Is your church swimming or treading water?

Both swimming and treading water are important skills, and at times each is likely to become essential, but if the intention is to get from one place to another, trading water is not likely to be much help.  It occurred to me that for many churches in our villages, all the energy, time and money that is invested is enabling us to ‘tread water’ at best or to sink more slowly.

 

I undertook adult swimming lessons because, as a child, I had developed a fear of water.  It did not matter to me how many people were diving in or swimming and playing in the sea or our local swimming pool; I was terrified.  Having advanced from ducking under, floating, and picking up objects from the bottom, I found myself in a small group of intermediate learners.  Those more confident were quickly enjoying newfound confidence, while the worst group had the attention of the trainers.  We were left to our own devices.

 

Then, as the series of lessons was coming to an end, we were suddenly put under pressure.  One goal proved easier than the other.  So long as the instructor’s pole followed beside me, I managed the length of the pool using backstroke.  Completing the width of the pool using breaststroke was more difficult as, however good my intentions were, my body assumed an upright position halfway across the pool, and progress was halted.  Nevertheless, I was proclaimed to be ‘a swimmer’ by the course trainers.  My own opinion was that I had achieved to become a slow drowner!

 

This experience has helped me to become empathetic towards those for whom mission or evangelism seem very alien.  Often, the very language of mission can be disturbing, and we become determined not to jump in and discover the joys.  After all, we can leave it to others, and we can watch from the side lines.  Is this, I wonder, why so many churches are not making progress as far as growth and conversions are concerned?  We might actually ‘be in the pool’ but nervously gripping the side rail.  Or we might be trading water, expending lots of energy similar to swimming but not making any forward progress.

 

Rural Mission Solutions offers the choice of three alternative solutions, two of which will be happening in the next few weeks and the third is on offer free of charge to any church that is serious about a gentle discovery that mission can be fun.

 

The Rural Churches’ Forum is a periodic and free online event open to rural church leaders, both lay and ordained.  It is a conversation.  A very successful conversation was held earlier this year when we explored the changes that have taken place both in rural communities and village churches.  A second conversation is planned for November 9th.  This was originally planned for October, but we felt that releasing promotional material at the same time as mourning for the death of our late Queen seemed insensitive.

 

The theme on this occasion will be how churches can develop mutually helpful links between their church and the community in which it is set.  In the past such links were strong but now seem much weaker, leading to decline in interest in the church and its message.  But this is not always the case.  So, we will be exploring what we can learn about developing and maintaining healthy and helpful relationships that help sharing the gospel and growing the church.

 

It starts at 10.00 and you can register to attend by CLICKING HERE.  You do not need to subscribe to Zoom.

 

A Rural Consultation is a relatively small gathering of rural church leaders living and working close to one another.  Typically, two dozen clergy or lay leaders are invited to spend six hours together for fellowship, mutual encouragement and prayer, with some helpful input on simple and appropriate ways of sharing the ‘Good News in the Countryside’.  Just such an event is planned on 22nd October for churches in the Sharnbrook Deanery of the Diocese of St Albans.

 

Our David Wells has been working within this diocese, encouraging various initiatives and supporting the clergy.  The close geographical area of a deanery makes this kind of consultation ideal.  It can be, as in this case, for a single denomination, or it could be open to various traditions.  Costs are minimal and we will work with any church that is willing to take the initiative.  More details can be obtained by emailing an enquiry to info@ruralmissions.org.uk.

 

While we value your prayers and interest in these two schemes, there is the third resource I have yet to describe.  It is here that the parallel between learning to swim and becoming effective in mission are most pronounced.  We are currently offering to provide the content - absolutely free - for any rural church, or group of churches - for an Away Day exploring how Mission Can Be Fun.  It takes approximately six hours and includes a light lunch.  Together we will explore what gifts and resources God has already given to the church(es) and look for creative ways in which these could be used to respond to the needs and opportunities in their location(s).

 

It is an interactive programme and has always proved enjoyable - often to the surprise of the participants.  The intended outcome of the Away Day is that members of the local congregation(s) grow in confidence in their faith, and the church(es) are able to design their own appropriate plans for mission that fit their size and feel comfortable.  It aims to do ‘what it says on the label’.

 

This Autumn through to Spring 2023 is an ideal time for looking afresh at how we are joining in God’s mission and the expression of his love for the people surrounding our churches.  We value your prayers as we offer such helpful programmes to individual churches and groups of churches.  Many of us are looking at our programmes post pandemic.  Now is a great time to get it right.  Can we help you and your church?  Start a conversation soon.  Treading water is for those who merely want to stay afloat   Swimming is for those who plan to make progress.  Let’s get swimming together.

