KINGSTON & ST ANDREW BAPTIST ASSOCIATION . MARCH 2016. VOL. 2. ISSUE 4 .

Justine Goes to Germany

Mental Health ... Addictive Personality

Does your local church have a culture of evangelism?

Don’t lose sight of the Mission…

Baptists have lost the Cause...

What to do... When you have the flu

Cuba, a mission possibility

ark 16:7 “But go, tell his disciples

and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of

you into Galilee. There you will

see him, just as he told you.’

I have asked myself repeatedly, why did the angel

of God single out Peter from the rest of his disci-

ples...Peter, who had denied the Lord?

Was it because he didn't see Peter as one of Je-

sus’ disciples anymore...or was it because he

knew that Peter would be so ashamed to consider

himself a part of the team?

I can just imagine the risen Lord telling the angel,

“when you deliver my message, make sure you call

Peter’s name,” especially, because he wanted Pe-

ter back on the team.

I’d like to think he singled out Peter because Jesus

wanted Peter to understand that his failure, irre-

spective of how dismal, could not separate him

from the love of God.

Jesus, who knows the heart of everyone, knew that

Peter who really loved him was now in his darkest

hour of guilt and shame; and needed reassurance

of forgiveness. So in that calling, Jesus gave Peter

three assurances:

He offered Peter an opportunity for reconciliation:

the very reason he went to that cross was so that

someone like Peter may be reconciled to Him. In

that name-calling, Jesus extended to Peter an op-

portunity for restoration to his rightful place as one

of his own – a sinner –

backslider redeemed by his blood – a

disciple who would later attest to power of his res-

urrection and more so to the transforming power of

his love. In that calling Jesus re-directed and rein-

stated Peter to his mission as an evangelist and

pastor.

Later when Jesus came face-to-face with Peter

beside the still waters of the Sea of Galilee, as is

recorded in the Gospel of John 21, he instructed

Peter to relinquish his profession as a fisherman

and re-directed him to his responsibility as a fisher

of men.

In that moment over breakfast, Jesus gave Peter

an opportunity to reflect on his error; review his

position and refocus on what is important.

“Simon Son of Jonas do you truly love me more

than these?”

“Yes Lord I love you”

“Feed my Lambs”

“Simon son of Jonas Do you truly love me?”

“Yes Lord I love you”

“Feed my sheep”

Every time I read these verses, I substitute my

name for Simon Peter. Like Peter, I have denied

Him ever so often in my speech, in my attitude; in

my actions and even in my refusal to do that which

He has called me to do.

RISEN...

My Choice...

EDITOR’S

Yet, every time I falter, every time I fail,

every time I fall, He pulls me up (pun intended) by

name and reminds me that He redeemed me with

His precious blood.

How many times have I gone against His will; yet

He forgave me and I still turn around and do the

things I shouldn’t do? God knows I don’t deserve to

be singled out; God knows I have sinned yet He is

still calling my name:

“Dorrett Campbell do you love me more than

these?”

“Yes Lord, You know all things; you know I love

you”

Yes! Every time I fail Him, He extends the hand of

reconciliation and restores me as one of His disci-

ples and He re-directs me to my responsibility as

an evangelist.

By the power of His resurrection, He has given me

a choice for a second chance. I AM TAKING IT.

I have often wondered: what a difference it would

have made to Judas if he only saw what I now see;

if he had understood the redemptive power of the

blood of the Lamb that was shed on Calvary’s tree!

What a difference it would have made if he under-

stood that the reason Jesus subjected himself to

an ignoble death of crucifixion was so that he and I

could have hope salvation

What a difference it would have made for Judas if

like Peter he had lingered around long enough –

even from a far off - to see the Hope for the Hope-

less; the Balm for the Weary; the Friend of the

Friendless; the Help for the Helpless; Salvation for

the Despair! What a difference it would have made

if he had lingered long enough to hear Jesus call

him by name!

Oh Lord ,I have sinned but you are still calling my

name

Thank you Lord for the power of the resurrection. it

is my choice for second chance.

If you have never sinned, then this blog is foolish-

ness to you; but if you have, then substitute your

name in John 21: 15-17.

