Minister's Monthly Message

Here you can view the latest monthly message from Revd. David Stedman, the Minister of Canterbury Baptist Church, to the community of Canterbury.

Year Month Message

2011 September

Making Preparations!

For a decade CBC as been committed to becoming a church similar to the model church at Antioch as described in Acts 11 & 13. The Antioch church was rapidly growing, multi-cultural, truly generous, authentically spiritual, strategically missionary & distinctively Christian.

In preparation for some new publicity material for the new academic year I have been writing some copy & have drawn these themes together around a series of strap-lines that hopefully describe where CBC is at, as of today:

A family church for all generations

The unique selling point of CBC is diversity both in terms of age profile & the multi-cultural nature of our congregation. You will meet people at all stages of life here & we delight that people from continent are often represented at our morning services.

A worshipping church that gathers to disperse

Our Sunday services have an emphasis on Biblical preaching, musical excellence & strategic prayer themes. We gather so as to equip our members to disperse into their community – at home or work, on campus or at play, as ambassadors for Jesus.

A city-centre church with a city-wide mission

Being close to the retail, academic & nightlife economy of Canterbury we seek to provide relevant pastoral opportunities for our commercial neighbors whilst also engaging with the residential population through house groups, social outreach, courses & activities.

A local church with a global vision

We provide a wide range of regular ministries, often in partnership with other groups, churches & agencies, which serve our community whilst also being committed to several international development links working in various parts of the world.

You will find more detailed information on the website – have a good look around! If you are visiting in preparation for a move to Canterbury later this year, it would be great to hear from you & if we can be of help, answer questions or make introductions please make contact.

Revd. David Stedman

29.6.2011

2011 April

This month’s minister’s message is Pastor Dave’s introduction to the church Annual Report. Please contact us if you would like a copy:

It has been another busy & productive year! I am grateful to all contributors, leaders, staff, managing trustees & church members for your on-going committed involvement. There is much to be encouraged about &, as you will read in the various reports, to give praise to God for this past year.

On a personal note, I am especially grateful to the church for the opportunity to have three sabbatical months last year. These were times for rest & reflection, praying & playing & included opportunities to visit church members, friends & projects in Uganda, Ethiopia & Brazil. For me 2010 felt like I was forever preparing to be away, being away or arriving back from travels, it was a wonderful time but made the year seem somewhat disjointed from my perspective – you were probably just glad for a break from me!

The Lord reminded me of two significant prophetic words that have shaped me personally & my priorities in ministry here in Canterbury. The first was received at a CU Houseparty I spoke at whilst a student at Spurgeon’s College, the other formed the text for the sermon preached by Revd. Dr Michael Quicke at my ordination in 1996:

Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Luke 14:28-30 – “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down & estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays a foundation & is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build & was not able to finish.’”

Both speak of the call & the cost of following Jesus. International links & multi-cultural aspects of mission are increasingly significant for me as is the call to keep on keeping on seeking to make wise decisions & prudent investment in our buildings so they are fit to serve the mission, vision & values of the church for the future. These remain high on the agenda for 2011.

Pastorally it has been an especially challenging twelve months both professionally & personally. The words of Eugene Peterson, in his book Practise Resurrection, A Conversation On Growing Up In Christ, speak to & for us all:

‘… the church is not ideal. It is not, nor was it ever intended to be, a gathering of the nicer people in town. God is not fastidious in the company he keeps. There are sinners aplenty, hypocrites in droves, the ill-mannered & the unwashed. We will be mightily disappointed if we look around expecting to meet men & women who measure up to ‘the full stature of Christ’. These are men & women who are on the way to growing up to the stature of Christ. Not many of them are there yet. We find ourselves among Christians of all ages in all stages of growth: toddlers not yet out of nappies; children innocent & pure in the discovery of what it means to be a child of God; adolescents who are in turns contagiously enthusiastic & sullenly rebellious; young mothers & fathers who are struggling to come to terms with the demands & responsibilities of parenthood; mid-lifers who got distracted years ago by job & family & are now looking again for what they feel they missed, hoping its not too late; the elderly who are facing death in a culture that denies death & uses every ruse it can come up with to delay it medically & avoid it emotionally.’

