Post by JEM on Feb 11, 2012 6:08:38 GMT
LIGHTHOUSE PRAYER MINISTRY NEWS
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LIGHTHOUSE PRAYER MINISTRY (MCCPF) Founded 1954.
WINTER 2012
From :Administrator John E Maddams 35 Four Acres. Saffron Walden CB11 3JD UK
[ 01799 521529 ] Website via Google lhpm.proboards.com
Our object has been “The Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom into all the world”
Rejoice the LORD JESUS CHRIST is King! King of Heaven and King of planet Earth, ready and waiting to return and to reign on Earth. To govern Earth. Are we ready to receive Him and serve Him here? Are we warning everyone else?. Noah did and he was mocked, but he was proved right and we will be too.
THE SPIRITUAL STATE OF RURAL UTTLESFORD
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In my travels this past year I have observed
many buildings that were all Free Church buildings built in the 19th century by active Congregations and now closed., Recently I have located similar buildings in Rickling ,Ickleton, and Littlebury. There were others at Little Walden, Sewards End, Wenden, Little Chesterford Hadstock, Hinxton,and Widdington . At 9 of these I preached in my 20's . In July at Broxted there was still amongst the ivy and nettles a notice claiming that a service took place on the first Sunday of the month, and I added a Gospel poster. Now the ivy, nettles, poster & notice have all been cleared away by the site owner
At Little Hallingbury the building is used on the 2nd and 4th Sundays for services in Portuguese for immigrants working in the area. West Colville Methodist on the road to Newmarket is about to close. Let us pray too for isolated Christians across rural England whose village churches have gone and feel stranded. May the LORD show them what to do. Keep praying for Priors Green Takeley where two local Anglican churches and a small Congregationalist Church all a mile to two miles away are seeking to continue to witness to hundreds of new homes. Big new estates are proposed for Hatfield Heath.
Most of these villages now have substantially increased their populations but we can but suspect that many of those people are not in touch with the Kingdom of Heaven, and it is down to the Colonies of Heaven to do something about it ,- the Churches. Every Christian is a cell of the Body of Christ on Earth – until he returns. That is the Church.
RURAL MINISTRIES
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Saffron Walden Baptist Church is seeking a new Minister as their 18th, Simon Mattholie, while still a member of the Church, has taken on a wider role as Director of Rural Ministries which celebrates it's 50th Anniversary next year. Committed to planting and growing rural Churches it is a fellowship of over 50 partner churches around Britain over many English counties and as wide as Kircubbin in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Skye, the Isle of Wight, Llandeilo in Wales, and Guernsey in the Channel Islands They produce a quarterly guide “Praise and Prayer News” which is useful in aiding intercession. This may be obtained from Wellingborough Innovation Centre, Church Street, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 4PD. 01933 303050 or office@ruralministries.org.uk Simon also is currently Mission Strategy Task Group Leader of the Eastern Baptist Association of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. RM are developing new contacts in Wales.
FROM THE CRYSTAL BALLS and the CARDS
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It is very clear that there is a spiritual vacuum and the forces of darkness are taking advantage. Seances, use of mediums, readings of Tarot and Angel cards, and other occult and witchcraft activities are becoming more prevalent as village pre-school groups use them as family entertainments to raise funds. One such event was held in a local pub and another at a Day Centre for the elderly, and they occur regularly at a New Age-Occult shop in Saffron Walden. We should not allow Satanic activity to phase us as we can all compel spirits to depart by speaking against them in the Name of Jesus Christ, whom they know and fear. Some Christians don't believe in Satan, Hell or demon spiritual forces which no doubt pleases Satan enormously. Whether they be real, or imagined these rituals mislead people into thinking they can contact dead relatives and friends. They also play on doubts about God and provide another barrier between God and humans. We have supplied Christian literature to the shop in Walden in the hope staff may read it and some local Christians are praying for it's closure.
THE LOVE OF GOD COMPELS US .
I believe that God loves every human being, and in Jesus Christ has provided the means for their salvation,
of forgiveness of sin- past, present and future – an ongoing salvation,
of reconciliation with God our Heavenly Father ,
of direct access to God, by effective believing conversational prayer,
of the continual encouraging companionship of God the Holy Spirit,
of the delegated authority of the Name of Jesus, of the power to serve the LORD and of the gift of eternal life.
Every person can share this experience provided they are willing to repent, believe, trust and obey God.
In order that they may do so they need to learn about God, to seek God, to put it to the test of experience.
That means someone has to tell them, to build a bridge.
That is the task of every one who already knows Jesus Christ as God – US.
Satan the Malevolent Spirit seeks to hide God from them, to create barriers, but he is a created being who rebelled against God, lost, is defeated and faces extinction. He is no match for God the Holy Spirit who can
convict us of our sins making us embarrassed and guilty, convince us of God's righteousness,
instruct us in God's ways and will, teach us from God's Word, encourage and empower us to serve God.
We know how much it took and how long it took to convince and convert us so we should not be surprised that instant results may not result from what we do for Him, but that is no reason for inactivity or suspending prayer.
That sums up why I began Lighthouse Prayer Ministry [ MCCPF] in 1954 and continue to administer it today.
I know that the work we have done since, God has used to change lives, and helped a lot of people, but of many to whom we have reached out I know nothing, but God knows what He has been and is doing.
We have to remain faithful even if we see no apparent results.
We have to observe the teaching of the Parable of the Sower that Jesus told his disciples nigh 20 centuries ago. Sow the seed everywhere. Some will make little or no progress but here and there in places unknown the seed will linger, germinate, grow and produce a bountiful harvest. One changed life can produce many more.
OUTREACH. To Each Home and to Every Person.
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After my mother died in January 2003 I became convinced that I should reach out with Christian Gospel literature door to door. I've been doing that from 2003 – 2009 in Saffron Walden; and since then in the villages that make up Uttlesford District, occasionally straying over the frontiers into South Cambs and Braintree Districts.
