October 2010

A Chat with Betty Smith

Betty, thank you so much for agreeing to do this chat, and for saving me so much work and time by preparing it yourself and sending it to me by Email!! I asked Betty to share with us about her childhood ………..

I was born in Gravesend, and was the seventh child in a family of twelve children, in a non Christian family.
I can remember never being ambitious, I just wanted to be happy! I was never very good at school, and at the age of seven I was very close to a home made firework; this caused damaged to both eardrums, which has been one of the struggles in my life since, more so as I get older.

Being a large family there were lots ups and downs. I was the eldest girl alive, as my mother lost her second child, which was a girl. So the elder boys looked after us younger ones, and we spent lots of happy times out at Meopham and Singlewell in the woods for the day. And having a skipping rope across the road - doing the usual things children did sixty years ago.

At the age of thirteen we moved from Gravesend to Erith into a Public
House, one of two my father had; my father was a Waterman, Publican and a very heavy drinker;. very much the head of the family. Just after my birthday I was made to leave school to take on the responsibility of the cleaning, washing and cooking for the family; this was my first job. At the age of seventeen, on advice from a doctor, I started work in a shoe shop, then went into an office where I went through the general office, and learnt office skills, which I loved.

About the time of her life after she met her husband ……..

In between I met and married my first husband. He was a petty officer in the Merchant Navy. We had our first daughter two years later, and lost our second child five years later. She was born with a brain of a six to eight week old baby, her head never grew, but her body did; the ten months she lived was a very difficult time. In 1985, my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer, and I nursed him until his death 1987. Three months before my husband died, my mother died. Looking back as I am now, I just do not know how I came through it all without Jesus being in my life.

After my husband died I went to bereavement evenings with the Macmillan Nurses, and met seven other people who had just lost someone with cancer and who wanted to help the nurses. We found a Butcher’s shop in Crayford, and within three weeks we were up and running as a Charity shop; it was great fun begging and borrowing to get the shop fitted out. Cancer Relief bought the shop, and we each ran the shop a day a week, learning more skills in retailing. Sadly the shop closed last year through lack of volunteers; it raised just over one million pounds, some of which went to help pay for the Douglas Centre in Queen Mary’s Hospital.

About her hobbies and interests ………………

From the time my sister in law taught me ballroom dancing, I have just loved dancing and this has continued to this day with my love of line dancing. I have had and have many hobbies: I created and made two pictures in needlework, have made lots of cards in different crafts, teabag folding, glass painting, to name just a few, I have learnt to swim, to play badminton, yoga, and I love walking, and listening to music. I also go to lip reading.

When she came to know Jesus as her Lord, Saviour and Friend ………….

I started coming to the church about ten years ago: these ten years have transformed my life completely, For me growing up, church was just going to Sunday school on a Sunday afternoon so that mum and dad had a rest, and not paying too much attention to what was going on.

Ten years has brought me an understanding of the Lord I never thought possible: to know that I have a Father who loves me with all my faults and failings is inconceivable, a Father who is there with you all the time, and knows all about me; my one regret is that I did not have Him in my life sooner.

When the office first opened I used to work on a Friday, which I loved: then I was asked about joining the pastoral team. This was something I could never envisage I was capable of doing! I thought and prayed about it, and then felt God was steering me in this direction, and I am very pleased He was, for it made me realize that throughout my life God had placed me in situations where I was most needed, and He is now showing me a way in which I am able to serve Him, to become sensitive and more aware of other peoples’ needs. After visiting, Glenys and I usually leave very uplifted ourselves. Listening to and watching Glenys has taught me so much. It is a real privilege to be working with her and I pray that my gifting will develop in that way.

About what she would like to happen in the future ……..

My one wish, if it is possible to have a wish, is for my daughter, my two grandsons and my beautiful great granddaughter to know of the love of the Lord, and just how precious that love is.

Her favourite Bible verse ……….

In fact my favourite verse is two passages from the Bible! They are:
Psalm 121 - where does my strength come from, and
1 Corinthians 13 - Love is the Greatest Gift.

Many thanks, Betty, for sharing so much with us about your life – I am sure many others, as I was, will be blessed!

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Worship Cenference Weekend

I approached half a dozen people and asked them to share with us about their experiences during the weekend. I hope you will be as blessed and challenged as I have been when you read these articles:

Heather Andrews Wrote

Well, where to start. I first of all want to thank God for doing all the hard work and blessing us in a such a huge way. The weekend was pretty unstructured, which could have caused all sorts of trickiness but, God being God, it all went amazingly smoothly. Del and Carol and Krzysztof were so gracious and willing to serve in any way that my weekend was made extremely easy. I'll just share a few things that stood out for me.