This is the church! This is us! May God Bless & Keep You as you continue serving him, growing up into the full stature of Jesus Christ.

Revd. David Stedman

Senior Minister

2011 February
Priorities & Consequences

One of our oldest & longest serving members reminded me as she was leaving church yesterday that it was the 10^th Anniversary of my first service as Minister of Canterbury Baptist Church. I had forgotten – but she even remembered the Bible passage & sermon! Haggai 1:1-11 – Priorities & Consequences!

The Jewish people had returned from exile with the express purpose being to reconstruct the temple. However, 20 years had passed & still God’s house was a dilapidated ruin. The people had used the time & their energies to line their own pockets & invest in their own state of the art ‘panelled’ houses.

The painful consequence of those misplaced priorities was a general sense of dissatisfaction, unproductive agriculture & economic hardship – I’m sure we all know what Haggai meant when he spoke of the community having ‘a purse with holes in it’!

Over the past decade CBC has seen increasing membership & congregations, a healthy demographic & ethnic shift, the growth of significant ministries locally & overseas; we have become a sending church, investing substantially in those whom God has called & equipped for ministry, a new leadership & accountability structure promises to improve communication & efficiency in church governance. There is much to be encouraged about …

… but the church buildings remain in a poor (shocking) state of disrepair. This is not for lack of effort or vision, but for reasons beyond our control we have had to redress our plans & seek God’s wisdom for the way ahead once again.

This must remain a priority for us as we move forward – I’m convinced we wont still be asking these questions I another 10 years, but to restore God’s house to be worthy of his praise, fit for purpose as a mission centre & community hub for the 21^st century - & to see his promises fulfilled, will require renewed energy, commitment & sacrifice on the part of us all.

Please pray with me that, “‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house … & in this place I will grant peace’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:9).

Revd. David Stedman

Senior Minister, Canterbury Baptist Church

2011 January

Sabbatical Serendipity

2010 was a stop-start year for me – as wonderful as it is to have the privilege of a sabbatical every 7^th year in ministry it did feel as though I was either preparing for some time off or picking up the reigns after being away throughout most of last year!

Thank you to all the church members who released & enabled me to spend time in Ethiopia, Uganda, Brazil - & UK - reading, reflecting, visiting churches, friends & projects, as well as preaching & teaching in some very different places.

My family & I arrived home from a once in a lifetime Christmas visit to Brazil earlier this week. It was fantastic to spend time with one of our overseas missionaries, meet some of her friends & colleagues, observe the work she is involved with, preach in two very different Baptist churches & spend time experiencing a new culture – not to mention time just chilling out on the beach!

Somehow I missed all the December snow in the UK - but we had a white Christmas nonetheless on the sandy dunes of Sao Luis, Maranhao …

Whenever I am in a hot or tropical climate I find I am constantly thirsty – no matter how much I drink! North Eastern Brazil has an aptly named soft drink I came to appreciate in large quantities during the heat of the day:

Jesus

I have been back at work less than 48 hours & already there are a range of real needs that church members & friends are dealing with, not to mention major strategic issues relating to church mission, ministry & buildings – I pray that whatever 2011 brings you will find deep, profound & lasting refreshment in the one who said: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Revd. David Stedman

Senior Minister, Canterbury Baptist Church

2010
October

Rescued from the pits

I’m sure we were all affected by the remarkable human interest story of 33 miners, trapped for nearly 10 weeks, half a mile underground in Chile. Few of us can imagine the initial terror, the 17 days of isolation & despair with rationed provisions, light deprivation & no contact with the outside world. They must have thought the mine they had worked would become their grave.

Even once contact was established there was intolerable heat, no sanitation & more than 50 days of waiting, waiting, waiting in a confined space for release from captivity. The scenes of joy as first one, then two - & at last all the miners came to the surface were incredibly moving, especially as many were reunited with family & loved ones. The testimony of thanks to God for his salvation was a powerful witness too.

