Sunday services in the new church.
The love feast, the accounts for which had been displayed, had a very
practical purpose. It took place between the morning service at 11 a.m.
and the weekly communion service at 2.30 p.m., which was at that
time for members (baptised as believers) only. In the days before cars
and buses, it was impossible for those who lived a considerable
distance from the church to get home between these services. So the
love feast met their bodily needs as well as giving the opportunity for
fellowship and exchanging news of members who may have been ill.
The accounts also give the historian a great deal of information on the
ordinary household diet from the late eighteenth to late nineteenth
centuries.
We finished our tour with a visit to Archibald McLean’s grave in St.
Cuthbert’s churchyard. Go down the main path to the church from
Lothian Road, just before the watchtower on the corner, and his
gravestone is on the right side almost diagonally opposite David
Dickson’s memorial fresco on the wall of the church. The badly worn
inscription is now barely legible but I was able to decipher it:
Died 21 December AD 1812 Aged 79 years
Mr Archd. M’Lean who was one of the original pastors of the first
Baptist church in Edinburgh and who devoted the great endowments
of which he was possessed to the work of the ministry, with unwearied
assiduity and zeal for the period of fortyfive years when he fell asleep
in Jesus. But although dead he yet speaketh in the many valuable
writings he has bequeathed to the community.
To his Died 21 December AD 1812 Aged 79 years
Mr Archd. M’Lean who was one of the original pastors of the first
Baptist church in Edinburgh and who devoted the great endowments
of which he was possessed to the work of the ministry, with unwearied
assiduity and zeal for the period of fortyfive years when he fell asleep
in Jesus. But although dead he yet speaketh in the many valuable
writings he has bequeathed to the community.
To his memory this stone is erected with sentiments of the highest
respect and affection by the ministers of the church over which he so
long and so earnestly presided.
His remains are interred one hundred feet to the south-east of this
stone.
In the next issue I will tell you something about the Mutual
Improvement Society.
(A question, mainly for the children: Why do we see watchtowers in
many of our old graveyards? Let me have your answers when you get
this magazine)
Christine Lumsden
exhibited in the sanctuary. Perhaps I should explain why it was there
and also take the opportunity to flesh out some of the details.
On 14 July I was asked to lead a party of about twenty from the New
Orleans Baptist Seminary, Louisiana, on a tour of Baptist historical
sites in Edinburgh and Leith. While I have often taken small groups on
walking tours down the Royal Mile and thereabouts, this was the first
time I had such a large party. Fortunately they had hired a minibus and
we had a local driver. What I had not taken into account, however, was
the weather, pouring rain, road works with the resulting traffic
diversions, and the Queen was in residence at Holyrood, so the
approach to that section of the Canongate was closed for security
reasons. Another problem was, as a non-driver, I was not fully aware
of one-way streets or pedestrianised sections in planning our itinerary.
Despite these setbacks, we covered a lot of ground, including some
general Edinburgh history, with the whole tour lasting over four hours.
I thought Bristo would make a good stopping off point, given our
history as the original Scotch Baptist Church. I chose the items on
show to give a brief portrait of Bristo over the years.
The picture on the front of the August issue showed the laying of the
foundation stone of our present building on 25 October 1933. Of the
two men officiating, on the right is Percival Waugh, our last lay pastor
who served in that capacity from 1903 to 1923, although remaining a
member of the church. This laying of the foundation, or memorial,
stone was his final public service for Bristo. He died in 1934, aged
eighty. The other, on the left, is Bailie John McMichael, the senior
deacon. (For the non-Scots among us a bailie was a member of the
town council who presided over the burgh court, equivalent to a
magistrate in England). Between these two men is George Yuille, who
had been pastor of Stirling Baptist Church, his only charge, from 1870
to 1913 and Secretary of the Baptist Union of Scotland from 1880 to
1919. (Yes, the dates did overlap!) He also served as the BU president
from 1902-03, the only serving Secretary to have held that honour.
George Yuille’s last public appearance was to dedicate the new Bristo
building on Wednesday 20 February 1935. (See p.15 of the August
issue). Yuille died on 18 December that year, aged ninety. While
Bailie McMichael had been present at these opening services, he died
suddenly on the following day, having served the church for sixty
years, forty-five of which were as a deacon. His death must have cast a
shadow over the first Sunday services in the new church.
The love feast, the accounts for which had been displayed, had a very
practical purpose. It took place between the morning service at 11 a.m.
and the weekly communion service at 2.30 p.m., which was at that
time for members (baptised as believers) only. In the days before cars
and buses, it was impossible for those who lived a considerable
distance from the church to get home between these services. So the
love feast met their bodily needs as well as giving the opportunity for
fellowship and exchanging news of members who may have been ill.
The accounts also give the historian a great deal of information on the
ordinary household diet from the late eighteenth to late nineteenth
centuries.
We finished our tour with a visit to Archibald McLean’s grave in St.
Cuthbert’s churchyard. Go down the main path to the church from
Lothian Road, just before the watchtower on the corner, and his
gravestone is on the right side almost diagonally opposite David
Dickson’s memorial fresco on the wall of the church. The badly worn
inscription is now barely legible but I was able to decipher it:
Died 21 December AD 1812 Aged 79 years
Mr Archd. M’Lean who was one of the original pastors of the first
Baptist church in Edinburgh and who devoted the great endowments
of which he was possessed to the work of the ministry, with unwearied
assiduity and zeal for the period of fortyfive years when he fell asleep
in Jesus. But although dead he yet speaketh in the many valuable
writings he has bequeathed to the community.
