Sunday 15 June was the very fond farewell service to the much loved Pastor of Rosedale Community Church, Cheshunt: Rev Bethany Burrage. It was a day of mixed emotions: sadness to say goodbye to Bethany and her daughter Hannah, who will be moving with her, and at the same time, a celebration of all that she has achieved during her time at Rosedale. She has been a member for nearly 17 years and following ordination, she was appointed as the Minister nearly seven years ago.

Bethany established and led the Sunday School and youth work for 10 years; ran holiday Bible Clubs enjoyed by many local children; took the youth on camps and joined in all sorts of activities, including water fights! Bethany established the Warm Welcome nearly three years ago where members of the community enjoy friendship, activities and lunch. The numbers have gone from strength to strength and it has been described as a lifesaver by several people. She has run groups and courses, and spoken in local schools and at clubs for older people, as well as inspiring the church. She started a Walk for Wellbeing which has been a huge success for members of the congregation and the community and a Parent & Toddlers group which has been hugely popular. And all who attended will never forget last Christmas Day when Bethany and her daughters hosted Christmas dinner and an afternoon of entertainment at the church.

A number of people spoke in praise of Bethany‘s ministry and involvement in the community, mentioning the parts played by her four lovely daughters.

Our president, ex-president and two trustees of The Connexion expressed their thanks and good wishes, as well as various members of the congregation. The president changed hats as it were and also spoke as the UK Head of the Sierra Leone Mission, praising Bethany’s involvement, which has included two ministry trips to Sierra Leone, and greetings and thanks were received and read out from Magnus: the Bishop of Sierra Leone. Janet had travelled from Cornwall to be with us; Joe & Elizabeth from the Isle of Sheppey. Councillor Mark Mills Bishop spoke on behalf of Broxbourne Borough Council and Hertfordshire County Council, praising Bethany’s tireless work for the community and the very real differences she has made. Councillor Paul Seeby was also in attendance. All this was to a back drop of pictures taken over the years.

Bethany has led from the front, encouraging others to try new things and develop their gifts. She has supported both members of the church and people in the community with no connection to the church and has gone the extra mile on very many occasions.

At the conclusion of the service, Bethany passed on a literal baton (very appropriate for a runner: Bethany established Park Run in the area) to the new Pastor, Alex, who will be in post from September.

The service was followed by a delicious buffet and an opportunity to take the microphone to give thanks and express good wishes to Bethany and her daughters. We are losing someone very dear to us but wish her well as she returns to her roots and takes up the post of Pastor of West Auckland Vineyard Church in County Durham.

Lynn Sobczak

The Chapel, Mortimer West End, are running ‘The Grace Course’ from Freedom in Christ (FIC). The eight-week evening course began on Thursday 5 June and will include a day of ministry Saturday 19 July.

The course is led by Rob Davies, from Freedom in Christ UK.

Rob joined Freedom in Christ UK as their Deputy Director in September 2015 and took over from Steve Goss as Executive Director in September 2016.

He first encountered FIC through the Discipleship Course, which was being run by his local church just as Rob and his family were preparing to become missionaries to Uganda. In Uganda he was part of a Church Leadership team and helped adapt the teaching for the culture, as well as for children. He loves the freedom message and is excited at how it can have a huge impact in people's lives, irrespective of where they come from in the world, how old they are, or where they've been.

He particularly enjoys walking with UK-based Christians in leadership as they discover, and embrace Jesus' freedom for themselves, as well as developing resources to train and equip more Christians in leadership to make fruitful disciples, who are free from all that holds them back. 

Click on the image below to hear more about The Grace Course.

To find out more about The Chapel, Mortimer West End, visit their website: www.thechapel.org.uk

Whilst Simon Allaby is away on sabbatical, Short Thought will be running weekly recordings of stories from his book Under the Bonnet.

Simon wrote Under the Bonnet as a manual for helping us to find answers to life's malfunctions! 

The 'manual' includes 14 stories exploring what makes us tick and where to turn when things go wrong. The book was first published last year, and went on sale at £1 a copy in time for Father's Day. Simon says, 'The added bonus of Under the Bonnet is it can be used all year round, and it's not restricted to blokes!'