Apparently, during that lengthy period of waiting the team working on the surface consistently passed the same message down to the trapped miners: ‘We are you rescuers. We are coming to save you’

The story of Joseph contains references to pits. It’s a story of incredible highs & intolerable lows: the favoured son, hated by his brothers & thrown into a well (or pit) before being sold in to slavery in Egypt. He does well, becoming General Manager of the Potiphar household, before being jailed (in a pit) on a trumped up rape charge. Through it all Joseph remains faithful to God - & as the story unfolds God proves himself to be his rescuer & saviour.

Both Joseph & the Chilean miners are parables of what Jesus has done for all mankind: He is the ultimate rescuer, who came to seek & to save us! Whatever your circumstance as you read these words – be it in the high points of life: Praise God! Or be it in a deep well, or locked up a prison, or let down by loved ones – or just feeling ‘the pits’ - this message is for you: Jesus is your rescuer. He has come to save you.

Shalom,

Revd. David Stedman

Senior Minister, Canterbury Baptist Church

2010 September

When September Ends?

A few months ago a friend of mine contacted me to say he had a spare ticket to see Greenday in concert at the O2 arena. Although I’m not a big Greenday fan I do know some of their songs & I gladly went along. It was loud, hot, some of the language was X rated - & I was going down with a cold, so I was quite glad when they got to the encore, & actually performed the few songs that I know! One of these was ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’

With so many people away on holiday over the summer the regular church programme seems to have had a bit of a sabbatical, which is no bad thing – but we cannot wait to wake up when September ends – we need to hit the ground running this autumn so as to capitalise on the gospel opportunities before us.

We have had confirmation that our church buildings will not be Listed, so questions concerning the Redevelopment Project can again be addressed in earnest.

The church governance & human resources restructuring promise to streamline our management & administration, giving more specific responsibility to Deacon Team Leaders, who need to be identified & appointed.

School, College & University courses re-commence which means there will be many new faces visiting Sunday services & midweek activities.

A baptismal service, two infant presentations, farewell to friends leaving Canterbury to serve God overseas & Back to Church Sunday at the end of the month, provide opportunities for us to share our faith in Jesus Christ & challenge us all to consider where & to what God is calling us in the future.

New appointments to key church ministries, CBC taking a leading role in new city-wide ventures such as Street Pastors, Change Youth Group & a trial children’s club on the St Stephen’s estate in conjunction with the city council …

All mean its time to awaken now – pray & prepare for action, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ & His coming Kingdom will expand in & through us before September ends - & in the months to come!

Shalom,
Dave

Revd. David Stedman

Senior Minister, Canterbury Baptist Church

2010 May/June
Seven Churches of Yesterday … & Today!

During the early part of the summer we are studying Revelation chapters 1-3, looking in detail at each of the letters to the seven ancient churches in the province of Asia. Those churches were actual congregations in the 1^st century but the letters have both historic & current application.

Jesus towers over the scene in Revelation. In chapter 1 he stands resplendent in resurrection life & glory: eyes ablaze, hair aglow, feet on fire & clothed in priestly adornments! He is the Living One, the alpha & omega, beginning & end of all things. Everything in Revelation – as in all of life – finds its place in relation to Him.

This portrayal of Jesus is a challenge for us who are often guilty of making Him in our own image, becoming over-familiar, presuming too much in His presence – domesticating the Lord of all creation & making Him too small. He is gentle Jesus meek & mild, but He is also the Living One who holds all things together - & especially the church – as all surpassing Lord.

Each of the seven churches will provide a challenge for us at CBC:

Ephesus – Loyal but lacking in love

Smyrna – Faithful but fearful about persecution

Pergamum – Correct but confused & worldly

Thyatira – Busy but morally compromised

Sardis – Apparently alive but actually dead

Philadelphia – Weak but strong in opportunity

Laodicea – Economically rich but spiritually poor

Sunday morning sermons will soon be available online so if you miss one you will be able to listen later – as these seven churches of yesterday meet the church of today!

Shalom,

Revd. David Stedman

Senior Minister, Canterbury Baptist Church

2010 March
Revd. Charles Kirtland – A Man of Vision, Drive & Perseverance!



At the Church AGM last week we dusted off all the old prints of previous ministers of Canterbury Baptist Church & put them on display. My favourite is Revd. Charles Kirtland, who was pastor from 1851-1865. At the start of his tenure he had the vision to set up a Building Fund - & in 1864 the church we still worship in today was constructed. Of the 14 year gap between sowing the vision & seeing the reality come to pass the church history book simply says: ‘there were some knotty & difficult issues to deal with that required solution & decision.’

