Deiknuo’s blog – the reflections of David Lewis

Entries from April 2009

Looking forward to the Baptist Assembly

29 April 2009 · Leave a Comment

This weekend I’m off to Bournemouth, to our Baptist Assembly, and I’m looking forward to it very much. It will be great to meet up with some old friends and colleagues, and also meet other members of our diverse Baptist family. I’m not sure how many of us will be there, but we’re going to be taking over the Bournemouth International Centre for four days.

The theme of the assembly is ‘Who do we think we are?’ reflecting on our rich heritage of four hundred years of Baptists in Europe, and what it means to be committed to religious liberty and to costly discipleship in serving Christ today.

The programme includes celebrations, Bible studies, plenary sessions, seminars and special interest group meetings, from Friday afternoon through to Monday lunchtime. If you want to know more about the assembly you’ll find it here.

There are always some highlights and moving moments during the assembly: when newly-accredited ministers and new member churches of the Baptist Union are recognised, when we greet missionary personnel who are about to go overseas, and when we remember Baptist ministers and missionaries who have died during the previous year.

I am especially looking forward to hearing some of the speakers: Lauran Bethell (who is a consultant with grassroots organisations, encouraging the development of new projects and networks which are dealing with the issues of prostitution, trafficking of persons and other forms of abuse and exploitation), Pat Took (Team Leader of the London Baptist Association), Kingsley Appiagyei (the incoming President of the Baptist Union), Neville Callam (the General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance), Jonathan Edwards (the General Secretary of the Baptist Union) and David Kerrigan (the new General Director of BMS World Mission).

I’m also looking forward to meeting up with fellow Baptists whom I only see once a year; being present when my brother-in-law, David Kerrigan, is greeted as General Director of BMS World Mission; and witnessing Catriona’s silent cheer (go for it Catriona).

But there are choices to be made! What seminars do I want to attend? There’s a huge range from which to choose – practical or theological, personal or church-oriented, local or overseas mission? And I’m also hoping to go to some sessions of Prism, a more creative and interactive stream, but that means missing some of the main sessions.

I’m hoping to be able to blog and to tweet from the Assembly, depending on availability of wi-fi facilities and so on, so watch this space for news and views as the Assembly unfolds.

Categories: Baptist Assembly
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A picture of our church family

26 April 2009 · Leave a Comment

Our church familyWe took a picture of some of our church family after church this morning. It was a lovely sunny day, as you can tell by the shadows. Shame, though, about the clouds in the sky which makes the sky look a little washed out!

Categories: Church life · Photos

On your bike!

24 April 2009 · 1 Comment

I bought a new bike last week, and can now be seen cycling around the neighbourhood. Having had the bike for nearly a week now, I thought I’d reflect on the process and the benefits.

I’ve been concerned for some while about my lack of fitness. I get very little exercise, to get anywhere from home means, normally, a car ride – to the shops, or to the church for work. I’ve tried going for a walk at lunchtime, but that didn’t work. So I’ve bought a bike!

I didn’t want a flash bike, attractive to thieves, but one that was good to ride, easy to maintain and suited to the use that I wanted to make of it. I preferred one with hub gears and brakes, with a more upright riding position, and with mudguards and a chainguard. There were some bikes (though not a huge number) which met the criteria, and a plumped for a Giant Expression.

I’ve only been cycling for a few days, but here are some thoughts on my experiences so far.

  1. Most places around here are more than a walk away, but cycling makes reaching them possible without getting out the car. I can cycle to work at church, go pastoral visiting, or to the shops on my two wheels.
  2. Cycling the 3/4 mile uphill to church in the morning is a great workout first thing, and when I arrive in the office I realise how unfit I really am. But it’s very relaxing riding home at lunchtime!
  3. Cycling means that you meet more people out and about, and can stop if you’d like a conversation with someone you see. Every cycle ride is a potential pastoral visit.
  4. The parking restrictions around here are horrendous because our local station is a fast commuter station into London. Riding a bike means that I can avoid those restrictions.
  5. It might save me, and the church, some money!
  6. One downside is that I become more aware of bumps and potholes in the road. The roads are in a terrible condition.
  7. And another downside is that I have to be more organised – no dashing back home if I’ve forgotten something!

