Bere RegisCongregational ChurchSeptember/October2015

Due to holidays and magazine staffingshortages we are combining two

months worth of material in this issue.

As usual we hope and pray that you willfind something in these pages that will

help, inspire or even challenge you.

Harvest time is a reminder of God’sunchanging love and the mighty

provision He has made on this planet tomeet our resources.

The rainbow is used today for the LGBTmovement but it first appeared in thedays of Noah as a reminder of God’sfaithfulness. “As long as theearth endures, seedtime and

harvest, cold and heat, summerand winter, day and night willnever cease”  Genesis 8:22

Modern help with the harvesting!Photo courtesy: Rod Osmond

Welcome to the September/Octoberedition of our Magazine

· Harvest time—a time to takestock and to store up ‘treasure inheaven’ - Pastor’s Page

· Truth4Youth challenged mychildren—a mum’s story of God’sgreat love.

· Join us for our Harvestcelebration on October 11th

Bere Regis Congregational ChapelMinister

Rev Jim Morris, The Manse Flat, Butt Lane, Bere Regis, Wareham, Dorset BH20 7HZ.Tel: 01929 471270 Email: jimjan.morris192@yahoo.co.uk

DeaconsGilbert Griffin, Church Lane Cottage, Bere Regis BH20 7HH Tel: 01929 471326;

Paul Jackson (Fabric) Heather Cottage, Moreton, Dorchester D12 8RL Tel: 01929 462035Email: paul-jackson@heather-cottage.freeserve.co.uk;

Ivan Stevens (Treasurer/Elder) 157 York Road, Broadstone, Poole BH18 8ES Tel: 01202 695903

Ben Bennington 1, Ashley Barn Cottages, Briantspuddle, Dorchester D12 7HL Tel: 01258 837067

Graham Gee Rose Cottage, Butt Lane, Bere Regis BH20 7HZ Tel: 01929 472484

BERE REGIS CONGREGATIONALCHURCH—Butt Lane

Services for September/October2015Sunday 6th September10.30am. Communion Pastor Jim Morris

Followed by a Prayer LunchSunday 13th September10.30am. Pastor Jim MorrisSunday 20th September10.30am. Communion Don HenderSunday 27th September10.30am. Tim HuntSunday 4th October10.30am. Communion Pastor Jim MorrisSunday 11th October - Harvest Service10.30am. Pastor Jim Morris

Followed by a Prayer LunchSunday 18th October10.30am. Communion Pastor Jim MorrisSunday 25th October10.30am. Pastor Jim Morris

Junior Church and Crèche available if required at ourMorning Worship

Minister: Rev Jim Morris 01929 471270You are very welcome to ...

Taking Stock andStoring up!

As we move into September, the Autumn season kicks inand out in the fields the harvest will be once again be ‘safely gathered in’ foranother year. Our magazine cover photo illustrates how much harvesting methodshave changed. Gone is the horse and plough and the labourer with his scythe and incomes the combined harvester and other labour saving machines. Nevertheless it isstill hard graft being a farmer today. We have seen in recent days the ’supermarket’protests from our milk farmers, producing milk at a great loss! We should be gratefulto all those who work so hard to produce the vast variety of food we enjoy here in theWest. As we look down the aisles of our supermarkets groaning under the weight ofso much food perhaps we should have a tinge of conscience about how this vastwealth of goods has not been fairly distributed to the poorer countries in our world.We should not blame God for world food poverty when He has created a planet thatis well capable of sustaining a growing global population. Maybe we should look intoour own hearts as individuals and nations and confront the greed and selfishness thatwe find there!

In fact harvest time provides us with a good opportunity to take stock of our lives andgive thanks to a Creator God for His goodness to us. In the Chapel we shall becelebrating the Harvest in traditional fashion at our Family Service on Sunday,October 11th. At that Service we shall be remembering that Harvest is not just about‘fruit and veg’ - it’s about the fruit we are producing in our own lives in terms of livingfor God.