Mr Archd. M’Lean who was one of the original pastors of the first
Baptist church in Edinburgh and who devoted the great endowments
of which he was possessed to the work of the ministry, with unwearied
assiduity and zeal for the period of fortyfive years when he fell asleep
in Jesus. But although dead he yet speaketh in the many valuable
writings he has bequeathed to the community.
To his memory this stone is erected with sentiments of the highest
respect and affection by the ministers of the church over which he so
long and so earnestly presided.
His remains are interred one hundred feet to the south-east of this
stone.
In the next issue I will tell you something about the Mutual
Improvement Society.
(A question, mainly for the children: Why do we see watchtowers in
many of our old graveyards? Let me have your answers when you get
this magazine)
Christine Lumsden
T H E C H U R C H O F MY D R E AMS
I dream of a church that really worships God. A church that is not
content with singing hymns and songs and criticising the peripherals of
worship, but realises that worship affects the mind, the conscience, the
emotions and the will. I dream of a church that takes God’s word
seriously, not just studying it to learn it but to do it. I dream of a church
that wants to pray and has discovered prayer is not me bringing God into
my world to solve my problems but prayer is taking me into God’s
world to serve His purposes.
I dream of a church filled with God’s Holy Spirit, no longer dependent
on its own energy and enthusiasm but knowing something of the vibrant
reality of the risen life of the Lord Jesus made available to us by His
Spirit. That what Jesus made possible on the cross of Calvary the Holy
Spirit wants to make actual as I live on earth. A Spirit filled church.
I dream of a church family orientated that does not see young people as
church of tomorrow but as church of today, that does not see old people
as church of yesterday but as the church of today because we are all one
in Christ Jesus our Lord. I dream of a church that next to worshipping
God has evangelism as its highest priority.
I dream of a church not so turned in that it can no longer be
outgoing. I dream of a church that has a serving heart, not
concerned with what it can get but what it can give.
I dream of a church liberated from the shackles of traditions that are no
longer valid. We honour the past by learning from it, not living in it.
I dream of a church liberated from self centredness, now free to serve
God, the world and one another. That’s my dream. What is yours?
Bill Clark
content with singing hymns and songs and criticising the peripherals of
worship, but realises that worship affects the mind, the conscience, the
emotions and the will. I dream of a church that takes God’s word
seriously, not just studying it to learn it but to do it. I dream of a church
that wants to pray and has discovered prayer is not me bringing God into
my world to solve my problems but prayer is taking me into God’s
world to serve His purposes.
I dream of a church filled with God’s Holy Spirit, no longer dependent
on its own energy and enthusiasm but knowing something of the vibrant
reality of the risen life of the Lord Jesus made available to us by His
Spirit. That what Jesus made possible on the cross of Calvary the Holy
Spirit wants to make actual as I live on earth. A Spirit filled church.
I dream of a church family orientated that does not see young people as
church of tomorrow but as church of today, that does not see old people
as church of yesterday but as the church of today because we are all one
in Christ Jesus our Lord. I dream of a church that next to worshipping
God has evangelism as its highest priority.
I dream of a church not so turned in that it can no longer be
outgoing. I dream of a church that has a serving heart, not
concerned with what it can get but what it can give.
I dream of a church liberated from the shackles of traditions that are no
longer valid. We honour the past by learning from it, not living in it.
I dream of a church liberated from self centredness, now free to serve
God, the world and one another. That’s my dream. What is yours?
Bill Clark
A S S EMB L Y R E P O R T
This year’s Assembly of the Baptist Union and Baptist Missionary
Society in Scotland took place at the Vine Church in Dunfermline
from Thursday 28 to Saturday 30 October. The Vine Church is a
converted warehouse with a large sanctuary (bigger than Bristo’s!), a
big cafe area and excellent hall accommodation. A great venue for
what turned out to be a very inspiring Assembly. Bristo’s delegates
were Robert and Andrea Mill.
The theme for the Assembly was Communities of Conviction. Opening
and closing keynote addresses were given by Rev. Alan Donaldson,
the recently appointed General Director of the Union. Five other talks
on aspects of the Assembly’s theme were given by Marc Owen, on
Discipleship; Ian Randall, on Religious Freedom; Parush Parushev
(IBTS Prague) who gave two talks on Communities of Discernment
and Interdependence and Diversity; and Stuart Blythe, on Mission. Ian
Randall (author of the book “Communities of Conviction” whose title
was borrowed for the Assembly) also gave several shorter
enlightening talks that highlighted key events in Baptist history since
the beginnings of the denomination in Europe in the 16th century.
Formal business took up a mere half day, a great contrast from
Assemblies that I attended in the 1980s! What was transacted was
nonetheless serious and likely to result in big changes for the Union.
Financially the Union, like so many other organisations, is
experiencing the effects of the credit crunch and low interest rates.
Income in financial year 2009/10 was approximately £586,000
compared with about £653,000 in 2008/09. The fall was largely
accounted by a big decrease in contributions from associations and
individuals, from £71.6k to only £10k, and a halving of bank interest
from £60.5k to £31.1k. The Union is facing a much bigger shortfall in
2010/11. To alleviate this, it put its current headquarters (14 Aytoun
Road in Glasgow) on the market in September with a view to
purchasing or leasing more modern office accommodation that will
allow open-plan working. It is also cutting back on staff, with the
Structure Review Group proposing to merge the present Mission and
Ministry Departments, currently headed respectively by Rev. Andy
Scarcliffe and Rev. Andrew Rollinson , and to cut some administrative
posts.
