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DEATHS

CHILVERS, Eirene Phyllis on October 24 2007 at Melrose Care Home, Worthing, West Sussex. Wife of late Reverend Cyril Chilvers. A private cremation will be followed by a Service of Thanksgiving at 1.30pm on Thursday November 8 at Durrington New Life Church, Salvington Road, Worthing. For all enquiries please ring H.D.Tribe Ltd Funeral Directors. Tel 01903234515.

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The deadline for all announcements is Tuesday, noon .

CLARKE, Revd William (Bill) died peacefully Sunday 28th October aged 92. Ministries in Sheffield, Doncaster, Ashford Kent, Slough and Whiteley Village. Funeral - 1 pm, November 6th at Bottesford, Notts (01949 844 311)

ministerial

The Revd Paul Campion will be inducted as senior pastor of Shirley Baptist Church Solihull on Saturday November 4 at 3 pm.

baptisms

Picture:Albany Baptist Church

Three’s company as Justin Birkesteins, Colin Steadman and Lester Jackson (left to right), who all came to faith on the same Sunday, were baptised together at Albany Park Baptist Church, Bexley.

THE BapTisT TimEsThursday, November 1, 2007

Picture: D aniel G rote

Excited - The Revd James Bloice-Smith inside Headington Baptist Church which was recently short-listed for the Art and Christian Enquiry architecture award

Headington proud of architectural gem

By TOM RICHES

A NEWLY-rebuilt Oxford church narrowly missed winning a prestigious architectural award last week. Headington Baptist Church, which reopened earlier this year having been rebuilt from scratch, was nominated for the Art and Christian Enquiry’s (ACE) award for religious architecture, eventually won by St Bede Roman Catholic Church in Basingstoke. Headington minister the Revd James Bloice-Smith said

the congregation was excited by the nomination. The move was prompted after growth in the church’s numbers put a squeeze on space in the previous building, said Mr Bloice-Smith. ‘We have seen some growth. ‘But more significantly we have seen more use throughout the week,’ he added. The church has restarted a lunch club and a children’s club, as well as beginning a coffee lounge for children

and parents to drop in to the church after school, since moving into the new building. Mr Bloice-Smith, who described the church as ‘modern, light and beautiful’, said one passer-by was so interested in the new building, he went inside and started the Alpha course held there on that day. The building, designed by David Grindley architects, will cost the church in excess of £1.4 million but Mr BloiceSmith was pleased with the work.

‘It makes good use of the site – we haven’t got a big site,’ he said. ‘The initial drive was space, but we also quickly realised the old building wasn’t ideal,’ he added. ‘I was a bit nervous because we are in a conservation area, but the council supported us fully.’ ACE presents three awards every other year for religious architecture, books, and art with a £3,000 prize for the winning candidate in each category.

Bexley (Albany Park): Justin Birkesteins, Colin Steadman and Lester Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fleet: Francesca Ferry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Nottingham (Basford Road): Philip Darlington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Oadby: Paula Lamont, Tina Stephens and Kim Llywelyn-Jones . . 3 Oakham: Eilidh Potter, Lizzie Bateman, Lisa Dutfield, Tom Dodson, Lynsey Radford, Emma Kelleher, Daniel Talbot, Iona McCombie-Smith, Emily Gardener; Dean, Gaynor, Chris, Dan & Jordan Poole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 St.Albans (Markyate): Lauren Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Woodbridge (Woodbridge Quay): Susan James, Dean King and Claire King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Total ............................................ 26 Total from January 1 .............................. 1239 Comparative figure for 2006 ........................1,330

Don’t forget to send your local news and baptisms to: local news, baptist times, pO box 54, 129 broadway, Didcot, Oxon OX11 8Xb e-mail: news@baptisttimes.co.uk

Picture:ACE Awards

baptist times gOne by

100 years ago IN HUNDREDS, perhaps thousands, of pulpits all over the land, the terrible revelations made by Mr G R Sims in his two series of articles in The Tribune , The Cry of the Children , and The Black Stain , were discussed from one point of view or another . In a general way, we all knew that life in the slums, under the shadow of the public-house, was a terrible thing, especially for the children . Very few of us realised to any adequate extent the full horror of it, until we read these articles .

