1

27Why wear a poppy?

Features

4 S arah Dearing

5 Meet the New Elder An interview with Carol Bailey

14 Meet the student

20 Dan Myers

Regulars

16 Carolyn’s Kitchen

37 Lost the Plot

Reviews

33 From the library

38 Wayne’s World

Your input is important, so if you have anything you’d like to include in the next

magazine, please send them to winbapeditor@gmail.com

or in the pigeon hole at the back by the 13th November....

P lease make sure that photos are sent as a separate .jpg f ile and text is sent as a .doc f ile.......thankyou...

04

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

31London Riots

Sarah’s Story

31 London Riots

2

From the Editor

Attitude. We all have it. No use trying to deny it. its very existence makes up the essence of who we are, empowers us to do what we do....or not do.

There is a reason why God was so clear on keeping our attitudes right. It is the driving force of our every day and visionary lives. The things we see for tomorrow will only exist if we discipline ourselves into action today.

Within these pages, we hope you find something true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy that you can carry with you. Maybe you’ll feel inspired, maybe you’ll feel encouraged, but more than that we hope you’ll feel enthused. Enthused for what lays ahead, enthused for the life that breathes into your today, and enthused by the precious moments that you are afforded to grow, live and touch someone’s life for the better.

This is what we hope we have brought to you.

Happy reading from all of us,

Melissa

If you’re catching up with us online, this issue isaccompanied by home-grown talent, Jonny Breakwel l and Nai Tuft with the song ‘Every Step of the Way’.

If you’ve enjoyed it and would like to purchase the CD ‘Every Step of the Way’, they can be ordered via naomi . tuft @ googlemail . com.for £7.50.

3 a le

tter

from

the

lead

ersh

ip Things have been happening to me recently. Unexpected things. Things which have changed me and the way Ifeel and act.

The first ‘thing’ which has really impacted me is a fresh revelation of how much God loves me. He really, really loves me: like a Father loves, like a brother who defends and shares his Father’s love, like a mother who nurtures and teaches her daughter and encourages her to fulfill her purpose in the world. I am beloved, and called to be part of his family, and no-one can snatch me away. (John 10 v 27-28). I am so glad – I could literally jump for the joy of it.

Another is seeing the Bible come alive in a fresh and meaningful way as I read it and trust in its truth; realising afresh that its all about relationship: relationship with God and with each other.

The third is to being asked to become an Elder. Now that was unexpected, and a way-too-scary thought. I am very conscious that I need to rely on God alone, and know that I can call on him for support and that He will provide it.

I love the verses in John 10 and have definitely had the need to hang on His promises about being the sheep of His pasture in the past. He is the Good Shepherd and He suffered and died that we might have life in abundance; in all its fullness. He is the one who searches for the lost and brings back the strays, He binds up the injured and strengthens the weak, looks after His sheep and takes care of them, and brings them back from all the places where they have been scattered.

He promises that He will be there in every situation for you, whether you are facing a period in a green pasture or a desert or a mountain path, or even a mountain top experience. So lets do, as Hebrews 4 v16 suggests, and ‘approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’

Carol Bailey

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

John 10:27-28

To Ewen,

We just wanted to say we hope you have a lovely restful time on your sabbatical.

No need to worry about how everything wil l be while you’re gone - the coffee vending machine, surround sound system, velvet wal lpaper and disco bal ls wil l al l be properly instal led according to safety regulations before you get back.

Hope you have a great time cycling round the countryside, munching your way through a plethora of chocolate...and doing that very long list of chores that Pam assures us she has studiously written out for you!

We know this is going to be a time of quiet ref lection on the future and where God is placing your feet in the time to come, but if you want to get there faster, we’d recommend a Sat Nav.

Seriously, have a great time away. Enjoy the rest from 24/7 and we’l l see you back, rested, ready-to-disco...erm....we mean go in January.

Judy HannahDavidBecca

EliTim

EuniceMelissa

4

I lead a very average life (with a difference). I work for Prospects, a Christian charity supporting adults with learning disabilities. I am a support worker. I support three ladies in a shared house in Winchester. I support with everyday living skills.

The difference is I do the same thing but in a different way. I walk with the aid of two sticks some of the time and, some of the time, I use a wheelchair. I have had a disability all my life but never had a diagnosis. I am a mystery to all the doctors.

My Mum is a huge influence on my positive attitude to life. I was brought up to believe that nothing is a problem or a difficulty. But everything is a challenge and a challenge that needs to be overcome.

Being a Christian is a very

important part of my life and has got me through some very difficult times in my life.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Matthew 19:26

Matthew 19:26 shows me that I can do anything I want to do.I also know that with God it’s possible even when it seems impossible to me.

Over the last year life has been really difficult at times. I have been unable to get to church. I have depression which makes it hard for me to motivate myself to get out the house and do things. I have had some really tough things happen where God has definitely been in my life.

My friend is in prison for fraud and got seven years. Although she has taken money from me, I havethrough God’s strength been able

to forgive her and I now have contact with her through letters and email and I pray for her every day.

I had weight loss surgery in October 2010 and my diet had had to change and my whole life in a huge way. I have lost 7 stone.

The things I love to do are to go swimming, shopping, eating out and going to the theatre and being with people.

I really enjoy life to the full. I drive a car and I have Jesus. What more can I ask for?

God Bless you all X

Sarah Dearing

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.Helen Keller 4

5

Where did you grow up? Locally, I lived in the same house in Twyford with my family right up to when I got married at 21.

Do you have any siblings (or cousins to whom you were close?):I have a fab younger brother, whom I am really close to.

What was your favourite subject in school? Easy; Home Economics.

Were you ever told off in school, if so for what?!? Not for anything major....

What was your favourite childhood game? Playing at running a pet shop with my brother and all our stuffed toys.

Did you gain any higher ed qualifications? I qualified as a Personal Secretary with business studies from Eastleigh Tech. Later I went on to get a BSc in Applied Social Science with the OU.

What was your first job and on what did you spend your first pay cheque? My first job was with Land Agents in Winchester working for their Senior Partner, who acted as Receiver to St Cross Hospital, which is where I work now! My first pay cheque probably went on the mortgage as Dave & I had just bought a house which needed some work on it to make it habitable before we got married and moved in.

How long have you been at WBC? About 35 years.

When did you become a Christian? When I was 14, at a youth weekend.

When did you meet David? How did he propose?! Again, when I was 15 and we dated for a whole year! We got back together when I was 17 and he proposed when I was 18.

What has been your favourite job so far? OK, that’s a tough one: I loved working in London, I also loved being Secretary to the Mayor of Winchester, and I really like where I am now at St Cross Hospital - the elderly gents make it a very special place.

What’s your favourite chocolate bar? A curly-wurly - it only has a Weight watchers propoints value of 3!

What’s been your best holiday/adventure so far? The trip to Lesotho - no contest; although Florida this year was pretty cool, too.

How would you describe WBC to a newcomer? Welcoming, informal, lively, a church which is great to be involved with and committed to.

What’s your favourite bible verse(s) and perhaps your least favourite? The one that brought me to faith is John 10 vv 27-28; it keeps me hanging on in there.

When you’ve faced difficulties in your life what has helped you through? In a nutshell: God’s faithfulness in each and every situation - there has not been an occasion when he has not been there, even if I haven’t always realised it until a good while after the event. And more recently the realisation that I’m loved by the King of all Kings - wow!

Wherever you go, no matter what the

weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D’Angelo

Meet the Elder:

Carol Bailey

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Doesn’t time fly! It only seems like yesterday that I stood in the church hall, holding a one week old baby Lily waiting to give a presentation about the spirituality of children.Nearly one year on, I would like to just say a HUGEthank you for the warm welcome that you have given not only to me, but to Don as well. Starting a new church can be daunting, but WinbBap has welcomed us with open arms and both of us feel really settled here.

So one year on, what do I feel I have achieved? I think I could now name every child and match them to their parents, (but please don’t test me or ask me what their parents are called!), have a good understanding of how the children’s ministry works at WinBap, made some funky new logos and have started to put my mark on the ministry too. For me, the last 10 months have been a fulfilment of a calling that God put on my heart over 12 years ago. My heart aches to tell the Good News of Jesus to children, to help them on their walk with Jesus and to watch them use their gifts for the Kingdom of God. I feel privileged that I get paid to do these things each week. Children’s ministry is not just about the hour or so that we have with the children on a Sunday morning. Yes, without doubt this time is really important; it is a chance for the children to build relationships with other children their age and it is our chance to help the children grow in their relationship with Jesus. But children’s ministry is also about working with families to help them teach their children “in the ways of the Lord”. It’s about providing opportunities for children to share their faith with their friends in a safe and loving environment. It’s about reaching out into the community and telling them about the Good News of Jesus and finally its about helping to bring the whole church family together so that they can experience and worship God as the whole body of Christ. I hope that some of the events, talks, changes in material and new groups have helped to go some way in achieving this bigger picture of children’s ministry. So looking forward what are my hopes and dreams for the future? My first dream is that C.O.G.S becomes the ‘best hour of akid’s week’, that it is a placewhere our children feel safe and loved, that it is a place that the children have such an amazing

time that they are the ones nagging their parents to come to church on a Sunday morning! My second dream is that Winchester Baptist Church is a place where parents feel that they are supported in “teaching their children in the ways of the Lord” and that we help provide the tools and skills for parents to do this.Thirdly, that we are reaching out to the families and children in our community and sharing with them the Good News of Jesus. Whether that be through groups such as Friday Fun or holding events that our kids can invite their friends too. Finally, I want the children to feel that they are a valued member of the church, where they are loved and cared for unconditionally. That church is a place where no matter how young or old a person is, their gift and talents are being used.

These are BIG dreams, but we have a BIGGER God for whom nothing is impossible. I hope that you can share these dreams with me and that together we can be part of exciting and rewarding ministry.

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Who are the homeless? Homelessness is not only the rough sleepers we regularly pass on the streets and those staying in the Nightshelter. It can also include those people in situations where accommodation is temporary, such as living on a friend’s sofa.

What do the numbers look like in Winchester? Although difficult to count the number of rough sleepers, one indication is that in 2009/2010, Winchester Churches Nightshelter accommodated 148 guests, but had to turn away 358. Scarily high figures.

There are many reasons for someone becoming homeless. These include the loss of a job or unemployment, drug and alcohol related issues, debts, mental health issues, being a victim of abuse/violence or having become institutionalised. However, a survey conducted by the charity ‘Shelter’ in 2007 found that the most frequent response, a staggering 41% of people surveyed, stated a relationship breakdown as the reason for sleeping rough.

As a volunteer at Winchester Churches Nightshelter and as a Street Pastor, I have had the opportunity to meet and chat with many of the homeless in Winchester. I feel privileged that guests will open up to me and talk about their past and the hurts and pains they have been through.

It’s scary to hear what some people have suffered, one guest telling me of the domestic violence he had been through, another of the gang culture he had become immersed in, which meant not just leaving home but

When you think of the homeless, what words come to mind?So often words associated with the homeless are negative; drunk, dirty, drugs, tramp... How often are words such as friendly, bad luck, lonely and hope used?

HOMELESS.IN WINCHESTER.

8

leaving the city he was from and all of his friends and family to make a new start for himself and to keep his family safe.

I am always touched by how grateful someone can be for you to have shared a few minutes of your time, whether to listen or play a game of scrabble! There have been a number of guests of the Nightshelter who have also said how much they like Winchester, and how friendly the people in the city are responding to them whilst walking down the highstreet with a simple ‘hi’.

Is this friendly attitude, however, one that is also shared with the rough sleepers, huddled in a doorway under a blanket? Or is it not being aware this person is homeless that affects our attitudes?

The figures of financial generosity in the city towards Winchester Churches Nightshelter; with individuals donating £22,508 in 2009/2010, and the number of volunteers at the nightshelter filling many differing roles suggests a very positive attitude towards the homeless in the city. There are also many other services in Winchester which provide for the homeless, such as Trinity and Emmaus, all relying on their own volunteers and financial support. In a city which is seen to be very affluent this shows the heart Winchester has for the poor.

Another humbling situation was that of Ben Blythes funeral, held at Winchester Cathedral in August 2010. Ben was homeless for a number of years and a previous resident of the Nightshelter, but prior to his death was sleeping in a tent. Although homeless he obviously touched the lives of many, with his funeral being attended by almost 300 people.

There are always going to be mixed attitudes towards the homeless, like with anything. The negative comments will most likely always be heard, born often not through malice but through naivety.

Earlier this year I organised a ‘Human Table Football’ fundraiser for Winchester Churches Nightshelter where one of the residents made a heartfelt speech at the end about how the Nightshelter had helped him change his life. I saw first-hand the effects this speech had on attendees at the event, as well as the fun nature of the team of residents who entered. Comments made to me afterwards included they ‘didn’t realise he was homeless’ and words used to describe him being ‘intelligent’ and ‘friendly’ left me with mixed emotions. Happy that the attitudes of a few people

homeless’ and words used to describe him being ‘intelligent’ and ‘friendly’ left me with mixed emotions. Happy that the attitudes of a few people (or more) had changed during the course of the event, but I couldn’t help being slightly sad these exist in the first place.

I don’t know how it is possible to change attitudes which have long existed, but I have seen the impact of a few seconds of someone’s time to exchange a friendly smile or a simple hello, and how it can change a lonely person’s day. We are called to not judge but to love.

“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of

the least of these, you did not do for

me.’ ” Matthew 25:45.

Anna Hastie

9

Being an accountant I am often asked about financial matters whether it is on accounts or company business or perhaps more often ‘how can I save or avoid paying so much tax’? There is this attitude around that seems to say ‘I earnt it so why should the government take so much?’ As a christian businessman I try and adhere to a mixture of Godly ethics and the law of the land. For me, personally, a lot of the lessons on money and my attitude towards it have been developed and are being developed over a lifetime.