Click on the link to hear the first instalment: Short Thought: Speed Awareness

Simon's introduction to Under the Bonnet

We all remember our first car. Mine was a Datsun Sunny 120Y. The only problem was I had no idea what was going on under the bonnet or what to do when something went wrong. Fortunately, I discovered the Haynes Manual which told me all I would ever need to know.

Life is rather similar. We take it for granted when all is going well, but where to we turn when something breaks down? There is no Haynes Manual for life then. Or is there?

Many years ago, I discovered that the Bible has something to say about every aspect of what's going on under the bonnet of my life. I hope Under the Bonnet may help you to discover the same.

 

As a Connexion church family, apart from the annual Conference, there are not many opportunities when individuals can meet together, and the Trustees are often thinking about ways in which this can be encouraged.

A few years ago the Ministers in Sussex decided to meet up for lunch every couple of months to get to know one another better and to spend time sharing and praying for each other. The Cluster now includes Simon Allaby at Bolney Village Chapel, Peter James at Turners Hill Free Church, Peter Earle at Shoreham Free Church, David Batchelor at South Street Eastbourne, Martin Brown and Dave Sweetman at Hailsham Gospel Mission, 'CK' at Ote Hall Chapel and Gordon Hamilton.

On Friday 9 May five of the members were able to have a quiet day at Penhurst Retreat Centre, which is set in the beautiful East Sussex countryside. The group met at 10am and spent some time in worship and prayer before giving 'CK' some time to introduce himself and speak about how he and his wife seem to have been called to Ote Hall Chapel. (More about this story will follow at a later date.)

After lunch there was time to go for a walk, sit in the sunshine or get creative in the art room, before sharing and praying together again and then leaving at 4pm.

It was a wonderful day and we are thankful to the Cheshunt Fund for covering the cost. It is definitely something to be repeated in the future and maybe next time extending the visit to 24 hours.

The Connexion Trustees are hoping to facilitate similar clusters in other parts of the country where geography allows (and on Zoom where it doesn’t!)

St Stephen’s Church in Middleton is seeking a new Pastor to lead the congregation and take the church into the future.

St Stephen’s is a small evangelical church with a long history of work and witness in the town. Its Christ centred congregation has a vision for ‘Reaching the Community for Jesus Christ’, and a heart for sharing God’s love and the message of the gospel in areas outside the church.

St Stephen's is situated in a residential area in one of the highest parts of Middleton, approximately six miles from Manchester City Centre. Historically the church was the ‘hub’ of the community with a very large congregation and thriving children’s ministry, but following major rebuilding in the region, connecting with the community, particularly in deprived areas, has been more difficult.

The Future

After 200 years of worship and witness at St. Stephen’s we believe God still has a plan and purpose for our fellowship, and He has work for us to do.

New Pastor

The pastor we are prayerfully seeking is one with vision, called by Him to lead, encourage, empower and equip us in fulfilling the plans and purposes God has for our fellowship and the community around St Stephen’s.

The position is part-time, up to 60% FTE, with a salary of £27,000 per annum pro-rata. A free three-bedroom Manse is also provided as part of the position, with council tax and water bills paid.

For more details and to apply, please click on the links below:

Full Job Description

Application Form

About St Stephen's Church

Simon Allaby, Connexion Trustee and Pastor at Bolney Village Chapel, has recently returned from his 7th visit to Pakistan. Read his account of the trip below:

'As always it was a very busy programme with many opportunities to preach and teach, including pastor’s seminars, youth Bible studies, a nurses’ conference, men’s fellowship meeting and outreach to villages and brick kiln factories. I thought it might be most helpful to use this photo to give a glimpse into the lives of many living in Pakistan today and the difference Christians can make by showing the love and compassion of Jesus.

In the background you can see smoke rising from the chimney above the kiln where the bricks are being fired. There are thousands of such factories and in this part of Pakistan some two million people live and work in them. Families are caught up in bonded slavery with generation after generation trying to gain their freedom by making bricks to repay debts, mostly without success. A family of four have to make 1,000 bricks a day for which they will be paid £3. Living conditions are basic with no schools, shops or healthcare and inadequate diet. But there is hope for some.

