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OCTOBER 2014
VALE BAPTIST
CHURCH
Minister:
Rev. Kath Lawson
23 Broadstone St
Todmorden OL14 8AL
' 01706 815517
Email: [email protected]
www.valebc.org.uk
U
ROOMFIELD BAPTIST
CHURCH
Pastor:
Mr.John Lockhart
11 Rock Terrace
Todmorden OL14 6PU
' 01706 814195
Email: [email protected]
www.roomfieldchurch.org
Thrust in thy sickle, and reap:
for the time is come for thee to reap;
for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14:15
Vale Pulpit Supply
5th Oct
10.30 am Rev. Kath Lawson - Communion
12th Oct
10.30 am Rev. Jo Kershaw - Ladies’ Sunday
19th Oct
10.45 am Harvest - Joining with Roomfield at Roomfield
26th Oct
10.30 am Andy Newing
If ever you are tempted to say, “I wish someone were to
die and leave me something in his will,” allow me to tell
you, “Someone has !” David Shepherd
Roomfield Pulpit Supply
5th Oct
10.45 am John Lockhart
12th Oct
10.45 am Doreen Landriau
19th Oct
10.45 am Harvest - Joining with Vale at Roomfield
- Rev. Kath Lawson
26th Oct
10.45 am John Lockhart
I am always content with what happens,
for I know that what God chooses is better than what I choose.
Epictetus
The Tortoise Usually Wins
Although The Tortoise Usually Wins sounds as if it should be the title
of a sequel to Aesop’s fable The Hare and the Tortoise, it is actually
the title of a book about leadership, which I recently reviewed for the
Baptist Ministers’ Journal. It is aimed particularly, but not exclusively,
at those people who find themselves in positions of leadership which
they did not seek and for which they doubt their ability to fulfil.
Baptist churches have traditionally taken the view that all Christians
are called to play their part within a local congregation. As the numbers
of small churches without full time ministry increase, the role of
leadership is likely to fall more and more on church members. We are
often told that being a Christian is a marathon not a sprint; we are in it
for the long haul. Results are unlikely to be immediate and we need to
appreciate this.
This is where the analogy of the Hare and the Tortoise comes in.
The Hare was a somewhat flamboyant, charismatic character, well
aware of his speed but lacking the necessary focus. He was distracted
by all kinds of diversions during the race. Meanwhile Tortoise plodded
on doggedly and patiently, eventually winning the race.
The book makes the point that those leaders with a full-on leadership style may well run out of steam well before their aims are
achieved. They are far more likely to be “one-man bands” and often
fail to recognise the gifts of others who could help. Reluctant leaders,
on the other hand, are more likely to demonstrate the leadership model
of Jesus showing humility and appreciation of the efforts of others.
The Tortoise won because s/he refused to be intimidated by his/her
limitations compared with the Hare. Instead s/he did what s/he did best
- putting one foot in front of the other with patience and endurance.
We are called to be the best we can be at being ourselves, not
comparing ourselves with others who appear to have greater abilities.
The principles high-lighted in the book are applicable to anyone in
leadership whatever the context. I was “just a housewife” when I felt
called to the ministry, and was convinced God could not be serious!
As a quiet leader myself I found this book both enlightening and
encouraging.
Kath Lawson
Vale News
Family News
Margaret Crowther is having a sponsored silence on October 7th in
aid of Christian Aid. (Sponsorship form in church). Please support
this worthy cause (it will help Christian Aid too!!)
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Thanks to everyone for cards and best wishes on my birthday. I got a
lovely surprise seeing friends from Vale at the tribute to the Everley
Brothers. It was a really good night. Thank you for the cake at
Elevenses. I had a lovely birthday, thanks to everyone. Rene
The Ladies’ Guild
Ladies Sunday is on the 12th October and Rev Jo Kershaw from
St Mary’s will be with us. There will be refreshments after the service
provided by the Ladies’ Guild. Everyone is welcome.