“Giving, in particular, is not just about growing in faith but more about growing in relationship with our Father.”

Helen and I started in married life together with neither debts nor savings and this was quite a free place to be in. I spent our first eight years together working as a teacher at Peter Symonds. Our first two children were born at this time, Helen wasn’t working, and we didn’t have a lot of surplus at all! Learning about giving and tithing was a discipline and at times incredibly hard but it has blessed us and enabled us to grow in trusting our loving Father. We learned early on to live within our means. For about eight years we didn’t use credit cards to ensure that we didn’t fall into debt. We learnt something about Father caring for us and that, at times,

He provides amazingly! I will always remember, before we had children, praying for some money as we didn’t feel that it was right for us to go into overdraft! I needed petrol to drive to college and an envelope arrived with just a £5 note in the day we needed it. (£5 went a bit further then than it does now!). I think this was about the time where every meal during a week included eggs as that was all we had for protein. That gift of £5 meant more to us than any other we have ever received as it brought us into a new place of knowing that Father is faithful in financial matters. We can trust Him! He is so much better and so much bigger than we think.

We also need to remember that abundance in God does not necessarily mean worldly wealth and the materialism we see all around us. There is so much abundance which comes free! Financially I now earn much more than I did as a new employee, but Deut 8: 17 -18 constantly reminds me to ‘remember the Lord my God, for it is He who gives me the ability to produce wealth…’. My strength and abilities come from the Lord. However I spend or save what Father has given, I want to remember that it is my Father who has helped me. My life is in His hands. My God is good, He will provide for all my needs. I once heard it said that ‘what we own, owns us’. It is so important to hold the things we have lightly. Paul talks about learning the secret of being content in little or much in Phil 4: 10-13. I think this is a great approach to

financial matters. God wants each of us to use money well. In itself money is a neutral thing, being neither good nor bad. Everything depends on what we do with it and our attitude towards it. 1 Tim 6: 10 talks about the love of money being a root of all sorts of evil. Roots need digging out if they are settled in! God’s word gives us a picture of what He is like. He is a giving Father, He shares with us, He makes sacrifices for us to the highest level. He is utterly kind, utterly good, amazingly generous. He loves to give His kids good things! I think He wants us to grow closer to Him and, if I can’t trust Him for looking after me and my family, my relationship with Him will remain at a low level and not that of a son.

To finish, I have occassionally been involved in forms of debt counselling. People can make some pretty serious mistakes in this area and sometimes things go wrong that are out of their control. I have known clients to lose their whole businesses due to one major bad debt where they had done work but not been paid by a client. If you are in a serious situation either on personal or business finance please talk to someone. God does not want us to live lives of fear or shame but of freedom, learning good principles and at times discipline in the area of handling our money.

Peter Howes

money B E - A T T I T U D E S

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It seems to me that we hear a lot these days about our responsibility for our planet and how we should seek greener ways to exist. As Christians we are answerable to God for how we deal with our world and our lives and that includes a responsibility of how we deal with our money. In the present economic climate many people are finding it more and more difficult to make ends meet. One of the easy answers is to spend on the credit card and with Christmas looming that is what many people will be doing, hoping that the New Year will bring better fortune so that they can begin paying it off.How many times do you look in your purse/wallet and wonder just where the money went. Are you always looking forward to the next pay day when you will be in funds again? What happens when an unexpected bill comes in? As a Christian you know you should give generously to others but maybe there never seems enough to cover essential bills let alone give.

The next course will run on Tuesdays 8th, 15th and 22nd November at Winchester Baptist Church starting at 7.30p.m

It is essential to reserve a place which can be done by contacting the church

office or through the CAP Money website.

Speak to Angela Merridale, Gareth Bartlett or Anne Arthur

if you want further details

This is where CAP Money, a three week course from Christians Against Poverty steps in. It is not about being in debt (although there is help available if you are) it is about managing your money better, setting a budget and living within your means.Everyone who has been through the course has found something useful and for many it has completely revolutionised their lives. It is open to anyone. Where possible spouses/partners are encouraged to come together.Is it time for you to take responsibility for your finances and manage them better? If so then sign up for the next CAP Money course which starts on Tuesday 8th November.

Read what people from all over the UK are saying about the CAP course:

“It took me about four weeks to phone CAP after finding the leaflet. I wish I had done it much earlier. When my caseworker came round she was so friendly. I was able to give her all the paperwork, she took it all away and said ‘dont worry it will get sorted out’. For the first time in seven years I dont mind the postman putting post in my door. I am a year into my CAP Account and I now manage to have food on the table and sometimes a little cash for social events with friends.”Jason, Bracknell

“I too was in debt and could see no way out. I was suicidal but CAP showed me it was possible to get out of debt and be stress free. Thanks CAP for all that you do, you are truly a blessing.” Ian, Edinburgh

“I am so grateful to CAP not only are they helping me, but also my niece. I am so relieved and happy that I got in touch with CAP. I will be forever grateful and I will keep spreading the word about how excellent they are.” Gill, Liverpool

“Before I went to CAP, I wouldn’t answer the phone or door, and was getting loads of letters every day. I felt suicidal – everything had got on top of me. Now I no longer receive phone calls and have only the occasional letter. As the pressure is lifted I am coping better.” Claire, Bracknell

going...

Where and when? In January 2012 I will be going to South America through the scheme “Latin Link”, on their STRIDE programme, to serve the Lord through mission work. My placement has yet to be confirmed!! (Scary, I know!!) It’s quite daunting but I trust the Lord will place me where He needs me and wants to use me!

What is STRIDE? STRIDE is Latin Link’s longer term mission placement programme. For this, I will be going out on my own and staying with a native host family. The project my placement gives to me will be connected to my host family.

To do what? I have asked to work with Children at Risk, because poverty in the Latin American region has caused many children to live on the streets. Furthermore, drug abuse is a major problem for youths. I am hoping that God will use me to bring hope and a meaning to life to these children.

How long for? The programme is for between six months to two years. I have, for now, applied for seven months, but my plans could change once I’m out there, depending on how the placement goes and also (as ever) finances... It’s around £500 for every month I’m out there.

Why Latin Link?My great-grandparents and my grandparents were missionaries out in Bolivia for many years and were involved in founding some of the schemes which now are related to Latin Link. I felt God put it on my heart to follow their footsteps out there, especially as I have a gift for languages - particularly Spanish. God’s guidance through the applicaiton of this has made it clear to me that it is His plan for me to go there!

Latin Link’s mission: Our mission springs from a

desire to be involved with God in His work, and to bring honour to him. We believe that allowing

people to follow their heart to fulfil a calling is how God

uses Latin Link to achieve His purposes.

How you can help: - Through prayer for *comfortability with my host family* that God shows me how long he intends me to stay for* that God uses me in every possible way to help the lives of others.- Through donations.

STH AMERICA

EMILY ‘MILLIE’ SMITH

Please do not feel obliged to give, but if you would like to, please see Millie, Maggie or Mark Smith.

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‘In so many countries now, Latin America is asserting its independence after centuries of dependency. It is similar with mission – no longer are Latin American churches dependent on foreign missionaries; they are sending their own people into mission too. Latin Link believes the church crosses all cultures and serves as a model of interdependence as we share our resources – in evangelism, training and social action – for the benefit of communities and the extension of God’s kingdom’.

Alan Tower International Director

LatinLink

Some of you may not know or recognise me or not remember who I am. My name is Becky Slade and I was at the University of Winchester for three years from 2007 to 2010 studying Religious Studies and Theology. Winbap was my church during those three years. I helped out in Crèche and went to Lesotho to visit the Bassons with the youth last year.

After finishing Uni I moved back home to Surrey and whilst seeking God’s guidance for what His plans were for this next part of my life, I completed a TEFL course. In January, after helping lead a week’s mission’s course in London, I felt God encouraging me to begin stepping forward in decisions and in faith and that he would open or close doors.

So… to cut a long story short… I am going to Nepal in January for two years with a mission organisation called Operation Mobilisation, or OM. The elders here agreed that as a church you would be happy to be part of my support network so I have been encouraged to share with you what is on my heart and my plans.

So… why go? Over the three years of being part of this church, I have shared with quite a few of you the calling that I feel God has given me for the nations and for reaching the unreached with the Gospel. Since I was young I have had lots of experience of mission abroad, including living inRomania with my family for three years, and over the years have felt God call me into long term mission. I have had quite a lot of mission training, in particular with one mission course called Kairos, which was particularly influential.

I love experiencing different cultures and meeting people of different nationalities. God has used these passions to grow my heart for mission abroad and for reaching people groups who have not yet heard the Gospel. He has also given me a heart for reaching those in vulnerable situations; I have been blessed so richly that I want to use these blessing to bless others.

So… why Nepal? In my gap year I spent three months in Nepal with the same organisation. I loved it. Focused a lot of my ministry with the Tibetan community and God really put them as a people group on my heart. Many of them had escaped Tibet when the Chinese took control and so are refugees in Nepal. As a people group they have been very oppressed.

As I was exploring God’s next steps for me in January, I was being reminded of the heart God had given me for the Tibetan people. I explored opportunities, one being reminded of the heart God had given me for the Tibetan people. I explored opportunities, one being with OM, and all the doors opened wide. I have such

a sense of walking into God’s purpose for me. I particularly knew this when I went for my three hour interview with OM, God gave me such an overwhelming sense of peace.

So… what will I be doing?

OM Nepal has a number of different ministries that I will be able to get involved in. When I was out there last time, some of the things I got involved with were working with the street kids in the slums, with the children’s homes, helping run Sunday schools, prayer walking, teaching in school, teaching English and setting up a women’s club for the Tibetan women which is still running.

Also, one of OM’s main ministries is trekking into the mountains to take the Gospel to the unreached mountain people, very challenging physically but incredibly exciting.

I don’t yet know specifically what I will be involved in but I am hoping to work with the Tibetan community again.

If you would like to support Becky or just know a bit more about her journey, Babs Klampe is her contact person within our congregation.

Importantly, please uphold her in prayer as one of our young people out on the mission field.

going...

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One of my responsibilities will be working alongside underprivileged young people some of whom live in poverty, and often very little emotional needs being met and lack of parenting and unconditional love. Young people in the orphanage will also feel unwanted, rejected or abandoned, victims of their birth and of an unfair world that they have been brought into and left. I would really value prayer now and when I am out in Russia that I will somehow be equipped to get along side these young people, showing them unconditional love and acceptance and through this, the love of Jesus will shine through. As the bible says in Matthew 19 v 14 “Jesus said let the little children come to me, don’t stop them because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people who are like these children”. My desire is to share the good news and let them know and get a glimpse of what the Kingdom of Heaven is like and that it is for them. Another one of my responsibilities will be travelling with the evangelism ministry. I will have the opportunities to visit orphanages and hospices’ up in the north of the province, across Russia and Asia too. I really pray that during my time back in Perm, Russia, I will really be able to bring people hope by showing what Jesus’ love can do for their lives. I believe God wants to move very powerfully in a new way like never before.

I cannot thank you enough for your continued support that you have shown in me and God’s kingdom. I look forward to what is in store for the next two years and sharing the stories that will be yours and mine of how God has moved Perm, Russia, Asia and beyond! Also, I would appreciate prayers for Gods financial provision. He proved faithful before, and now I hope and pray that He will provide again over the two years.

Bless you!

James Findlow

“If God had wanted to be a big secret, He would not have created babbling brooks and whispering pines.” ~Robert Brault

JAMES FINDLOW

Russia

Dear Friends,

By now I hope many of you have heard about my exciting 6 month adventure in Russia. I am now committed to return, hopefully in December, for a further 2 years as I feel Russia is calling me!

I have been accepted on the Evangelistic ministry with YWAM which will include working in local orphanages and the Kids Ministry team. To allow me to stay for longer than three months in Russia I have had to enrol with the University in Perm where I will be studying Russian for around 15 hours a week, which will obviously really complement my work being able to relate and express more easily to those that I have a privilege in meeting.

going...

MeettheStudents

Rosie Adkins

Name, Age, what you are studying etc, fav bible verse and why?

Rosie Adkins21

Primary Education specialising in religious studies.

Jeremiah 29 v11 ‘”For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord “ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”’

I love this verse because it is really exciting - He has got everything sorted for me! And I get hope from the knowledge that He works for my good!

How long have you been worshipping at Winbap?Since Sept 2010

Dream holiday destination and why?New Zealand - I would love to see how they farm over there and I’ve heard it is very beautiful.

Socks with sandal - yes or no?Definitely a HUGE no.

Current song listening to in your car/on your ipod?Christian - You’re beautiful by Phil WickhamSecular - I’m still loving Adele’s Someone like you.

Your memories of Freshers Week/ first term at Uni?Excited about what God had in store for me in Winchester, but questioning if I’d got it right coming to Winchester. Scared, talking to a bunch of strangers in every setting I was in.

Leave a message for the congregation -I love worshipping at Winbap with you all. There is such a warm family feel to the congregation. You are all so incredibly welcoming, I feel part of the family after only one year of being there with you. Thank you!

Leave a message for the students -I think we need to bless Winbap the way they bless us. Let’s think of some ways! Looking forward to this year?I am SO, SO, SO excited about this year! (As long as I don’t think about the work side of things)

transition cluster

*Just a reminder that there will be a Student lunch on Sunday the 13th of November. Anyone interested in becoming a Host family please contact Ali and Nai Tuft for details.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for our students and please make them welcome!

•

14

“I can achieve more as part of a team than working on my own..”

“God has been so good to me - so I can be good to

others.”

“Because when Jesus said he came to save the world, I think He meant us to be involved in al l parts of life and the world around us. And that’s what the Favour cluster lets me do.”

“Because I care how others are feeling and we have the opportunity to help people.”

“I know this is the way that God wants me to share the love of Jesus

right now.”

“To make someone smile :0)”

“I love helping others who need assistance.”

“Beause seeking the kingdom of God is our responsibility and I think the best place to do that is ‘out there’.”

