On Tuesday morning, I had to get up earlier than normal to let in some carpet fitters. This was because the leadership team had ordered new carpet for the altar area of the church. They were supposed to arrive by 9am, but eventually turned up at 9.30am! They were very efficient though and fitted the carpet in about two hours. One of them did not endear himself to me by addressing me as "darling"! What is it with tradesmen that they feel they can call women they have never met in their lives before such a term of endearment normally heard among married couples!!! Very strange man.
Whilst they were doing their work, we met as normal for the bible study, led by Sandra. This time, there was only me and she! Nevertheless we discussed healing, and how God sometimes heals straight away, some time later and sometimes not at all. We came to the conclusion that we could be content in every situation because we can trust in God. We learned there are many, many reasons why God sometimes does not heal us, but like the apostle Paul, we can be "content in every situation". We will be revisiting healing when we meet next Tuesday and moving on to discuss forgiveness. If you are free on a Tuesday morning between 11am and 1pm, please come and meet with us. It is free of charge and there are always plenty of eats as well as fresh, ground coffee (no instant!) and tea. On Thursday, I had to open the doors of the church for the Bulgarian Dance group who meet a couple of times a week in our back hall. When I got there, I could hear the Sound of Worship team busy practicing, It sounded good. I can't wait for their next concert. Another event I can't wait for is our International Women's Day Conference. on Saturday 14 March from 12 noon. We have had confirmation from all our main speakers that they are coming to inspire, encourage and empower us. If you are an adult woman, whether a Christian or not, you are welcome to come. I shall be writing a blog about it so watch out for that!
0 Comments
On Saturday 14 February, the young people made biscuits and cupcakes and decorated them. Below is a picture of their creations. They took them home to their families. In between baking, Tosin spoke to them about relationships and the Christian view of love. If you are a teenager or know someone who is, please invite them along on Saturdays from 4 – 6pm and they, too, will get to make yummy treats! This Saturday, they will be rehearsing for the Youth Service. On Saturday, Tosin, Marcia and I went to Clapham Baptist Church to take part in a training day for Junior Apprentice.
We were sent to Brixton Market to sell either records or cakes. The purpose being to put ourselves in the place of the young people who participate in Junior Apprentice and experience what they do, so to speak. My team sold cakes and Tosin and Marcia's team sold vintage vinyl records. Before we started, I assumed our cakes would sell the best, as everyone likes cakes, whereas vintage records are a specialist item. I thought everyone downloaded records from the internet these days and no one bought Vinyl. We set up our stalls side-by-side and sold cakes to passers by. Our team did very well, giving out small tasters and selling nice large slices of delicious cakes. It was absolutely freezing and spitting with rain, which did not help us to sell. Nevertheless we made around £123 in about two hours, which was wonderful. Everyone worked very hard and played a part in the selling. This was right outside my comfort zone and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though my team lost and I got fired! It was interesting to experience being fired for myself, which is a new experience for me. Whilst it does not feel nice to "fail", I have learned so much participating in the process so that, should we do something similar in the future, I have much more confidence in my ability and I may even win next time! I have learned from this that whilst it is good to win, it is also good to fail sometimes. By doing so we learn so much more from why we fail and hopefully how to succeed next time. As I once said to one of the candidates, failure is the key to success! This last week has been very busy for me. On Wednesday evening Christine and I went to a showing of the new film "Selma" which is about Dr Martin Luther King. It was being shown at Bloomsbury Baptist Church, which we discovered was a church that Dr King preached at when he came to London. History was in the making!
Before the film was shown, there was a Q & A session with the star of the film, David Oleowo , live at the church, not on a screen! This is the first time I have been in the same room as a movie star. He shared with us why he took on the role - God chose him - and what it meant to him playing such a character as Dr King. The story of Martin Luther King is very prescient for this time as we are nearing the next general election. Dr King campaigned for African Americans to be given the right to vote and thus be on equal terms with the white Americans. Nowadays we have a tendency to take our right to vote for granted and over 45% of people do not vote. My personal view is that each one of us has a duty to exercise our democratic right to vote, unless of course we are too frail or out of the country or not a British national. There are so many countries where there is no democracy and no right to vote, freedom of speech or any freedoms whatsoever. I am not trying to put guilt trips on people who do not vote perhaps because they think their vote doesn't count. If you think your vote does not count, think again! Every vote is counted. No party gets elected without votes. My message to all of you is to get out there and vote in May. If you know you will be unable to do so on voting day, you can apply for a postal vote. Details on the government gateway website or ask at your local library or Citizens Advice Bureau. On Saturday afternoon, I helped Tosin with the youth club. The children were busy practicing a dance routine and a couple of puppet songs for the all age worship on Sunday 25 January. They are so talented and gifted! They will be performing the routines this Sunday. Come and see for yourself!
On Tuesday morning this week, we had our first bible study of 2015. We had a fantastic time praying for each other and beginning our study on prayer. We are studying Max Lucano's book "Before Amen" which is advertised on this page. If you would like a copy, please see Deborah - she has a spare one. Alternatively, go to www.eden.co.uk website to purchase your own. Our time together on Tuesday morning is wonderful. We learn so much from each other and through God's word. If you are free on Tuesdays, please come to this inspiring and encouraging meeting. Scroll down for more information about forthcoming events. See you there! Written by: Deborah Hayward - Church Administrator Welcome to the new weekly news page. Previously I uploaded the print version of the newsletter. From now on, that information will be elsewhere on this website. I will be highlighting weekly meetings, advertising upcoming events as well as providing reviews and comment about events and other happenings in the church. I hope you will enjoy the new format.