Kathy Gower. She deserves a medal for a most hardcore worshipper. I remember when we had our first Wednesday evening worship session she said she'd love to stay and worship all night. Praise God that He gave her the strength to stay awake for the whole 40 hours of worship. It was a big inspiration to me when I was feeling tired to look to the back of the hall and see her there so immersed in God's presence. I thought, we have to keep going even if it's just to keep Kathy soaking in God's Spirit.

The number of musicians, worshippers and worship leaders that joined us from other churches was fantastic. On the first night I counted at least 8 churches represented. I feel God was creating a kind of unity that can only be found in worshipping together and I pray that this is just the beginning. The variety of music and styles of leading was great too. I'm sure this enabled people to meet God in a new way and find new ways of praising Him.

Lastly, I was particularly blessed by the way our worship leaders in Belvedere stepped up and took so much responsibility through the small hours of the morning. I'm praying that their sacrifice will be blessed by God and that our team will grow stronger and more in tune with His plans for Belvedere.

So, thanks God for being with us and showing us Your goodness and greatness. We're praying for more and more of You in our fellowship, Borough and Country. Build Your Church.

Kathy Gower Wrote

As I was going away for the weekend, I took a change of clothes and toiletries etc. It was here. I was to participate for the next 40 hours in non-stop worship and prayer, and I couldn’t wait. On arrival in the main hall, I noticed a tent, carpeted with blankets and cushions; this was a place of meditation and rest; in another corner a place of healing and prayer and opposite, a table, with paper, paints, colouring pencils etc., to draw or paint, expressing one’s feelings what God had personally revealed.

During worship, Frank read from scripture and prayed; this happened throughout the 40 hours. On the Saturday, in the small hall, Carol and Del Bearfoot led a seminar on worship, whilst in the small hall Duggie Dud entertained the tiny tots – via DVD. On Saturday evening Krzysztof led the worship with a word for us – “If we are for Jesus, Jesus will build this Church!”

On Sunday morning between 5 – 5.30 am, after six of us had been singing and harmonising, Heather suggested we choose an instrument that was suited to us!! In my case it had to be something small and light, so I chose bells that jingled when shaken. Interestingly enough there was no music to accompany us but the bongos led the way by its rhythm, and we all joined in as and when: it was tremendous! Kath Andrews shouted declarations from the Psalms and it seemed to uplift what we were doing. We were all absorbed by the music we were making. After a while we slowly came to a close, whereupon there was a quiet and stillness – no-one spoke or moved – it was breathtaking. I was reminded of Krzysztof’s words – “If we are for Jesus, He will build His Church.” The declarations that were given were building us to create music by using instruments suited to us as individuals. We all have gifts and talents; some have many, some, have a few, some have only maybe one, but when we put those gifts together we make them work in unison and create something beautiful.

I will never forget the words which Krzysztof said during the Sunday morning service! “Why were we still standing, did we not have an amazing God who loved us completely? Get on your knees and worship.” My heart was breaking, “I’m so sorry, Lord, forgive me.” What a sight to see everyone kneeling, but why did it have to take a Polish minister to tell us what we already knew? My prayer is that as from now we will see a kneeling body of people. I guess the Muslims have got it right in one sense, they kneel all the time; but when we kneel it is before God, the one and only.

I can only imagine – Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall? I don’t want to wait to find out what I’ll do, I have a pretty good idea. Don Mohen’s song was my prayer before the start of the 40 hour prayer and worship, the words of which Krzysztof confirmed in His ministry on Saturday evening:

All that I am, all that I have
I lay them down before You, Oh Lord.
All my regrets, all my acclaim,
The joy and the pain
I’m making them Yours.

Chorus:
Lord, I offer my life to You,
Everything I’ve been through
Use it for Your Glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to you,
As a pleasing sacrifice,
Lord I offer you my life.

Things in the past, things yet unseen
Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true
All of my hopes, all of my plans,
My heart and my hands are lifted to You.

Without you Lord I am nothing, but with you I can do all things through Christ Jesus, because you strengthen me.

Andrew and Nadine White wrote

We are a Church that has talked a lot about the importance of prayer and has highlighted the need for most important priority in the building's diary to be worship. Those that came together at different times between 8pm Friday and Sunday morning explored different types of praying, the power of linking praise with our prayer and the excitement of freedom in worship. Its often difficult to begin to experience something new on your own. Perhaps we have a desire or, at least are curious about, moving forward in worship and prayer, but can't seem to move ourselves forward. Krystof, Beata and Jacek coming from Poland and joining with Del and Carol was God's gift to us to help us begin to experience more in worship.

