Volume 19, Issue 01
St. Augustine Evangelical Bible Church, Cor. Agostini & Bellesmythe Sts. Curepe
Editorial
Grounded and Growing in Love
The SAEBC Theme for 2023 is Grounded and Growing in Love. As we say goodbye to our 2021 and 2022 Theme of ‘Truth Tools for Tough Times’, which was so appropriate for our experiences of the last two years, we warmly welcome the new Theme.
Our hope is that this Theme resonates with everyone and that we will see the effect of this as a Church and as individuals, families, etc. In this Editorial members of the Board are going to briefly share why they think that this Theme is so relevant.
Pastor Kelvin:
The dynamic of being “Grounded and Growing in Love” according to Ephesians chapter 3:16-19 is the main conduit or highway for experiencing the fullness of God Himself. To study, know and live out this dynamic must be a requirement for all God’s family.
Deacon Martin:
To be “Grounded and Growing in Love” is an indispensable prerequisite to live out our Christian experience and to mature into “Christ-likeness” so as to effectively represent God. 1 John 4:8 reminded us “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love”.
Deaconess Jacqueline:
Our access to a healthy relationship with God is grounded in love, the love that caused Him to send His Son to die for us so that we can be restored to Him. Thus, an important sign of the sincerity with which we have submitted to Him and are striving to be more like Him is our
continuous growth in love for Him and for our fellow man.
Elder Joe:
Jesus challenged His disciples to make love the distinguishing mark of their discipleship (John 13:34). Throughout the New Testament Epistles, we also find many passages challenging us to grow in love: 1 Cor. 16:13,14; Eph. 3:17-19; 4:14-16; Col. 2:6,7; 1 John 4:7,8. We must study/learn how to do this.
Deaconess Sonnel:
God is love and so when we are grounded in love, we allow our roots to grow deeper and deeper in Him. The natural result will be that we see Love/God in our inward growth, our outward growth in relationships with others, and our upward growth in our relationship with God. It is a beautiful cycle of receiving God’s love, growing in that love, and overflowing in that love, as God fills us.
Deacon Noel:
For us to grow in love, as individuals, as families, as a body, we must be anchored (grounded) in the knowledge and experience of Christ”s love. It is His love in us that will allow us to love sacrificially and selflessly.
Deaconess Ebi:
When we are grounded and growing in God’s love, our thoughts, actions, and motives should reflect the characteristics of His love. We all can grow, even if at different paces. And with this understanding, we spur each other on, with love, grace, patience, and humility – all for His glory.
Pastor Francis:
Everything without love is nothing. This Theme prompts us all to prioritise what is most
important to the Lord: How much we are grounded and growing in our love for Him and others,
Deaconess Jasmine:
God is love. Love is part of his nature. SAEBC’s theme for 2023 – Grounded and Growing in
Love –will take us on a journey which will enhance our understanding of who God is, help us to become more secure in His love for us, and help us to love Him more and love others as He has asked us to.
Deacon Lindsay:
It’s about us grasping Jesus’ love like a plant grasps the soil in which it is planted to produce; in our case love, as we continue to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him and His.
Elder Lindon:
To love is more than a command but the chief virtue. It is forged in the trials to understand God’s love and learning to live vulnerably and authentically in community. It is Christ’s disposition in us to seek the good of others, even at great personal cost.
Missions
Missions Corner (The Hewitt's & Denise Thompson)
The Hewitt's Prayer Letter, Christmas 2022
Dear Family & Friends,
We can’t believe that the year is already coming to an end, but we want to wish all of you a Wonderful and Merry Christmas and many blessings from Jesus - our Beautiful Savior, for the New Year 2023! May He grant you the desires of your heart!
We also want to thank you so much for walking with us and for partnering with us indifferent ways…Through your prayers, financial support, care packages, your WhatsApp messages :) and in many other ways that you made us feel special and loved, and reminded us that we are not alone in this Journey!
Thank you so much for all of your prayers for Nicola and me and the kids. Your prayers for protection, and provision and for patience with the various challenges that we faced this past year. Thank you for your continued prayers for the new Church Plant - Cornerstone. We will celebrate our 8th Sunday Service on Christmas Day and are so grateful to the Lord for all who have been attending each week (usually between 40 -60 folks so far), but each week we have also had visitors who never heard the Gospel or ever entered a church before in their lives. So can you please pray that they will continue to attend and that they would come to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour? Thank you again, because we could not fight the good fight and win these battles without your prayer support!
