Up and running for 24 days of prayer!

Continuing with the Gwent Baptist Association’s commitment to prayer, we are excited to launch the next 24 days of prayer today (4th October), taking inspiration from the life of King David as featured in Pray Without Ceasing, the book written by the Revd. Jonathan Forman of Blaenau Gwent Baptist Church, Abertillery.

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To help with these 24 days of prayer, there are a collection of short videos – each of which is based around a theme from the Lord’s prayer, as well as two interviews with the Revd. Tim Moody from Moriah Baptist Church, Risca and Jonathan Forman. The videos will be released as follows:

Video 1: Released Day 1 Monday 4th October. Click.

Video 2: Released Day 2 Tuesday 5th October. Click

Video 3: Released Day 7 Sunday 10th October. Click

Video 4: Released Day 12 Friday 15th October Click

Video 5: Released Day 18 Thursday 21st October. Click

Video 6: Released Day 24 Wednesday 27th October Click

Head back here on the days shown to find the videos, and feel free to download the PDF below with the prayer guide for each of the 24 days we will be praying for.

Click HERE to be taken to the PDF where you can view it or download it.

  • If you would like to order a copy of Pray Without Ceasing you can do so by visiting: bgbchurch.weebly.com/pray-without-ceasing. Please make it clear on the order form if you are part of one of the Gwent Baptist Association churches and you can buy the booklet for the reduced price of £5 plus £2 postage if purchased over the duration of this event.

Danger of ‘getting back to normal’

Churches today have the best opportunity since the Second World War to bring hope to people shaken by the Coronavirus pandemic by telling them about the love of Jesus.

That was one of the key messages of the Revd. Gavin Calver, CEO of the Evangelical Alliance, who was the guest speaker at the Gwent Baptist Association’s online Autumn Council meeting on 30th September.

Gavin said that church attendances in the UK immediately after the war were huge but then fell back to pre-war levels. Why? The world was looking for hope but the Church wanted to get back to normal. It spent too much time and energy looking after itself and getting back to normal. By the time it was ready to reach out to the lost, who had been desperately looking for hope, the lost had got over the moment and moved on.

“I think the season we are now in is the closest since the end of the Second World War. I am not comparing Covid to a world war but people are still desperately looking for hope in their lives. They will probably not come to our buildings so we must go out into our communities and demonstrate the love of Jesus with acts of kindness and compassion.”, Gavin continued.   “In my view, we will never, ever get this great opportunity again.”

Go to link for meeting interview with Gavin and his full talk.

Patterns of Mission

The 2021 Autumn Council Meeting of the Gwent Baptist Association will be held “live” via Zoom on Thursday, 30th September (7.30pm). The main theme for the event, which will incorporate some brief items of AGM business, will be ” Patterns of Mission in a post- Covid Age”. The guest speaker will be the Revd. Gavin Calver, CEO of the Evangelical Alliance. All are welcome. To join the main meeting at 7.30pm or a question and answer session about Association business at 7pm click on: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89642347019?pwd=SjFocVpIMlRCMm02RU4yUFFBU2phQT09

Missional workers bound for Gwent

A message from Association President Tim Moody.                                                                                                 


I am excited to pass on wonderful news of something God has been stirring within the Gwent Baptist Association in partnership with the Baptist Union of Wales. Working alongside the BUW and, in particular, Simeon Baker, the Association officers have been looking at the possibility of welcoming two missional workers from Los Angeles to the Gwent area.

Simeon said:“As a Union, we are pleased to be working in partnership with the Gwent Baptist Association to offer this opportunity of ministry and mission to the churches. We are humbled that God is calling people from beyond our shores to engage in reverse mission here in Wales. Jeff and Linda Kim have been known to us for some time as we have prayed with them and held numerous conversations over the past 18 months. We now look forward to welcoming them in August. 

“They come with a heart to serve the church here in Wales and experience of cross-cultural mission. We are grateful to the Rev Peter Cho and the fellowship at Tabernacle, Newbridge for helping Jeff and Linda learn more about church life here in Wales before moving to the place God has for them. We invite you as churches to pray with us, that God would open a door for them to minister and serve in one of our churches. Pray for them also that they may know Gods provision and blessing as they travel and move home all the way from Los Angeles to Wales. Welcome them and take them to your hearts.”

As an Association, we want to thank Simeon and BUW for all their work in bringing about this fantastic opportunity, and it is with great excitement we look forward to welcoming Jeff and Linda to Gwent. Please could I encourage you all to lift these two wonderful people in your prayers as they make the final preparations for their move to our region. 

More information will follow soon about opportunities for churches to be involved with this incredible move of God.

