"‘To proclaim Jesus Christ by studying and living the Bible, so that people of all ages may believe, grow in love, and serve him in their lives, to the glory of God’

Volume 30 Issue 7

Mission Statement of St. Paul’s, Throop

November and December 2013

Win Believers to Christ, Build Followers in Christ, Send Workers for Christ.

Vicar : Revd. Dr. Ro Mody 1 Chesildene Avenue Throop Bournemouth BH8 0AZ

01202 531064 [email protected]



Honorary Minister : Revd. Brian Ruff 19 Hardy Road West Moors Ferndown Dorset  01202 868733 BH22 0EX [email protected] Readers : Mrs. Susan Nightingale 4 Shawford Road Throop, Bournemouth BH8 0PD

 01202 520997 [email protected]

Mrs. Sue Coleman 1st Floor Flat, 51a Stanfield Road Bournemouth

01202 536963 [email protected]

Church Administrator : Debbie Staple Contactable via the parish office



01202 525525 [email protected]

Parish Office Opening Hours : (term time) Monday: 8.15am-9am, 10am-12.30pm, 1pm-3pm Wednesday: 9am-12pm, - 2 - 12:45pm—3:45pm Friday: 8.30am-12:15pm

Welcome to the November / December 2013 edition of St Paul’s Messenger. We hope you find its contents informative and uplifting. Pages Welcome

4-6

Church News

7-17

Music News

18

Forthcoming Events

19

Missionary Focus

20-23

Behind the Hymn

24-25

Book Recommendations

26-27

Puzzle Page

28

Children’s Corner

29

Church Activities

30

Church Directory

31

Services

32

Please forward any comments or ideas for future articles to our magazine editors: Paula Griffiths 01202 555500 [email protected] Stephen Russell 01202 532598 [email protected] - 3 -

GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY! My dear Church Family, We are at Christmas time again! Hasn’t the year gone quickly? Christmas is here again! Something to celebrate! Christmas is here: holidays, family time, gifts, and getting ready for turkey and mince pies. Yet for us who know God, Christians, We celebrate with the angel, “good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Christ.” (Luke 2:10-11). That means that, 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, the God of Israel kept his promises and a Son was born into King David’s family. His Son is god’s Anointed King, the Messiah, Jesus, who is saviour and rescuer. Jesus rescues us from our sins, by dying in our place, taking on himself the death, wrath, hell, and punishment that our sins deserve. Now the story of that first Christmas has two key things. First, is the angel’s announcement “I bring you Good News.” Now, the word for “good news” is the same as for “Gospel” and means “a verbal proclamation of momentous news.” That is, Christmas is about proclamation; preaching, a sermon. The Gospel, in form, is a sermon. The Gospel is a spoken message from God through his messenger (the angel) about Jesus and salvation.

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GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY! The second key thing is the response of those who hear the angel’s Christmas sermon: faith or unbelief. In Luke 1:5-25, the priest Zechariah does not believe the Angel Gabriel’s sermon when the angel tells him that he is to a son, John, who will prepare the way for the Christ. It is quite shocking. Here is a good man, a prayerful man, a religious man; a clergyman, who does not believe God’s spoken word. It seems that a being a churchgoer is not enough, we need to believe God’s Word as it is proclaimed to us week-byweek in the sermon. In Luke 1:26-38, the Angel Gabriel takes his sermon to Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end." (vs. 30-31).

So, Mary is chosen by God to bear a Son, and Mary’s son will be not merely the Son of David but also the Son of God! Mary’s Son, Jesus, will reign over God’s Kingdom forever. Amazingly, this unimportant little girl, unlike the priest, Zechariah, believes the Angel’s sermon. Martin Luther, the German Reformer used to say that there were three great miracles at Christmas: that God became a human, that a virgin conceived, and that Mary believed God’s Word. And the fact that Mary believed was not the least of the miracles.

