Happy New Year!

On Saturday travelled down to Exeter, Devon together with a minibus full of our people to witness the induction of Jonathan Munday to the pastorate of Exeter Independent Evangelical Church. It is a relatively new work and Jonathan is their very first minister. It was an encouraging service, with contributions from Brian Higham (under whose preahcing Jonathan was converted) reading the Scriptures and praying and Dewi Higham preaching. He spoke from Matthew 6:33, urging us all to put God first in all things. Jonathan, who was the pastor of Maryport Street Baptist Church, Devizes spoke movingly of how he felt the Lord calling him to the Exeter. While Jonathan was seeking a new pastorate, the Mundays worshipped with us at Ebenezer Baptist Church, West Lavington. It was good to have them in the congregation for almost a year. We miss them, but it was nice to see them settled in their new situation. (The Munday family are pictured above).

We had a good family Christmas and saw in the new year in Wales, where we stayed a few days with my mum. Probably the most popular Christmas present was a Wii fit board. It is really cool and fun, although it does tend to nag on a bit about loosing weight and going to bed early. I've become something of an expert at slalom skiing, which is saying something, as I've never done any real skiing.

We had some visitors in the congregation over Christmas, which was encouraging. Yesterday I preached on 2 Thessalonians 3:1 for Penknap Providence Church's "motto" text for the year. This text will be printed on each monthly prayer diary. How we need God's help as we seek to make the gospel known in the next year!

I've had a bit of a break from reading over the Christmas period, but it was good to get back into things this morning, taking up Paul the Missionary, by Eckhard J. Schnabel, IVP/Apollos, 2008. I'm 143 pages in to this 518 page book and the review deadline is looming.