“It brings the community together.”

For those new to the church the Favour cluster is a group who try to help out people in our community in practical ways. Over the past year we have been involved in a variety of activities, as we try to serve others in our community including spring cleaning and painting at the Winchester Churches Nightshelter, helping with gardening, housework, decluttering and trips to the tip, collecting provisions for the Basics Bank on a regular basis at church, a prayer walk around Stanmore, CAP Money Management Courses, raising funds for the Nightshelter through a quiz evening and a sale....

At the Favour cluster afternoon tea on 11th September I asked people the question ‘Why do you bother to get involved with Favour cluster activities? ‘

These are some of their replies:

“It’s what the church was always meant to be.”

“Because I’ve been a beneficiary.”

“Because I feel this is my cal ling.”

“I want to make a difference.”

15

Th is recipe originally came from one of our early Holiday at Home events. It has been used several times since for church fellowship lunches. It is a great Autumnal recipe, so hopefully you can fi nd a fresh apple out of your garden (or someone’s close by!). Enjoy!

Devon Turkey

Serves 6-8what you need:

1 oz butter2 onions, sliced4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped4 sticks celery, sliced1 ½ lbs diced turkey10 oz can condensed mushroom soup½ pint dry cider (or apple juice)Pinch mixed herbs (or tarragon & thyme)Salt and Pepper1 eating apple, cored and sliced4 oz mushrooms, quartered¼ pint soured cream

how you do i t :

• In a large pan, heat the butter and fry the onions, bacon and celery for 5-10 minutes, transfer to casserole dish.

• In the same pan, fry the turkey and transfer to casserole dish.

• Put mushroom soup in the same pan and gradually add the cider. Mix well and bring to the boil.

• Add herbs and seasoning and then transfer to the casserole dish.

• Cook for one hour at 1600 C/3250F or GM 8.

• Add apples and mushrooms and cook for a further half an hour.

• Stir in the cream and leave for 10 minutes before serving.

• Serve with rice, pasta or potatoes. NOTEThis dish

freezes well.it is best to

freeze withoutcream.

c a r o l y n ’ s k i t c h e n

Th is recipe originally came from one of our early Holiday at Home events. It has been used several times since for church fellowship lunches. It is a great Autumnal recipe, so hopefully you can fi nd a fresh apple out of your garden (or someone’s close by!). Enjoy!

Devon Turkey

Serves 6-8what you need:

1 oz butter2 onions, sliced4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped4 sticks celery, sliced1 ½ lbs diced turkey10 oz can condensed mushroom soup½ pint dry cider (or apple juice)Pinch mixed herbs (or tarragon & thyme)Salt and Pepper1 eating apple, cored and sliced4 oz mushrooms, quartered¼ pint soured cream

how you do i t :

• In a large pan, heat the butter and fry the onions, bacon and celery for 5-10 minutes, transfer to casserole dish.

• In the same pan, fry the turkey and transfer to casserole dish.

• Put mushroom soup in the same pan and gradually add the cider. Mix well and bring to the boil.

• Add herbs and seasoning and then transfer to the casserole dish.

• Cook for one hour at 1600 C/3250F or GM 8.

• Add apples and mushrooms and cook for a further half an hour.

• Stir in the cream and leave for 10 minutes before serving.

• Serve with rice, pasta or potatoes. NOTEThis dish

freezes well.it is best to

freeze withoutcream.

c a r o l y n ’ s k i t c h e n

16

Since time immemorial cultures and peoples across the world have carved out the year with festivals and celebrations. As we fall headlong into autumn with its golden sunsets through crimson leaves and crisp, dew covered mornings (not forgetting the hurly burly of the new academic term) our thoughts begin to turn to the celebrations that mark this time of year. Christmas isn’t yet all that close, despite the retailers convincing us otherwise!

Halloween

So what fi lls our minds, our inboxes and supermarkets as we enter autumn? Th e end of summer is eased with the celebration of Harvest. Winter has not yet arrived and it is a time of thanksgiving for the bounty of the summer. But many of our poorer ancestors had little to celebrate. So much so, that in medieval times many would use a specifi c day known as Hallowmas in the Autumn calendar to go from door to door in their neighbourhood in search of food. In return they would off er to pray for the souls of the dead on All Souls’ Day. Th e carving of turnips into lanterns was also a way of remembering the dead, and those in purgatory. Th e Celts celebrated the end of summer in a festival known as Samhain or Samuin and together these celebrations and practices have developed into the festival

we now know as Halloween.Following mass transatlantic migration during the 19th Century, the Celtic and religious practices relating to Halloween arrived on the shores of the new world. Th e festival has since burgeoned …mass commercialism, parties on grandscales and elaborate costumes. US television series and fi lms revel in the celebration and as oft happens American trends swiftly appear on this side of the Pond. Whilst local customs and cultures still have their infl uence upon the festival, Halloween is now recognised across the world.I wonder what memories and emotions are evoked when you hear the word Halloween? Do you remember parties in your neighbourhood or art and craft sessions in school? Perhaps you went trick-or-treating, or played

apple bobbing at home.As you got older did horror movies and sharing scarystories in sleepovers became the norm? Looking back does it seem innocent fun or something a little more sinister?Th is melting pot celebration has all but lost its original meaning. Th e Celtic practices, religious rituals and folk traditions have all combined to create a holiday in which ghouls and ghosts, pranks, games and veiled threats party. But it can also become a launching pad for dabbling in the occult. Th ink of Ouija boards and séances. Many believe the veil becomes thinner for those seeking to communicate with the dead on All Hallows Eve.So as Christians what should our attitude be?Some Christians in America have used this festival to share their faith by creating ‘Hell Houses’. 17

18

Seen by some as an extreme form of evangelism houses become ‘haunted attractions’. Using imagery and drama they depict hell and the consequences of sin, whilst also offering the message of the Gospel. Other Christians use the opportunity of trick or treating to chat to families in their neighborhoods and offering Christian tracts. UCB is currently providing free Bags of Hope for just this sort of evangelism. Churches have more recently begun to host non – Halloween events, often known as Light Parties, giving children the opportunity to have fun whilst being safe. Yet still others argue that we should be witnesses within the community on the night not staying safe within our church walls. Other Christians see no reason to condemn or boycott Halloween parties and rituals, explains that in most cases they are just innocent fun, and by condemning we simply draw more attention to them.

So what do you think about Halloween – harmless fun, something to be ignored, or

something we should actively oppose?

I have deliberately played devil’s advocate here – excuse the unfortunate term! But growing up as a nonbeliever these issues never crossed my mind. Yet now as a Christian and a mother I am challenged on how to deal with Halloween.We shall open the discussion on the Magazine Face Book page and welcome comments in our paper suggestion box. It would be good to share views and experiences as we approach Halloween this year.

“We consider Halloween as a scary time of year, not harmless fun at all as witches are active in the Win-chester area, however it is a time to witness and give a Christian alternative.”

snapshot pol l

‘Whilst we have never allowed our children to attend Halloween parties or go Treat or Treating I am a bit more relaxed about the whole thing than I used to be. For many people it is just a commmercially driven harmless bit of fun with the opportunity to dress up on one evening. As a Christian I believe that there are much more important issues that I need to turn my attention to.’

“As a child being brought up in a Christian home, I remember always feeling very frustrated that my parents would never allow me to go trick or treating with my friends. I felt distinctly like I was missing out, until, aged 15 I went trick or treating while sleeping over at a friend’s house. All I remember is the embarrassment at knocking on complete strangers doors, asking for sweets, when I was so aware that I had plenty of food, including sweets, waiting for me back at my friends house. I’ve never been since, and if I have children I won’t be taking them trick or treating...sorry kids.”

“My parent’s Christian values, gently taught and explained, became the foundation for my faith and my view of the world. From a young age I was able to make informed independent decisions about the kinds of programmes, films and experiences I wanted to expose myself to. On the plus side, I did get to go to a Brownies Halloween party (which resembled the opposite of Halloween, a ‘light’ party) and won best prize for being dressed as a star...! Take that witches, ghouls and ghosts!”

I like to think of thoughts as living blossoms borne by the human tree.

~James Douglas

yy y

19

When you are asked to think about the word ‘attitude’, many different things come to mind. For example: Was I asked to write an article on attitude because people think that I have got one? (No comments please, Tim) However, when you think about it a bit more deeply, the attitude you have to any situation, person, job, house or subject affects how you feel, behave, interact with others and ultimately experience life. Maybe this is why the bible talks about it so often, time and time again we are reminded to think of the Heavenly perspective (Phil 3:19-21), to give thanks IN all circumstances (1 Thess 5:17-19) and see others as God sees them to mention a few. Maybe the reason that so much is written about the importance of having a good, positive and Godly attitude is partly because it is easier said than done. When you walk through the doors of Church on a Sunday morning slightly late, frazzled from a manic morning, after a sleep deprived night and your child throws themselves on the floor declaring “I want to go HOME!” whilst simultaneously all the coats and bags filled with snacks, drinks, packed lunch, spare clothes, wipes, toys, first aid kit etc fall to the floor with a huge thud disturbing at least two rows of people, as a result of your child pulling your bags off your shoulder in their dramatic declaration, it is very hard to keep a ‘heavenly’ perspective.

However, the bible says God knows our frail conditions, that He knows us inside out and that He places us in a “family” of believers. Most importantly the bible promises that God never slumbers or sleeps and He is always watching us (Ps 121) and therefore has seen all our efforts and knows our hearts even if others don’t. Church is a place to be welcomed, accepted and even loved. By working to keep positive attitudes we can help each other to achieve what Jesus means when He says that His true followers will stand out “if they love one another.” ( John 13: 34-36) When I have the privilege of working with young people who are living in circumstances that would quite honestly defeat most adults, the biggest factor in whether they not only survive but succeed is their attitude. One of the great things about attitudes and feelings is that they are things we can actually choose to change. Sometimes by simply finding something good in a situation, (Phil 4:8) or something to be thankful for can really change our mood, how we see things and ultimately how we act and react to others. I am thankful for many people over the years that helped me to do that, simply by being themselves and being a friend. Hopefully I have helped others to do that also. Maybe this is something that we can all help each other in and if we do so, we might even achieve in part, what Paul describes as not being conformed to the patterns of this world, but we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Rom 12:2)

Who knows, maybe this might result in our friends and neighbours and even our families noticing a difference in us because of our faith and we might even stand out as different because of our love for one another as Jesus said His followers should.

19

20

DAN MYERS

IEL

If you’re trying to achieve , there will be roadblocks . I ’ve had them;

everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run

into a wall , don’t turn around and give up . F igure out how to cl imb it ,

go through it , or work around it . Michael Jordan

“ “I love sports. Basketball, surfing, dance you name it and I’ll like it. There are times when I feel like I could just do that all the time, a life of playing sports. I’m sure the same applies to some of you other guys - although maybe it involves reading a good book, seeing friends or family, or even just playing video games.

But this article isn’t really to talk about our attitudes towards what we love doing: its purpose is to ask you, is your attitude towards living a life like Christ the same as it is towards doing the things you like to do?

Ephesians 5:10-11 says ‘Carefully determine what pleases

the Lord. Take no part in the worthless

deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.’

It’s easy to walk the worldly path, say joining in the bad language with your friends at school, but is it pleasing God?

Is your attitude focused on pleasing the Lord in every situation? I won’t lie to you and say its something I can do, but its something I’m working hard to do my best, with a positive attitude to Christ as I do so.

As Ephesians 5:8 writes, ‘Once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of the

light!. ‘

Living as people of the light doesn’t have to mean preaching to people all the time. It could be reading the Bible more frequently, or even helping someone with something small. As long as you do it with a good attitude, you’re living more as people of the light than you were before. So I challenge you, think about your actions and attitudes daily and consider, are you living as Christ would want?

JUST DO IT...

The Opus Prize is given annually to recognize unsung heroes of any faith tradition, anywhere in the world, solving today’s most persistent social problems. This $1 million faith-based humanitarian award and two $100,000 awards are collectively one of the world’s largest faith-based, humanitarian awards for social innovation.

Lyn and Jo Lusi

One of the real fundaments of Lyn Lusi’s ministry and service – every aspect of which is grounded in a deep and abiding faith – is based on a learned perspective that the plague of sexual violence and war, which has touched nearly every family in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is an affliction that requires healing not only for the woman who has been brutally ravaged, but also for her family, neighbors, community and for Congolese society as a whole. Like someone’s shadow, the aftermath of brutality in the DRC follows its citizens everywhere, and the shame of what women and children have experienced makes it almost unspeakable.

The war has claimed six million lives since 1996, and mass rape continues to be used as a weapon of war, one that is often spreading HIV/AIDS to the survivors. The horrific pattern of rape in the Congo is staggering and historic in its scope, and Lyn and her husband started the HEAL Africa Hospital in Goma as a pioneer in holistic care for the Congolese people, addressing the physical, social and spiritual needs of its patients. Since 2003, HEAL Africa has performed more than 1,500 fistula repair surgeries, provided primary care and post-rape counseling to over 30,000 women, established 31 Safe Houses, trained 90,000 community activists in HIV/AIDS prevention and care and funded over 1,500 micro grants for families.

HEAL Africa’s medical, social and economic initiatives cultivate peace and development and are grounded in both Lyn and the community’s spirituality, and the belief that lasting change cannot be imposed but comes from within communities themselves.

Lyn Lusi is the co-founder and Program Director of HEAL Africa, an NGO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that works to transform individuals and communities shattered by the atrocities and gender violence associated with the war that has been raging for more than 15 years. She came to the Congo (formerly Zaire) from England in 1971 as a teacher with the Baptist Missionary Society. In 1974, she fell in love and married a Congolese physician, Dr. Kasereka M. “Jo” Lusi, and worked in school and hospital administration in Congo for the next 19 years. After earning her master’s degree in Human Resource Development and Training, Lyn and Dr. Jo founded HEAL Africa, bringing her formidable administrative, program and people skills to the survivors of violence and rape in the DRC. In 2002, when a volcano destroyed the original hospital, the couple rebuilt HEAL Africa’s medical facility one wing at a time.

