Northwest News!

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.

We had a good day today.  We passed out about 150 flyers, then we had our greeter training day at the office.  Four folks came to the training session.  I am excited about our greeter ministry, and I want our church to be the friendliest church you will find.

God willing, we will have good weather for tomorrow.  We start at 10.30 AM for discipleship classes for all ages.  All are welcome to join us for these classes.  We are covering the basics of the Christian life.  Then at 11.30 AM, we have morning service.

After the service, we will take off for Ness Woods, which is about 6 miles out of town on the Dungiven Road.  We will have a BBQ, a time of games and fun, followed by some music and a message. 

In the evening, a gang of us are planning to drive up to Glengormley to hear Stephen Baker preach at Faith Baptist Church.  This is their last service before they leave to go back to the States for a little while.

I am looking forward to the day and to spending time with you all tomorrow.  It is going to be loads of fun!

You won’t want to miss this Sunday at Northwest Baptist Church!  We are having Friend Day and inviting all of our friends to join us for the service at the Everglades Hotel at 11.30 AM.  I will be starting a brand new message series called, “Back 2 the Future,” looking at end times events.  Here are the details:

• 10.30 AM - Discipleship Classes (All Ages) at Everglades Hotel
• 11.30 AM - Morning Service at Everglades Hotel (Creche for under 3s; Discovery Zone for under 11s)
• 1.00 PM - BBQ & Fun at Ness Woods
  • Cutlery, Meal, Baps, and Sauces will be provided.
  • What to Bring:
    • Drinks, desserts, and/or side dishes.
    • Lawn chairs and blankets if you have them.
    • Any sports equipment you would like to use.
    • Relaxing clothes to change into.
• 3.00 PM - Afternoon Music & Message at Ness Woods
  • There will be no regularly scheduled evening service.

I cannot imagine the wonder, amazement, and joy that those women felt as they went to the tomb early on Sunday morning and found it empty.  I hope you will take time to today to meditate on the resurrection of Christ and come to church to worship with us and rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Here is a picture from the service last night of Bro. Tony Howeth preaching. 

Today is what many people around the world call “Good Friday”, a day when the crucifixtion of Christ is remembered.  Even though Christ did not die on a Friday, there is nothing wrong with remembering, appreciating, and believing in the death of Christ today and everyday.

I hope that you know that Jesus Christ died and shed His blood for you and for your sins, was buried, and rose again that You might have everlasting life, if you would believe in Him.  Join us tonight for our gospel mission at 7.00 PM at the Everglades Hotel as we hear from God’s Word and about the salvation found in God the Son, Jesus Christ.

Ronnie Smith will be singing and preaching.  Tony Howeth will be preaching.  You won’t want to miss it.

I hope that you will make plans and being invited your friends to join us for our Easter Mission coming up a week from today.  We have several guest preachers coming to preach during the mission, and I am sure they will be a great blessing to you and to those you bring with you.  Each night there will be special music, congregational singing, a testimony of salvation, preaching, and creche for children.

Guest Preachers

• Tony Howeth will be our main speaker and will preach each night of the meeting and then on Easter Sunday morning.  Bro. Tony will be coming over from America with his wife Stacey, who will be speaking at our Ladies’ fellowship on Saturday.  Bro. Tony was a youth pastor and then a pastor for several years.  He is now a director with Macedonia World Baptist Missions in Braselton, GA.  He is one of the most powerful preachers I have ever heard.  God really has His hand on this man.  You won’t want to miss a meeting.
• Lawrence Smyth will be preaching on Thursday night of the mission.  He is pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Clogh Mills.  I have preached for him a couple of times and have know him for several years now.  He had a great heart for the Lord, and I am sure his message will be a blessing.
• Ronnie Smith will be preaching on Friday night of the mission, as well as bringing his family to sing with him.  Bro. Ronnie is a very gifted preacher and musician.  You will really enjoy hearing from him.  Bro. Ronnie is pastor of Roe Valley Baptist Church in Limavady, where I served as interim pastor for a year when we first moved over to Northern Ireland.  He and his wife Marsha are close friends of ours and have been a real blessing to us and to many others in our church.
• Stephen Baker will be preaching on Saturday night.  He is the interim pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Glengormley.  Teri and I are close friends with he and his wife April.  Bro. Stephen is a powerful preacher that I know will be a great help.

