New Road Baptist Church

Transcription

1 New Road Baptist Church The Church in Bonn Square praying and working for the peace of the city CHURCH MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

2 PEACE to the CITY is The vision and prayer of New Road Baptist Church, Oxford Located in the centre of the city, in Bonn Square, this congregation is committed to praying and working for the peace and well-being of the city through worship, witness and service. This vision and mission is based on the Good News that "Christ is our Peace". In Christ a new relationship has been opened up between humanity and God breaking down the wall of contempt between people and all things in heaven and on earth are being reconciled into God - who is the source and end of all life. Practically this means that in this place, where a congregation has met for over 350 years: The peace of God, Father Son and Holy Spirit, is explored and experienced in worship is celebrated and deepened through life together in community and is lived out in costly acts of compassion and hospitality All are welcome. May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you Wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. (Celtic Blessing copyright: Northumbrian community Trust)

3 This issue Peace To The City 2 Message from Paul, Editor 3 Church anniversary Service 4 Restorative justice Launch 5 David Stevens on his retiring 6 The late Betty Salcombe 7 Samaritans Purse feature 8 Baptist s Together Christmas 9 Christmas Quiz December Diary dates 11 From Paul Hernandez Dear Friends, welcome to the December 2015 of the church magazine. This of course is the final edition for 2015 and soon it will the start of the season of advent. Advent means arrival or waiting and we await the coming of Jesus Christ born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. During the last couple of months, we have lost our dear friend Betty Salcombe. However, we had a great church anniversary and the restorative justice project had an impressive launch. We have also appointed a new Church Administrator, Richard Haggis, who is starting in January In this December issue are all the details of church events in the run up to Christmas I have included a quiz for fun to keep you all awake on Christmas afternoon!. It s my hope and prayer that you will experience God s peace and blessings in Enjoy this edition.

4 * 362 nd Church anniversary Service on 15 th November 2015 On Sunday 15th November 2015, we were grateful for the Reverend Ian Milgate from the Baptist Union of Great Britain who lead our service. The scripture readings were from Isaiah 6 and Luke 5. Ian Milgate said that both passages follow the same pattern which is an awareness of God, along with the commissioning of the disciples. He said on our anniversary we need to review the realities of life in the city of Oxford which we serve. We need to commit ourselves to demonstrate that we are part of the community showing God s presence in Bonn Square. As usual we had the words of the 1780 Church Covenant read out by our church secretary Deborah Rooke. We had guests from other Baptist Churches including Rev James Grote the former minister from John Bunyan Baptist Church in Cowley, Oxford. After the service, there was a lunch served with the cooking skills of chef Chandran Poongaran including a hot meal consisting of lasagne, salad and desert.

5 The Mint House Oxford Centre for Restorative Practice Friday 20th November 2015 from 1pm-9pm By Paul Hernandez The launch of the Oxford Centre for restorative justice took place at The Mint House adjacent to our church New Road Baptist Church, Bonn Square, Oxford on Friday 20th November It coincided with the launch of the Oxford Christmas lights being turned on. A whole afternoon programme began at 1pm with speech from Geoff Emerson to a packed audience. After a couple of activities, Andrew Smith MP helped to launch the opening of the mint house. He gave a small speech saying how people have made mistakes and ended up on the wrong side of the law. However, too often in the judicial system offenders are punished but without meeting their victims face to face. Another short speech was given by our minister Kat Bracewell about how she became involved in this scheme. Mr Smith cut the ribbon and the whole event finished just after 8pm. So what is restorative justice? Restorative justice began in the 1980s and the concept came over from New Zealand. Restorative justice gives the victims the opportunity to meet offenders by giving them the chance to explain the impact the crime has had on their life. Conversely, it allows the offenders to give an account for the crimes they have committed and how to make amends. What about The Mint House? The Mint House project brings together a variety of people and organisations who are interested in Oxford becoming the area in the city for restorative Justice to be put into practice in the city. For more details, please go to

