Gospel Work and Other Activities

ENGLAND

BUCKINGHAM New Bradwell Norman Mellish and Aaron Colgan (Magharafelt) were with the assembly at New Bradwell, Milton Keynes for two weeks gospel meetings in February. A week of children’s meetings drew a nice number of children to hear the word. The gospel was faithfully preached and several teenage children of believers were regularly present to hear the challenge.

Three nights of meetings on the subject of ‘creation/evolution’ were held at Hanslope Gospel Hall in Buckinghamshire with Michael Penfold. The local saints were thrilled to see more unsaved coming into the Hall than they had seen at any series of meetings in living memory. The unsaved were challenged and the saints, particularly the young at university, were strengthened in their faith.

OXFORDSHIRE Robert Plant is at both Wallingford and Bicester for children’s and gospel meetings.

BERKSHIRE Prayer is requested for gospel meetings with Jack Hay at Pamber Heath in June and also for gospel tents to be erected in Newbury and Bicester during June and August.

NOTTINGHAM Mansfield. During the second week of March, special children’s meetings were held in the assembly at Mansfield. Ian Campbell of South Shields was the speaker. Although numbers were relatively small there was a good interest amongst those who did come.

A number of older lads came early in the week with the intention of disrupting the meetings but one of their number, a sixteen-year-old youth, ended up staying for all the meetings from Tuesday through to the Friday night. Please pray for him. He came from a troubled home and had been permanently excluded from school, yet, in spite of taunts from his peers, learnt and recited the memory verse and they listened intently to the messages preached.

Some of the youths returned to the gospel meeting on the Lord’s Day following the end of the meetings. Please pray that they might be blessed as a result of this work.

MIDLANDS Birmingham Charlton Road. Since the start of the year the assembly has held a Friday evening club for young people which has been very well attended. In addition there has been a good opportunity to visit schools, conduct morning assembly and establish a relationship with both teachers and pupils. On the third Sunday of each month an ‘all age’ service is held and a number of unsaved adults have attended. The monthly focus outreach continues with good numbers attending regularly.

Solihull ‘It’s great what you are doing for kids this week’, said a man to a member of Solihull Gospel Hall, about to get off the bus to help a Holiday Bible Club for 5-11 year-olds held during the February halfterm school holiday. ‘I think you are doing a really good job’, concluded the man after the lady explained what a Holiday Bible Club was.

Using computer graphics, interactive games and videos, Ivor Cooper, a Christian children’s worker from Leamington Spa, who led the week’s Holiday Bible Club, introduing children to dynamic Bible stories centered on the life of Peter, showing how this ordinary Galilean fisherman, after Jesus’ resurrection was transformed into a church leader able to perform miracles.

Bright singing, indoor games, crafts and interesting activities like cooking, contributed to a fast moving, fun packed two-hour programme each morning from Monday to Friday.

Children were given points for learning a daily ‘Power Phrase’ exploring biblical aspects in Peter’s life, answering questions and taking part in various activities.

During the week thirty six children attended, some regularly, with many of their parents present for the prizegiving and craft display during the regular Family Service on the following Sunday morning.

The third Holiday Bible Club in three years is part of an ongoing outreach programme by the assembly into the local community, which included a five week Introductory Course in Christianity last Spring, called ‘Elements’.

YORKSHIRE North Featherstone. Philip Kaye conducted a Holiday Club in a school in the town. Between thirty five and forty seven children attended each session and good attention was paid to the preaching of the gospel. At the end of the Holiday Club the children were given the opportunity to apply for Postal Bible lessons and/or attend the local assembly Sunday School.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE Cheltenham. The assembly at Bethany, Cheltenham, were really encouraged when at the Christmas Carol Service was attended by four people from America, the family of one of the ladies who comes every Sunday evening and also two Roman Catholics and others The message was faithfully preached by a local brother. Impressions were made and favourable comments given later.