Not knocking on doors because often the homes are empty anyway during day time hours and in other circumstances people don't like answering doors to strangers, but putting something through their letterboxes that the Holy Spirit has led to be prepared that teaches what God wants people to now, or demonstrates it through testimony, and providing to anyone interested the means to find out more.
But wont this just get thrown away recycled unread with all the other publicity material we get these days? It could be but we don't work alone. God the Holy Spirit can work in people's minds inducing them to read and to listen to his entreaties. Some will. Some wont. Some do. Some don't. The opportunity is there.
In Saffron Walden we used thousands of copies of NEW LIFE NEWS a 12 page Christian tabloid newspaper and to new homes copies of the Churches Together Leaflet “WELCOME”. Since 2004 I have been using VIA [ meaning “THE WAY” ] a magazine created and produced by a Brethren Church in Canada, one edition per year printed in hundreds of thousands in several languages and shipped by container loads to various parts of the world. They've been doing this for 40 years.
We have reached about 35 locations, since 2009, mainly villages but also down town areas of various towns and seaside resorts, about 12,000 homes in all.
Anyone who wants to do so may contact by post, phone or email the Christian Enquiry Agency
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which has the support of the headquarters of all the mainstream Protestant Churches in UK and themselves since January this year have had over 11,000 requests for help.
Alternatively they can use a form to obtain free a copy of the NT with Psalms and another title from a list of books, and one of a selection of free Bible Study Courses from “Word of Life” HQ in Yorkshire. There are also 7 websites they can access if they are ONLINE.
Judging by the increased activity of LHPM's web boards after each visit people are doing this. CEA reply to each enquiry, answer specific questions, provide a gospel or booklet & offer to put people in touch with local churches if that is what they want.
In seaside public shelters and in seated bus shelters I leave a copy of The Lighthouse Lantern edition of St John's Gospel in the NKJ Version, obtained from and linked for follow up to the OPEN AIR MISSION. I have also given Gospels to children I meet. Sometimes where there is a blank space on Public Notice boards I pin a text poster or a tract. Occasionally I get to have a meaningful conversation but that is rare. God enabling me I hope to continue next year to reach more.
Some of the villages I have visited now have Evangelical Anglican congregations but some villages have only 1 or 2 services a month and little or nothing else. 12 million people live in the villages, hamlets, farmsteads, and the many Ends and Greens of our land, and thousands live in all our towns who never enter a Church building, have little notion of what we believe or know by experience about God. Too often the Churches have become barriers rather than bridges. We owe these populations the chances God gave us.
2012 BECKONS - WHAT MORE SHOULD WE DO?
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Well we should pray, as often as possible because praying puts us on the same wavelength as God, and He answers believing prayer.
1. During 2012 we need to find another £500 for the education of the Zambian orphans
2. We need £90 to donate 2 more wind up DVD / Cassette Players for use in remote African areas.
3. We have now in March, completed requests from Ibadan Nigeria for 740 bibles and from Benin for 10 Large Print ones for elderly people.
4. More videos await despatch to Malawi when we have money enough to post them.
5. We now have a second hand working cassette copier and about 100 archived cassettes and some blank cassettes. If anyone can supply further blanks or those we can erase existing material from, we could send out Services and Sermons to a number of overseas locations.
6.Another friend has bought and sent some Bibles to a Prison prayer group of 20 men,that had no Bibles
7. We would also like to send more Christian books and Bibles to various places we have sent some in March.
8. We need more second-hand Gideon New Testaments or second hand AV Testaments for Zambian soldiers.
9. New opportunities may be presented to us in observing the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, and the Olympic Games. For the latter we have some special leaflets from RBC Ministries that will be distributed to homes where we know there are teenagers with sporting interests.
10.God enabling me with the bus pass still valid until March 2013 provided county transport grants are retained, enabling bus services to run that are currently under threat I hope to get out to Southern Uttlesford with VIA.
HOW DO WE EVANGELISE OUTSIDE OUR GHURCHES?
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Just a brief word or a determined prayer may be enough to start a chain reaction. A certain man, whose name eludes me, we'll call him Dave, in Australia ,was well known for the one line sermon. Everyone he met he said “Hi. I'm Dave. May I ask you a question .If you died tonight would you go to Heaven or Hell?. I'll say no more. Just think about it.“. Doing that might make us cringe with embarrassment. He did it for years unaware of any one helped by it. Eventually he met a man who knew 4 people's lives had been changed by his question. Some of us are good at turning a conversation to get the Gospel in. I'm not. One day last summer when I went out I asked God to bring someone
across my path I could speak to and God gave me 2 hours on a bench in a lonely church yard down a long lane on a windy day with a young backpacker from Spain, but such opportunities are rare.
But if we can't talk we can pray. I overhead one end of a mobile phone conversation in a bus shelter. I prayed for the young man making it. I noted where he got off the bus and a day or two later I delivered VIA Gospel magazine to every home on that estate praying God would speak to him. Coming back from Stortford one evening an Asian woman sat next to me. I could not think what to say, so I prayed, and she got off at the village I had just that day delivered VIA to. We can all pray for the people who cross our paths.Somehow God will answer our prayer.
OVERSEAS OUTREACH DURING 2011
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During 2011 the LORD has rewarded the faith of friends abroad and answered prayer by giving us fresh supporters
and through them over £3,350 enabling us to provide:-
1.An oil powered generator, hymn books & building advice to a church of subsistent farm labourers in Ghana;
2.Freight costs and overland transport costs for a large quantity of training equipment to create a Vocational Training Centre at Nchelenge in Zambia for Nchelenge Aids Orphans Education Mission, The consignment from Tools With A Mission includes, computers, printers, type-writers, sewing machines, knitting machines, haberdashery sets, wheel chairs, bikes, building, carpentry and electronics teaching kits and garden tools. The centre is being staffed with volunteer tutors and trainers and hopes to be making a profit from the sale of goods produced by 2013.
