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Victoria Baptist Church News Sunday 17 th October 2021 “Repent and be baptised, every one of you …” Acts 2:38
Victoria Baptist Church News Sunday 17th October 2021
“Repent and be baptised, every one of you…”
Acts 2:38
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This week’s message is brought to us by our Senior Minister, Chris Short
10am at the church and live online via YouTube.
At 4pm, in our afternoon service we will be continuing with our
Passion for Life series
Pre-School Children There will be an area set up in the Welcome Centre for
babies & toddlers (below the age of 3) to use at anytime during the service. The service will be live on the Welcome
Centre TV.
This Sunday we’ll celebrate the life-giving power of the gospel. Together we’ll witness six baptisms and hear seven testimonies from people of different ages, genders, nationalities and backgrounds, telling how God has led each one of them to the same place of faith in Jesus Christ.
One of the amazing things about the events surrounding Jesus’ death is that while they were both unexpected and chaotic for the disciples (the fight in the garden, Peter’s denial etc.), God had positioned people in the story who unknowingly point us to the meaning of Jesus death.
This morning we’ll look at two of them, Barabbas and Simon of Cyrene, considering what they tell us about Jesus’ death and what they show us about the meaning of the baptisms we will witness.
The Meaning of Baptism – Luke 23:13-26, 32-34
“Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
Advance Notice … of our next Healing Service - Sunday
31st Oct, at 4pm, led by John Glover. “Light in the Darkness and Healing at Halloween”
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Senior Minister:
Chris Short
PA to Senior Minister:
Sandra Taylor
Family Ministries:
Simon Grimes - Children
Erik Cornelisse - Youth
Church Administrator:
Colin McMahon
Caretaker:
Kevin Virgo
CAP Debt Centre Manager:
Helen Diplock
Treasurer:
Louise Hughes
Finance Assistant:
Julie Hanks
Pastoral Team Leader:
Tim Nunn
01323 737974
Eldon Road, Eastbourne
BN21 1UE
[email protected] www.victoriabaptist.org.uk
VBC Bank Details
Account Name:
Victoria Baptist Church Trust
Account Number: 00010297
Sort Code: 40-52-40
Staff/Office Matters
Sandra is taking a week’s annual leave but otherwise the staff days are as per normal; Chris off on Tuesday, Erik & Simon on Thursday, Colin on Monday. Julie will be in the office on Thursday and Tim on Wednesday.
Staff contact details: [email protected] (eg [email protected])
Booking Seats for Sunday morning service Please remember that you only have to book in advance for a seat if you want to be socially distanced - and only for the morning service. Your seat will then be reserved.
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The Week Ahead Sun 17 9.40am Pre-Service Prayer Meeting in Chris’ Office
10.00am Live at VBC and online - Baptismal Service led by Chris Short
4.00pm Passion for Life
Mon 18 6.00pm Girls Brigade
7.30pm CLT prayer meeting - all welcome
Tues 19 6.45pm Alpha
7.15pm Soaking in the Spirit (for ladies only)
Wed 20 10.00am Vicky Bees
5.15pm Boys Brigade (ages 4-8)
6.15pm Boys Brigade (ages 8-18)
Thu 21 7.30am Prayer Meeting (for men only)
10.15am Men’s Fellowship - with Pastor Gadalla Tiab (from the
Arabic Community Church in Portslade)
2.30pm Women’s Fellowship - with Mick Trott and Marge Loftus
Fri 22 10.00am Alpha Prayer Meeting - in the Small Hall
10.00am Vicky Bees
12.30pm Friends, Food & Fellowship
5.00pm Kids Club
7.00pm Xpect
Sat 23
Sun 24 9.40am Pre-Service Prayer Meeting in Chris’ Office
10.00am Live at VBC and online - led by Chris Short
4.00pm Passion for Life
And further ahead ... Sat 30 Oct, 2.30pm Thanksgiving Service for Jill McKay (please sign up in the Welcome Centre if you would like to stay for refreshments after the service).
Wed 24 Nov, 7.30am Church Meeting - CLT elections
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CLT Elections At the next church members meeting - our AGM - on Wednesday November 24th, we will voting for new members of our Core Leadership Team.
Of the current members of the CLT, Mark Simmons will be standing down having completed two three-year terms. The current rules state that after serving 2 successive terms, a member of the CLT must stand down for at least a year.
