home mission

At the beginning of April 2008 Rachel Tole, Grants Manager for the Baptist Union of Great Britain, paid a day visit to Central Baptist Association

 

First off, she met Jane Gilpin, minister at Caddington, a large village near to Luton. Jane told her of the many ways in which the church uses its premises to make links with the local community including parent & toddlers, flower arrangers and lunch club. The pictures show some of the poignant Easter decorations in the chapel. Pray for the church: it has lots of potential openings into the community but needs more people to seize the opportunities.

Next to London Luton Airport where Michael Banfield is the Airport Chaplain. Michael is pictured outside the airport chapel (also used by Muslims for prayer with an arrow pointing the way to Mecca). Michael and his team of volunteers are a respected part of airport life with its 10.000 on-site workers and millions of passengers yearly in transit. There is a weekly Wednesday lunchtime service or just drop in if you are passing through!

 

Finally to the Jackmans Estate in Letchworth (Hertfordshire) where Kings Community Church has built up respect from local people in a neighbourhood that has had many challenges, including a drug culture. The church’s work with young children has been praised by local authority children’s workers and in 2007 a successful holiday club was staffed by church volunteers and supported by an Against the Stream grant from the Baptist Union. Each Sunday the cross (pictured here) is set upright on the church site, a reminder of God’s love for the people of the estate. Pray for David Wheatley, the minister, and for the church members as they witness to the new life that God offers.

Each of these ministries is supported by Home Mission. Baptist churches provide the money to make Home Mission possible. Your church’s donation to Home Mission matters.

Home Mission currently supports twenty-five assorted ministries in Central including local church pastors, ministers in training, University chaplains, new communities development workers and regional association staff.

Home Mission also provides the staff at Baptist House in Didcot to offer to churches their expertise on ministry, mission, safeguarding, pensions, legal matters, communications, finance and administration, ecumenical relations and so much more.

Stephen Copson