Interconnectedness, touched on by Parush Parushev in the first of his
two talks, was a major feature of the Assembly. In his keynote address
Rev. Alan Donaldson likened the Union to a bicycle wheel. Just as a
bicycle wheel has many spokes and if too many of these break the
wheel becomes unsafe, the Union is made up of many fellowships all
of whom are valuable. And in the local church every person plays an
equally important part. Interconnectedness was demonstrated by our
Bible readings being given over phone links from places such as
Afghanistan, South America, the Middle East and Asia where BMS
personnel serve; by a live link to the BMS Action Team serving in
Kolkata, India; and by Assembly breaking up several times to discuss
aspects of business or the theme in small groups.
Bathgate Baptist Church was welcomed into the Union. This recently
formed church, with Rev. Harry Sprange as its interim pastor, has three
-quarters of its membership under the age of 30.
Robert Mill
Society in Scotland took place at the Vine Church in Dunfermline
from Thursday 28 to Saturday 30 October. The Vine Church is a
converted warehouse with a large sanctuary (bigger than Bristo’s!), a
big cafe area and excellent hall accommodation. A great venue for
what turned out to be a very inspiring Assembly. Bristo’s delegates
were Robert and Andrea Mill.
The theme for the Assembly was Communities of Conviction. Opening
and closing keynote addresses were given by Rev. Alan Donaldson,
the recently appointed General Director of the Union. Five other talks
on aspects of the Assembly’s theme were given by Marc Owen, on
Discipleship; Ian Randall, on Religious Freedom; Parush Parushev
(IBTS Prague) who gave two talks on Communities of Discernment
and Interdependence and Diversity; and Stuart Blythe, on Mission. Ian
Randall (author of the book “Communities of Conviction” whose title
was borrowed for the Assembly) also gave several shorter
enlightening talks that highlighted key events in Baptist history since
the beginnings of the denomination in Europe in the 16th century.
Formal business took up a mere half day, a great contrast from
Assemblies that I attended in the 1980s! What was transacted was
nonetheless serious and likely to result in big changes for the Union.
Financially the Union, like so many other organisations, is
experiencing the effects of the credit crunch and low interest rates.
Income in financial year 2009/10 was approximately £586,000
compared with about £653,000 in 2008/09. The fall was largely
accounted by a big decrease in contributions from associations and
individuals, from £71.6k to only £10k, and a halving of bank interest
from £60.5k to £31.1k. The Union is facing a much bigger shortfall in
2010/11. To alleviate this, it put its current headquarters (14 Aytoun
Road in Glasgow) on the market in September with a view to
purchasing or leasing more modern office accommodation that will
allow open-plan working. It is also cutting back on staff, with the
Structure Review Group proposing to merge the present Mission and
Ministry Departments, currently headed respectively by Rev. Andy
Scarcliffe and Rev. Andrew Rollinson , and to cut some administrative
posts.
Interconnectedness, touched on by Parush Parushev in the first of his
two talks, was a major feature of the Assembly. In his keynote address
Rev. Alan Donaldson likened the Union to a bicycle wheel. Just as a
bicycle wheel has many spokes and if too many of these break the
wheel becomes unsafe, the Union is made up of many fellowships all
of whom are valuable. And in the local church every person plays an
equally important part. Interconnectedness was demonstrated by our
Bible readings being given over phone links from places such as
Afghanistan, South America, the Middle East and Asia where BMS
personnel serve; by a live link to the BMS Action Team serving in
Kolkata, India; and by Assembly breaking up several times to discuss
aspects of business or the theme in small groups.
Bathgate Baptist Church was welcomed into the Union. This recently
formed church, with Rev. Harry Sprange as its interim pastor, has three
-quarters of its membership under the age of 30.
Robert Mill
R E A D Y F O R C H A N G E ?
I have been challenged and stimulated recently by a book by Tom
Wright, ‘Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision,’ published by
SPCK. Wright was until recently Bishop of Durham and is now
Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the
University of St Andrews. His scholarly treatment of the doctrine of
justification has provoked a great deal of theological debate in recent
years, as, along with other scholars such as J. D. G. Dunn and E. P.
Sanders, he has challenged some of the assumptions that underlie the
standard interpretations in Reformed and evangelical traditions of
Paul’s epistles to the Galatians and Romans, where the apostle
proclaims and defends the gospel in view of the unbelief and
opposition of the Jews of his time. This challenge to traditional
interpretations of Paul on the part of Wright and others has become
known as the ‘new perspective’ on Paul.
According to those of the new perspective, based on their research into
Second Temple Judaism, the real issue that Paul had with the
unbelieving Jews was not that they did not understand grace and that
they were trying to earn their salvation by their own good works. Jews
of Paul’s time – that of Second Temple Judaism – recognised the grace
that lay behind the covenant with Abraham, knowing that no individual
Jew could earn a place in Abraham’s posterity, although continuance
in the blessings of the covenant was seen as conditioned on obeying
the law. The real point of contention with Paul’s gospel lay with its
proclamation of the crucial role of Jesus as God’s Messiah in fulfilling
the law and ending the need for a separate specifically Jewish identity
for the true people of God. Paul is now proclaiming that what identifies
God’s family and separates them from those outside, under the new
covenant, is no longer the ‘boundary markers’ of circumcision and ‘the
works of the law’, but faith in the Messiah who unites Jew and Gentile
in one body.
