Stukeley Update

It has been awhile but the blog is being updated. Thank you Diane Jernigan for walking me through the login.

Great News! Stukeley Baptist has undergone a name change. They are now called “Grace Fellowship". This has been a very positive and exciting change. Paul and Jepye say they are having more visitors which is great. In addition to the name change they are doing work inside and outside the building and it looks so much better.

Grace Fellowship, Alconbury Chapel, Alconbury Baptist Church, and Emmanuel Baptist are once again teaming up to run Vacation Bible School. This year we will be doing "Game Day Central." Our team from Emmanuel consists of Chris and JoSue Nash, Diane Jernigan, and Diane Phillips. We are extremely excited that God is able to use us to help spread his word in England.

You too can be a part of this exciting experience. How you ask? Pray! Pray for the EBC team (travel, funding, learning the material); Grace Fellowship (More visitors and for them to keep coming, the start of another small group, for the children who attend to come to faith in Christ, for the parents of the children who attend to express some interest in spiritual matters, and health for their members); UK (that people will come to know God, to develop a passion for his word, and that they will commit to leading their lives for him).

God bless you all

Stukeley Update October 31, 2007

This is Stukeley Calling . . .
Well the date has been set again for Paul’s knee surgery, November 13th. Please pray nothing stops it this time, Paul is more than anxious to get some relief. We do appreciate your prayers and thank you!
Jepye has a room reserved at the guest house on base, so she will be there while Paul is in the hospital. She had begun driving the car, but with petrol prices the way they are we decided that it would be about the same cost for her to stay on base as it would be to drive 2hrs round trip each day. After Paul gets back home he will send out another email.

We will be doing some special things in December.

We will have a “Carols and Lessons” service December 15th, featuring the Bottisham Bells, Members of Handbell Ringers of Great Britain.

Julia Whitham, Peter’s wife, has written a Christmas play and music and has around 10 girls preparing to present it on December the 23rd.

It has always been interesting to me how our faithfulness to the gospel has a ripple effect on all of us. Because you support us in our ministry in England our church has been supporting the work in Iraq. We have been sending money to the Indigenous Mission Project program of the EBF. They are planting two churches out of an existing church in Baghdad. I have enclosed a picture of the mother church in Baghdad. Here is an update on what is going on there.

Indigenous church planter Aws that is supported by EBF is planting new church in Baghdad, Karkh (Iraq) that is inhabited by Shiite and not stable politically. The mother church is in Baghdad, Rosafa (Pastor Nabil Sarah) that is inhabited by Sunnis and more stable.

Karkh is Aws's second church plant. He began with only one family last year (2006) and now has 8 families. They meet in a private building. They are glad for having transportation to bring people from the neighborhood but have to borrow technical equipment from the Rosafa Church. Aws and his team discovered that prayer has great power.

The irony of war is that the distribution of Bible is now possible. There are ca. 3000 evangelical believers in 12 churches of Baghdad. Also Seminary extension from JETS of Jordan. They started 5 new church plants in Kurdistan.

Aws is engaged and will be married soon.

It is exciting for our small group to0 be a part of the work in Iraq. All of you should also be excited because your continuous prayers and support make you a part of the work also.

Please pray”
· For both events in December to be an outreach/contact to the community and parents.
· Paul’s surgery and recovery.
· For the church to grow to a state of self-support.
· For the work in Iraq.


Serving Together,
Paul and Jepye of the Stukeleys

PICTURES FROM VBS

AUGUST UPDATE

This is Stukeley calling.

