Dates for Family Forums in 2009: Thursday 23rd April Wednesday 8th July Wednesday 14th October

February/March 2009

A tale of two chocolate bars Once upon a time there were two chocolate bars, bar A and bar B (sorry for the lack of imagination) sitting in a shop waiting to be sold. Bar A was very proud of his fancy wrapping, and the big sign that drew people’s at-tention to him; he was also one of the cheaper bars on the shelf, so lots of people bought his type. Bar B was not quite so fancy, and didn’t have so much advertising at-tached to him, but he did have a special logo on his cor-ner. One day bar A asked bar B what the little logo meant: “it’s not very big is it, not like mine, why is it there?” “Well, said bar B, “the logo means that the cocoa used to make me comes from a fair-trade cocoa planta-tion, and that means that all the farmers got paid a fair price, and their children were able to go to school instead of working all day”. Bar A was impressed, “that’s good, what about my cocoa beans, will they have come from a place like that?” Bar B shook his head and sighed “no, I’m afraid not. Your cocoa beans will probably have come from a different country where most of the work is done by child slaves. They are locked up each night, and beaten if they don’t work hard enough. Sometimes their families are tricked into sending the children to work, because they are poor and desperate; other times children are stolen from their village. It’s really sad; the children have no way of escaping.” Bar A was horrified, “cocoa grown by slaves, in ME, that’s awful.” A short story, but one that highlights realities about the chocolate industry, and the condi-tions of the people who grow and harvest the cocoa beans. Unless a chocolate bar has the fair-trade sign on it there is no guarantee that the conditions under which it was produced are anything better than slave labour. The same can be said for many other products on our shelves. Some of them might say that they are part of an ethical alliance, or social scheme, and I am not a world expert on the finer details of them all, but it is internationally recog-nised that the most reliable logo regarding ethical sourcing, sustainable schemes and care for the producers and their environment, is the fair-trade scheme. There are over 3,000 dif-ferent fair-trade products available in the UK, from chocolate, to sweets, drinks, clothes, sports balls, home accessories, flowers, alcohol; there are even fairly traded rubber gloves! More than 300 companies are licensed to sell fair-trade products and in 2007 fair-trade sales totaled over £480million. Every time a fair-trade purchase is made a statement is also made; consumers are a power-ful force when it comes to affecting the working conditions of those people producing the goods that we buy. It is not possible to get a fair-trade option of every item we might want to buy, but where there is the choice to buy fair-trade, what are we saying to producers when we choose to buy the unfair option instead? In 2007, 57% of adults in the UK recognised the fair-trade mark. If that is us then we can tell someone else about the mark, so that they also can make the choice to buy fairly traded goods and improve the lives of producers around the world. In times of financial turmoil, like this, we all need to spend wisely but in doing so we need to recognise that cheapest is not always best, and especially not for all when the people at the start of the production chain are the most likely to lose out. Oh, and by the way, you can get fair-trade Easter eggs as well! Helen Harrison

In House Thornbury Baptist Church

BC

Page 1: A tale of two chocolate bars Page 2: Mission update Page 3: Woodcroft Christmas day Christmas ham-pers Leadership changes Page 4: Church calendar

FEB/MARCH 2009 IN-HOUSE PAGE 2

Mission update At TBC we have developed a strong and exciting focus on mission over the years as we follow the encourage-ment contained in Matthew 28 v 19 ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’. We recognise that with a large congregation there is a potential for the church to be encouraged to consider many mission or-ganisations and individuals. To support all of them would not be viable and would stretch resources. This has resulted in a Mission Strategy developed by the Missions Group and recommended to members. This Strategy evolves over time. The current core focus of the Strategy is:

• Support, train and send out those in our Fellow-

ship who are called into Mission

• Support local outreach initiatives in and around

Thornbury

• Support organisations that train their indigenous

population in Christian Leadership

• Develop European links

• Support reaching out with the Gospel of Jesus

to Jews.

• Explore and encourage the spreading of the

gospel of Jesus to Muslims.