As a church today we believe the Lord has called us to invest again in our site at St Georges Place in order for the church fabric to be fit for ministry & mission in the 21^st Century & beyond. There are currently some ‘knotty & difficult issues to deal with’ & we cannot tell what our buildings will eventually look like but we remain confident in the promise that ‘the glory of the present house will be greater than the glory of the former house and in this place I will grant peace.’

As we look back over 2009 & look forward to Easter - & the year ahead - there are many things to be grateful for & much evidence of God’s favour:

Rapidly Growing

Church membership has been growing steadily in number with the figure currently 231. I can remember when we were 150 & praying to become 180. Let’s commit to pray for 250 active members by this time next year.

Multi-Cultural

Our community is increasingly multi-cultural & diverse both in terms of race & cross section of ages. Our international ministries continue to flourish & the growth of the crèche (in particular) in the past 2 years is exponential!

Truly Generous

Financial giving to the general fund, the redevelopment project & to ad hoc appeals has more than kept pace with our budget, expenditure & commitments. Thank you to everyone who gives regularly & sacrificially to enable the church to thrive.

Authentic Spirituality

Our Housegroups exist to grow disciples & they continue to develop with a growing proportion of church members attending. The monthly prayer guide & prayer celebration has helped to focus & unify our intercessions.

Strategically Missionary

We continue to be a ‘sending’ church with Laura Moncaster’s call to ministry being confirmed by the Baptist Union & Spurgeon’s College. Clare Jackson & Simon Ashmore have gone out to work with Latin Link & WEC in Peru & Senegal respectively.

Distinctively Christian

With God’s help we continue to strive for a holy & distinctive pattern of life & community, gathering to worship Father, Son & Holy Spirit in order to disperse into His world clinging to the promise that ‘I will build my church’ with us as His living bricks!

Thank you to everyone who prayerfully participates in the life of CBC, as I pray for you in all your joys, trials & responsibilities - & happy Easter to you all.

Yours Faithfully in Christ,

Revd. David Stedman

2010 Feb. Lent 2010 - Making the Most of Mothers Day

Since 2007 Canterbury Baptist Church has actively supported Kiswa Community Children’s Centre (KCCC) in Kampala, Uganda. We feed, educate & provide support to more than 250 children, who are either total orphans or have lost at least one parent to HIV/Aids or malaria.

This year on Mothering Sunday we are encouraging our members, friends & supporters to contribute to a fund for making loans to mothers to start up small businesses which will help them & the children they care for to potentially find a way out of the cycle of poverty.

Take Betty for example. Betty has lost all five of her adult children to HIV/Aids & cares for her nine grandchildren in a carved out hollow in the embankment of a disused railway line. The children all attend KCCC but Betty needs help to earn money to provide food, medicine & clothing for the grandchildren.

Or Margaret. Margaret is a widow, her husband died of HIV/Aids & she is left with three school aged children. She makes a living as best she can as a street hawker selling whatever goods she can find. All her income is spent on providing for her children but with a small amount of capital she could become a market trader.

Jane has had three ‘husbands’. One of whom died & another deserted her. She has five children aged between 4 and 19. She has been helped by supporters of KCCC to start her own hair braiding salon. This has meant she can move into more comfortable lodgings, send her children to school & her eldest son is hoping to start at University this year.

Jane KISWA

Jane’s ‘New Place’ Salon

In Uganda, a little can go a long way, especially if it is well used by motivated & accountable recipients. You can be part of changing lives & transforming communities by Making the Most of Mothers Day this year. To enquire and/or to donate to the Kiswa Mothers Day Fund contact us & we will be in touch by return.

For general information about the KCCC click here

Many Thanks,

Revd. David Stedman

2010 Jan.
Psalm 119:1-16, A diet that really works!

I wonder how many people made a new years resolution? Apparently, academic research has shown that the majority of New Year’s resolutions last no longer than January 6^th!