Although we had some constraints due to having a young family, we were able to take time with God.

Kathy Andrews wrote

Where do I start?? Most important – God is good!! By the time I arrived to help set up on Friday evening I was feeling very tired and not at all ‘spiritual’. I was asked to dress the tent and felt daunted despite Heather’s belief in my creativity, but God was good – as I began to drape fabric and lights around the space it seemed to become an intimate place with a peaceful atmosphere. Over the weekend I and many others came to sit or lie on the comfy cushions to rest in God’s presence; to pray, ponder or even sleep! – Ministry leaders, pastoral workers and visiting children were amongst those who succumbed to the ‘peace of the Lord’ in that special place.

The commitment to 40 hours of worship meant some sacrificial giving, particularly from the worship team – Heather led by example here. But many others kept a worshipping watch through the night including one who stayed the entire 40 hours! God was particularly good to me; I had a head cold and at 4.30am on Sunday I wondered whether I would be able to sing. But God enabled me to rise above this and gave me fresh energy and voice to sing and to declare from the Psalms as we turned to drum beating and percussion. It really felt like we were recreating David bringing the Ark back to the Temple.

What can I say about the worship?
It exceeded all my expectations and imagining – God was abundantly good. It was such a blessing with its continuous flow in varied forms and expressions, beautiful, inspirational, challenging, uplifting, soothing and healing. It wasn’t non-stop music either, which at one point reminded me of Revelation describing a time of silence in heaven - breathtaking. There were scripture readings, prayers, prophecy, exhortations, dancing, banner waving and art. It was truly memorable and the experience of worshipping with other churches and supporting each other within the worship team has been inspirational.

Pete Kot wrote:

Leading up to the weekend I was very excited and it was good that so many other people felt the same; and God did not let us down. His presence throughout the weekend was tangible and awesome and it was obvious people were being touched both spiritually and physically. The tent was a very special place for me. It was as if you were resting in the arms of the Lord, so peaceful and safe. It was also such a blessing to have so many people from other churches coming to support us and share in the worship. It was also
encouraging to have Kathy stay with us throughout the whole 40hrs, and to all who came and supported us through the days and nights. Spiritually, the weekend has touched me deeply. I am still feeling very emotional as I know the Lord is doing a work in me.

So what now for the Church? As Frank has said, there is no going back, so the only way now is forward. As we reflect on what God is saying to us about repentance, what does that mean for you and me? Do we want to see God moving in our lives and in the lives of the people of this village and Borough? Jesus gave His all for you and me. What should our response be to Him? God deserves our best, he deserves all of our worship, worship from the heart, in spirit and in truth! We need to earnestly seek Him. We have all been guilty of just going through the motions at some time or other, but in the future, let’s all worship with abandonment and be foolish and undignified for the Lord, just as David was. After all, David was a man after Gods own heart.

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Belvedere Baptist Church - History

This part of the history has been compiled by me, the editor, going through the Minutes Books and choosing entries which I found interesting! Really back in time! When fountain pens and ink were used and everything was hand-written; the occasional typed piece (a bonus); the advent of the ballpoint pen (often difficult to read because the handwriting deteriorated). I thought it would be good to tell you about the Centenary events which started in October 1963 and went on until February 1964.

To commemorate this special time in the life of the church Centenary badges and a Souvenir Centenary Brochure, written by Mr Ian Knight, were available for sale.

On the first Sunday, the birthday celebrations of the Sunday School had taken place with the children taking part, and on the following Saturday afternoon the School had been “At Home” to parents and friends, when the children’s work had been exhibited and a very fine film strip had been shown, which, due to popular demand was shown again in February of the next year!. The Reunion of old scholars and teachers in the evening had surpassed all expectations and had been attended by Her Worship the Mayor of Erith, Mrs Barron, who was herself an old scholar.

The Ladies’ Centenary Luncheon held on 7th November, was organised jointly by the Women’s Own, Baptist Women’s League and Young Wives Group. A capacity of 140/150 ladies, including many representatives from local churches, enjoyed an excellent lunch.

On December 19th the Choir marked the Centenary with a programme of special music and drama, “Would You Believe It,” which was specially commissioned for the occasion. It was felt that “the claims of the gospel had been put very clearly and with considerable impact which would not soon be forgotten.”