RISEN...

...for a Second Chance

MUSE

ESQB: "From Betrayal to Calvary: The suffering of Christ ac-

cording to Matthew" - Good Friday dramatization

resident of the Jamaica Baptist Un-

ion, the Reverend Devon Dick has

charged KSABA to focus on achiev-

ing the mission target set for each

church, so that the Union can realise its target

of reaching 20, 000 disciples by the year 2020.

“It is important that we do not lose sight of the

mission,” President Dick stated, during a visit to

the Association at its Bi-Monthly Executive

Meeting held at the Mamby Park Baptist on 13

March, 2016.

He told the Meeting that the Association must

find new ways and new strategies to communi-

cate the Gospel to God’s people, especially to

those who did not respond very well to the tra-

ditional methods of evangelism.

The JBU President suggested that the Associa-

tion

_________________

maximize its use of new media technologies to

boost its capacity to reach those who were un-

churched.

He advised that new and novel strategies must

be deployed to reach those in the so-called

middle income group of the city, noting that

some of the traditional methods of evangelism

may not be relevant to the needs of certain sec-

tions of their target audience.

Reverend Dick further encouraged the Associa-

tion to focus on economic empowerment for

both members and non-members and pointed

to the theme guiding the Union for the next two

Years: Being God’s People in God’s World Liv-

ing the Sacrificial Life.

He emphasized the importance of each individ-

ual as well as the Association exemplifying the

theme through our lifestyles. He further singled

out Sis Shirley Donaldson, one of three longest

serving members of Jones Town Baptist, and

Rev Sydney Hall, who have given untiring ser-

vice to the Association as its moderator, as two

of the finest examples of persons living the sac-

rificial life in the Association.

Baptism at BBC

uring

the Lenten

season, I reflected on the death of Je-

sus - that humiliating, reprehensible,

ugly, sacrificial death that gave ME life!

In the wee hours of Good Friday morning, the

Welsh Poet Dylan Thomas’ litanic poem, And

Death Shall Have no Dominion, comes to mind.

Thomas (1933) makes a striking affirmation about

life and death, celebrating the enduring and ever-

lasting strength of the human spirit. The poem’s

title and most repetitive line is an allusion to Ro-

mans 6-9: For we know that since Christ was

raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death

no longer has dominion over Him.

Catch this double Jeopardy! Jesus won the case

against death. He has power over death. He can-

not die again. It isn’t so much His death, but His

resurrection that gives us hope. If he had died and

remained in that cold stone tomb, we would be

what Paul called most miserable men and women;

but the stone rolled away and Jesus got up and

walked right outta there so that all of us who be-

lieve in him and claim the right to be his sons and

daughters can say, like Thomas and Paul, “and

death shall have no dominion…” “Oh death where is

thy sting?”

What a wonderful truth on which to reflect during

the Easter Season and beyond!

Thomas’ poem is also an affirmation of faith and an

affirmation of the individual in the face of death. It

expresses hope in the victory of life and love

against the destructive power of death. For those

of us who have lost loved ones, or those of us who

are fearful about our own mortality, just remember,

reflect and refocus on the eternal, indisputable

truth that HE IS RISEN! And death shall have no

dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.

Dead man naked they shall be one With the man in

the wind and the west moon;

When their bones are picked clean and the clean

bones gone,

They shall have stars at elbow and foot;

Though they go mad they shall be sane,

Though they sink through the sea they shall rise

again;

Though lovers be lost love shall not;

And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.

Under the windings of the sea

They lying long shall not die windily;

Twisting on racks when sinews give way,

Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break;

Faith in their hands shall snap in two,

And the unicorn evils run them through;

Split all ends up they shan't crack;

And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.

No more may gulls cry at their ears

Or waves break loud on the seashores;

Where blew a flower may a flower no more

Lift its head to the blows of the rain;

Though they be mad and dead as nails,

Heads of the characters hammer through dai-

sies; Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,

And death shall have no dominion.

Shall have...

ustine Stewart, 26 year old Graduate of

Brown University and member of the

Boulevard Baptist Church, was selected,

under the 53 year old George Viewer founded

Christian organisation, Operation Mobilisation,

to go to Germany to share the Gospel to young

people and migrants.

