In Contact - Thatcham Baptist Church...

In Contact

Spring 2015

www.thatchambaptist.org.uk2

The next issue of In Contact will be out on 31st May. Please let David Taylor,Susan Deering-Punshon or Roger Potter know of any items you would likeincluded, e.g. articles, news, events for the Summer edition covering themonths of June, July and August. Deadline for submissions is 18th May.

In ContactSpring 2015Published by:Thatcham Baptist ChurchWheelers Green Way,Thatcham RG19 4YFTel: 01635 867054www.thatchambaptist.org.uk

Pastors:Rev. David Taylor,07922 [email protected]

Rev. Ken Franklin,07968 [email protected]

Secretary:Rob Sneddon,01635 [email protected]

Treasurer:Ian Andrews,01635 [email protected]

Deacons:Robin ApplebyIan BraithwaiteSusan Deering PunshonMike LivingstoneChrista McCormick

3 Pastor's Pen

4 Baptist Assembly

5 Refl ections of a Missionary Partner

6/7 Profi le On…

8/9 Spring Notice Board

10 Easter Choir

11 Upper Room/Prayer

12 Where Are They Now?

13 Starfi sh Zambia

14 Easter Recipe

15 JAM Sandwich

16 What goes on at TBC?

Cover: Greenham and CrookhamCommon Nature Reserve, WestBerkshire. © Copyright Pam Brophywww.geograph.org.uk

Contents

Printed by:The Alpha Xperience, [email protected]

Thank you to all those whocontribute to In Contact, it'svery much appreciated.


www.thatchambaptist.org.uk 3

Pastor's Pen

As you look at your family and life I’mguessing that you can easily identify

with challenging times. Our family hascertainly been through some of late,and I’m always grateful to know wehave a church family who prays for usand seeks to support us in practicalways. Lately a number of people inchurch would probably share a similartestimony, they’ve gone throughthe mill but are given hope knowingthere’s a community of people wholove them and want to be sisters andbrothers to them in time of need. TheBible even talks of the blessing of this,and it laments the situation for peoplewho don’t choose to be part of such asupportive community.Well as I’ve prayed these past fewmonths I have seen that quite a fewof the issues I’ve prayed into haven’tgone the way I would have hoped. Yetas I’ve met God in prayer my hearthas been refocused into rememberingthat God is my best hope not my lasthope. This prayer has stayed therein that fashion even when prayershaven’t been answered.When I was a child and we wentout my Nannah always made mewear my Sunday best. When startingsomething new my Grandad wouldtell me to put my best foot forward.Why should Christian hope settle foranything less? Too many times peopletalk to God when he’s their last hope,when they have tested the weight oftheir burden on many other supports.

God in his grace meets people likethis, but how much better is it to facea challenge trusting that God is yourbest hope?In Matthew 25, we read the story of10 wise and 10 foolish bridesmaidswho are waiting for the bridegroom’sprocession through the town thatannounces the start of the weddingfeast. Jesus uses this parable to givepeople a picture of whether any of usare ready and prepared to meet himand enter into the eternal hope hebrings. The foolish bridesmaids focuson many other things and miss out,whereas the wise bridesmaids knowthe groom is their best hope and theylive with an attitude of readiness tomeet him.I’m going to explore the idea of Godbeing my best hope. I want to pray itand I want to live to it. Even when theearthly situations are far from whatwe might call ‘the best’. Why don’t weexplore it together?Ken Franklin

www.thatchambaptist.org.uk/


The Baptist Assembly is an opportunity to: connect with the wider church worship with 100s of other Christians be inspired by what God is doing in

the UK and abroad

maybe even make new friends!For more information visit the websiteabove.If you’re interested, please contact David Taylorand let’s see if we can share cars.


Re ections of a Mission Partner

What made God decide to sendme here?

Why me? To such a beautiful country.

What had I done, that I deserved thepleasure

Of serving Him, surrounded bymountains and waterfalls?

What is it that He has done, to makeme see these instead of the poverty,the dust and the downpours whichare all around me?

He has opened my eyes to the truebeauty of creation! The beauty inpeople, I have seen before. He has castthe heavy rain out of my thoughts andreplaced it with things more stunningthan I ever knew existed.