The long and brutal war in the mineral rich Democratic Republic of the Congo has claimed more lives than any conflict since World War II. It is a fight over Congo’s natural resources including gold, diamonds and coltan, a raw material used in cell phones and laptop computers. There is also a shadow “War within a War” of mass rape linked to HIV transmission targeting women and children. Last year alone in one DRC province, some 42,000 women and children were estimated to have survived rape, according to Global Rights.

The United Nations declared the DRC to be “…the worst place on earth to be a woman or girl.”

While Dr. Jo is the public face of HEAL Africa, Lyn Lusi provides quiet service as a faith-filled woman who exudes every characteristic of a servant leader, and who credits the brave women of the Congo with building a better future for themselves, their families, and their country.

www . opusprize . orgEXCERPTS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM OPUS PRIZE WEBSITE21

Dear Friends,

Th ere are many who look at the problems of Congo as beyond repair - how do you "fi x" acountry that´s been devastated by years of ongoing confl ict? How do you mend brokenrelationships? How do you rebuild where everything was destroyed? How do you re-startlife where so many lives have been lost?

In 2008, a devastating massacre took place in the town of Kiwanja, a few hours North ofGoma. Over 150 people were killed, many of them young men. Th ousands of people fl edtheir homes and were forced to live in Internally Displaced People´s camps (IDP camps).As fi ghting has calmed in the areas in and around Kiwanja, refugees have begun thediffi cult process of returning home, resettling and re-building their lives. A lot has changedin the years since they left. In some places land boundaries are no longer clear, in others,someone else is farming the fi eld of a returning refugee. Many will return to fi nd theirhomes destroyed. Th is is where the unprecedented work of HEAL Africa´s NehemiahCommittee comes in.

Th e Kiwanja Nehemiah Committee formed as displaced people were beginning to returnhome - most of the committee members were themselves displaced and beginning theprocess of returning and resettling. In the 140 committees that exist in the areas HEALAfrica works, all are comprised of tribal and religious leaders, 40% of the members arewomen, and most have a male and female youth representative in order to begin trainingthe next generation of leaders.

Th e Kiwanja Nehemiah Committee began to assist returning members of the communityby helping them settle land ownership disputes, boundary disputes, confl icts betweenneighbours, and a host of other problems that come with a large group of people resettlingat once. Th e committees are trusted because every tribe and religion is represented.Unlike the local police or government, which are likely to be biased or want a bribe, theNehemiah Committees listen fairly to disputes, and use their training in confl ict resolutionto help all parties reach an agreement. Th ere is no way to measure the violence this hasprevented, the lives their work has improved or the stability it provides to a fragilecommunity. Th ey go about their work not for credit or glory, but because they aremembers of the same community, with a deep desire to see a lasting peace in the areasthey live, work and raise their children.

To those of you who continue to support the work of HEAL Africa and groups like theNehemiah Committees, we extend our deepest thanks. If you are not already, would youconsider becoming a recurring donor? A one time or monthly gift - large or small - helpskeep steady support going to critical programs like these.

With the thanks of all of HEAL Africa´s staff , peace to you.

Judith AndersonExecutive Director

22

23 JORDAN

When I wrote in the last magazine (great job; thank you Melissa and Co.) I was giving some thought as to how the wider church might respond to the increasingly acute need to provide ‘whole-person care’ and comfort to those who are nearing the end of life. We are thinking about that here at WBC, of course, but so are hundreds of others, Christians and unbelievers. God does, of course, engage with many men and women who would not necessarily profess saving faith in the grace of Jesus, which is a churchy way of saying, “We don’t have the inside track on being kind to people.”

Various events in my life have caused me to think a great deal about our attitude to ‘end of life’ matters. When it’s not up, close and personal we avoid thinking about it. We use euphemisms to describe death; “popping clogs, passing on, meeting our Maker, and as the great hymn goes, “Treading the Verge of Jordan”, and so on. We might thoughtfully but not too sorrowfully take a trip along to the solicitors to write our wills, but that’s an accepted, business-like way of organising our affairs after which, we emerge into the sunlight again and go for a café latte and a bun. And life goes on. But when it is all a little more immediate… in what I call, “Departure Lounge Moments”, matters are brought into slightly sharper focus. Hannah and I spend quite a bit of time there one way and another. I don’t mind at all; in fact I quite enjoy it. It’s something of an adventure -

rather like pushing through the fur coats with Peter, Edmund and Lucy in the back of The Wardrobe. (Stop me if I am being insensitive or irreverent.) The truth is that much of the time we just haven’t thought it all through very much…

Only yesterday I had a precious time with an elderly lady during which we talked about heaven (again – she has a degree, or six, of dementia) and I pressed on, knowing she has faith, with encouraging thoughts about the joy of meeting Jesus face-to-face, discovering she has legs that can run again and a heart that won’t stagger and stutter at the sheer exertion of it all. She smiled. Clearly, this is not something she has given much thought to in her nearly ninety years. It’s not her fault. We don’t talk about it much – even in churches. Thinking about it is usually in refrained, refined, theological terms. We prayed together and I asked the Holy Spirit to come to her and to show her a glimpse of heaven, to reassure her and encourage her. I observe that when God does this, folk often soon let go and set off on the next leg of this fantastic, miraculous journey we are all on, in much the same way as we gaze longingly at beautiful gleaming beaches in a holiday brochure and just long to be there. God is very gracious. He does that for those who have a relationship with Him and He seems to delay the flight for those who need to sort themselves out. It doesn’t always happen that way

but I have observed it. Not that everyone I talk to surrenders their lives to Jesus… but a lot have, which is one of the joys of doing what we do. And then I have the privilege of taking their funerals and celebrating these stories, often with unbelieving families, and seeing God do more than you ever dared to dream! God is so kind! He is lovely, and wise, and has perfected the art of Holy Pincer Movements around those, whose hearts are not far off (and in some glorious cases, those whose hearts are, at least from my far-too-judgemental viewpoint, a long way off ). He is an Ace-Gatherer and I want to be like that too. Just to gather people in. It’s what shepherds do at the end of the day. When I had sheep, I wouldn’t have dreamt of leaving them outside, at risk, so I called them to shelter.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of working alongside Ian McCormack for a week. (Ian died and went to heaven, after being on the receiving end of too much toxin from a bunch of hostile Box jellyfish. Remarkably, Ian came back to life... in the mortuary!). Being with Ian seemed to infect me with something of heaven’s perspective. I will run out of adequate vocabulary here… he, quite simply, had one foot (toe?) still in heaven. St Paul had the same and, clearly, it deeply impacted him also… “I know a man…” (Read it for yourself in II Corinthians 12). Ian prayed and prophesied over me with some extraordinary out-workings and I

treading th

e

ofverge

JORDAN

When I wrote in the last magazine (great job; thank you Melissa and Co.) I was giving some thought as to how the wider church might respond to the increasingly acute need to provide ‘whole-person care’ and comfort to those who are nearing the end of life. We are thinking about that here at WBC, of course, but so are hundreds of others, Christians and unbelievers. God does, of course, engage with many men and women who would not necessarily profess saving faith in the grace of Jesus, which is a churchy way of saying, “We don’t have the inside track on being kind to people.”

Various events in my life have caused me to think a great deal about our attitude to ‘end of life’ matters. When it’s not up, close and personal we avoid thinking about it. We use euphemisms to describe death; “popping clogs, passing on, meeting our Maker, and as the great hymn goes, “Treading the Verge of Jordan”, and so on. We might thoughtfully but not too sorrowfully take a trip along to the solicitors to write our wills, but that’s an accepted, business-like way of organising our affairs after which, we emerge into the sunlight again and go for a café latte and a bun. And life goes on. But when it is all a little more immediate… in what I call, “Departure Lounge Moments”, matters are brought into slightly sharper focus. Hannah and I spend quite a bit of time there one way and another. I don’t mind at all; in fact I quite enjoy it. It’s something of an adventure -

rather like pushing through the fur coats with Peter, Edmund and Lucy in the back of The Wardrobe. (Stop me if I am being insensitive or irreverent.) The truth is that much of the time we just haven’t thought it all through very much…

Only yesterday I had a precious time with an elderly lady during which we talked about heaven (again – she has a degree, or six, of dementia) and I pressed on, knowing she has faith, with encouraging thoughts about the joy of meeting Jesus face-to-face, discovering she has legs that can run again and a heart that won’t stagger and stutter at the sheer exertion of it all. She smiled. Clearly, this is not something she has given much thought to in her nearly ninety years. It’s not her fault. We don’t talk about it much – even in churches. Thinking about it is usually in refrained, refined, theological terms. We prayed together and I asked the Holy Spirit to come to her and to show her a glimpse of heaven, to reassure her and encourage her. I observe that when God does this, folk often soon let go and set off on the next leg of this fantastic, miraculous journey we are all on, in much the same way as we gaze longingly at beautiful gleaming beaches in a holiday brochure and just long to be there. God is very gracious. He does that for those who have a relationship with Him and He seems to delay the flight for those who need to sort themselves out. It doesn’t always happen that way

but I have observed it. Not that everyone I talk to surrenders their lives to Jesus… but a lot have, which is one of the joys of doing what we do. And then I have the privilege of taking their funerals and celebrating these stories, often with unbelieving families, and seeing God do more than you ever dared to dream! God is so kind! He is lovely, and wise, and has perfected the art of Holy Pincer Movements around those, whose hearts are not far off (and in some glorious cases, those whose hearts are, at least from my far-too-judgemental viewpoint, a long way off ). He is an Ace-Gatherer and I want to be like that too. Just to gather people in. It’s what shepherds do at the end of the day. When I had sheep, I wouldn’t have dreamt of leaving them outside, at risk, so I called them to shelter.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of working alongside Ian McCormack for a week. (Ian died and went to heaven, after being on the receiving end of too much toxin from a bunch of hostile Box jellyfish. Remarkably, Ian came back to life... in the mortuary!). Being with Ian seemed to infect me with something of heaven’s perspective. I will run out of adequate vocabulary here… he, quite simply, had one foot (toe?) still in heaven. St Paul had the same and, clearly, it deeply impacted him also… “I know a man…” (Read it for yourself in II Corinthians 12). Ian prayed and prophesied over me with some extraordinary out-workings and I

treading th

e

ofverge

24

am not saying a word more. I am staying tight-lipped on that one. It was as though he knew… there was a vital connection… a sharp awareness of heaven that most of us simply don’t have.

Recently, I read Todd Burpo’s book (Heaven is for real) about his very young (four year-old) son, Colton, who apparently visited heaven, met the Lord, glimpsed all sorts of things that tiny children could never know about in the natural, and was totally changed! Later, his exasperated father tried to explain to Colton why he should not dash across the road in front of cars… that he would end up looking like some nearby road-kill… to which Colton replied, “Oh good! That means I can go to heaven again!” Changed, you see. Quite remarkably changed. Just one glimpse!

As many of you know, I lost my late-wife Alison who died from breast cancer in 2004. Her radiance and total acceptance of her destiny with Jesus was so real as God stepped up the revelation in her last days and weeks that she challenged the palliative care consultant in no uncertain terms with, “You’re not trying to keep me alive, are you? I have been trying to climb onto His lap for the last month. I don’t want you doing anything to stop me now!” And at the very end, it was quite simply awesome… for me, I mean. Of course it was awesome for her! Yes, I did feel ripped to bits, believe me, I am not hard of heart, but somehow, sheer proximity of heaven overtook my loss and grief. Just one glimpse, you see…

So what’s the point of all this? Well, I am convinced that we spend too much effort trying to stay here. Earthbound not heaven

bound, in a manner of speaking. Medical advances are such that a frightening proportion of us (or at least our children) will reach the age of a hundred. The technology is there… up to a point. What we observe is that hearts and lungs, kidneys and livers, legs and arms all work longer with suitable interventions, but some bits of our mortal bodies do not. Our brains still wear out and dementias, strokes and neurological conditions increasingly exact a high price for those extra years. Is this really right? Humanists and their ilk are pushing politicians hard for the most un-Godly moves towards “end of life management”. Switzerland is hard at it already and those filthy waters lap our shores. It is time we, the church, took a closer look at heaven and we start telling it the way it is. It may well change the way we pray, witness… live even! My experiences have definitely changed the way I preach. I’m still up for seeking God for astonishing healings and grave-defying moments but, on days, I have seen even more significant and remarkable happenings: children going home to Father.

“And I will dwell in the family home of the Lord forever”

Psalm 23 verse 6

“Lord Jesus Christ, High King of Heaven, give me a glimpse of my

eternal hope in You. Excite my heart with the promise of things

to come that I might become bold in telling others and, in

these last days, confident to bring heaven to earth.

Amen

“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work. “ Mother Teresa

David Strutt

winbap youththe edge - fresh - friday club

N EW SINSIDE this issue... The Egyptian Nightmarethe dark chapters...are you game?

Soul Survivor - what you said, what they said....

Tabby talks Peter Symonds....

Read a 1st timer’s experience @ Soul Survivor.