A Reason for Our Hope

 A Reason for Our Hope

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15)

This is a verse of scripture that has always intrigued me.  Peter’s letter was written to Christians who had been scattered under persecution.  What, I wonder, might be the context in which they might be asked to explain the reason for their hope?  Most communities in those days probably would have been small enough for a stranger to be noticed.  Since the reason for their arrival would soon be known, Peter presumes that there is every possibility that the curiosity of their new neighbours will be aroused.  While that might not be the same in our context, the issue of being ready to articulate something about our faith remains as important today wherever we live.

It is also interesting that Peter presumes that it is “their hope” that will be the focus of curiosity.  This is the fifth time that Peter has used this wod.  In his first reference (1 Peter 1:3) he refers to regeneration into a living hope through the resurrection of Christ.  Because Jesus rose from the dead, he demonstrated his Messiahship and divine nature, but this also gives us the expectation that one day we too will rise and live with him forever.  It was such an expectation, or hope, that enabled early Christians to endure persecution.

This then is the reason for their hope, as is also explained in 1 Peter  1:13 and 21. The other reference Peter makes about hope was to talk about the character of Christian wives.  While some find such veres as (1Peter 3:5) controversial it does bring home to us all that people will make judgements about our faith by how we relate and behave towards one another.  It was also for this reason that Peter writes about the manner in which we explain our hope, or our faith in Christ  (see verse 16).

I am occasionally asked why I moved from Sussex to the East Midlands.  An easy and simple answer would be to state that it was to do with my work, but the real reason is that  I believed that God was calling me here.  The real reason for that is because Jesus Christ gave his life for me, I have felt it right to surrender my life to do his will.  There is absolutely no reason why I should be embarrassed or afraid to tell people that.

While it is unlikely that anyone in the general culture of the UK would ever ask about your hope in God, it ought not to be unusual or surprising if they asked something about the way we behave.  For example, “I notice you never use bad language, why is that?”  But this begs the question whether our lives are attractively and noticeably different from the way others behave.  I emphasise the word “attractively”.  This is another point that Peter makes.  Our response should be with gentleness and respect.

One way by which I try to bring God and Jesus into the conversation is to make reference to the fact that I go to church.  For example, I might be able to say, “Someone made a similar remark at church last Sunday!”  When new people move into the street I offer to give them the names of good local churches if they are interested.  Just such a comment provoked my most recent new neighbour to reveal that she was also a Christian.  Now the neighbour we have between us has two neighbours praying for him!

Times may have changed since Peter wrote his letter, but human needs remain the same.  People in the communities in which we live, shop and work, are deeply loved by a God who gave his life for their salvation.  Helping them to discover that kove and a personal relationship with God is the best thing we could ever do for them.  So, let's make sure that there is something attractive about how we live, and then be ready to explain it with gentleness and respect.  Where we live, and the communities in which we move are God’s gift to us, and an opportunity for sharing good news.  Let’s “be prepared”.

Barry Osborne 18the September 2021

An Imperfect Faith?

 An Imperfect Faith?

It is probable that every Christian at some time, or even frequently, wishes that they had more faith, a stronger faith, or were more faithful.  If, like me, you can identify yourself in at least one of those categories, I wonder to whom, or to what, you are comparing yourself.  Furthermore, while there is some benefit with a little self criticism, it is easy to become unrealistic, and that can be harmful.

Over Easter, in our online services, we mentioned on several occasions the issue of faith, doubt, unbelief, and disbelief.  We did so because it is a topic well worth exploring, and on which the Easter narratives cast helpful light.  While we do not know what was going on in the hearts and minds of most of the disciples, we have been able to study three of them in particular.

The Gospels indicate that all twelve disciples participated fully in the ministry of Jesus.  He gave them all authority to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and to heal the sick.  They saw the blind, the deaf the lame and those with skin diseases healed.  On three occasions they saw dead people brought back to life.  They saw the wind and the waves grow suddenly calm at his command, and even saw him walk on water.  Yet almost all of them fled when Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane.  Matthew tells us that even though they worshipped the risen Christ, some still doubted (Matt 28:17).

Peter, so sure of himself, had pledged total faithfulness to Jesus, but under pressure and clearly afraid of possible consequences, his faithfulness wavered, though his faith may not have completely failed.  We note that, whatever he thought of himself after that failure, Jesus did not condemn him, but recommissioned him as a  disciple.

