Today's Meetings:

9.45am Children's Bible Club
10.15am Sunday Prayer Meeting in cottage
11.00am Morning Service
6.00pm Evening Service
After Church Fellowship at Bruce and Margaret's home which will finish by 8.30pm
Weekly Meetings:

Thursday

2.00pm Ladies Rest Hour - Speaker: William Smith
7.45pm Bible Study and Prayer Meeting - Led by Pastor

Sunday

11.00am & 6.00pm Sunday Services - Led by Pastor

Thought For The Week:

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills - From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121: 1-2

Prayer For The Church:

Thank God for the clear gospel message that was given at the South East Youth meeting on Friday. Pray that God may use that in salvation.
Continue to pray for Vanessa & Peter as they expect their first baby.
Continue to pray for Jimmy Whyte, Joan White and Pam Porter.
Pray for Mark as he returns home from holiday that he will really know the presence of the Lord in his study.

Prayer For The Local Area:

Lewisham is the church on our Prayer Diary for the coming week. The church correspondent writes: "We have recently been made aware that our large church hall is in need of a major renovation. We are so thankful that God has graciously provided funding through a generous legacy."

Prayer For The Wider Area:

Indian radicals move to make another Orissa.

A large gathering of anti-Christian fanatics proclaimed their intent to bring the Orissa persecution to their own state: Jharkhand.

"We will make our district like Orissa," declared the extremists. Late August saw the launch of the worst persecution against Christians in recent history, beginning in Orissa and then spreading throughout the nation.

These claims followed an attack on Gospel for Asia missionary Mohan Girji. Serving in Jharkhand, Girji was severely beaten by the extremists. The fanatics also attacked a GFA-related church and made plans to beat two other missionaries, but thankfully those plans were not carried through. The extremists claim that a mistranslation of a word in the Jharkhand-language Bible was the reason for their attacks; they demand the word is fixed immediately.

Christians in the Jharkhand area were forced to gather in another nearby location because of the rising tension.

Persecution rising in Algeria.

Courthouses in Algeria are collecting more and more Christians. Operation Mobilization reports the sentencing of five missionaries and several local believers. The Christians received two to three years in prison plus fines, but they are appealing. Although persecution is an opportunity to witness and grow, it's also emotionally draining.

So far, 20 churches have been told to stop their activities, but they're ignoring this order. In September, six members of a house fellowship were handcuffed after the meeting and held in custody overnight. Their gathering "disturbed the faith of Muslims," and the believers were ridiculed, pressured and accused of becoming Christians for the money and visas. "The only visa we have received is that to heaven," the believers replied.

Among the Christians that visited the court in Tiaret to learn about trial results were local newspapers and internationals. Some of the cases included six believers who were sentenced to two years in prison and two believers that were going through trial again. In the first case, believers were accused of "shaking the faith of Muslims" and "holding religious meetings without permission," On top of the two-year prison sentence, the Christians were fined $5,000 euros apiece.

Bible Readings:

October
26th 1 Kings 15:1-34; John 3:22-4:26
27th 1 Kings 16:1-17:24; John 4:27-54
28th Psalms 59; John 5:1-30
29th 1 Kings 18:1-46; John 5:31-47
30th 1 Kings 19:1-21; John 6:1-24
31st 1 Kings 20:1-43; John 6:25-59

November
1st 1 Kings 21:1-29; John 6:60-7:24
2nd 1 Kings 22:1-53; John 7:25-52

General Announcements:

Members' meeting
Monday November 3rd 8 p.m.
Agendas will be available this evening.

Hymn book supplement
A few copies of a very draft version are available - please do not take more than one per home. I would be very grateful if one or two friends could proof read for typo mistakes. Also if any obvious omissions have been made. The 2008 version will eventually be on thicker paper and spiral bound. We have also to compile a tune version!