November 2011

Outrageous?

PEEBLES BAPTIST CHURCH

Magazine

We will not see the transforming power of God in Scotland until we re-learn how to love God with all our heart, soul and mind.
Alasdair Black Baptist Assembly in Scotland 2011

As I write this Im at the 2011 Baptist Assembly in Scotland, which is a great highlight of our life as a union of churches every year. The theme of this years assembly has been the Outrageous Generosity of God, and weve been looking at some of the implications of that for our own lives, and for our relationships with friends, family, other churches, and those of completely different world- and faith-views to our own. Its been both exciting and challenging, and I could fill the magazine with quotes from the event! Thankfully I dont have to as you can get all the keynote addresses and the seminars from the Baptist Assembly website: http://www.baptistassemblyinscotland.org/2011/Downloads.html I was asked to do a reading at the last minute, which turned out to be the passage that we looked at a couple of weeks ago at our Church Meeting - Jesus statement that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind, followed by the commandment to love our neighbour as ourself (Matthew 22:36-40). Alasdair Black was the speaker that evening, and during a very powerful talk he made the comment that is on the front cover of this magazine - that we will not see the transforming power of God in Scotland until we re-learn how to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. That might sound fairly basic and fundamental (it is), but the fact is that we need to re-learn and re-implement those commands on a regular basis. As we continue to explore just what that means for us in Peebles, are we prepared to be startled out of our comfort zones and our usual patterns of thought and behaviour, learning to love God and others with the extravagant, outrageously generous love he shows us?

Ian

The November prayer meeting for the church will be held in Willie and Wilmas house, 8 Connor Ridge, at 9am on Saturday 5 November The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him.~ William McGill

in Brazil with Wycliffe Bible Translators

Dear all, Judy got back from the States on the 19th. I wasn't too well during the last two weeks that she was gone. I got a bit stressed, thinking wrongly that I had a weak heart due to a stress test that I took that gave a bad result. That got my ataxia going. Now I'm back to normal again. We are in the process of trying to deal with all the stuff that has accumulated in our house over 30 years - quite a task! We've been able to give some furniture to an American couple who arrived a few months ago and who sold everything to be able to come here. They have five children and the baby was born here in Brazil a few weeks ago. Their support is very low and they're having a hard time making ends meet. They are interested in perhaps continuing the Apurina work. Also a Brazilian church here is interested, and they plan to start a work in the town of Tapaua, where the Apurina go every month for their government pensions. Also our Scottish pastor friend Robert Galbraith has promised to visit the Apurina once a month so all of this is encouraging, as we are coming to the end of our time with these people. Thank you for your prayers, In Him, Cathie

The final amount raised through the collections and events for Christian Aid Week in Peebles for 2011 was 11,650.
Emma Dalrymple, currently spending a year as a Volunteer Youth Advocate with Christian Aid, has recently returned from two weeks in Sierra Leone, where she was able to see first-hand some of the Christian Aid projects making a difference in a country still recovering from the dislocation and bloodshed of a long civil war. Come and hear Emma talk about her trip, at a meeting (organised by the Mens Group but open to everyone) in TWEEDBRIDGE COURT LOUNGE on TUESDAY 1 NOVEMBER, at 7.30pm.

Dont miss hearing about Emmas experiences!

The Mens Group, and everyone who knew him, has been shocked and saddened at the news of Maurice Gordons sudden death at the age of 62. A member of the Group since it was founded by Rev. Alex Russell about twelve years ago, Maurice also played bridge on a regular basis with Frank Drummond, Liz Keiro, Margaret Cowan and Jim Munro. He had many friends in the local football, cricket, and Speedway fraternities, and was a weel kent and respected local characteras evidenced by the generous full-page tribute in this weeks Peeblesshire Newsto the sports pages of which he had himself been a regular and very effective contributor. Many of Maurices friends are expected to attend the funeral, at which our pastor will be officiating, in the Leckie Memorial Church at 12.15 on Friday 4 November.

Listen up! Everyone interested in

shaping the future of childrens work in Peebles Baptist Church is welcome to a meeting in the Manse (24 Damcroft) at

8pm on Thursday 3 November.

It would be really helpful if you could let Ian know if youre planning to come.
The next Vickys Tearoom will be Margaret Johnstone, PBCs on Sunday 13 November. longest-serving member,

writes:

Even if youre not involved as a helper, please do pray for the Tearoom and for our guests.