In Matthew 6 Jesus spoke about ‘storing  up  treasure  in  heaven’. It is easy tomisunderstand  these  words  and  think  that  what  He  was  saying  is  ‘make  sure  youbuild up a c.v. of good works and deeds, getting involved in charitable activity, so thatwhen you arrive  in God’s presence He will be  impressed how good you’ve been andgrant you an immediate entrance into heaven. Of course there is nothing wrong withtrying to make the world around us a better place. But in that same passage God says‘for where  your  treasure  is,  there your  heart  will  be also’ . So what or who is myheart’s  treasure?  Or  to  put  it  another  way—what is the most important thing Itreasure up in my heart ? My family, my career, my community work? Again, theseare all important. But there is One Person who supersedes all those legitimatepriorities in our life. His name is Jesus - the Son of God who loved us so much thatHe went to die in our place on a cross. We store up treasure in heaven when we putour trust in Jesus and invite Him into our lives. He becomes the most importanttreasure in our lives. When we stand before the Great White Throne in eternity ( aseveryone will whether you have a faith or no faith) Almighty God will not ask you

As a Church we promise

To faithfully proclaim the Good News of God’s salvation through Jesus Christas the only Saviour.

To encourage awareness and growth in Christian truth by upholding the teach-ings of the Bible as God’s revealed Word to the world.

To offer Christian love, care and pastoral help to anyone in need.

“what have you done for humanity?” . The all-important question will be “ What haveyou done with Jesus?”. This of course is the famous question posed by Pontius Pilateon the day of crucifixion. He said in Matthew 27:22 “ what shall I do with Jesus whois  called  Christ?” That question thunders down through all history to us today.Where does Jesus come on your list of priorities? Remember you were number oneon His list as He made His way to the cross.

The amazing truth is that if you give first place to Jesus in your life , He will enrichand enhance all those other things you want to do in life. You will begin to treasurethose things that will outlive this world and have eternal value. He will give you agreater love for your family, He will give you a greater enthusiasm for work—becausewhatever  you’re  doing, you  are  doing  it  for  the  Lord,  and  the  good  works  will  flowbecause you are looking at the world through His compassionate eyes. In that samechapter  6  in  Matthew’s  Gospel  He  says, “seek  first  God’s  kingdom  and  Hisrighteousness  and  all  these  things  will  be  given  to  you”. All those things that youhave been trying to do in your own strength can now be done through you in Hisstrength. Now that’s  storing up treasure in heaven.

I close with the chorus of a hymn that has challenged me down through the years,

What will you do with Jesus?Neutral you cannot be;

Someday your heart will be asking,“What will He do with me?”

The principle of harvest is simply, “whatever a man sows—he reaps” Maybe it’s timeto take stock and store up treasure in heaven!

With love in Jesus,

September/October 2015

Wedding in France - Suzie and Graham Gee and two of their daughters, Lydiaand Becky, recently drove to France for the wedding of David Hoffman to AliceGreslin. The wedding took place in a spectacular venue in Corny, Normandy on the20th August. The contact with this French family came about a few years ago whenDavid’s  parents,  who  are  Christians,  visited  Bere  Regis  and  stumbled  upon  ourChapel. Graham was outside Rose Cottage cleaning the windows and one of those Godordained  ‘chance’  conversations  led  eventually  to  their  son  David  attending  theTruth4 Youth Conference. The photos above are of the happy couple.

Happy Birthday and congratulations to—September birthdays—(5th) Jonathan Paterson; (6th)Benjamin Stephens; (11th)Barbara Griffin; (12th) Carol Stephens and (30th) RichardWoodford. And in October— (12th) Katie Elvers and (28th)Paul Jackson.

Dorset Ladies Bible and Prayer Day is again being hosted at the Chapel. It willrun from 10am– 4pm on Saturday 12th September.

This year’s Harvest Festival Thanksgiving Service at the BereRegis Congregational Chapel will be on Sunday 11th October at10.30am. You are invited to bring produce for the Harvest Table,

which will be distributed to the Salvation Army work in Bournemouth. After theService there will be our monthly Prayer Lunch and all are welcome to join us.