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GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY! And the result of faith in God’s Word? “Good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” That’s the key isn’t it? Faith is taking God at His Word. Faith is listening to God’s proclamation. If we do so the result is the Good News of Great Joy. If we believe God’s Word proclaimed, then it will become the Good News of Salvation and bring us joy in our hearts. At the heart of St, Paul’s this year has been the proclamation of God’s Word. I trust that it has met with faith, and become “Good News of Great Joy” for all us. For, the proclamation and preaching of God’s Word that is what Christmas is all about. With Love in Christ and a Very happy Christmas, Ro

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“LITTLE LAMBS” TOY COLLECTION “ Little Lambs “ Toy Collection : As in previous years, the “Little Lambs“ Toddler Group will be collecting new toys for distribution to needy local families this Christmas. The response from the Under 3’s parents and carers, as well as the wider congregation at St Paul’s, has been very generous over the past 9 years. We hope you may feel able to donate again at a time when there is even greater hardship and need in our community. Gifts suitable for toddlers to teens are needed : eg. toys and games/ toiletries/ hair accessories/ books and CD’s/personal and school stationery/ T-shirts/ caps and socks/ gift vouchers. Please put your donations ( NOT WRAPPED ) in our big red box in the Church Lounge. Closing date : 11th December, 2013. Thank You! Simone Penfold

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WOUNDED INTERVIEW Anne Graham Lotz: “I pray my book will help set people free from bitterness and anger” A few years ago, on holiday in Scotland, I passed a man wearing a T-shirt that said 'Don't trust the church, they are liars'. More text on his back went on to detail his issues. It turned out that it wasn't God that had let him down, it was people. Issues of rejection, pain and unforgiveness within the Church itself forms the focus for Anne Graham-Lotz's latest book, Wounded. Published by Hodder Faith, it draws on the story of Hagar and attempts to help us bring closure and healing to some of the wounds that exist in our fellowships. Anne, the daughter of preacher Billy, said: "A wound from God's people is not just a hurt feeling or being neglected, it is being lied to, betrayed, rejected, slandered by those who call themselves Christians – in our church, family, ministry, etc." Wounded is the result of exploring Hagar and then seeing how that translates to us today. Anne is very clear that God will use the book to help others. She said: "I pray God would use this book to help set His people free from bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, etc., releasing us to be the Spirit-filled people He has called us to be, while at the same time making us more aware of the dangers of becoming wounders ourselves.” "I pray this book will help bring revival to the hearts of God's people, as we who are called by His name humble ourselves, seek His face, pray, and turn from OUR wicked ways “ (2 Chronicles 7:14).

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WOUNDED INTERVIEW "Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by our love for each other” (John 13:35). And in some cases, that love needs to be demonstrated by our forgiveness of those who have wounded us." Anne said that the book comes out of personal experience: "The book has taken me four years to write, and was very difficult because in the process I had to relive some wounds I had put behind me, as well as allow God to bring to my remembrance wounds I had forgotten. Over the four years, I also received some of my deepest wounds, and felt my study of Hagar helped me process them in a more godly way." Often, we excuse saying hurtful things by using the phrase 'speaking the truth in love'. Why does Anne think God's people are willing to say and do hurtful things? "Because we are sinners," she says. "Although we have been to the Cross, placed our faith in Jesus alone for salvation and forgiveness of our sin, we still sin." Sometimes, writers say that the process of writing is a cathartic process. It seems that Wounded is no exception. Anne says: "Writing helped to bring into focus principles of forgiveness and love that I have learned, but needed to be reminded of in a fresh way." She is also aware that she too is reliant on God's grace to help lead His people. She explains: "How can we lead others if we pretend to be perfect? My prayer is that while others may see my struggles and imperfections, they will also see my victories, and become convinced that if God can give me the power to overcome, to forgive, to be released from anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc., He can give them power, too." If you are suffering from someone who is wounding you, Anne encourages you to take heart and trust God.

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WOUNDED INTERVIEW "The cycle of wounding begins to rotate when we are wounded, then retaliate by wounding back, then the other person hurts us even more severely, and we hit back, and so it goes," she says. "To break the cycle we must make the choice not to retaliate, not to seek vengeance, but to forgive the wounders, then reach out to bless them, do something for them. We can do this knowing that God keeps accounts…He will sort out the issues one day. "1 Peter 2:23 says that when Jesus was wounded by God's people, He kept silent, trusting Himself to the One who judges justly. Breaking the cycle is not hard, but making the decision to break the cycle – to refuse to lash back or retaliate in any way – can be hard because it is the opposite of our feelings. "But to refuse to forgive, to retaliate or to seek vengeance, is like drinking poison hoping the other person dies. We only hurt ourselves." Writing - and reading - about hurt and pain in the Church is difficult, but Anne hopes that her book will help God to rebuild bridges. "I pray that readers would begin their healing journeys--journeys which begin with an acknowledgement of the pain, maybe even accompanied by anger, grief, tears, etc; then a return to the Cross to confess their anger, vengeful spirit, unforgiveness, bitterness, etc; choose to forgive the wounder, then demonstrate their forgiveness with an act of love – just reach out to bless the person. "It may make no difference to the wounder, but it helps to set free the spirit of the wounded." Wounded, by Anne Graham Lotz, is published by Hodder Faith, £13.99. ISBN: 978-0340908501.