3.Resources - Bible Study notes, Bibles, and commentary material to Christians on an Island on Lake Mweru.
4.Funding for the education of the children of a leprosy sufferer in Ghana, and 11 Zambian orphans The orphans names are Gerard, Justine, John K and John N, James and Gift all boys, and the girls, Monica, Layeb, Rabbeca, Esther and Joyce.
5. ** Roofing of a house in Ethiopia for a lay evangelist, with clothing and writing materials for his sibling orphans but the building project has been delayed as they need a carpenter
They have to come down into the rural areas from the cities and cost £500. One has agreed since last year to do it for £300 but the Church has no money and at present neither have we. Unless we get help for this soon it may have to wait another year before it can be attempted.
6.Resources - books, office supplies, and office furniture for the training centre of a Zambian prison and sandals for one of the prison pastors who teaches English and Science there.
7.New Testaments to a Zambian Army chaplain to give out to soldiers requesting them.
8.Resources - books , videos, Bibles and other help to Malawi.
9.A Bicycle for a field worker of the Leprosy Mission. Bibles to China,
10.Bibles over 600 of them to 4 groups in Nigeria The remaing 150 were delivered in March 2012. GOD BE PRAISED
FOUR ACRES COMMUNITY 1962 – 2012
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Will celebrate on June 3rd their Golden Jubilee with a Hog Roast and Activity Day for which music will be provided by a trio the Nightingale Singers . As Archivist/Treasurer of the Community I will be involved in that event. Also I have been since 1999 Editor of FAN our monthly Newsletter into which I get Gospel messages or spiritual verses
OUTREACH TO SCHOOLS
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The Saffron Walden Baptist Church Youth Pastors have left and Liz Vilela is working now full time for Stort Valley Schools Trust. She has been developing work between Churches and Primary schools in Bishops's Stortford; leading Rout66 a Tuesday Lunch Club alongside Dawn Adams at Newport Free Grammar School with Year 7 and 8 pupils; She has started leading a Monday Outreach Lunch Club at Stansted Mountfitchet College and a new club called “eXplore” at Saffron Walden County High school for new Year 7 pupils assisting Andy the Parish Church Youth Worker.
As Summer term ended the “It's Your Move” presentation had been carried out in 23 schools involving 679 children, 100 more than last year. They still present Christian books to school libraries In Feb 2012 Liz was involved in a car collision on an icy hill and airlifted to hospital into intensive care We now need to pray for her recovery from several broken bones.
LHPM did that to a school in 1955 and support SVST in doing so now. SVST's contact is David Williams 2 St Nicholas Field, Berden, Bishop's Stortford, Herts, CM23 1AX 01279 777095, davidwilliams@berden.org.uk
Stort Valley Gideons
needs more Christian professionals to help place New Testaments in schools to year 7 pupils, and Bibles to freshers at Colleges and in waiting rooms, hotel bedrooms and other locations. Their contacts are Gary & Betsy Barnett at 1 Goose Green, Hoddesdon. Herts, EN11 8SP. g.v.barnett@btinternet.com
SECOND HAND POSTCARDS
for sale to raise money to keep Mission Aviation Fellowship Aircraft in the air are still acceptable by Mrs Heather Yule 10 Calverden Road RAMSGATE Kent CT12 6JU.
MWENYA UGANDA meaning Smile Uganda,
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is an NGO agency recently set up to provide a mobile dispensary
with dental and medical clinics. P O Box 9237 Kampala Uganda. Any sum would be appreciated £2
would provide a mosquito net. In the UK contact I_cuddon-large@hotmail.co.uk or via the Facebook page www.facebook.com/Mwenya-Uganda.
We supplied 25 Gospel Gem Calendars to various elderly contacts who like to use them. We began using them when they cost 2½p each. Now they cost 80p each.
ADDRESSES If anyone wants to continue to send Bible Reading Notes abroad you may do so direct by Small Packet Rate surface mail with a white customs sticker on it, obtainable from the Post Office, stating what is in it and the approximate value and marking it as a gift. These can still help and the following could use them.
Pastor Enock M Dimba Christian Resource Ministries PO Box 883, Blantyre, Malawi
Elder Jackson Chanda, P O BOX 740009 Nchelenge. Luapula, Zambia. He still needs Good News Bibles. And he personally would like a battery operated Electric Bible but it costs around £60 plus a lot for postage. It may seem a bit of a luxury but many pastors today have access to the material on it on their computers or reachable on the Internet.
He is an evangelist on the large island on Lake Mweru and at his most recent crusade at the end of 2011 hundreds of people reponded to a call to commitment,and these need Bibles too including 50 local language large print likely to cost between £10 and £12 each. We have had one offer to help with this
AFRINSPIRE and TREE PLANTING.
When able we continue to support AFRINSPIRE whose General Secretary is a former Baptist Minister They supply computers and agricultural equipment to Uganda. Our interest is in trees. We already have two small woods on the Congo-Ugandan border, We've funded a total in 15 countries of 7265 Afrinspire operate in Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan and Tanzania. They also supply medicines, & school supplies, and support literacy and education. Charity No 1095001. 22 Melvin Way ,Histon. Cambridge. CB24 9HY. www.afrinspire.org.uk email office@afrinspire.org.uk ( 01223 233367
Please pray for Barnaby Linscott former 1st Saffron Walden Boy’s Brigade member who is in training for the Ministry at Kingdom Faith Bible College at Horsham and has completed his first year and begun his second.
