Regular Meetings @ SPBC What’s on in 2008? The calendar of church events through the year is available Sunday on the church website. If you need to know what’s 10.30am happening when . . . and much more . . . visit Morning Service. Creche and Sunday School groups also meet. www.stpetersbaptist.org.uk 6.30pm Christmas Services Evening Service. Sunday 21st December: Christmas All Age Service Monday at 10.30am 6.30pm MX (Yr 3 - 6) Youth Club. Sunday 21st December: Traditional Carol Services Contact: Steve Thomson (358848) at 4.30pm and 6.30pm Tuesday 10.00 – 11.30am Christmas Eve: Midnight service at 11.15pm Refresh Bible Study Group Christmas Day: Worship at 10.00am 2.00pm – 4.00pm Tuesday@Two 7.00pm Contacts: Xplode (Yr 7) Youth Club. Contact: Steve Thomson (358848) Minister Wednesday Martin Hodson 10.00 - 12.00 8 Tay Avenue, St Peter’s, Worcester WR5 3UB Tick Tock Parent & Toddlers Group Tel: 358869 E-mail: [email protected] 7.30pm House Groups Assistant Minister Youth House Group Steve Thomson Contact: Ruth Brown & Tim Judson (354392) 32 Rosemoor Gardens, St Peter’s Worcester WR5 3QS Tel: 358848 E-mail: [email protected] Thursday 6.15pm Xclusive (Yr 3 - 10) Youth Club for Magazine deadlines: children with learning disabilities. January magazine is: Wednesday 10th December 2008 Contact: Simon Grew (356298) February magazine is: Wednesday 14th January 2009 7.30-9.00pm Please send articles to: [email protected] XL/XS (Yr 8/9-10) Youth Club. Alternate Weeks. This gives us 2 weeks for editing, designing and printing Contact: Steve Thomson (358848) More information about the church and audio downloads Friday of recent sermons, visit the church website: Xpress - Art Class (Yr 3 - 4) www.stpetersbaptist.org.uk Contact: Steve Thomson (358848) A .pdf version of ‘Transmission’ is available for download on the website. Sundays Xtreme (Yr 11 +) Contact: Steve Thomson (358848) St Peter’s Baptist Church, Eden Close, St Peter’s, Worcester Tel: 767090 From Martin World Mission Briefing…

I have started preparing for Christmas using On Christmas Day there will be a short Seeking out new worlds and civilisations? a book of daily readings called ‘Joy To The service (lasting about 40 minutes) where Boldly going where no-one has gone before? World’ by David Coffey. You will probably we can come together to share our joy at remember that David is the President of the the birth of Jesus. This will be at 10.00am If you are considering taking Baptist World Alliance and he came to speak (not our usual Sunday time of 10.30). part in short term mission next at the opening of our church centre last year. year then we can help! The World His book is a series of daily Bible readings I would like us share the invitation to our Mission Task Group wishes to with astute comments, prayers and Christmas services as widely as possible. support your plans and preparations reflections. This week we have been reading Jonathan Stroulger has once again designed and assist in any way we can about God’s promise to Abraham, that all some terrific invitations. There will be plenty throughout the process. We can nations will be blessed through his of these available at the church centre for coordinate prayer for you and help descendants – a promise that is ultimately you to give to friends and family. I would to give you opportunities to share fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. God has like as many of us as possible to get involved your experiences on your return. been speaking to me about his intention that in distributing them to all the homes in St Peter’s also has a fund available everyone who discovers his blessing in Jesus St Peter’s and we will also be trying to ensure to help anyone actively involved with Christ should be a blessing to others. I’ve that everyone who visits the church centre the church who is participating in been finding it a great way of approaching receives one. short term mission with a recognised life, asking two simple questions each day: Christian agency overseas or in how have I been blessed? and, who am I Incidentally, on the subject of Christmas the UK. blessing? presents, I guess many of us will be continuing the practice we have begun in Please contact Pete or Safe and Sound This month we will be very conscious of the recent years of buying gifts such as goats, Deborah Crookall CHANGE OF ADDRESS The new address for Anna, Alistair approach of Christmas as we make our plans chickens and school books through charities for further details… Within Your feathers and Matthew Jolly is: and preparations. Each Sunday morning will that work in the developing world. (If you [email protected] I am safely encased be lighting the Advent Candles during are not familiar with this, the goats/chickens 01905 756988 But I can also fly worship and letting their light remind us that etc don’t actually get sent to your aunt in Like a shuttlecock 13 Priory Orchard, all our celebrations are in honour of Jesus, Walsall but they are given on her behalf to Like a guided missile Wantage, the Light of the World. This year different people in real need in poor countries.) Targeted for good Oxfordshire families from the fellowship will be lighting Anyway, this year TEAR Fund has begun a OX12 9EL the candles and leading us in this prayer of new version of this scheme with a nice twist © Helen Dean 2008 blessing: to it. You buy gift vouchers and these are Tel. 01235 760490 May the Wonderful Counsellor guide you, sent to your Aunt in Walsall who can then the Mighty God protect you, go on line and decide how they should be the Everlasting Father be with you, spent. For example, if you receive a red (£8) and the Prince of Peace overshadow you, voucher you can decide whether to spend it now and evermore. on a sack of grain, 50 units of sandpaper or 140 children’s lunches. You can find out Our Christmas celebrations will include the more about this at www.livinggifts.org.uk usual all age Christmas service on Sunday 21st December, including a short play by So as Christmas approaches, may you All Stars and a song by some of the children discover afresh the blessing of God’s love for from MX. That afternoon we will have our you in Jesus Christ. And may you be a traditional carol service at 4.30pm. Last year blessing to others as God’s promise to bless there were about 100 people in the overflow all peoples is worked out through your life. downstairs for this service, so this year we are repeating the service at 6.30pm. this way we hope everyone will be able to get a seat in the main hall at one of the services.

