Northwest News!

The message this morning was about the end of the world and how our cursed world will be destroyed by fire (2 Peter 3) and then recreated as a new heaven and new earth.  I am a big believer in this kind of global warming.  We had a good time this morning with one first-time visitor who came as a result of a flyer we put through his letterbox on Saturday.  I am not sure the attendance but will let you know that tonight.

Here is what I just heard about Aaron from Austin Gardner.  He is not hurting due to all the pain medication that he is on. He gets about 3 different ones right now. He maybe allergic to one that he took this morning and so is feeling dizzy and nauseous.

The doctor says that the surgery was a success and that his recuperation is going just fine. He may even get to go home on Monday. His recuperation is going to take several weeks.

Thank you for continuing to pray for him.

We had a great time at the youth meeting in Glengormley at Faith Baptist Church.  Pastor Martin, John, Steven, Laura, Graham, and all those other workers there are doing a great job!  They have had nearly 100 teenagers come through their doors in the last several months.  A man named Stephen Law gave a very powerful testimony last night that had our teenagers talking all the way back home.  I think we have some of the best teenagers and young people in the world, and I love spending time with them. 

Today, we had a team of 9 go out and we did 237 new house with literature.  We have done alot of homes on the Waterside but now we are really beginning to focus on the Cityside.  Please pray for God to move in hearts as we sow the seed.  This week we have contacted a total of 777 new homes!

I hope you are planning to be with us tomorrow.  We are looking forward to a great day in the Lord.  I love preaching to our church, and I am excited about the morning message called, “When Will the World End?” and the evening message from 1 Timothy 6:11-21 on “A Good Testimony.”  There will be discipleship classes for all ages in the morning at 10.30 AM, and then Discovery Zone for the ages 11 and under during the 11.30 AM service.  Also, we have a creche which is available during each service.  Come join us and experience the difference!

ANNOUNCEMENT: All the teenagers are invited back to our house after church tomorrow night, as we talk about how to read your Bible and do your devotions.

For the past couple of weeks, we have had unusually good weather.  Amazingly, it was HOT here yesterday!  Today, the weather is back to normal with overcast skys and rain.  For the youth club tonight, we are going to be driving up to Faith Baptist Church in Glengormley for their youth meeting at 7.30 PM, because The Junction is not available for us.

I am glad that we made hay while the sun was shining and put leaflets through 150 letterboxes on Tuesday and 290 on yesterday.  Hopefully, we will have a good day tomorrow at 11.00 for community outreach, as we strive to spread the gospel. 

REMINDER TO MEN: Our men’s fellowship is tomorrow morning at 9.00 AM at Yankees Cafe in Ballykelly.  Join us for breakfast, fellowship, Bible study, and prayer.

Steve Baker sent me the following article that I thought showed how crucial our work is.

Practising Muslims will outnumber worshipping Christians in Britain within 30 years, according to research published today.

Here is an update that I just received on Aaron.

Aaron made it through the surgery fine. The tumor was the size of a plum which is larger than they had expected. He will be staying in ICU to see if the lung is losing any oxygen and needs to be repaired.

Please continue to pray for him and when I hear anything further we will let you know.

Aaron goes in for his surgery at 1.30 PM our time (Greenwich Mean Time) and 7.30 AM Easter Standard Time.  Please pray for him.  The surgery will 3-4 hours long.

Also, please pray for Bro. Cesar who is working in North Africa at the moment and keeping the ministry going.  He needs more financial support.  I would like for our church to be able to help him out on a regular basis.  If you want to give toward his support, please just play the money in an offering envelop and mark it for “Missions” or for “Bro. Cesar.”

If you don’t already know, our church office is a portable building located at 10 Pelham Rd, Knightsbridge.  It is the hub of operations for Northwest Baptist Church.  In the office, we prepare messages and material, print tracts and flyers, collate and fold lessons and newsletters, strategise, plan, pray, study, file, talk, enjoy a cup of tea, read the Bible, etc. 

Tuesdays and Thursdays are big days in the office.  We have several volunteers that come in on those days to help with the work of the office.  David Laverty helps out Tuesdays and Thursday and puts in some long hours doing the bulletin, congregational songs, special music, prayer sheets, making phone calls, planning youth activites, printing and preparing literature, and about 1000 other things that need to happen to keep the ministry of our church going.  Sylvia Borland helps out on Thursdays with the church books, birthday cards, filing, making phone calls, organisation, church calendar, etc.  Also, we have other volunteers like Tracey, Mark, and Kyle who stop by periodically to give us a hand.

Yesterday was big day.  The office was a buzz of activity as we prepare for our youth rally and Bible conference coming up.  THANKS VOLUNTEERS FOR ALL YOUR WORK!  You make it much easier for me to give myself to the ministry of the Word and prayer.  Because of your work, I have Wednesdays and Fridays as quiet days to study and prepare for the church services.

I praise God for our office.  It is temporary solution until we get a more permanent facility, but it is working for now.

Here is what is coming up this week:

Today - Ladies Coffee Morning

• Sandwich Co., The Diamon, City Centre

Wednesday, 7 May, 7.30 PM - Midweek Prayer Meeting & Bible Study

• The most encouraging service of the week as we have a time of prayer, fellowship, and Bible study.
• Message: 1 Timothy 6 “The Ministry of the Church” - Part 2

Thursday, 8 May, 6.45 PM - Church Visitation

• Help us help others by visiting them and inviting people to church.

Friday, 9 May, 7.00 PM - Youth Drop-in Club

• For young people ages 11 and up.
• Table tennis, pool, darts, video games, board games, music, and a Bible message.

Saturday, 10 May

• Men’s Fellowship, 9.00 AM: Breakfast, fellowship, and Bible study at Yankees Cafe, Ballykelly.
• Community Outreach, 11.00 AM: Putting flyers through letterboxes.  Help us as we try to do 400 doors this Saturday.

The Lord really blessed us yesterday with a great time together.  We were at a different hotel from the one we normally meet at, but it was till a good time of fellowship, worship, and growth for us.  We had 20 in attendance in the morning and a great time looking at Revelation 19-20 and “Will the Baddies Win?”. 

After the morning service, some of us went up to Clogh Mills to Bethel Baptist Church to hear Mike Suptin from Virgina preach.  We got back just in time for the evening service.  We had 14 in the evening service, and we looked at the Ministry of the Church from 1 Timothy 5.  We also observed the Lord’s Supper together.

I am real excited to see how our folks are growing and developing in their Christian lives and walk with the Lord.  It is encouraging to see a zeal for souls and for discipleship.  We exist not as a social club but as an army to reach our community, and I hope that we will never lose our focus of reaching souls.

Today, we had a good time with our friends Martin & Carrie Wickens from Faith Baptist Church.  It was good to fellowship with them and talk about planning a youth conference for sometime in July.  More details to come about that, but keep it in your prayers.  We are hoping to get many likeminded churches to send their young people, and we are asking God for over 100 young people and young adults to come.