BREADLINE AFRICA
buys up from Shipping Freight Companies old storage containers and cuts out window spaces and makes them into Classrooms. Libraries. Toilets, Soup Kitchens for use in South Africa. Interested in helping them? Contact 29 Lower Brook Street. IPSWICH Suffolk, IPA 1AQ , 01473 .259048 Email info@breadlineafrica.org.uk
CELEBRATING IN 2011
Last year marked the 300th anniversary of the first Baptist Church in Saffron Walden formed in 1711 at Gold Street and the 250th Anniversary of the forming in 1761 at Abbey Lane Independent Church of the Baptist group which in 1774 became the present Baptist Church. We celebrated with a 3½ day Exhibition at the present Baptist Church entitled
MISSION CONTINUED attended by over 120 adults and over 100 school children. While wishing more of the congregation had supported it, we thank the team of 45 who helped made it possible At least quite a lot of people learned from it or were inspired by the 28 displays of manuscripts, posters, charts, artefacts and over 2000 photographs, and the projected images from the archives. Visitors came from several local villages, and from Kent and Devon.
The first stand celebrated the 400th Anniversary of the 1611 King James Authorised Bible version explaining how the English Bible developed from the Old Testament times to the new translations of the present 21st.Century . The Saffron Walden Historical Society published in the autumn edition of their half yearly Journal, a 5 page article of the same title explaining the meaning of Baptism and how it's observance has developed down the years; along with the story of the beginnings of the 3 local Baptist Churches.
SPOTLIGHTING CARVER BARRACKS
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This is at the village of Wimbish about 2 miles from Saffron Walden, a former WW2 RAF Airbase now accommodating MD Army Bomb Disposal Engineers. The men are away about 9 months a year leaving the women to care for the kids with limited transport and an infrequent bus services.
We understand there is a new Padre Robin Richardson appointed and that the Saffron Walden Salvation Army Corps Singing Group sang carols there outside after the Officers Ball in December there on December 16th.
VIA magazine was recently delivered to most of the homes.
There are about 280 families there, with maybe about 500 children. Play facilities are old and unattractive with hardly anything suitable for the over 7's. Some of the Mothers with the support of the Commanding Officer have launched an appeal for £100,000 to provide a modern inspirational exciting state of the art play park to improve the lives of army families and encourage civilian families onto the Station. to new play equipment
Saffron Walden Baptist Church by their Annual Christmas Charity Appeal, founded in 1965, contributed well over £700 to this in Dec 2011.
Contributions may be made to the new fund the Rowney Community Park Fund. Headed by Chairwoman Eleanor Brown Obtain more information via email to wimbishhive@armymail.mod.uk or phone 01223 203772. Lets pray for the project and it's wives and mothers organisers, the children, the men on dangerous front line service around the world, those disabled by explosives.
Please continue to pray for and maybe help
CAMBODIA
Daughters of Cambodia is a mission started by a Mrs Ruth Elliott who used to live in Debden Road Saffron Walden who 20-30 years ago came to the Baptist Church and her daughters made a noise in the service and people complained and she never came again. The daughters are now young women and helping her. Daughters of Cambodia is a Christian rescue mission rescuing young women from trafficking, slavery and prostitution It includes providing safe accommodation for young single women, young mothers and babies, and elderly widows, and this year they have been developing an outreach to young male pimps. They need to locate a new building to expand their work and more volunteers who can teach their skills to others and start up a small business venture to keep them out of prostitution.
GHANA
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Anthony Aboagye at Accra who has been teaching for 3 years in a Methodist Primary School but has been studying at University as well where he has completed his exams and hopes to get a job in higher education. He has been helping with youth work at the Weijah Church and again at Victory Baptist Church.
Robbie Amuzu our contact with the Ghanian village church at Mangoase is away ill in the Volta area .Pray for recovery.
Dr Thomas Tontie Baah, MB ChB, B Sc M.Sc , who is Specialist in Ophthalmology and modern cataract surgery in partnership with others is operating with a new NGO, UNITE FOR SIGHT, restoring sight in rural areas.
Pray for the disabled orphan teenager Ebenezer Cobbina age 16 whom we supported on his apprenticeship in leather work and shoe making and provided him with a wheel chair. He wants to buy a German digital camera to set up in business. He has moved from Takoradi to Oponso Catholic School PO Box DN18 OPONSO, DUNKWA ON OFFIN, GHANA, West Africa, where he is working with a photographer. Any payment should be in postal order made out to his name
MALAWI Maoni Orphanage
where Bibles are still needed in the local languages at a cost of £8 each for 46 more Primary School orphans and money for them may be sent to Mr Jim Figgis. Christian Resource Ministries, The Bible Shop 40a High Street, Dumferline DG5 4AA. There is however a more urgent need. Due to the recession the Primary School has been closed making 7 teachers redundant. It needs £400 per month to pay for books and salaries. They seek friends willing to donate £10 a month. They also need to build a new Boys Dormitory They are seeking contributions of £15 from 30 people for just the bricks that cost £15 per thousand.
They have taken in more children and are running out of food so more help with that would be appreciated,
SOMALIA
We ask prayer for the Hiran Community Education Project, 68 The Hurst, B13 ODD [ 0121 604 6174 ] They have recently reopened their Library & Reading Room after their previous premises were destroyed by Islamists last July
THAILAND.
BMS Mission missionaries Pete and Liz Maythingy report that when the Karen Baptist Convention Youth camp was challenged with the idea of Mission, 36 young people offered to get involved, A Committee was formed and these young people have been trained and the first team is due to go to Northern Thailand soon to an small church plant in an area where Christians are very few on the ground. Pray for that church and that team.
UKRAINE
for Sergie Ivaniuk wrote to say he had been working in the Crimea but was home again . He acquired a Welsh Bible and wants to learn Welsh. Can anyone put me in touch with a Welsh-English dictionary for him?
ZAMBIA
for Makanda aged 30 in the Maximum Security Prison in the 6th year of a 25 year sentence with hard labour for murder. In prison he has become a Christian but he lives some 700 miles from his wife and 2 children living in great poverty and unable to go to school. He never gets a visit from there and seldom hears. We are trying to get him a pair of size 9 shoes.
My grateful thanks to all who help us with gifts and prayer support.
