HADDENHAM-cum-DINTON BAPTIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 9th August 2020
WEEKLY NEWSHEET
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
We are supporting the Link to Hope shoe box appeal this year. This is a wonderful opportunity to show our love and care to the most disadvantaged people in Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
We are making an early start on collecting. Each week we will provide a suggestion for your box. If you would rather donate to a box, please drop off any items to Julie Wing, and she will make up Church Boxes with the donations. Julie has some leaflets with all the details and lists of items and she is happy to pop one through your door, just let us know.
“When winter is chilly and the wind does blow. What will make our cold hearts glow? Warm hats for our heads and mittens for our hands, new or knitted by you, would be grand”.
The Foodbank
Thank you for your continued support and generous donations, the foodbank are very appreciative.
Finances
Thank you to everybody who is still supporting the church financially whether that be via bank transfer or money through the door. It is much appreciated.
Thoughts and prayers
Thank you for all your prayers, some people are now feeling a little better. Please continue to remember Christina Gulbenkian, Carol Francis, Beryl Pearce, Vi Giles, Jan Williams, Carol Murray and Brian Dodds in your prayers. If you know of anyone who needs our prayers, let us know. Thank you.
BMS Birthday Scheme The Birthday scheme is now up and running again. We hope Nigel enjoyed his birthday last week. Luke Chowns is celebrating his birthday next week, we send him our good wishes. 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, in Pam’s absence. Please let us know of anybody with an impending birthday
Mission
The Mission committee would like to highlight that our missionaries and churches need our support, so if you feel you would like to help in any way, just pop a donation through the door. Please could you also save your stamps, cutting a ¼” border cut around the stamp and pop them through the door or save them until we return to church. Please remember all our missionaries in your prayers, they are usually working in difficult situations. The current total is over £1200. Jan is happy to rent you any DVD’s £5 for Mission. Please contact Jan for further information.
Housegroup in the garden
The Housegroup met in Jan’s garden this week. The next venue and time will be published soon. All are welcome
Weekly services
Paul is kindly producing a service on the back of the newsheet and Krish is streaming live services for us on a Sunday. If you would like to read or say prayers please let us know and he will contact you, prior to the Sunday. It will then be available as a recording on the church Facebook page so you can listen to it anytime. We have an open invitation to log on using ZOOM to Cornerstone’s weekly service every Sunday at 10.30am. Dagnall Street (Jonny Fillis) have midday prayers and a Sunday morning service on line or as a podcast. Remember to look at our Facebook page and log onto the website for details of what is happening.
BMS
We are getting daily updates, which are featured on the church Facebook page, of the challenges faced by our BMS missionaries and workers at this time, please remember them in your prayers. Please pray for our link missionaries, Tom and Mel Spears. Thank you.
Good Wishes
Please remember our friends at Cornerstone and Joan Day in your prayers as they were due to lead our services this week.
Manse
Please make the Manse a prayer concern that all the tradesmen manage to finish on time, that they all work safely and that the house is ready for Jonny and family to move middle to late August. Please contact Marjorie if you have any questions.
Church re-opening
You might have heard the government announcement about places of worship being able to re –open in July. This was discussed at the AGM and how that might look. We appointed a small group of people to look into the practicalities, they are working hard to ensure we can meet in some form ASAP. We will be adhering to the guidance from the BU as to the detail of what we might be able to achieve in terms of a service.
Lockdown Calendar
We are going to produce a calendar to raise funds for BMS and Home Mission, with a theme ” our lockdown memories”
Please send us either a photo or a painting of something that inspired you, or made you laugh, during the lockdown.
Please could you send your entries to Marjorie or Julie, remembering we can’t have any images of people, for safeguarding reasons. Please send your entry via a PDF or JPEG or photo. Thank you for all your support.
Jams and marmalades
Katharine Whitney has kindly made some Damson Jam and Marmalade to sell for Mission. If you would like a pot 75p for a small jar and £1.50 for a large jar please let Marjorie or Katharine know and we will deliver it.
Prayer Sheet 9th August 2020
Prayer: Gracious and Holy Father, give us the wisdom to discover You, the intelligence to understand You,
the diligence to seek after You, the patience to wait for You, the eyes to behold You, a heart to meditate upon You, and a life to proclaim You, through the power of the Spirit of Jesus, our Lord. Amen
Readings:
Matthew Chapter 14 vs 22 – 33
Psalm 105 vs 1-6, 16 – 22, 45b
When reading this passage from the Bible it would be easy to be critical of Peter’s “weak faith.” There he was walking on water, but suddenly he is worried and discouraged by the strong winds, and he began to sink, only to be grabbed by Jesus. This is interesting, because if you are out in a boat, during a rough storm, the last thing you would want to do is to step out of it. The natural reaction is surely to do all you can to protect yourself, you hunker down in the boat, put on your life jacket, and pray earnestly that that the storm doesn’t get any worse. But that’s not what Peter did or had in mind.
Peter asked for help “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” Isn’t that a lovely prayer, Peter had ultimate faith in the Lord, at that moment of concern. All too often, the storms of life tend to cause us fear, maybe even causing us to hunker down in the safety of our own personal boat, but Peter took the risk, he stepped out in faith, and encountered Jesus. Yes, he got discouraged and began to sink, and yes Jesus rebuked him on his lack of faith, but after the incident Peter got one step closer to Jesus, both physically and spiritually.
Fear is a very real thing, especially when it causes us to take risks with our faith. Our fears can be as real as the storm was that night for Peter, but whatever our fears, whatever our uncertainties, whatever storms we encounter in life, we need to ask ourselves, are we willing to risk stepping out of our personal safety boat to encounter Jesus?
It may not calm the storms in that very moment, but with Jesus, we have the courage to engage with, and possibly conquer any fears or uncertainties.
Prayer: Loving Heavenly father, You have called us to step out in faith, to place our lives in your hands. At times, we know this can be difficult to do. It’s not always easy to follow where you are leading us. But like Peter, we cry out to you, and we hear your gentle voice, “It is me, don’t be afraid.” Continue to give us the strength and courage, as we walk through the storms of fear and doubt, knowing that you are right there with us. Amen.
Blessing: Jesus calls us to step out on to the water with him, to leave the safety of our boats, and to walk toward Him in faith, joining Him in the work He is already doing in our world.
And when the wind and waves get high and threaten to overwhelm us, we remember His words:
“Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.”
So let’s go with faith, to follow where Jesus leads, confident that His love and presence go with us. Amen
Please note: If you have any family news you would like to be included either in The Link please contact Margaret Boyce on (link.mkb@gmail.com