Bere RegisCongregational Church

On the move! After living most their lives inBere Regis John and Bronwen Pitman havemoved to a new development, Harbour LightsCourt, North Quay in Weymouth. John was onthe diaconate for a good many years and servedthe church in a number of different capacities.In earlier days Bronwen too greatly helpedwith  children’s  work  and  flower  arranging.  Weshall miss them in the everyday life of thevillage, and in our church fellowship. We pray

God’s richest blessing upon them in their new venture together. Carole Blues hasalso moved from the village to Wool—her new address is 39 Knowle Hill, Wool,Wareham, BH20 6DG (tel: 01929 471825). Carole will be‘commuting’  to  Bere  to  worship  with  us.  Pray  for  Carole,who is subject to ill health.

Update report on the door to door work now extended toMilborne St Andrews - our team—Rod, Tim and PastorJim have had some interesting conversations with anumber of residents and most people have been happy toreceive their free copy of the Good News Paper. We usuallyvisit the village on the second Wednesday in each month.Our photo shows Rod and Tim taking out the newspaper.

Special Prayer for...Kerry Kent as she undergoes her first course ofchemotherapy on 8th September at Dorchester Hospital. Remember also her mum,Val, and her daughter, Lilly. Pastor  Ray  Healey’s medical condition still prohibitshim from joining us in Chapel and we remember him and Joyce as they await furtherguidance from their medical consultants. Basil Norgate , having been diagnosedwith Parkinson's Disease is now having good days and bad days. However, thoughfrail in body, his spirit is resolute and he continues to inspire the Door to Door work,greatly helped by his dear wife, Beatrice. Mary Overton celebrated her 93rdbirthday in August and although homebound, enjoys fellowship and monthlycommunion from Pastor Jim and Janet.

The  Chapel  Toddler’s  Group opens it’s doors for the Autumn season on Tuesday8th September from 9.30-11.30 am. New mums and toddlers always welcome—phone Janet Morris on 01929 471270 for information.

this month we pray for individuals in:-Snow Hill, South Mead, Southbrook, Stanbarrow Close,

Tower Hill and Turberville Court

one will testify to, of how God met them,taught them, challenged them andbrought them to a place of fullcommitment to His service. Nathanresigned from his job as a productionengineer to attend Bible College withNew Tribes Mission (NTM) near

Grimsby. Here hemet Maria, and

t h e y w e r emarried inSept 2014. Asa cou p le(pictured left )they now help

on the churchleaders team as

part of their service to theLord. Josie met Jason, a new Christianzealous for the Word, they went to T4Yin Feb 2012 and married in August thatyear. As a couple they both gave upsecular jobs and studied for a year on theBible Studies course at NTM. They are

now living back in Wycombe attending alocal church and seeking God’s directionfor their lives.

Challenged to serve God

Emily also left her teaching career thatshe had yearned to do since childhood,and attended NTM for two years, stayingon for the Cross Cultural Communicationcourse. She met Boris here and they weremarried last August. They plan to moveto Germany later this year and ultimatelygo to the mission field to take the Truthof the Gospel to unreached peoplegroups. Tim, now 21, has completed theBS course at NTM, and today has movedin to WEC (Worldwide Evangelisationfor Christ) as a volunteer for a year. Hisplan is to do the CCC course next year atNTM.

As I have watched each one grow in thetruth and knowledge of the Word of God,and witnessed them change and mature,

Four summers ago in August 2011, twoof my four children Nathan and Emily,then aged 26 and 22 attended the Truth4 Youth weekend in Devon for the firsttime. This was the beginning of lifechanging challenges for them and alsomy other two children Josie and Tim,then 24 and 17, who joined them on thenext Feb 2012 T4Y conference.