Mission Schedule (All services and meetings will be at the Everglades Hotel.)

• Wednesday, 19 March, 7.30 PM - Mission
  • Preacher: Tony Howeth
• Thursday, 20 March, 7.00 PM - Mission
  • Preacher: Lawrence Smyth
  • Preacher: Tony Howeth
• Friday, 21 March, 7.00 PM - Mission
  • Preacher: Ronnie Smith
  • Preacher: Tony Howeth
• Saturday, 22 March, 1.30 PM - Ladies’ Fellowship
  • Speaker: Stacey Howeth
• Saturday, 22 March, 7.00 PM - Mission
  • Preacher: Stephen Baker
  • Preacher: Tony Howeth
• Sunday, 23 March, 11.30 AM - Easter Sunday
  • Preacher: Tony Howeth
  • Egg Hunt for Children after service.
• Sunday, 23 March, 7.00 PM - Evening Service
  • Preacher: Travis Snode
  • Send off Service for Mission Team

Here is a look at the church statistics for the month of February:

Attendance Averages for February 2008:

• Sunday Morning - 28 (up from 23 in January)
• Sunday Evening - 19 (same as January)
• Wednesday Evening - 19 (up from 16 in January)

Giving Averages for February 2008: £189.01 per week

• This is up from £180 per week in January.
• Our second highest average weekly giving in the history of the church.

Other Statistics for February 2008

• 11 visitors to the services  (9 of these were special guests from other churches)
• 4 professions of faith in Christ
• Had our highest attendance of 30 on a Wednesday night

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

I read this article on Austin Gardner’s blog and wanted to post it on here.

The following notes are based on an article by John Piper that I challenge you to take the time to read. Just click here to read the article!

Our children need to learn how to act in church. They need to learn how to worship! Here are some practical ideas based on the article.

1. You as parents much be excited about getting to go to the worship service. You must fall in love with the Lord Jesus and love worshipping in Him! Your children know if you enjoy the worship service or not! They know if you anticipate the chance to worship God or if you are just going through the motions.

2. Your children are going to catch your spirit and form of worship. If you are excited and if you love God they will catch it. Remember it is more caught than taught!

3. Do you both sing with joy and listen hungrily to the Word of God?

4. Your children are old enough to sit still and listen in church. If they are old enough to go to school they are definitely old enough to be disciplined enough to sit still and listen during a regular length worship service.

5. Though your children will not understand everything they will learn a great deal. They will learn the songs, get used to the service, pick up things that are said, and learn how important worshipping God is to you.

6. The majority of people who get saved do so as children. Get your children in church. Teach them to sit still and listen. Pray that God will work in their hearts.

7. Help your children to get to know the pastor and other spiritual leaders.

8. Learn to talk about the services that you have just been in at the table with the family. Let them hear how excited you are. Let them hear how you anticipate the coming service. Talk about the music. Talk about the message and the invitation. Spend time making them know that you really love the church services.

9. Take your children to the bathroom before the service and tell them how excited you are for the family to worship God together without distractions.

10. Teach your children to participate in the service. They need to stand, sit, sing, read, take notes, etc. just like you do. That will help you to get them involved and give you a chance to discuss what God did during the service later at home.

11. Teach your children to sit up straight and still. Teach them not to fidget and crawl around. Teach them to pay attention to the service and not be looking at people, games, and other distractions.

12. Make sure your child has his or her own Bible, offering, bulletin, etc.

Be sure and read the article by John Piper. This little summary is by no means sufficient for you to see all that he has to say.
 

Subscribe to Vision News, World Evangelism blog, and World Evangelism News and Helps to receive new posts by Email!