‘Start with God’ – Closing Celebration 

There were both challenges and reflections during the closing celebration of this year’s Baptist Assembly

The session featured the final element of honouring the ministers who have now transferred to the accredited list and mission personnel about to go overseas.

There had been a reception for the ministers just prior to the Assembly starting, and they were prayed for in the iOpener session that had preceeded the closing ceremony.

‘Throughout the day we have wanted to honour them,’ said Lynn Green. ‘We welcomed them this morning, prayed for them this afternoon, and now we are going to commission them.’

Lynn and David led the ministers and mission workers through the commissioning, before they dispersed around the venue to be prayed for by delegates.



Following the commissioning three people shared something of their stories.

Sonja Locton, who had served in Mizoram in India with a BMS Action Team, spoke of the kind of church "I want you all to build for my friends to come". 

Speaking of the number of non-Christians and non churched people she knew, and how Jesus had asked his disciples to throw the net on the other side of the boat in John 21, she said, ‘We need to step back and look at what we do. If it’s important, keep it, if not then drop it. Keep our eyes focused on God.

‘The church I want you to build is a full church, where every church is a different church, but where we all worship with our eyes focused on God.’

Joe Haward, minister of This Hope, a Baptist church plant in Newton Abbot, spoke on the 'one thing I wish I'd known at my recognition.'

‘It might sound strange thing to say, but it is this: Jesus is Lord,' he said. 'How often have I declared it but not lived it because of my pride. How often have I seen people as targets.
‘The temptation is always to go on my own path – but each of us is called to live in the reality that Jesus is Lord.’

Veteran mission worker Derek Doonan, who had served with BMS in Brazil for more than 20 years alongside his wife and pastored a Baptist church for a full ten years after retirement age, spoke on how faithful God is. ‘Through ministry, through working in Brazil, through ill health, family, all of our lives we have experienced what a faithful God we have. And our faithful God is your faithful God.’

A number of people were invited to share their highlight of Assembly. For Richard Wilson of Newport Pagnell Baptist Church said this was the Big Picnic, a visible coming together and sharing of fellowship among the Baptist family under the Peterborough sun.

Emmanuel from London spoke of the Godly Play Market Place session hosted by Jenni, and how such a session invites those involved to bring their own insights, rather than be told them.

For Ann MacDonald of Park Road Baptist Church, Peterborough, this was her first Assembly. She highlighted Jenni’s message, and how God is leading us out of our comfort zone.

Isabel from Wokingham Baptist Church had taken part in the Innovation stream and highlighted ‘the feeling of family, getting together with all my friends. And we’ve had such a great opportunity to take part in so much this year.’
 
Earlier Assembly host Seidel Boanerges had spoken of the Living Stones wall during the prayer session.

‘When the wall was being built, it was really moving,’ he said. ‘Seeing the people who had passed away at the bottom, then the ministers and mission workers, then the young people from Innovation, then everyone else. It was such a brilliant picture. We are not alone. We are interdependent.’

Lynn Green added that ‘we have shared so many brilliant things that are happening in our churches. I hope you have been encouraged.’

New President Jenni Entrican closed Assembly by praying a blessing, taking inspiration from Ephesians, and in particular the Message translation.

‘Eugene Peterson writes that God starts everything,’ she said. ‘The key to daring greatly is to start with God.’


Prayer Picture: www.alexbakerphotography.com