Despite the testimony of his friends, Thomas, could not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead.  When he finally got the evidence he longed for, we do not see an exasperated Jesus, but we see Jesus encouraging Thomas. Furthermore, it is Thomas who makes that extraordinary declaration, “My Lord and my God”.

And what about Judas?  There is so much that we do not know.  Was he motivated by greed?  Had he got wrong expectations regarding how King Jesus would reign?  Was Jesus not the Saviour Judas wanted him to be?  Was he trying to force Jesus’ hand?  Had he grown tired of the Jesus agenda?  Had he put his faith in an imagined Messiah?

Peter became unfaithful, Thomas was unbelieving, and possibly Judas was disbelieving.  But all had met with Jesus and spent three years in his physical company, which is a lot more than you and I have experienced.  So, to what standard of faith do you compare yourself?

The Hebrew scriptures bear witness that even among those commended for their faith, there are men who have ‘feet of clay’.  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, all had moments of weakness when their faith failed them.
In the Gospels there are three occasions recorded where Jesus commended the faith of someone.  The only Jew that Jesus commended for faith was the woman with the issue of blood.  There are also occasions where miracles of healing are linked to the faith of either the person being healed or those who brought that person.  However, it is probable that it is not so much the degree of faith they had, but in whom they were placing their faith that is important.  The only reference to faith where Jesus clearly speaks about the degree of faith, as far as I can recall relates to the cursing of the fruitless fig tree outside Jerusalem.

To whom do you turn when faced with a challenge such as sickness?  By your very act of praying you are demonstrating your faith, providing you have come to God in prayer because you believe that God both cares and does answer prayer.  We know that with God all things are possible, and so we pray.

In the scriptures, and throughout history there are occasions when miracles happened because of special faith, but none of these are about normal everyday life.  The Bible lists faith as both a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12: 9) and part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5: 22), but we note that both come from God and have nothing to do with the degree of trust.  Faith is not something you can work up or try to grasp more firmly.

One of the funniest illustrations about faith I have ever heard, involved a country prayer meeting in Devon.  Asked if there was anything anyone wanted to pray about, one farmer said that there was an urgent need for rain.  On hearing this, another farmer said, “‘Tis no use praying for rain; the wind’s in the wrong direction!”  If that makes you smile, then I guess you have understood what I am trying to explain.

Be glad for the degree of faith you have and bring your concerns to Jesus.  Sometimes the only response we can give to life’s challenges, is to echo the words of an anxious father, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24)

Barry Osborne 16th April 2021

Effervescent Faith

Thirty years ago, together with my wife and my colleague, Monica Cook, I started Sunrise Ministries (Rural Sunrise), now known as Rural Mission Solutions.  Over the years since then we have tried to help rural churches to be more missional. This was a logical objective since, with 12.5 million people in the rural areas, there are insufficient mission agencies but plenty of rural churches that could re-evangelise the rural communities of the UK.  But in 30 years we have barely scratched the surface.

The problem is that in the vast majority of village churches in the UK no one is excitedly sharing their faith with others. No matter what good ideas and programmes we promote through RMS, the bottom line is that people must be sufficiently thrilled with their faith in Jesus to not only want to tell others, but almost find they cannot help from doing so.

From my earliest days as a committed Christian, Acts 11: 19-21 has been a favourite passage. Luke, in writing his account of the early Christians introduces us the the church at Antioch (Syria) and the amazing missionary work that went on from that church, by explaining how the gospel reached Antioch.

The persecution of Christians in Jerusalem after the stoning of Stephen, caused them to be scattered over a large area. But wherever they went they told the story of Jesus. While this was usually focused on speaking to Jews, some from northern Africa and Cyprus also told the story to gentiles. As a result, a great number of people in this, the third most significant city in the Roman Empire, turned to Jesus Christ. An exciting cosmopolitan church was established and the second half of the Acts of the Apostles largely records what happened in and from there. The Christians from Cyrene and Cyprus had an effervescent faith.

Effervescence is what happens when trapped gas in liquids can no longer be contained and bubbles over. You may have experienced it when opening a bottle of lemonade or champagne. The energy is such that it carries with it some of the content in which it was contained. Success in sport is often celebrated by deliberately shaking bottles and releasing a soaking stream of champagne.

So, the burning question this week is, “Have we lost our fizz?”. Have we become “still water” Christians? Writing to the Christians at Philippi, Paul states that one of the characteristics defining Christians is that we boast (or glory, joy, rejoice) in Christ Jesus. To me that describes effervescent faith. If we have realised that the Almighty God loves us, and that because of that love Jesus died for us taking our guilt upon himself, we should be thrilled. It should be impossible to keep it bottled up.