On Friday the 3rd of August we finished our “Four Church” VBS. We had a VBS team of 7 adults from Florida to come and lead VBS. The Alconbury Independent Baptist Church, the RAF Alconbury Chapel and Stukeley Baptist Church joined together to complete the team for VBS. Again we saw a miracle work of God as the three groups plus the Florida team worked great together and the VBS was a great success. Our numbers were not as large as we had expected but we averaged 62 kids and 45+ adults ever night and on the last night we had the parents come for a cook out and closing service. We had 100+ parents, children, and workers in attendance. It was a quality VBS and all the parents and kids were thrilled with what went on. The Installation Chaplain (Roman Catholic Priest) was impressed and liked the upbeat music the kids sang. The Wing Chaplain (Nazarene) has already announced to the Chapel that it was such a success that the three groups and the team from Florida would do VBS in 08. The Independent Baptist preacher and Stukeley Baptist had already said we would like to do it again next year and all 7 of the Florida team are planning to come back.

We had several children express a desire to know more about Jesus and a few who made decisions to accept Jesus in their hearts. All of them and the parents have been contacted and talked to. This VBS was definitely a God thing and we are expectantly waiting to see what God will do over the next few months.

After the close of VBS the leadership met to discuss the direction for the church. We came to the conclusion we would covenant together to work and pray hard for the next year and at the end of the 08 VBS we would decide what we should do as a church. The options we are praying about are 1) close the church and turn all the assets over to the IBC. 2) Sell the property and relocate to a different location (in Huntingdon). Or 3) sell the assets, close the church and plant another church somewhere in the Huntingdon area.

Paul saw the orthopedic surgeon on the 10th of August and we made the decision to do a total knee replacement rather that arthroscopic surgery. The surgery will be done sometime in October.

Please pray:
That the children and parents from the VBS will begin to attend church.
That those expressing the need to know more about Jesus will hear and respond.
That all will go well with Paul’s surgery.

Serving together,
Paul and Jepye of the Stukeleys

Pictures from Day One

Prep and VBS Day One

The England Team arrived and along with the numerous volunteers from Little Stukely, Alconbury Baptist, and RAF Alconbury Chapel the church was decorated and readied for Artic Edge.

The first day of Artic Edge arrived and approximately 60 preschool to 6th grade children came.
It was a flurry of activity and the night went extremely well. This is a great group of kids and volunteers, adults and well as lots of teenagers. The kids are eager to learn and have fun. The adults/teen leaders were having as much fun as the children. There is such a cooperative spirit and unity among everyone. God has definitely blessed this joint effort to get to know Jesus and renew our spirits.

Last night the presence of Jesus was so real drawing the children to the truth of him, igniting their their spirit and passion. It was so amazing and humbling that we are a part of this effort.

Pictures will follow

PRAYER SUPPORT

Stukeley Update July 21, 2007

This is Stukeley calling. Just a quick update for your prayer support.

We have a terrific spirit of cooperation with the Independent Baptist Church and the Air Force Chapel as we prepare to do VBS. It is truly encouraging to see the willingness to work and the helpful attitude as we iron out the last minute details. We are all really pumped about the prospect and we will be handing out information at 4 local schools as they dismiss from classes this week,

A while back I told you that we were praying about what to do with my bum knee. We were praying that the surgery could be done at the Lakenheath AF Hospital and that the surgery could just do a repair type job instead of a total knee replacement and that the problem could be fixed. Well that pray has been answered in the positive. I will have arthroscopic surgery on the 23rd of August to remove the tears in the cartilage and flush out any derby. The surgery will be done at the Lakenheath AF Hospital. It will be an outpatient procedure done under local anesthesia and will require only two weeks of rehab.

For the next 6 weeks make theses items a priority in your prayers:
That we will have many unchurched kids in the VBS/Holiday Bible Club even 29 July- 3 August
That we will see life changes in the children
That parents will show an interest in spiritual things.
That the surgery on Paul’s knee will go well and solve the problem.

Serving together,
Paul and Jepye of the Stukeleys

STUKELEY HERE WE COME

This is the team from EBC going to Stukeley to help with the VBS there.

Please keep Carrie, Jo Sue, Brenda, Rick, Diane, Sara, and John in your prayers as they prepare to go.

Also pray for their families that they will leave behind for 12 days.