The Annual Missionary Conference held in January was well supported. Reports given by Mark Davies (Zambia & GLO), Paul Williams (Romania), and John Baker (Homeworker) were informative, stimulating and challenging.

HAMPSHIRE Gosport. Roger Penny reports of encouragement received during attendance at his shows when he erects an exhibition stand and distributes Bibles and other books. Romany (gypsy) families, some of whom could barely read or write, but who showed interest in the truth of the gospel and also accepted the gift of a Bible. Also pray for two Arab men who took English and Arabic Bibles.

NORTHERN IRELAND

CO. ANTRIM Buckna. T. McNeill and M. McKillen concluded eight weeks on the 27th February. Good numbers of young people attended nightly. Two women professed faith in Christ.

CO. DOWN Bangor – Ebenezer. H. S. Paisley had sixteen evenings of gospel meetings over a period of almost three weeks, finishing on 11th February. Large numbers attended, with the power of God experienced in the preaching, and blessing in a number being saved.

BELFAST AND DISTRICT Donegall Road. B. Currie and J. Palmer had gospel meetings during the month of February in this difficult area of city. Numbers were small, but a few students came on some evenings.

Whitehouse. Gospel meetings concluded after seven weeks. B. Graham (Lisburn) joined M. Turkington after A. Hull returned to Canada. Good numbers attended and the word was faithfully declared.

CO. TYRONE Newtownstewart. N. Coulter and R. Wilson have now finished a series of gospel meetings. Local people did not respond to the invitations to come in and this caused disappointment.

Corrick. D. McGarvey and M. Campbell concluded six weeks of gospel meetings in the Gospel Hall. Although local response was not very good, the hall was well filled most nights with believers from the surrounding assemblies bringing friends and families. The district was well visited with personal invitations. The word was faithfully preached. The saints were encouraged to hear of blessing in salvation.

WALES

SWANSEA Treboeth. The assembly at Treboeth, Swansea, has been encouraged by the increase in the number of children attending Sunday School. Numbers have reached almost fifty following a door-todoor campaign in the area. They now intend to reach a larger area in an attempt to attract more children to the meetings. In addition to this, the assembly has also begun a monthly youth-led Family Service on Sunday nights which has seen an increase in the number of young people and families attending.

The small assembly at Heol Y Gors, Swansea works hard to maintain a successful youth outreach. The assembly is situated in a difficult area of Swansea which has numerous social problems. Up to thirty youngsters come each week and play games but also listen attentively to a clear and relevant gospel message.

Several of the Lord’s people visit the town centres in Carmarthen and Swansea for tract distribution. A mobile unit is also erected in Swansea in an attempt to reach the unsaved.

Caerphilly. A weekly ‘toddler time’ which was started around eighteen months ago has seen numbers grow with twelve mothers and toddlers attending.

A quantity of prepaid cards offering a home visit, literature or a Bible were distributed in the area of the hall and so far around twelve requests have been received. Outreach in the town centre continues with gospel literature being distributed which has resulted in various conversations with local people. A hospital visit is also made and this has generated interest with various patients requesting gospel literature.

SCOTLAND

Perth. The Christians at Perth Gospel Hall were privileged to have Gordon McCracken (Glasgow) to assist them in their on-going children’s outreach, during the second week of March 2004. There was a wonderful opportunity to preach Christ to the children of Perthshire. The school visitations allowed Gordon to speak to nearly 2000 children and teachers. One visit included a school assembly with visitors from outside the school, including the leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party! The school assemblies were well received by teachers and pupils, with many invitations to return later in the year. On the first Saturday of the outreach, the assembly members visited many homes to encourage children to come to the children’s meetings. Others conducted street witness in the main shopping street in Perth. Gordon conducted short open-air services, gathering children around, while over 1000 leaflets were distributed. The children’s meetings commenced on Monday with large attendances all week. One night over 100 children came! These were the biggest children’s meetings in Perth Gospel Hall for many years. The assembly were encouraged by Gordon’s enthusiasm and presentation of the gospel and they believe it has been a timely boost to their on-going children’s work.