It intrigued me that one of the places that Christians had travelled from to talk about what Jesus meant to them in Antioch, was Cyrene. I wonder whether Simon, who was obliged to carry the cross for Jesus, had been involved in living out the faith in his home city. We sometimes speak of being touched by the cross, but here was a man for whom it was an actual experience. Have you been touched by the cross? Has it left a mark in your life? Once faith has been combined with the power of the Holy Spirit it always puts a fizz into our witnessing for Jesus.

The good news for still water Christians is that God is able make us effervescent. Clearly, what made the early Christians effervescent was the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. According to Peter on the Day of Pentecost, what had turned him into a bold witness for Jesus, is promised for all whom the Lord will call - even to our generation.

The task of reaching the world for Jesus will not be done by merely praying and asking God to do for us what he has asked us to do for him. It will not be achieved by faithful attendance at church, or even giving out the hymn books on Sunday mornings. It will only happen when ordinary Christians like you and me get excited about the gospel and filled with the Holy Spirit. If that happens there will be a serious risk of bubbling over with joy and irrepressibly sharing our faith with others.

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
Fill me anew. Fill me anew.
Spirit of the Lord, fall afresh on me.

Amen.  Barry Osborne 15th March 2019

Why are we building bungalows!

Many years ago, I heard someone say that the problem with most Christians in the UK is that we build bungalows on foundations that God put in for skyscrapers.  I think it’s a great comment, and one that deserves some serious thought.  Anyone visiting London would almost certainly notice The Shard.  It is an extraordinary building, some 1000 feet tall, well above adjoining buildings.  Unsurprisingly, its foundations go down some 172 feet deep.  Since there were underground train lines close by, extra care was taken with the foundations.

Imagine how ridiculous it would look if, after putting in those foundations, the builders erected a bungalow on them!  But that seems to be what many Christians do.  God has provided all that is needed for us to live far better and more effective Christian lives.  He must be very disappointed at times.

The first time I heard the bungalow analogy was probably in the early 1960s and it became a favourite quote of Graham and Kaye Stone, two Salvationist friends.  We were all in our teens, and worked together in a mission organisation.  As I consider what I have built since then, I also wonder where Graham and Kaye are today, and whether their dream of becoming Salvation Army officers ever came to pass.  They certainly had incredible potential, and I hope they made it.

The issue of foundations and what we build on it came home to me recently when preparing a Bible Study for some of the men at HMP Gartree, in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians..  Chapter 1 verses 3 to 14 Paul informed them that they were “blessed with every spiritual blessing”, and then lists something of what that means.  Each aspect in this amazing list could be the basis for a profound sermon.  Take a look: 

•         Chosen before the creation of the world
•        Loved by God
•        Part of God’s plan
•        Adopted into God’s family
•        The object of God’s pleasure
•        Beneficiaries of God’s glorious grace
•        Redeemed through Christ’s blood
•        Forgiven of our sin
•        Recipients of grace that has been lavished upon us
•        Those with whom God has shared his plans
•        Included in Christ
•        Heirs (guaranteed by the gift of the Holy Spirit)

Isn’t that amazing?  All of this is not what will be, but what is now!  But Paul continues immediately by telling the Ephesian Christians that because of all that is theirs as a result of their faith in Jesus Christ, he prays for them, that they will build on what God has already provided.  The key word in the remainder of chapter 1 is “know”.  Two different Greek words are used.  In verse 17 it expresses the sense of a growing understanding.  In verse 18 it is full comprehension.  In other words, on top of all that God has already done for them, there was more to be discovered.

But this ongoing experience of grace depends not solely on our efforts but because of the work of the Holy Spirit, who enlightens our understanding and excites our desire to know more completely God’s plan and purpose and how we fit into it like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle making up a beautiful picture.  We grasp the fact that his people on earth are the riches of his inheritance as he is ours, and discover an incomparable power available and working within us to change us, so that the world around might see God’s grand work like a great building breaking above the skyline.

So much is possible in our lives.  God’s power is unlimited.  The potential is there.  At the end of chapter 2 Paul writes, “[You are] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

The Shard was planned and designed by Renzo Piano, but it was built by hundreds of people employed by or contracted by Mace, and later Turner and Townsend.  Someone was needed who could read and understand the plans who could turn the drawings into the tallest building in Europe.  In the same way, God wants us to read and understand his plans and, working with others, build something amazing that will make people say, “Who designed something so amazing?”

