BH Bulletin - Monday 27 September 2021

Thought for the Day by Stephen Demetriou
​(Youth Minister)

​Within a year of first becoming a Christian, I was leading the CU at my college, leading Bible studies for the other young people at church and even having a go at leading an evening service at my home church. A few years after that at 19, I led a team of young adults on a mission trip to China.
 
Can I be honest? Looking back, there is no way I was ready. I was not ready to be bumped up into any form of leadership! I cared more about girls than my God; more about popularity than purity and more about fun than faith.
 
I was listening to a podcast by Mike Cosper and he pointed out that this one of the things we do as a society; we promote people based on their charisma not their character.
And actually, it’s fascinating the way God sees leadership, in fact God repeatedly tells us to look for godly character over great gifting.
 
1 Timothy 3:1-7
Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
 
It’s been said before but as you look at the lists in 1 Timothy and Titus that talk about leadership in the church what’s striking is the lack of interest in skills and abilities. There’s only one skill needed according to 1 Timothy 3; being able to teach. The gifts of a leader are nowhere near as important as the character of the leader.
This is profoundly counter cultural; how many job interviews have you been to where their primary concern was your character not your ability to do the job?!
 
For all of us (not just leaders) it’s a pointed prompt to invest in godly character more readily than great giftings. Paul would say later on to Timothy; 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
Do you see that? A couple of things jump out;

1. We should have a growing faith and holiness
2. We should be in and around people so that our growing faith and holiness is clear to see!

Cultivate a Christ-like character, that is so precious in God’s sight.
 
This is of keen and particular interest to church leaders so if you pray regularly for us leaders, I would ask you to pray for our character not for our gifting. Pray for us to better emulate our Lord and Saviour in how we act; to better mirror His heart and His life; pray for us to be growing in holiness. Please pray for our character.

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Community Garden update

You may not have spotted the recent changes to our community garden, so do come & visit soon.  It’s a lovely place to sit and enjoy the change in season.   

​The new compost area has been installed – we could still do with a couple of forks & another spade.

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​Work has started on the Remembrance area, with weeds being removed and paving slabs added
to make a firm base for the pots that are arriving soon.

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Thank you to all who have already donated items or joined the team. 
We would love more of the church family to be involved so if you would like to be part of the team, or just come & help a little with weeding & watering or have items to donate
then please email [email protected] or contact Jane Tanner or Sarah Sinden.