UK and Ireland LinkUP
Transcript of UK and Ireland LinkUP
A word from our President: Back Page
LinkUP
As we begin a new year we look ahead towhat we want to do and achieve in 2016.
It is often good to look back to where we’ve been - to
help us continue our exciting journey with God.
Many changes are taking place in BCM – new oppor-
tunities for people to obey God’s call.
Please pray with us about all these new situa-
tions.
Reaching children: Serving churches Winter 2016
UK and Ireland
Liz Marr writes:This is the last LinkUpcollated by me. It is withgreat pleasure that I in-troduce Alister Blythwho will edit from nowon. Alister is married toFiona, one of our Scot-tish staff.
New year ofopportunity
Bye bye, Barb!Members of the BCM familygathered to honour Barbwho has retired after morethan 35 years service at theWeston-super-Mare UKheadquarters.
See pages 4, 5 & 6
UpdatesfromIreland
Pages 2-3
European conferencereflections:
Page 7
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manding job.
In a recent prayer letter
Gemma told how God had
shown the couple that He
wanted them to head up BCM’s
work at Mullartown.
She said it was a year ago that
Scott Widman told the BCM NI
Trust that he believed his time as
director at Mullartown was
coming to an end.
Jason and Gemma had no
desire to step into his shoes -
they were actually consider-
ing another camp in North-
ern Ireland.
But the Trust asked them to
seriously think about taking
on the job and the couple
promised to seek God’s guid-
ance.
Gemma said: “We spent a
couple of months really praying
and seeking God and it boiled
down to three options:
lStay at Mullartown and con-
tinue in the roles we were al-
ready in;
lPursue the other camp; or
lTake on board the directorship
of Mullartown.
“So we visited the other camp
and Jason felt it wasn’t right for
us. From that day Jason was
introduced to the verse ‘and
we know that in all things
God works for the good of
those who love Him, and
who have been called accord-
ing to His purpose’ (Romans
8:28.) It was coming at him
from all directions. We knew
what we had to do.
“We both have a real heart
for Mullartown and the work
that goes on here and we really
feel that our time and work here
is not finished!”
Northern Ireland
JASON and Gemma Hillhave been part of the
team at Mullartown campfor several years.
They plan to take over the running of
Mullartown House in Annalong later in
the year.
Before they take on the role of direc-
tors at Mullartown the couple, with son
Ethan, are currently visiting other BCM
camp sites to draw on the expertise of
others and to see what ideas they can
utilise in Northern Ireland.
Pray for them as they travel till the
end of spring.
Please also pray for Jason and Gemma
as they look to God to provide the nec-
essary support to do this great and de-
Mullartown coupleopen to new ideas
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I wait quietly beforeGod, for my victorycomes from Him. Let allthat I am wait quietly be-fore God, for my hope isin Him. Psalm 62:1 and5
THE new caretakersat Castledaly Manor
- Nathan and JennaDancey - have been in-volved in BCM Irelandsince they were young.
Nathan is the son of Marcus
and Debbie Dancey - Debbie has
worked with BCM for 40 years.
Nathan and Jenna are looking
forward to reaching out to the
local community in and around
Athlone as well as looking after
the centre and its users.
They planned to run a cook-
ery day for local children on Sat-
urday December 5, but only onesigned up.
After they had cancelled itseveral more inquired, so theDanceys called off the cancella-tion and instead postponed theevent until the following Satur-day. Please thank God for thesechildren who heard the gospel
presented by Nathan and Jennathrough the Christmas story.
And, of course, the childrenenjoyed the chance to preparesome tasty Christmas goodies!
Please pray that this be a greatoutreach. Pray for wisdom asthey consider repeating thisculinary venture.
Ireland
Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you knowevery heart. Show us which of these menyou have chosen . . . . in this ministry.”Acts 1:24-25
Those of us who used to be the young ones
coming into the ministry are now the older
ones with retirement looming ahead.
It's been encouraging to have Nathan and
Jenna Dancey join us in the Eire team. They are
in touch with a whole new generation. How-
ever, we have a big age gap between the older
generation and Nathan and Jenna's. We also
have big geographical gaps in Ireland where
very little ministry to children is taking place.
We have big gaps in our present ministries
with need for support personnel in admin, pub-
lications, finances and media.
Praise God, we now have people applying to
join us in the ministry! Please pray that the
Lord will “show us which of these men (and
women!) You have chosen for this ministry.”
Food for thought
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Friends gathered in BristolRoad Baptist Church in We-
ston-super-Mare on November 21to celebrate the ministry of BarbVan Valkenburg.
Barb has been based in Weston for more
than 35 years. There was lots of food and lots
of fun in the afternoon led ably by
Kate Macnab who has worked with
Barb for most of her time in Weston-
super-Mare.