If the work here is hard at times,or language skills lacking, it seemsirrelevant at this time. There aremore important lessons in life. Beingable to help people is the gift He gaveme many years ago. The gift for now?..True sight.

Where do I go from here? It does notmatter, for God has shown me thingswhich will remain in my heart andmind, giving me endless pleasure. Allthis because I dared to say ‘yes’ whenHe called me. Yes me!

Where did He send me? ECUADOR.

Sharon Wilcox


Pro le On…John & Sheena Webb

What are your full names?Sheena Jean (Watson) Webb;John Patrick Webb.

Where were you born?Sheena: Lanark, Scotland;John: Kingsbury, Middlesex.

Your occupations, salaried andvoluntary?Sheena: Cashier and Admin atThe Broadway Coop;John: Railway signal engineer for48 years. Nowadays, along withDaphne, I manage the West BerksFoodbank Warehouse and am signed onas Signalman on the Watercress line.

Have you any children?2 wonderful daughters:Karen Elaine is 36. She graduated asa geography/Physical education teacherat De Montford University. After adeputy headship she left to tour theworld stopping in Dubai for 2 years ona contract as Operations Manager atDivers Down Diving Centre. She is nowgoing travelling to Central America formarine survey work.

Suzanne Michelle is 34. She workedas a scheduling Editor for local radiountil she decided to work with animals,then she trained as a veterinary nurse.She has worked and studied hard andis now head nurse at an ever-growingpractice in Shinfield, Reading.

Favourite holiday destination(s):Sheena: Anywhere warm on acruise ship;John: The Mediterranean or anywherea cruise ship can get to!

Favourite Christian song(s):Sheena: To Be in His presence;John: Our God reigns – proclaimingpeace, announcing news of happiness,shout for your king, see eye to eye theLord restoring Zion, waste places ofJerusalem, break forth with joy, we areredeemed, ends of the earth, see thesalvation of your God, before the nationshe has bared his holy arm. This songsays it all and so powerfully.

Favourite Food(s):Sheena: Anything to do with pasta;John: Anything spicy; cheese!

If you were shipwrecked on a desertisland and could take one book apartfrom the Bible, which one would youchoose?Sheena: Just recently startedexploring books, currently readingMary Higgins Clark;John: 'Jack Reacher' by Lee Child or'Detective Roy Grace' by Peter James.


Favourite Biblical character(s):Sheena: Ruth. A story of romance,friendship and redemption;John: Ezekiel, the whole story broughtto life for me so vividly and passionatelyby Andy Hickford some years ago.

When did you give your life toChrist? Sheena: I can remember theoccasion. It was on a Sunday morningafter Sunday school in the Gospel Hall(the brethren) I must have been about 7.I was baptised on the 19th September1971 at Kirkstyle Baptist Church,Carluke by Rev. Raymond J Arnold;John: No Emmaus Road for me, I’mafraid, brought up a Roman Catholic,left as a disillusioned teenager, metSheena at 15 and she showed me theerror of my ways (and has been doing soever since!). Arthur Glinn said “it’s likea trap door has opened, what John hasknown in his head has suddenly floodedhis heart”. Baptised 2/9/90.

How long have you been attendingThatcham Baptist Church?Since it was held in the Children’sCentre, in 1980.

What activities are you involvedin at TBC? Sheena: I was involved inteaching/coordinating in Sunday school,Crèche, Lazer youth group, and was thefirst Children’s Advocate. I now help inZone, am on coffee rota and involved inthe backdrops in the sanctuary;John: I do a bit of fabric and repairsto the sound system. That is such anunderstatement [Editor].

What do you consider your wife’s /husband’s most endearing featureto be? Sheena: His dedication andloyalty, always there whatever it takes;John: Her amazing ability to stepin and calm troubled waters just atthe right time and her caring andcompassionate nature.

The Big Church Day Out is a weekend celebration event that reaches out to all ages and denominations,and both those inside and outside the church community. There is something for everyone, from manyof the best Christian music artists in the world today, through to a classical orchestra and creamteas on the lawn of Wiston House. Many people choose to come and camp for the whole weekend,

other groups just love a trip to the countryside for 1 of the 2 days.

www.bigchurchdayout.com


Spring Notice Board

Saturday, March 14, 09:30 to 16:30Newbury Methodist Church,

Northbrook Street, RG14 1ANSkills Development Days are very

interactive and are "learning by doingit" days. Topics covered include

preparing effective teaching, leadingworship, planning a meeting, enablingparticipation and using language so as

to be understood.