Barry Osborne – 13^th January 2018

(Diary for the remainder of January added in e-letter)

Beware Entanglement

A week or so ago Doreen emerged from doing some laundry to ask whether I had inadvertently left a tissue in a pocket of an item in the wash.  The reason for the question was that everything in the wash (including several dark items) was now smothered with tiny bits of white mulched paper.  Of course, I declared myself to be innocent, but it immediately brought to mind Hebrews 12:1.  In the Authorised Version this is rendered:

“… lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…”

The word beset means something that is stubbornly persistent in its affect.  Hence the illustrate white balls of tissue that was persistently clinging to the laundry and proving hard to remove.

I normally use the latest NIV translation which renders the same verse:

“… let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”

Clearly there seems significant difference in how the Greek has been translated.  So I studied further and found that the word translated “easily entangles” or “easily besets” (euperistatos) only occurs in this one place in the New Testament.  More study suggests this to mean easily encircling or ensnaring.  The context of this word is in the illustration of faith being lived out like running a race.  In order to run effectively we need to shed unnecessary weight and take care not to be hindered or entangled in anything.

This verse has often brought to mind a famous race in the 1984 Olympics in which a collision between Zola Budd and Mary Decker Slaney resulted in Mary being unable to finish the 3000 metre final and Zola never seeming to shake off the controversy which then seems to have blighted her career. It seems that at two separate points in the race, each had collided with the other.  About a year after that race, Mary, having got over the emotional hurt of the incident, stated that the real problem was that she was not used to running in a pack.  In other words, her progress was impeded by that which surrounded her.

Clearly, if we do not take care, any sin could entangle us.  But the write of this letter to Hebrew Christians speaks about a specific sin.  In days gone by preachers often referred to ‘besetting sins’ as a particular sin that affected an individual.  One person’s besetting sin might differ from another. Unfortunately, some Christians excuse their weakness by attributing it to their ‘besetting sin’ over which they seemed unable to get the victory.  But it seems to me that the write had a specific sin in mind.

Given the context of this verse, and the general content of the preceding chapters, excess burdensome weight and entanglement most likely refers to the practice of some Jewish Christians who, at that time, taught the need to keep the Law as well as putting faith in Jesus Christ and his atoning work.  The grace of God that brings salvation needs nothing added, and to teach otherwise is a grievous error, as the last part of chapter 10 makes clear. As the Gospel hymn says, “I need no other argument, I need no other please; It is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me”

Let’s keep running the race with our gaze unswervingly fixed on Jesus, and shun anything that hinders or complicates the simplicity of trusting in the finished work of the cross.

Items for Praise

Many will know that just four weeks ago Doreen, my wife, was discovered to have breast cancer. As I write this she has just been sent home from hospital following surgery.  Already the wound is beginning to heal well, and through the past moth she has experienced wonderful peace and remained joyful.  We give thanks for an observant nurse, and the quick response an quality care experienced from the NHS.

Katrina Thomas, the new part-time Children and Family Adviser in Rural Mission Solutions has commenced work.  We give thanks for this new team members and also for those who supported Monica Cook and have continued that support to enable Katrina’s appointment.  Please pray for Katrina and her family.

This week the trustees of Rural Mission Solutions (Sunrise Ministry) met and were introduced to Katrina.  It was an excellent and productive meeting.  We thank God for each of the trustees.  The list is published on the website.  One retiring trustee, Tim Woodward, has been a colleague in rural evangelism since the seventies.  Although he is stepping down from the Board he has offered continuing support.  Tim is an Anglican Lay Reader and we commend him and his ministry to your prayers.

A Rural Mission Solutions stand at the recent Annual Assembly of the Congregational Federation attracted quite a lot of interest.  The CF has many rural churches that could benefit from our services.

Following that Assembly, I travelled to Stirling in Scotland to teach on the Salvation Army’s Safeguarding Course. One of those on the course was a senior officer whose husband is about to take up a post which, among other things, should link him into the Rural Evangelism Network. Pray as he takes up this post and for the Salvation Army in the UK as they process changes.

We give thanks to God for faithful prayer partners and faithful supporters that enable us to continue to offer our ministry to rural churches free of charge.  Many village churches have limited income and could not afford the full cost of all we provide.

Sunday 29^th May I took the morning service at Gartree Prison Sunday Service, which proved to be a very special time.

Items for Prayer

That Doreen will make a full and speedy recovery following her operation.

For ‘J’ who has been in contact as he seeks God’s guidance and explores whether this might be within Rural Mission Solutions.