There was a musical rendition of
Barb’s favourite camp song Little
Bunny Foo Foo as well as corporate
singing led by Matt Tupper, one of our
volunteers. Barb is planning to relocate to the
USA in June. Some would say she was retir-
ing but Barb is planning to be
involved with In Step with the
Master Teacher training, in the
USA and internationally.
We will pray for Barb as she
makes plans to relocate. Don’t forget
to also pray for Kate, pictured above with
Barb, as she enters a new phase of her
ministry without her co-worker.
Bye bye, Barb!United Kingdom United Kingdom
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I would like to help BCM reach more chil-dren with God’s word and support its mis-sionaries in their valuable work. Please findenclosed a cheque for:
£.................................................................
payable to BCM UK.
pI am a UK taxpayer and wish BCM toreclaim tax on this and my future gifts.
I confirm that I pay at least as much incomeor capital gains tax as will be reclaimed byall charities on my donations in each taxyear, including community amateur sportsclubs. (Please note that other taxes such as coun-cil tax and VAT do not qualify).
pPlease send me a standing order formto set up regular giving from my bank
or building society.
pI have arranged to leave BCM UK alegacy.
pPlease send me details of how I canleave BCM UK a legacy.
Name...........................................................
Address.........................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
....................................................................
Telephone.....................................................
Email...........................................................
Any further comments
More photo fun from Barb’s party
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BCM EuropeanC o n f e r e n c e ,
2015. How do you sumit up?
There were all the things you'dexpect – great food, comfortablesurroundings, multi-culturalfriendships and a relaxed, yetfocussed, atmosphere at Cas-tledaly Manor. Teaching andseminars to inform and chal-lenge were provided and out-ings too, as well as aninternational event open to any-
one to learn about the wide va-riety of ministries in the coun-tries represented. Just whatyou'd expect.
But there was much more. Thelittle things that make theconference special. Corpo-rate and individual prayer torefresh the soul. Recognitionof service, both long and justbeginning.
Big smiles as communicationwent beyond the boundaries oflanguage. Friendships re-
newed and some just springingto life. A time to laugh and atime to cry. Sharing ideas andsolving problems, learning fromwhat others have gone through.
That glimpse of Jesus in thelives of brothers and sisters
u s u -ally separated by geography,but being brought together asone because of a love thatknows no borders.
Yes, in one sense, the EuropeanConference was all you'd ex-pect. But it was much more thanmere words can express. It hasto be experienced.
Perhaps that is the lesson weall need to remember as we ap-proach 2017!
ESTHER Zimmermanhas been Interna-tional Children’s Min-istry director for
many years.Her parents, Bob and Sandy
Barber, brought Esther to Scot-land as a baby when they camefrom America to serve as BCMmissionaries. BCM has thus always been a
big part of Esther’s life. Over
the years she has served bytraining children’s workers andin staff and curriculum devel-opment. Esther, in photo with hus-
band David, is now going toteach at Lancaster Bible Col-lege in Pennsylvania but willremain an associate of BCM. We wish Esther well and will
continue to pray for her in hernew post.
Conference 2015
Together we shared a glimpse of Jesus
By Steve Marr
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I pray that your love overflows with per-ceptive wisdom, showing you the best wayto live pure and blamelessly, awaitingChrist’s return, filling you with the fruit ofrighteousness found only in Christ bringsglory and praise to God. Phil. 1:9-11(MUT)*
NEW Year resolutions can betraced back to Babylonian
days when people promisedlocal deities to return borrowedobjects and pay debts. It was acommitment to be better.
We as believers have something much better -a promise by God to give us his Son and a com-mitment to redeem, remake, and ready us for Hisreturn.
My prayer for you this year is that you over-flow with the life-changing love and righteous-ness found only in Christ Jesus.
Be ready for His return
I pray that you bring glory and praise toGod through your life and ministry as to-gether we hope for his return and work to fur-ther the Kingdom. And if someone asks: ”Isthis the year of His return?” you can shout: ”Ihope so, for I am ready!”
Blessings,
Marty
*MUT (Marty’s Unorthodox Translation)
‘We have apromisefrom Godto give usHis Sonand to redeem, remake,and readyus for Hisreturn’
BCM is a faith mission. The work is fi-nanced through freewill offerings fromfaithful people whose hearts are touchedby God. Any gifts can be sent to BCM In-ternational UK (Anchor) Trust, 39a SwissRoad, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 3AY.Tel 01934 413484 Email:[email protected] Websites: www.bcm.org.uk www.bcmire-land.ieSee also BCM on FacebookBCM is a registered charity (England No1044539 - Scotland No SCO41111
For your diary Our 2016 BCM UK andIreland conference will
run from September8 to 12, Thursday to
Monday. We’d love tosee you there. Praytoo as we plan ahead
From MARTY WINDLE, our President
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