Winbap Youth News October/November 2011 Page 2

The Dark Chapters series tell three of the darker stories from the Bible. The three books in the series, The Egyptian Nightmare (the story of Pharaoh), Izevel, Queen of Darkness (the story of Jezebel) and The Sky Will Fall (the story of Samson), focus on the story of one character from the Bible and see how their life compares to how God wants us to live. They also examine what happens as a consequence of them not following God’s plan for their lives. The text does not sensationalise the horrific aspects of each story for entertainment’s sake, and therefore trivialise what it has to say. On the contrary, each retold account uses the more fantastic and gruesome epsiodes of each character’s story to grip the reader and draw them into assessing why these events take place. The reader is asked throughout the books to consider questions about the nature of God, how we should live as Christians, what value we place on things of this world - power, wealth, influence or popularity - and what God values. Pharaoh is ruler of all he surveys. His kingdom is prosperous and his monuments are being built at a fantastic rate by his Hebrew slaves. However, when Moses and Aaron turn up and demand the release of the Israelites to go and worship the Lord in the

desert, Pharaoh’s grip on power and authority starts to loosen. As each horrific plague is followed by the next, Pharaoh refuses to listen to either Moses or his son Ibiya. He desperately tries to maintain control over the kingdom, convinced that if his priests and people honour their gods, they will overcome the Hebrew menace. However, his stubbornness drives his country to desctruction as he first loses the respect of the people, then his own son, and finally his own life. The Egyptian Nightmare focuses on the Pharaoh and his son, as they experience each plague. We see Pharaoh’s relationship with Moses and Aaron veer wildly from anger to pride to shame to defiance. We also see Moses, though struggling with the destruction and suffering he is called upon to unleash, determinedly following God’s call on his life. Through the character of Ibiya, Pharaoh’s son and heir, the reader is able to address the tough questions of the story - why is all this suffering necessary? What is the cause of the plagues? What does this whole story tell me about God’s character and where does it sit in the wider story of the Bible?

by Hannah McFarlane

Now available in the church

library!

How do I borrow a book?Easy! You will find a book on the shelf and all you need to do is sign the book out with your name and date. To return a book please sign it back in and put it back in its alphabetical place on the shelf please.

What if the book I want is not held in the library?If there is a book that you cannot find in the library first check that we have a copy in the catalogue.If not let me know and we will see if we can get it in.Alternatively buy the book, read it then donate it to the library!

Can I give my cast off books to the library?Thank you to all those who do donate books but we request that only books in good condition, reasonably up to date or relevant books can be donated. Just email me with your list as space is limited!If you have particularly enjoyed a book from the library please write a brief comment about it under your name when returned – Thank you.

Please do not hesitate to contact me, preferably via email if you have any books to donate or with any book suggestions or reviews that you are bursting to tell everyone about.

Clare Smith

How to borrow from the church library...

Why not be the first to read about the dark chapters God placed in the bible....

Winbap Youth News October/November 2011 Page 3

The late night worship.

The worship was awesome, it beats everything else by far!

favourite bits....

Hanging out with peeps.

The big talks in the big top! Daniel le Strickland was real ly good (Shaloooommmmeeee Baby!)

favourite camp songs

OUr God is able

For the Lord

Raised to lifewe overcome

He defeated the grave

In His name

albums to look out for....

Soul survivorSoul survivor was an experience I will not forget. We worshipped God, slept better/worse than at home, listened to the girls scream at night by the guys scaring them, and played games to pass the time. If I can, I know I want to go to Soul Survivor next year. That is definite.

In those five days we got more of an understanding between God and those we camped with. It was quite amusing with the jokes going around, such as the “So. You sleeping naked tonight?” Courtesy of Toby, Steve, Eden and Luke who were all in one tent.

While we were there, we listened to Mike Pillavachi’s amazing preaching, we sang songs of worship and many of us came home as stronger Christians.

Soul survivor was a life-changing thing. If you get the chance to go, take it.

Caelan

Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is? Frank Scully

Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays. ~Søren Kierkegaard

Youth Prayer and Praise

Autumn 2011PRAISE God for SOUL SURVIVOR this

summer. 13 Young people came along, with 5 of our fantastic lead-ers and helpers. We worshipped

God, enjoyed listening to and being challenged by fantastic

talks from Mike P, Danielle Strickland and Australian ‘Sanga Samways’.

We hung out and prayed for each other, and generally had a brilliant

time.

PRAISE God for all He has done in each of our youth over the sum-mer through the various summer

camps.

PRAISE God for the young people’s openness to the Holy Spirit and

His leading in the gifts of the Spirit, and PRAY that the young people

would be equipped through Word and Spirit to use their gifts wisely

and generously for the glory of the Lord.

PRAY for the YOUTH WORK this term will help meet the young people’s spiritual, emotional and social needs and that God would continue the good work He has started in each and every one of them.

PRAY for The EDGE this term as they plan for the next youth-led service on the evening of the 4th December.

PRAISE God for a great new team of leaders and helpers at the EDGE. Thank you Tom, Don and Melissa!

PRAISE God for a great first autumn term session at FRIDAY CLUB, with 9 young people who came along to take up the biscuit making and decorating challenge.

PRAY that the young people would bring more and more of their friends to Friday Club this term, and that over time it would become a fantastic expression of the ‘out’ element of our Cluster model.

Pray that numbers would continue to grow so that we can carry on running this group.

PRAISE God for another great term with FRESH last term, looking at God’s Word and having fun in His presence together. PRAY for all our newcomers and the existing group, that they would gel well and be welcoming and encour-aging to those settling into a new environment.

PRAY for the CITY-WIDE YOUTH ALPHA, being held at the fantastic youth café, Re:fresh, (St John’s House, the Broadway). This course is open to all youth in the city and for the first time we will have young people who use the café coming along to hear the gospel and share their views in exploring the meaning of life. PRAY for technology to work, Leaders, Helpers, Food, and most of all, for LOTS of young people to come to know how much God loves and cherishes them. Please pray for us for the next 10 weeks!

PRAY for all our leaders and helpers across the three youth provisions and beyond, that they would be equipped, empowered and encouraged in all that they do to serve the young people of our church and city.

Changes in Life

The stigma attached to Christians is that we bug people about Jesus who clearly don’t want to know, well that’s their side to it, so when you don’t know anyone, and starting a new school that’s a pretty scary thing to be attached to, which I didn’t want to be attached too. So for days I started to think about the perfect balance about being open with my faith to people, making it obvious and not being an absolute pain.

One thing that God really helped me with through my nervousness of starting college was that he was there all around me, but I didn’t even notice. All around the college were posters of bible verses which had been put there by the Christian Union, which I hadn’t noticed were on the wall of most of my classes and around the campus, relating to what I was going through, which was an amazing experience that God is always looking out for me, even when I’m feeling nervous/scared or even excited. I now know that I shouldn’t be worried about expressing my faith in front of new people.

Taby

Peter Symonds Christian Union

Meet every Monday1 - 1.50pm

in Room 306John Shields

Regular Guest Speakers invited

Th is little gem popped up at in the sidebar of my Facebook page today:

"Cheryl Cole Lost 16kg"'Cheryl Cole cut down 4kg of belly fat every week by following this 1 simple weight loss secret!'

Now obviously, the intention here is to get women everywhere to go, 'YES! Finally, I too can be skinny! And simply by discovering this ONE secret, which presumably all the scientists, nutritionists, journalists and everyone else in the media was hiding from me for so long. Whatever could it be?!'

But that, my friends, would be silly. Clearly you are all highly intelligent, emotionally sensitive and otherwise glorious people, else you wouldn't be reading this blog. So I take it that you realise that a) Cheryl Cole does not have 16kg of fat on her entire body, let alone her 'belly'; and that b) this post is frankly a lie and there is no 'one' secret to losing weight.

Th is wouldn't bother me so much if blatant lies in advertisements hadn't become somewhat of an epidemic; the media seem to think that we as consumers are brain-dead, intellectually defunct cretins who will believe anything they tell us. My delicious mid-morning snack of apple and Onken vanilla yoghurt was somewhat ruined by the label's claim that it contained 'lacticiviscumis acidiregulibatum' or something equally as pseudo-sciencey sounding. Please. No-one is buying this any more. Actimel, listen up. I have not met one person that actually believes that when you consume one of those tiny, environmentally disastrous individual plastic bottles of yoghurt*, tiny teams of bacteria dressed like little Smurfs and with teeny bottles of tummy disinfectant, leap into action and start vigorously scrubbing at your insides like Kim

We’re all eating smurfsand Aggie with a Dustbuster.I can’t say it’s not entertaining to watch and listen to all the rubbish that spews from the advertisers’ relentless campaign of dumbing-down; but it is a little bit unnecessary. Just thought I’d throw that one out there in case any PR departments want to save themselves a lot of time, a small amount of thought, and quite a bit of money that they’re currently spending on a voice coach to teach Z-list celebrities how to pronounce their made-up jargon.As I’ve been tapping out this post, another ad has popped up on my Facebook page:

“Jenifer Lopez’ Amazing Diet”‘J-Lo cut down 16kg of belly fat in two months by following these 2 simple weird diet tips.’

Well sounds to me like J-Lo needs to have a word with Chezza Cole; she’s doing it in half the time and with only one magical guideline.

And with that, I’m off to have a kitus katus chunkylarisitium.

*sorry to anyone that is disappointed by this revelation that it is in fact, just that- yoghurt. While you’re here, you might want to talk to your parents about the tooth fairy, too.

Hannah Canavan is a 22 year old Mum who writes an increasingly popular blog. If you enjoyed this then take a look at Hannah’s blog nonchavyoungmum . blogspot .com

Hannah Canavan

USED WITH PERM

ISSION

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Remember us....

What have you been doing?For the last year I have been with BMS World mission taking a gap year. I spent one month training in Birmingham with 33 other ‘gap yearers’ being prepared for everything and anything that i will need overseas. I then spent 6 months in South Africa working in a township called Soshanguve, which was tough but really grew me. I ended my time with BMS by doing a 2 month tour, spending a week in 8 different churches. Working alongside them, leading groups and doing talks. Overall a big growing experience!

How long were you at Winbap?For 13 years! Since Huff-daddy became the pastor here!

Best memory if you have one of your time at Winbap?My baptism and the incredible support and encouragement the church gave me.

What would you like us to pray for you?That I will find a church to get settled into, make lasting friendships and be able to juggle work and a social life!

Alice HuffmanUniversity of Bristol

MedicineWhat have you been doing?I have been studying at Peter Symonds College for the past two years which has been fantastic.

How long were you at Winbap?All my life - 19years apart from a couple of years at the planting of Harestock church.

Best memory if you have one of your time at Winbap?My baptism which was a bit spontaneous but very exciting! However I also have many happy memories of my time in the children’s’ groups and at The Edge.

What would you like us to pray for you?That I can find a really good church which will be somewhere that I feel really at home and can focus on God, strengthen my relationship with Him and not lose sight of Him. I think it’s important to be part of something outside of uni, I’d love to get involved in children’s work in a church. That I‘ll settle into university life quickly and be be confident and not feel homesick! Lastly, I’ll get involved in uni and make the most of my time there.Also thank you for the wonderful time that I‘ve had at Winbap.

Jo IsaacLiverpool University

PsychologyWhat have you been doing?The last year I have been working for a private Nursery which has been really fun! Last year I finished Symonds without the results I needed, so I was sort of forced into a year out! Not having any plans, it was hard watching almost all my friends leave not knowing what to do next, and being unwell at the time. The Nursery job was such a gift from God.

How long were you at Winbap? Far toooo long! About 14 years! I’ve grown up at Winbap and stayed when my parents moved to NWCC when I was about 12.

Best memory of Winbap?Maybe being Baptised in year 11; Going to SA and Lesotho with Winbap was incredible too. Staying in a Lesotho village with Becca was probably my highlight.I loved being part of the edge and have made some friends that I hope to keep for life there.

What would you like us to pray for you?That I settle into a good church in Worcester, quickly find new christian friends at uni and local churches.

Lauren SylvesterWorcester University Degree in Early Years

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What have you been doing?I’ve just left college having finished my A Levels.

How long were you at Winbap?I’ve been attending Winbap 7 years.

Best memory if you have one of your time at Winbap?I’m pretty sure that my best memory was trying to explain the Gospel using props from church at edge with Becki Baker - (We were both extremely dippy and didn’t quite get the task... we ended up returning to the youth room wearing crowns with a baby doll in a cradle). Closely followed by the Edge week away in Wales in 2008. The whole week was so funny, a great time for building freindships and a real chance to come closer to God.

What would you like us to pray for you?For safety in travelling - I will be going out on my own which is quite daunting, also I will be living with a native host family who don’t speak English - so definitely need prayer for communication!!And also that I’ll be able to meet my financial goal, as it is quite high.

Emily “Millie” Smith Latin Link

Going to South America

Sunday Lunch 13th November

MenuCoq au vin

(Chicken in a wine sauce with mushrooms and bacon)

OrMoroccan Pork

(Pork in a sauce with apricots and fresh herbs)Or

SausagesOr

Creamy leek croustade(Crumble base containing nuts, topped with leeks

and tomatoes in a white sauce)

Potatoes/RiceSelection of vegetables

Puddings

Tea/Coffee

£3 Adult £1.50 Child (12 & under)

(Email carolyn.breakwell@googlemail.com)

It is time again for a church lunch and to welcome our new students to Winchester. The lunch is open to the whole church family, as the students want to meet you all! Lunch will be served at 12.45ish, after our morning service and coffee, so please come and join us. It does get over subscribed so don’t wait to be asked, see Carolyn Breakwell and get booked in.

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…..that was the challenge that August Basson very publicly left Barry and me on his last Sunday at WBC back in May!

August Basson is a missionary in Lesotho with AIM (African Inland Mission). He and his family are based in Maphutseng and are leading a Conservation Agriculture Program, through a project called Growing Nations (GN). Their desire is to see local people farm their land:using the tools and resources that are readily available to them, in a way that does not damage the soil, so that crop yields are sufficient to support the farmers and their families so that God’s glory and provision is seen by all. Since our first visit back in 2005 with a group from this church Barry and I have continued to support GN in various ways, including visiting them once or twice a year ever since. Between us we have spent almost twelve months out in Lesotho working in various areas of the project.

The day prior to going out to Lesotho for a visit back in March, I was officially made redundant. Knowing this, it surprisingly only took August about 30 minutes upon our arrival, for him to ask us to consider becoming even more involved in the project and possibly even moving out to Lesotho for a period of time.

Now he was reminding us of the request and really challenging us to do something about it.