The BBC commissioned her on Sunday, 6

March, at a ceremony at which the JBU Mis-

sion Agency Secretary, Rev Learoy Campbell

preached.

Using the topic, You are an Ambassador,

Campbell articulated three very important char-

acteristics of an ambassador: (1) An Ambas-

sador is chosen and differs in courage and

knowledge from a disciple. Therefore he

must have accurate knowledge of the con-

text in which he serves and the nature of hu-

man life and suffering; (2) the ambassador is

an observer who learns from experiences, in-

structions in church and society and must draw

from the Bible which is the ultimate source; and

(3) the ambassador’s success lies in his/her

courage.

“Don't for one minute believe that because you

are an ambassador you have a passport that

will get you easily into the garrison of human

heart,” Rev Campbell cautioned Justine and

other participants at the ceremony.

The second thing Rev Campbell noted was that

an Ambassador is a channel and therefore

must be available to be used by God. This he

said, translated into being “available for time

with God; available to do service for God; avail-

able for yourself with God.”

The third point made by Rev Campbell was that

the function of the ambassador for Christ is to

pioneer the cause of the Christian faith. It is to

represent and present the person of Jesus

Christ to the unchurched, Non- Christians and

backsliders.

What this means, according to the JBUMA

Secretary, is that “we must become aware of

those personal, cultural, intellectual, social and

economic issues that cause human beings to

be at enmity with God.”

“As an ambassador one must be willing to deal

with 21st century superstition and assump-

tions ...and maintain a posture that listens and

engages people,” Rev Campbell concluded.

elcome to Germany,

2016, a country

whose once stable

political system has been seri-

ously impacted by the European

Refugee crisis: Half-a-million mi-

grants, in an attempt to escape

the conflict in Syria, the on-

going violence in Afghanistan

and Iraq, abuses in Eritrea and

poverty in Kosovo, have de-

scended upon the Germans in a

hope to gain refuge.

But they are not welcomed.

The refugee crisis has ostensibly

brought out the worst in Ger-

mans; some of who have emitted

the worst kind of anti-refugee,

anti-foreigner vitriol that would

make Trump and Warmington

blush. Others have called for

their borders to be protected by

force of arms; and yet others

have reportedly hunted down

Syrian refugees and beat them

with baseball bats.

Germany, which was once in-

strumental in the Reformation

and deployed missionaries

worldwide, now needs help from

Third World missionaries. Today,

in Germany the evangelical

Christian population is less than

3%. This is the country to which

Justine Stewart has been called

to do mission. KC caught up

with her just before she left for

Germany. Here’s her story:

Describe your Call to Mission:

Two years ago. God began

teaching me about priorities. I

started to view mission as a way

to tithe my time, specifically my

youth. I was in my mid-twenties

and I did not want to wait to do

the Lord's work. God was also

teaching me about the goodness

of the gospel. I was working in

Iowa and attending a Bible study

filled with people who loved to

share the gospel. I saw friends

share the gospel at salsa social

nights and farmer's markets.

Through these people and expe-

riences, God taught me why I

should always be 'on mission.'

First I learnt that Christ’s follow-

ers are called to share the Gos-

pel. Then I decided to do the

Mission, Discipleship and Train-

ing (MDT) program in Germany. l

started sharing my faith with my

good friends and co-workers.

What were your initial feelings as

you grapple with this Call?

I had always thought that mis-

sionaries were superhuman. I

wanted to go but I didn't feel

ready; and I certainly wasn't holy

enough. I was also worried about

the cost and my ability to finance

this on my own.

Why did you choose Germany?

Germany can be described as

post-Christian. There was once a

vibrant Christian church; and

Martin Luther, a renowned theo-

logian hails from Germany. Sec-

ularism is the norm and young

people believe that life is only

what you see. I've had similar

identity struggles, trying to rec-

oncile what gives me worth.

I know how easy it is to believe

that socio-economic success is

life's ultimate achievement.

What do you hope to achieve in

Germany?

