M e s s e n g e r
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH VERNON ST / CHURCH ST LEIGH.
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Moderator: Rev Mike McDade (Warrington)
F E B R U A R Y 2018
The following friends will lead services in February Sundays 10.45am
Feb. 4th Mr Eric Bushell (Rochdale)
Feb 11th Mr Colin Owen (Heywood)
Feb 18th Rev David Hall (Wigan BC) and at Lunch Service 12.30pm
Feb 25th (Communion) Mr Roy Teague
Mar 4th Rev Mike McDade
February Flowers Please note the change of dates due to New Year. If this allocation does not suit you please negotiate a change with other donors. We are grateful to all donors. Please advise if you would prefer to stand-down from the list
Feb 25th Mrs K Williams .
BMS BIRTHDAYS February 1st Olwen Matthias 21st David Ward 27th Hilda Hill
DATES FOR DIARY:
Regular Meetings –
Friday 2rd 10am - 12noon Coffee & Craft £3
Saturday 3rd 10.30am - 12noon Coffee Morning
Prayer Meetings each Tuesday 11.15am
Deacons meeting- Tue Feb 27th 1.30pm
Church Leaders’ Meal at Farnworth Baptist Church Mon 26th Feb – speaker Stuart Bell of Alive Church Lincoln.
VISION - at an earlier Church Meeting our Moderator asked us to spend time considering the Church’s Future and Vision. After a number of set-backs a date has been set for a Vision Meeting and will be Sun 4th March at 12.30pm (bring your own lunch) please do your best to join us for this important discussion.
WORDS TO PONDER
Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love and in he lived and died for that love. Whether we’re aware of it or not, we crave to be loved, we were created to know love and it’s wonderful when we can express our love for one another but deep down, we crave to know the love of God, the one who created us for a love relationship with himself.
In an African village there was a fire one night in one of the small straw huts and the family perished except for a baby boy. In the darkness a person rushed into the blazing hut and pulled the baby out and the child emerged unscathed. In the morning the elders of the village had a problem as the child had just been left lying on the ground and the rescuer had disappeared. The elders had to decide what was to be done with the child – they thought it was a sign of almost divine providence and a dispute arose – the wealthy thought they should have the privilege and honour of raising the child, others who had wives who were particularly good mothers thought they should be privileged to raise the child. Many had different reasons as to why they should raise the child.
Suddenly a seemingly insignificant man spoke up and claimed to have a superior claim to all the others – and he showed them his hands and they were burnt for he was the one who rescued the child. Who could possibly have a superior claim? Friends, only Jesus has scars on his hands because of his love for us – the love of Jesus is the love we look for, the love we need – the love of the One who gave himself for us.
To know that the ‘love of God is the deepest expression of his character’ is one thing but it’s another thing to know his love. We need to allow God’s sacrificial love to penetrate beyond the crust of what we believe, to renew our lives, to enable us to love one another as Christ has loved us and to empower us to practical expressions of his love in the world about us. Amen.
© Rev C MacKinnon.https://tireeparishchurch.com/
BIBLE STUDY - details and times for a LENT bible study will be announced shortly. Please watch out for a poster/notice to show your choices.
FELLOWSHIP NEWS
We were saddened to hear of the passing of Amy Hurst, our oldest member last month at the grand old age of 104. Amy was a smart, petite woman with a dry sense of humour and fun and a down to earth approach. Amy worked hard and played hard. She will be remembered with fondness and love. Our Moderator has agreed to officiate at the Crematorium.
The list is probably too long to include everyone who has been suffering with Winter illnesses and other problems. Suffice to say that we are concerned for you and hope you will be able to regain your health and rejoin us in Fellowship as soon as you are able.
Thanks to our new-ish friend Angie for her
sterling work on the Church FACEBOOK page. She has really improved the layout and format. What a wizz!
For March Messenger issue please submit items by Feb 18th