This is obviously a mammoth decision to make! What would happen to Barry’s business, my career and to our home? How would we manage without our dear friends and family, not to mention the fantastic fellowship from WBC? Was this really something that God was calling us to do, or was it just one of those crazy ideas that you have from time to time, when you think…. what if ?

It shouldn’t have come as such a shock to us really, for every time we returned from a trip people would automatically ask us when we were going out there again. Some had even asked us before whether we could ever see ourselves going out there to work but our answer had always been that we were of more use to the project doing what we did back in the UK and visiting the Bassons, to encourage and support them…but this no longer seemed to be the case!

The work of GN’s is having an amazing impact upon the local community. People are becoming self sufficient for the first time in many years. Training is being given to pastor’s, agricultural graduates, business people, school children and widows, in fact anyone who is genuinely interested in supporting themselves and learning more about God’s amazing provision for them.

We have witnessed amazing changes in people’s hearts as God has worked in their lives

and brought about a change of perspective from a world viewpoint to a Christ like viewpoint. Passed hurts have been healed, people have been released to become the person God always intended them to be and lives have been saved, both physically and spiritually. And it’s all to God’s glory.

Having prayed, chatted it through with friends and family, prayed some more, listened to God, prayed again, tested out some of the other normal possibilities, like me just going out and getting another job and prayed yet again, (you can never pray about seeking God’s will for your life too much!) we finally came to a point where we were convicted that this was what God was indeed calling us to do.

So what will we be doing? Well in short we will be using the skills that God has already given us. Barry will continue to document the work that is going on out there both photographically and through the writing of articles, reports and presentations. He will be marketing the project and continuing to run GN’s website. We will both be involved in delivering some of the leadership training including the teaching of business skills and mentoring of the pastors. I will become the COO (Chief Operations Officer) and will be responsible for putting policies and procedures in place, particularly in respect of finances. Together with August we will also be preparing grant applications to

just do it...

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help continue funding the work and potentially deliver the training in other African countries, which August has already been invited to. The overall objective is to train local Basotho people, so that they have the right skill sets to carry on this work in the future. Effectively we will be doing ourselves out of a job and with that in mind are therefore planning to be away for two years.

It’s a BIG step of faith for us both and one which we could not undertake it is were not for the fact that we are assured that God will be with us and that he will equip us with everything that we will need. (Proverbs 16 v 3)

We are currently in the process of applying to go out to Lesotho with AIM and are busy filling out various applications forms. Interviews will then follow and assuming that we are accepted by AIM there will be various training courses to attend and finances to raise before we can head off to Africa.

We will keep you all posted as to how things are progressing. In the mean time we would be most grateful for your prayers as we prepare to serve God in the next chapter of our lives.

Heather (& Barry) Mann

A.I.MAFRICAN INLAND MISSION

With over 100 years experience, AIM International is an evangelical, interdenominational organisation with the goal of seeing ‘Christ-centred churches among all African peoples.’

Africa Inland Mission has over 930 people working in over 20 countries in Africa, all sharing the same goal of reaching out to those who have never heard the gospel.

To date, over four million people worship in churches founded through the work of AIM and that work continues. However, we have a heart for African people, and that’s why our work isn’t restricted to the African continent but includes reaching Africans in the UK and Europe as well.

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Attitude, hardship and being a good soldier

The night before Soul Survivor, and I can’t sleep. Of all the nights that I need a good rest, this is the one, yet I’m sitting awake at 3am! So eventually I think I might as well do something productive with my time, so I get out my bible, see what books I have left to read and begin at 2 Timothy. The next morning at church, one of the verses highlighted messily the night before really began to stick out for me, especially as it was so accurate to my dad’s sermon on ‘practisng the presence’. So I re-read it and suddenly got that dreaded fluttery feeling in my stomach telling me that God wants me to share it with everyone!

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer.

2 Timothy 2 v 3-4 (NIV)

Having had my own fair share of hard times in the last year, this verse stuck out naturally, along with ones such as Romans 8 v 18. But there is something significant in the use of military language in this passage. As Christians, it can be hard to remember that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. It can be so easy to have an idea that once we are Christians we are wrapped in cotton wool and kept away from all the ‘bad stuff ’ in the world. But the truth is once we accept Christ, Satan is going to be on our case to try and take us down, he doesn’t want us building up the kingdom! As this passage says, we need to endure the hardship, and often from hardship something beautiful and stronger is formed. When the soil has been churned, moved around and messed up, poppies begin to grow. It can be so easy during hardship to think ‘Why me? Why now? Why this way?’ and if we’re honest, only God knows why. But if you continue to trust in God, and have an attitude of endurance and strength, God will bring you through it with you coming out better and stronger.

The ‘civilian affairs’ mentioned in this passage are the things of this world – gossip, swearing, body image, adultery, lying, deceit… I could go on! We are not of this world, we are not civilians, we are soldiers of Christ, and therefore we need to stand against these things as these are what hinder us from the presence of God which we especially need during hardship. It can be so easy to turn to the world when things get rough, but the only thing we should turn to is our commanding officer. I really experienced this when out in South Africa and times were hard; I tried turning to losing myself in novels and music, relying on my family and anger. Yet the thing that changed it for me was getting stuck into the bible, and I came back not only stronger in my faith and myself but also having read 60 out of 66 books of the Bible! The things I turned to originally not only didn’t help but actually hindered me (especially saying one of the novels I read was pretty anti-Christian!). Jesus is the only way through these things and he is the only one we should aim to please. Some people have said to me ‘How did you stick out South Africa? I couldn’t have done it’ and I say ‘I couldn’t have either, but through God I did!’. And that’s a great conversation starter to share the gospel! God uses everything we experience, good times and bad, for His glory. So be encouraged! Stand firm in your faith, put on your armour of God and be a good soldier for our Christ Jesus.

Alice Huffman

We acquire the strength we have overcome. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

AFRICAN INLAND MISSION

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London and many other cities across England were shaken by rioting, arson and looting between the 6th and 10th August 2011. A peaceful march was organised on the 6th August, in response to the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan two days earlier. Shortly after this march, rioting broke out in Tottenham, where Duggan had lived. Over the next three days, the rioting spread to other boroughs of London, and other major cities. Localised trouble also broke out in smaller cities and towns. This resulted in the Prime Minister David Cameron returning early from his summer holiday and recalling parliament on the 11th August. This is not the first riot that has happened in Tottenham. The Broadwater Farm riot took place on the 6th October 1985. This riot was started after a woman died from a stroke, whilst police searched her house. The riots resulted in the death of a police officer. The Bishop of Willesden, Rt Rev Pete Broadbent, acknowledges that there are specific issues in Tottenham about relationships between the police and the black community. He says that Duggan’s death sparked a localized reaction, but that “the wider riots and looting were mainly just criminality and opportunism, though there was also a sense of disenfranchised youth seeing their chance to “get back” at the police and society as a whole.” Broadbent has strong views on why so many young people decided to riot. “Many will have

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud,

abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving,

slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,

treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of

God.2 Timothy 3 (NIV)

done it “for a laugh”, as copycat behaviour, through group pressure. We have to help young people be strong in themselves and not conform to group behaviour. There’s clear evidence that some of it was organised, and our local police know that gangs were involved, whatever the Home Secretary says.” He says that young people arelacking pride in themselves, and in the places that they live in, and that this was obvious in the way they conducted themselves. “Nothing else explains the craziness of taking it out on your own local shops and streets. Their daily experience of being stopped by the police, having nothing to do, and having bad family experiences and relationships all make for the “press the self-destruct button” reaction.” So work needs to be done to repair relations with the youth of these troubled areas. Broadbent thinks that there is plenty of Christian youth provision. “What we need more of today is mentoring for young people from streetwise older peers who’ve kicked the gang culture. Also, parenting classes to help those who have no clue how to bring up their kids. The work of people like XLP is really encouraging.”XLP are a Christian charity that comes into city schools, and works with the students and teachers to help with difficult behavioural issues. XLP is faith-based, but works equally with young people

of all faiths and none. The staff at XLP work with young people to help them make wise lifestyle choices that will help them realise their potential. To find out more, visit www.xlp.org.uk. With so many older people having negative views of younger people, church and church-based groups are one way to close the generation gap. Broadbent supports this – “Older people may have a negative view of young people, but if they do, it may be that they haven’t tried to get to know them. Church is one of the few cross-generational places in our society these days. I’d challenge older Christians to talk to our young people, get to know them and be friends with them.” The biggest question that most people are asking at the moment is, how should we as Christians be helping in the aftermath of the riots? Broadbent has several ways that we can take action, but thinks that most importantly, the church needs to stay present in all those communities which everyone else has given up on.

•

LONDON RIOTSAbi Bettle

A little something about some of our newest church members...

The Best family

W I N B A P F A M I L Y N E W S

…

BMS BirthdaysOctober

• Lois Gray 19thNovember

• Janet Sparkes 26thHAPPY

BIRTHDAY

…

Hi. We are the Bests; Ed, Naomi and Isaac. We have been coming to WINBAP for about two years and recently you lovely people have just accepted us as members (does that now make us Winbapians?) so here is a bit about us.

Ed is the (difficult) middle child of three. His older sister lives with her family in Ringwood and younger sister (also called Naomi Best...much confusion) who is profoundly disabled lives with his parents in Southampton. He is a local lad having grown up in Eastleigh and living in Winchester for 13 years.He studied Engineering at Portsmouth Uni although I am led to believe he actually studied snooker at Portsmouth Snooker Club. After graduating he worked for Telindus, a large networking and communications company as field service engineer and later progressing to manage this department before ending up on the sales team.In 2000 he left to set up Networking Fundamentals, a computer networking company which is based in Andover, with three other colleagues. Ed is now the sole director and over the past couple of years, as with many small businesses, things have been a real struggle but throughout it God has been faithful and brought in the work when it is needed.I am the youngest and most normal of four kids. My brother and two sisters are dotted around the country and between us we have nearly produced a football team of grandchildren for our parents. I was born in Belfast and moved to Gloucestershire when I was 6 so the accent is all but gone. I dropped out of school half way through A levels and worked part time in a Christian bookshop and coffee shop. The rest of my time was filled with church stuff until I left to spend a year with London City Mission as a young volunteer. When that year was up it was time to get a real job and the only people who would employ me were Sketchley Dry Cleaners. It was not the career of my dreams but I eventually stumbled across Specsavers who not only employed me, they also paid for my training as a Dispensing Optician. I am currently working for Boots Opticians in a mobile capacity a couple of days a week and enjoying the break from nappies.Back in 2008, two desperate, single thirty-somethings stumbled across each other on a Christian dating website and the rest, as they say, is dot com history. I fell in love with Winchester (oh, and Ed obviously) after a couple of visits so I was happy to move here when we got married in 2009. Then as if by magic Isaac appeared in November last year and God willing number two should be along in the beginning of March. We were both brought up going to church but a real awareness of God and a personal relationship with Him came for me as a teenager on a Christian camp and for Ed during the breakup of his first marriage.

We instantly felt at home at Winbap and hope that we may be of some use to the church rather than just adding to the numbers.So that’s the formal bit done. Now for the interesting stuff. Ed likes: curry, beer, poker (for the mathematical challenges apparently), sleeping, being warm, Spooks, medical documentaries, the very occasional game of golf, his car which is soon to be traded in for something sensible and getting a bargain. Ed dislikes: sprouts, being cold, fresh air, throwing anything out, anyone being conned or treated unfairly, his wife’s lack of logic (he may be part Vulcan) and being wrong. Naomi likes: curry, red wine, sleeping, Spooks, Dr Who, long walks, fresh air, chocolate, shoes, Ed’s car and baking pies. Naomi dislikes: housework, being too warm, parsnips, curly kale (it’s not food), impoliteness, clutter (except for my piles of paperwork, they’re allowed) and being wrong. Isaac likes: cuddles, standing up, clapping, plastic bottles, baths, marmite on toast, chewing and making people laugh. Isaac dislikes: being tired, going to sleep, loud noises, falling over, teething, avocado, cold milk and lying still while we try to get him ready for bed.

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From the library....REDEEMING LOVE9781590525135Francine Rivers

A friend recommended me this book which we have a copy in the library. I couldn’t put it down. One of those books that grip you from the beginning. It is a powerful retelling of the book Hosea, set in California’s Gold country in 1850 ‘ a time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.’ The story is about a very handsome, solid man who works his land and is a man of God. He believed God had someone for him, he just wasn’t expecting it to be a women from a brothel! He falls in love with her but without giving too much away it is not without trouble. He shows her unconditional, redemptive, all consuming love. Quote from Amy Grant, Singer / Songwriter in an interview with Ted Koppel, ABC News:

“The truth that ran through this story absolutely took me to my knees. And I was a changed person when I finished reading...”

Excerpt from Amber’s review April 25, 2011I honestly can say this book has delivered so much more than the title given. The author captures and wraps you up into this amazing story with such detail that you feel as if you were a written character and living Angel ’s life as you read. My heart just broke for Sarah. She was a young innocent little girl that was thrown into a life of unspeakable torture. I have been stung by the soul of this story and I don’t think I will be able to release it from my thoughts for quite some time. A beautifully, touching story that will be a timeless masterpiece.

Nicole’s review July 20, 2007This book is incredibly romantic, in that it is a story about a powerful love that brings about happiness in the lives of the couple. It is less romantic in that it is also the story about a couple who must deal with a damaged past, and a damaged soul, and the pain and destruction that that damage can still inflict. It is not the story of an easy love. It is also a story about God’s plan. Most Christian books are about people who are Christians. The main characters mostly do good things. This book, as with many of Francine Rivers’s books, is about characters who actually trust God and rely on God, not only in words, but in their actions. All in all, an incredible read

Reviews from Goodreads.com....