I have once again made Christmas cards and gift tags in various sizes, shapes and colours, and all Letter writing, and prayer for with envelopes. Please persecuted Christians, at Willie come and buy in aid of the and Wilmas home, on Tuesday church Building Fund. On 8 November at 10am. sale from 20 November.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

For the past 18 years Operation Christmas Child has been sending shoeboxes to Belarus. In 2010 it sent 33 loads of shoeboxes there, for distribution to orphanages, hospitals and poor homes. Here is a letter from the Baptist church in Tekhteen, Mogilev region, Belarus, who helped distribute boxes. It shows the high regard that they have for the boxes and the difficulties they face in the country.

Dear Friends in Samaritans Purse and OCC partners! From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for your care for Belarusian children. We appreciate all your hard work in collecting gift boxes, your offerings with finances, time and efforts. You deliver Love in a Box! And you in the UK give us a chance to pass Gods love on to needy ones in Belarus. We are a small Baptist church in the rural area of East Belarus, close to the Chernobyl zone. There are many forgotten and affected villages around us. High level of unemployment, drinking parents, neglected kids all this is our daily reality. Many parents dont pay much attention to their kids, and they cannot afford to buy gifts for them. And OCC shoeboxes are like a bright light in darkness! With your gift boxes we can and do organise many special OCC events in our church and schools. Many children come to Christmas performances and later to our Sunday school even from far away. OCC helps us to open hearts and open doors!

DEADLINE FOR GIVING FILLED SHOEBOXES TO MARGARET COWAN:

SUNDAY 6 NOVEMBER

Prayer Points for November

Lets ask God to bless, protect and encourage Barbara Edmondson whilst she is in Kenya revisiting Vision Ministries projects there and helping plan the new childrens home. Thank God for each of the children and young people associated with the church, and pray that their knowledge and love of Him would keep growing. Ask His blessing on the meeting about childrens work on Thursday 3 November. Pray for Maurices funeral on Friday, remembering all the friends and family who have been affected by his sudden death, and praying that the Father of compassion and God of all comfort would make Himself known. Pray that Gods Outrageous Generosity (the theme of the recent Baptist Assembly) will be seen in His people across all denominations and other divisions.
...Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very centre of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.
Mark 10: 14-16, The Message

Please pass prayer requests to Wilma Wintour, 723023

Services, November 2011

Sunday 6 November
FELLOWSHIP LUNCH AFTER SERVICE Communion servers: Linda Bell, Christine Drummond Stewards: Margaret Cowan, Gillian Gray Flowers: Linda Bell Teas: Kenny Hamilton

Secretary: Christine Drummond, tel 722062, Treasurer: Liz Keiro, tel 730217 Drummond, 722062,

Pastor: Rev. Ian Gray, tel. 07881 518854 email pastor@peeblesbaptist.org Pastor: Rev. Ian Gray, tel. 07881 518854 email pastor@peeblesbaptist.org Pastor: Rev. Ian Gray, tel. 07881 518854 email pastor@peeblesbaptist.org Pastor: Rev. Ian Gray, tel. 07881 518854 email pastor@peeblesbaptist.org

Transport: Fergus Brown, Stan Henderson, Margaret Cowan

Services in Victoria Park Centre, unless otherwise indicated Services in Victoria Park Centre, unless otherwise indicated Services in Victoria Park Centre, unless otherwise indicated Services in Victoria Park Centre, unless otherwise indicated

Sunday 13 November
Website: Website: Website: http://peeblesbaptistchurch.org/
Stewards: Hazel Hoggan, Liz Keiro Flowers: Vi Brown Teas: Gillian Gray

Transport: Tom Wight, Stan Henderson, Margaret Cowan

Sunday 20 November
Communion servers: Jacqueline Wilson, Fergus Brown Stewards: Jacqueline Wilson, Pat Hamilton Flowers: Christine Drummond Teas: Hazel Hoggan

Transport: Fergus Brown, Stan Henderson, Margaret Cowan

Sunday 27 November
Stewards: Carlyn McCall, Stan Henderson Flowers: Pat Hamilton Teas: Kirsten Gray

Transport: Tom Wight, Stan Henderson, Margaret Cowan

COMMUNION TABLE SETTING IN NOVEMBER Janet Smith Setting up & clearing roomFrank Drummond, Janet Smith and Callum Gray