Baptism in water is a key practice of the church. Baptism was part of Jesus’s Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) and on the Day of Pentecost, Peter urged the crowds ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.‘ (Acts 2;38) Paul wrote about the topic at length in Romans 6:3-14 and baptism remains, along with the Lord’s Supper, one of the two sacraments of the Protestant church everywhere. We may disagree about the manner and means of baptism, but its importance in symbolising the new life to which Christ has called us is undisputed.

Since our move to Beever Street, however, we have not had a baptistery in which to baptise people. We believe that baptism is for believers rather than infants (we dedicate infants to the Lord and pray He will lead them into a saving knowledge of Himself as they grow) and so this has been of concern for us. We have had a baptismal service since our move, but used our old baptistery to hold that service. Now that the old building has been sold, that’s no longer an option.

The solution to this problem arrived today: a portable baptistery!

A plastic lining fits inside the wooden baptistery and a heater will heat the water so that baptism by full immersion isn’t too breathtaking! When not in use, the portable baptistery can be packed away and stored in the building. Now we are excited about having this tool to baptise people and hope that anyone who has not yet taken that step of faith will consider doing so. We long to see more people coming to faith in Jesus and proclaiming Him as Lord over all!

Another busy day…

Staining the new notice board:

Touching up walls

Another coat on the box:

Starting work on the corridor:

Then, of course, there was all the cleaning and tidying up to do!

Many thanks to those who have worked so hard this week. There is still much to be done (some more glossing in the community room and the rest of the corridor to tackle, not to mention the completion of the notice board and painting the outdoor railings), but the progress made has been fantastic. Come along to the coffee morning tomorrow at 10 a.m. to see for yourselves!

Last night’s Bible study looked at the end of 1 Corinthians 4, which probably contains one of the most challenging verses in the whole Bible: Paul tells the Corinthians, whose squabblings and immaturity towards leaders reflect their lack of Christlike thinking, ‘I urge you to imitate me.’ (1 Cor 4:16) Paul and the apostles truly lived like Christ: they were homeless as He was (see Luke 9:57-58); they faced rejection and abuse and slander, but responded graciously, seeking reconciliation (see 1 Pet 2:18-25 for how Christ reacted to those things); they knew what it was to be despised and rejected (see Is 53:3-6). They were living out the life of Christ as we are all commanded to do and Paul knew the power of a good model or example (see also 1 Cor 11:1, Phil 3:17, Phil 4:9, 1 Thess 1:6, 2 Thess 3:7-9 for other places where he urges Christians to follow his example.)

Paul likens his role in wanting to see the Corinthians mature well to that of a father who takes the time and effort to help his children mature. His intention is not to shame them, but to point them to the right way of thinking and living. A good father helps his child to mature and learn valuable life lessons through encouragement, comfort and exhortation (see 1 Thess 2:11-12). He will also warn and advise (1 Cor 4:14, see also Eph 6:4) and will model good behaviour: children mimic their parents in everything! At times, a good father will also discipline (see Heb 12:7-11), something which is not pleasant but is necessary if we are to see a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it! As Jarrod Kintz says, ‘She called it a slap, but I called it a high-five to my face. Love is so encouraging!’

Mentoring is a buzz topic these days in the workplace and we need mentors who will show us how to do things. Jesus was the ultimate mentor to the twelve disciples, who learned through being in His company, through watching Him and ultimately through working alongside Him. We are urged to be mentors to others (see Titus 2:1-8), giving our time, our attention and our care to others. Good mentors will listen well, will value people and will be open and honest with them. Christianity is not meant to be restricted to ‘fellowship’ on a Sunday only, but we are to share our very lives with each other, as Christ (and Paul and the apostles) did.

Paul concludes the chapter with a reminder that how the Corinthians respond to his warnings and advice will determine how he comes to them (see 1 Cor 4:18-21). Their arrogance (being inflated like helium balloons!) means they have a higher opinion of themselves than is warranted. Paul reminds them that the kingdom of God is not about talk but power. We have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. How we respond to discipline will determine if we have to be treated with a ‘rod of discipline’ or gentleness and love. Prov 22:15 reminds us that children learn through discipline; the same applies to us as Christians!

Wednesday saw more of the same: glossing the radiators in the community room, touching up and finishing walls, plus painting wood preservative onto the new notice board.

In some ways, the ‘finishing touches’ are what makes a job look well done and yet they are painstaking and time-consuming. It reminds me of the fact that we are all works of God’s grace still under construction. He is ‘tweaking’ us and refining us and transforming us… and sometimes it’s difficult to see exactly what He’s doing or what He has done, but the work goes on continually. God’s not finished with us yet!

Tuesday was a busy day of glossing, painting, cooking and cleaning…

We had home-made soup to keep us going!

Cleaning up at the end of the day:

This is why he was on the scaffolding!

Another productive day of decorating has passed!

Working on wood to be used on a door:

The wood in situ:

Painting the ladies’ toilets (and steadying the steps):

Ongoing work in the community room:

An almost completed wall… (the scaffolding had to be reduced in height to finish this off!)

Many thanks to our volunteers, especially Pat, Ray & James for their hard work today!