6 David Stevens reflections on his retiring as Church Warden in December 2015 I have been coming to New Road Baptist Church you can say all my life, my parents were married here in I was born in 1950 and I was dedicated by Revd Walter Bottoms. I used to come to New Road for the Sunday morning service with my parents, the children would be in the church for the first part of the service then usually after the second hymn the young people would leave the chapel and go to Sunday School, my teacher was Katherine Andrews, who if I remember correctly lived in Divinity Road, and later on my teacher was Mrs Hobis. In those days New Road used to hire a coach which would collect children from several different areas of the city, this would have been when our minister was Revd Eric Sharpe. When I was in the senior department my teachers were Mary Evans & Miss Macdonald who liked to be called Mac.When I left school in 1966 I worked for a builders merchants Stephenson s in the Botley Road, where my father also worked and he became a director. Many years later in 1988 the company was taken over by Jewsons and soon afterwards they started to reduce the number of staff, I was there until the end of 1990 when I was made redundant. It was during 1991 when our minister was Revd Alan Smith that I started to come down to the church on a weekday and shortly afterwards Alan told me the former Church Warden had left and the Deacons thought of me, and would I like the post which I was delighted to accept. This was in the days when the Coffee House was open and Joan Greenaway was the manageress and the deputy manageress was Kay Gibbs, I remember it would get very busy up there especially around lunch time. By the late 1990 s trade had started to go down and it was regretfully decided that the Coffee House would have to close, it was now when we started to serve tea & coffee in the church, initially on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. It was later on that it was open every weekday. I have always enjoyed having the church open for Open Church, obviously we have regular people coming in our building. Some individuals are lonely and like a chat, some like to sit near the baptistry to pray, some that just want a drink and then visitors that literally come from all over the world, putting their names in our visitors book. I don t think there are many countries we haven t seen people from! Obviously I am looking forward to my retirement, especially with some of the health problems I have had in recent years. However, I still look forward to being involved in the Open Church and I think it s an important part of our church to have our doors open on a weekday. When we have our Midweek Communion Service usually on the second Tuesday of the month we regularly see a lady that has travelled over 25 miles to come to it, and she has often said how lovely it is to find a church that is open! We really must try to keep this part of our fellowship going.

7 Betty Salcombe Betty Salcombe passed away on Monday 2 nd of November. She had been quietly and uncomplainingly under the weather for two or three months. As she declined it became evident she needed specialist help, at home then at Sobell House. We have only known Betty for a few years. Many of you will have known her and Bert, her late husband, for much longer. We will all miss her unassuming friendship, and her singing on a Sunday morning. Betty was able to talk to people easily. This made her the ideal person for Mondays at Open Church and she was there every week to befriend or chat. She would also talk freely to people on the bus and for a long time had been one of the quiet stalwarts of Florence Park, where she lived for many years. She and Bert had no close family; no brothers, sisters, or children. It would have been easy for a lesser person to be withdrawn or reclusive, but not Betty. She had a passion for people, loved to watch sport, remembered holiday details with great accuracy. She and Bert had enjoyed many overseas trips together. Her home was full of mementos of these and she could talk about every one. Her love and knowledge of sport was legendary; her only luxury was the Sky Sports channel. Even when very ill in hospital she wanted to know the test scores and how the Rugby World Cup was going. Betty loved to support people she knew. This was evident in her trips with us to hear the Witney Singers. We went very willingly, but the impetus for those Saturday night trips would really come from Betty, anxious to enjoy the music, and support Becky, Sophie, Deb and Robert. Longer-lasting has been her commitment to the church at Bayworth. This was life-long, and many of you will know so much more of her involvement there than we do. Betty could listen to, remember and chat about everyday happenings; we found it always heart warming when she recalled some bit of a previous conversation, even if it was about people she d never met. By doing that she made you feel valued. Betty loved her friends and didn t forget people. We won t let her be forgotten. By Roger and Margaret Tatton.