Paula Burr, Richard Kirk and Jez Taylor will have completed one three-year term and are thus eligible for re-election. They are willing to stand again.
Brian Wightwick and Jane Simkin however have decided not to seek re-election.
Keith Pamphilon meets with the CLT having been co-opted on some time ago but will not need to be re-elected.
Nomination papers are available for members who wish to put someone forward. The nomination must be returned by Wednesday 27th October. Please note the following points, as outlined in VBC’s Governing Document:
s who shall have ascertained that their nominee is willing to stand. This nominee must be a Church member and baptised by full immersion, aged twenty-one or over who has been in membership for at least two years. …
”There shall be a minimum number of three such members (of the CLT) and a maximum of eight … “
Please also note that, as Senior Minister, Chris Short is automatically a member
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
Thursday 4th November 7.30pm @VBC An opportunity to discover about Life Groups.
A time to hear the vision, find out what goes on and ask questions.
No pressure to join or sign up.
Contact: [email protected]
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Coffee Time … but ...
… What have all these lovely people got in common?
The answer lies in their mugs! They all remembered to bring their own. With a number of issues re catering - mainly not being able to get teams to wash up! - we are encouraging you to bring your own mug rather than use the paper cups we have bought, mainly for the benefit of visitors who wouldn’t be aware of the situation. Hopefully, these poses will act as a reminder for you to bring your own too - but I promise you won’t be photographed next time!
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Prayer Diary: 18th – 24th October Proverbs 22:2 “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all.”
Monday Give thanks for the baptisms this weekend. Pray God's blessing on each of our church family who have taken this step. Ask for God's protection over their lives and that they may know His peace and seek the plans He has for them with hope.
Tuesday We have had much to celebrate recently. Thank God that we are able to come together again with joy. Continue to pray for the team and the clients of Foodbank that we supported at harvest. Lift up the staff, patients and families of those associated with the hospice, pray that the Christian foundations of St Wilfred's will be remembered and honoured.
Wednesday Pray for those who are finding it tricky to pick up the threads of life again and are struggling with renewing social interaction and relationships. Ask our God of compassion and gentleness to fill our hearts with love and inspire us with ways to make the paths of life smoother as we show who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Thursday The team here at VBC are running at full tilt, lift them to God. Give thanks for them working together to bring the Gospel to many. Ask God's abundant blessing on all who come into the building for social, material or spiritual reasons. Pray too for those who have gone out from here in recent times, that their ministry will be fruitful.
Friday Pray for our government and the challenges arising daily. Ask that they may govern with integrity, compassion and wisdom. Help them to balance the needs with the wants of our nation and with care for those in great need here and around the world, thinking especially of the vaccine programme. Pray that the forthcoming opportunity of the meeting with world leaders over the environmental crisis will not be wasted and that words spoken will become action taken.
Saturday War, drought, famine, persecution, corruption, discrimination, injustice, tyranny, fear and lack of basic needs. These are all terrors that refugees have faced. Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see need. Prompt us, Father, to take action when we can. Inspire us, God, to pray diligently for justice and mercy to prevail. Remember the work of NetworX in your prayers.
Sunday As we look towards Christmas, pray for the work of Living Life as they gather gifts. Pray that the greatest gift of all time will not be overshadowed by the trappings of commercial Christmas. Ask God to use us at this time to shine out the true message of love.
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Launch of Old Town Community Fridge
Today (Wednesday 13th) saw the official launch of the Old Town ‘Community Fridge’, with the dual aims of tackling food waste and food poverty.
The fridge, located at Victoria Baptist Church on Eldon Road, is open every Wednesday morning from 08:30 to 10:30. The Community Fridge team collects surplus food that is in good condition, and would otherwise go to waste.
For £2, members of the community can buy up to 10 items. Every week the fridge has different stock coming in, with plenty of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables. Local businesses, such as Poppyseed Bakery, also donate baked goods, which are a firm favourite with visitors to the fridge.
Food waste and food poverty are big issues in the UK. In 2020, 8% of the population was in food poverty, but data from The Food Foundation suggests food insecurity levels rose to 9% of the population in January 2021. Most food waste in the UK is avoidable.
Sandra Taylor, co-founder of the Community Fridge, said “As a church, we saw an increasing need in our community, which we felt called to act on. Wednesday mornings at Victoria Baptist now have a wonderful community atmosphere, and it’s great to see good food being used and not wasted.”
