Wessex Auxiliary2019 Newsletter

Trinitarian Bible Society

SEEKING YOUR SUPPORT

The aim of the Trinitarian Bible Soci-ety is ‘to promote the Glory of Godand the salvation of men, by circu-

lating, both at home and abroad, in depend-ence on the Divine blessing, the HolyScriptures, which are given by inspiration ofGod, and are able to make men wise untosalvation, through faith which is in ChristJesus.’ We would give the Glory to God ifthis Auxiliary has been able, in any smallway, to further this aim in the Wessex regionover the past nine years. is has been pos-sible through the Lord’s kind provision ofopenings for the Scriptures to go intoschools, prisons, care homes, hospitals, etc.,but also by the provision of the necessary fi-nancial resources; our loyal supporters inWessex have been part of the instrumental-ity which the Lord has used for this and weare very thankful to you all.

For several years, the Society’s Auxiliarieshave been able to rely on funding fromTBS London’s ‘Bowen Legacy for GrantsFund’ for the provision of Scriptures forschools and prisons, with TBS Wessex hav-ing benefited by around £2,788 for over929 Bibles and New Testaments in 2018(£7,200 for 2,610 Scriptures so far in 2019).However, this Fund is expected to be usedup by the end of 2020. All items such ascolouring books, timelines and bookmarksare funded by the Auxiliary. Auxiliaries donot receive allocations of funding from theSociety’s General Fund, because TBS Lon-don’s resources are not sufficient for that.erefore, when the ‘Bowen Fund’ is ex-hausted, we expect that our resources forScripture distribution in the Wessex regionwill be limited to that given by our localsupporters.

We are seeing an increasing demand for TBScalendars and diaries from the prisons in

Wessex, which we seek to fulfil in faith, de-pending upon the Lord for the financial pro-vision. A new inexpensive 2020 diary hasbeen produced and funded by TBS Londonas a trial, principally for prisons, and TBSWessex hopes to distribute just under 3,000(approx. cost £2,500), but from 2021 TBSWessex will need to fund its own distribu-tion of these (approx. £2,500). We have justrecently approved requests for around 1,700calendars from two prisons at a cost to theAuxiliary of nearly £300 and we expect tohear from several more prisons over thecoming weeks. Regarding another aspect ofthe work, it costs the Auxiliary around £720per annum to place four railway posters onstations in the region each year, which is alsofunded out of local donations.

We have been particularly encouraged bya recent letter from a prisoner which youwill find in this newsletter. It is remarkablewhat openings the Lord is giving in thesedifficult days for Bibles, Scripture portionsand other Scripture materials to be distrib-uted in the Wessex region. But looking for-ward, this can only be maintained as wehave the financial resources to do so, andwe ask that our supporters make it a matterof earnest prayer that the Lord would con-tinue to provide for the needs of the Aux-iliary, both in the short and long term.

We are deeply indebted to those individu-als and churches who already give regularlyto the Wessex Auxiliary. May you be en-couraged that your sacrifice cannot befruitless, because the Lord has promisedthat His word shall not return unto Himvoid, but it must accomplish His purpose(cf. Isaiah 55.11).

e Rev. Malcolm Watts – President of the AuxiliaryMr. Gerald Buss – Vice President of the Auxiliary

distribution across as many prisons aspossible. To a prisoner, a diary is an in-valuable item, allowing them to write per-sonal notes and keep track of time whilstthey are serving their sentence. It is theprayer of the Auxiliary that the inclusionof a text from the Word of God each daymay be used by the Holy Spirit to bringlife and comfort to these needy men and

women, many of whom will never haveread the Scriptures of truth, and that theywould be encouraged to search the Scrip-tures daily.

‘en opened he their understanding,that they might understand the scriptures’(Luke 24.45)

No. 7

If you would like to help the Wessex Auxiliary, we would welcome your support. Should you have any questions, please contact the Secretary: Tel.: 01367 241408 email: wessex@tbsbibles.org

www.tbsbibles.org/wessex

The Society has now taken deliv-ery of stocks of 2020 calendarsand diaries, and the Auxiliary

has begun to contact prisons and carehomes to arrange distribution. TheWords of Life Calendar is a very wel-come item to us all in our homes but hasbeen proved, under God, to be of greatuse in many prison cells and privaterooms in care homes bringing a colourpicture each month, and more impor-tantly, the Word of God to the needy sin-ners every day.

In view of the increased interest in theSociety’s diary, particularly in prisons, alower cost pocket planner has been pro-duced for this purpose allowing Wessexand other Auxiliaries to maximise the

Words of Life Calendar

Lower cost diary

Another year of time has passed sincewe last updated you on the work of

distribution of the Word of God inthe Wessex region. We have been very en-couraged in many ways, with the Lord open-ing numerous doors for us in schools,prisons and care homes over past months. Inthis newsletter you will find a report on dis-tribution into schools, and helpers who havecome forward to assist in this work. OurPresident and Vice President have writtenregarding our financial situation, highlight-ing our present needs and future opportuni-ties as the Lord makes a way. We have alsoupdated you on the railway stations wherewe hope to feature posters this year, and no-tice of forthcoming meetings.

In March this year we received a letter froma prisoner who received a TBS diary whileserving a sentence in prison. We rarely hearanything back from prisons so this letterwas a great encouragement to us to con-tinue, as the Lord may help. It also outlineshow important a diary is to a man orwoman prisoner, a place to write somethingevery day, and in the case of a TBS diary, aplace to read a text from the Word of Godevery day.

