LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” JUNE 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
Celebrations
I have just had another Birthday when it was lovely to celebrate with a meal with members of my family and to receive greetings from family and friends for which I say thank you. At this time of so many sad and disturbing things happening in the world, it is good that there are events for us to celebrate.
I am sure that most people will look forward to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, whether with Street Parties, family parties, or just watching on television. Whatever some people think about the place of the monarchy, it is a remarkable achievement to reign for so long and to be still working and taking an interest in what is happening, such as visiting the Chelsea Flower Show in her new ‘Golf Buggy’. (I think that is the term for it).
I have been looking again at a book written for her 90th Birthday, ‘The Servant Queen and the King she serves’, published by the Bible Society, Hope, and licc, In it we can read in her own words what her faith in Jesus Christ has meant to her, and still does, and how much she has relied upon prayer. There are many quotes from her Christmas broadcasts making it clear that it is Jesus birth that we are celebrating at Christmas. Many other quotes tell us about Jesus, such as Him being the Prince of Peace, and a Saviour with the power to forgive and to heal, and how He gave the commandment to
love our neighbour as we love ourselves. We can read about her going unannounced to worship at the local church when she was staying at Sandringham. I remember hearing that she would regularly drive from Buckingham palace to Windsor Castle to pray in the chapel there. She has indeed been an example to all of us of devotion to duty, integrity, loyalty to her subjects, and a life lived trusting in the Lord to guide her through both good and bad times. Let us continue to pray for her and to give thanks to God for blessing our country, and all those of which she is Queen, with such a faithful Christian Sovereign.
The same weekend as we celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee it is also Pentecost (or Whitsuntide), the Birthday of the Church when we remember how the Disciples had a special anointing of the Holy Spirit descending on them like tongues of fire.
Before Jesus ascended into Heaven he told the Disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the
gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about, for John baptised with water, but in a
few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1: 4-5). Although they didn’t understand
everything Jesus told them would happen, He had been preparing them for the coming into their lives
of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. St John 14:15-17 tells us that Jesus said, “I will ask
the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever, -- the Spirit of Truth,” ---
“You know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.” Again, in chapter 16:7 He said, “It is good
for you that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Cousellor will not come to you; but if I go I will
send Him to you.” God came to Earth in the form of Jesus, and when Jesus returned to be with His
Father in Heaven, He promised to be with his followers in the form of the Holy Spirit indwelling them.
This is true for all those through the ages who believe in Jesus as the Son of God and their Saviour. We
read of that in Acts 2 and how the Disciples spoke in other tongues so that Jews, gathered there from
many different places, were each amazed that they could understand what was being said in their own
language. When they thought the Disciples must be drunk, Peter spoke up and told them that that was
what had been written by the prophet, Joel, “In the last days God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all
people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, young men shall see visions, old men shall dream
dreams, --- on my servants I will pour out my Spirit and they will prophecy.” In his letter to the
Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul spoke about the Holy Spirit, telling them that, “Having believed, you were
marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” Paul goes on to give thanks for their faith in
Jesus Christ and says how He continually prays for them, that God will “give them the Spirit of wisdom
and revelation,” that they will “know Him better.” Chapter 3 tells us of the Holy Spirit’s power. In
verses 16-19 Paul prays that God “may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner
being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and being rooted ---- in love, you may
have power together with all the saints ----to know the love of God that passes all understanding.” This
is a prayer for the Ephesian Church and for all churches. We need to keep on praying these sorts of
prayers for our church, and for those we know of locally and in other places, not forgetting to pray also
for individual Christians.
I hope we all can enjoy the long Bank Holiday weekend and be able to celebrate both the Queen’s
Platinum Jubilee and the Birthday of the Christian Church.
May God’s name be praised, Kathie. Scripture quotes from N.I.V.
Dates for your diary
Sunday 5th June : All-age worship led by Val Hulme 10:45am. This will be followed at 12:30pm by a Platinum Jubilee Lunch
Sunday 12th June: Deacons 10:45am
Sunday 19th June Val Hulme 10:45am.
Sunday 26th June: Communion Service led by Val Hulme 10:45am
Toddlers@LBC: Tuesdays 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th June 9:30 - 11:30am
Memorable Melodies: Tuesdays 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th June 1:00 - 2:30pm
Prayer Meeting: Wednesdays 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th June 10:00 - 11:00am (9:45 for tea/coffee/chat)
Coffee+: Saturday 11th June 10:30am - 12:30pm and Thursday 23rd June 1:00 - 3:00pm
Deacons' Meeting: Wednesday 22nd June 11:30am
Our building will be used by a Support Group on Wednesday 1st June 12:15 - 2:00pm and by Pensioners' Link on Thursday 9th June 12:30 - 3:30pm.
On Sunday, 5th June, we will join together to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee with a bring and share lunch and social afternoon. Invite your family and friends to join us.
Linda Davey would like to thank all those who supported her recent Colourthon by donating to Open Doors. She has raised a fantastic £1,850.80.
Free Sale
We will be holding a free sale on Friday, 15th July from 11:00 am - 3:00pm. If you have any items of clothing, shoes, books, CDs, toys, games, bric-a-brac etc, please put them to one side until the week before the sale, when we will be able to receive them. (We don't have the storage space to accept them any sooner) Please note that electrical items will not be accepted. There will be an entrance fee of 50p which will include refreshments.
If you are able to help with setting up for the sale on Thursday 14th from 1:00pm onwards or with serving the refreshments, washing up etc. on the day, please speak to Val, Angie or Jean