For the trustees and me as we set out the strategic plan for the next few years.  This links with my ability to give more time to the rural mission work.

For the members of Yelvertoft Congregational Church as I bring to an end my ministry with them over the past ten years.  We pray that the Lord will lead them into new and fruitful aspects of service in the village community.

I am currently looking for churches that would be interested in developing their own bespoke mission strategy.  Release from Yelvertoft means I can now offer ministry to other churches.

While Doreen is recovering my priority is to care for her for the next few weeks.  There will be plenty of mission work I can do from home.  However, there are some activities I expect to undertake, including:

Tuesday 31^st May 1.15 to 3.00 HMP Gartree (working with the choir)

Wednesday 1^st June Holiday at Home Planning Meeting

Sunday 4^th June 10.45 Yelvertoft Congregational Church; 6.00pm Newton United Church (near Rugby).

Barry

Release the Potential

Release the Potential

The famous 19th Century evangelist Dwight Moody, having returned home after speaking at a meeting, is reputed to have told his wife that three and a half souls had been saved that night. A little perplexed his wife asked him whether he meant three adults and a child.  To this Moody responded "No, three children and one adult".  His point was that the adult had already spent half his life and could only live the remaining half for God.

Moody, together with his song leader, Ira Sankey, grew up in the USA won acclaim as an international evangelist and established a pattern for evangelism later taken up by Billy Graham.  But his ministry began with children.  Unable to obtain an opportunity for ministry he focused his attention on reaching the poorest children in Chicago.  He rented and filled three pews in his local church each Sunday and grew his Sunday School to around 500 if I remember the account aright.  I love it that this great man of God had such a vision for ministry to and with children.

In my rural ministry children have played an important part.  Through the labours of my late colleague, Monica Cook, hundreds of children have found a saving faith in Jesus and grown in discipleship,  Some now occupy positions of leadership in various churches.  This would never have happened had we not treated children as seriously as we do any adult.  We do so because that is exactly what Jesus did.

Evangelising children calls for sensitivity and common sense but in many ways it is no different to the way in which we share the gospel with adults.  The method and language is adjusted to suit the audience and care is taken not to employ methods that might manipulate emotions.  Telling the story simply is always best.  Those with whom we share the gospel story should always be encouraged to make a response, but children could simply respond because they want to please you.  It has always been our practise to encourage children who might want to ask Jesus Christ into their lives to talk with us after the meeting.  We then ensure that there are distracting and fun activities before the meeting ends.  Those children who seek us out afterwards are usually sincere.

Jesus spoke about the value of childlike faith and I think that there are few greater privileges than to pray with a child who understands and sincerely gives their life to Christ.  One soon discovers just how real this is and how much we can learn from the faith of children.

To talk of children as the church of tomorrow or the church in waiting is nonsense.  Regardless of age anyone who has placed their trust in Jesus and his work for us on the cross is part of the church of today.  We do not control admission; it is the work of the Holy Spirit.  But this then begs the question about how children develop in discipleship.  This is a glorious contrast to what extreme Islamists do with children.  We do not seek to mould their attitudes or coerce them into service.  We simply explain the resources God has given, help them learn to pray and know how to read the Bible and encourage them to seek the fullness of God in their lives.  This is no different to how we counsel adults.

If some children are real Christians it follows that they are also part of the body of Christ with gifts and ministries given them by the same Holy Spirit who gives gifts and ministries to us all.  That's where releasing the potential of our children comes in.  I have witnessed children with the gift of evangelist or a gift of pastoral ministry showing the love of God among their peers.  Monica often ran Prayer days for children with great effect.  I once went to a church where over 50 children voluntarily met for prayer for half an hour before Sunday School.  I know of schools where children have established their own fellowship meetings where staff have not been available.  If we fail to take seriously that Christian children ought to be disciples, with growing faith and ministry experience, we fail them, we fail the Church, we fail the world and we fail our God

Too often we treat children as second class.  We marginalise them when it comes to allocating space and resources.  We withhold from them what is not ours to withhold. When I was the Minister at Herstmonceux Free Church in Sussex we had the joy of having many children who had become Christians.  We celebrated communion (Eucharist) once a month and at first the children were mere spectators. Since I could find no biblical justification for refusing them the elements (we used non-alcoholic wine) I moved to inviting any children who wished to take the bread and wine to do so "if their parents approved".  A Christian father urged me to remove all qualification as he did not feel he should be the arbiter of his childrens walk with God.  I did so.  What a blessing!  But best of all was the first Sunday when the children served the bread and wine to the adults!