50 years ago MORE than 40 Little Rock clergymen – Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish – have initiated a ministry of reconciliation in their city, following the recent violence during the city’s first efforts at school integration . Churches in Little Rock and throughout Arkansas were asked to hold special services on Columbus Day, October 12 . President Eisenhower had appealed to Robert R . Brown, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of the state, saying he hoped that ‘you will join in the support of law and preservation of our country’ .

25 years ago A BAPTIST father and son have been sentenced to three years imprisonment by a court in Tashkent . Nikolai Belan and his son Boris are members of the Reform Baptist movement . They appear to have been charged for ‘slandering the Soviet state and social system’ . The case has been given great play by the Tashkent daily newspaper, Pravda Vostoka . The story opens with the confiscation of some documents at Khabarovsk airport from some Japanese tourists . These papers were ‘openly hostile’ to the state and gave the names of the Belans .
THE BAPTIST TIMES Thursday, November 1, 2007

By TOM RICHES

DVD support for northern churches Member for life

NORTHERN Baptists will make a worship DVD next week in an effort to give a helping hand to smaller churches in the area. The Northern Baptist Association (NBA) is gathering singers from across the region to make a recording that will be offered to churches that struggle with limited musical resources. Hosted by Westgate Baptist Church in Newcastle, the new scheme follows a recent NBA sermon CD produced to aid some of the region’s smaller churches. The DVD will feature 15 hymns and songs, both traditional and modern as well as photography and video footage designed to complement the lyrics. Regional minister and event organiser the Revd John Singleton said he became aware of the need after recently producing a report on small churches. ‘In the area 50 per cent of the churches’ membership is less than 40 and many struggle with music, so we decided to produce a disc,’ he said. But as well as producing the DVD, the gathering will also be ‘an act of worship’, said Mr Singleton. Westgate minister the Revd Paul Merton has drawn up the list of songs and will lead the worship. Among the songs chosen are And can it be, Crown him with many crowns, and In Christ alone. Two pianists and an organist from Westgate, as well as a harpist from Berwick Hills Baptist Church in Middlesbrough, will provide the musical accompaniment.

A SOUTH west congregation celebrated a new church milestone recently as one of its members reached 60 years in membership. Gladys Davies is the first member of Cullompton Baptist Church to reach the landmark and the church put on a roast lunch to mark the occasion. Mrs Davies, a deacon and former Sunday school teacher at the church, was also presented with some flowers and a card made by the children.

‘It was really beautiful, it was quite a surprise for me,’ she said. ‘It’s the best thing I’ve ever done, going to that church – I love it,’ she added. Mrs Davies was baptised in 1947 after she started going to the church as a child. Former church member Andrea Gosling was taught by Mrs Davies in Sunday school. ‘Gladys has always been there, she is a familiar face,’ she said.

Devon community delighted with new hall

By TOM RICHES

BAPTISTS in Devon made the most of their newly refurbished community hall recently as three quarters of the village came to its opening harvest event. More than 80 local people from Newton St Petrock descended on the village’s Baptist church for the harvest supper in the newly refurbished

schoolroom. ‘It was absolutely amazing,’ said church minister the Revd Dinah Hargreaves. ‘Both sections of the hall were completely full,’ she added. The building has a new kitchen and an extension, as well as wheelchair access and a new porch. The church will now be able to host Women’s Institute

meetings and an Alpha course, with plans for a historical club as well, said Mrs Hargreaves. She said the new refurbishment had markedly improved the old hall, which ‘needed urgent attention’. She added that the congregation sees the building as ‘God-given’ and a ‘mission opportunity’. The work, which began in April, cost approximately

£35,000 and was funded by the South West Baptist Association, grants from the council and money raised at church events. ‘It has been a truly remarkable community project, where both faith and works have combined to the glory of God,’ she said. ‘It suits the community’s needs – we are very happy to do it, it is a community gift,’ she added.