2020 Diaries and Calendars

FRONT COVER

K

T

F

F

3 mm–6 mm (

Diary 2020P O C K E T P L A N N E R

FORTHCOMING EVENTS (DV)

TBS AGM 2019 – Saturday 21 September, 2019 at11.00am at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London SE1 6SD.Dr. David Allen is expected topreach.

TBS Wessex Prayer Meeting – Monday 30 September 2019 at7.15pm at Maryport Street BaptistChapel, Maryport Street, DevizesSN10 1AH. Dr. Gerald Bilkes from Free Reformed Church at Grand Rapids,USA, is expected to preach.

TBS Wessex AGM 2020 – Saturday 18 January 2020 at 2.30pmat Lansdowne Hall, Derry Hill,Calne, Wiltshire SN11 9QY.e Rev. D Morris, a DeputationSpeaker of the Society, is expectedto preach. Tea provided.

OTHER NEWS

TBS Wessex Quiz – this year thequiz is on Gideon. It is availableon the Wessex pages of the Society’s website for download.A selection of prizes are availableto successful searchers.

LETTER FROM A PRISONER LABOURERS TOGETHER

There are a number of things that areneeded for this work to be main-tained and developed. We urgently

covet your prayers. is is the Lord’s Workand therefore we are in a spiritual battle. Weneed wisdom, grace, strength and humility.We need the Lord to supply these needs.ere is the need for the Lord to provide ourfinancial needs. We rely upon the generosityand sacrificial giving of the Lord’s people forthis work to continue. e Lord has sup-plied every need, but new needs arise.Please pray for us.

‘Without me ye can do nothing’ (John 15.5)

is work has at different times resulted ingreat opportunities for the distribution ofthe Word of God. As the Committee looksout and thinks about doors of opportunitythat have opened and the vastness of thework, our inadequacies and weakness are soapparent and genuinely felt.

‘And who is sufficient for these things?’ (2 Corinthians 2.16)

Case Study:

A lady moved to the Wessex region andjoined in membership at one of our sup-

porting churches. She felt somewhat dis-couraged that due to a number of factorsher ability and opportunity to serve theLord had reduced. Her Pastor thought shecould help him in this work. A database hadbeen prepared with all of the schools’ detailsin Wiltshire. e Auxiliary had a templatefor letters that were to be sent to schools.is lady methodically went through thedatabase, personalised the letter, addressedthe envelope and posted letters to theschools in Wiltshire. She completed aboutten per week, careful records were kept en-suring there was no duplication. What fol-lowed was remarkable. For every ten lettersthat were sent out, at least two positive re-sponses came back requesting Bibles andother Scriptural material. Had this lady nothad the heart and opportunity to do this, itis unlikely that this number of schoolswould have been contacted.

is is one example of how the work hasbeen helped and furthered.

You may be reading this newsletter andwondering whether there is something youcould do. As a Committee, we need helpand we will do our utmost to find an avenueof service for those who have a heart toserve in this work.

‘For we are labourers together with God’ (1 Corinthians 3.9)

Railway PostersWe have once again been able to take ‘advertising’ space on railway station platforms to display Scriptural texts. In the late springand summer, we featured texts at two stations, and during the autumn and winter period we hope to do the same at two otherstations. e specific texts and dates are as follows:

Cheltenham Spa Platform 1

20 May & 3 June

Salisbury Platform 3

7 Oct & 18 Nov

Didcot Parkway Platform 2

29 July & 12 Aug

Trowbridge Ticket Hall & Waiting Area

18 Nov & 2 Dec

To: All the people at the Trinitarian Bible Society who help spread the Word of God every day.God bless you in abundance.

I ask for blessings for you because I received one of your diaries for free from the chapel team,and when I read the Beatitudes in the first page it put a smile on my face and joy and peace inmy heart. I’m a poor man by this world’s standards, but like you say, I’m rich in spirit and Ithink I’m in the spirit now, so I’ll give you a part of my testimony. Sorry for my spellingmistakes as I’m a thicko. I also went to special needs school. I was a messed-up boy. A fool. I gotabused 5 times. Beat my whole life. Stabbed over 40 times. Metal in my elbow and head.I’ve been shot at—put a gun to my head with 2 bullets in the chamber. Someone pulledthe trigger, but God saved me as He’s saved me I reckon over 30 times. I’ve tried taking mylife numerous times. Other people have tried also but He has saved me every time. I realise thisnow; it’s not luck that I’m writing this letter—it’s God’s will. You probably read this andthink I am a bad person but yes, I have been bad, but I was just a hopeless drug addict. I wasa goat and God has changed me into a humble sheep and He is my Shepherd. I can’t wait to gohome to Him but will do His work in this vapour of a life of ours. Anyways, I ‘seeked’ andHe opened the door from darkness to light. I’m doing 4 years for a robbery. I’ve done the whole 4 years and I’m out in June. I’ve been coming to jail since I was 15 in 1995/96 as I was scaredof life. Too much badness, so I preferred it in prison. Least I could get some peace and quiet inhere to read God’s Word. I give thanks whenever I can and although I will never meet any of youI still thank you because without you I wouldn’t be smiling and in joy and peace knowing that‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ Hallelujah!

So, thank you from the heart and when I get out and find a job, I will send you a donation asit’s only right to give back to the Society, and I prefer to give, even though it’s nice toreceive sometimes, especially words of wisdom.

Anyways, going to leave you with my favourite bit of Scripture at the moment. Isaiah 11. Branchfrom Jessie. It spoke to me. Hope you enjoy it. The wild one—turned humble by the Grace of God.From darkness to light.

God bless you all. Keep up the good work. A gift of love from the freedom of prison.