For our meeting on Tuesday 28th October there will be a Leprosy
Mission video entitled ‘Meeting on a Plate’. Unfortunately Nick Calland
isn’t able to come this time but he is sending a catalogue and any items
we order will be free of postage and packing. We hope that St
Michael’s ladies will join us.
ooooooo
Flowers for the end of August were provided by Pam & Jim
Anderson in memory of Barbara and Tommy Threlfall. Flowers for the
beginning of September were provided by Mrs Christine Clark, Mrs
Shirley Fielden and Mrs Florence Walsh.
Thank you to everyone for your donations.
oooooooo
We usually give our donations to the Gideons around this time of the
year. If you would like to make a contribution towards their work,
please see Diane. Thank you for your support which is very much
appreciated.
The little box on the side table in October is for donations to C.I.C.S.
If you would like to fill a shoe box for
Operation Christmas Child, we have
boxes available in church. They would
need to be filled by October 19th for
delivery.
The mission of Operation Christmas
Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a
tangible way to needy children around
the world, and together with the local
church worldwide, to share the
Good News of Jesus Christ.
Shattered dreams Is this the pot at the
end of the rainbow?
Roomfield News
Saturday 11 October
8:30 am
Prayer Meeting
Thursday 16 October 7:30 pm
Quo Vadis – Discussion Group
Friday 24 October 7:30 pm
Film Night
Sunday 26 October 6:30 pm
FaithLive
The following regular meetings take place at Roomfield:
MONDAY
Inspire – Bible Study
10:30 am
(check for dates)
Woven Voices Choir Rehearsal
7:30 pm
TUESDAY
Pilates Class
Contact Kerensa McKie
(01706 818007)
WEDNESDAY Stitching & Knitting
Craft Group
Contact Lena Smith:
01706 817260
7:00 – 8:00 pm
11:30 am – 3:00 pm
(most weeks)
Rainbows, Brownies and Guides 5:00 – 9:00 pm
For Rainbows, 5.00 – 6.00pm,
(term time)
contact Katie (01706 839646) and
Brownies, 6.10 – 7.25 pm contact
Lucy Reynolds (07718942980).
For Guides, 7.30 – 9.00 pm, contact
Theresa Scholfield (01706 839959).
THURSDAY
Pilates Classes
Contact Kerensa McKie
(01706 818007)
9:30 – 10:30 am
and
10:30 – 11:30 am
Clothes for Ukraine
Anya Glew has been collecting warm winter clothing for people in Ukraine
who have been forced to leave their homes. For many the upheaval has
been very sudden – they were not expecting their area to be overrun by
the 'rebels'. This means that they have often left without adequate clothing
for the winter months. Anya's efforts were more successful than she
anticipated, with people from various churches and elsewhere making
contributions of clothing.
Thank you to all who stepped in to help.
Bible Study
Our long trawl through Luke and Acts has now ended and we will be
covering Hebrews next. Not everyone can make it to the daytime sessions
so we intend to add an evening session soon.
Harvest
Our harvest service will be on 19 October, and we will be joined by our
friends from Vale Baptist Church. Rev Kath Lawson will also be preaching.
Quo Vadis
If anyone would like to lead one of our Quo Vadis discussion sessions, or
otherwise has a burning topic they wish to have discussed, please let
John know.
Pray, Think, Act
Sometimes it is useful to remember that prayer does not happen in
isolation. We are urged to "pray, think, act" - in other words, to use prayer
as an opening to thinking about what is happening around us and being
challenged to engage with issues in whatever way we can. Indeed, prayer
should never be used as a substitute for thinking and acting but as
something that complements them.
At the present time we have tremendously difficult issues being faced
internationally with the Russian military intervention in Ukraine (under the
cover of "pro-Russian rebels"), the ongoing slaughter in Syria, the terror
campaign of ISIS (which now styles itself as the "Islamic State") in Iraq and
the conflict between Israel and Gaza, to name only the the most prominent
of the present conflicts. While prayer must be encouraged, we also have a
responsibility to think about these issues, learn what we can, and to act,
whether through our individual efforts (donations, campaigning) or
collectively as a society through the actions of our government.