Kind regards JOHN
ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD.
EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD.
ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS WITH GOD
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LIGHTHOUSE PRAYER MINISTRY (MCCPF) Founded 1954.
WINTER 2012
From :Administrator John E Maddams 35 Four Acres. Saffron Walden CB11 3JD UK
[ 01799 521529 ] Website via Google lhpm.proboards.com
Our object has been “The Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom into all the world”
Rejoice the LORD JESUS CHRIST is King! King of Heaven and King of planet Earth, ready and waiting to return and to reign on Earth. To govern Earth. Are we ready to receive Him and serve Him here? Are we warning everyone else?. Noah did and he was mocked, but he was proved right and we will be too.
THE SPIRITUAL STATE OF RURAL UTTLESFORD
###############################
In my travels this past year I have observed
many buildings that were all Free Church buildings built in the 19th century by active Congregations and now closed., Recently I have located similar buildings in Rickling ,Ickleton, and Littlebury. There were others at Little Walden, Sewards End, Wenden, Little Chesterford Hadstock, Hinxton,and Widdington . At 9 of these I preached in my 20's . In July at Broxted there was still amongst the ivy and nettles a notice claiming that a service took place on the first Sunday of the month, and I added a Gospel poster. Now the ivy, nettles, poster & notice have all been cleared away by the site owner
At Little Hallingbury the building is used on the 2nd and 4th Sundays for services in Portuguese for immigrants working in the area. West Colville Methodist on the road to Newmarket is about to close. Let us pray too for isolated Christians across rural England whose village churches have gone and feel stranded. May the LORD show them what to do. Keep praying for Priors Green Takeley where two local Anglican churches and a small Congregationalist Church all a mile to two miles away are seeking to continue to witness to hundreds of new homes. Big new estates are proposed for Hatfield Heath.
Most of these villages now have substantially increased their populations but we can but suspect that many of those people are not in touch with the Kingdom of Heaven, and it is down to the Colonies of Heaven to do something about it ,- the Churches. Every Christian is a cell of the Body of Christ on Earth – until he returns. That is the Church.
RURAL MINISTRIES
############
Saffron Walden Baptist Church is seeking a new Minister as their 18th, Simon Mattholie, while still a member of the Church, has taken on a wider role as Director of Rural Ministries which celebrates it's 50th Anniversary next year. Committed to planting and growing rural Churches it is a fellowship of over 50 partner churches around Britain over many English counties and as wide as Kircubbin in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Skye, the Isle of Wight, Llandeilo in Wales, and Guernsey in the Channel Islands They produce a quarterly guide “Praise and Prayer News” which is useful in aiding intercession. This may be obtained from Wellingborough Innovation Centre, Church Street, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 4PD. 01933 303050 or office@ruralministries.org.uk Simon also is currently Mission Strategy Task Group Leader of the Eastern Baptist Association of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. RM are developing new contacts in Wales.
FROM THE CRYSTAL BALLS and the CARDS
##################################
It is very clear that there is a spiritual vacuum and the forces of darkness are taking advantage. Seances, use of mediums, readings of Tarot and Angel cards, and other occult and witchcraft activities are becoming more prevalent as village pre-school groups use them as family entertainments to raise funds. One such event was held in a local pub and another at a Day Centre for the elderly, and they occur regularly at a New Age-Occult shop in Saffron Walden. We should not allow Satanic activity to phase us as we can all compel spirits to depart by speaking against them in the Name of Jesus Christ, whom they know and fear. Some Christians don't believe in Satan, Hell or demon spiritual forces which no doubt pleases Satan enormously. Whether they be real, or imagined these rituals mislead people into thinking they can contact dead relatives and friends. They also play on doubts about God and provide another barrier between God and humans. We have supplied Christian literature to the shop in Walden in the hope staff may read it and some local Christians are praying for it's closure.
THE LOVE OF GOD COMPELS US .
I believe that God loves every human being, and in Jesus Christ has provided the means for their salvation,
of forgiveness of sin- past, present and future – an ongoing salvation,
of reconciliation with God our Heavenly Father ,
of direct access to God, by effective believing conversational prayer,
of the continual encouraging companionship of God the Holy Spirit,
of the delegated authority of the Name of Jesus, of the power to serve the LORD and of the gift of eternal life.
Every person can share this experience provided they are willing to repent, believe, trust and obey God.
In order that they may do so they need to learn about God, to seek God, to put it to the test of experience.
That means someone has to tell them, to build a bridge.
That is the task of every one who already knows Jesus Christ as God – US.
Satan the Malevolent Spirit seeks to hide God from them, to create barriers, but he is a created being who rebelled against God, lost, is defeated and faces extinction. He is no match for God the Holy Spirit who can
convict us of our sins making us embarrassed and guilty, convince us of God's righteousness,
instruct us in God's ways and will, teach us from God's Word, encourage and empower us to serve God.
We know how much it took and how long it took to convince and convert us so we should not be surprised that instant results may not result from what we do for Him, but that is no reason for inactivity or suspending prayer.
That sums up why I began Lighthouse Prayer Ministry [ MCCPF] in 1954 and continue to administer it today.
I know that the work we have done since, God has used to change lives, and helped a lot of people, but of many to whom we have reached out I know nothing, but God knows what He has been and is doing.
We have to remain faithful even if we see no apparent results.
We have to observe the teaching of the Parable of the Sower that Jesus told his disciples nigh 20 centuries ago. Sow the seed everywhere. Some will make little or no progress but here and there in places unknown the seed will linger, germinate, grow and produce a bountiful harvest. One changed life can produce many more.
OUTREACH. To Each Home and to Every Person.
#############################
After my mother died in January 2003 I became convinced that I should reach out with Christian Gospel literature door to door. I've been doing that from 2003 – 2009 in Saffron Walden; and since then in the villages that make up Uttlesford District, occasionally straying over the frontiers into South Cambs and Braintree Districts.
