Sunday 5th January 2020

The office Helpdesk is here to help you!

Please phone (01323 737974) or pop in Monday to Friday 10am – 2pm.

For more information, check out our website: www.victoriabaptist.org.uk

or e-mail: helpdesk@victoriabaptist.org.uk

Senior Minister: Chris Short Assistant Minister: Emma McPhail

Minister in Training: Bayo Babalola

Eldon Road / Old Town / Eastbourne / BN21 1UE / 01323 737974 helpdesk@victoriabaptist.org.uk

Please note we have an induction loop installed (not in the gallery)

9.10am Prayer Time (Senior Minister’s Office)

9.30am “A New Year Manifesto” Emma McPhail is preaching Reading: Luke 4:14-30 Communion Offering for BMS

10.45am Refreshments in the hall

11.15am

“A New Year Manifesto” Emma McPhail is preaching

Diary M: 6.00pm Girls Brigade

7.30pm Creative Cards & Crafts

Tu: 5.00pm Under 11s football at Cavendish Sports Centre

5.45pm Under 14s football at Cavendish Sports Centre

W: 10.00am Vicky Bees (for pre-school children and their carers)

5.15pm Boys Brigade

Th: 12 noon Men’s Fellowship - lunch at the Star

2.30pm Women’s Fellowship with Amanda Callf

F: 10.00am Vicky Bees (for pre-school children and their carers)

5.00pm Kids Club (for all in reception through till year 5)

7.00pm Xpect! (for all those in years 6-9)

Sa: 10.00am Flow Cafe

10.30am Creative Writing

Su: 9.30am Family Service with Jez, Sandra & Erik

11.15am Reflections with Bayo Babalola

5.30pm Arise & Shine - Family Prayer Time (see page 4 for details)

Future Dates 25 Jan BSL (British Sign Language) Workshop

26 Jan Arise and Shine (6.30pm)

Staff Days Out Chris - in on Thurs & Fri Emma - Tues (college), Wed

Erik - Thurs Bayo - in on Thurs & Fri

Sandra - Thurs & Fri Margaret - Mon & Fri

Colin - Mon Kevin - Fri pm

Please note: our senior minister, Chris Short, is on annual leave

and will be back in the office on Thurs Jan 9th. In the event of a

problem arising, please contact Emma for pastoral issues and the office

for all other matters.

BSL

Anna Ribeiro

You may be aware that Suail & Cynara Ribeiro’s daughter,

Anna, is undertaking a medium-term mission trip to

Mozambique next year. If you would like to support her

financially, please put your gift in an envelope clearly marked

Anna and put it in the offering, or give it in to the office at your convenience. Cheques should be made payable to Victoria

Baptist Church.

Behold the Man

We are planning to run a video-based course

titled ‘Behold the Man’ at VBC on Thursday evenings, starting in January. It focuses on Jesus

in his Jewish context, covering topics like: The

Quest for the Historical Jesus; The Jew, Jesus of

Nazareth; You Shall Call His Name 'Yeshua'; He Spoke to Them in Parables; The Divine Messiah;

etc. if you are interested, please see Robin Lane.

You can find his contact details in the Year Book.

1) If you enjoyed seeing Sam Baines interpreting

Carols by Candlelight into British Sign Language, you might like to join the course to

learn some of this visual language at Victoria. It

is starting on Wednesday 8th January from 6pm

- 8.30pm and we have an amazing teacher. This course will run parallel to term times until

July. Please email sophie@wealdbsl.co.uk if

you would like more info, or talk to Daphne

Brett, Vanessa Howard or Maureen Hamidi.

2) It was brilliant having Samantha Baines

interpreting Carols by Candlelight into British

Sign Language. Currently, there is no

opportunity for those born deaf to become part of church in East Sussex because BSL is their

first language which is so different from spoken

English in every way. So, on January 25th from 10-4pm we have a workshop to

consider “Becoming Accessible” to the deaf community. Please will you consider joining us that day? We can then be better in welcoming those with hearing loss

to Victoria so they can learn about their need for Jesus. Booking in advance is

possible via www.signsofgod.org.uk events.

