LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” May2024
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website :www.leighbaptistchurch.org.ukContact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Tuesdays and Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and infoalso LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sun 5th May 10.45am Worship service Miriam Simon
Sun 12th May 10.45am Open Service
Sun 19th May 10:45am Sunday Bible Study Revd. Neil Brighton
Sun 26th May 10.45am Communion Service Val Hulme
Saturday4th May 1:000am-12:00pm Chat’n’a Brew
Monday (?) 7:00 – 8:30pm Music Group To be confirmed
Tuesdays 4:00 - 6:00pm Guitar Group
Wednesdays 1st, 15th, 22nd and 29th May 10:00am -11:00am Prayer Meeting (drinks at 9.45am)
Wednesday15th May 11.15am Deacons’ meeting
Thursday16th May 1:00pm-3.30pm Coffee+
Thursday 23rd May 1:15pm Strategy Group
Saturday 25th May 10:00am-12:30pm Walking with You Group
Other Users of building:
Tuesdays 1:15pm – 3:00pm Private Support Group
Wednesdays 7.30pm -9:00pm All Singers Great & Small Community Choir
Thursdays 10:00am-12:00pm Atherton and Leigh Foodbank
Thursday9th May 7.30pm-10:00pm AGLOW
NEXT CHURCH MEETING SUNDAY 2nd JUNE
Please continue to pray for Leigh Baptist Church and in particular how we structure our children’s and young people’s work, and for more people to volunteer to help with this.
At the 1 year Anniversary of the Walking With You Group, it was decided that the time is right to change to meeting monthly. Starting this month, the group will meet on the 4th Saturday.
On Saturday 1st June, we will be combining our Chat ‘n’ a Brew with the Big Lunch. Starting at 10:00am with drinks and chat, we will have games and activities from 11:00, followed by a Bring and Share lunch at 12:30pm. Come along for all of it, or if you are time limited, come when you can. Please invite your friends and relatives to share this time with us.
Our Pastoral Leader, Val, will be on annual leave from Friday 3rd May for one week. She will also be attending the Baptist Assembly from Friday 17th – Sunday 19th May.
Our relationship with God.
Last month we looked at the new things God does, including anointing the Gentiles with His Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17 says that, in answer to the Disciples’ questions, Jesus told them that, when He ascended to be with his Father in heaven, He would ask the Father to send another Counsellor to be with them for ever, the Spirit of Truth, whom He said the world would neither see, nor know. He continued, “But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” The experience of Cornelius and the Gentiles makes it clear that those words apply to all those who believe in Jesus as God’s Son, trust in Him, love Him and obey His teachings.
This theme is continued in John 15 when Jesus refers to Himself as the Vine, his disciples as the branches and His Father as the gardener. He says, in v2, “Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit of itself. It must remain in the vine.” This tells us that, as true believers, we have a relationship with Jesus which will continue as long as we live. That is what being a Christian is all about. It is not just going to Church, or singing worship songs, or even reading the Bible. All these things can lead to that relationship and do help us to grow in it, but, as in all relationships, communication is so important.
Very often this only amounts to requests from us, but we also need to listen to what God says to us, guiding us into all truth through His Holy Spirit, who “will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John16:13) I distinctly remember the time when I was studying the Bible and praying. A voice seemed to speak within me telling me that I would marry a Minister. Not long after that time I met Roy, a Baptist Minister, and we were married in 1960. There have been times in my life when I have felt I must visit someone or pray for them and then found there was a need at that time. Many years ago I remember hearing that a number of people wondered why one day they had felt the urge to pray for a certain preacher. They later heard that he had been booked on an internal flight in America, but was called to reception to be told that because that flight had been overbooked he would be on a different plane. When he had reached his destination he heard that that other plane had crashed with loss of life. God calls His people to pray when there is a need. We need to be open to hear him.
I remember seeing the film about prayer, and especially about having a special prayer room. It reminds me of my maternal Grandfather who, each evening went into the bedroom for an hour of Bible reading and prayer. I have never managed to be as disciplined as that, but vary time and place, according to the day. The important thing is that we spend time in God’s presence.
Close relationships are built on love. Jesus said that the first and greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind, and the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) He also said to His disciples, “Love one another as I have loved you. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34) As we are able, we also should show that love for all Christian brothers and sisters. In John 15:9 Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 14:23 goes further when it says, ”If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. One result of this is answer to prayer because we will be praying for what God wishes to be done. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given.” (John 15:7)
May each one of us have that relationship with our Lord. KATHIE.