The problem of the old perspective on Paul, it is claimed, is that
Protestant interpreters have read the issues that concerned 16th century
Reformers in their controversy with medieval Catholicism into Paul’s
letters, loading them with meanings and implications that were not
intended. The old Protestant emphasis has been on how the individual
guilty sinner can find release from the burden of personal sin, and this
is the lens through which Paul’s words have been focused. The new
perspective sees the issue in Galatians and Romans as that of the
identity of the true covenant community and how it is to be recognised
now that God’s purpose for both Israel and the world are fulfilled
through the revealed lordship of Christ. Wright believes that Paul
regards justification – the status of being declared righteous by God –
more as a matter of God’s recognition of who is now included in the
covenant community than as something happening to get you in, on
the level of an individual transaction with God.
Whether we need to revise our traditional views of justification by
faith in the light of the new perspective or whether in fact the new
perspective has ‘got it right’ is a matter of ongoing debate. A case can
be made for saying that the old and new perspectives with a bit of
tweaking are not incompatible but can be made to complement each
other. In any case, since these reflections are supposed to be some kind
of response to the theme of ‘vision for change’ you may be wondering
how my attempt to sum up this piece of modern theology is
appropriate or relevant.
First of all, by way of an answer, I suggest that simply at the mundane
level of how we form our views of what the Bible is saying, the ‘new
perspective’ makes for an interesting case study. When we are
compelled to revise our opinions on some topic, you could say that our
‘vision’ itself is changed and that we should prepare for the practical
implications. Unless we are willing to embrace the new vision, our
way of thinking will remain stuck, and our lives too will be in a rut.
But then, supposing you have embraced some ‘new perspective’ which
on closer examination is found to contain some error or overstatement,
are you prepared to humble yourself, admit as much and seek a better
approximation of the truth, perhaps some middle ground?
Secondly, the subtitle of Tom Wright’s book, ‘God’s Plan and Paul’s
Vision’, is richly suggestive. Before Paul could have a vision worth
following, God first had a plan. God was sovereign; this was shown in
the fact that, although Paul was not what we’d consider ready-made
material for the vision that met him on the road to Damascus, and
which came to consume his life, God met him anyway, not on the basis
of his personal wishes, which would never have naturally stumbled on
what God had in mind, but on the basis of his plan for him born in
eternity without his consultation. Paul was a reluctant visionary.
But there is someone else who was crucial to the story of God’s plan -
and Paul’s vision - long before it became a matter of current day
theological reflection. The Apostle Peter, whose faith journey preceded
that of Saul of Tarsus, needed to see the same vision three times before
he could grasp that God was doing a new thing in opening a door of
faith to the Gentiles. At a time when Paul was beginning to take his
place as a leader in the church, Peter proved himself to be a slow
learner and backslider from the vision God had given him, when,
fearing the disapproval of the circumcision party, he withdrew from
fellowship meals with the Gentiles.
The change that God brought through vision to Peter and Paul was so
revolutionary that it went against the grain of both men and faced them
with a real crisis. Perhaps this is true to human nature. Doesn’t it take
the wind of the Spirit to stir us up from our cosy little nests to confront
some greater vision, with all the uncomfortable challenges that come
with it?
Brian Barclay
Wright, ‘Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision,’ published by
SPCK. Wright was until recently Bishop of Durham and is now
Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the
University of St Andrews. His scholarly treatment of the doctrine of
justification has provoked a great deal of theological debate in recent
years, as, along with other scholars such as J. D. G. Dunn and E. P.
Sanders, he has challenged some of the assumptions that underlie the
standard interpretations in Reformed and evangelical traditions of
Paul’s epistles to the Galatians and Romans, where the apostle
proclaims and defends the gospel in view of the unbelief and
opposition of the Jews of his time. This challenge to traditional
interpretations of Paul on the part of Wright and others has become
known as the ‘new perspective’ on Paul.
According to those of the new perspective, based on their research into
Second Temple Judaism, the real issue that Paul had with the
unbelieving Jews was not that they did not understand grace and that
they were trying to earn their salvation by their own good works. Jews
of Paul’s time – that of Second Temple Judaism – recognised the grace
that lay behind the covenant with Abraham, knowing that no individual
Jew could earn a place in Abraham’s posterity, although continuance
in the blessings of the covenant was seen as conditioned on obeying
the law. The real point of contention with Paul’s gospel lay with its
proclamation of the crucial role of Jesus as God’s Messiah in fulfilling
the law and ending the need for a separate specifically Jewish identity
for the true people of God. Paul is now proclaiming that what identifies
God’s family and separates them from those outside, under the new
covenant, is no longer the ‘boundary markers’ of circumcision and ‘the
works of the law’, but faith in the Messiah who unites Jew and Gentile
in one body.
The problem of the old perspective on Paul, it is claimed, is that
Protestant interpreters have read the issues that concerned 16th century
Reformers in their controversy with medieval Catholicism into Paul’s
letters, loading them with meanings and implications that were not
intended. The old Protestant emphasis has been on how the individual
guilty sinner can find release from the burden of personal sin, and this
is the lens through which Paul’s words have been focused. The new
perspective sees the issue in Galatians and Romans as that of the
identity of the true covenant community and how it is to be recognised
now that God’s purpose for both Israel and the world are fulfilled
through the revealed lordship of Christ. Wright believes that Paul
regards justification – the status of being declared righteous by God –
more as a matter of God’s recognition of who is now included in the
covenant community than as something happening to get you in, on
the level of an individual transaction with God.