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CHURCH ACTION ON POVERTY Charities call to stop the Payday Loan Rip-off Church Action on Poverty has joined other charities and MPs to launch a major new initiative to tackle predatory and irresponsible payday lenders. The Charter to Stop the Payday Loan Rip-off is a response to recent proposals from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for regulating payday lenders. Church Action on Poverty says that the proposals are welcome but do not go far enough. The Charter lays out what needs to be done to regulate these lenders properly. The Charter has been created by Church Action on Poverty in partnership with an influential cross-party group of MPs and some of Britain’s biggest debt, consumer and anti-poverty organisations – including Which?, Citizens Advice, StepChange Debt Charity and the Centre for Responsible Credit. Church Action on Poverty has published a report to accompany the Charter, and set up an e-action which allows supporters to call on their MPs to back the Charter. Anyone interested in reading the report or taking part should visit www.church-poverty.org.uk/ drowningindebt Niall Cooper, Director of Church Action on Poverty, said: “Payday lending, based on charging extortionate interest rates and extorting money from the poor through unfair and predatory lending practices, has no place in society. "It is the modern-day equivalent of usury, which is strongly condemned within virtually all religious traditions. We urge the FCA to seize this opportunity to provide real protection to poor and vulnerable customers from companies who are currently ripping them off.”

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CHURCH ACTION ON POVERTY Paul Blomfield MP, who has developed the Charter, said: “Payday lenders are ripping off millions of people, trapping them in spirals of debt. The FCA’s proposals for regulation are a step in the right direction, but they don’t go far enough. We want members of the public, MPs, councils and charities to back the Charter and join our call for tougher regulation and enforcement. If this ‘once in a generation’ opportunity is missed, payday lenders will be able to carry on exploiting people.” The Charter to Stop the Payday Loan Rip-off We believe irresponsible payday lending and other high-cost credit is damaging the health and wealth of our country. Payday lenders are exploiting millions of people across the UK, trapping them in spirals of debt, and the problem is getting worse. Payday lenders are breaking promises they made in their own customer charter. Self-regulation has failed. We call for effective regulation of payday lenders and high cost credit, which is properly enforced, to:  Stop them giving loans to people who can’t realistically afford to pay them back  Stop them repeatedly rolling over loans and creating spiralling debt  Stop hidden or excessive charges  Stop them raiding borrowers’ bank accounts without their knowledge and leaving them in hardship  Stop irresponsible advertising and instead provide clear and transparent information  Require lenders to promote free and independent debt advice, and ensure they co-operate with other services to help people get out of debt. We also want action to support the growth of credit unions and other forms of more responsible lending; we want banks to increase the availability of credit to people on low and middle incomes; and we want new research undertaken now on capping the total cost of credit. For more, log on to www.church-poverty.org.uk.

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I.AM Remember the Olympic Torch Relay Praise Bus? Here comes something bigger! Ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games was the Torch Relay, which took the Olympic Flame from Land's End to the Olympic Stadium. Ahead of it, at every step of the way, was the Praise Bus, a big initiative from a small chapel in Escalls, near Land's End. Local musicians from each leg of the relay played Christian music, while people prayed for the Lord to bless the nation. It was well received and acted as the perfect warm-up for the torch as it criss-crossed the country. The Praise Bus came out of a vision given to members of the Escalls chapel. Now, they say that the Lord has given them another vision and we should prepare for something bigger! I.AM is a 20-minute film and is aimed at bringing the grace and love of God to all communities. It will once again fan out across the nation during a relay between towns and cities in all parts of the UK. It will be screened in the days and weeks before and after The Queen's Baton relay, which will take place next year ahead of the Commonwealth Games, to be held in Glasgow from July 23August 3, 2014. The baton will travel for four days in Ireland, six in Wales, 16 in England and 40 in Scotland. I.AM is a unique, cutting edge, musical film, being produced to appeal to those with no Christian connection, who have very little time. The production will be shown outside of church parameters, including pop-up coffee shops, as well as village halls, schools and prisons, where people will be able to enjoy a coffee, sit back, relax and watch the 20-minute film, giving churches an exciting, very different and easy to use tool to bless their communities. Organisers from the Chapel said: "Please visit our holding website www.amifilm.co.uk. The website will be completed shortly, however, this is just to let you view our logo. Briefings will be held around the country, encouraging and helping churches find the best way to reach their neighbourhood with this film." To find out more about the project, to ask the organisers questions or to sign up to take part, Email: [email protected]. For more details, visit www.amifilm.co.uk. - 13 -