I want to witness the power of

the gospel to change lives. I try

not to focus on the number of

converts; instead I focus on serv-

ing and sharing. I have to trust

that God is pursuing His people

and that He will bring about a

heart change. With that said, I

would love to experience a non-

believer coming to faith.

How long will you be staying in

Germany, with whom and what

will your mission activities be

like?

I will be there for 18 months. I'll

start with 4 months of language

learning. I'll live with a German

family and attend language

school. Once language school is

complete, I, along with my co-

hort, will have our discipleship

and theology training for 3

months. We'll spend the rest of

our time supporting Christian

outreach ministries across Ger-

many. These Ministries help

youth and immigrants.

What challenges do you foresee

and how will you respond to

them?

In eastern Germany some peo-

ple have never heard of Jesus

Christ. They have had no expo-

sure to the Gospel. I wonder

how I can reach these people.

We will be trained so we will be

prepared. The only solution is to

remember the power of the Gos-

pel to save.

What advice would you give to

other youth who may be grap-

pling with a similar call on their

lives?

Full time mission work is por-

trayed as risky and perhaps it is;

but God is sure. His promises

are sure. This is the best and

risk-free investment you can

make. Make this decision

with other Christians that you

trust and pray for direction.

How can we support

you?

Pray that I will learn the lan-

guage and the culture well so

that I can witness to locals. Pray

for the organization, Operation

Mobilization, that they will re-

main faithful to and diligent in the

Lord's work. If you want updates

on this adventure then please

email me at Jus-

tine.Stwrt@gmail.com.

...

unday, March 20, nature

wept with joy as the

cold war between Cu-

ba and the USA diminished with

a watershed visit from the Pres-

ident of the United States of

America Barack Obama.

Journalists described it as a

“Berlin wall moment.”

Obama is the first American

President to visit Cuba in

nearly a century, and the first

since Fidel Castro toppled a US

-backed strongman in 1959.

The one-week history-making trip was designed to cement the Administration's diplomatic out-reach to Cuba, even as the way is cleared to lift the trade em-bargo against Cuba.

So why is this news for readers in Jamaica?

Cuba is one of our nearest Car-

ibbean neighbours. Jamaica’s

education system has benefit-

ted tremendously from infra-

structure development and

scholarships, especially in the

area of science, medicine and

dentistry. Every year the educa-

tion ministry recruits at least 20

Cuban teachers of Spanish,

Math, Chemistry, Physics and

PE. These teachers are rated

among the best and they just

love our culture and our

schools.

Notwithstanding our longstand-

ing relationship with Cuba,

there is no evidence that the

Jamaica Baptist Union has con-

sistently sought to grow a mis-

sion there. Perhaps we thought

that was the unthinkable; that

fools rush in where angels fear

to tread?

Well, Obama is no fool and

amidst opposition, searing criti-

cisms and yes, social network

ridicule, he marched right

into Cuba and in his

wake, the cruel walls of

isolation came tumbling

down.

In 2012, Franklin Small

went all the way to

Gloucester on a mission to

revive a dying King Stan-

ley Baptist Church; mis-

sioners went to Haiti and

planted three churches; Justine

Stewart and other young people

are headed to Germany in April

in an effort to reach Germans

and refugees with the Gospel.

Can we as harbingers of the

Good News of Jesus Christ

resolve to find a way around the

crumbling Cuban wall, to en-

gage our Cuban neighbours

and touch their hearts with the

Gospel of the Kingdom of

Christ?

We could start with the ones

who come here to teach annu-

ally.

“My dream, my dream, my

dream…”

W hat’s that you say, a

culture of evange-

lism...What is that?

Well it is an environment in

which sharing the gospel is part

of an ongoing way of life for the

church; where evangelism is

ingrained in everything the

church does; where evangelism

is the air the congregation

breathes.

J. Mack Stiles author of the

book, Evangelism: How the

Whole Church Speaks, outlines

11 things which signal whether

a church has a culture of evan-

gelism. Here KC shares six of

those 11 hallmarks.