In the foreground are two groups of children. The children on the right are able to attend a school which has been set up by the church and which has been permitted by the brick kiln owner (sometimes they refuse permission). As well as schooling they are given a decent meal including an egg, bread, fruit and milk. They might easily have been children from a school in England. But there is only enough funding to pay for half the children. So the children on the left of the picture do not attend school and do not get the meal. The contrast could not be more striking as they looked tired and depressed. My friend who runs the school longs for the day when the school can be expanded to include all the children.

While education provides the best route out of the brick kilns for the next generation, a fortunate few gain their freedom by having their debt paid. My last preaching engagement was at a church in the Butter Colony just outside Lahore. The colony is made up of families who have been redeemed. Why the Butter Colony? In the process of making butter a residue is left behind called lasi. So those who have been redeemed are called the butter, while those still left in brick kiln slavery are known as the lasi.

Thank God that in Jesus we have a Saviour who has paid all our debts so that we can all live in the ‘Butter Colony’. Thank God too that with the wealth he has blessed us with we can improve the lives of others by sharing both our material and spiritual riches.

I hope to return in 2026.'

Simon

 

Anglican evangelist, George Whitfield, served as the Countess of Huntingdon's chaplain from 1749 until his death in 1770, when he bequeathed her Bethesda Orphanage, Savannah.

Whitfield’s missionary work led him to Savannah in colonial Georgia, but rather than taking on Indian conversion, as planned, he was struck by the number of orphans, who were in bondage. Many settlers had died of tropical fevers, leaving their children bonded as servants and labour for other settlers. Whitfield was drawn to their plight and dedicated himself to the mission of providing an orphanage for the children, where they could also benefit from instruction and guidance. This mission dominated the rest of his life and Bethesda became integral to his religious calling.

Whitfield’s story is complex, but when he died, he left the Bethesda property and its care to the Countess of Huntingdon. Selina accepted the responsibility for the orphanage and also entertained hopes for Whitefield’s previous aim to develop an institution of learning and preparation for young men to enter the ministry and send out missions to the Indians. The Orphan House was catering for orphans from indigenous Indians, slaves and white Americans.

Many folk were involved with raising funds over the years towards the orphanage, including Whitefield. On 18 January 1770, the formal opening ceremony was attended by distinguished people from America and England. The Countess retained her interest in its care and development, but she was never able to visit the Orphanage and did not personally contribute to the funding. When the original building was nearly destroyed by fire, all the costs of rebuilding were funded from other sources, mostly American. Following The Revolutionary War and Selina’s death in 1791, the property was taken over by the State.

Today The Orphan House has become a private school for young men, Bethesda Academy, which retains its Christian emphasis. The student body is diverse with a strong focus on developing a love of God, a love of learning, a strong work ethic and a strong sense of community, helping young men to become productive citizens who are prepared for future success.

Read below a more detailed account of the founding of Bethesda Orphanage, supplied by Bethesda Academy

The Intricate Dance

(Resources include The Connexion's Brian Baldwin and Bethesda Academy Development Office, who generously supplied us with historical accounts and images from their archives.) 

Bethesda Academy website

David Vaughan at Hailsham Gospel Mission (HGM) treated the community to some rock 'n' roll entertainment with Rockin' Mike. Read about David's initiative below:

During a walk along Eastbourne seafront with friends I discovered that one was a member of a local church music group with Mike Howell, who is also a professional singer. Mike's repertoire is rock 'n' roll music from the 1950s and 60s and he gives regular performances at nursing homes, care homes and local community centres.

I had been thinking of ways in which HGM could extend its programme of outreach events and decided to discuss the idea of asking Mike to give an evening performance at the church with the church elders, Martin Brown and Dave Sweetman. My initial concern was that they might not consider this an appropriate setting, but I was wrong! The idea was met with great enthusiasm by Martin and Dave, and well supported by our congregation.

So, I got in touch with Mike and he readily agreed to come along and sing for us. He has a wide variety of material from such artists as Buddy Holly, Eddy Cochran, Cliff Richard and, of course, Elvis! The songs are all sung to original backing tracks and his stage outfits and presentation are in keeping with the period.