2 7 Are you planning to read the Bible in 2009? Are you thinking of reading all of it? Here are some tips.

Follow a plan. Starting at the beginning and just carrying on is not the easiest way. Most plans provide a mixture, either daily or over a week, of passages from the Old and New Testaments, with regular visits to the Psalms or Proverbs. Some plans have the Psalms and New Testament read twice. Other plans are themed - for example for each day of the week: Epistles; Law; History; Psalms; Poetry; Prophesy; Gospel. You could read the Bible chronologically [as it happened] or historically [as it was written]. Some plans, such as biographical or “highlights” only, are two or three month plans and do not cover the whole Bible.

Develop a habit. One suggested rule is to read the Bible as early in the day as possible - “No Bible, no breakfast. No read, no feed” [Ray Comfort]. Choose a time and place to suit you. Set aside a regular time when you are able to concentrate. Have a way to remind you: calendar; email; RSS feed; Outlook tasks; spreadsheet; etc. Some schemes have readings for six days a week, which is useful if you occasionally miss a day.

Make it interesting. You might want to try reading a different translation, listen to a podcast rather than read, find a partner for discussion or for mutual support. Read with a purpose, but always be open to something new. and helped us focus again. By the end of that day we had grown a lot closer together an come to appreciate so much of what we take for granted. We are so ignorant sometimes. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you are new to reading your Bible, don’t set your goals too high. You can read the New Testament in a year at one chapter, or less each The hardest thing we felt about Slum Survivor was remembering why we were putting myself day. That might be a better target than the whole Bible. Or choose a “highlights” plan ourselves out of our comfort zone. There were several times when we felt like giving up and and programme it to suit your pace. going home, like when the slum was destroyed, or when the lentils and rice made us feel sick, or when we lost our tempers with other people. These times really challenged each of us But first ... The Bible is God’s Word – to you. Each day, pray that you might learn from it. and we feel God really helped us persevere and remember the one billion people we were You should not read the Bible simply as a challenge - read with care, read with prayer. doing this for. It was a big reality check. So what am I going to do? I would like to read the Old Testament chronologically. I’ve The most enjoyable thing about Slum survivor was the way that it strengthened the found a plan linked to Bible Gateway, www.bibleplan.org, from which I would just follow friendships with everyone in the youth group. Living in slum conditions for two days the Old Testament readings, but I’m checking out others too. is extremely hard emotionally and physically, so we found that we needed people to talk to and make us laugh. We made friends with people we’d never really spoken to before and If you would like guidance on the Bible reading plans that are available, please speak to saw everyone in a different light. me and I’ll do my best to help.

Even the leaders joined in and showed us that they are no different, just older! Tim Parker

