Beckenham Baptist Church

  Dear Friends,  A new resource has recently been produced by Baptists Together (The Baptist Union of Great Britain) entitled Belonging to Baptists Together – Our Identity . It focuses on who we are as Baptists in the UK with the shared vision, ‘Growing heathy churches in relationship for God’s mission’, and highlights the commitment to developing a culture where we: ·      Seek to be a movement of Spirit-led communities, those who have encountered the living Christ (Galatians 5:22-25) ·      Feel like one team, valuing, respecting and trusting each other as we work together in partnership (1 Corinthians 12:24b-27) ·        Embrace adventure, being serious about discipleship and willing to take risks moving out of the comfort zones of the familiar (Matthew 28:18-20) ·      Inspire others with a generosity of spirit, energising and motivating people to be all that God created them to be (Ephesians 5:1-2) ·     Share a hunger for God’s coming Kingdom, giving practical expres

Dear Friends,  Last Wednesday saw the launch in the Houses of Parliament of the 2023 World Watch List produced by the Christian charity Open Doors which supports persecuted Christians around the world. This year is the 30 th anniversary of the list being produced which shows the top 50 countries where followers of Jesus face the worst discrimination, intimidation, threat and violence because of their faith. Using a simple questionnaire designed to assess persecution levels in the world, the list contributes to the Open Doors mission of ensuring that no one suffers persecution alone, by standing with them and amplifying their voices in many places. This year the list has found that more than 5,600 Christians were killed for their faith, and more than 2,100 churches were attacked or forcibly closed. More than 124,000 Christians have been displaced from their homes because of their faith, and almost 15,000 became refugees. In the apostle Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corint

  Dear Friends,  You will no doubt be familiar with the names of Stephen Lawrence and George Floyd. Stephen was a teenager who in April 1993 was murdered whilst waiting for a bus in London. He was a young man looking forward to fulfilling his dream of becoming an architect. George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020 sparking a global wave of solidarity that brought people out onto the streets around the world to protest, making it impossible to ignore the deadly consequences of institutional racism. Both Stephen and George were murdered because of the colour of their skin. This week sees the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18 th -25 th ) and the material for this year’s week has been produced by the churches of Minneapolis entitled Be-longing: Praying for Unity amidst Injustice . It places before us the prophet Isaiah’s challenge to do good and seek justice (Isaiah 1:17) at a time when the political, social and religious structures encou

Dear Friends,  January is always the month in which I remember my baptism which took place over forty years ago and on which I was given the Bible text ‘Follow in his steps’ which comes from this verse, ‘To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps’ (1 Peter 2:21). We may suffer for many reasons – as a result of our own sinful behaviour, because we act in a foolish rather than wise way when making decisions, or as a result of living in a fallen world. The apostle Peter is writing about suffering that comes as a result of doing good, and at the root of the word ‘good’ in New Testament Greek lies the idea of doing something that benefits others rather than ourselves, doing something that is the right thing to do, doing something that is inherently good and inspired and powered by God. It reminds me of the Great Commandment, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…

Dear Friends, Happy New Year! As we contemplate the beginning of another new year and look forward, my thoughts turn to the hope that we have in God, and I’m reminded of my time training at Bristol Baptist College and one of the principal’s favourite hymns, All my hope on God is founded . Written by Joachim Neander, a German Reformed Church teacher, theologian and hymnwriter of the 17 th Century, it expresses something of the uncertainty of what may lie ahead for any of us in this life, but also the confidence that can be found in God alone, who is the giver of gracious gifts, most notably the gift of his son, Jesus Christ. You may want to reflect on this first verse from this five-verse hymn as this new year begins, giving thanks to God for 2022 and looking forward to 2023. All my hope on God is founded; all my trust he does renew. Through all change and chance he guides me, only good and only true. God unknown, he alone calls my heart to be his own. Grace and peace, Neil