Every blessing

Tim

A ‘WAVE OF PRAYER’

Thursday, 10th June is the day the Gwent Baptist Association has arranged for individuals and Baptist churches to join in an online ‘Wave of Prayer for our nation‘ initiative currently underway throughout Wales .

The Baptist Union of Wales Momentum 2021: Change the atmosphere with a wave of prayer began this month and will continue until 26th June, passing from region to region and thus covering the whole of Wales in prayer.

Two online prayer meetings will be held on June 10 (see details below).

GBA president Tim Moody, who is assistant pastor at Moriah Baptist Church, Risca, said: “I have felt God call me to pray in a powerful way this year.  The idea of hundreds of God’s people joining together online in prayer throughout Gwent on 10th June is one that excites me hugely. Whether or not you are able to join us, I would love to encourage you to be praying on that day for your church, your community, our region and the nation of Wales.”

Thursday 10th June – 9:30am – 10:30am

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87611465208?pwd=UE9xc2U0eVRPdUhldXdlTGhsUWdsUT09

Meeting ID: 876 1146 5208

Passcode: 938845

Thursday 10th June – 1:30pm – 2:30pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89218528496?pwd=ZjRoc0haN1c3Y0c1aFY2Wm1zaW9QQT09

Meeting ID: 892 1852 8496

Passcode: 673632

To join our meetings by phone please follow the instructions below –

To call in dial 0330 088 5830 and then, when prompted, enter the meeting ID: *** **** ****

followed by #

You will then need to press # again before entering the Password which is: ******

followed by #.

This will allow you to call in to the meeting and join everyone ‘live’.

24-hour Prayer Event

The Gwent Baptist Association is running a 24-hour Prayer Event via Zoom on 7th -8th May. The main theme is based upon the life of David and is adapted from Chapter One of Jonathan Forman’s new booklet Pray without Ceasing. Individuals, groups and church congregations are encouraged to take part. The appendix to the notes prepared for the event shows a sign-up sheet which can be used by individual churches to organise people for the prayer day allowing them to choose a specific hour they would like to cover.

The prayer event begins with a Family Prayer time at 4.30pm on the Friday and it will conclude on the Saturday with a Final Celebration at 7pm. For more details on prayer topics and how to take part , please click here . You can also contact Jonathan Forman on pastorjforman@gmail.com

CHURCHES ON THE FRONTLINE!

Churches and chapels in Wales are right on the frontline in these days of the Coronavirus pandemic and never before in the last 100 years have their leaders faced such a huge challenge, the Revd. Dr Kang-San Tan, General Director of BMS World Mission, told an online meeting of the Gwent Baptist Association.

Many churches were helping to support their local communities by establishing or being involved in foodbanks, volunteering and generally befriending those in need but a bigger task still lay ahead, he said.

“We need to share our resources with the deprived and the poor at home and oversees. We are called by God to be salt and light in this troubled world and we will be accountable to God for our actions.

“We must go back to Scripture and renew our sense of God-centred mission in terms of providing practical, emotional and spiritual support to all we encounter who stand in need. But God has created new opportunities for us during these difficult days and we must seize upon them while relying, as always, upon His strength” he added.

Dr Tan and his wife, Loun Ling Lee, were the guest speakers at the Association’s Spring Event and they took as their theme “Mission Impossible?” Loun, the editor of the Lausanne Movement’s bi-monthly global mission publication, Lausanne Global Analysis, said: “There is a dangerous tendency to turn inwards when we are in trouble. God wants us to help people outside the walls of our buildings whether in the local, national or international context. The gospel is not just to be preached but to be demonstrated in the life of individual believers and churches. The question must be: ‘How can we help to bring healing to a broken world?’”.

Prayer

A new prayer booklet, Pray without Ceasing, was launched during the event. It has been written and produced by the Revd. Jonathan Forman of Blaenau Gwent Baptist Church, Abertillery and it will be one of the resources used by churches in the Association during a planned two-year prayer programme beginning in May.

For more information and details on how to order copies of the booklet, go to:https://bgbchurch.weebly.com/pray-without-ceasing.html

Others who took part were Association chairman the Revd. D Marc Owen of Moriah Baptist Church, Risca; Tim Moody, Assistant Pastor at Moriah and President of the Association; Mrs Eryl Dykes (Ebenezer Baptist Church, Abertillery) and the Revd. Dr Suzanne Roberts, a retired Baptist minister and former missionary who attends Tabernacle Baptist Church, Newbridge.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

… That’s the rallying call for all Christians who believe in the power of prayer especially during these challenging times. Prayer is a massive force for good and an essential ingredient in the Christian life. Now you can obtain copies of an impressive new booklet ‘ Pray without Ceasinga guide to 24 hour prayer for the church ‘.

