Newbold Baptist Church Website, Rochdale, United Kingdom

Latest News from
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MICHAEL WINCH
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16 St John’s Court, Newbold,
Rochdale, Lancashire, OL16 5TF England

Tel: + 44 (0) 1706 351193 E-mail: michael.winch@btinternet.com

News & Prayer Letter No. 53, December 2008

3 The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. 4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea – the Lord on high is mighty. Psalm 93:3-4

Hello Everyone,

I remember the last Saturday of October well. I was at Adelaide College in Saltcoats on the Ayrshire coast. I remember the great storm that raged that day. I’ve seen the sea breaking over the sea wall there before, but nothing like that day. I saw the reality of Psalm 93:3 (above) being played out before me. But the Psalmist reminds in v.4 that despite all this – “the Lord on high is mighty.” That is the truth we need to take hold of in these days when everything is falling apart – the collapse of worldwide economies is affecting us all, with many people losing their jobs, their homes and their financial security, etc. We see the effects of climate change in the cataclysmic weather patterns in many parts of the world. Jesus said, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28) This season of Advent leads us up to celebrating the birth of the Son of God in human flesh at Bethlehem. Yet Advent is also the challenge to be ready for His second coming! All the signs are that we are living in the Last Days, and the return of Christ Jesus is close (yet I would not be foolish enough as some have done to predict a date). We do need to be ready to meet Him!

MINISTRY DURING 2008

As far as preaching goes it has been a busy year. At Newbold Baptist Church where I preach at approximately 4-week intervals, I have preached over the last 8-months on the Seven Letters of Jesus to the seven churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea in Revelation 2 – 3, preceded with an introductory sermon on Revelation 1. In response to the encouragement of a number in the church, I will from January preach through Revelation 4 – 22. Some chapters will need to be split. I reckon possibly 23 sermons. This will take me until Autumn 2010. I would value your prayers in this that I am faithful to the leading of the Holy Spirit and that God’s people are correctly taught. My responsibility is not to the fellowship at Newbold alone. Sermons at Newbold are recorded for the church website, so can be heard by anyone anywhere!

Itinerant ministry, mainly in the Rochdale, Littleborough and Todmorden area still continues, though I have cut back on the number of preaching engagements I accept to some extent so that I am more available to the fellowship at Newbold. (I am also trying to avoid “bunching” of dates for itinerant preaching resulting in three or possibly four in as many weeks). On the Sunday morning of 26th October, as part of my Scottish week-end, I drove along flooded roads to reach the Mount Zion Fellowship in Quarriers Village in Renfrewshire where Rev Andy Lunn (who went to India with me in 2000) is the pastor. He led the service and I preached. It was good to share together like this – as we had done in India in preaching and teaching. It was good to have dinner and fellowship with the Lunn’s in their Port Glasgow (Inverclyde) home. A most enjoyable time. I then drove on the coast road back to Adelaide College for their evening service, where a student, Stephen Muessig, led the service and I preached.


Joel, his late father Pastor D B Abraham and Pastor Andy in Hyderabad (2000)	In my house – Andy & Jo, Bethany, Carys & Sam with myself (2008)

LATEST HEALTH UPDATE

I want to thank you for your continuing prayers for my health again this year. It has been a pretty good year. I was conscious of many people praying for me when I had cataract operations on both eyes. One eye was done on 1st February and the other on 14th March. Both were a complete success and my sight is fantastic.

I SAW THE LOVE OF JESUS IN REV W BEDDARD SMITH (1908-1985)

I praise God for the many people who have encouraged me, taught me and ministered to me since I became a Christian. But leading up to me becoming a Christian, I remember William Beddard Smith who came to our church, Whitley Hall Methodist, Reading, with his wife Evelyn when I was 12. I was in Reading on 14th July, the centenary of his birth. It was an opportunity to reflect and praise God for his ministry during those critical years of my life up to 17. Both he and his wife had a heart for young people. They led the YPF and various other activities with us. They related with us, with one desire, to point to that necessary relationship with Christ! Beddard was an evangelist at heart and sought to reach people for Jesus. I saw the love of Jesus in their lives and I wanted to know Him too! Seeds sown for 4½ years bore fruit! Before going to another Methodist Circuit, an evangelistic mission was held, (‘Student Campaign’), led by Richmond College students. That week, I was “born again”!

I heard Alf Lawson, who led that student team preach in 2005. He was even more on fire for Jesus than he was when I was 17.

Photo’s clockwise from top left: (1) Beddard painting in Whitley Hall, (2) Whitley Hall Methodist Church [sadly today a Hindu temple], (3) YPF after cycling to Henley, (4) The former Manse, where us young people gathered after the Sunday evening service, (5) YPF on Good Friday at Riseley Methodist, [with me, aged 15, on the extreme left] and (6) Three Mile Cross Methodist Church, where years later I heard Beddard Smith preach for the last time – on Luke 12:32.

None of us can live in the past, but we can thank God for it. The Smith’s were faithful to God’s call. When earlier in their ministry their missionary work in China was terminated by the Communists, they saw it as a door closed but another open. I’ve shared to say that when we allow God to use us He will open the doors to serve Him!

SOME FAMILY NEWS

Mark & Sarah: They moved to Burry Port near Llanelli in 2007. It is a beautiful place to live with country and sea and its dedicated cycle routes, which suits Mark fine. He uses the sea front cycle route to and from work at Halfords in Llanelli. Sarah lost her job but is now a salesperson at the Aldi store. I took the photo of their house (below) in July with scaffolding around it, as cavity ties had to be replaced as well as other work, including the drive. I’ll hopefully show a photo of the completed work in my 2009 newsletter.

Stephen, Jackie, Jordan, Erika & Aidan: Steve lost his job early in the year, as he was not well enough to continue with the security alarm company he was with. He has been looking for work but so far unsuccessful. Jackie continues working at Shutters Village Day Nursery. Jordan (10), Erika (7) and Aidan (4) are all at St Michael’s CE School in Bamford for this year only, and seen in the photo (above). Jordan will be moving to secondary school in September.

Jane, Dale, Jessica, Melissa & Olivia: Jane & Dale are very busy with their two florists shops – “Heaven Scent” and “Royal Flowers” in Oldham. Jessica (18) is now a civil servant, working in pensions. Jessica along with Melissa (15) and Olivia (12) are all well.

Paul has been out of work since February. The car industry is one of those to suffer most in the downturn of the economy! Accordingly, new parts are needed much less. People don’t want even second hand cars. So Paul, whose used to working hard, spends a great deal of time searching for any job to give him an income at this time.

THE NEW YEAR

I have accepted an invitation to join the Board of Trustees of the Come Back to God Campaign and Adelaide College. This will involve me in a quarterly trustees meeting mainly at the home of the longest-serving Trustee, Rev David Watkins, a retired Methodist minister, at Chirk, North Wales. It will also involve me going up to Adelaide College in Scotland for possibly a couple of (separate) weeks a year to preach and teach and to encourage both students and staff.

Just to explain, all students of Adelaide College do some time in "on the job" training in serving on mission throughout the UK with the Come Back to God Campaign. They are both linked and that is why the Board of Trustees includes both. I would value the prayers of all at Newbold as I serve as part of the Board of Trustees.
Thank you so much.

AND FINALLY …

Once more, thank you for all your prayers for my family and myself.

God bless you this Christmastime and throughout 2009.

With my love and prayers,

Mike

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