Week beginning 23rd February 2025
In this edition:
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This week
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   Free admission, tea and coffee, games and crafts Mondays 2:00–4:00pm and Fridays 10:00am–12:00noon |
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From PieterAGM We will meet on Thursday at 7.30pm for this important moment in the life of the congregation; we will celebrate Communion together. Bible Course We are continuing The Bible Course (by The Bible Society), a series of seven evenings. You can still join us because the episodes are stand-alone. It is ideal for some solid basic teaching. Money matters Have you included the church in your will? Have your relatives (their own church or ours)? The account is shared by Pastor Igor Bandura about an encounter he had with an elderly woman at his home church in Irpin. Ukraine In our service today we will watch a video about a visit from the vice president of the All-Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Christian-Baptists to England. Annual baptisms in Ukrainian Baptist churches have increased from 2600-2700 to 3000-4000 since 2022. One pastor calls those he has baptised ‘children of war’. Many outsiders are responding not only to the care shown them by Baptist churches, but also to the faith in God of their people. Nevertheless, Igor is keen not to give the impression that despite the war, Baptist churches are ‘really thriving and everything is fine.’ Living in a country under attack is ‘brutal’, pastor Igor explains. Death and destruction stalk the country. Every two or three days something is hit by a drone or missile, and there has been ‘unspeakable suffering’. A Baptist family living in an apartment block in Odessa who went to bed one night, the mother with their baby in one room, the father with an older child in the second bedroom. A blast wiped out half of the apartment, killing the mother and baby. Ukrainians are living under ‘constant threat’, with no place anyone can feel secure. The gruelling frontlines means the number of orphans and widows grows daily. Hundreds of church buildings have been destroyed. While some have been hit indiscriminately, others have been targeted deliberately as an attempt to erase Ukrainian identity. Churches in the occupied eastern regions can exist, provided they cooperate with the Russian state and worship conforms to the state-aligned Russian Orthodox Church. Many churches have closed as pastors and their people have escaped the fighting and persecution. Some have established new churches in the places they have fled to – 50 new churches appeared in the first two years of the war, while another 25 are in the process of formation. Ongoing financial support of pastors to the tune of $100 a month is a key aspect of the Union’s response. Despite all the problems they have faced, Baptist churches have made a tangible difference. ‘Generally speaking, I am very proud of Ukrainian Baptist churches,’ says Igor. ‘I am proud of their perseverance and their faithful ministry.’ |
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Help NeededThe deacons are looking for offers of help as we start to plan our activities from April. If you would like to know more about any of these please speak to one the deacons.
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Annual General meetingOur Annual General meeting is being held on Thursday 27th February at 7:30pm. The meeting is open to all, but only members may vote. We will receive the annual report and accounts, appoint the church officers and reaffirm our organisation leaders. There will also be an opportunity to elect Deacons. Sue and Eric stand retire as Deacons by rotation this year. Both have been nominated for re-election. Please consider prayerfully how you will vote. The Annual report for 2024 is published today. Thank you to all who have provided content or photos. Please contact us for a copy. |
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Foodbank