1. A Church Motivated by

Love for Jesus and His Gos-

pel (2 Cor. 5:14-15)

This is a church that doesn’t

have to be pushed and prodded

to share the gospel, but is

drawn to share the news of Je-

sus because of its joy and de-

light in the message itself.

2. a church that is confi-

dent in the Gospel

(Rom. 1:16) This is a church

that isn’t caught up in gimmicks

or tricks meant to spruce or sex

up the Gospel, but fully expects

God to work and convert

through this saving message.

3. Culture That Sees People

Clearly

(2 Cor. 5:16a) This is a church

that does not judge by outward

appearances, but sees people

truly through the light of the

Gospel, as a broken Image-

bearers who need to, and are

capable of hearing the gospel

through the work of the Spirit.

No one is beyond God’s reach.

4. A Church That Pulls

Together as One

(Phil 1:3-5). This is a church

where everybody is on deck,

pulling together; from the greet-

er, the ush-

er, to the person simply sitting

in the pew, because they all re-

alize they have a part to play in

showing non-believers the Gos-

pel.

5. A Church not afraid of

taking risks for the gospel

(Phil. 1:12-13).This is a church

where non-Christians and athe-

ists are coming to Jesus be-

cause the church is taking risks

–social, physical, and financial –

to meet them where they are.

6. A Church That Under-

stands That it Is the Chosen

and Best Method of Evange-

lism (Acts 2:46-47) This is a

culture where the local church

of brothers and sisters, imaging

the Gospel, is seen as Jesus’

best tool for making His name

known and drawing others to

Himself.

Does your church

have

a culture of

Evangelism?

ddiction stems from a complicated

blend of psychological, social and

physiological factors. But is there a

recipe for addiction? Are some of us doomed

to predispositions toward addiction? While

some experts say that addiction is far more

complex than a list of personality traits,

most agree that there are commonalities

worth mentioning.

These commonalities are sometimes re-

ferred to as an addictive personality.

Though not universally accepted by either

physicians or mental health professionals,

the term is understood as describing the

personality which demonstrates one or more

of the traits commonly linked to addiction.

Antisocial: This describes those who place

a high value on non-conformity to societal

norms or those who deliberately alienate

themselves from others socially. Since hu-

mans are designed with a need to connect

with others, the antisocial personality may

choose to soothe the anxiety caused by iso-

lation through alcohol or drugs. This person

may feel the need to use substances in or-

der to be relaxed when social demands are

placed on him/her.

A low tolerance for stress: At some

point everyone faces difficulties and situa-

tions which are emotionally taxing. But not

everyone has the same degree of coping

skills in managing problem emotions. The

personality with a low distress tolerance

may be more prone to use addiction in place

of proper coping behaviours.

Compulsive behaviors: The compulsive per-

sonality tends to view life in terms of black

and white with no grey area in between. The

personality or event is either a smashing

success or an abject failure. If they do not

feel completely in control, they feel entirely

victimized. This extreme approach to life can

lead to compulsive habits which the person

feels totally powerless to halt.

Substitutionary vices: This describes

what happens when the person is prevented

from engaging in their addictive behaviour.

In that case, the person simply substitutes a

new habit in place of the old one. The for-

mer alcoholic turns to chain smoking and

the chain smoker becomes a compulsive

gum chewer. Sometimes multiple vices

spring up when the former addiction is de-

nied.

Insecurity: People gain a feeling of identity

and security through forming interpersonal

relationships. The person with no such rela-

tionships may turn to addictive behaviours

in an effort to cover up these disappoint-

ments or to silence their subconscious fear

of failing.

Depression: Similar to those with a low

tolerance for distress, the depressed person

struggles to manage painful emotions. He/

she may seek out a way to create positive

feelings through addiction rather than face

the reality of day-to-day challenges.

Persons with such personality traits can rec-

ognize their own tendencies and intention to

make better choices.

Read more at: https://

www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/mental-health/

addictive-personality/

Mental

Health:

Addictive Personality

1. Icepops

Ice pops, or popcicles

whatever name you chose

to call them, can soothe

your throat when it’s sore,

swollen or dry. They also

keep you hydrated. Get-

ting adequate fluids keeps

your mucous thin and

eases congestion. Look for

ice pops made from 100%

fruit juice to make sure

you get nutrients and not

sugar water. You can also

make your own frozen

juice bars.