We need to affirm Christian children as part of the Church of today and encourage them to grow in faith and realise their potential in Christ.  Their experience and faith is only limited by our attitude.

Current items for praise & prayer
Thursday 6th - Communion at HMP Gartree, Leicestershire.
Sunday 9th - Sunday Service at HMP Gartree followed by the Sunday Morning Meeting atYelvertoft CC
Monday 10th - Friday 14th - Holiday at Home, Market Harborough.  Each morning we run various activities under the auspices of Churches Together for older people in the community.  We share good news but this is not overt evangelism.
Tuesday 11th - HMP Gartree in the afternoon.
Sunday 10th - Yelvertoft CC.

Wednesday to Friday last week was spent in Kent and Sussex.  We encourage your prayers for Dunks Green Evangelical Free Church as we work with them on constitutional matters.  This is a part f the ministry of Action for Christ. We also encourage your prayers for Herstmonceux Free Church where a great Christian has gone to be with the Lord recently and whose funeral service I attended on Thursday.  It is good to see the church going on well.  Pray too for one of my colleagues, Canon Elizabeth Ingram and I as we seek to manage a difficult situation elsewhere in Sussex.

On saturday I met with others to explore possibilities for ministry with children and young families in the East Midlands.  Your prayers for wisdom and God's guidance will be appreciated.

Thank you.

Barry

Trusting through Knoiwing

I recently found myself pondering the words of the apostle Paul writing to Timothy while experiencing imprisonment because of his faith. As he reflects on his circumstances he encourages Timothy to stir up the gift that God had given him, not to be ashamed of the gospel, and to be ready to suffer himself if necessary for the sake of the gospel.  As far as his own circumstances are concerned he states. “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” (2Timothy 1:12)  No doubt his circumstances were not those he would have chosen, but he clearly felt incredible security.

The next day I found myself associating this verse with the way in which my colleague and friend, Monica Cook, has accepted the news that she has a brain tumour.  As those who have visited her and those who know her best can testify she has clearly a very real peace while fully understanding the seriousness of her situation.

There are three parts to this verse to which I draw your attention.  The first of these is the phrase, “I… am convinced” or as the KJV puts it “I…am persuaded”.  The meaning behind the original Greek and the English translations is that the state of Paul’s mind has been influenced into an attitude of certainty.  We therefore need to dig a little more to find what has brought about such confidence.

So we come to “have believed”.  The tense in Greek grammar refers to something that has been completed.  But although it is something completed before hand, it has subsequent effect.  Paul’s solid confidence in the Lord’s ability guard what he has committed to him (i.e. his eternal future) is on the grounds of having placed his trust in Jesus.  Trusting has brought about quiet confidence.

Working backwards we come to the third phrase “I know”.  The sense here is of a knowledge that has developed – it is about coming to know or to understand.  In this case he has “come to know Jesus” and, indeed is still discovering more about him.

So Paul is saying he is totally confident about his eternal security because he has been, and still is, trusting Jesus because he has developed an understanding of Jesus and his character.

We might not find ourselves in chains like Paul, or facing serious illness, but you can be sure that life will contain tough times.  So if we want that wonderful confidence that all will be well, we had better so know Jesus that we cannot but place our entire trust in him. Coming to know him leads to trusting him which leads to confidence that all is well whatever our circumstance.

Monica Cook

Last week Monica was discharged from the hospital at Haywards Heath to home where she is now waiting a course of radiotherapy at Maidstone Hospital.  Most readers will know that Monica has been a good friend and colleague in rural mission for many years, and that she was diagnosed with a brain tumour recently.

I have spent much of the last few weeks working with her local supportive network to ensure she is being looked after well and that work responsibilities are lifted from her at this time.  Please see the regularnews posted on our website.

From the Diary

Other than activities relating to Monica most of last week’s other activities relate to our work at Yelvertoft, Northants.  A planned school assembly was cancelled because of a heating system failure in the school.  Our Lent series, “Faith through Other Eyes”, has proved very effective and popular. Last Thursday we had a visit from a leading person from the Jewish community in Leicester.  These meetings have improved understanding and helped to focus our own convictions.  Details are on this website. On Saturday we held another Messy Church event which focused on the Easter story.

Sunday 22^nd – The Sunday Meeting “The Surprising Jesus”

Tuesday 23^rd – School Assembly planning meeting in the morning and the regular ministry in HMP Gartree in the afternoon

Wednesday 25^th – Free Churches Group Meeting in London

Thursday 26^th – Final Lenten Meeting in Yelvertoft

Sunday 29^th (Palm Sunday) – HMP Gartree Service followed by a Joint Service and Procession at Yelvertoft.