The cost of the fridge was partly met by a £500 donation from the Old Town Councillor’s local budget, and by Victoria Baptist Church itself. The fridge is a true community project, with the Old Town Salvation Army Corps volunteering their time, to make it possible.
The fridge is one of a growing number opening up across the UK.
To find out more about the Old Town Community Fridge, donate or volunteer visit https://www.facebook.com/OldTownCommunityFridge
In the picture above are: Councillor John Dow, Skip & Gabby (Langney Community Larder), Councillor John Ungar, Chris Short, Debra Muston (SA, Old Town Corps), Councillor Peter Diplock, Sandra Taylor & Helen Diplock.
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“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ’Love your neighbour as
yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)
This week in our afternoon service, we will be focusing on “Loving through listening and questions.”
This session aims to help us to see that listening well, asking good questions and paying attention to people’s lives is an expression of love. This, in turn, can lead to opportunities to share the gospel.
There will be a video presentation and time for discussion and prayer. We hope that as many of you as possible will be able to join us. Those who have been able to attend so far have expressed how useful these sessions are.
If you are unable to make it this week, then here is a link to the video and a few questions for you to consider once you have watched it:
apassionforlife.org.uk/lc3-vid-download
Think about the people you tend to spend time with, are they similar to you? How could you be more intentional about showing you care and taking more of an interest in people who are different?
What stops us from listening well? Reflect on your own experiences.
Take time to think about the people you will likely be interacting with over the next week and jot down some questions you could ask them.
Finally, spend some time in prayer:
Thank God for His Word and the clarity of His commandment to love Him and to love our neighbours.
Ask God to help you to be more aware of your interactions with others and to improve your listening and questioning skills so that you can have more opportunities to share the gospel.
… to all those of you who supported Flow Café and the Hospice Anniversary service last weekend. You will be pleased to know that we were able to make a donation of £380 to the hospice as a result of your generosity.
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Book Review - by John Demetriou
‘Could it be Dementia?’
Following on from my book review last week on dementia I have the following addendum. ‘I've got dementia, dementia hasn't got me’ is the main maxim those suffering from the condition use to help them cope. Providentially, the BBC put an interesting article this week on their Health website called, What those living with dementia want people to know - BBC News . It has helpful practical tips for living with the condition, how to talk to people with dementia and how they have learned to adjust to their changing brains. If you’re reading this online, you can click on the web link above to find out more.
John Demetriou
Blue Badge Please note that we have a limited number of parking spaces for Blue Badge holders and they would very much appreciate it if those spaces could be kept for those with the greatest need, rather than being used by non-Blue Badge holders! I
do appreciate parking can be a problem - but dropping off at the doors is of course an option, assuming you aren’t the driver. I do think we are very blessed in the size of the car park we have - the envy of many churches in Eastbourne - and your cooperation would be much appreciated.
Volunteers are also needed for helping out at Vicky Bees on Friday mornings
(9.30-12). Please see Simon if you would like to know more.
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Dear Church Family Just wanted to say a very big, big thank you for all your prayers, emails, calls, gifts and well wishes which have been a tremendous support, and still are.
The move to London went well, even though there are still boxes to be unpacked. The children have settled into school nicely and we are taking one day at a time in getting to know our community and what it has to offer. Will take us a while to adapt to the hustle and bustle of living in London but, so far, all is good.
With lots of love from Bayo, Deneese and the children.
Gosport Update Dear all, Thanks for your prayers, God has answered! The church's offer on the house I viewed in Gosport was accepted, even with some white goods thrown in. The house is of a higher quality than the one we were waiting for, has better parking, a bigger, more secure
garden, and is in a quieter, more peaceful spot, so all in all worth waiting for! The survey is taking place on 22nd October
(we are not expecting any problems) and as there is no forward chain, we hope to complete and be able to move in by early December. This is great news and a huge relief to have the end in sight for the commute, which last weekend took 5 hours due to the A27 being closed around Shoreham. Another great weekend with 2 more new locals attending the Sunday service, plus another visitor. 7 of the new folk so far seem to be staying with us, so that's fantastic. God is at work in Gosport! Thanks again for your ongoing support and prayers, so appreciated. Blessings and love, Em.
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Flower Ministry
The flowers for Harvest Sunday last week were donated by
Margaret Reilly.
Nov 21st is now the only blank date left on this year’s calendar
if you feel you would like to make a donation.
Please contact Chris McMahon if you would like to do so.
And another marvellous Harvest display!
