Barnabas Ministries UK

Rev. & Mrs. S.D. Anderson

Season of Pentecost

Hello

My name is Sid Anderson and for the last eighteen years with my wife Jean’s constant support I have fulfilled the role of Senior Pastor of Bentley Pentecostal Church near Doncaster. Next week we hand over the leadership of the Church to James and Nichola Seager.

After recently completing my Masters in Missions at Mattersey, I was contemplating what I would be doing in the final few weeks before re-tyring from the Church when it dawned upon me that it was the ‘Season of Pentecost’.

Having just moved the venue for our Church Prayer Meeting to an upstairs room; then why not call it an ‘Upper Room Prayer Meeting’ in expectation of a move of the Holy Spirit. We were not disappointed as Mike (pictured above, third from the left) a Methodist for 45 years was filled with the Spirit and spoke out in a beautiful tongue. He’s been shining ever since. We then decided to make Pentecost Sunday special this year with a Celebration of the Gift of the Holy Spirit in the Morning Service followed by a Water Baptism Service in the evening.

In the morning service Pastor Henry Drabble was scheduled to speak on the ‘Hurricane of Pentecost’ instead of hearing the sermon we experienced it as everyone came forward to receive something from God. A high point of blessing was enjoyed as the men sang ‘He Touched Me’ and the women came forward and prayed for them.

In the evening service seven were baptised in water, both young and those a little older. After Pastor Sid presented the Good News of the Gospel four made decisions for Jesus Christ.

The four girls are the second phase of baptismal candidates from the Youth Café for early and late teens held every Monday and Thursday evening. Kevin Watts the Youth Pastor (he’s is the one on the right trying to look older) reports that over 100 teenagers attend most evenings and over the last two years over 800 different teenagers have attended. The Christian young people who help run the café were recently presented with an award by local M P Ed. Milliband for their services to young people.

Sid expects to visit West Africa on a more regular basis to assist and encourage missionaries from Burkina Faso to engage in frontier missions in Mali and Niger. If you would like to know more about this work feel free to contact him on e-mail siddanderson@aol.com

To God be all the Glory.

Rev. Joy Gascoigne

AGE CONCERN  by Rev. joy gascoigne

LOTS OF PEOPLE SEE

how stars like Madonna look, and watch the things they do, but what’s really going on?

Michigan-born Madonna was the third of eight children. Her mother died of breast cancer when she was just years old. Madonna later said, ‘I became an over-achiever to get approval from the world.’

Now with a career spanning three decades, she turns 50 this year.

No doubt there are lots of factors in the discussion about age; our health, of attitude, the company we keep, and the make-up we use all play a part

It’s true that what we do stems from who we are, but the Western world has a big emphasis on image, so that how we look almost takes priority over anything else. So how can we grow older gracefully? First of all, grow older thankfully. Many people don’t live to see even middle age! If you’re in good health you’ve a lot to be thankful for.

Take care of yourself, watch your diet, and try to rest and keep fit. In the UK we’re blessed with the opportunity to live in a wonderful country. Enjoy, and thank God!

Second, remember you’re a human being, not a human doing. Often it’s easy to evaluate the quality of our life by what we do. Look after what goes on inside.

Don’t allow yourself to become bitter or critical. Don’t become cynical or carry baggage from the past. Live largely, and to quote the Message New Testament, ‘love from the centre of who you are’. There’s a great story of a little girl who went to the funfair with her daddy. She had a little money to spend and immediately ran to the candy stall, and bought a huge pink candy. Her father looked on and asked if she was really able to eat it. ‘Don’t worry, Daddy’, she replied. I’m much bigger inside than I look on the outside’.

Finally, go first class. It’s about attitude really. We each only have one life to live, and so it’s to be lived to the full. Stay positive, and take the opportunities that come your way.

Try something new – a fun hobby or sport, perhaps.

Go the extra mile and be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Be a reliable friend, not just a number in the crowd. And by the way, happy birthday, Maddona!

Archbishop John Sentamu

THE DARING ARCHBISHOP

The daring Archbishop of York will make a ‘leap of faith’ to show support for British soldiers in Afghanistan.

Dr. John Sentamu will jump from 12,500ft with the Parachute Regiment’s Red Devils team to raise money for the families of soldiers killed while serving with 3 Para.

Dr Sentamu , 58, said, “The armed services and their families make enormous sacrifices on our behalf. Unfortunately, many of the families who have lost loved ones are not being given enough financial support. And for those who return as wounded heroes, the support can be a long time coming, and then not nearly enough.

Dr Sentamu will be leaping out of an aircraft over RAF anger, near Nottingham, on May 27^th, in tandem with businessman Guy Brudenell.

Dr Sentamu and the Red Devils hope to raise more than £50,000  in sponsorship for the Afghanistan Trust charity, which helps paratroopers and their families in the event of injury or death.

CHRISTIAN WOMEN IN PRISON

The women of South Sudan, a mainly Christian part of the country, face many difficulties. In 22 years of civil war, many have been widowed and must shoulder new responsibilities to care for their children. Many such women are living in refugee camps in North Sudan, which is ruled by a strongly Islamic government that enforces shari’a  (Islamic law). Some have been arrested and imprisoned because they failed to conform to demands of shari’a, for example, the Islamic dress code. Others are in prison for debts which they could not repay because of their poverty.                

A grant of £4,000 (US$ 8,000; £5,200) to a Prison Christian Fellowship helps  to provide these women with blankets, clothes. Bibles, medicines and the fines they must pay on release as well as the travel costs which are then needed. It also helps their families and dependents.