Categories: ministry

We are looking for a Youth Worker

21 April 2009 · Leave a Comment

Youth Worker Advertisement

Youth Worker Advertisement

Our church is looking for a new Youth Worker. If you know of anyone who might be suitable and interested, please point them in our direction. This is an exciting and varied job, working not only within the church setting, but also outreaching to young people in our community, especially in the local schools.

Categories: Church life · Evangelism · community

The biennial tennis match between the Church and the Tennis Club

18 April 2009 · Leave a Comment

When our church was begun, ninety five years ago, those who founded the church also founded the church’s tennis club, and we have five floodlit all-weather tennis courts attached to the church.

Although the church and the tennis club are separate groups, and you don’t have to belong to one to belong to the other, we are glad that links are maintained between the two. The tennis club uses one of our rooms as their clubhouse, and a number of church members belong to the club. (The minister of the church is also ex-officio president of the club).

Every two years we hold a tennis tournament between the church and the club – honours are fairly evenly divided: the church won two years ago, and the club won the match played this morning. The match was played in a great spirit, although the members of the tennis club wondered whether I had not prayed hard enough for a church victory.

As a church we are grateful for all the links that we have with the community in one way or another, and for the opportunities that we have to live out our faith within that community. Perhaps, now that I have begun a get fit campaign, it might not be too long before I also start playing tennis at the club.

Categories: Church life · community

The cherry blossom is out at church

16 April 2009 · Leave a Comment



The cherry blossom is out at church, originally uploaded by Boggy.

I love this time of year. The pink of the cherry blossom in the church gardens is a real sign that spring is here and summer is on the way.

I hope that the blossom will still be out on Sunday, because we want to try and get a picture of the whole church family on Sunday morning.

Categories: Photos

Teenage song

16 April 2009 · Leave a Comment

This is a must watch video if you’ve got teenage children, or if you work with teenagers

Categories: Humour · Video
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The wolf and the pig

16 April 2009 · Leave a Comment

Here’s a great stop-motion video of the wolf and the pig, well worth a watch! Many thanks to Simon Douglas for pointing it out.

Categories: Entertainment · Video
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The amazing story of Susan Boyle

14 April 2009 · 1 Comment

Before Saturday evening Susan Boyle, from a village in Scotland, was a nobody outside her close circle of family and friends. She has a great talent for singing, I would call it a God-given gift, but that talent has gone largely unnoticed. Not any longer, for Susan appeared on Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday evening, and wowed the judges, the theatre audience and the wider British public. Those who had been expecting to mock her and scoff at her found themselves clapping and cheering because, when she opened her mouth and projected her voice, she sang like an angel.

If you want to see something of her performance and the reaction to it, watch it here, you won’t spend a better three or four minutes today. And if that leaves you with tears in your eye, or a lump in your throat, then I can assure you that you won’t be alone.

And I’d invite you to read, as well, this piece from the Herald, as a reminder that Susan was never a nobody. We are all human beings, we all have worth, and whether we have an amazing talent or not is inconsequential. We are all special, and, most of all, we are all special to God. Easter, just passed, has reminded us of the extent of God’s love for each of us. God opened his arms wide for us on the cross. ‘This is how much I love you,’ he says.

Categories: Culture · Television
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The plight of Christians in Orissa, India

14 April 2009 · Leave a Comment

Over the last twenty-four hours there have been a couple of items in different news feeds about the continuing plight of Christians in Orissa, in the north-east of India.

An item from the BBC website, covering the Indian General Election can be found here and a more in-depth report from the Times can be found here.

What has happened over the last few months seems to have gone largely unnoticed by the secular news media and, indeed, it’s been largely forgotten by the church in this country as well.

Categories: World news
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