Weekly Meetings On Tuesday 20 January at 11am we are starting our bible study again. Sandra Stone leads this wonderful, inspiring study. We will be studying Max Lucado's book "Before Amen" which explores prayer - how to pray and what to expect from prayer and how to pray more. If you are able, please come to this exciting meeting. If you would like a copy of the book, I have a spare copy. Cost: £7.20. Please see me, Deborah, if you would like it. I can order more copies if needs be. On Wednesday evenings starting at 7.30pm we will be learning how to get more from God through studying "School of the Supernatural" by Ryan Wyatt. This will encourage all of us to utilise all the resources God has given us to serve Him where we are. You can obtain a copy of the book "School of the Supernatural" from Theresa Green. Forthcoming Events Junior Apprentice Training Day - Saturday 7 February at Clapham Baptist Church. See Tosin or Deborah for more details. Ladies Bible Club - 14 February 1pm. We will be studying Tamar. Her story is found in Genesis 38. Sarah Landy will be leading. 18 February - Lent Begins International Women's Day Conference - 7 March - "Chosen for Such a Time as This" more details to follow. Please put these dates in your diaries and watch this space for more details. Also I would encourage everyone to pray for these events that God's name will be glorified and His instructions followed for all events and meetings. Our Pastor, Fred, has been with us for 1 ½ years. This is his second Christmas with us as our minister and we are so grateful to God for him.
In March, we hosted the International Women’s Day Conference for a third year. The theme was “Woman, you are Chosen”. It was fantastic! Our speakers were inspiring and thought provoking. We were reminded that God has chosen us to serve Him and we are all special to God, regardless of what we look like or where we come from. Plans are in hand for another conference in March 2015. The Women’s Saturday Bible Book Group continued throughout the year. The women of the church (lots of us!) meet regularly and discuss the women in the bible, with fun, laughter, earnest debate and lots of lovely food! This year, we have all learned a lot and shared a lot. We have been inspired and encouraged through studying the lives of the women in the bible and feel we know them much better now. Throughout the year, Sound of Worship has been one of the most wonderful and joyous events we have staged at the church. The atmosphere at the shows is amazing. They are not just an opportunity to be entertained by fantastic and inspiring music, but to praise the name of the Lord and worship Him. God willing, there will be many more Sounds of Worship in 2015. The Wednesday prayer meetings have been going steadily, providing an essential service to the church and community. We have been blessed with new teachers for Sunday Club. We have been joined by Sharon Green, Gloria Larksham, Dee Roberts, Christine Lewis this year and we give God thanks for them. Sunday Club gives us an opportunity to share the gospel with children who would not otherwise know anything about God. This is one of the most important ministries in the church. For various reasons, “Little Angels” the nursery for the under 5s has come to an end for the time being. We wait upon the Lord about its long-term future. This summer saw the return of Junior Apprentice, after a year’s absence. The theme was “Fashion” and the young people had great fun designing and making clothes for all kinds of needs. They also went to two residential care homes and entertained the residents with songs, and memories of wedding clothes of times past, followed by a tea, which judging by the feedback, was very well received and enjoyed. So much so, that they asked the youth to return to sing carols at Christmas. Ruth Smith held her Music Workshop, just after Junior Apprentice, which was well received and enjoyed by those taking part. At the end, they performed a concert to show off their learned skills, which was thoroughly enjoyed. Wedding In October, Ruth Smith became Mrs Ruth Olaniyan! She had one of the most fantastic and joyful weddings I have had the privilege of attending. The church was packed with her family and friends. We wish her and Samson every blessing from God for the future in their life together. All Age Worship with Puppets! Throughout the year, we have been treated to many wonderful youth services organised by Ruth and her team. They have been encouraging and thought provoking. We have also been entertained and challenged by the puppets. Bible Studies We now have three regular bible studies at the church, on Sunday mornings at the church, Monday evenings, at Tosin’s house and Tuesday mornings at the church. Details in the newsletter and church website. The Tuesday day-time bible study, hosted by Sandra Stone, is inspiring and encouraging for all who attend. We learn so much from each other and from God. We have been studying the names of God, which have enabled us to study how good God is to us. As there are three bible studies, there is no excuse! You will be greatly blessed. New Members During the year, we have welcomed several new members into the church, including Pastor Desmond and his wife, Bobsie. We are greatly blessed to have them as members of our church. Also, Calvin, Christine and Sharon’s brother was welcomed into membership. He has been doing lots of essential repairs round the church, for which we are very grateful. New Deacon The members voted Sharon Green to be part of the Leadership Team and she was also appointed Church Secretary. Please support, encourage and pray for our Leadership Team. It is not an easy job! New Churches A new church has started meeting in our large hall, which is working out very well, and providing much needed income for the church. Baptisms We have had the privilege of baptising several people during the year. Baby blessings We have blessed lots of babies this year, which is a real pleasure. We were reminded during these occasions that we are all involved in the bringing up of children, not just the parents, and have a duty to help, support and encourage the parents. Funeral We said farewell to two much loved members this year: Mavis Gazely and Lester Hylton this year. Both funerals were packed with their family and friends who paid tribute to a faithful follower of the Lord for many years. They will both be sadly missed. As this year closes, we look forward to a new direction for church in the new year. That of healing and deliverance. This will bring new blessings and challenges to each one of us. I pray that each of us who worships at Westbury will strive to get closer to God and walk with Him as Enoch did (see Genesis 5: 24) so that every thought, word and deed comes from God and not ourselves. Thank you so much to everyone who serves the Lord in the church and community and in service to each other. May God bless you richly and may you continue to serve Him in the ministry God has chosen for you. Written by: Deborah Hayward - Church Administrator |
Welcome to our news page!Archives
August 2019
Categories |