Today’s flowers in the church are given by: Corrie Paxton

Flower Ministry

Please note that there are still vacant slots in the first quarter of

the year for anyone wishing to donate flowers on Feb 9th, Feb

16th, and Mar 29th.

There are more dates available later in the year - in May, June, July, August, October & November. Please see Chris McMahon if

you would like to consider this very worthwhile ministry.

For those of you new to the church, and unaware of what actually happens to the

flowers, they are distributed on Monday mornings to members of the church who it is felt would benefit from receiving them. The flower team regularly receive notes,

cards, e-mails etc along the lines of: “Thank you for the beautiful flowers brought

around last Monday when I was unwell” “What a lovely surprise!” “A big big thank

you for my wonderful flowers, what a lovely surprise!” “I so appreciate the lovely thought of all those who choose and distribute the flowers”. Please support this

ministry in whatever way you feel able.

Arise and Shine

Next Sunday’s Arise and Shine prayer time (at 5.30pm) will be

focusing on all the different ministries within the church. There will

be an opportunity to have a walk-around the whole building with a

variety of activities available - with the alternative, as always, of remaining in the sanctuary for prayer if you would prefer to.

What a great way to start the year, prayer for all the things that happen day-to-day

in the life of the church, and suitable for all ages. We look forward to seeing as

many of you as possible on Sunday evening - and do remember that this will be repeated two weeks later, on the 26th, at the later time of 6.30pm.

Flow Café The first one of the new year will be next Saturday

(11th) when all the proceeds raised will be for the Beachy Head.

Chaplaincy

Prayer Letter Damien and Annet’s latest prayer letter is now

available in the Welcome Centre.

Christmas Post Please check your pigeon holes for cards you may not have picked up. We will have to have a good clear out of the pigeon holes soon as they

have become quite congested over the Christmas period.

A message from Carol Dadswell … "On behalf of the family and myself, thank you for all the love, prayers and support we have received; it is much appreciated. Thanks to the excellent work of St Wilfrid's Hospice, I find myself in a very different situation from the one in which I arrived here, so please continue to pray for my continuing progress and what the next steps might be. I pray God will bless the life and ministry at VBC in 2020. With love, Carol. "

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”A New Year Manifesto” (Accompanying talk by Emma on 5th Jan, 2020)

THINK & DISCUSS:

Do you have any scripture verses that are “key” to your spiritual life and/or how you choose to live? What are they?

Whether you do or not, can you think of any words that might guide you for the year ahead particularly (e.g. consider Proverbs 3:5-6 or a psalm)? If you were to write a spiritual manifesto, what passions of yours might it include and why (e.g., matters of justice, emphasis of your ministry/service, how you relate best to God)?

READ: LUKE 4:14-30

STUDY:

In his mission, ministry and “manifesto”, what is important to Jesus? Why?

Read Exodus 20:1-17 and Leviticus 19:1-18. What elements especially leap out to you about how we are meant to live as followers of God in this world.

What does Luke 10:27 say about what Jesus thinks is important for us to do?

Read Matthew 6:33. What does it mean to “seek first the Kingdom”?

Read Micah 6:8. How can you put this into practice? What does living like this look like or mean in your life?

APPLY: Read Habakkuk 2:2-3. Why might this be good advice? Take ten minutes or so to do the following…

Have a go at writing down 2 or 3 statements of intention regarding your spiritual life for the year ahead. E.g. this might be: spend 10 minutes a day reading the Bible, or pray for 5 minutes at the same time every day, or step out in some kind of ministry or service.

Consider what your spiritual manifesto might be, and write down how it reflects Jesus’ own mission, ministry and manifesto. Write it down!