Clare Smith

Kindle

AND THE SHOFAR BLEW9780842365833Francine Rivers

In the Old Testament, God called his people to action with the blast of the shofar, a ram’s horn. God still calls his people today. In this relevant and timely contemporary novel, dynamic young preacher Paul Hudson is committed to building his church—but at what cost? As Paul’s zeal and ambition build, he loses sight of the One who called him. As Paul and those around him struggle to discern what it truly means to live out their faith, they must ultimately choose between their own will or God’s plan.

Overview from goodreads.com and available to download from Amazon £5.77 including VAT and free electronic delivery.

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We don’t know what your attitude is towards Christmas, whether you prefer to give or to receive. The bible says that it is better to give than to receive. We suspect that like us most people actually enjoy both giving and receiving. Either way it is all too easy to get caught up with our own needs and those of our families, that we rarely give time to think of others with far greater needs than our own.

One of the ways that we have been able to balance our approach is through our involvement in the Winchester Churches Christmas Project. As most of you already know this is an initiative which supports individuals and families in Winchester who have had a particularly difficult year. Christmas can be a very tough time for many people.

Before Christmas a pair of volunteers visits a family that has been referred by professional social work agencies. Each family is allocated a set amount of money. Those visited are in charge as much as possible - they choose what will make Christmas special for them. Help given might include Christmas presents, Christmas food shopping, a morale-boosting treat, second hand furniture or payment of a worrying bill. There are no strings attached to our help. The volunteers then shop with or on behalf of the family. We show our Christian faith and witness in caring for and helping those we visit.

Last year 84 volunteers including several from this church were able to help 35 families including 69 children (many of whom were on the child protection register), 8 single people and 15 young people. Support is really needed as in some years in the recent past there has not been sufficient volunteers to help all the families referred to the scheme.

New volunteers will be paired with an experienced visitor. If you would like to volunteer or require more information please speak to one of us. We recognise that not everyone can volunteer but alternative ways that you can help is by praying for the project, and of course making a donation.

In the past Christmas has been transformed for many of the families and the volunteers have found an extra blessing in their own Christmas celebrations.

Money for the Project is raised through the churches. Last year our own church raised £1,000. At a time when there are so many requests for donations please do remember this project on the 27th November when a special offering will be taken.

Alan and Ann Heppel

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The Arab Spring - Background & Overview of Events in 2011 Part Two

Jim McAulay continues his article on the fight for identity within the Arab Spring from the last issue.

In the countries involved in the Arab spring, the rapidity of spread of protest can be largely attributed to electronic media, particularly young people (and some not so young) arranging protests quickly. The speed of news transmission between countries and the use of new social network media have enabled protesters to be notified and organised quickly. It is now clear that recruiting and organising by electronic media will become even more important in many circumstances; it was also used to organise rioting and looting in Britain in August. In Arab countries, religious observance is generally a unifying force, including among the protesters. Muslims gather after Friday morning prayers and many demonstrations have started outside mosques. Imams have varied in their teaching but some have encouraged protest, especially against corruption and oppression of the poor. The best aspects of Islam teach generosity to co-religionists & many Muslims believe that the extreme factions and Jihadists bring dishonour to true Islam. The Sufi branch of Islam has been a generally peaceful, ascetic people, given to mystical personal devotion to God and use of spiritual practices, including music, as an aid to worship. They have adherents in many countries, but are persecuted particularly in Iran. Many Muslim people, especially the poorly educated, adhere to a kind of ‘folk-Islam’, which is really more cultural than religious.

Ramadan this year was in August with fasting in the daylight hours. Even more people attend mosques during the holy month, offering opportunities to socialise, discuss politics and perhaps arrange protests. For a religion that claims to be fundamentally peaceful, we may see irony in the cessation of fighting during daylight hours in the month. Islam is not at all tolerant of non-believers, whom they call ‘kaffirs’, ‘infidels’ and ‘apostates’; it is particularly harsh on the last, who leave Islam for Christianity or another religion. Madrasahs are religious schools where they teach Islam, including learning the Koran by heart. Some madrasahs are known to be hotbeds of jihadism and many students, including some from Britain, travel to them to be saturated with fundamentalist teaching. Islam is a ‘religion of the book’ and there is an emphasis on pleasing God by regular prayer and good works. Extreme jihadists believe that ‘martyrs’, including suicide bombers, receive huge rewards (‘many virgins’) in Paradise for their martyrdom, although mainstream Islam teaches that suicide is against God’s law. It is very difficult to ascertain how the situations in various countries will turn out; there are unforeseen, and often unforeseeable, consequences in every new turn of events. It is quite possible that one form of tyranny may be replaced, not by democracy and religious freedom, but by an even worse form of tyranny. Although it is clear that we should pray for

our Christian brothers and sisters and obviously pray generally for peace, justice, freedom and for integrity in government, we must be careful how we pray. We should avoid praying for some outcomes of conflict that may seem right to us at the time, but may have adverse consequences in the long run and be outside God’s plans. Many experts consider that Christians could be under even more pressure in the new regimes which will eventually replace the old despotic ones. As a church, we have been praying about the Arab spring in the Service Sheet Prayer Topics since the first protests in Tunisia in January. I believe that it is our Christian duty to keep well-informed and as unbiased as possible in order to aid our prayers. The position of Christians in the countries involved and also our own response needs careful consideration. It is all too easy to equate ‘Western’ values with Christian values and that is the trap into which many people fall, in both the Islamic and Western world. Just as extremist Jihadists discredit true Islam, many bigoted right-wing or jingoistic or Western people (probably especially in USA) bring discredit on Christianity. Christianity is, or certainly ought to be, a worldwide faith and should not be over-identified with capitalist values or the so-called ‘liberal’ values of the West that Islamic people so abhor. The values of the kingdom of God are counter-cultural, and that is true in every culture. The kingdom

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American, or even Israeli, Jews. It is perfectly consistent to view Jews as God’s special people while criticising the harsh policies of Israel’s current government. We should not forget that Palestine has a sizeable Christian minority, including in Bethlehem. We need to reflect on how Arabs view us and how we should, or should not, be involved in the Arab spring. The Iraq war of 2003 was ‘a war on terror’ but is now generally seen as ill-considered and disproportionate, although it brought about desirable regime change. No WMD were found, al-Quida was not wiped out; on the contrary, recruitment to al-Quida was almost certainly been increased by Western military intervention. We are hardly a good example to follow; our capitalist over-reliance on markets has caused great hardship and could easily have been much worse. In Russia, the breakdown of communism has not brought widespread affluence; it has widened social divisions and allowed racketeering to flourish. Western treatment of prisoners cannot have any moral justification, whether in Abu-Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay, where many are held captive without trial. Extra-ordinary rendition for torture is an affront to Christian, or even humanitarian, values. The use of remote controlled drones to attack terrorist strongholds has had some success, but at the cost of killing civilians. The accuracy of ‘smart bombs’ is over-rated. It is not surprising that many Arabs consider Western people to be hypocritical and morally degenerate, even if they do not go as far as calling USA ‘the Great Satan’, the term used by Jihadists. In conclusion, we need to keep

abreast of developments in the Arab spring. We need to pray for all seeking freedom from tyranny and especially for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters. However, we need to have a Christian mind-set, viewing all national and international affairs from the standpoint of the values of the kingdom of God.

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” Ephesians 4:2.

has been rightly called the values of the ‘Upside-Down Kingdom’ and ‘the Third Way’ i.e. not identified with ideologies of the right or the left. In addition, Christian values are not the same as those of other religions, although some may be shared, especially with Judaism and even some aspects of Islam. As we consider our understanding of Arab countries, we need also to understand how they see us. As the great Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote

“O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us

To see oursels as ithers see usIt wad frae monie a blunder free

usAn’ foolish notion “

How we perceive other countries (and they us) is largely dependent on our media and by those who control the media. There is really no true freedom without freedom of comment and a free press, even if much that is said and written is unpalatable to us. That is why we need true discernment and need to develop a Christian mind-set. Just as we may consider the agenda and standards of our press to be unreliable; so also the understanding of the West and of ‘Christians’ promulgated in Arab countries to be untruthful, especially as in many countries the media are state-controlled. I would not like to think that my attitudes were represented in the agenda and methods used by the Murdoch press; his TV Fox News in USA is even more biased, although much appreciated by ‘the evangelical right’ in USA. American policy is greatly influenced by its Jewish lobby, but some on the ‘Christian right’ are more pro-Israel than many

Jim McAulay

“Good government

is the outcome ofprivate virtue”

John Jay Chapman

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lost theplot with

Andy &

Lorna

The nights are drawing in and, with that, I bet your food desires are beginning to change. Salads just don’t seem so appealing now; our thoughts turn to more filling and warming dishes. And God in His goodness provides again because nature is beginning to produce the food that we feel like eating -- the root crops and high carb. veg. are starting to take over from the lighter summer veg.

Of course, we have to wait for the first frosts to sweeten some crops (parsnips, brussel sprouts etc.) but that is just nature showing off…

Until the frost, content yourself with this simple but slightly different recipe:

Butternut squash recipe

200g/7oz butternut squash, seeds removed and thinly sliced3 tbsp olive oil1 clove garlic, sliced2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemarysalt and freshly ground black pepper100g/3½oz halloumi, sliced into three pieces

Place the butternut squash, 2tbsp of the olive oil, garlic and fresh rosemary into a large bowl, season and mix together.

Gently heat a frying pan over a low heat. Add the butternut squash mixture and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until golden. Place on a warm plate and keep warm.

Heat the final tbsp of olive oil in the frying pan over a medium heat. Add the halloumi and fry for two minutes on each side, until golden.

To serve, simply place the fried halloumi on top of the butternut squash.

So I guess some may be wondering why there is a page on allotments and gardening in a church magazine. What’s the connection between God and greenhouses, church and compost, worship and watering cans? After all we go to a church building to find God and get our spiritual fill and to Tescos (other supermarkets are available) to find the veggies and fill the larder, don’t we?

As recently as our grandparents’ youth (or possibly even parents depending upon our age) there wouldn’t have been such a clear divide between the spiritual and everyday tasks like putting food on the table. A bad year’s harvest in the allotment or on the farm would have spelled real hardship for many folks. My Grandad lived in the West Midlands and even after working exhausting shifts in the steel industry he still had to find time to cultivate a large garden and two allotment plots to feed his five children. I am not saying families like that would have starved if the crops had done badly but it would have meant some going to bed with less than full bellies.

As a Christian I know that, “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” but earning a living in an office all day means I am insulated from the world around me and I tend to forget just what those words in Psalm 24 mean on a daily level. Working on an allotment reminds me that to do something as basic as feed my family depends on soil, rain, seed and sun which are all gifts from a lavish God to a world he loves.

So my allotment is a spiritual place, somewhere to pause, to remember all I have is a gift and to give thanks as I pick the crop. Many reading this won’t have much interest in growing things but I pray that as we celebrate harvest time everyone will find some time, place or activity that reminds them that “all good gifts around us are sent from Heaven above”.

Well, this is the time of the year when the harvest on the allotment is finally beginning to slow down. Veg. blanching sessions are no longer a nightly occurrence and the allotment is feeling a little less like the A-LOT-ment it has been for the past few weeks.

That doesn’t mean the work can stop though. If you want a good crop next year, now is the time to start putting something back into the soil. As the ground is cleared of this year’s harvest, make sure you dig it over and add some goodness for next year.

While manure is always recommended, green manure is so much easier and, despite what the gardening programs might say, it is not too late to sow something like green mustard (in my experience by far the easiest green manure). It is an effortless way of putting nitrogen back into the soil and it prevents weeds taking over your freshly turned plot. You don’t even have to dig it in; it will simply rot down after the first few frosts.

There was a time when New Wine albums were recorded live during the conferences. In fact, the 2000 album, The Heartbeat of God is one of my live favourite worship albums. Now for some reason however, an album is recorded in the studio and released ready to sell at that summers events.Which is fine, but, well it makes them just like any other album. The 2011 version is called Only One Name and has all the usual suspects involved such as Neil Bennetts, Gareth Robinson, and Vicky Beeching.There are songs here that will be familiar to most, but without the live buzz. Far Greater, Counting on your name, a rather sanitised version of Our God by Sam Bailey.Although the studio adds quality to the recordings, there is also a sense that things are overcomplicated by the addition of various keyboards and other touches. However, I Come To You benefits from an understated mix with some subtle, gentle guitars and strings complementing nice vocals. The theme of Jesus, who redeems us through blood and whose love never fails us is repeated in the next track, “Your Love Never Fails”. This is a great song, performed by Chris McClarney. The vocals remind me of Seal, and with a clanging lead guitar over a thumping beat, is the best track on the album.

“No More Night” is a similarly well performed song, Becky Drake performing hushed vocals in a gentle track celebrating the coming of the Lord. We See Love – well standard stuff here, and “Lord of the Breakthrough”, well one listening was enough.Nothing of note on the rest of the album, and overall, for me, maybe a 6/10.