The GLB Promotion Service was held on 26th January 1964 and the speaker was Miss H.M Rae, Overseas Secretary of the Brigade. The GLB Display was the final event of the Centenary, being held on Saturday, 15th February, 1964 (thanks to the Captain at that time who had changed the planned date from the 8th so that the Centenary Dinner could take place instead).

The Centenary Dinner, held on 8th February 1964, which had been attended by 131 persons, including guests, was considered “to have been worthy of the occasion. And the Centenary Services, which were held on 9th February, were conducted by Dr L.E. Champion, the then President-elect of the Baptist Union and “were a fitting climax to the celebrations.”

100th Anniversary Church Meeting. – I felt it would be appropriate to include this! The Minutes of the Church Meeting held on 26th February, 1964 read: “The Chairman led the opening devotions, during the course of which he mentioned that this was the 100th Anniversary of the Church Meeting in 1864, at which our Church was founded. It was to be hoped that our decisions, especially on this night, would be worthy of the witnesses who had gone before, from whom we inherited so much.”

It was mentioned at the end of the last history article that the notion of an all-age Bible School was introduced during the centenary year and this, All Age Bible Study and Worship (AABSAW), commenced on 3rd November 1963. A proposal had been carried at a Church Meeting earlier in the year as it had been felt that this could provide for Systematic Bible Study, Togetherness in Worship and Spiritual Development within the Community. Sunday mornings were reorganised, and the initial programme was: 10 am – 10.50 am - Bible Study by Departments and Groups and from 11 am – 11.35 am – Worship together. There were eight adult groups, which were formed according to age and gender, as well as all the departments covering ages 3 to 18 years as well as a nursery for the under 3’s.

During 1967 the format changed, which facilitated the preaching of the Good News to the morning congregation and a shorter time for the Primary department to be kept in for the worship time, but it is recorded that “it was a pleasure to have people visiting us from other churches to see how AABSAW works in practice. I hope that what they see here encourages them to begin a similar programme in their own churches. There is no doubt that the basis of the future church lies in Bible education and no matter what form it takes, the church must provide a good efficient programme.” It was interesting to note that at the end of 1967 membership stood at 171 in addition to 153 under 14 years and 45 between 14-20 years in AABSAW and other organisations.

The Church Motto Text for 1967 – “In everything by Prayer” was given by the new minister, Rev. Rodney Collins, and a good beginning to the year was made as the church met for special prayer on January 1st. Prayer meetings were held and sessions of free prayer were incorporated in the two services. It was obvious from the Newsletter for January 1967 that Rev. Collins had already planned the Motto for 1968, as he wrote: “If it is true that God works ‘not by might nor by power but by My Spirit,’ then so much depends on our recognition of this and our willingness to wait on Him in prayer at home and at Church.” As Dr. A. C. Dixon put it, “When you rely upon organisation, you get what organisation can do; when you rely upon eloquence, you get what eloquence can do; when you rely on money, you get what money can do; and I am not discounting these when properly understood and used; but when you rely upon prayer you get what God can do.” During the year there were many special prayer meetings. There were regular meetings for prayer for missionary as well as prayer times during Wednesday Meeting Point. In the Secretary’s report for 1967 she wrote: “This brings me to what I think the most successful Wednesday Evening meetings for a long time, that is, the programme entitled ‘A School of Prayer’. It really was a school, desks and all, and by the end of the session pupil participation was really showing. We had an average attendance of 40.”

The Secretary continued: “Finally let’s look to 1968-69. On the first Sunday in this year we held a service of re-dedication – of ourselves to Jesus Christ, and to His service in all aspects of life. With these promises in mind, we can look at some of the programme for 1968. Already begun is the School of Evangelism. We must take advantage of this and make it even more of a success than the School of Prayer. The Evangelism Committee is working on a plan for outreach; have you considered the part you can play? No matter what plans are made, no matter what policy is recommended, none of them can be fully implemented without the full and active support of all church members. This means regular attendance at worship and church meetings, sacrificial giving of our time and money, and prayer. Our motto this year sets us thinking about Spiritual Power. Do we know what this Power is? Do we know what it can do? Are we surprised by what happens? Let us be prepared for any Happening. Revd. J. Ithel Jones, President, B.U. said in his New Year greeting, ‘My prayer is that during this coming year it may happen on an ever-increasing scale. Do not quench the Spirit when He comes with His prompting. The most famous ‘Last Words’ any church can utter are ‘We’ve never done it that way here before.’ We can carry out the work for 1968, our 105th year, if we follow the direction of our motto text, “not by might, not by power, but By My Spirit, says the Lord.”