Christmas Voices

Andrew has now been missing for 10 weeks with no news.

There is a BBC1 programme on Sunday 2nd December which the family hope might bring more sightings or information called Christmas Voices about them facing Christmas without their son. It airs at 10:00am - 11:00am on BBC1. Kev (Andrew's dad) asks that we let anyone know who might be interested.

Also if you are on facebook, there is a group set up (type andrew gosden in the search box) which is updated from time to time, please spread it as the more people that see his face and are aware the better. Andrew's sister, Charlotte, has set up a similar group on bebo here - as more teenagers might see this.

And goes without saying really but please keep on praying...

cafe church

It's our birthday! We're 144 years old - and some of us are looking pretty good.

We're celebrating this weekend: a special all-age service in the morning (10:30 kick off) with Nick Lear and then in the evening we're having a party.

There'll be balloons, games and special party food. We'll be looking back and thanking God for his goodness over many years. And we'll be looking forward, dreaming dreams about how we can continue to earth the Kingdom in Bromley.

Everyone's welcome. No need to RSVP - just turn up.

We start at 6:30pm and will finish around 7:45pm

The Remains of the Day

It was good to hear from and be able to pray for the work Ali Davis is involved in with Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) on Sunday.

There is a documentary about the persecuted church in Nigeria being shown on November 20 and 21. The Remains of the Day, a co-production by CSW, Release International, and The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada, is being broadcast on Genesis TV (Sky 772) on Tuesday November 20 at 9.00 pm. It will be followed by an hour-long studio and phone-in discussion at 10.00 pm. The documentary and discussion will be repeated the following day at 8.00 am.

The aim is raise awareness of the plight of Christians in Nigeria and to generate prayer and support. Thousands of Christians have been killed in violent persecution in Nigeria. The Remains of the Day covers the story of five Christians in Maiduguri in 2006, as a mob fanned out to torch their houses, churches and businesses – and kill 65.

This powerful hour-long documentary is also available on DVD, for a suggested donation of £10 - please call RI on 01689 823491 if you'd like a copy.

Still no news

I heard from Linda yesterday and there's still no news on Andrew. Please continue to pray. Thanks.

Pray for China

This coming Sunday 18 November is the UK's International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church. Please if you can, remember China and Chinese Christians in your prayers.

Rob Frost, Release International's president says, 'China needs our prayer. This emerging superpower, host of next year's Olympics, is home to the largest unregistered church in the world. These house churches have experienced incredible church growth over recent years - but still face many challenges ahead.'

And here's a prayer from a young Chinese believer,
'Dear Jesus Christ, we thank you so much for your miraculous movement in China. We ask you continue to give your light, and send your Holy Spirit.
We pray especially for the government, we pray that you give them wisdom, give them a godly character.
We pray that you would raise up more Chinese leaders, so they can share your gospel, that they will lead a godly life for you, so people can see Jesus through them.
Lord we pray that you continue to send your Holy Spirit and transform lives in China. Give the Chinese church your wisdom, your strength, and your faith.
We ask you to continue to be with your children in China and make them a blessing to other nations.'

If you're interested you can find more resources here and here.

Putting our ethos and values in black and white

The following statement attempts to summarise what it is the church stands for and is designed to stand alongside the covenant (which is still in the process of being agreed).

Bromley Baptist Church – ethos and values

• We are a Christ-centred community believing Jesus to be God in the flesh, believing his death and resurrection to be the source of our salvation and new life, knowing him to be Lord of our lives as individuals and as a church.
• We are a church of the Bible holding to the evangelical Christian faith as expressed in the ancient creeds and the Evangelical Alliance basis of faith.
• We are a church of the Spirit believing that all believers need to be filled and go on being filled with God’s Spirit, growing in his fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) and being helped to discover and exercise the gifts God has given them.
• We are a Baptist church practicing believer’s baptism on profession of faith and a desire to be a disciple of Jesus and encouraging full participation by all members in the decision-making life of the church.
• We are a covenant community, bound together by a commitment to follow Jesus and walk together in love. Membership of our church is via agreement with our covenant and annual commitment to it at our covenant renewal service and is expressed most fully every time we break bread together.
• We are partners in God’s mission, each sent to live out the gospel in our daily lives, making Jesus known through what we do, how we treat others and what we say. We commit our resources and those of the church to the creative and loving proclamation of the gospel in our town and across the world.

Our core values: We seek to be a community like those modeled to us in the New Testament in Acts 2:42-47, Colossians 3:1-17, Ephesians 4:11-16 and Philippians 2:1-18. In particular we are committed to:

• Being an inclusive fellowship – all people are welcome to participate fully in the life of the church regardless of age, sex, ethnic background or educational attainment; each individual will be equally valued and enabled to participate in the life of the church to the fullest extent possible.
• Loving one another – we aim to grow in relationships, recognizing that it is through one another that we encounter God and are strengthened to live for him a complex world.
• Seeking the blessing of our neighbours – we want to share the good news of Jesus in such a way that many will come to faith and even more will feel the benefit; we want to do good to our neighbours because we follow a God who indiscriminately does good to everyone.
• Caring for creation – we believe we need to be good stewards of all God’s creation. This will include creative and mission-focused use of our buildings and prayerful use of all the resources he has entrusted to us.
• Creative and relevant expressions of community that nurture existing disciples and attract others to Jesus.

Pray for Bromley

Next Saturday 10 November is an opportunity to pray for Bromley with other churches from across the Borough.

This first borough-wide united prayer meeting will take place in the Great Hall at the Civic Centre, Stockwell Close, Bromley from 7.00pm to 9.00pm. The focus of the meeting will be the needs of the community.

Pray for Bromley have a website here and there is also a flyer advertising this event here.