Not knocking on doors because often the homes are empty anyway during day time hours and in other circumstances people don't like answering doors to strangers, but putting something through their letterboxes that the Holy Spirit has led to be prepared that teaches what God wants people to now, or demonstrates it through testimony, and providing to anyone interested the means to find out more.
But wont this just get thrown away recycled unread with all the other publicity material we get these days? It could be but we don't work alone. God the Holy Spirit can work in people's minds inducing them to read and to listen to his entreaties. Some will. Some wont. Some do. Some don't. The opportunity is there.
In Saffron Walden we used thousands of copies of NEW LIFE NEWS a 12 page Christian tabloid newspaper and to new homes copies of the Churches Together Leaflet “WELCOME”. Since 2004 I have been using VIA [ meaning “THE WAY” ] a magazine created and produced by a Brethren Church in Canada, one edition per year printed in hundreds of thousands in several languages and shipped by container loads to various parts of the world. They've been doing this for 40 years.
We have reached about 35 locations, since 2009, mainly villages but also down town areas of various towns and seaside resorts, about 12,000 homes in all.
Anyone who wants to do so may contact by post, phone or email the Christian Enquiry Agency
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which has the support of the headquarters of all the mainstream Protestant Churches in UK and themselves since January this year have had over 11,000 requests for help.
Alternatively they can use a form to obtain free a copy of the NT with Psalms and another title from a list of books, and one of a selection of free Bible Study Courses from “Word of Life” HQ in Yorkshire. There are also 7 websites they can access if they are ONLINE.
Judging by the increased activity of LHPM's web boards after each visit people are doing this. CEA reply to each enquiry, answer specific questions, provide a gospel or booklet & offer to put people in touch with local churches if that is what they want.
In seaside public shelters and in seated bus shelters I leave a copy of The Lighthouse Lantern edition of St John's Gospel in the NKJ Version, obtained from and linked for follow up to the OPEN AIR MISSION. I have also given Gospels to children I meet. Sometimes where there is a blank space on Public Notice boards I pin a text poster or a tract. Occasionally I get to have a meaningful conversation but that is rare. God enabling me I hope to continue next year to reach more.
Some of the villages I have visited now have Evangelical Anglican congregations but some villages have only 1 or 2 services a month and little or nothing else. 12 million people live in the villages, hamlets, farmsteads, and the many Ends and Greens of our land, and thousands live in all our towns who never enter a Church building, have little notion of what we believe or know by experience about God. Too often the Churches have become barriers rather than bridges. We owe these populations the chances God gave us.
2012 BECKONS - WHAT MORE SHOULD WE DO?
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Well we should pray, as often as possible because praying puts us on the same wavelength as God, and He answers believing prayer.
1. During 2012 we need to find another £500 for the education of the Zambian orphans
2. We need £90 to donate 2 more wind up DVD / Cassette Players for use in remote African areas.
3. We have now in March, completed requests from Ibadan Nigeria for 740 bibles and from Benin for 10 Large Print ones for elderly people.
4. More videos await despatch to Malawi when we have money enough to post them.
5. We now have a second hand working cassette copier and about 100 archived cassettes and some blank cassettes. If anyone can supply further blanks or those we can erase existing material from, we could send out Services and Sermons to a number of overseas locations.
6.Another friend has bought and sent some Bibles to a Prison prayer group of 20 men,that had no Bibles
7. We would also like to send more Christian books and Bibles to various places we have sent some in March.
8. We need more second-hand Gideon New Testaments or second hand AV Testaments for Zambian soldiers.
9. New opportunities may be presented to us in observing the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, and the Olympic Games. For the latter we have some special leaflets from RBC Ministries that will be distributed to homes where we know there are teenagers with sporting interests.
10.God enabling me with the bus pass still valid until March 2013 provided county transport grants are retained, enabling bus services to run that are currently under threat I hope to get out to Southern Uttlesford with VIA.
HOW DO WE EVANGELISE OUTSIDE OUR GHURCHES?
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Just a brief word or a determined prayer may be enough to start a chain reaction. A certain man, whose name eludes me, we'll call him Dave, in Australia ,was well known for the one line sermon. Everyone he met he said “Hi. I'm Dave. May I ask you a question .If you died tonight would you go to Heaven or Hell?. I'll say no more. Just think about it.“. Doing that might make us cringe with embarrassment. He did it for years unaware of any one helped by it. Eventually he met a man who knew 4 people's lives had been changed by his question. Some of us are good at turning a conversation to get the Gospel in. I'm not. One day last summer when I went out I asked God to bring someone
across my path I could speak to and God gave me 2 hours on a bench in a lonely church yard down a long lane on a windy day with a young backpacker from Spain, but such opportunities are rare.
But if we can't talk we can pray. I overhead one end of a mobile phone conversation in a bus shelter. I prayed for the young man making it. I noted where he got off the bus and a day or two later I delivered VIA Gospel magazine to every home on that estate praying God would speak to him. Coming back from Stortford one evening an Asian woman sat next to me. I could not think what to say, so I prayed, and she got off at the village I had just that day delivered VIA to. We can all pray for the people who cross our paths.Somehow God will answer our prayer.
OVERSEAS OUTREACH DURING 2011
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During 2011 the LORD has rewarded the faith of friends abroad and answered prayer by giving us fresh supporters
and through them over £3,350 enabling us to provide:-
1.An oil powered generator, hymn books & building advice to a church of subsistent farm labourers in Ghana;
2.Freight costs and overland transport costs for a large quantity of training equipment to create a Vocational Training Centre at Nchelenge in Zambia for Nchelenge Aids Orphans Education Mission, The consignment from Tools With A Mission includes, computers, printers, type-writers, sewing machines, knitting machines, haberdashery sets, wheel chairs, bikes, building, carpentry and electronics teaching kits and garden tools. The centre is being staffed with volunteer tutors and trainers and hopes to be making a profit from the sale of goods produced by 2013.