Mike's first visit was in April last year. The church was decorated with musical notes and old album covers, and a team of volunteers worked hard to cook and serve a tasty hot meal and pudding. Tables and chairs were laid out and we asked our church members to bring along family and friends from outside of the church. 

I am sure I shared my personal trepidation with our elders as the hall filled with people, as to whether the evening would go down well. I need not have worried because as soon as Mike got started, the smiling faces of our audience confirmed we had a winner on our hands! Indeed, such was the success of the evening, a later church meeting called for a vote of thanks and asked for a repeat performance!

Hence in October, as part of the Harvest Festival celebrations, Mike was asked back for a second performance. Once again, our team pulled out all the stops to decorate the church in rock 'n' roll style, and help to make it as welcoming as possible.

Mike performed to an audience of around 50 people, which included roughly half that were not regular members of our church. And because evening was unseasonably warm, we opened up the doors and invited some passers-by to join us. It wasn't long before the tables were pushed back and there was some energetic jiving, including our 96 year-old church member Len!

I appreciate some readers may be thinking 'What has all this got to do with our love of Jesus and His teaching?' But I am reminded that the Gospel is full of stories where Jesus made it his mission to talk to ordinary folk in the places he visited - with publicans, fishermen and beggars among them. He invited all of us to knock on His door and enter His Kingdom and our mission is to do the same. We welcome all comers with a prayer and celebrate Psalm 150, where David urged his people to praise God with singing and all manner of musical instruments.

We were also delighted to hear Mike incorporate some well-known Gospel songs from the period in his act, inviting us to join in with singing, including 'How Great Thou Art' recorded by Elvis.

The experience has inspired me to say that if you are thinking of reaching out to people in your town or local area, don't be afraid to step 'outside of the box' of everyday church activities!

 

(Pic of Rockin' Mike is from his Facebook page)

 

Simon Allaby has recently produced a new book The Word on the Street featuring stories relating to real-life experiences of those who find themselves homeless and the struggles they face.

Simon is a Connexion Trustee and Minister at Bolney Village Chapel. He is also the author and narrator of The Connexion's weekly Short Thought, creating inspiring and informed stories in 60 second recordings.

The Word on the Street is designed to be given to those living on the streets or in temporary accommodation. It is priced at just £1 per copy, with discounts for quantities above 10, and even cheaper rates for bulk orders. Each book includes a section at the back for churches and charities to include their own information and contact details.

The book begins with a foreward by Julio Abraham, CEO of the Off the Fence Trust: 

Dear Friend,

Wherever you are reading this I want you to know that you matter. Whatever brought you to this moment, you're not alone.

I meet people like you every day, some sleeping rough, others sofa-surfing, many just one pay cheque away from losing everything. But I've also seen how lives can change, sometimes in ways we never expect.

Some of the stories you're about to read are about real people who faced real struggles. Like Charlie Chaplin, who spent time in a workhouse before anyone knew his name. Or the man in the suit who chose to live on the streets but still kept his dignity and family connections.

You might be feeling invisible right now, tired of systems that don't seem to care, of doors that keep closing, or of nights that feel endless. I hope that these stories will inspire you to keep going.

Across the UK, there are people and places ready to help. At the back of this book, you'll find information about local support - please do take a look to see what’s on offer.

Remember this: your current situation is just that. It's not permanent, and it's not who you are. You are precious, you are valued, and you are worthy of a better tomorrow.

With hope and care,

Julio Abraham

Off The Fence Trust
Chief Executive Officer 

The Word on the Street can be purchased from www.turn-the-page.co.uk/shop

(Priced at £1 per copy, with discounts for quantities above 10 and cheaper rates for bulk orders.)

Members of The Chapel at Mortimer West End were delighted to welcome Ben Quant, from Wormley Free Church, to their special Baptism Service on Sunday.

Ben, who is a Connexion Trustee and Minister at Wormley, delivered a celebratory message, focusing on John 2: 1-10. A recording of which can be accessed via the link below.

After the service, despite the chilly weather, Audrey and Jordan braved the outdoor pool witnessed by applause from The Chapel's fellowship, to complete their Baptism.

Many congratulations!

Please click here for a link to Ben's Message

 

(Ben is pictured here with the fellowship at Wormley)