Broad Haven Baptist Church

News

8th February - Life Group Extra - One big question for us is how will the chapel building best serve God's mission, our worship, and our community's needs. This is what we need to ask God for wisdom for. This is what needs to guide our thoughts and conversations. What are we going to do with the building for God's work? This meeting will be a good opportunity for us to have a conversation about the refurbishment possibilities as a big group. We will be able to hear the ideas that other groups have had and share our thoughts with each other. The main reason we come together is to listen to God, so we will also spend time in prayer.

One of the encouraging things about listening to everyone so far is that we are united in wanting our building to serve God and serve the community. We do have some differences as to what we think will best do that, particularly when it comes to pews or chairs, but we can celebrate that we come together united in our commitment to God's work. We have a great common ground to move forward from.
This meeting is open for all the congregation, members and non members, including those who don't normally go to a life group. Following on from this meeting, with the ideas that come out of it, a group will be asked to put together some concrete plans with visual aids to help us choose the work that will be done. This is a very important meeting as we seek to listen to God and move forward together so please come along even if you've never been to one of these meetings before! Ben

Week of Prayer for Global Poverty.(Tear Fund) In Broad Haven we are privileged to be one of 6 Welsh venues for this prayer initiative. The Rafters will be open for prayer on March 3rd, and we are grateful to Jamie and Mel who will set up the room for us.
IF you have a special link to any group anywhere in the world which is working to combat poverty we encourage you to provide information which can help our prayers that day. And please plan now to set aside some time on March 3rd to bring the needs of this world before

Recently this Church, through the Charity Shop ,made a further donation towards the Farm Crisis Network, who help farming people through difficult times.
This was their reply....' How wonderful to continue to receive the support of Broad Haven Baptist Church: please pass on our thanks to everyone . This will go towards maintaining our telephone Helpline and ensuring that our volunteers are able to visit farms where they are so urgently needed. Farming can be a difficult and sometimes dangerous way of life and it is always encouraging to us to learn that so many people are willing to support us in our ministry .’

Life Groups If you are not already part of a group do consider joining one this term.
A present all are studying different topics. At Croft Rd (Francis) you can look at the Beatitudes, while in Swanswell (Scotts) you can study the Lord's prayer from the end! (Last week focussed on the glory; next Wednesday on the power, and members of the group are encouraged to look up beforehand any Bible verses which refer to the power of God.) For the topics of other groups please refer to their leaders. Janet Jenkins, Sharon Britten, David Taylor and David Thomas.

Used Stamps please pass on any stamps to David or Yona Pusey who will forward them to the BMS.

Church's Building Refurbishment

Over the next month or two we will have conversations in various groups, especially life groups, in order to pray and think through the work on the inside of our building. Please start thinking about these questions:

What do we feel God has been saying to us during this process of thinking about the inside of our building? What do we like/dislike about the building as it is? What do we want to see the building used for? How do we want to use the building to serve our community?

After we have thought through these questions we should be in a better place to decide what exactly we are going to do with our building.
Let us seek to listen well to God and each other so that we can move forward.

Information - GSUS is coming to Pembrokeshire schools again starting 20th February 2012. Training is Saturday, 18th at Crymych High School 12noon. Please look at the poster in the porch, and consider whether God might be calling you to be involved in some way.

Ben and Helen Induction

October 15th saw a new chapter begin in Broad Haven, when Ben and Helen Dare were formally welcomed and inducted as our joint pastors.

For this very special occasion we were lent a 300 seater marquee (thank you, Mike), and were given permission to put it on the school field (thank you staff and governors).
Most of the congregation joined in the preparations over several weeks beforehand guided by the organising skills of Debbie. The main uncertainty was the weather (please, God, send us appropriate weather), and in the event we were blessed with dry and almost windless conditions. The marquee was erected in record time thanks to a team of about 30 from chapel and village, who were refreshed at intervals with hot drinks, sandwiches and a birthday cake for Sam. The rain held off until about 10 minutes after the lorry drove away with the marquee safely on board.

Induction

The day itself was exhilarating, tiring, and totally fulfilling. The catering team were on site from 8.00am to arrange a hot (with BBQs) and cold buffet meal for over 300 people. Thanks to the youth group at South Dairy Baptist church all Broad Haven members could participate in the service.