Whether we need to revise our traditional views of justification by
faith in the light of the new perspective or whether in fact the new
perspective has ‘got it right’ is a matter of ongoing debate. A case can
be made for saying that the old and new perspectives with a bit of
tweaking are not incompatible but can be made to complement each
other. In any case, since these reflections are supposed to be some kind
of response to the theme of ‘vision for change’ you may be wondering
how my attempt to sum up this piece of modern theology is
appropriate or relevant.
First of all, by way of an answer, I suggest that simply at the mundane
level of how we form our views of what the Bible is saying, the ‘new
perspective’ makes for an interesting case study. When we are
compelled to revise our opinions on some topic, you could say that our
‘vision’ itself is changed and that we should prepare for the practical
implications. Unless we are willing to embrace the new vision, our
way of thinking will remain stuck, and our lives too will be in a rut.
But then, supposing you have embraced some ‘new perspective’ which
on closer examination is found to contain some error or overstatement,
are you prepared to humble yourself, admit as much and seek a better
approximation of the truth, perhaps some middle ground?
Secondly, the subtitle of Tom Wright’s book, ‘God’s Plan and Paul’s
Vision’, is richly suggestive. Before Paul could have a vision worth
following, God first had a plan. God was sovereign; this was shown in
the fact that, although Paul was not what we’d consider ready-made
material for the vision that met him on the road to Damascus, and
which came to consume his life, God met him anyway, not on the basis
of his personal wishes, which would never have naturally stumbled on
what God had in mind, but on the basis of his plan for him born in
eternity without his consultation. Paul was a reluctant visionary.
But there is someone else who was crucial to the story of God’s plan -
and Paul’s vision - long before it became a matter of current day
theological reflection. The Apostle Peter, whose faith journey preceded
that of Saul of Tarsus, needed to see the same vision three times before
he could grasp that God was doing a new thing in opening a door of
faith to the Gentiles. At a time when Paul was beginning to take his
place as a leader in the church, Peter proved himself to be a slow
learner and backslider from the vision God had given him, when,
fearing the disapproval of the circumcision party, he withdrew from
fellowship meals with the Gentiles.
The change that God brought through vision to Peter and Paul was so
revolutionary that it went against the grain of both men and faced them
with a real crisis. Perhaps this is true to human nature. Doesn’t it take
the wind of the Spirit to stir us up from our cosy little nests to confront
some greater vision, with all the uncomfortable challenges that come
with it?
Brian Barclay
ME D I T A T I O N
'Listen to my voice, says the Lord
Be My servant
Go where I send you
Do what I ask of you
I will give you the words to say
I will prepare the way for you
I sent you My only Son, Jesus Christ
As an example for you
He did everything I asked of Him
He spoke the words I put in His mouth
He went where I sent Him
The perfect servant '
Be My servant
Go where I send you
Do what I ask of you
I will give you the words to say
I will prepare the way for you
I sent you My only Son, Jesus Christ
As an example for you
He did everything I asked of Him
He spoke the words I put in His mouth
He went where I sent Him
The perfect servant '
These words came to me late one night whilst, after reading the Bible, I
waited on the Lord, waited for Him to speak. These words resounded in
my head so much I had to write them down. I felt it was not only a
message for myself but for the whole church. We have to seek God’s
vision for the church.
Jeanette Lumsden
waited on the Lord, waited for Him to speak. These words resounded in
my head so much I had to write them down. I felt it was not only a
message for myself but for the whole church. We have to seek God’s
vision for the church.
Jeanette Lumsden
COMING EVENTS
24 HOURS OF PRAYER
Beginning Saturday 27 November at 9.30 a.m. here in Bristo. Format
will be similar to the one in September (see article 2). More
details and sign-up form later.
TREASURE HUNTING TRAINING
There is a training session in street evangelism planned at Whiteinch
Church, Glasgow on Sunday 14th November from 1-5 p.m. Having
done this at Mission School it can be recommended!
HEALING ON THE STREETS
You may have seen the Healing on the Streets teams on Princes Street
at the Waterloo Statue or on the Royal Mile near St Giles. If you
would like to get involved in this ministry the next training sessions
are Friday 19 November, 7.30-10 p.m. (registration and refreshments
from 6.30 p.m.) and Saturday 20 November, 9 a.m.-12 noon followed
by going out on the streets 1-3 p.m. (bring your own lunch). It is
necessary to attend both sessions. Cost is £5 which includes training
manual but not lunch.
LIGHT AND LIFE EVENT AND TRAINING
The next Light and Life event in Edinburgh will take place on Monday
22 November, 8-10 p.m., MacDonald Roxburgh Hotel. These
events are primarily aimed at non-Christians, many of whom come to
know Jesus at them.
If you would like to take part in the next one, the training session is
on Thursday 11 November at Wellsprings, 71 Whitehill Street,
Newcraighall EH21 8QZ, also 8-10 p.m. Please send an email to
Eleanor Thomson b3ely@hotmail.co.uk , indicating which area you'd
like to help out in, i.e. Welcome; Personal Prophecy (Spiritual
Readings); Healing; Personality Styles; Dream Interpretation;
Prophetic Art; Massage; Music etc.