FARESHARE Red Cross to send food parcels as demand soars As the Conservative-led Coalition Government cuts begin to bite, new figures released by The Trussell Trust have revealed that three times as many people are receiving help from Food Banks over the same period last year. And the situation has got so bad that the Red Cross has teamed up with FareShare to distribute food parcels in the UK for the first time since the Second World War. Simon Lewis, Red Cross head of emergency planning and response, said: “Many people are struggling to cope in the current economic climate. As a humanitarian organisation, we are worried that vulnerable people such as the elderly and young children may not have enough nutritious food." The charities are teaming up with Tesco to arrange food collections which will take place on November 29, 30 and December 1. The food will then be packaged up into parcels that will feed 130,000 this Christmas. FareShare estimates that an astonishing 5.8million people in Britain are struggling to meet the rising cost of living and can't afford everyday essentials. And, as the bedroom tax and changes to benefits and tax credits are introduced, coupled with rising prices for fuel bills, it appears that things will get worse before they get better. The Trussell Trust revealed that between April and September 2013, more than 350,000 people received a food parcel that would feed them for three days. That's three times as many as the same period last year.

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FARESHARE 346,992 people received a minimum of three days emergency food from Trussell Trust foodbanks in 2012-13, compared to 128,697 in 2011-12 and up from 26,000 in 2008-09. Of those helped in 2012-13, 126,889 (36.6 percent) were children. The Christian-run charity is behind many foodbanks across the UK and its top brass say that this is untenable. Executive Chairman Chris Mould says: "The sheer volume of people who are turning to foodbanks because they can’t afford food is a wake-up call to the nation that we cannot ignore the hunger on our doorstep. Politicians across the political spectrum urgently need to recognise the real extent of UK food poverty and create fresh policies that better address its underlying causes. "This is more important than ever as the impact of the biggest reforms to the welfare state since it began start to take effect. Since April 1 we have already seen increasing numbers of people in crisis being sent to foodbanks with nowhere else to go." And he added that the people who were provided emergency food parcels were not the ones you'd expect. Only four per cent of recipients were homeless: 30% were referred due to benefit delay; 18% low income and 15% benefit changes (up from 11% in 2011-12). "We’re seeing people from all kinds of backgrounds turning to foodbanks: working people coming in on their lunch-breaks, mums who are going hungry to feed their children, people whose benefits have been delayed and people who are struggling to find enough work. It’s shocking that people are going hungry in 21st century Britain." For more on the food collections, visit www.foodcollection.tesco.com

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QUOTATIONS "May our lives show that, rather than faith being the problem, it does in fact put us in the best time and place for understanding, respect and becoming the answer in a world that is wandering." The Rt Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die." G. K. Chesterton "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." John F Kennedy "The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them." Czeslaw Milosz "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." Mother Teresa "An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind." Mahatma Gandhi "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal." Martin Luther King, Jr. "Arise my soul, and review your deeds which have preceded from you. Scrutinise them closely, and shed the rain of your tears, declaring openly to Christ your thoughts and deeds, so that you may be justified." Attributed to St Andrew

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TEARFUND FAIRTRADE EVENT

Enjoy a cream tea while browsing lovely Tearcraft/ Fairly traded goods in aid of Tearfund/ Toilet Twinning

Saturday 16th November 2013 2pm – 4pm In the hard floor area Fairly Traded Goods with all proceeds to the work of Tearfund