local news • 

Fritha Wheeler

Modern Mission

Make 2008 a year of mission BAPTIST churches across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are rising to the challenge of ‘do more, do it together and do it in word and action’. Along with churches from other traditions, they are getting ready for Hope08. This national initiative has won support from Christian leaders across the denominations – including the Revd Jonathan Edwards, general secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. He has said, ‘ I believe that this initiative is born of God’s Spirit and so I am confident that our churches and our nations will be blessed by it.’ More than 20,000 copies of the Hope08 resource publication have been distributed. Eighteen thousand DVDs are in circulation around the UK, and projects from over 900 locations have registered on the Hope08 website. Dreams of ‘doing more’ and ‘doing it in word and action’ are becoming plans to reach communities. Gina Dickinson of Godalming Baptist Church in Surrey said they are ‘really excited about next year, as the young people have really gone all out to come up with ideas of what to do’. Their plans so far include: taking part in random acts of kindness, cooking meals for elderly people and working at a local shelter for homeless people. They are also looking into volunteering in children’s wards of local hospitals, and holding fundraising events for local charities. The vision to see the British Isles reached by the good news of Jesus in 2008 - and beyond - is under way. And the aim to ‘do it together’, has also been well received. Baptist churches are working with each other – and with churches of other denominations – to help change their communities. Emerging from a wave of mission experienced by thousands of people through The Message and Soul Survivor, Hope08 is about local churches doing local schemes. As a common focus, the year is divided into high points. Under the high point of ‘Hope where you live’, Nottingham churches will embark on a week of social action projects throughout the city. This event will culminate in an open-air celebration, where every church in the city is invited to worship in the market square. The organisers are expecting at least 9,000 people to attend. David Judkins of Andover Baptist Church is chair of the Hope08 Andover steering group. ‘It’s been really exciting to see how the local churches have embraced the vision of Hope08,’ he said. In this Hampshire town, 2008 will be a year of ‘summer family fun days’, prayer labyrinths in the Guildhall and an Easter musical, Jerusalem Joy. The churches are also looking into holding courses in the New Year, such as Beating Burnout, to help people stick to their resolutions. These are just some of the ideas that Baptist churches and their allies are coming up with. According to Steve Lee of the Pembrokeshire Baptist Association, ‘The aim is for everyone to encounter Jesus’.

n If your church has yet to get involved, you can find your nearest contact at www.hope08.com, or by emailing info@hope08.com

Fritha Wheeler is Hope2008 media officer

LITERACY is the buzzword of the moment. Around one quarter of children leave UK schools unable to read, and the Church has seen youth attendance plummet. With this in mind, educators are reaching for the Bible to stamp out illiteracy and raise the profile of the Christian faith. The Bible in Literacy resource project brings key verses from the Bible into the UK primary school curriculum, with a view to increase both Bible and literacy know-how. Designed to appeal to a cyberhungry generation, resources can be used on interactive whiteboards, and include a CD-ROM taking pupils on an interactive Biblical journey. And for the less techno-minded teachers, other resources include

Read all about it creative thinking

text cards, game boards and scriptwriting ideas. Teachers can use extracts from the Lion First Bible for lessons designed to promote grammatical awareness, sentence construction and punctuation. Flexibility is the key, says Bible in Literacy founder Shirley Gowland – its resources adapt to all teaching styles, ability levels and primary age groups. And after Bible Society sponsorship, the resource packs are now available for all schools to buy. With 23,000 primary schools in the UK, the project has only scratched the surface, says Shirley,

as many are unable to budget for the resources. But if churches were to buy a pack for their local school, the problem could be solved, she adds. ‘My vision is to see all school children given exposure to Biblical text,’ she says. ‘As churches we should serve our schools and ask ourselves, “Can we supply a school with this work?”’ Elsewhere, the Bible is being used during English classes for asylum seekers. The OpenWORD class at Milnsbridge Baptist Church in Huddersfield aims to unite mission and evangelism.

From requesting asylum to applying for jobs, English skills play a vital role in helping combat the social problems asylum seekers face. On top of this, for seekers who lack access to a Bible in their own language, learning English presents the chance to read and understand English Bibles for themselves. A typical class might cover the gospels, biblical stories and faith discussion before moving on to studying English language and grammar. The class meets four times each week, and members originate from Iraq, North Korea, and Afghanistan

among other countries. As a result of the class, Milnsbridge has subsequently seen several baptisms. The Revd Mike Roberts, pastor at the church, chairs the OpenWORD project committee. ‘I passionately believe this work has huge potential,’ he says. ‘The project was born from reading Acts 8 and the question, “How can I understand the scriptures unless someone explains it to me?”’ Bible in Literacy packs priced at £145 each. Visit the website at www.bibleinliteracy.org, or to order a pack email shirleygowland@ bibleinliteracy.org.

n Send your ideas to the address on page 2, or e-mail: editor@ baptisttimes.co.uk, making ‘Creative thinking’ the subject line