2. Turkey Sandwich

It has a lean protein

which is part of a healthy

diet. Add cranberry sauce

it give it flavor and alt-

hough you may not feel

like it, you need to eat to

boost your energy level.

3. Vegetable juice

I see you shaking your

head vigorously. Not the

nicest of taste eh? But

trust the doctor who says,

a glass of

low sodium

vege tab le

juice will

pump up your antioxi-

dants that boost the im-

mune system and defend

your body against germs.

4. Chicken Soup

Ah, we all love this one,

because it helps you to

get the fluids you need.

Hot chicken soup can im-

prove the way tiny hair-

like parts in the passages

of your nose protect your

body from bacteria and

viruses.

5. Garlic

This is a great choice in

spicing up foods and

soups but it also boosts

the immune system and

clears nasal congestion, or

so my granny says.

6. Ginger

It will relieve your stom-

ach ache and nausea and

it fights inflammation too.

You can spice up your

food, drink as a hot bev-

erage or as a cool glass of

ginger ale

7. Ripe Banana

Whether you slice them,

mash then or eat them

whole, my Granny says

ripe bananas are easy on

the stomach in the case of

vomiting nausea or diar-

rhea.

Physician’s warning

Just one more thing: my

granny is not a doctor; so

just remember to take all

of this with a grain of salt.

Nuff respec’s to Calabar High School, for yet

again demonstrating their dominance in the

ISSA Grace Kennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athlet-

ics Championships, gaining their 26th lien on

the Mortimer Geddes Trophy with 287.50

points, a whopping 37.5 points clear of King-

ston College (KC). Kudos to the show stopper,

the inimitable Christopher Taylor who broke

the 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay records to

secure victory for his school. We pray for him

that he will run a similar race on Jesus’ team.

mourns the transition of Dr Clover Pearl

Jarrett, late member of the East Queen Street

Baptist Church, retired Education Officer and

Founder of the innovative Health Education

and Counselling Institute (HECOIN). She had a

passion for nursing and

elder care hav- ing been a

Registered Nurse for all

of her working life. ex-

tends on be- half of the

Association condolence to

her children, especially

Colin.

————————————————————-

Deacon Orrell Samuels was a most faithful

member of the Boulevard Baptist Church. He

embodied the sacrificial life, serving in the Di-

aconate and the Brotherhood. He was very sup-

portive of young people in mission. He ran his

race and ran it well; and now he has gone on to

be with his Father. extends condolence to

his family and to the BBC for their loss.

The eternal God is our refuge and under-

neath are His everlasting arms.

April is Crusade month for many

of our churches, including the

Hanover Street Baptist that

will hold four Sunday mornings

and nights of campaign under

the theme: Give Your All To Je-

sus. Please put aside at least

one Sunday night to support

your sister Church.

————————————

The Botherhood of the Boule-

vard Baptist Church observes

April 17 as Men’s World Day of

Prayer.

—————————————–-

Denham Town Baptist Women’s

Federation Anniversary Ser-

vice on 15 May at 7:00pm. Guest

Speaker, Dorrett R Campbell.

——————————————

KSABA inter-church fellowship

Sundays, May 22 and 29. The

circuits are twinned as follow:

Barbican & Bethel

Boulevard & Lawrence Tav-

ern

East Queen Street & New

Haven

Hanover Street & Tarrant

Jones Town & Mamby Park

Red Hills & Mona

The Circuit on the left will visit

on Sunday May 22, while

those on the right will visit

those on the left on Sunday

May 29.

BBC Pastor Devon Dick greets newly baptized members of

his congregation. 20 March 2016

Editorial Team

Dorrett R Campbell

Varick Downie (Photographs)

Vicki Gibbs

Franklin Small

Arlene Williams

Learoy Campbell (Contributor)

Kingston & St Andrew Baptist Association

kasabaconnect@gmail.com

PO Box 4074 Red Hills, St Andrew Telephone: 776-6985

Design and layout: Dorrett R Campbell