3.Resources - Bible Study notes, Bibles, and commentary material to Christians on an Island on Lake Mweru.
4.Funding for the education of the children of a leprosy sufferer in Ghana, and 11 Zambian orphans The orphans names are Gerard, Justine, John K and John N, James and Gift all boys, and the girls, Monica, Layeb, Rabbeca, Esther and Joyce.
5. ** Roofing of a house in Ethiopia for a lay evangelist, with clothing and writing materials for his sibling orphans but the building project has been delayed as they need a carpenter
They have to come down into the rural areas from the cities and cost £500. One has agreed since last year to do it for £300 but the Church has no money and at present neither have we. Unless we get help for this soon it may have to wait another year before it can be attempted.
6.Resources - books, office supplies, and office furniture for the training centre of a Zambian prison and sandals for one of the prison pastors who teaches English and Science there.
7.New Testaments to a Zambian Army chaplain to give out to soldiers requesting them.
8.Resources - books , videos, Bibles and other help to Malawi.
9.A Bicycle for a field worker of the Leprosy Mission. Bibles to China,
10.Bibles over 600 of them to 4 groups in Nigeria The remaing 150 were delivered in March 2012. GOD BE PRAISED
FOUR ACRES COMMUNITY 1962 – 2012
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Will celebrate on June 3rd their Golden Jubilee with a Hog Roast and Activity Day for which music will be provided by a trio the Nightingale Singers . As Archivist/Treasurer of the Community I will be involved in that event. Also I have been since 1999 Editor of FAN our monthly Newsletter into which I get Gospel messages or spiritual verses
OUTREACH TO SCHOOLS
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The Saffron Walden Baptist Church Youth Pastors have left and Liz Vilela is working now full time for Stort Valley Schools Trust. She has been developing work between Churches and Primary schools in Bishops's Stortford; leading Rout66 a Tuesday Lunch Club alongside Dawn Adams at Newport Free Grammar School with Year 7 and 8 pupils; She has started leading a Monday Outreach Lunch Club at Stansted Mountfitchet College and a new club called “eXplore” at Saffron Walden County High school for new Year 7 pupils assisting Andy the Parish Church Youth Worker.
As Summer term ended the “It's Your Move” presentation had been carried out in 23 schools involving 679 children, 100 more than last year. They still present Christian books to school libraries In Feb 2012 Liz was involved in a car collision on an icy hill and airlifted to hospital into intensive care We now need to pray for her recovery from several broken bones.
LHPM did that to a school in 1955 and support SVST in doing so now. SVST's contact is David Williams 2 St Nicholas Field, Berden, Bishop's Stortford, Herts, CM23 1AX 01279 777095, davidwilliams@berden.org.uk
Stort Valley Gideons
needs more Christian professionals to help place New Testaments in schools to year 7 pupils, and Bibles to freshers at Colleges and in waiting rooms, hotel bedrooms and other locations. Their contacts are Gary & Betsy Barnett at 1 Goose Green, Hoddesdon. Herts, EN11 8SP. g.v.barnett@btinternet.com
SECOND HAND POSTCARDS
for sale to raise money to keep Mission Aviation Fellowship Aircraft in the air are still acceptable by Mrs Heather Yule 10 Calverden Road RAMSGATE Kent CT12 6JU.
MWENYA UGANDA meaning Smile Uganda,
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is an NGO agency recently set up to provide a mobile dispensary
with dental and medical clinics. P O Box 9237 Kampala Uganda. Any sum would be appreciated £2
would provide a mosquito net. In the UK contact I_cuddon-large@hotmail.co.uk or via the Facebook page www.facebook.com/Mwenya-Uganda.
We supplied 25 Gospel Gem Calendars to various elderly contacts who like to use them. We began using them when they cost 2½p each. Now they cost 80p each.
ADDRESSES If anyone wants to continue to send Bible Reading Notes abroad you may do so direct by Small Packet Rate surface mail with a white customs sticker on it, obtainable from the Post Office, stating what is in it and the approximate value and marking it as a gift. These can still help and the following could use them.
Pastor Enock M Dimba Christian Resource Ministries PO Box 883, Blantyre, Malawi
Elder Jackson Chanda, P O BOX 740009 Nchelenge. Luapula, Zambia. He still needs Good News Bibles. And he personally would like a battery operated Electric Bible but it costs around £60 plus a lot for postage. It may seem a bit of a luxury but many pastors today have access to the material on it on their computers or reachable on the Internet.
He is an evangelist on the large island on Lake Mweru and at his most recent crusade at the end of 2011 hundreds of people reponded to a call to commitment,and these need Bibles too including 50 local language large print likely to cost between £10 and £12 each. We have had one offer to help with this
AFRINSPIRE and TREE PLANTING.
When able we continue to support AFRINSPIRE whose General Secretary is a former Baptist Minister They supply computers and agricultural equipment to Uganda. Our interest is in trees. We already have two small woods on the Congo-Ugandan border, We've funded a total in 15 countries of 7265 Afrinspire operate in Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan and Tanzania. They also supply medicines, & school supplies, and support literacy and education. Charity No 1095001. 22 Melvin Way ,Histon. Cambridge. CB24 9HY. www.afrinspire.org.uk email office@afrinspire.org.uk ( 01223 233367
Please pray for Barnaby Linscott former 1st Saffron Walden Boy’s Brigade member who is in training for the Ministry at Kingdom Faith Bible College at Horsham and has completed his first year and begun his second.