A DAY TO CHANGE THE NATION
Saturday 27 November, 3--10 p.m. The Vine Church, Garvock Hill,
Dunfermline KY11 4JU
Saturday 27th November is a day for all the people of God in Scotland
to come together to worship, be inspired and to pray for our nation.
The event is run by a number of organisations in Scotland, including:
The Scotland Trust, Evangelical Alliance, The Big If, Alpha Scotland,
Pray for Scotland, CARE, Parliamentary Prayer for Scotland, Healing
Rooms, INVEST and CLAN Gathering. Speakers and worship leaders
include Tommy MacNeil, Alan McWilliam, Kenny Borthwick, Fred
Drummond, Jim Ritchie and The One Band. There will be two
sessions, from 3-5 p.m. and 7.30 –10 p.m., with dinner available
locally in the Vine Cafe or other eating places in Dunfermline in
between. Admission free; an offering will be taken.
ALPHA SCOTLAND VISION DAY
Saturday 5th February 2011 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Assembly
Hall, Edinburgh. The cost for the day including lunch is £14.50 (£13
plus £1.50 booking fee). The day will feature Nicky Gumbel, worship
leader Ben Cantelon and other speakers: Paul Cowley - Caring for Ex-
Offenders; Iain Gordon - Bethany Christian Trust; and Nicky &; Sila
Lee - The Marriage Course. Tickets from http://purashop.co.uk/Shop/Products/159535/Home/Tickets/Alpha_Scotland_Vision_Day_2011/Alpha_Scotland_Vision_Day_2011_Adult.aspx. Book now, last
year’s was a sell-out!
Beginning Saturday 27 November at 9.30 a.m. here in Bristo. Format
will be similar to the one in September (see article 2). More
details and sign-up form later.
TREASURE HUNTING TRAINING
There is a training session in street evangelism planned at Whiteinch
Church, Glasgow on Sunday 14th November from 1-5 p.m. Having
done this at Mission School it can be recommended!
HEALING ON THE STREETS
You may have seen the Healing on the Streets teams on Princes Street
at the Waterloo Statue or on the Royal Mile near St Giles. If you
would like to get involved in this ministry the next training sessions
are Friday 19 November, 7.30-10 p.m. (registration and refreshments
from 6.30 p.m.) and Saturday 20 November, 9 a.m.-12 noon followed
by going out on the streets 1-3 p.m. (bring your own lunch). It is
necessary to attend both sessions. Cost is £5 which includes training
manual but not lunch.
LIGHT AND LIFE EVENT AND TRAINING
The next Light and Life event in Edinburgh will take place on Monday
22 November, 8-10 p.m., MacDonald Roxburgh Hotel. These
events are primarily aimed at non-Christians, many of whom come to
know Jesus at them.
If you would like to take part in the next one, the training session is
on Thursday 11 November at Wellsprings, 71 Whitehill Street,
Newcraighall EH21 8QZ, also 8-10 p.m. Please send an email to
Eleanor Thomson b3ely@hotmail.co.uk , indicating which area you'd
like to help out in, i.e. Welcome; Personal Prophecy (Spiritual
Readings); Healing; Personality Styles; Dream Interpretation;
Prophetic Art; Massage; Music etc.
A DAY TO CHANGE THE NATION
Saturday 27 November, 3--10 p.m. The Vine Church, Garvock Hill,
Dunfermline KY11 4JU
Saturday 27th November is a day for all the people of God in Scotland
to come together to worship, be inspired and to pray for our nation.
The event is run by a number of organisations in Scotland, including:
The Scotland Trust, Evangelical Alliance, The Big If, Alpha Scotland,
Pray for Scotland, CARE, Parliamentary Prayer for Scotland, Healing
Rooms, INVEST and CLAN Gathering. Speakers and worship leaders
include Tommy MacNeil, Alan McWilliam, Kenny Borthwick, Fred
Drummond, Jim Ritchie and The One Band. There will be two
sessions, from 3-5 p.m. and 7.30 –10 p.m., with dinner available
locally in the Vine Cafe or other eating places in Dunfermline in
between. Admission free; an offering will be taken.
ALPHA SCOTLAND VISION DAY
Saturday 5th February 2011 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Assembly
Hall, Edinburgh. The cost for the day including lunch is £14.50 (£13
plus £1.50 booking fee). The day will feature Nicky Gumbel, worship
leader Ben Cantelon and other speakers: Paul Cowley - Caring for Ex-
Offenders; Iain Gordon - Bethany Christian Trust; and Nicky &; Sila
Lee - The Marriage Course. Tickets from http://purashop.co.uk/Shop/Products/159535/Home/Tickets/Alpha_Scotland_Vision_Day_2011/Alpha_Scotland_Vision_Day_2011_Adult.aspx. Book now, last
year’s was a sell-out!
The final word
The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in
power, and you will prophesy with them; and you
will be changed into a different person.
1 Samuel 10: 6 NIV
power, and you will prophesy with them; and you
will be changed into a different person.
1 Samuel 10: 6 NIV
Thursday 1 July 2010
From the Editor
The title, or ‘theme’, at the top of the first page of this issue of the Magazine is “The Spirit at Work”. Reading through it you may think at first that there are no articles about that in this issue. But you’d be wrong!
We have articles about the Spirit at work in individual people’s lives. Two people were baptised in May and three in June; one of them (Cheryl, baptised in May) gives her testimony of how the Spirit has been working in her life.