8 Samaratians Purse Operation Christmas Child At this time of year Operation Christmas Child is one of world's largest gift ideas for giving to children over Christmas. Their mission is to demonstrate God's love in a unique and practical way to needy children all over the world. Along with the world local church worldwide the aim is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is undertaken by putting in particular gifts in a shoe box whether it's a new toy, pencils, colouring books, or hygiene items such as toothbrushes or soaps. These must be new and not damaged. It's recommend that Christians include 3 for shipping costs as well a personal photo yourself and family. I liked the instructions about how you could fill the shoe box as follows: Shoebox Get an empty medium sized shoebox, wrapping the lid and box separately in colourful wrapping paper. Attach the appropriate boy/girl label, marking if your gift is for a boy or a girl. Select an age category 2-4, 5-9 or and attach the label to the top of your shoebox. However, if you were unable to fill in a shoe box, there are other ways in which you can contribute to the charity. Feel free to go online by visiting the website and make a donation to This really is a worthwhile cause which both New Road Baptist Church along with a number of churches have supported over the years.

9 bou Chr istmas The Christmas story is one of the greatest stories ever told. It is a story of the scandal of a teenage birth, political intrigue at the palace, the shame and worry of being homeless, a desperate flight to freedom. There are kings and shepherds, stars and animal dung, angels and donkeys. It is the story of hope, peace and new beginnings - even when things seemed to be at their darkest. What's it all about? Christmas starts with Christ, Re: Jesus and Christianity andiall explain the mystery and complexity of the Christmas story, and which suggests what was good news 2000 years ago is still very good news for us today. Enjoy this poem by Joanna Fuchs Christmas isn t showy gifts Or glittering decoration; It s honouring our Savior Jesus Christ In humble adoration It s serving those less fortunate Meeting their needs before our own; It s making sure at Christmas time That no one is alone. It s taking what we would have spent On things that no one needs, And using it to help someone With service and good deeds So let s remember Christmas is about Our savior s birth That s the way to happiness, The way to peace on earth.

10 Christmas Quiz December 2015 As we come to the end of 2015, I thought we could a light hearted but short trivia quiz for you to put your thinking caps on. Happy quiz mas! 1) Which Children s builder claimed the number one spot at Christmas time in 2000? 2) Which monarch prepares a speech which is broadcasted on Christmas Day? 3) Name the male actor who was left home alone at Christmas in the movie. 4) What huge Christmas gift did France give to the United States of America In 1886? 5) True or False: The term Boxing Day derives from the collection of money boxes at church? 6) What country did Christmas trees originate from? 7) Who wrote the carol Once in Royal David s City? 8) The Christmas film Miracle on 34 Street is based in which US city? 9) Which group of puppets had a movie which was based loosely on A Christmas Carol?

11 December 2015 Diary Dates Week beginning 7th December 2015 Open Church with a preparation of scarecrow characters. 13th December 2015, Festival service, lunch and Bonn Square Carols. Week beginning 14th December 2015 Open Church with mince pies and Carols. 20th December pm: Carols by Candlelight 25th December am: Christmas Day Service 27th December am: joint service with New Road and St Columba s United Reformed Church.

12 New Road Baptist Church Bonn Square Oxford OX1 1LQ Sunday service: am Crèche and Junior Church Tea and Coffee afterwards Weekday Church: 11.00am 2.00pm Drop in for a cuppa, a chat or quiet reflection Minister: Church warden: Church secretary: Church treasurer: Kat Bracewell Kathryn.bracewell@yahoo.co.uk David Stevens (Weekdays 10.30am 5.00pm) david.stevens@virgin.net Deborah Rooke Magazine editor: Paul Hernandez John Chadwick john.chadwickofardington@hotmail.co.uk Please let me have copy for the next edition by 10th February 2016

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