BREADLINE AFRICA
buys up from Shipping Freight Companies old storage containers and cuts out window spaces and makes them into Classrooms. Libraries. Toilets, Soup Kitchens for use in South Africa. Interested in helping them? Contact 29 Lower Brook Street. IPSWICH Suffolk, IPA 1AQ , 01473 .259048 Email info@breadlineafrica.org.uk
CELEBRATING IN 2011
Last year marked the 300th anniversary of the first Baptist Church in Saffron Walden formed in 1711 at Gold Street and the 250th Anniversary of the forming in 1761 at Abbey Lane Independent Church of the Baptist group which in 1774 became the present Baptist Church. We celebrated with a 3½ day Exhibition at the present Baptist Church entitled
MISSION CONTINUED attended by over 120 adults and over 100 school children. While wishing more of the congregation had supported it, we thank the team of 45 who helped made it possible At least quite a lot of people learned from it or were inspired by the 28 displays of manuscripts, posters, charts, artefacts and over 2000 photographs, and the projected images from the archives. Visitors came from several local villages, and from Kent and Devon.
The first stand celebrated the 400th Anniversary of the 1611 King James Authorised Bible version explaining how the English Bible developed from the Old Testament times to the new translations of the present 21st.Century . The Saffron Walden Historical Society published in the autumn edition of their half yearly Journal, a 5 page article of the same title explaining the meaning of Baptism and how it's observance has developed down the years; along with the story of the beginnings of the 3 local Baptist Churches.
SPOTLIGHTING CARVER BARRACKS
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This is at the village of Wimbish about 2 miles from Saffron Walden, a former WW2 RAF Airbase now accommodating MD Army Bomb Disposal Engineers. The men are away about 9 months a year leaving the women to care for the kids with limited transport and an infrequent bus services.
We understand there is a new Padre Robin Richardson appointed and that the Saffron Walden Salvation Army Corps Singing Group sang carols there outside after the Officers Ball in December there on December 16th.
VIA magazine was recently delivered to most of the homes.
There are about 280 families there, with maybe about 500 children. Play facilities are old and unattractive with hardly anything suitable for the over 7's. Some of the Mothers with the support of the Commanding Officer have launched an appeal for £100,000 to provide a modern inspirational exciting state of the art play park to improve the lives of army families and encourage civilian families onto the Station. to new play equipment
Saffron Walden Baptist Church by their Annual Christmas Charity Appeal, founded in 1965, contributed well over £700 to this in Dec 2011.
Contributions may be made to the new fund the Rowney Community Park Fund. Headed by Chairwoman Eleanor Brown Obtain more information via email to wimbishhive@armymail.mod.uk or phone 01223 203772. Lets pray for the project and it's wives and mothers organisers, the children, the men on dangerous front line service around the world, those disabled by explosives.
Please continue to pray for and maybe help
CAMBODIA
Daughters of Cambodia is a mission started by a Mrs Ruth Elliott who used to live in Debden Road Saffron Walden who 20-30 years ago came to the Baptist Church and her daughters made a noise in the service and people complained and she never came again. The daughters are now young women and helping her. Daughters of Cambodia is a Christian rescue mission rescuing young women from trafficking, slavery and prostitution It includes providing safe accommodation for young single women, young mothers and babies, and elderly widows, and this year they have been developing an outreach to young male pimps. They need to locate a new building to expand their work and more volunteers who can teach their skills to others and start up a small business venture to keep them out of prostitution.
GHANA
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Anthony Aboagye at Accra who has been teaching for 3 years in a Methodist Primary School but has been studying at University as well where he has completed his exams and hopes to get a job in higher education. He has been helping with youth work at the Weijah Church and again at Victory Baptist Church.
Robbie Amuzu our contact with the Ghanian village church at Mangoase is away ill in the Volta area .Pray for recovery.
Dr Thomas Tontie Baah, MB ChB, B Sc M.Sc , who is Specialist in Ophthalmology and modern cataract surgery in partnership with others is operating with a new NGO, UNITE FOR SIGHT, restoring sight in rural areas.
Pray for the disabled orphan teenager Ebenezer Cobbina age 16 whom we supported on his apprenticeship in leather work and shoe making and provided him with a wheel chair. He wants to buy a German digital camera to set up in business. He has moved from Takoradi to Oponso Catholic School PO Box DN18 OPONSO, DUNKWA ON OFFIN, GHANA, West Africa, where he is working with a photographer. Any payment should be in postal order made out to his name
MALAWI Maoni Orphanage
where Bibles are still needed in the local languages at a cost of £8 each for 46 more Primary School orphans and money for them may be sent to Mr Jim Figgis. Christian Resource Ministries, The Bible Shop 40a High Street, Dumferline DG5 4AA. There is however a more urgent need. Due to the recession the Primary School has been closed making 7 teachers redundant. It needs £400 per month to pay for books and salaries. They seek friends willing to donate £10 a month. They also need to build a new Boys Dormitory They are seeking contributions of £15 from 30 people for just the bricks that cost £15 per thousand.
They have taken in more children and are running out of food so more help with that would be appreciated,
SOMALIA
We ask prayer for the Hiran Community Education Project, 68 The Hurst, B13 ODD [ 0121 604 6174 ] They have recently reopened their Library & Reading Room after their previous premises were destroyed by Islamists last July
THAILAND.
BMS Mission missionaries Pete and Liz Maythingy report that when the Karen Baptist Convention Youth camp was challenged with the idea of Mission, 36 young people offered to get involved, A Committee was formed and these young people have been trained and the first team is due to go to Northern Thailand soon to an small church plant in an area where Christians are very few on the ground. Pray for that church and that team.
UKRAINE
for Sergie Ivaniuk wrote to say he had been working in the Crimea but was home again . He acquired a Welsh Bible and wants to learn Welsh. Can anyone put me in touch with a Welsh-English dictionary for him?
ZAMBIA
for Makanda aged 30 in the Maximum Security Prison in the 6th year of a 25 year sentence with hard labour for murder. In prison he has become a Christian but he lives some 700 miles from his wife and 2 children living in great poverty and unable to go to school. He never gets a visit from there and seldom hears. We are trying to get him a pair of size 9 shoes.
My grateful thanks to all who help us with gifts and prayer support.
Kind regards JOHN
ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD.
EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD.
ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS WITH GOD