Broken Marriage

Having been brought up by churchgoing parents, that had broken up some14 years before, the children had beensubjected to an unstable and disjointedchildhood. Some of them continuedgoing to church with their Dad until theoldest 3 went off to university. By thentheir understanding of Christianity wasconfused and watered down. God, byHis amazing grace, heard the prayers ofthose who faithfully prayed for themover the years, and He heard my heart’scry that my children would be truly

saved. Nathan andI had startedgoing along toH e p z i b a hChurch meetingsin Marlow, and itwas there that aconcerned ladysuggested to methe idea ofsending them to

Truth 4 Youth. So it was arranged,Nathan, Josie and Emily were booked into go - but the spiritual battle began -Josie ended up ill in hospital, Nathanexperienced such bad traffic jams healmost turned round and came home,and Emily was violently ill at the servicestation on her way down to Devon.

The undiluted Word of God

Looking back, we understand that thepowers of evil were at work trying toconfound God’s plans, knowing  thatweekend was going to be a turningpoint in their lives, because they weregoing to hear  God’s Word - undiluted -truth from the Bible. Ever since then all4 children have attended T4Y twice ayear, and our home on their return isalways vibrant with freshly challengedyoung people, motivated and inspiredby hearing God's Word!

What followed in the next 4 years, each

Diane Laver tells her story of God’s redeeming love. Her four children were left devastated whenmum and dad went their separate ways—yet God has worked in a remarkable way to reveal that,

even when we make big mistakes in life, if we will call out to Him , He is merciful and loving.

The children (when they were much younger!) From l. to r. Nathan,Jason, Emily and Tim Inset: Diane

Meal time at Truth4Youth !

I am just so amazed at God’s graciousnesstowards our family. That He has broughteach one to the place of repentance andsaving grace is all I asked for, but somuch more does He have in mind for usall!

To God be the Glory!

That they all sincerely want to serve Himwith their lives is truly remarkable. Ithank God and give Him all the Glory. Ohand one more miracle to add - in themidst of these last 4 years, my husband,Brian,  the  children’s  stepfather  has  toocome into the saving knowledge of JesusChrist and was baptized in Sept 2013. OurGod can do so much more than we canever ask or imagine! Praise be to HisName. May He continue to touch andchange young lives through the truth ofHis Word at Truth for Youth.

One  of  Diane’s  children,  Tim,  tellshis part of this unique family story.

“Hi,  my  name  is  Tim  Tremeer. InFebruary 2011 I made my first visit toTruth for Youth, little did I know what alife changing experience it would be! Ibecame a believer in Christ around theage of 12. My upbringing in church and aChristian family prepared me to whole-

heartedly trust the gospel when it wasfirst clearly presented to me.

Giving God the Back Seat!

However, I had no source of discipleshipin my life as my parents had now split upand I stopped regularly attending achurch. Inevitably as a result I put Godaway to have a backseat in my life. I livedmy teenage years for myself, doing what Iwanted and what I pleased. I had arelationship with a non-Christian girl for3 years. I explored many things that wereunhealthy for my faith, but I didn’t knowbetter. However I do remember alwaysbeing  God  conscious  even  when  I  wasn’tliving for Him. The Holy Spirit oftenconvicted me but I was living indisobedience.

However as it is written God chastens Hischildren (Heb. 12.6), and the Lord startedto really nudge me again when I wasabout 17. My mum was regularly attend-ing meetings concerning eschatology*.She often shared with me what she hadlearnt and showed me the things in thescriptures. I had Timlittle Bibleknowledge at thistime and had neverbeen interestedin reading it.However the studyof end times excitedme because itrevealed that theWord of God isalive! After sometime I began todesire to go to thesemeetings myself.

Diane and Brian

It  was  through  these  meetings  that  we  heard  about  “Truth  4  Youth” – a youthconference which is focused on engaging with issues of Biblical truth anddiscernment. During my first visit to T4Y I was exposed to so many truths in the Bibleand so many things related to my past experiences. I began to see that the word ofGod can be trusted from Genesis to Revelation and the importance of having aBiblical worldview. I remember being challenged about the importance of spiritualgrowth from 1 Corinthians 3. It became so clear to me that for far too long I had beenonly consuming the milk of God’s word and needed to mature in the faith (Hebrews5.11-14). I also began to see the importance of discerning God’s word because so manytoday use it for their own profit etc... I left this conference with my heart ignited forthe word of God and for the first time in my life I desired to read it in my own time.God was beginning to change my desires.

