Bearwood Baptist Church
BBC: broadcasting the Good News
minister’s report 2008
God has called all of us, as his people, to be people on a journey. To recognise that we have not yet reached our destination – and that we won’t this side of Christ’s return – and that we haven’t yet reached a point where we can settle down. During the last year we have talked as a church a lot about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, someone on that journey. As part of that this year we’re talking about what it means to be a mission focussed people – encouraging other people to start their journey with God or to keep going on with him. We too need to keep reminding ourselves why it’s all worthwhile and where it is we hope to be going.
As part of that process we held our successful away day last year – many thanks to the different people who did so much to make it possible. A major result of that away day was a vision statement for the church that we developed together and which was shared with the rest of the church and then ratified at a church meeting. Please don’t forget it, it’s in the diaries so please read it and keep using it as a way of assessing all of the things that we do. We’re hoping to build on our work last week by holding another away day, details are still to be finalised, which will be based around the issues raised by the 5 Core Values studies that we encouraged people to use during Lent.
Most of the teaching this year will relate to what it means to be God’s missionary people. Travelling together towards full life in him and encouraging others to travel with us. To this end we’re looking to link up with the national Hope 08 programme to arrange a number of church and community activities across the year. Among these things Joyce has put together a programme of explicitly evangelistic events which focus around a visit from Sid Little in the autumn. This’ll be a fantastic opportunity to invite friends and family who don’t know Jesus to come and have a fun evening that will also challenge them about following Jesus. We’re looking at following this up with an Alpha course.
We need to be a church that is having a radical impact on our communities, those around the church and those that we interact with. Our hope in all of this is to continue to see Bearwood Baptist Church as a place where Jesus is glorified and people are encouraged to grow in faith. Along with everything else this is a challenge but it’s one that we are called to if we want to be faithful followers of Jesus.
Ian Hendry, AGM 25/4/2008.
Office Address:
Rawlings Road
Bearwood
Smethwick
West Midlands
B66 4HA