A large part of this issue is devoted to the annual reports given at the church AGM on 26th May.
These all portray how the Spirit is working in the corporate life of the church, from young people’s activities to work amongst internationals and work among the homeless. Our pastor Jim Purves also provides his annual “Review of the Year” in which he outlines how the Spirit is working among the congregation.
Yes, the Spirit is at work among us! Pray that God will continue to do amazing things.
Robert Mill
Pastor's Report
I want to begin by saying what a privilege it is to serve as pastor of a congregation such as Bristo and to thank those who have served as deacons and whose term has now ended. The last fifteen and a half years have passed quickly and change has been constant and encouraging. How matters have moved on from when, on arriving, I found we had only one deacon! I am delighted that we now have an expanded group of deacons to serve the congregation during this very important stage in our congregational life. We thank Barbara for her period of diaconal duty now completed, and pray God’s wisdom and guidance for those now elected for a term of three years to serve with Paul and Sam – Andrea, Brian Wilson, Craig, David Polland, Daniel, Matt and Robert. I very much look forward to working with this team in pursuing service to our Lord Jesus Christ through our congregation’s life and ministry in coming days.
This last year has been an exciting and challenging one in the life of Bristo, seeing the further development of ministry and shaping of expressions for the way ahead. Two special features of this have been the growth in ministry among internationals and initiatives concerning the Bristo buildings.
A year ago we had two interns, David Purves and Tanya Alexeeva, whose leading of the Monday Night Badminton Club had transitioned it into an International meeting, now known as iFriends. This international flavour to Bristo was enhanced by the growing ministry of the team that runs the Tuesday afternoon Home from Home. Last summer, the arrival of David Nemeshegyi and Pedro Gonzalez to join Tanya as interns enhanced our international ministry. David has brought his Biblical skills to add to the preaching team and leadership within Cell Group, Pedro willingly assisting Brian Wilson in refurbishing the sanctuary and also joining with Tanya and Agnes Nemeshegyi in participating in the Praise Band. It has been good to have these folks with us, and we are blessed that some will still be with us after finishing their intern year.
With regard to our plans for building redevelopment, progress has been facilitated by good team work among the deacons and among members of the Property Group. Planning and practical tasks all concerned. We are especially appreciative of help rendered from those outside our congregation, including personnel from Scottish Churches Housing Action, 3D Reid Architects and Phil Myerscough. Presently, our main building is being marketed as part of this process, and we look to the Lord to lead us as to how we might better use our resources for ministry and mission in the coming months and years. Our involvement in the Care Van has been an important part of this, and now we will seek to develop other ways in which we can bring Christian presence and witness into needy areas of the city. The vision of a Community House is before us, and invites further exploration in the months ahead.
The ministry of the members is a key focus in the mission of any Baptist congregation, and I praise God for the way people at Bristo serve both outwith and within the church in many and varied ways. Within our own internal ministries, I want to thank Matt Baines and his team for his ongoing leadership and ministry of the work with teenagers within and associated with the congregation, in the It Club on Friday nights, and also Ryan Gladwin for assisting both in preaching and in much appreciated pastoral support to folk while I have been absent on teaching and holiday trips abroad. Linda Watson and her Sunday school team have been faithful in serving the children and in arranging catalyst activities in the two Bar-B-Q’s we have had, with others planned in coming months. Brian, Stuart and others have done sterling work within the fabric of the building, and Leszek has worked hard and well on the gardens outside. I have also to give thanks to all who participate in ministries, such as expressed through the praise band and preaching team, and indeed in many other less conspicuous yet equally important ministries, expressed in various tasks and duties faithfully executed and performed.
But what of the future? I believe this is the most exciting time I have witnessed during my ministry as pastor of Bristo. We have many people within our congregation keen to serve the Kingdom of God, a large and able diaconate, and before us in the next months more baptisms and applications for membership than ever before. There are areas we need to develop in. We need to look at how we might further embrace our growing ministry among internationals, to look at fresh ways of developing children and family ministry, and to prayerfully seek what other areas the Lord would enable us to develop outreach and missional activity in. As I look forward to my sabbatical leave in the autumn, I am delighted to have the pastoral ministry covered by Bill Clark as interim moderator and chair of deacons’ meetings, with Tima Cheprasov serving as interim pastor in my absence. I have asked Bill to lead the diaconate through a time of reflection, in my absence, on what structures and styles of stipendiary ministry will best serve the continued moulding and development of the Bristo Congregation in the Lord’s service in the coming years.
This is a season for carefully plotting a path forward in the footsteps of Jesus. A season for planning to move forward with boldness and focus. Being aware that we have an enemy who seeks to debilitate and destroy, whilst giving thanks for a Lord who has overcome the enemy and who will protect and enable us as we move forward in God’s purposes. Let us focus on the character of Christ’s ministry and persevere along His path. And remember that the resurrected Christ will visit with the power and enabling of the Holy Spirit as we prayerfully seek to serve and follow in His name.
I thank all who have given support and help to me as pastor in this past year, and pray that God may continue to bless and enable this congregation in what lies ahead.
Jim Purves
Baptisms
On Sunday 30th May we had a beautiful baptism celebration of Jess Tait and Cao Yuan (Cheryl). The church was packed as many friends and family members came to enjoy that moment with our sisters. Both of them shared their testimonies where they told us about how they experienced God and how He has changed their lives. Through the baptisms they participated in Jesus’ death and resurrection and showed their commitment to follow Jesus. Jim also reminded us once again in his sermon that being a Christian is not about believing in Jesus but about following Him, being His disciple. It was a lovely and uplifting experience altogether.