After the excesses of Christmas many readers will have resolved to start a diet or join the gym: the south beach diet, the cabbage soup diet, the Atkins diet, the detox diet - weightwatchers, the miracle fat-burner pill – all are in demand, especially at this time of year.

But if you want a diet that really works, you could do a lot worse than consider the wisdom of Psalm 119:10-16 … as important as it is to look after our bodies, the Psalmist asks a more searching question – ‘How can I keep my life pure?’ (V9)

Seek the Lord on a regular basis (V10)

Treasure His truth in your heart (V11)

Openly tell others about Him (V13)

Rejoice in God’s workings (V14-16)

Spend more time considering Him (V15)

Give God your full respect (V15-16)

Forget the ads & fads! Sign up for the Psalm 119 diet!

You may not lose weight physically but you will tone up your spiritual muscle & improve your emotional health. Putting yourself into disciplined training using the Psalm 119 programme will do you good - it will bless your families, friends & colleagues & it will help you pursue, fulfil & enjoy God’s plans for you in 2010.

Shalom,

Revd. Dave Stedman

2009 Dec.

Advent to Epiphany - Waiting with Expectation

The season of Advent is all about beginnings & endings. It marks the beginning of the church year, & introduces the themes of the beginning of creation, the beginning of Christianity & the beginning of new life, the new heavens & the new earth. These new beginning often spring forth from the ending of something else.

These are big themes! They have cosmic as well as personal implications & all are well worth pondering … but most of our lives are spent in between these great events waiting with expectation for old ways to end & new beginnings to emerge. This takes patience, faith & prayer.

For many Christmas marks the end of term & the beginning of the holidays, or the end of a busy year & the start of another one! For children it marks an end to long weeks of waiting & the beginning of a day that passes all too quickly! That’s life!

For us at CBC, Advent will begin with a Week of Prayer & Fasting in which we will pray together, waiting with expectation for the exciting new beginnings we believe the Father has laid before us: a new church building & vision, a new organisational structure, a new mission imperative & a new sense of community care.

The emphasis on patient prayer will continue throughout December as we make use of the Evangelical Alliance Advent prayer material in our personal devotions. Please click here for a copy.

I pray that you swiftly receive whatever it is you are waiting for with expectation this advent & that you will pray along with us as we make use of the above resources, waiting with expectation for Emmanuel (God with us) to come.

Shalom,

Revd. Dave Stedman

2009
8. Nov.

(Remembrance Sunday)

When will we learn another way?

At the time of writing, news reports are being broadcast about two more British soldiers being killed in Helmand Province over the weekend.

Last week five soldiers were shot dead by an apparently ‘rogue’ Afghan police officer – presumably someone who was trained by British service personnel. All of these men leave loved ones bereaved & confused. One of them was just 18 years old.

The previous weekend a British soldier responsible for making safe 64 bombs during five months in Afghanistan died as he tried to defuse another. Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, of the Royal Logistic Corps, was a week off seeing his family again when he was killed in Helmand province.

A total of 231 UK military personnel have died in Afghanistan since 2001.

You may find the prayer below a helpful reflection:

“Lest we forget”, poppies, wreathes round the war memorial – reminders of battles still being waged, of young lives lost too soon, of families bereaved suddenly and violently.

Lord, when will we learn another way?

How long will it take to make peace?

Each year, we remember.

Each year we pray for another way to

solve disputes.

Each year we don’t seem any closer to your peace.

Lord, forgive us, and teach us.

In Jesus’ name we pray

Amen

Shalom,

Revd. Dave Stedman

2009 Oct.
Antioch Revisited

At Canterbury Baptist Church we have several vision & value statements that direct the mission & ministries of the church. These are based on the New Testament church at Antioch in Acts 11 & 13. They are: Rapidly Growing, Multi-Cultural, Truly Generous, Spiritual Authenticity, Strategically Missionary & Distinctively Christian.

I have been encouraged of late to see each of these developing in different ways:

Rapidly Growing: Having introduced a new Welcome Pack for visitors at our Sunday morning services, we have given out nearly 75 on just two Sunday mornings in September!

Multi-Cultural: the fledgling gospel choir & our partnership with Change Youth Group & Change Ignite promise to diversify our community even further.