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LATEST RELEASES If album titles are statements about God's claim on the lives of the artist, the monikers of Steven Curtis Chapman's portfolio detail a man who has fearlessly abandon his life to God. Album titles of such as "For the Sake of the Call," "The Great Adventure," "Dive," "Beauty Will Rise," "Declaration" and "re: creation" spell out a life so secured in Jesus Christ that nothing seem to faze him in diving into God's call. Life therefore becomes an adventure of boundless possibilities where even beauty could be resurrected out of ugliest evil. Chapman's latest album epithet "The Glorious Unfolding" adds a further chapter to his storied career of lived-out faith. "The Glorious Unfolding" as a song as well as the controlling theme of the record remind us that life is not a "samsara" of meaningless cycles. Rather, life is an epic of how God unravels his story of salvation from creation to glorification. And by His grace, God has allowed us fallible human beings to play a major role in this breathtaking story. With each song Chapman opens up our eyes to see how God as the master narrator works behind the scenes unfolding His story within the ordinary happenstances of our lives, our worship and our relationships. "The Glorious Unfolding" is Chapman's first album of all original material in seven years. Pleasantly welcoming is the higher quotient of ballads on this new record relative to Chapman's earlier efforts. Somehow reminisce of Chapman's stalwart "I'll Be There" is "Together." "Together" is a romantic string-orchestrated ballad that doesn't have the lightweightiness of many of today's love songs. Rather, it is the imbued with a maturity that comes with the years of seeking God as a couple together. Though "The Glorious Unfolding" faults a little on the predictable side of Chapman, it is still an indispensable record as it unfolds the greatest story of history. And when Chapman gets into the story telling booth his eloquence as expressed through these songs is peerless. - 18 -

Monday 11th, 19th, 25th November, 7.30pm Monday 2nd, 9th, 16th December, 7.30pm Christianity Explored

Wednesday 13th November 7.30pm Safeguarding Event

Saturday 16th November, 2.30-4.30pm Tearfund Sale

Wednesday 20th November, 7.30pm “Sticky Faith”

Wednesday 4th December, 7.30pm Church Night of Prayer

Friday 6th December 10am, 1pm Barbara Rose Assembly

Wednesday 11th, 18th December 10am Little Lambs Assembly

Tuesday 24th December, 4pm Children’s Nativity Service

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OMF—POWELLS’ PROGRESS Readers for Pilgrim’s Progress Thank you to all of you who were praying about our recording of Pilgrim’s Progress in Cebuano. We decided to go ahead with it in August. It was hard to plan ahead, and to schedule people, not knowing whether they would be fluent readers or not. However, the Lord worked everything wonderfully and we were able to complete the recording in 2 weeks, with a total of 20 different readers. Since then, our friends Joel & Cindy have been working hard in editing the recording (to remove unnecessary clicks and to balance sound levels). I then listened through it all in the studio to decide on which parts to leave out (particularly the ‘he said’, ‘she said’ lines). Just this morning I picked up the first copy of the whole recording. We still need to decide on what sound effects to add. Then we need to distribute it. Please pray that this recording would be finished well, and that the final copy will be heard by many people. A good Reader During the course of recording, we met a young man called Jake. He was an excellent reader, and we took him to be our narrator for the story. However, as we continued I began to realise that he was also a good proof reader. He made suggestions for slight alterations to the text to make it better. I asked him if he would be interested in reading some other materials that I am working on, and he was enthusiastic. I sent him my booklet on preaching, and he read it and came back to me with a lot of helpful corrections and suggestions. Thank you for praying for a checker for our translation work. Please pray for a good working relationship with Jake and for the work to progress rapidly.

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OMF—POWELLS’ PROGRESS Leaders needed There seems to be a great need for leaders of integrity at the moment, in OMF, in Faith Academy and in the Philippine government:  In OMF, we have begun the process of looking for a new field director for the Philippine field. Mark & Susan Chapman have decided that they will not return (for a few years at least) after they go home to Australia in the middle of next year. Please pray for the person / couple of God’s choosing to continue the Chapmans’ good work.  The term of office of our OMF ‘Indigenous Peoples’ group leaders here came to an end recently, so we needed to choose leaders for the next couple of years. Ernst Digglemann was chosen to continue as the main leader, but I have been asked to be the deputy leader, particularly with oversight of the Manobo ministries. Please pray for me & Laureen as we take on this role.  It may be a good thing that our leadership training in Singapore was postponed until October, because we will now have a different focus in attending the course as we take on our new role. Please pray for a worthwhile time there Oct 20th – 26th. Please pray too for Laureen’s parents who will be looking after Ruth & Anwen whilst we are away.  All the directors of OMF will be meeting next week in Singapore for International Council. Please pray for them as they make far reaching decisions, especially as they decide on a change to the organisational structure.  Faith Academy, Mindanao, is still in need of a head of school. There is an acting head, but it is not good for the school to have no longer term leader in place. Please pray for the right head of school to be found and appointed soon. There are also still needs for extra staff at the school. Please pray for more teachers to be called to this worthwhile ministry.