Lucy Kurtyka
On Sunday 27th June we had another baptismal service. This time three young men, Tokede, Olubukola Olumuyiwa (‘Buki’), Richard Allison and Tafadzwa Msengezi (‘Taz’), were baptised. Each was interviewed by Matt Baines, who through the ‘Journey’ materials for young people had been influential in leading two of them (Richard and Taz) to the point where they felt they were ready for baptism. All three gave moving testimonies of how God had been working in their lives. Buki is a student from Nigeria who discovered Bristo while travelling from home to college, as a result of seeing our “Jesus is the missing peace” sign on the front of the building. Richard and Taz are of course the sons of members of our fellowship, Jim and Linda Allison and Hosana Bankhead respectively. Pray for all three young men as God continues to work in their lives now that they have taken the important step of surrendering their lives to Him.
Robert Mill
Wedding
Michelle Casey and Andrew McNeill were married in Bristo on Saturday 1 May by Rev. Jim Purves. Andrew is Jeanette Lumsden’s son. We congratulate the happy couple and wish them well for the future.
Memorial Service
A memorial service was held in Bristo on Saturday 8 May for the life of Elizabeth O’semaye Onifade, who passed away on 30 March. Elizabeth was the mother of Daniel Onifade. The service, which was attended by a large number of Bristo members and relatives and friends of Daniel’s family, was conducted by our minister assisted by three African pastors. We extend our sympathy to Daniel, Ute and the family.
Cherly's testimony
When I told my first Christian friend, Jo, that I wanted to know more about God, I never thought that it would change my whole life thereafter.
I joined her Bible study group. The first passage we read was Genesis. A story of how people became separated from God because of sin. That made sense, for I knew that no one is holy. But then it talked about love. What is that? I had no idea. I have never been taught what love is. I left home at the age of 14 to study in a key school, where I was isolated because I was not a good student. I was also not so attached to my family; on the contrary, I was tired mediating between my parents after their divorce. Relationships were pointless, and they never lasted. I rejected those who cared about me, refusing to have close relationships with people. I didn’t want to love or be loved. Keeping a distance with people made me feel safe. Someone once said to me, “when people walk by you, they could feel some force pushing them away”.
I believed that to love would equate with sorrow, until one day I had severe depression. If you have seen anyone suffering depression, you’ll know what kind of life I had at that time. Oh I am phrasing it wrongly: it shouldn’t be called LIFE, it was more like surviving. Convinced that I was a failure and no one in this world loved me, I found my life worthless. Feeling completely lost and abandoned by the whole world, I couldn’t find a reason to live. My teachers and classmates worried about me, but no one could do anything, even the therapist I went to see. He could only give me medicines and talk to me. By then I had studied the Bible for some time, but didn’t know that I could turn to God. I liked the words in the Bible, but this God was just so against my knowledge. Somehow, during that time I was not interested in anything at all, but the Bible was still attracting me. It was the only thing that could make me feel calm.
When Jo heard of my situation, she wrote to me asking what had happened. I thought that was just “British politeness”. But when I told her how I felt about life, she replied very patiently. She encouraged me that whether rich or poor, successful or not, I am valuable and special in God’s eyes. She explained that it is in knowing God’s love and knowing she’s living for Him, that gives her meaning, purpose and hope. That’s really a strange way to comfort people, but it did help me. For the first time in my life I had a desire to be loved. Although I couldn’t see or feel God’s love, I felt the love flowing from her. I realized that love is something wonderful, it soothes, comforts, and brings hope. Why is her life so different? Is it because of the God she believes in? Can He make my life like hers?
I tried to pray to God, not knowing if He actually exists. But every time I prayed to Him, I felt a great peace deep in my heart. When I had an illness or problems I asked Him to help me, and amazingly He answered my every prayer. He did help me. I couldn’t see Him with my eyes, but I did see Him and felt His love with my heart. He is real. He cares about me; He takes away my worries and solves the problems I had. He’s the one that I’ve been looking for all those years. I decided to accept Him as the Lord of my life.
It was a hard decision for me and I have struggled for some time, but it has proved to be a correct decision. Once I asked God to enter my life, I received so much peace and joy from Him. His love filled a hole in my heart and made me alive. The questions I had about meaning of life stopped haunting my mind. I’m not saying that God told me the answer directly, but that they are no longer questions for me: I am now complete. And what is more wonderful, His love brings not only satisfaction to my heart, but also changes to my life. He breaks the walls around my heart and melts my apathy. I became more gentle, kind and joyful. I was afraid to love others because of the fear of getting hurt, but now to love is not as frightening. I am willing to love others because God loves me first. I am willing to forgive those who hurt me because God forgives me, a sinner. He taught me how to love by showing me what true love is. When I look back, I know that He made me new. His unchanging love is still changing me.
So today here I stand, giving thanks to Him for finding me and accepting me as His child; for accompanying me through ups and downs in my life. I know that there are still rough patches and dark times in my life ahead, but He will never leave me. His endless love, grace and mercy will be with me all the way. Finally, this might be a weird way to put it, but I want to say that God loves me, and I’ll love Him back. I will follow Him all the days of my life, live for Him and glorify His name.I’d like to end this testimony with one of my favourite verses: Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!
Cao Yuan (Cheryl)
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