The marquee was beautified by flower arrangements, banners and bunting (it looks like a wedding!); the sound system was installed and the band completed their rehearsal; by 1.00pm the team of welcomers and car park attenders were already busy.

Helen, Ben and the church were blessed by the presence and prayers of friends, and by leaders of the Baptist Unions of Wales and of Great Britain.
We were all challenged by the words of preacher Simon Woodman, and made our covenant commitment to each other under the guidance of Marc Owen and Nick Bradshaw. The church offered symbols to Ben and Helen, followed by a book of prayers compiled by members of the fellowship (thanks to Glenys and Ann). Finally some of the children led us in the singing of “a love song”.
Cake

The church was privileged to welcome many friends and family of Helen and Ben, as well as representatives of local churches and members of the community. It was a great send off for this new chapter. Our prayer now is for space to allow pastors and people to get to know each other, and for listening ears as we work out what God is saying about our future worship and witness.

Here are some more photographs from the day.

Praying

Band

long

bbq

Baptismal Joy at Broad Haven

For years the fellowship at Broad Haven has crossed the cliffs to Little Haven to hold its baptismal services. However on a Sunday morning in August many other “sea farers” use the tiny slipway and cove, so we agreed to baptise in the more spacious, but shallower, conditions at Broad Haven.

Mary

There were so many aspects to our joy on August 21st.
First the joy of being God’s people together in His house, with the joy of songs and hymns, and the richness of guitar and organ accompaniment; the joy of Mary’s testimony – “even a 70+year old finally got the message that Jesus loves her enough to die to free her from her sins” and of the message about the meaning of baptism.

Mary

Then joy intensified as we walked together in the sunshine to “our” beach (300m) and gathered in some curious onlookers. Comment from a surfer: “This has to be a baptism – I’ll go and fetch my friends!” And comment from a visitor, “Is this a wedding? – you all look so happy!”

At last, the prayers and promises completed, the joy of seeing our friend Mary led into the sea by David and Christina and baptised between the waves. And the culminating joy of singing He is Lord while Mary, in her 70s, danced through the waves and up the beach.
Yes, God gives joy; and it all happened on our own home patch!

Mary

East Africa Appeal Thanks from Tearfund“our money will have a huge impact enabling local church partners to provide
essential aid to some of the most vulnerable people in the region.
In northern Kenya one partner is involved in emergency relief.
In Somalia and Ethiopia we are working through the local church to help communities in the long term. Projects include earth dams to store water, providing drought resistant seeds, rainwater harvesting, and food for work programmes to tackle soil erosion ” N.B. On a personal note I saw at first hand the soil erosion programmes in the southern Highlands of Ethiopia where through Tearfund's help thousands of trees are being planted on terraces by local communities so that the rains do not take away the precious fertile top soil down into the valleys. Francis

Family Fun Day May 20th 2011

Living in a seaside village it has been natural for our thoughts to turn towards the beach when we have planned outdoor events. However a suggestion that the football field was much more central to most of the homes and families led to the proposal of a family fun event “to bless the village”.

Cooking

Plans came to fruition on May 20th. By the time the children came out of school the music was playing, the bouncy castle was inflated, the face painters were poised and the BBQ was sizzling. We were blessed with glorious sunshine, although the stiff breeze did provide some challenges, and as the families began to arrive our excitement grew. Altogether 116 children were given vouchers for their free ice cream, and 200 burgers and sausages were devoured.

Jon

“Why are you doing this for free?” “ Can’t we give a donation, since we don’t come to the chapel?” “Please will you do it again!!” Just some of the frequent comments – and the answer which we had provided on “compliment slips”: God loves you, we want to show the same love; ENJOY!

And enjoy we all did. After 3 hours of games and activities, and plenty of food, people were reluctant to go home. As the tiredness set in the overwhelming feeling among the “helpers” was thankfulness: to God for nudging us and enabling such a brilliant event, and to each other for the generous offering of time and skills. We continue to ask God to go on blessing our village!

boncy

Feedback!

Here are a couple of the texts and quotes we recieved after the event from visitors.

"Thank you so much to the Church for a great afternoon at the football club
yesterday"

"Well done, great gathering"

"Will you be doing this every Friday?"

"What a lovely afternoon that was enjoyed by all"