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OMF—POWELLS’ PROGRESS 



The Philippine Government needs good leaders to solve the long running dispute with Muslim groups in some parts of Mindanao. Last week, a group of Muslim militia attempted to raise their own flag at city hall in Zamboanga. This provoked a conflict that is still going on as I type. Some of our colleagues are stuck in the city, and their house has become a temporary refuge for about 30 people who have fled the war zone. Please pray for wise counsel and peace to prevail. Pray too for safety for the people of Zamboanga. Possibly connected with the trouble in Zamboanga, there were two small bomb explosions in Davao yesterday. No one was hurt. Please pray that the crisis will not escalate further. The Philippine Government is also being rocked by scandal once again. It appears that a lot of the politicians’ discretionary funds have been channelled to fake aid organisations and thence back into their own pockets. 3 senators were charged with plunder today, and more may follow. Please pray for the uncovering of such corruption at all levels, and for people of integrity to take positions of authority.

Other News Updates  Thank you to those of you who prayed about the girls’ teeth. Ruth still needs one more filling, but the rest are all nicely taken care of.  As a sequel to the pleasant surprise of being the owners of a ‘Peruvian hamster’ that we mentioned last time, we were very surprised one morning two weeks ago to find that ‘Lima’ had given birth to two baby hamsters! One was stillborn, but the other is doing well, and has been named ‘Whiteysqueak.’  My parents are due to arrive here in less than 2 weeks’ time. Please pray for a good time together and for good health for them, especially after a minor health scare last week for Dad.

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OMF—POWELLS’ PROGRESS 





Tomorrow I head off to the hills for 3 days with Ernst, our ministry leader, and our colleague, Hansjoerg. Please pray for a worthwhile time together and for him to learn more about the ministry here. Pray too for Laureen and the girls whilst I am gone. Last week, Laureen was busy with a shortterm worker, Tabea who came to see the work in Mindanao for a few days after a couple of months in Manila. Laureen was able to encourage her in her desire to become a missionary. Please pray for further good shorttermers and for Laureen to be able to have significant input to their lives. We don’t have any clear update on Nelia. However, the rumours we are hearing say she is now living as the wife of her boyfriend. We are sad, but we continue to pray that God would work in her life.

Thank you for your unfailing prayers and support. Many blessings from

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O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM Phillips Brooks (1835-93) was a hugely influential American Episcopalian (Anglican) clergyman and teacher. He was rector of Trinity Church in Boston, Massachusetts, which he rebuilt in a grand style as one of the ecclesiastical wonders of the Eastern United States, and briefly served as Bishop of Massachusetts. Physically imposing at 6ft 4in, his lectures on preaching are still read today. He was also a passionate opponent of slavery during the dark years of the American Civil War and campaigned for freed slaves to have the vote. When he died, one observer noted: “They buried him like a king. Harvard students carried his body on their shoulders. All barriers of denomination were down. Roman Catholics and Unitarians felt that a great man had fallen in Israel.” He is best remembered for the hymn he wrote after visiting the Holy Land. On Christmas Eve 1865 he went to a midnight service at the Church of the Holy Nativity in Bethlehem. He noted: “I remember standing in the old church in Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices I knew well, telling each other of the Wonderful Night of the Saviour’s birth.” Two years later he wrote O Little Town of Bethlehem, one of the best-known of all carols. It is a remarkably vivid picture of the actual city (and in the pre-electric age the streets would indeed have been ‘dark’, and the stillness would have been much deeper than it ever would today). But the hymn takes the place he knew, and peoples it with the characters of the Christmas story: here is Christ born of Mary, and the angels keeping their watch of wondering love. It’s also full of theology, not in a heavy-handed statement of doctrine, but in a preacher’s interpretation of what the doctrine really means in the life of the believer:

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O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM ‘How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n; So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.’ There is a deep feeling and poetic vision in these verses, arising from a profound engagement with the events they describe. The theme which runs through them is that Christmas is not just a single historical event: it is the breaking-in of God into the world, which happens not just when his Son is incarnate, but when his will is done. A verse which is not generally found in our hymnbooks today runs: Where children pure and happy pray to the blessed Child, Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild; Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door, The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more. We’re more familiar with the lines which run, ‘No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,/ Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.’ And we know the last verse which has the line, ‘Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.’ There is a profound truth here, that Christ comes into the world in us and through us disciples, as well as in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.

