HADDENHAM-cum-DINTON BAPTIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 18th October 2020
WEEKLY NEWSHEET
News from HBC 18th October 2020
Jonny and the deacons are meeting via zoom and are continually monitoring the situation and trying to support people the best way they can, we will try to help, but please let us know of your needs.
Link to Hope
A BIG thank you to everyone who has provided items or given a donation for our shoe box appeal- you are all incredibly generous!
We have a few special requests this week: Tape Measure or a small DIY tool, Solar powered calculator, Hairbrush or comb (unused), Scissors or nail clippers
We are due to start wrapping the boxes very soon and we would be very grateful for a few rolls of Christmas wrapping paper.
Finances
Thank you to everybody who is still supporting the church financially whether that be via bank transfer or money through the door. Offerings have averaged £480 per week, and the mission total is now £1588, with the donations for Operation Chad standing at £112. Thank you to everybody who has made a gift towards the Manse renovation, so far, this totals £9,200.
Thoughts and prayers
Please continue to remember Helen House and family, Beryl Pearce, Alison Hollowell, Margaret Boyce, Stella Race and Bob Innes in your prayers. If you know of anyone who needs our prayers, please let us know.
BMS Birthday Scheme
The Birthday scheme is now up and running again. If you are celebrating, Happy Birthday, and if you haven’t but would like to join the birthday scheme please have a word with Pam or Jan.
Mission
The Mission committee would like to remind people to pray for our link missionaries Tom and Mel Spears. If you want to support BMS and Home Mission, please pop a donation through the door. Please save those stamps with a ¼” border and pop them through the door or save them until we return to church.
Weekly services
Jonny is leading our online morning service supported by members of the congregation. Our next gathering will be on Sunday 18th October 4pm. If you would like a CD recording of the online morning service, please let us know and we will deliver one. If you would like to read or prepare and deliver the prayers in the online service, please have a word with Jonny.
BMS
This year’s BMS Harvest material focussed on Chad. As a church we are raising money for ‘Operation Chad’, if you are able please consider giving. We are leaving tis appeal open until the end of October. Thank you
Church re-opening
Our next fellowship gathering will be Sunday 1st November at 4pm and will be a service of personal remembrance. This service is often well attended, and we don’t want to put you off coming, but if you would rather, we are having another service at 5.30pm at Manor Farm. This is WILD church, a joint venture with Cornerstone church. There will be storytelling, fun and activities, fire and a short act of worship. We would like to know if you intend coming to either of those services so we can assess social distancing, please let Marjorie know. If you attend the indoor gathering you will need to wear a face mask throughout, and we will be asking you for track and trace details. The rules have changed slightly, and you will now need to sit in family groups rather than social bubbles. There will be hand sanitisers around the building for you to use. You will not have to wear a face mask when outside for WILD church, but we will need track and trace details. Thank you.
Jams, marmalades, and chutney
Katharine and Jan have been making Damson Jam, Marmalade, and Chutney to sell for Mission. If you would like a pot 75p for a small jar and £1.50 for a large jar. Chutney is £2.50 a pot. Please let us know.
House group
Learn Explore and Discuss Group are meeting again on 20th October to continue the exploration of Esther. It’s not too late to join us and please contact Julie for details
Transport
There is no transport rota at present, this will be reviewed at the end of year. If you would like a lift to church, please contact one of the deacon
Prayer Sheet 18th October 2020
Prayer: Loving heavenly father, we give You thanks and we bless Your holy name! We were created by You to worship You and to give You glory on the earth. We gladly join with all the hosts of Heaven, praising and worshiping You. We thank You, Lord, for the power of prayer; corporate prayer that unifies us as the body of Christ and makes us unstoppable as we endeavour to advance Your kingdom here on earth. We thank You, that when we gather as two or three and pray in agreement, Jesus is in our midst. …… . and we pray in His holy Name. Amen.
Readings:
Matthew Chapter 22 vs 15 – 22
Psalm 99
Back in 1908, Baden Powell started an organisation called the boy scouts and they had as their motto ‘Be Prepared’ The foundation of this was built on a hope that the boys would learn the ideals of trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, friendliness, courteousness, kindness, a similar list like that one we find in Galatians chapter 5 vs 25 and 26 , known to us as the Fruit of the Spirits. ‘Be Prepared’ was a preparation for the future, a preparation built on the word of God, echoed in their promise “I will do my best to do my duty to God, to help other people and serve my country”
This psalm teaches us how to be prepared, how to give glory to God and how to worship God who is holy.
We sing in church one of the great hymns “Holy, Holy, Holy” which has, in part, a basis in Psalm 99. This hymn, expresses the way we can respond best to God’s holiness, helping us to prioritise our thoughts, change the way we live our lives to be in line with God’s will. He is the Lord, God, Almighty!
The hymn says all Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth and sky, and sea. We are His creation, HIs created beings on earth, and having been given that special position and privilege, we can if we choose to be very near the heart of God. He loves us; He is the best Father anyone could imagine, and so much more.
Our job is to get to know our Creator better, and one way we can do this is through worship. As we lift our praise, God’s presence is made known to us. We need to grow and foster our relationship with God by praising Him. This hymn teaches us that those praises belong to God, and we would do well to lift our voices to Him from early in the morning, to close of day.
If we are going to learn who God is, what He is like, and what He wants us to do with your lives, we have got to spend more time praising Him. We need to adore God, putting our own successes in humility at His feet, just as the angels bowed down in humble worship. This is not all about us, it’s all about HIM!
The powerful picture of the angels bowing down before God, conjures up a nice scene of adoring beings, because our pop culture has made them such, but in reality, angels are not the nicest characters, they were fierce warriors. If an angel of God appeared to us right now, we would probably fall down in trembling fear. Whenever we read about angels in the Bible it is a holy occasion filled with power and majesty. So, if those angels bow down at the throne of God, singing praises to God, doing His will instantly and joyfully, should we not live our lives in the same way attempting to do Gods will?
Prayer: Almighty God, you are author of life, and we are in awe of your creation. The vast oceans reflect your majesty. The ever-changing skies renew our lands. The deep valleys carry your peace and shelter. You are saviour of the world, and we are amazed at your grace. The nations find peace in your forgiveness. The sufferer hope in your healing hands. You are unconditional in your love, and we are privileged to be filled by your presence. The youth are filled with your vision. The old are filled with your wisdom. The oppressed are unchained by your freedom. Almighty God, Father, Son and Spirit We worship you!
Blessing: Let us say together…………
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Any weekly news you would like to be included either in The Link please contact Margaret Boyce on (link.mkb@gmail.com