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT DAY


Spring Notice Board

easterC E L E B R A T I O N

an event for the whole family

SUNDAY APR IL 5 , 10 .30AMwith the Easter Childrens Choir

May 24th at 5:30pm

Church Awayday 2015Sunday 5th July – 10am-4pm

St. Cassian’s, KintburyAlways a great day of Fellowship

and Fun, with a special programmefor the children. (Lunch provided.)


For all children in Years 3-6

Come and have fun learning Easter songsat Thatcham Baptist Church

on Saturdays 28 March & 4 April,3.00 - 4.00pm.

The Choir will perform the songsas part of our Easter Celebrationon Sunday 5 April at 10.30am,with a fi nal practice at 9.30am.

You don’t need any previous singing experience.

To book, contact David on 07922 170503or email [email protected]

with your child’s name, ageand an emergency contact number.


Upper Room/Prayer

The Upper RoomA Prayer Night in the Church Loft

Friday 6 March / 7 pm – midnightOver the last few months, the Lord has beenreminding our church that we need to learn topray together if we want to see his power at work.As we have come before Him in this way we havealready sensed Him moving among us, and we longfor more. Effective prayer takes perseverance, soplease join us on 6 March – you’ll be glad you did.

David Taylor

Come when you can – go when you must

8-9am Saturday 29th March

Consists of : Cereals/Juice – CookedFare (Contents may vary) – Tea / Coffee


Where Are They Now?…Mark and Carolyn Sheircliff

We left Thatcham nearly 17 yearsago, and moved into Newbury

where we have attended the BaptistChurch for most of the time.

Mark is working for HP, based inReading, following a long career inVodafone. He has been on varioustreks, including climbing Kilamanjaro,and the High Inca Trail.

Carolyn is a volunteer with CitizensAdvice Bureau. An interesting andvaried role, and an opportunity tomeet and assist people from all walksof life. Carolyn also volunteers at theNewbury Foodbank, and goes to amodern line dancing club, where shedances to anything from Lady Gaga toPetula Clark, Waltzes and Irish Jigs!

Richard is working in London as aManagement Consultant, following2 gap years in Australia, and Uni atFalmouth. We are delighted that heis getting married to Tijen on EasterSaturday this year. They met duringtheir first week at Uni, so have knowneach other about 5 years now.

Chris, 22, works full time as a TeamLeader in Sainsbury’s Newbury. Hewill be moving into his own flat nextyear, which we will find very strange!

Dave finishes his Uniformed PublicService BTec course at SparsholtCollege this summer. Hard to believehe will be 18 in June. He works parttime in Waitrose but is unsure whatto do for a career.

We have set up a charity, StarfishZambia, providing funding for youngpeople in Mufulira to take collegecourses. We have helped morethan 70 to train as teachers, nurses,mechanics etc. Take a look at ourwebsite, www.starfish-zambia.org

Warm greetings to our friends atThatcham Baptist Church!

Mark and Carolyn Sheircliff

T h e A r c a d e , M a r k e t P l a c e , N e w b u r y , B e r k s h i r e R G 1 4 5 A DP h o n e : 0 1 6 3 5 3 7 8 3 6 - w w w . c h r i s t o p h e r s h o e m a k e r . o r g . u k


African young people emergefrom school with great dreams:

to be teachers, nurses, mechanics,technicians etc. With these skillsthey could lift themselves and theirfamilies out of poverty, and enrichthe lives of others around them. Butbecause they often can't afford thecollege course to gain the necessaryqualification, they spend their lives inunskilled labour.

Starfish Zambia is a charity workingwith local colleges and local peopleto provide funding for courses toallow some of these young people toachieve their potential.

Almost all our students are orphans.It was set up in 2008 by Mark, whogrew up in Zambia, and CarolynSheircliff. Funding comes fromthe trustees and from individualsupporters.

Once, after a storm, thousands ofstarf ish were washed up on a beach.A small boy was reaching down into

the sand, picking up starfish andthrowing them back into the ocean.A man watched him for a while andthen wandered over and said tothe boy:

‘Young man, you realise there are milesand miles of beach and starf ish all alongit? You aren’t making any difference’.