PRAY: In pairs, pray for one another about your “spiritual manifestoes”. Pray that you will grow in faith and maturity throughout 2020. Pray for help to develop your discipleship and to practice prayer and Bible study. From Ephesians 1:17-18 pray: For the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Jesus better in 2020. For the eyes of our hearts to be open, and for us to really know, understand, and believe in the hope we are called to. From Ephesians 3:16-19 pray: For the power of God to be at work in and through us; to be rooted and established in God’s love, and to be filled with all of God’s fullness as we mature in Christ.

Prayer Diary: January 6th – 12th

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3: 5-6

MONDAY: EPIPHANY Season marks the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem. Pray for those who are searching for meaning and direction in life; that they will continue seeking until they find "life in all its fullness" in Christ alone. As Twelfth Night is observed, pray that the memories and good experiences of the Christmas season won't be packed away until next time. May our New Year resolves bring us daily into a closer walk with the Lord. TUESDAY As our children and teachers return to a new term, uphold all who have responsibilities in helping the next generation to be less self-centred and to have a growing awareness of others' needs. Pray for those who are child-minders; those who run creches and nurseries and, of course, our own staff and volunteers who faithfully support, lead and guide the children and young people with whom we are privileged to have contact. WEDNESDAY Give thanks for the work of CAMEO over many years and pray for the way forward as alternative plans are looked at for the future. Give thanks for the work done amongst our senior folk: for the commencement of the monthly "Friends, Food and Fellowship" lunches and for the increasing attendance. Remember the Mens and Womens Fellowships restarting this week. THURSDAY Pray for those recently elected to High Office in our land. Pray re the formation of a new government and those with new areas of responsibility. Pray, too, concerning discussions over Brexit and that a clear way forward will be agreed between all parties, thus enabling any overlooked matters to be considered and decisions made concerning all other areas of national life. FRIDAY Remember our various missionary interests: Damien and Annet and family as they prepare for a new life here in the UK; Steve and Sherree as they conclude their service with S.I.M. later this year; Pastor Sergey and his congregation in the Ukraine; those ministered to through the recent visit of Living Life Eastbourne in Croatia; Pastor Ram and his flock in Nepal and our friends in Bulgaria and the ongoing preparations for the April Mission. SATURDAY As another Flow Cafe takes place, give thanks for the various forms of low-key evangelism that operate through the ministries of VBC. Remember the work of NetworX, Street Pastors, Winter Night Shelter, Foodbank, People Matter, Matthew 25, Beachy Head Chaplaincies and many other forms of outreach under the auspices of the local churches - not forgetting the soon-to-be established CAP team here in Eastbourne. SUNDAY As we meet together today let us give thanks for all the families represented here at VBC. Remember that many other local churches are bereft of such numbers and pray for their work and witness, especially within the Old Town Fellowship of Churches. May we be mutually supportive of each other in sharing some of the resources with which we are so blessed. Pray for all in leadership and our CLT meeting tomorrow.

Victoria Baptist Church (VBC) is looking to appoint a Centre Manager to run a debt

counselling service in partnership with Christians Against Poverty (CAP). The purpose

of the service is to reach out, with practical help and the gospel, to those in

Eastbourne experiencing poverty through debt. The recruitment process will be in two parts. VBC will carry out the initial stage in order to recommend a candidate for

CAP’s own selection process.

The purpose of the Centre Manager’s role is to:

communicate CAP’s debt advice to people taken on by the Centre as

CAP clients

positively communicate the Christian faith

manage the service

co-ordinate the team of volunteers associated with the Centre

liaise with external referral agencies

participate in VBC staff team meetings, and in prayer and worship

Applications are invited from those who:

are committed Christians with a strong daily relationship with God

ideally, are regular attenders of VBC and comfortable with CAP’s

statement of faith

share CAP’s core values

live in or close to Eastbourne, with own transport (mileage paid)

are eager to share their Christian faith

have proven managerial skills

are able to undertake administration and use of ICT programmes

Further information and an application form may be obtained by contacting the

Church Office.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon Friday 17th January 2020.

CAP Debt Centre Manager Hours: 16 per week (initially)