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“search the scriptures” John 5:39
The assembly in Hemsworth is able to go into around ten local schools to take the assemblies. Once a year, the assembly takes the Open Air Mission’s Bible exhibition into eight schools reaching around fifteen-hundred children with the gospel, as well as teachers and helpers. Once every three months, on a Saturday afternoon they have a free tea in the hall, followed by a gospel meeting. Around thirty unsaved have been coming in to hear the gospel message and some are now going to the Sunday gospel meeting.
In October the assembly commenced a work in the local markets, distributing tracts and booklets.
The assembly at Cheshunt held a series of gospel meetings on Sunday evenings, entitled, ‘God’s programme for the future as revealed in the Bible’.
In May and July around eight thousand Seed Sower texts were distributed around Windsor in addition to tracts given out at the Datchet village fete.
Steve and Judi Buckeridge, with the help of other believers distributed nearly ten thousand specially written tracts at the Trooping of the Colour
They have also started a work at Heathrow Airport. This work includes: contributing to a staff Bible study on Wednesday lunchtimes; speaking with staff, which gives some clear opportunities to explain the gospel; meeting believers who are passing through the airport to provide assistance, fellowship, or encouragement; showing kindness to passengers around the terminals which from time to time also gives the chance to speak of the Lord.
In the future it is hoped it may include responding to deaths on board aircraft and helping those involved in emergencies. With over seventy thousand staff and seventy million passengers per year there is a huge variety of needs. The work is essentially about being led by the Lord to be in the right place at the right time to do the right thing.
The believers in the assembly at Kirkby-in-Ashfield continue to reach out to the lost in the town of Kirkby and its environs. On June 8th they held an evangelism day when, with the help of a group of young believers from local assemblies, they delivered tracts over a large area. Overall, some ten thousand leaflets and invitations were distributed, and new areas reached with the gospel. Following on from that effort the assembly held two nights of special meetings on: ‘Why I believe the Bible is relevant in 2013’. Michael Penfold (Bicester) gave help in the preaching. Although there were very few responses to the invitations, the saints were encouraged by the support of local believers. The meetings were considered profitable in building up the younger Christians who attended.
In the week commencing 1st July the assembly hosted the Bible Exhibition with Jonathan Black (London). The hall was open daily from around 1.30 to 8.30pm. In conjunction with this there was some visitation of contacts, some open-air preaching in the town centre precinct, and some further literature distribution. One school from the town sent fifty children through the exhibition and this visit was helpful in establishing a new contact for the assembly. However, the most encouraging aspect was in the number of adults that visited – over forty in total. One has been attending the gospel meetings ever since.
The assembly would value prayer for the school contact. They have requested the exhibition to visit the school in January, although dates have yet to be confirmed. Please also pray for James who has been attending the gospel meetings and showing real interest in ‘turning his life around’. May he be brought to Christ who alone can save!
During the third weekend in August, Eastbourne hosts the largest free airshow in the UK. This year the weather was beautiful and hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the town over the four days of the show. Over ten thousand postcards with texts were distributed amongst the visitors and in the local hotels. A stand was also set up outside Marine Hall, with literature and Bibles being given away. Many conversations were had and one older gentleman in particular was delighted to accept a Bible – he had never had one before!
At the end of June, Graeme Paterson helped with two weeks gospel work in Fife. Working, with some of the believers from the Ballingry assembly in the small villages where there is no witness, they had a week of children’s and gospel meetings on the ‘bus’, firstly in Kinglassie, then in Cardenden.
Kinglassie was very encouraging with over fifty children attending through the week, on one occasion thirty-eight children and four adults were present. Over the week, the enthusiasm and interest of the children was great. The majority of these young people knew nothing about the Lord – it is real pioneering work!
The gospel meetings were also encouraging, with around a dozen teenagers attending each night. They were full of questions and stayed behind each night to try and find answers. One young lady was extremely troubled on the last night, please pray for her.
Cardenden was a bit different, as the bus was parked in the school grounds for an after school Bible club. Once again interest was good and over thirty children and some parents and teachers attended. The gospel meetings were not as busy as the previous week, however, once again a good number of teenagers attended.
A number of other schools were also visited and ten assemblies and fifteen classes were held over the fortnight.
Graeme also spent three weeks at Faskally House for Ayrshire and Tayside senior and junior camps. These too went very well. There was a good interest in the teaching and some have since asked to be baptized. Two teenagers who trusted the Lord on their return home from camp seem to be going on so far.
Again at the Juniors’ camp, there were a some youngsters who made professions; two of these were from Plains, and have been telling their family of their salvation.
The saints at Cullen had the joy of baptizing two young men. They asked to be baptiszed at the harbour in front of all their friends! It was tremendous experience with over one-hundred-and-fifty believers attending and dozens of unbelievers around the harbour area.
