LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” MAY 2026
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST. LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptist church.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Days Off Tues and Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
Ascension & Pentecost.
Acts 1:8 , ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses’
Those were Jesus’ words to His Disciples before He finally ascended into Heaven to be with God the Father. Luke had written in his Gospel that when Jesus appeared to the Disciples after He had risen He had said, “You are (my) witnesses ----- I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city (Jerusalem) until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Then ‘He left them and was taken up into Heaven.’ ( Luke 24:48 – 51 NIV)
So what was the promise the Father had made? Acts 1:4-5 tells us it was the promise they had heard Jesus speak about, being baptised with the Holy Spirit. Let us look at those verses; John 14:16,17,26, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever – the Spirit of Truth.” “The Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” But in John 16:7 Jesus warned that the Helper could only come to them after Jesus had left them and gone to be with His Father. “If I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” He will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement; and guide you into all truth.” (vs 8 &13 NIV)
Why could the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, only come to the Disciples after Jesus had ascended to His Father? What was His purpose? When Jesus was no longer with them, teaching them, comforting them, rescuing them from dangerous situations, healing people with all kinds of sicknesses or disabilities, they must have felt lost and helpless. When Jesus had died, until the Resurrection appearances, they felt all those things and very much alone. They hadn’t understood all that Jesus had told them would happen to Him. Jesus had therefore told them that He would not leave them alone, but would send the Helper who would ‘guide them into all truth’ (John 16:13), because He is the Spirit of Truth, and because the Helper was the Spirit of God, and therefore of Jesus, and had ‘hovered over the face of the waters at the beginning of the creation. (Genesis 1:2) He would abide with them for ever. Jesus in the body could not always be with them, but as the Holy Spirit dwelling within them He would always be with them. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus told them, “I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” John 15:26 says that the Spirit of Truth will testify regarding Jesus. Then in v27 we read that “You also will testify and be My witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
Those words were fulfilled when the Disciples were baptised in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and Peter addressed the large crowd and explained to them what was happening and that Jesus really was the Son of God, who had been spoken about by the Prophets and had been crucified for the sins of all the people, then had broken the power of death by rising again on the third day, then ascending into Heaven. This was the power bestowed on the disciples by the Spirit of God indwelling each of the Disciples so that each one, in their individual ways, would pass on the Gospel to those in Jerusalem and then further afield. Peter needed to learn that Gentiles also could be Christians and receive the Holy Spirit when the Centurian, Cornelius, sent for him to explain about Jesus, then he and all those with him were filled with the Holy Spirit. So the Gospel would continue to be proclaimed to all nations until we have reached the present age and we Christians also have the responsibility to pass on that Good News so that ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’ as Paul says in Romans 10:13, and will also be witnesses of the Gospel through ‘the power of the Holy Spirit.’ (Acts 1:8). Kathie.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sun 3rd May 10.45amWorship Service led by Val Hulme
Sun 10th May 10.45am OPEN SERVICE
Sun 17th May 10.45am Worship Service led by Linda Davey
Sun 24th May 10.45am Church Anniversary and Communion Service led by Val Hulme, followed by a Bring and Share Lunch
Sun 31st May 10:45am OPEN SERVICE followed by Church and Congregation Meeting *
Wednesdays 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th May Prayer Meeting 10am - 11am Drinks at 9.45am
Wednesday 6th May: 11:15 am Deacons' Meeting
Other Users of the Building:
Wednesdays throughout May - All Singers Great and Small Community Choir 7.30 - 9.00pm
Thursdays 10am - 12 noon Atherton and Leigh Foodbank
Wednesday 20th May: 1:00pm Churches in Leigh Leaders' Meeting
* Our next Church and Congregation meeting will follow a shortened Open Service on Sunday 31st May. Please put this date in your diary and make every effort to join us for this meeting.
"Ministering Unto Him" an evening of worship, prayer and listening to the Lord. Saturday 9th May 7:00 pm Grace Church Atherton, Alma Street, Atherton M46 0DY. All are welcome.
Our Pastoral Leader, Val, will be on annual leave from Friday 15th May - Monday 18th May inclusive.
Advance Notice
"Lights for Christ" NWBA along with Luther King Theological College are organising a Women's Day at Latchford Baptist Church on Saturday 20th June, from 9:30 am. More details to come, but please put this date in your diary. We had a good time of fellowship, worship, prayer and discussion at last year's event.
A gentle reminder: The list of duties on the rota sheet on the partition window is useful to see which duties will be covered or need to be covered each week. Please use this to record your commitment to a duty. Only one name appeared for a duty for the whole of April 2026.
BRING AND SHARE LUNCH - please note we will have a bring and share lunch after the service on MAY 24th. A time for fellowship and good food. All welcome