Before Bryn Haworth became a Christian, he toured with bands such as Bad Company, Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin, and also appeared in sessions for John Peel and the Old Grey Whistle Test. So, he’s been around a while, and actually, so has this album.! He played on 5 of Gerry Rafferty’s albums, and is superb slide guitarist, now doing much prison work, and touring in smaller venues playing his own blues/gospel music.The album starts in lively mode - Keep The Faith is a country rocker about growing up in the 50’s listening to the radio as a child, and the memories of those times when the radio still held our attention. Unlike television which steals our imagination away, radio allows it to play a part and take you away to different time and worlds. The song then is an ode to simpler times, but with a subliminal message about listening to God.Lyrics aren’t always BrynHaworth’s strong point, sometimes

a naivety and clumsiness evident, but the next track is a clever play on a truism – Everyone Wants Go To Heaven, But Nobody Wants To Die! How true that is, as we complain about the trials of the World, but don’t want to go to that better place.The album is a mix of overtly Christian and secular music, and I’m In Love With You Baby is a moving love song expressing his love for his wife, and is a superb blues number displaying the guitar work that made him such a noticed artist in the 70’s.Haworth knows his faith and his Lord, and is not afraid to preach it, but always in a restrained manner. Always positive, perhaps as a result of surviving his rock and roll past, the album is uplifting and fun. Wash Me Clean is a Maggie Dawn song, a gentle ballad about the redeeming features of God’s Love, which showcases the superb slide work for which he is know.Psalm 40 is turned into a rocking blues number, again exhibiting some great guitar work, a simple song to worship the Lord. Doesn’t matter how you play it, worship only has only one purpose! More lovely worship on Wings Of The Wind, which could easily be another love song, but is a song of praise and thanks to a God who is always there to rescue us.And another love song rounds off this review - “Satisfied”. Beautiful guitar, a song about Jesus’s love for his Church. Bryn Haworth has a huge talent bestowed on him by God, and repays this by writing and performing worship songs that glorify his Lord. So, the blues don’t always need to be sad. If you want to listen, ask me for the album. Bryn Haworth plays in Southampton churches for charity occasionally, keep a look out! 38

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Now’s the time to think about who to invite to the annual ‘Bonfire’ night

bash....

This is f il ling up fast, if you haven’t already booked your place, you can do so by emailing stibbeconf @ winbap . org . uk with your name, contact details and number of delegates or by phoning the off ice on 868770.

For al l you ladies that love or would like to try the craze that is sweeping our nation, W2W are putting on a ZUMBA taster night 14th of October, 7.30pm, here at the church.C ome dressed in comfortable clothes, ready for a night of latin-inspired fun, and enjoy browsing through the varied stal ls for ‘that’ special something!If you’re interested, tickets are f ive pounds which cover entry and your f irst drink and can be bought from either Janet Jones or Pam Huffman.

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One of the camps that I serve, as an Army Scripture Reader, is the Army Technical Foundation College in Winchester, where we train 16 year olds to become soldiers.

One of the things that they do during their training is to go on a Battlefield Tour, to Normandy in France. Before they leave for this, they still act in an immature fashion. After they have spent four days in France, during which, they have attended a

“Please wear a poppy,” the lady said,And held one forth, but I shook my head.

Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,And her face was old and lined with care;But beneath the scars the years had made

There remained a smile that refused to fade.A boy came whistling down the street

Bouncing along on carefree feet.His smile was full of joy and fun,“Lady” said he, “May I have one?”

When she’d pinned it on, he turned to say“Why do we wear a poppy today?”

The lady smiled in a wistful wayAnd answered: “This is Remembrance Day”

“And the poppy there is the symbol forthe gallant men who died in the war.

And because they did, you and I are free,that’s why we wear a poppy you see.

I had a boy about your size,with golden hair and big blue eyes.

He loved to play and jump and shout.Free as a bird, he would race about.

As the years went by, he learned and grew;and became a man, as you will too.

He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile.But he’d seemed with us such a little while,

When war broke out and he went away.I still remember his face that day.

When he smiled at me and said goodbye.“I’ll be back soon mum, so please don’t cry.”

But the war went on and he had to stay,and all I could do was wait and pray.

His letters told of the awful fight(I can see it all in my dreams at night)

With the tanks and guns and the cruel barbed wire,and the mines and the bullets, the bombs and the fire.

Till at last, at last, the war was won,And that’s why we wear a poppy son.”

The small boy turned as if to go, then said, “Thanks lady, I’m glad to know.

That sure did sound like an awful fight.But your son, did he come back all right?”

A tear rolled down each faded cheek;She shook her head, but didn’t speak.

I slunked away, in a sort of shame.And if you were me, you’d have done the same;

For our thanks, in giving, is oft delayed,Though our freedom was bought, and thousands paid;

and so, when we see a poppy worn,let us reflect on the burden borne,by those who gave their very all,

when asked to answer their countries call,that we at home, in peace might live.

Then wear a poppy! Remember and give.

memorial service in a Commonwealth War Cemetery, surrounded by the thousands of war dead; they return to Winchester, and the transformation is most noticeable. They no longer behave like immature school boys; the penny has dropped; suddenly, there is a seriousness that was not there before.

I want to share with you now, a poem that I read to the troops, as I lead them in these services; it’s called “Why Wear A Poppy?”

Why wear a poppy?

When you go home, tell them of us and say;

For your tomorrow, we gave our today.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,

We will remember them.

Lee Philipson

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“If you wait long enough, fruitcake goes past your nose.”

“Saved by the camp bed - when a huge puddle appeared in the tent.”

“This is my hope, that God is for me, this is my hope, that Jesus loves me, I know my life is safe in Your arms.”

“Don’t believe people that say it won’t rain, however it was worth it to feel the presence of God and enjoy the fellowship.’

“There are many things you can’t resist doing at Rivercamp and jumping in muddy puddles without wellies is one of them.”

“Enjoyed turning off the noise of everyday life and spending more time tuning in for more of God.”

“Just love having lots of time to chat with great friends.”

“Amazing worship.”

“Being inspired and empowered to really make a difference in my circumstance.”

“Full of spirit, more than Soul Survivor, need to do something about mud though!”

“Awesome times at Rivercamp, but less mud and more sunshine needed!”

“We had a great time playing Ninja (ask Edge or Fresh to explain!) and I think we all have got to the final in at least one game! (I think)”

“An amazing time, ab-solutely loved it. It couldn’t have been any better, wouldn’t change a single moment of it.”

“Absolutely loved Rivercamp this year! Great teaching, great worship and great fellowship with the Church!”

“What a life-changing camp! I had so many opportunities to meet with God and I was blown away watching the youth prophesy for the first time with accu-racy and passion! Amazing move of God.”

RivercampWhat everyone had to say....

Jane Aslet & other Rivercampers

As many of you will have seen from Ewen’s weekly email, our two Heritage Open Days in mid-September were a great success. We had a total of 51 visitors on the Saturday and Sunday, plus 20 walkers and cyclists who ‘signed in’ at the church door on the Saturday as part of the separate ‘Ride & Stride’ event in aid of the Hampshire & The Islands Historic Churches Trust. We had a number of visitors who had not been into our buildings for several decades and who remarked on how light and welcoming the premises seemed compared with how they remembered them. The written comments people made were unanimously appreciative, both of the exhibition and of the warm welcome they were given - and also of the quality of the cakes! My thanks to the 40+ people who helped me to get the church sanctuary ready and to man (or should that be ‘person’?) it over the two days.

One of the historic items on display was the church accounts ledger for the period 1897-1909 and I was amused to note some of the regular outgoings which no longer feature in our church budget, for example:

Washing cloths (1s 2d per month)Chapel Keeper (1s 6d per month; 2s 0d from 1902)Organ Blower (6d per service)CoalTelegramsPoor Rate

Also a number of ‘one off ’ items of expenditure, including:

LimewashingInstallation of Incandescent (i.e. gas) Lighting (£8 7s 1d) in 1902 (electric lighting was not installed until 1918)Hire of Sandwich Man (1s 2d) in 1897 (to walk around the town wearing sandwich boards advertising a special church service).

September’s Church Members’ Meeting was a record-breaker: we managed to finish all the business by 9:30pm! It was also unusual in that we did not receive any applications for Church Membership (though there will be at least one coming to the next meeting, on 16th November).

The main points were:

• Eli Stewart was elected onto the Leadership Team as a Charity Trustee.

• It was explained that Heather Mann had resigned as a Charity Trustee (and Leadership Team member) and withdrawn her nomination for a further three years in the post of Advocate for Mission & Social Action, so that the church would be free to fund her and Barry when they go to Lesotho to join the ‘Growing Nations’ project for two years. As there were no other nominations for the post, no election was held. A fresh call for nominations will be made in October, with a new vote at the November Church Meeting.

An announcement was made that Carolyn Breakwell and I will both be standing down from the Leadership Team (as Advocate for Building a Community and as Church Secretary respectively) when our current terms expire in November. Again there will be acall for nominations and elections in November.

Preparations for Ewen’s sabbatical are going well.

There will be a Children’s Light Party (an alternate to Halloween) on 31st October for 3 to 11 year olds.

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church secretary’s report

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Tim Williamson will shortly be seeking feedback from members of the congregation about the two-year Cluster pilot.

Tim is still seeking volunteers to man a ‘church’ stall at the Christmas Market for one day a week between 24th November and 21st December.

Nearly half way through our financial year we are broadly on budget in terms of both income and expenditure.

There will be a number of special collections in the next three months:

• For Operation Agri at the Harvest service on 9th October.

• For Barry and Heather (see above) and for Millie Smith (going to S America for two years) and James Findlow (returning to Russia for two years) at a Gift/Pledge Day on 6th November.

• For the Families Christmas Project on 27th November.

• for the Horn of Africa Appeal at the Carols by Candlelight service on 18th Dec

• for the Fellowship Fund on Christmas morning.

• We will not be making a donation towards the purchase of the redundant Baptist chapel in Broughton so that it can be re-opened as a community centre and church.

I asked for ideas for items to put into a display case to accompany our 150th Anniversary exhibition at the Hampshire Record Office in November and December – the

case will be in direct sunlight (so can’t contain any archive documents) and is only 25cm deep.

Ed Heritage Open Days

c o m m e n t s :

“Excellent display.”

“Most interesting and very informative.’

“Thank you very much for the warm welcome and the cake!”

“Fantastic display.”

“A few changes, quite a few, since my last visit.”

“Very interesting - many memories.”

“Excellent tour and guide!”

“Impressive and welcoming.”

“God bless your work here.”

“Very informative.”

“Splendid.”

Whats on.... Sunday

10am - Tea & coffee provided afterwards Creche - up to 3 yrs Sparklers - 3 to Yr R All Stars - Yr 1 - 3 Trailblazers - Yr 4 - 6 FRESH - Yr 7 upwards

6.30pm - Tea and coffee provided afterwards

Monday

Re:store - 10am creche provided Helen Revans

Tuesday

2.15pm - Tuesday Afternoon Women’s Fellowship alternate weeks - Jean Davis 8pm - Church Prayer Meeting (first Tuesday in the month) 8pm - Teg Down Small Group (Favour Cluster) Jo May 8pm - Location Cluster (2nd & 4th) David & Ann Hook 8pm - Sparkford Road Small Group (Favour Cluster) Nick Allenson 8pm - Kings Worthy Small Group (Connect Cluster) Ben Clifton

Wednesday

7-8am - Prayer Meeting in Tweedley Room 8pm - Chandler Ford Small Group (2nd & 4th - Favour Cluster) Carol and David Bailey 8pm - Stanmore Small Group Luke & Jo Meharg

Thursday

1.30pm - Silver Service (1st in the month) David & Hannah Strutt 7.30pm - The Edge (Yrs 9 and above) Becca Baxter 8pm - Badger Farm Small Group Jean Sweetenham

Friday

10am - Friday Fun (2 ¹/2 - 5 year olds) Diana Wills 7-9pm - Friday Club (fortnightly in term time) Heather Mann

Further details available from the church office.t

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PastorRev Ewen Huffman 01962 868770ewen @ winbap . org . uk

Associate Pastor (Youth)Rev Tim Williamson 01962 868770tim @ winbap . org . uk

Mission to SeniorsHannah and David Strutt01962 868770hannahanddavid @ winbap . org . uk

Children’s Ministry WorkerEli Stewart 01962 868770eli @ winbap . org . uk

Associate Youth WorkerBecca Baxter becca @ winbap . org . uk

EldersSheila McAulay 01962 868770Andy Marshall 01962 868770Carol Bailey 01962 858770SecretaryEd Jackson 01962 868770

TreasurerDavid Hook 01962 868770

Deacons

Small GroupsGareth Bartlett 01962 868770Building a CommunityCarolyn Breakwell 01962 686770

Wayne Isaac 01962 868770MissionHeather Mann 01962 868770AdministratorJudy Marshall 01962 686770opsmanager @ winbap . org . uk

Winchester Baptist ChurchSwan Lane

Winchester SO23 7AA01962 868770

46

OCTOBER ‘11SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT

1

2 3 4 5 6

29

7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28

D A T E S F O R Y O U R D I A R Y

Prayer Meeting 7-8am

Prayer Meeting 7-8am

Prayer Meeting 7-8am

Prayer Meeting 7-8am

Silver Service

Friday Fun

Friday Fun

Friday Fun

The Edge

The Edge

The Edge

PM Communion Service

AM Communion Service

Tea and Toys

Tea and Toys

Tea and Toys

Tea and ToysRe:store -Ladies Group

Re:store -Ladies Group

Friday Club

Friday Club

30 31

Church Prayer Meeting 8pm

Light Party!!!

NOVEMBER ‘11SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

Prayer Meeting 7-8am

Prayer Meeting 7-8am

Prayer Meeting 7-8am

Prayer Meeting 7-8am

Silver Service

Friday Fun

Friday Fun

Friday Fun

The Edge

The Edge

The Edge

PM Communion Service

AM Communion Service Tea and Toys

Tea and Toys

Tea and Toys

Tea and ToysRe:store -Ladies Group

Re:store -Ladies Group

Friday Club

Friday Club

Church Prayer Meeting 8pm

9 10 11 12 13 14

9th October - All age Worship Harvest Service am

14th October - W2W Zumba night

15th October - Favour Cluster Quiz night 7.30pm

16th October - Rob Small (CAP) am

23rd October - Bible Sunday

31st October - Children’s Light Party

5th November - Bonfire Night

8th November - CAP course starts for the next three Tuesdays.

13th November - Special service including Time of Remembrance

- Church fellowship and Student welcome lunch

14th November - Making a Splash!The first day of a public exhibition in the Hampshire Record Office.

20th November - Mission Winchester & Celebration6.30pm at Winchester Family Church

3rd December- COGS Nativity filming

4th December - Youth Led Service 6.30pm 9th December - Friday Club Christmas Party

16th December - Unite Ball (TBC)

17th December- COGS Christmas crafts