Beckenham Baptist Church

  Dear Friends,  Operation Agri (OA) is a Christian charity run mainly by volunteers currently supporting projects in ten countries helping to bring lasting change to struggling communities, showing Christian love in action. One such country is Tanzania which is nearly four times the size of the UK but having large areas that are virtually uninhabited wildlife grasslands and reserves such as the Serengeti. Tanzania currently has a similar size population to the UK but it also has one of the highest population growth rates in the world. About 90% are in rural areas, mostly living off what they can grow themselves. The country is working to reduce malnutrition, but still a third of children are malnourished. It ranks at 160 out of 191 countries on the UN’s Human Development Index. For centuries the land was divided into many kingdoms. Then in 1885, Germany colonised the country as Tanganyika. After the Second World War, it came under British mandate and in 1964, after independ...

  Dear Friends,  In the Open Doors prayer diary recently we have been praying for China and heard the story of Ming*. The Open Doors magazine tells his story, saying, ‘Imagine that someone watched you open this magazine. They know where you’re sitting, and who you’re with. They know the last thing you looked at on your phone, the last thing you searched for online, the last time you went to meet people. Your moves are watched – not just by cameras in the street, but online too. That’s a little like what life is like for Ming* in China. It makes following Jesus and sharing the gospel really hard – but he’s determined to do it, no matter the cost’. Ming* was arrested for smuggling Bibles and although released could no longer attend church as the authorities watch him closely. He has even lost contact with his family because his father-in-law forbade him from having any contact with his wife and children because of his faith. But God called Ming* to go back to his hometown an...

Dear Friends,  Sunday 10 th September is Education Sunday, a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education, and it coincides with the beginning of this new academic year in nurseries, schools, colleges and universities. We are invited to pray for students, teachers, support staff and all those involved in education that they might find this coming year fruitful and rewarding. This year’s theme comes from the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans and is entitled The Armour of Light (Romans 13:11-14). It uses the imagery of armour, which is there to protect its wearer, but the resource material highlights that the amour of light is quite different. ‘Instead of shutting its wearers off to protect them from the world, it brings light and warmth to the people. It is not armour worn out of fear, it is worn to give hope .’ Now we know that there are many challenges in life at the present time which are affecting us all, and particularly our children and ...

  Dear Friends,  As September begins so too does the ‘Season of Creation’, a special time in the Church calendar set aside to give thanks to God for the wonder and beauty of the created world. ‘Creation Time’ runs from 1 st September, the Day of Prayer for Creation, until 4 th October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. Some 2.2 billion Christians world-wide will come together during this month-long celebration to think, pray and care for our common home. This year’s theme is ‘Let justice and peace flow’, and a special prayer has been written for the season: Creator of All, from your communion of love life sprung forth like a mighty river and the whole cosmos came into being. On this Earth of overflowing love, the Word was made flesh and went forth with the life-giving waters proclaiming peace and justice for all creation. You called human beings to till and keep your garden. You placed us into right relationship with each creature, but we fa...