So when we pray "about" something, as we are asked to do with these
difficult international crises, remember that we are also being challenged to
think and act. We may not always understand the deep-rooted issues, and
we will certainly not always all agree on the answers, but we should at
least be prepared to be challenged.
John Lockhart
The Harvest
Harvest hymns are happy hymns,
with grateful hearts, we say
Our special thanks for harvest time,
and all it means today.
The hard work and the waiting time, the sowing of the seed.
And now the golden reaping time
that God has blessed indeed!
It shows if we have faith and trust,
and wait with patience, too,
We’ll find our lives – like harvest time,
will be enriched anew!
Elizabeth Gozney
Hymns for Christians over 65 years old
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Give Me the Old Timers Religion
Precious Lord, Take My Hand, And Help Me Up
Just a Slower Walk with Thee
Go Tell It on the Mountain, But Speak Up
Nobody Knows the Trouble I Have Seeing
Guide Me, O Thou, Great Lord God,
I’ve Forgotten Where I’ve Parked The Car
Count Your Many Birthdays, Count Them One By One
Blessed Insurance
It Is Well With My Soul, But My Knees Hurt
One ship drives east and another drives west
with the self-same winds that blow;
‘tis the set of the sails and not the gales
which tell us the way to go.
Like the winds of the seas
are the ways of fate,
as we voyage along through life,
‘tis the set of a soul that decides its goal
and not the calm of the strife.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the cliff. Standing on a ledge,
taking a breather during her first rock climb, the safety rope snapped
against her eye and knocked out her contact lens.
'Great', she thought. 'Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from
the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top, and now my sight is blurry.'
She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the
ledge. But it just wasn't there.
Feeling panic rising in her, she began praying. She prayed for calm,
and that she might find her contact lens. When she got to the top, a
friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to
be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was
saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of
mountains. She thought of the bible verse 'The eyes of the Lord run to
and fro throughout the whole earth.'
She thought, 'Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every
stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is.
Please help me.'
Later, back at the bottom, they met another party of climbers just
starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, 'Hey, you
guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?'
Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw
it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock,
carrying it!
The story doesn't end there.
Brenda's father,
a cartoonist, on hearing the
story drew this cartoon :
I think it would do us all
good to say, 'God, I don't
know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and
it's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will.'
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him...I can do all things through
Christ which strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)
A teenager was always asking his father if he could
borrow the family car. Pushed to the limit, the father asked
his son why he thought that God had given him two feet.
Without hesitation the son replied, “That’s easy; one for the
clutch and one for the accelerator”.
VALE DIARY DATES
Sat 4th Oct
11am to 3pm Macmillan Coffee Morning
Sun 5th Oct
Harvest gifts for Drop-in, and flowers for distribution
will be received in church today
Tues 7th Oct
Day of fasting and prayer for YBA, BU & BMS
(donations to Christian Aid)
Sun 12th Oct
Herald notes for NOVEMBER Herald due today
Sun 19th Oct
Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes needed by
today
Mon 20th Oct
7.30 pm Churches Together meeting at St Mary’s
Tue 28th Oct
2pm Ladies Guild - Leprosy Mission - DVD and
opportunity to buy from their catalogue.
Wed 29th Oct
6.30 pm Beetle drive in aid of Home Mission
Refreshments will be available
The following regular meetings take place at Vale , All are welcome.
MONDAY
Elevenses, come and have a cuppa and
chat in a relaxed atmosphere at Vale
10.30 am -12 noon
TUESDAY
Prayer Meeting in Church
10.00 am
Prayer / Bible Study meeting at Vale
(Parsonage or Church)
8.00 pm - 9.00 pm
Every tomorrow has two handles.
We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety
or the handle of faith.
Henry Ward Beecher
News or contributions to [email protected]
Do all the good you can.
By all the means you can.
In all the ways you can.
In all the places you can.
At all the times you can.
To all the people you can.
As long as ever you can.
John Wesley