May newsletter
Welcome to our May Newsletter. This month we continue the challenge to read through 100 Bible passages which tell its main story. We hope this information encourages you in your life as a Christian, and your service in our fellowship and wider community. Everyone counts.
THE SPIRIT OF CREATIVITY
In the latest edition of Transform, Jonathan Edwards the BU General Secretary writes: “I am often interviewed. And I've discovered that there are two main questions that I am asked. The first is “What encourages you most about the Baptist Union?” and the second is “What depresses you most about the Baptist Union?” I find both questions easy to answer.
“Without any question the most impressive and encouraging aspect of our life together in the Baptist Union is the bubbling creativity that I find wherever I go. Whether you look at buildings, worship, evangelism, fellowship, or engagement in the community there are innumerable illustrations of new and exciting initiatives and novel ways of doing familiar things. This is exactly what you would expect from a community that is inspired and led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always in the business of transformation and creativity.
“So what depresses me most about the Baptist Union? I will tell you. I get depressed when we allow ourselves to get trapped in our own culture because this means that we lose the ability to communicate to the people who live around us who wouldn’t have any understanding of our culture. I get depressed when we assume that if we just keep doing the same old things, then revival will finally turn up. I get depressed when we opt for the comfort of our familiar ways of doing things, and resist the transforming breath of the Spirit.
“On balance I am more than encouraged. But we need to remember that creativity is challenging and disturbing and even in our most creative moments, there will always be the temptation to opt for the safe and uncreative option. May the wind of the Spirit of God blow through your life and fellowship.”
Jonathan Edwards (Gen. Sec. BUGB)
BU Assembly
Here’s a flavour of what’s available for delegates this afternoon (May 1st) at the BU/BMS Assembly in Blackpool:
Lessons from Timberline Church, Colorado
Jeff is a teaching pastor at Timberline, which is one of the fastest growing churches in America. It is not in a major urban situation, (the usual sites of so-called mega-churches) but rather is based in a smaller city of just 130,000 people. Rather than presenting principles and strategies to copy (which may be irrelevant in our cultural setting) Jeff will explore lessons on leadership that he has observed in his two decades at the church; principles that are applicable anywhere and everywhere, whatever the context of our calling.
Speaker: Jeff Lucas
Hosted by Jonathan Edwards
Discerning God’s call
Jesus calls us all to follow him. We are called to follow in his way. And we are called to follow in the way that’s right for us. No two of us are the same – why should our vocations be the same? This seminar explores discerning God’s call, whether it is to a new career, a fresh engagement with service in the local church, to training for ordained ministry, or serve with BMS World Mission overseas. To what new thing might God be calling you, right now?
Led by Robert Ellis of Regent’s Park College, with BUGB and BMS staff and others.
Arranged by the Baptist Colleges
Politics matters!
It matters that Christians are involved in politics; but engaging in matters of politics is often difficult and demanding. The issues are complex, and it is not always easy to know what our faith is calling us to be and to do. This seminar will give us the opportunity to look at current issues, including such ideas as the ‘Big Society’, in order to discern how our churches can be agents for change and transformation within our world.
Arranged by BUGB Faith and Unity Department with the Joint Public Issues Team
Launch of Safe To Grow 2011
The latest version of Safe To Grow should be available at the BUGB bookstall; it includes a completely new section on electronic communication and revises our recommendations of the advocate role. There are important messages for managing trustees on their responsibilities. This session will highlight these and other key issues.
Arranged by BUGB Ministry Department
Crossingplaces
We all live in Crossingplaces and how we reach out beyond the walls of our church is the challenge. Together we will hear of some of the creative ways in which churches are reaching out to their communities and how churches are being planted in new ways.
Hosted by Andy Scarcliffe of the Baptist Union of Scotland and Ian Bunce, Baptist Union of Great Britain with several guests.
Arranged jointly by the Baptist Union of Scotland and BUGB Mission Department
Other sessions include:
Interfaith – Confident disciples responding to God’s call in a multi-faith society
Saints on the street - 2011 Whitley Lecture: Wrestling with the word – a woman reads scripture