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ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS BOOKS Cover to Cover Advent: The Heartbeat of Hope By Elizabeth Rundle, CWR, £6.99. ISBN: 978-1-85345-996-2 Join Elizabeth Rundle for 31 days of Advent study, and find ‘something of eternity’ to touch your heart and deepen your faith. Wherever we live, we are not immune to the tensions, fears, regrets, hopes and dreams of the world as it is. We face these human realities within our communities, our families and even in our own hearts. In this book, we trace the heartbeat of hope throughout the Old Testament, the pulse of longing for God’s Messiah. Each day comprises Bible verses, comment, personal application, points to ponder and a prayer. Each week ends with a group study page. Real God in the Real World: Advent and Christmas readings on the coming of Christ By Trystan Owain Hughes, BRF, £7.99. ISBN: 9780857462657 This book offers a lively, engaging, and accessible look at the theme of the Incarnation, the mysterious event at the heart of Christmas, using personal stories, illustrations from popular culture and the arts, as well as daily Bible readings. The starting-point is what the 'Word made flesh' means for us and how the first Christmas should still have an impact on our everyday lives. Topz Secret Diaries: Christmas Cracker By Alexa Tewkesbury, CWR, £6.99. ISBN-13: 978-1-85345-993-1 It's Christmas time in Holly Hill with festive excitement and fun stuff galore! There are lists to be made, presents to be bought, decorations to be hung and goodies to be baked. And when the Topz Gang are involved, even if things don't go quite according to plan, one way or another you can be sure it will be a Christmas to remember! - 26 -

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS BOOKS

A Simple Christmas Wish By Melody Carlson, Lion, £10.99. ISBN: 9780800719654 Rachel Milligan is caring for her seven-year-old niece, Holly, at her home in Chicago when she receives devastating news: Holly’s parents have been killed in a plane crash. Because Rachel is Holly’s only known relative, she assumes that she will be her beloved niece’s guardian. However, custody is awarded to Lydia, a distant BOOK PICS aunt who happens to be Amish. A week before Christmas, Rachel takes Holly to the Amish community in the hopes of persuading Aunt Lydia to relinquish custody. Instead, Lydia sets out to teach Holly to live according to the Amish way. Joy to the World, the Lord is Come! The Forgotten Meaning of Christmas By Isaac Watts, Paraclete Press, £13.50 approx, US import. ISBN: 978-16126141137 Few people know that Joy to the World – the world’s most popular Christmas song – wasn’t written for Christmas. Isaac Watts wrote it in imitation of Psalm 98. That psalm has nothing to say about the coming of the Messiah as a child; it is instead about the Messiah who comes in glory, and righteousness, and victory over evil, to judge the world and comfort the faithful. In other words, Watts was focusing on Christ’s soon-to-be, expected, triumphant return to earth. This book explores this theme with selected readings from elsewhere in the writings of Watts, as a way of preparing our hearts for Christmas morning.

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Monday Church Bible Study and Prayers Barbara Rose Pre-School Sewing Group Tuesday Barbara Rose Pre-School Rainbows Brownies Wednesday Barbara Rose Pre-School Little Lambs Under 3s Group Guides Church Night

Thursday Barbara Rose Pre-School Morning Service Grapevine Adult Daytime Group Women’s Group (GNO) Friday Barbara Rose Pre-School Foundations Children’s Club (Years 3-5) Roots Youth Club (years 6-8) Basement Youth Club (Years 9-13)

9am to 10am 9am to 3pm 12.45pm to 3.45pm (twice monthly) 9am to 3pm 5pm to 6.30pm 5pm to 6.30pm 9am to 3pm 10am to 12 noon 6.20pm to 8pm 7.30pm (1st Wednesday after 1st Sunday in the month) 9am to 3pm 9.45am to 10.30am From 10.45am 1st and 3rd Thursday in the month (usually) 7.30pm (usually 2nd Thursday) 9am to 3pm 6pm to 7.30pm 7pm to 8.30pm 8pm to 10pm

In Addition Growth Groups – Usually weeks 2 and 4 (Where week 1 follows the 1st Sunday in the month) For key contact details, please see the inside back cover of - 30 the magazine.