Truly Generous: in response to the famine in Uganda we are seeking to respond by receiving a love offering for our friends at Atirir Bible School on Sunday 18^th October.

Spiritual Authenticity: I have had numerous unsolicited compliments about the quality & integrity of our worship & teaching, with the expressed intention to return or to find a similar community in their location.

Strategically Missionary: during the Autumn we are looking forward to welcoming some ex-CBC attendees who will be sharing with us how they are now serving Jesus beyond Canterbury & preaching at Regeneration.

Distinctively Christian: I have conducted two funerals for long-standing members of CBC recently, to read the tributes I shared at both Cyril Ayers & Ernie Epps Thanksgiving Services click here. Both of these characters are fine examples of what it means to live a distinctively Christian life.

Of course, there is more I could say, valuable ministries I have not mentioned, and areas in which (as my school reports used to say!) we ‘could do better.’ But take heart, be encouraged and keep on, keeping on – in Jesus’ Name!

Shalom,

Revd. Dave Stedman

Sept.
Parlez-Vous Français?

On the last Sunday of our family holiday in France our host invited me to join him for a service at ‘L’Eglise Protestante Reformee’ in Poitiers. Popular legend has it that the church was founded by John Calvin after he preached in a cave just outside the city but this is disputed!

Given that my French can just about extend to giving my name and age, asking directions, shopping in a supermarket and ordering a meal in a restaurant a full blown church service in French was going to be a challenge! At the start of the sermon I prayed, “Lord, now would be a really good time to receive the gift of interpretation of tongues!” I knew the pastor was preaching from John 6 – but which bit? All I got was that there was a difficult problem and that Jesus is the solution. Most of it was incomprehensible to me and I felt disappointed (mainly with myself) for being unable to understand the teaching.

At the end of the service a gentleman came over and introduced himself, discovering that I was English he asked if I’d understood the message. He then gave me a detailed synopsis of the sermon. The text was John 6:60-71. Jesus was teaching a hard message and many of his followers began to desert him. We too can find the Christian life tough but don’t quit, God has chosen you and Jesus is with you … to whom else shall we go? I had received the gift of interpretation, not as dramatically as I had imagined but in a simple exchange between Christian brothers.

The service and the fellowship I received was a blessing to me and a lesson in how God answers prayer. As we embark on this new term at Canterbury Baptist Church, I encourage you to pray, seek revelation, understanding and spiritual gifts, be generous in your conversation with others and may we all have eyes to see and ears to hear all that Jesus is doing among us.

Shalom,

Revd. Dave Stedman

July & August

Summer Slump or Sabbath Season?

Summer is upon us and with only a few short weeks until schools break up we are fast approaching the holiday season.

With many people coming and going on vacation, travelling overseas, visiting friends and family – it can be difficult at church, during July and August, to maintain our regular activities, that growing sense of expectancy in God and the standards of excellence we aspire to.

Some churches describe this period as the summer slump! I prefer a more positive framing and think of it as an opportunity for gifts to be developed as we cover for one another in church life and for Sabbath rest - which is intended to be part of a healthy rhythm to our personal and gathered life.

I’ve just finished a book called Working the Angles, The Shape of Pastoral Integrity, by Eugene Peterson. He provides the following insight into the importance of maintaining a regular Sabbath rhythm:

‘Sabbath-keeping often feels like an interruption, an interference with our routines. It challenges assumptions we gradually build up that our daily work is indispensible in making the world go. And when we find it is not an interruption but a more spacious rhythmic measure that confirms and extends the basic beat. Every [Sabbath] … a deeper note is struck – an enormous gong whose deep sound reverberates under and over and around the daily timpani percussions of evening/morning, evening/morning, evening/morning: creation honoured and contemplated, redemption remembered and shared.’

I pray there will be no summer slump at CBC, but a Sabbath season. If you are fortunate enough to be going on holiday, I pray it will be Sabbath rest of re-creation in the very fullest sense, for you and those with whom you share it.

Shalom,

Revd. Dave Stedman

April & May
Easter to Pentecost

Easter was a bit different for me this year as I was visiting Uganda reviewing progress in our various partnership projects out there. I spent most of Good Friday visiting the homes & families of children who attend the Kiswa Community Children’s Centre in the slums of Kampala, then on Easter Sunday I was preaching at Kiswa Baptist Church.