The boy bent down, picked up anotherstarf ish and threw it into the sea, saying:

‘Well….I made a difference to him’.

Mark Sheircliff 2015

www.star sh-zambia.org / www.navigators.co.uk

DISCIPLESHIPA LONG OBEDIENCE INTHE SAME DIRECTION

SATURDAY 21 MARCH,10AM - 4PMThatcham Baptist Churchthatchambaptist.org.uk

£10 adults, under 5s go freebring a packed lunch with you, refreshments provided

For more information and to sign upwww.navigators.co.uk


Resurrection Rolls

Ingredients:250g tin of Jus Rol Bake It FreshCroissant Dough; 6 large Marsh-mallows; 1/4 cup or 2oz meltedButter; 2 tablespoons groundCinnamon; 2 tablespoons white Sugar

Directions:Preheat oven to 200°C or gasmark 6. Lightly grease a baking sheetand in a small bowl, mix togethercinnamon and sugar.

1. Follow the instructions toopen the can of croissant dough.

Each separate triangle represents thetomb.

2. Take a marshmallow, it representsthe body of Christ.

3. Dip the marshmallow in themelted butter and roll in sugar andcinnamon mixture. This representsthe oils and spices His body wasanointed with upon burial.

4. Place marshmallow into the centreof a dough triangle and carefullywrap it around the marshmallow.Pinch the seams together tightly toseal in marshmallow as it melts. Placeon a baking sheet. Repeat.

6. Bake in the preheated oven untilgolden brown, about 15 minutes.

7. Cool.

8. Break open the tomb and thebody of Christ is no longer there!!

9. Celebrate God's love!

Dads n Kids: Breakfast

To book your places contact [email protected]


How do we use our church? Some of our activities, we caterfor the youngest to the oldest.

Jesus and Me (Ages 0-14). JAM Children’s activities at Churchon Sundays. We run a range of activities which include a crèchefor babies, and groups for children up to age 14, during theChurch service, every Sunday morning.

7 Up (Ages 11-14). 7-Up is our Sunday evening (6.30pm) Bible studygroup for year 7 and up children (ages 11+). Each week it is led by twoleaders and we study God’s word in a way that is relevant, yet challengingto the young people.

10 Up (Ages 14-18). Building on the success of 7-Up, 10-Up is our Sundayevening (6.15pm) Bible study group for year 10 and up young people (age14+). Led by two leaders we study God’s word in a way that is still relevant,but perhaps more challenging to the young people.

Meet and Eat. Are you home during the day and would welcome alunch break and some company? Join us here for lunch. 12.30pm on 2ndMonday of each month. Enjoy a 2-course meal plus tea or coffee, £5.Call 01635 867054 by the Friday before and leave a message to book.Community Café. Open every Tuesday, 10am to 12 noon. Tea, Coffeeor Cold Drinks available, as well as Cakes, some of which are homebaked and scrumptious! There’s a warm welcome for everyone. A goodplace to catch up with friends for a chat over refreshments.

TBC Toddlers (Ages 0-5). TBC Toddlers meets Thursday morningsfrom 10:00-11:30am during term time and welcomes all Parents/Carerswith pre-school children for fun and fellowship. A chance to meet otherparents/carers and relax over tea or coffee while your child plays.Crew (Ages 7-11). Popular with children from local primary schoolsand creating opportunities for kids to develop good social skills, itcan reinforce positive disciplines that they are learning at school, andcomplement their general growth and learning. Wednesdays, 6-7pm.

Zone (Ages 11-18). The Zone @ TBC is a youth group open to anyand all young people attending secondary school, up to 18 years of age.We offer a variety of activities to suit all tastes and meet regularly onWednesday evenings (7.30-9pm) during term time.

Ladies' Circle. Ladies of all ages are invited to join with the Ladies' Circleeach Wednesday at 2pm. Come along and share in a time of worship andfellowship with other ladies in the area. We have Guest Speakers, quizzes,and once a month join together for lunch.Fellas. Described as ‘a grown man’s youth group’. Every Tuesday between12-3pm Fellas open the doors, get out table tennis, pool, darts and othergames for some friendly competition. The kettle’s always on, all men arewelcome. Sessions are £2. Come and enjoy a game, bring your own lunch.

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