The Visit of the “Kerusso” Steelband from Brazil…
We were also really thankful to have the Kerusso Steelpan Orchestra visit us for 10 days to do Evangelistic Christmas Concerts, together with the members of the new Church! (We started the Orchestra 25 years ago with 12 members and there are 7 of the original members who are still in the Group today.) So it was also nice to minister with them again and to see what God continues to do through them, even in our absence. :)
They did several concerts & church services, and it was a great opportunity for all who attended to experience the joy that only Jesus can bring (through beautiful music,) and also for them to understand the Gospel and the true meaning of Christmas… For only Jesus is our Living Hope! So we want to wish you a Beautiful and Enjoyable Christmas Day with your family and loved ones, and we also wish you more of Jesus!
Lots of Love,
Chris, Nicola, Joshua & Katie.
Did you know you can Livestream Urbana 22 sessions from home?
About six thousand participants will be arriving in Indianapolis, IN this week to learn more about God's mission in the world and the different ways they can be part of it at the Urbana Student Missions Conference. Want to see what Urbana is like for yourself?
The full conference schedule is below. The morning and evening “Gathering Hall” sessions will be livestreamed on the homepage of the Urbana website at urbana.org. Note that these times are EASTERN times.
The first session will be Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm Central on December 28. Tune in for powerful testimonies and worship! I would love to hear how you are impacted by these sessions—text me!
What's On
This Month
As announced at SAEBC’s October 2022 Business Meeting, the Pastors and Elders are preparing a Leadership Development Program that will begin in February 2023. The goal of the program is to identify and prepare members who are willing to fill leadership posts in the future within SAEBC: Ministry Leaders, Deacons, Deaconesses, Elders, Pastors or Beyond SAEBC: AEBC, Missions, Para-Church Organisations
In the past, SAEBC has found Pastors from within its Eldership and Elders from among its Deacons. The church membership has endorsed this approach to growth and development. This requires that members make themselves available for training and appointment or election to leadership positions.
We invite those who feel the call to Church leadership involvement to prayerfully consider the application below. Please complete and submit this application to the church office (in written form via Email or WhatsApp) by January 8th 2023 and you will obtain an interview for inclusion in the program.
The head of the Church, Our Lord Jesus Christ, both calls and equips leaders for His body. Pray/work with us as we seek to find His provisions for SAEBC.
Please download and fill out the interest form below
Fun Corner
A Word To The Wise Should Be Sufficient...
Two guys are out hunting in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t appear to be breathing and his eyes are glazed over. The other man pulls out his cellphone and with trembling fingers calls 911: He gasps, “I think my friend is dead! What should I do?”
The 911 operator replies,” Please stay calm. I will help you. First of all, make sure that he is dead.”
There is silence for a while. Then the operator hears a gunshot and the caller gets back online saying, “OK, he’s dead, now what?”
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Overheard in a police station:
“You know, it’s in times like this that I wish I had listened to what my mother always told me.”
“What did she say?”
“I don’t know, I wasn’t listening.”
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We are all here on earth to help others. But what on earth the others are here for I don’t know!
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Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you, not because they are nice but because you are.
This Month's
Prayer & Praises
Let’s Pray Without Ceasing
For us as a Church and our Nation as we enter into a New Year; Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…not grow weary and lose heart Hebrews 12:2-4
As Schools reopen on January 3rd 2023, let us pray for:
Our students (Primary, Secondary, Pre-Tertiary & Tertiary)
Teachers
Parents
Let’s Give Thanks
An incredible Christmas Season
Upcoming
Preaching Schedule
Theme
Grounded and Growing in Love (Philippians 1:9)
Memory Verse:
"Know therefore that the Lord Your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands" - Deuteronomy 7:9
DATES | SPEAKER | TOPIC |
JAN 08 | Pastor Francis Warner | God is Love |
JAN 15 | Elder Lindon Mitchel | The Father–Source of Love (Psalm 63:3) |
JAN 22 | Elder Joe Caterson | The Son–Display of Love (Eph 3:14-19) |
JAN 29 | Pastor Kelvin Mapp | The Spirit–Channel of Love (Rom 5:5, Gal 5) |
FEB 05 | Pastor Francis Warner | This is Love (1 John 4:10) | Communion Service |
SUNDAY SERVICE RESUMES JANUARY 8TH 2023 @ 9AM
TIMES | SERVICE |
9:00 AM | Sunday Service |
11:30 AM | Sunday School |
6:00 PM | Wednesday CBSI |
7:15 PM | Wednesday Prayer Meeting |