This was a challenge. What could a relatively wealthy, white, western Christian possibly have to say to some of the poorest people in Uganda? The following is an abridged version of the Easter message I shared with them, which is based on Luke 24:1-12.

The Resurrection Morning was full of miracles – not least the fact that the resurrection message was entrusted first to women to pass on. The important role of women within God’s family & Kingdom purposes needs to be affirmed.

The Resurrection Absence of Jesus was the first (& predominant) experience of the risen Jesus for His followers. He wasn’t there! He kept coming & going! His appearances were fleeting & enigmatic – which is how we often experience Him.

The Resurrection Presence of Jesus was given to confirm, assure & inspire faith - & we are sometimes blessed with intimate moments with Him in prayer, worship, Bible study too. However, we are called to live by faith & not by sight.

The Resurrection Promises are many:

1.      We need not fear death (Hebrews 2:15)

2.      We too will rise (1 Corinthians 15)

3.      We have a home in heaven (John 14:2)

I pray Father will continue to speak into the lives of our friends in Kampala as they recall our Easter celebration together - & that He would encourage you who read these truths to continue walking in faith, if not by sight.

Shalom,

Revd. Dave Stedman

2009 March
Lent Message

One of the younger members of our congregation told me that Shrove Tuesday was his third favourite day of the year – just behind Christmas and his birthday! Such is the seductive power of pancakes!

I slaved over a hot oven cooking a pile of pancakes for my family last Tuesday week only to find they had consumed every last one of them before I had a chance to sample any. Maple Syrup, Golden Syrup, Sugar & Lemon, Jam, Nutella, Banana and Honey – all the fillings were there to tempt me – just no pancake to put them on!

So begins the season of Lent.

On the first Sunday in Lent I preached on Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. He was hungry, cold and tired but resolute, determined and full of the Holy Spirit.

The methods used by the devil to tempt Jesus were to suggest that he used his power to satisfy his hunger, compromise himself and by using performance miracles. All of us have faced similar temptations – to satisfy our appetites with inappropriate things, take a short cut to worldly success & put God to the test.

The good news is that Jesus knows what your experience of temptation is like because he has experienced temptation as well and he overcame temptation by using Biblical truth to refute the lies of the enemy.

You might want to give up chocolate, alcohol (or even pancakes) this Lent – but maybe a better sacrifice would be to reflect on Jesus and his triumph over temptation and to commit to reading the Scriptures more thoroughly so that you can use them in your daily struggles with temptation.

Revd. Dave Stedman

2009 February
What are you waiting for?

I always think February is a bit of a bleak month. It has been winter a long time already - & its going to stay winter a while longer yet! I find myself looking forward to spring: warmth in the sun, cherry blossom, lighter evenings, daffodils … but February tends to be a month for waiting.

I was asked to preach on Acts 1:12-26 when I visited Billericay Baptist Church in January. It provides a helpful insight into what the disciples did whilst they were waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. As they waited we see several important principles that can be applied to any generation.

They were in full Submission to Jesus Christ, remaining in dangerous Jerusalem instead of returning to familiar Galilee. They chose commitment over comfort.

They were United – of one accord, one mind, one hope, & one prayer. They no longer asked ‘who is the greatest?’ They accepted the apostle’s authority.

They waited in Prayer. Jesus had told them to wait, instinctively they waited and they prayer – praying ‘constantly’ in expectation.

They listened to the Scriptures. Peter draws on Old Testament passages to make his point & uses them to provide clear direction.

They addressed Leadership issues. Appointing Matthias as a replacement for Judas so the foundation for the birth of the church would be secure.

Notwithstanding the graphic account of the bloody death of Judas and a casino style game of chance to identify Matthias – this passage clearly speaks to our own situations.

Whether we wait, as we do, as a congregation, for the Redevelopment Project, or for spiritual revival in our city, or if we wait to see God move in our personal circumstances: work, finance, health, family – let us do so in submission to Jesus, united in a common prayer & shaped by the scriptures so that CBC would be guided by godly leaders into the future Father God has planned for us.

Revd. Dave Stedman