Slum survivor was a real reality check which really challenged us and made us think about people living in poverty for the first time. Now we really can empathise and we’ve realised As many of you will be aware, one of our members will be Josh’s details are: how tough living in a slum is and we only experienced it for two days! spending this Christmas serving with the British Army in 25202267 Joshua Gardner, 1 Medical Regiment, Iraq. It would be great if a number of you could send Josh We hope the money we’ve raised from Slum Survivor can really make a difference to those UK Med Group, people’s lives and we’re so grateful to our leaders, Ruth, Tim J, Paul, Tim B, Andy, Steve and Gardner a card to remind him of his church family. Cards The Cob, Lucy for making it happen. We feel alive! ‘Read amazing stories to your kids on Messenger and small parcels (up to 2kg) can be sent free so long as they BASRA, Iraq, Try it Now! are taken to a Post Office. BFPO 641 Tim Judson 6 3 5 e furious. d work totally wasted e arrived at the church car e arrived at the church im and Paul had demolished it and we wer SLUM eally humbled us. Fancy finding all that har e doing it. Timis exactly how life can be for people living in explained to us that this slums and it r after going for some water or food. then on the day was hard. From work weeding around did some We the all weather pitch next to our some tempers started and church smelly, tired, flaring up. People were hungry and angry with each other. The leaders kept giving us some perspective though and we kept why going, trying to remember we wer That evening after dinner we had some worship and another bible study (we’d had one each morning and evening). It calmed us all down S young people 13 of October, the 12th 10th to ‘On the out in stepped in Worcester Church Baptist Peter’s at St Slum survivor. event called and did an faith raise money and Slum Survivor is to The aim of U who people in the world for a billion awareness no less than are homeless, There are in population who live the world’s 1 billion of is about trying to poverty so slum survivor change this. R went along thinking it I think that a lot of us a fun weekend sleeping would just be quite our mates, which is out in the stars with The Friday night off. definitely how it started Vwas a lot of fun. W building our slums. park at 4pm and started of rice and lentils we played After a novelty meal to bed feeling quite cheerful. charades and then went quite tired, the Saturday we woke up on However, cold and achey. I for a new day. to keep our heads up and got out of bed ready still tried We V taste nearly as good for breakfast. the rice and lentils didn’t Unfortunately, Soon we would need the energy. Some of us only ate it because we knew we had a challenge we made our way down to the park where after breakfast carrier bags. That was quite fun but to build a football out of newspaper and of had been totally flattened. Two we got back to discover one of our slums Oour leaders, T R e ’ to a personal ough Helen Dean, November 2008 Hillsong Extravagant Worship Extravagant Hillsong ch Miriam’s best known song, best ch Miriam’s ebster s songs with her voice being allowed es new recordings and versions of songs es new recordings ‘Rise up within me Living Water, Spirit of ‘Rise up within me Living Water, are welcome in this place, God in me, You are welcome in this place, God of You love and grace, Saturate my soul. power, CD Review: CD Review: Miriam W Series – Songs of Miriam Webster Miriam – Songs of Series 2007) (HMACD210, as I’ve just has come early for me Christmas to I’d been keen for a while this album received one of the songwriters is Miriam Webster hear. in church leaders at the Hillsong and worship as well but is perhaps not Australia, Sydney, Hillsong’, as the ‘face of known over here songs have been . Miriam’s the anthemic quietly interweaved between annual live worship output of the Hillsong although they are albums for over a decade, she certainly knows not all quiet as such and have very probably You how to ‘build’ a song. sung at chur of songs Made Me Glad. This collection featur Dwelling Places, such as Made Me Glad, I Will the Lord, in this Place, Angel of Welcome as three Faithful, as well are Love and You ‘brand new songs’. One omission is the lovely song Exceeding Joy but you can find this on 2003. the excellent Hillsong album, Hope, from of studio versions features Extravagant Worship Miriam’ I would recommend strongly. come through these ar songs as an aid to personal worship, as they or Psalms from actual words filled with scripture, scriptural ideas distilled thr response to what God has done. I am grateful response this for anything that lifts my eyes to Jesus and is album certainly does that. The ‘quiet woman’ out the worship! pouring she’s and here This CD is an Australian Import but is readily as such UK online retailers available from for about £18 plus postage. Other Tesco.com albums in the series showcase, on two disc CDs, some of the many songs of Darlene Zschech and . ” David C ow and be ovide the building d of Life! (Jeremiah 17 v7–8). (Jeremiah

ed down the years to pr

. who will not cease from yielding fruit. Trust in the Lord . . . be like a tree planted Trust om the momentary to the everlasting; from om the momentary to “ o become part of God’s family is to have o become part of God’s by the water . . . whose leaf will be green . . by the water . . . whose leaf will be green bend it and make it grow strong. bend it and make it grow blocks of life and vigour. It needs the wind to blocks of life and vigour. fellowship with the Lor Easy? Never! Possible? Yes, but only in Easy? Never! Possible? Yes, wherever we are, whatever we face. we are, wherever ever green , whatever the season of life, ever green these things to stand tall and gr We too need the spiritual equivalent of all too need We par needs nutrients, drawn from a ground pre- a ground needs nutrients, drawn from the distributor of goodness to every part. It the distributor of goodness to every part. the sun, source of all power. It needs water, It needs of all power. the sun, source cannot live isolated and insulated. It needs And a tree, no matter how evergreen, no matter how evergreen, And a tree, grow and not wilt. grow the brightest fruits of love, joy, peace; to the brightest fruits of love, joy, works some good for us; to be adorned with thankful for every event knowing that it enables us to rejoice in all things; to be enables us to rejoice It is to experience the change of being that decay to new life. fr our hearts and minds and souls transformed our hearts and minds T This is so reminiscent of a great principle for life! of a great This is so reminiscent unaffected by leafy decay. unaffected landscape with their harvest of bright berries, landscape with their ever before in richest greens, brightening the in richest greens, ever before But the evergreens stand tall and adorned stand tall as But the evergreens beauty and exposed to the wintry elements. exposed to the wintry beauty and leaving their hosts to stand bereft of their hosts to stand bereft leaving their The leaves of deciduous trees die and fall, of deciduous trees The leaves divider of trees! divider of Have you noticed how autumn is a great is a how autumn you noticed Have Have you noticed . . . . ? . . . . you noticed Have 4