It has been written and produced by the Revd. Jonathan Forman, minister at Blaenau Gwent Baptist Church, Abertillery. Jonathan has a real heart for the Lord and is on a mission to underline the importance of prayer in the lives of individual followers of Christ and church fellowships. Jonathan is a member of the Gwent Baptist Association’s Officers’ group and a trustee of the Baptist Union of Wales.

So if you are going to invest in anything, then make a start by investing in prayer! For more information and details on how to order copies of the booklet, go to:

https://bgbchurch.weebly.com/pray-without-ceasing.html

Call for global access to Covid-19 vaccinations

A message from GBA President Tim Moody

Dear Friends,

At the start of the year, I wrote to you all with a simple message: Hope is alive!  A message I firmly believe in, a message I have seen the truth of. In fact, just this week, a wonderful lady of 90+ years joined us via Zoom for our online service –  on her new tablet, for the first time!  Hope is alive!

Whilst I don’t want to underestimate the incredible challenges we have all faced over these last 12 months (as the pandemic has drawn on), I do want to draw your attention to those who maybe find the idea of ‘Hope’ a hard one to grasp.  I’m thinking in particular of those who aren’t currently in a ‘priority group’ for the vaccine.  They include some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised people in our world, people who, without the Baptist family stepping up, may never see the blessed gift of a vaccine.

And so it is with both ‘joy’ and a belief that Hope is alive for all, that I am able to let you know of a campaign which is being launched by BMS World Mission, Baptist World Alliance, The Baptist Union of Wales, Baptist Together and The Baptist Union of Scotland.

The campaign is aimed at making sure there is equitable global access to Covid-19 vaccinations.

To play your part in bringing about Hope for these people, I ask you to consider joining with the Baptist family by filling out a petition which will be sent to the UK’s Prime Minister at Number 10 Downing Street.

I believe we are at a time when simply knowing about the problem isn’t enough.  Dare I say it, but even humbly praying isn’t enough.  I believe now is the time for us to take action.  To be the hands and feet of Jesus and speak up for the oppressed and let justice roll across the nations.

So I ask you, would you join with me in signing this petition to make sure the least and the last are not forgotten as the world looks to bring an end to the Covid pandemic? To do so, simply head to www.covidfreeworld.org.uk for more information and to add your name to the petition.

Every blessing,

Tim                 

HOPE IS ALIVE!

A Christmas and New Year Message from our president, Pastor Tim Moody

Stood in the kitchen, wondering how they were going to feed all the new guests arriving at the inn?

Wrapped up warm around the fire as another chilly evening sets in.

Gazing up at the night sky watching the stars dance to their own, wonderful beat.

A knock at the door.

A chorus of angelic voices.

A blinding star.

We can so often look at the Christmas story like a children’s nativity play, with cues and costumes and a teacher, down on their knees, mouthing the lines to the various characters. The innkeeper, stood behind the door, waiting for that infamous ‘knock’.

But we do well to remember that lives were rudely interrupted that first Christmas as one too many guests knocked the door, the cold night strangely warmed by heavenly hosts and a star that would lead the way. God didn’t wait ‘till the scene was set and the audience were sat quietly to begin the story of Emmanuel, God with us.

Instead, the promise God gave to Adam and Eve in the garden, the rescue plan as old as the earth, interrupted the hustle and bustle of life that first Christmas. A messy stable, some unconventional guests and an escape plan to Egypt isn’t exactly how we might plan a rescue mission to begin, but isn’t it wonderfully comforting to know that the Covid pandemic and the whirlwind of 2020 won’t stop God in His tracks?

As I write this, I’m listening to a song with the line “Hope is alive, Jesus is here”.  This year, maybe more than any other year for many of us, we need to hear the truth, that, despite all we have faced, all the distraction, the worry and the hurt:

HOPE IS ALIVE!

I love the wonder of the Christmas story.  Can you imagine being any of the people caught up in Jesus’ birth? Would you view it with awe and wonder or merely an inconvenience? Hope alive in a new-born baby or just more guests to sort out?

This Christmas and New Year, I pray you would remember that just because it hasn’t all gone to plan, it doesn’t mean all is lost.  Just because this Christmas might look different to the ones we’ve always had, it doesn’t mean hope is lost.

In a lowly stable, with no bed to rest in, the Saviour of the world was born.

“For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son.”

I want to declare a message loud and clear from all of us involved in the Gwent Baptist Association:

HOPE IS ALIVE!

And we are excited to see all that God has in store for us in 2021.

We wish you every blessing; we pray for your continued safety amongst these challenging circumstances, and we look forward to journeying with you in the New Year.

Tim Moody

President

Gwent Baptist Association