Off to Bible College!

The next time I returned to a T4Y conference one of the speakers was a missionaryfrom New Tribes Mission (NTM). He shared with me about the mission and theirBiblical studies course in Northern England. I decided I wanted to go there anddeepen my understanding of the Bible. In September 2013 I went to NTM BibleCollege and studied through to July 2014. I studied the Bible with a chronologicalapproach  and  learnt  so  much  of  God’s  character  throughout  the  year.  Theyparticularly want young people to understand their position in Christ and that theBible should and can be our foundation for living. This year of intense study reallycaused me to mature  in my faith and understand God’s grace more and more. NTMexists to train missionaries to go and share Christ amongst unreached people groupsand so I have really had my eyes opened to this work and a burden has been placed inmy heart for the lost. The next step for me seemed to be a clear leading back home toserve in a local church. I’m now seeking to establish a ‘sending relationship’ with mychurch. I feel that the Lord is preparing me for mission work, which I may not havebeen exposed to had I not been led to NTM through Truth4Youth. T4Y has been avital stepping stone in my Christian walk. The Lord has been faithful in continuing toencourage, edify and equip me on my journey through this Godless age by theministry of Truth for Youth.”

Rom 16.25-27 – ‘...Now to him that is able to establish you according to my gospeland the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery whichhath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by thescriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, ismade known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith: to the only wise God,through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.’

*eschatology—the part of theology concerned with death, judgement, and the final destiny ofthe soul and of humankind. That which the Bible describes as ‘the last days or the end times’

Harvest time is here again. I suppose we usually think of theharvest as wheat, corn, potatoes, things like that. Do you ever think of

sugar as part of the harvest? Much of the sugar we use in this country is home-produced. It comes from sugar-beet, which is a root vegetable that is harvested atthis time of the year. It is grown in rotation with wheat, barley and pulses, it is avaluable crop returning organic matter to the soil preventing the build up of disease.The roots are taken to factories where they are washed, sliced and crushed. The juiceis carefully heated in a huge container containing 60 tons or more of sugar syrup, andany impurities are taken out. This leaves a thin juice. It is then boiled up to thickenthe juice. At the right moment a tiny spoonful of powdered sugar is added to theboiling liquid. This tiny amount helps the whole batch turn into sugar crystals. Theright thing and the right time coming together to make a complete change.

If you are asked to do something and feel that you can’t do it, think of Moses. Hesaid to God that he wasn’t very good at anything, others were much better than him.He said, ‘please send someone else’.  (Exodus 4)  But God replied, “I will be withyou.” With God everything is possible. God makes the impossible change to thepossible – and God uses the most unlikely people and things to do it. If you commityour life to Him, He will use you too.This month’s Word Search

B T T E E F W A C N E TR R O G H A R V E S T EV E S D E C I L S E N EA B A N R C B E E G O HI M P O S S I B L E S VE C P O S T R N B P R HC R Y S T A L S A T B EI U U A G A C V T G A VU S E U T O T C E O R EJ H S U E E T O G T L OW E G N A H C R E E E RO D S C T G V N V S Y E

barley * change * corn * crop * crushed *crystals * harvest * impossible * juice *

organic * potatoes * sliced * sugar beet *vegetables * wheat *

Just a SmileA Father, resting after lunch, firmly

closed  his  eyes  against  his  children’spleas  to  “Play  a  game,  Daddy.”  At  lasthe felt small fingers move one of hiseyelids and heard one child confide toanother, “He’s still in there!”

Choirmaster:  No,  boys,  ‘refrain’  doesnot mean you stop singing!