Graeme Paterson continues the School work in Lanarkshire. It has been very encouraging through 2012/13 with over three-hundred-and-fifty school visits and many to new schools. This has increased for the new term with further requests from schools. There has also been an opportunity to hold a Bible Class type meeting for the sixth formers in a local Secondary school and Graeme has been asked to go with some schools on residential weeks with the idea of holding ‘Faith Spots’ each evening.
Graeme also had responsibility for the third week of the Shetland camp, which was well attended; many teenagers listened intently to the gospel. Some trusted the Lord for salvation and one talked with Graeme about assurance of her salvation. One lad asked for baptism. Please pray for these young people that the Lord will preserve them from this present evil age and also for another lad who is not far from the Kingdom of God.
Graeme Smith from Inverurie reports, ‘We are thankful to the Lord that around 200 Bibles were gifted to many Primary 7 pupils in our local area as they moved on to secondary school. Please pray that they may read and understand the good news and trust the Saviour. Please pray that more schools will accept this free gift next year.
We also rejoice that a French student who visited us over the summer attended the gospel meetings each night at the Holiday Bible Club. Please pray that she will read the Bible and understand the way of salvation.
The Holiday Bible Club went well this year with some new children attending. Please pray that the good seed that was sown will bear fruit in their lives. Many of the parents heard the gospel at the BBQ on the last night. Please pray that they will come to know the Lord’.
During the months of June, July, and August, Holburn Gospel Hall held three gospel meetings in a small auditorium in the Winter Gardens of a local park. Several people came along to the services, while others heard of the Saviour as the services were broadcast to other parts of the Gardens.
From 9th-13th September, the assembly hosted the Aberdeenshire Bible Exhibition. Once again, the focus was centred principally on children from local schools with around 300 pupils, as well as accompanying adults, attending. The children listened well, and responded positively in the quiz sessions which followed each tour of the Exhibition. Feedback from the teachers, particularly in relation to content and presentation, was very positive. On two of the evenings, special sessions were held for pupils and parents associated with the external Bible Clubs run by members of the assembly. While few passers-by visited the Exhibition, those who did come, gave opportunities for good conversations. Please pray that what the visitors heard will bear fruit for eternity.
The assembly at Peterhead had two weeks of gospel meetings with Ian Jackson. Most if not all nights there were unbelievers present and whilst it would have been good to see some coming more frequently, the assembly are thankful that the gospel was faithfully preached. They also held Open Air meetings and they are looking to the Lord to bless the seed that has been sown.
Graeme Paterson spent a week in Cardy for a holiday club where each night over two-hundred children were present and on the Friday prize-giving two-hundred – and-forty children and one-hundred-and-fifty parents turned out!
The assembly in Dar is actively involved in, and committed to, the work of translation. Robert Armstrong continues his visits to the assembly and the local believers are willing to spend many hours in the evenings going over the manuscripts with him. As Emmanuel, one of the local believers, pointed out, ‘These books will be available for the Lord’s work long after we are gone’. Six of the Ritchie Focus books have been printed and the remaining four are in the final stages of checking. Four other books, including commentaries on Philippians and the book of Ruth, are at various stages of the translation process. A leaflet, for visitors to the assembly, explaining the Lord’s Supper, is also currently being translated. Please pray for this important work.
In recent months, the Lord has saved three young men, all being the fruit of Sunday school work in Gaborone West, and in the village of Tlokweng.
Jim and Betty Burnett report, ‘The assembly at Concordia has had a sad and turbulent history. At one point this resulted in the assembly ceasing to function for over three years. Over the last two years we have visited monthly and on each occasion there are only a few who gather for the meetings, however, the encouraging part is that several unbelievers have been present. Last Saturday evening four of the eight present had no assembly connection. Mirta who is in her late forties and is a devout Catholic came with a Bible and followed the message. Perhaps due to the lack of ritual and ceremony in the course of the message she raised her hand a couple of times as if in school to ask questions, which I answered. She is an intelligent woman with a family. Please pray for Mirta and also for others who are attending. We feel there is potential for the work to grow, but due to the distance and time from Parana and our present work load, we find it impossible to make further commitment. This very superstitious Roman Catholic city of 136,000 souls needs a missionary couple to strengthen the assembly, and from there to reach out to the lost.
Please pray for this and also for Don Eduardo and Doña Rosa. Both are over seventy years but faithfully continue to do an excellent job of evangelizing and conducting personal Bible studies with various individuals. They have mentioned that they ‘would love to see the day when the work there flourishes again’.
In June, Jack Hay visited Sri Lanka, accompanied by Allan Wilson of Cullen. In both Hatton and Colombo they had the privilege of visiting a number of schools and hundreds of young people heard of the Saviour. There was also an all-day conference in Colombo which brought good numbers from outlying areas, some of whom have no connection with any assembly. They all went home equipped with suitable literature. Some of the saints are under increasing pressure from militant Buddhists and Bethesda Gospel Hall has been named in a list of those who pose a threat to Buddhism.
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