• Encourage individuals to continue to support

their existing and future mission links

• Consider ways we can support outreach to the

local Prisons

• Ask the Church to regularly set aside monies as

a tithe for Mission

Over the last year or so this Strategy has led to new initiatives and links such as those that follow. Jews for Jesus (JFJ) JFJ is an organisation that seeks to reach out to Jewish people here and in Europe with the Gospel of Jesus. It seeks share with contacts the ways in which Jesus ful-filled the Old Testament scripture. We are linked through Stephen Pacht the organisations UK Director. Stephen is coming to share with us on 22

nd March.

French Church Link Over recent years we have supported the Spanish Bap-tist Union with their regular summer missions. This has been a tremendous privilege to encourage teams of adults and young people to undertake mission in this country. Over recent months we have felt it right to draw this link to a close and recognise that God could be opening up another opportunity with a French Church in Toulouse, planted out of Alpha initiatives that we have sponsored over recent years. Our link with the EPI (Eglise Protestante Internationale) church has been through two families who attended TBC, the Molnar’s and the Loader’s. We are exploring how this link may develop.

Var Smallwood We have had the vision for some time to support a local church that has converted Muslims in it. We are excited to consider a link in inner Bristol were Pastor Var Smallwood reaches out to Muslims with the Gospel in addition to the local congregation in the church he Pas-tors. It is early days but do pray for this link. Thornbury Blend Café This exciting High Street commercial Café has now opened – something many have sought to encourage in Thornbury over the years. TBC has supported Blend Café through finance and prayer and we continue to pray God will bless this enterprise.

Changing Tunes We have been led by God to consider outreach to Pris-oners locally. Changing Tunes does this by sharing about Jesus through teaching music and singing. Our local link is David Lawrence’s wife – Myrtle. Changing Tunes are visiting us on Sunday evening 8

th Feb.

Thornbury In 2008 we used the banner ‘Hope 08’ for all our local outreach but we are all geared up this year for more local outreaches through. ALPHA, give away events, TCT events, Summer children’s and youth events. Pray that all of us who attend TBC may be effective through these events in reaching local people with the saving love of Jesus.

Dave Tubb Please remember to pray for all of our mission links and also for the persecuted church throughout the world.

PAGE 3 IN-HOUSE FEB/MARCH 2009

Christmas Day 2008 Christmas Day can be difficult for those who have no-one to share it with. A small group from TBC felt they would like to give the opportunity to anyone facing Christmas day lunch on their own to come and share it with others in a similar position.

As a result, more than 20 people, both from within the TBC community and without, gathered at the church for a sumptuous meal cooked by Barry Cook and John Hennigan ably assisted by a small team of helpers. There was a happy, festive atmosphere, and the after-noon passed in relaxed conversation over a seasonal quiz. Following tea, cake and mince pies, people slowly drifted away to continue their day at home. The re-sponse to the event was very warm, with good positive feedback. Let’s hope this becomes a permanent fixture in the TBC calendar!

Christmas hampers In November 2007 we had been considering ways in which we could bless our community at Christmas when someone came up with the idea of providing some of our elderly neighbours with a Christmas hamper. Age Concern has an office locally and having explained what we had in mind, there was a moment’s pause be-fore the woman at the other end of the phone said ‘What an amazing coincidence! We were just trying to think of a local business that might be willing to sponsor some Christmas hampers for our clients!’ So that Christ-mas we filled 41 Ikea boxes with food and Christmas goodies, Age Concern then distributed them around the area. Last Christmas we filled another 40 and over the last few weeks there has been a steady stream of cards, letters and phone calls arriving at the church office from some of the folk who received our gifts. Their expres-sions of thanks are a great encouragement – take a look at the TBC notice board in the foyer and you will see how God can make a relatively small act of kind-ness on our part such a blessing to others.

Leadership changes The Family Forum held in January affirmed 3 new lead-ers: Mary Groves, Dave Ling and Ben Stone to serve alongside the existing Leadership team of Paul Fergu-son, Terry Wicks, Bev Hope-Bell, Dave Tubb, Lis Pearce, Helen Smedley, Sally Heath and Mike Levy. Please pray for the team as they seek to build new rela-tionships with each other and serve the Church in this way.