*****************************Cleaning RotaSept. 6 Joyce Healey

13 Pastor Jim and Janet Morris20 Michelle McCowen27 Shirley & Richard Woolford

Oct. 4 Joyce Healey11 Michelle McCowen18 Pastor Jim & Janet Morris25 Shirley & Richard Woolford

Pastor Ray HealeyYes Prime Minister!I have been watching the classic TV series from the early 1980s which has beenbroadcast again recently by the BBC. Cleverly written by Anthony Jay and JonathanLynn, it starred Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds. First called“Yes Minister”, it later became “Yes, Prime Minister” when Jim Hacker waspromoted to the top job. As both Minister and Prime Minister he was ably supportedby Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Woolley. The long, involved statementsthat were Sir Humphrey’s trade mark, were brilliantly funny but really nothing buthot air, as was the political scene that was being portrayed, and it often left PM JimHacker gasping for breath and stuck for words. Margaret Thatcher, the real PrimeMinister at the time, very much appreciated the wit and manoeuvrings of the  ‘civilservants’,  and  on  one  occasion  played  the  main  part  in  a  short  sketch  that  waswritten for her.

The Christian world has recently suffered a great loss in the death of one of its elderstatesmen, Lance Lambert., who was born in 1931 and passed into glory in Maythis year in Jerusalem, where he had lived since 1980. Lance and his sister werebrought up by his mother in Richmond, Surrey. The family were Jewish and had fledhere during the war to escape the holocaust. His father had perished in a Nazi deathcamp. Lance came to know Jesus as His Saviour and Lord at the age of twelve, andattended Richmond Baptist Church. Lance Lambert was an inspiring preacher witha great deal of humour that kept many a congregation riveted with rapt attention tohis teaching. Through Lance many people around the world came to a deeper under-standing of the Scriptures in respect to Israel. He was a man of prayer and a greatBible teacher. It was a joy for Joyce and I to go to his meetings, or to see him ontelevision, and appreciate his sharp wit expressed with a twinkle in his eye. Howoften Lance would preface a profound and Holy Spirit inspired statement with, “Butthe fact of the matter is .....” He knew the facts and he certainly knew the matter inhand, so there was no hot air with him.

The hot air that has come from 10 Downing Street, from Parliament and politiciansin general especially since Margaret Thatcher retired, often leaves one gasping for abreath of fresh air. The fact of the matter is ...I would say ‘No, Prime Minister’ andinstead say ‘Yes Christ Jesus’ as my Saviour and Lord for life, and believe His in-fallible, unchanging Word of truth. Words are like seeds, they produce a crop and aharvest for either good or bad, life or death. Christ Jesus never spoke hot air orwasted words. He only said and did what His Father was saying and doing. John14:10

“Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven”—“Your word is a lamp to myfeet and a light to my path.”  Psalm 119:89 & 105

Say ‘Yes’ to Christ Jesus today, for time is running out, and tomorrow maybe too late. 2 Corinthians 6:2  “Today is the day of salvation.”

Join with us for ourHarvest Festival Family Service

Sunday 11th October10.30am

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This 96–minute documentary interviews15 Ph.D scientists about the greatestweaknesses of modern evolutionarytheory. The public generally only hearsone side of the origins debate, but with

stunning animations and dramatic footage, Evolution’s Achilles’Heels present  a  powerful  ‘warts  and  all’  critique  of  textbookevolutionary orthodoxy. You’ll also discover just how much thisdebate impacts your view of yourself and the world around you.

Available free on loan from our Chapel DVD Library—contactGraham Gee on 01929 472484

Bere Regis Congregational Chapel, Butt LaneSunday Worship 10.30am Morning Service

Join us in family worship—youngsters have their own Junior Church time .

Tuesdays 9.30-11.30am Chapel Toddlers Groupa time for mums & carers to relax and get together as the toddlers interact

together—in the Chapel

Tuesday Fellowship Group at 7.30pmwant to know more about the Bible and pray in a friendly atmosphere? Held

in Manse Long Room every alternate week

Wednesday 10.30am  Ladies Share ’n Prayeran opportunity for coffee and chat—and a time of prayer together—phone

Janet on 01929 471270 for more information.

Thursday Fellowship Group at 2.00pmfor those who prefer to meet during the day. Held in Manse Long Room every

alternate week

bereregischapel.orgFurther information from Pastor Jim on 01929 471270

And Truth 4 Youth