Thank you once again for your fellowship,

Barry

Faith and Sensibility

Thought for the Week—Faith and Sensibility

Most Christians, if asked to explain what faith is, will quote from Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for……”.  But I am not sure how far that takes the average non-Christian who might be trying to understand.  The word faith within a general context these days is used to describe any particular religion such as Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc.  If we add the definite article and speak about the faith then that refers to a body of doctrine.  If we are wanting to explain faith to an unbeliever then we will need more.

In one of my previous posting I advocated using the word “trust” in place of “believe”.  This was because putting our faith in God and his promises is more than an intellectual academic exercise.  There is an emotional element of trusting.  On this occasion I want to suggest that we could use our five  senses as a useful illustration.  We use these senses to discern the reality of the world and immediate surroundings.  Taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell are the means by which things make sense.

The other day I watched a lady walking her dog which was suddenly aware of an interesting smell.  Try as she might she could not get the dog to leave that spot until he had finished interpreting all that was being conveyed by the odour.  Had she  sniffed the spot it is unlikely that she would have understood a fraction of what the dog was finding..  A bloodhound has 60 times more scent receptors in its nose than a human does.  Its brain devotes 40 times more space to analysing smells.  Dogs have between 1,000 and 10,000 more ability to identify all the nuances of a smell.

The gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8) is like a sixth scent.  It opens up a new world of reality that those without it struggle to understand.  But what might happen if they prayed “Help me to trust you and come to know you.

Physical healing!

This time last week I had endured seven days of excruciating and disabling pain from sciatica.  Many wrote to say they were praying as I faced a demanding weekend.  The very next day I had only mild discomfort.  The day after that (a busy Sunday) I was pain free, and have been every day since then apart from one day when the problem was only slight.  I cannot yet say that it has completely gone but this is wonderful

Germinate

Tomorrow (Saturday 11th) I am attending the Germinate Conference in Coventry.  This is a major conference for those engaged in rural ministry and mission.  Well over 200 people have booked in.  I get 90 minutes to say something about the work I am involved in and I also have some exhibition space.  Please pray for all involved in this special occasion.  The Churches Rural Group (which I currently chair) has been responsible for similar events in the past facilitated by the Arthur Rank Centre and this has been arranged similarly.  We are grateful for the great work done by Jerry Marshall and others at ARC making this possible.

Off to Scotland

On Monday 13th I will be flying to Glasgow where I will be joining up with Dean Juster who is responsible for safeguarding issues in the Salvation Army.  I will be teaching on Tuesday morning and afternoon on how abuse can happen within churches and Christian organisations.  A good grasp of the risk areas is essential if we want safe churches.  Too many good Christian leaders and good churches have hit problems because they did not understand the risks.  Please pray for Dean, me and others leading three days for SA officers and others in Scotland.

Something to Sing About

I fly back to the East Midlands on Wednesday morning arriving in Market Harborough at 1.45pm.  At 2.00pm I am due at the Wednesday Fellowship at Harborough Methodist Church.  Attempts to swop dates with other speakers failed, but it won’t hurt if I’m a little late.  Please pray that flight, taxi and train connections work perfectly.  This is an opportunity to share some of the wonderful ways God has worked in Doreen’s and my life and service for the Lord.  It will be interspersed with ministry in song.  Please pray for a sense of God’s presence, and that eyes will be turned to the Lord, and faith begun or strengthened through all that I share..

News from Yelvertoft

I would like to share briefly that we had a wonderful Area Assembly last Sunday.  Thank you for your prayers.  The church was full.  Some 30 people had taken advantage of the offer of lunch before the meeting.  My congregation provided this and an excellent tea for many more afterwards.  The title for the event was “To Boldly Go” and we explored in what way there are similarities in our calling to go forward in faith in the mission to which God calls us, and the fictional activities of the Starship Enterprise.  You can read all about it on the church website by clicking this link or by going to  www.yelvertoftchurch.org.uk

“What God Orders…”

As a relatively small but busy mission organisation, and working with small churches in the main, we do not naturally attract much support by donations or legacies.  However, over 26 years since Sunrise Ministries was started (the charity that covers the work that Monica Cook and head up) God has met our needs.  We sometimes wish we had more so that we could do more.  But we have found the saying true: “What God orders he pays for”. Please join us in giving thanks for his faithfulness.

Barry