From the associate minister...
Dear friends
The Bible tells us that we worship a God who ‘neither slumbers nor sleeps’ and, although August is traditionally a ‘quiet’ month in the church calendar, God has been at work amongst us in the activities that have taken place, in our community, in our church services and in our lives.
God has been bringing new people into our church, through Holiday at Home, through our services online and through the invitations you have given friends and family. It is good to welcome new people to our church and also celebrate the faithfulness of God in the lives of our longest serving members, some of whom are no longer able to join with us in person on Sundays.
In August, Lawrence Kennedy marked being a member of Selsdon Baptist Church for 70 years. He told me that he had been born into the church and that his birth had been recorded on the ‘Cradle Roll’ which was displayed in the church and was decorated with the words from the song ‘Jesus died for all the children’. Shortly after Lawrence’s sixteenth birthday, he was baptised in water and was admitted into church membership. Over the years he has served the church in many different ways, including acting as our representative for Churches Together in Selsdon and Addington. His heart for church unity is something that he feels we should be committed to praying for.
This summer has also been an Olympic year. On another visit, I was reminded by another older member of the church, that each one of us is called to run the race that God puts before us. We are called to run in the lane that God has put us in, we can’t cross lanes and try to run someone else’s race and sometimes hurdles appear in our lane, but we are to keep our eyes on the prize which God has in store for us.
Whether we are young or old, new to church or a member for decades, God loves each one of us and is faithful and good. Our church may change, the circumstances of our lives may change, and the world has certainly seen great changes, but God remains the same forever. That is something to be thankful for.
God bless you Kathryn
Kathryn Kane, 03/09/2024