Woodcroft Over the week-end of 9th-11th January 23 of our young peo-ple, with their leaders, went away to the Woodcroft Christian Centre near Chepstow, something that has become an an-nual event. Over five sessions of interactive and participative exploration they studied the book of Colossians. The Colos-sian Christians lived in a small town and Paul was anxious that they should be encouraged to grow but with the truth of the basic gospel message as their foundation, the fact that Jesus was fully God in human form and that He is all suffi-cient. Like many of the fledgling churches the Colossians had set off well but were being blown of track, particularly by hu-man thinking, rules, regulations and mysticism all of which gave them a limited view of God. This is something that does not just apply to history, it is something that can happen to new Christians today - whatever our age. The week-end was fast moving with small groups, activity based responses and musical worship but with opportunity to make space for greater reflection either by use of the specially created prayer room or one to one sessions with the leaders. The brain was kept working late into the night through topical discussions on terrorism, the credit crunch and the American divorce case where a man wanted the kidney back that he donated to his wife. Energy levels were fuelled by loads of cake, popcorn and fizzy drink! The fun highlight was the Saturday night murder mystery and the whole week-end was rounded off with a Christmas dinner, complete with presents, followed by some energetic games before the mini-bus was packed and we all headed home. Please pray for the young peo-ple who we connect with in our church, it is not easy growing as a Christian, also please consider whether you could help with any of our work with children and young people - it is very rewarding.

Helen Smedley & Mike Levy

IN-HOUSE FEB/MARCH PAGE 4

Church Calendar : February to April 2009

FEBRUARY Sunday 1st 11am: Community service & meal Philip Jinadu 6.30pm: Ed Stuart Sunday 8th 9.15/11am: Paul Ferguson: “The Kingdom is near” 6.30pm: Changing Tunes Monday 9th 2.30pm: Inside Out. History of Thornbury cont’d Saturday 14th 7.30am: Men’s breakfast - Valentines give away in Thornbury Sunday 15th 9.15/11am: Paul Ferguson: “The fantastic four” 6.30pm: Mike Levy Thursday 18th 8pm: Prayer evening Sunday 22nd 9.15/11am: Lis Pearce: “A new teaching?” 6.30pm: Frank Birkett Monday 23rd 7.30pm: Thornbury Churches Together Lent groups launch

MARCH

Sunday 1st 11am: Community service & meal Paul Ferguson: “What a day” 6.30pm: Sally Heath Sunday 8th 9.15/11am: Paul Ferguson: “A Kingdom on it’s knees” 6.30pm: Ian Taylor Monday 9th 2.30pm: Inside Out. Hugh Ferguson Saturday 14th 7.30am: Men’s breakfast 10am: Flower arranging class

Sunday 15th 9.15/11am: Lis Pearce: “A touching story” 6.30pm: David Finney Thursday 19th: 8pm: Prayer evening Sunday 22nd 9.15/11am: Stephen Pacht 6.30pm: Stephen Pacht Sunday 29th: 9.15/11am: Paul Ferguson: “You’ve got a friend” 6.30pm: Youth group lead service

APRIL Saturday 4th - Hot cross bun give away Sunday 5th Palm Sunday 11am: Community service & meal Paul Ferguson 6.30pm: Neil Mobbs Friday 10th Good Friday 10am: Walk of witness 6.30: Communion Saturday 11th 7.30am: Men’s breakfast: Alison Primrose Sunday 12th Eater Sunday 9.15/11am: Paul Ferguson 6.30pm: Terry Wicks Thursday 16th 8pm: Prayer evening Sunday 19th 9.15/11am: Lis Pearce: “Come dine with me” 6.30pm: John Moseley Thursday 24th 8pm: Family Forum Sunday 26th 9.15/11am: Paul Ferguson: “Feast or famine” 6.30pm: Ian Taylor