Wardens Mr Martin Price,  536593 Mrs Esther Ferguson,  Church Office Church Honorary Secretary Mrs Debbie Staple  527315 Treasurer Mr Rene Waelti, please contact via the Church office  525525 Family Welfare Worker Mrs Ruth Maytum,  514016 Pastoral Care Co-Ordinators Martin and Janice Price  536593 Electoral Roll Officer Debbie Staple  525525 Sunday Network Mrs Janet Roper,  01425 478876 Creche Organisers Mrs Jane Gale  07753 512750 Mrs Kathy Page  520390 Under 3’s Group—Little Lambs Please contact the Church Office  Church Office Barbara Rose Pre-School Michelle Homer  07967 318180 Rainbows and Brownies [email protected] to register please visit [email protected] www.girlguiding.org.uk/join Guides Sally Cronk  519434 to register please visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/join Grapevine Adult Daytime Group Jean Moores,  515967

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Andrew and Claire Saunders 

Victoria Arnold  The Basement - Young Peoples Group Mr Chris Dodgson  Church Missionary Co-Ordinator Mr Doug Newport  Magazine Co-Editors Miss Paula Griffiths  Mr Stephen Russell  Bookstall and Library Please contact the Church office  Children’s Library Mrs Janet Legg, Braishfield Gds  Verger Mr Richard Coleman  Head Sidesman Mr Rob Burchell,  Fabric & Maintenance Committeee Chairman Martin Price  Head Gardener Mr Tony Maytum  Housekeeping Mr Andrew Sirmulis,  Flowers To be confirmed  Women’s Group GNO Mrs Marion Harrison  Mrs Jenny Goss 

Roots

Foundations

520804 533277

549182

514016

536593

530595

536963

516324

525525

555500 532598

397342

547402

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527023

Sunday 3rd November 10am All Age Service Andy Saunders/Sunday Network Team 6.30pm The Chronicle of Dedication The Lord’s Supper Ro Mody

Sunday 1st December 10am All Age Service Andy Saunders/Sunday Network Team 6.30pm The Son in the Temple The Lord’s Supper Brian Ruff

Sunday 10th November 10am Morning Service “Remembrance Day” Ro Mody 6.30pm The Chronicle of Glory Evening Service Sue Coleman

Sunday 8th December 10am Morning Servce Preacher’s Choice Brian Ruff 6.30pm Preparing the Way Evening Service Ro Mody

Sunday 17th November 10am Lord’s Supper Preacher’s choice Sue Coleman 6.30pm The Chronicle of Splendour Evening Service Ro Mody

Sunday 15h December 10am Lord’s Supper Preacher’s Choice Will Burditt 6.30pm The Family Tree Evening Service Ro Mody

Sunday 24th November 10am Morning Service Rich Coleman 6.30pm Salvation in the Temple Evening Service Ro Mody

Sunday 22nd December 10am Morning Service Preacher’s Choice Sue Coleman 6.30pm Carol Service Brian Ruff

Tuesday 24th December 4pm Children’s Nativity Sunday Network meet every Sunday, except for All Age Services. There is a crèche every Sunday, and Under 5’s during All Age Services. There is a service of Holy Communion or Morning Prayer (Prayer Book Service) every Thursday at 9.45am.

Tuesday 24th December 11pm Lord’s Supper

Wednesday 25th December 10am All-Age Worship

Sunday 29th December 10am Morning Service Brian Ruff

Magazine NovDec 2013(LOW RES).pdf

Revd. Dr. Ro Mody. 1 Chesildene Avenue. Throop. Bournemouth. BH8 0AZ. Readers : Mrs. Susan Nightingale. 4 Shawford Road. Throop,. Bournemouth. BH8 0PD ... Welcome 4-6. Church News 7-17. Music News 18. Forthcoming Events 19. Missionary Focus 20-23. Behind the Hymn 24-25. Book Recommendations 26-27.

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