Other developments lately have been the attendance of Chinese people at some of the meetings. A Christian visitor from Hong Kong, has indicated their willingness to provide Bibles and DVDs to any interested. It is hoped to visit some of the many Chinese businesses in Perthshire, to offer these Chinese/English Bibles. Please pray for the Lord’s blessing on the people of Perthshire.

Aberdeen. Brother George Forbes had the privilege of speaking at seven school assemblies in Aberdeen. In addition to this, opportunity was given to conduct fourteen half-hour Bible teaching sessions in Robert Gordon’s primary school in Aberdeen. Brother Eddie Lamont continues faithfully in the children’s work in Hatton of Fintry. George Forbes conducted a week of children’s meetings in this village. Although numbers were small, the attention and interest from the children was most encouraging.

Cowdenbeath. The Friday night children’s meetings continue to provide encouragement with 30-40 children attending each evening.

Dunfermline. The assembly which meet in Abbot Hall have a ‘bite and blether’ morning which gives opportunity to meet local unsaved people and talk with them over a cup of tea.

Ladybank. The weekend camp re-union attracted a large number of young people and during the weekend brother Steve Clegg gave a report on prison work. The report was both moving and challenging, to hear how God is at work in lives blighted by sin, and how many have professed faith in Christ.

Hamilton. The assembly in Low Waters were encouraged when two young women were baptized, one of whom came from an unsaved home. On both evenings the Hall was filled with many unsaved hearing the gospel preached.

Blairhall. 2003 has been a year of unconventional opportunities for the assembly gospel work. The combination of a number of local funerals conducted by the assembly, a memorial service in the Gospel Hall and Christmas celebrations brought over 400 people under the influence of the word of God. The opening of a new Community Centre has brought a number of interesting contacts.

A major initiative in 2004 has been the distribution of a Bible reading plan into 2500 homes in the area with a complimentary Bible offer being taken up by a number of residents.

One local lady connected to the Free Church has been received into fellowship and two young girls associated with the assembly have made a profession of faith in Christ.

CORNWALL

The Cornish assemblies have had a camp for young people at Fowey for nearly 22 years now. Over these years there have been many saved and many young in Christ encouraged to walk with the Lord by being baptised and finding fellowship in an assembly.

The work began because a brother was the head teacher of the Primary school in the town and the governors were willing to allow him to use the buildings of the school for a Christian camp. The fellowship of all the assemblies in Cornwall was sought and obtained. The school cook agreed to do the cooking and it was her involvement that eventually led to her salvation and that of her husband and several members of the family.

Over the years the work has become a feature of the life of the town and several events including an open-air witness take place in the main street and harbour area. Several baptisms have been held at the only beach in the town when crowds have witnessed believers bearing testimony to their faith in Christ.

The camp has recently had a restart and moved to the accommodation of the Community College where again there has been a remarkably warm welcome to its activities by the Principal and staff.

It always takes place from the Monday to the Friday of the first week in August. This year, because of unforeseen circumstances some of the workers are not able to show their usual fellowship in the camp. It would be a great encouragement if there were young people outside of Cornwall, who with the agreement of their elders, were willing to come and strengthen our hands by joining us this August. Please ring 01726 61265 and ask for application forms if you feel led of the Lord to do so.

SEAFORD, EAST SUSSEX

The following appeal has been sent to us and in the
hope that there are those that read the magazine who
may, in some way or another, be able to help is printed
below.
Are there any believers in the Lord Jesus living in the
area of Seaford, East Sussex, who from residential
necessity are deprived of the blessings of meeting
according to the pattern of New Testament simplicity
and the weekly remembrance of the Lord in the Breaking
of Bread?
The undersigned long to meet with others similarly
concerned from the district, either to pray for further
guidance or to, as the Lord leads, establish an assembly
in a home or suitable place of meeting.
Contact concerning this matter would be welcomed.
Lionel and Jenny Rolfe,
3, Headland Corner,
Seaford. 01323 895756.