A Look Back and a Look Ahead in January 2020

It is, I’m afraid, ages since we sent out a prayer and information up-date. So, this report covers two years and gives me the opportunity to reflect over a past year and look forward to the coming year!

The Lord has been, of course, wonderfully faithful and gracious to us, but we are also very aware of all of you whom the Lord has used to express His love and care for us through your interest in the Bible Teaching Trust. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:11 this has and will ‘result in thanksgiving to God’. We are so grateful to God for all who have prayed and supported us over the recent years.

I have set below what I have been up to in 2019. As you can see, the Lord has given me plenty to do and a wide range of places to go to preach in. While opportunities do emerge in new places, in many cases I have been returning to churches and organisations with whom I have built up a warm relationship over the years. The Christian Institute, in particular, uses me on a regular basis with preaching and lecturing to their staff and also have organised a series of day conferences for church leaders in various  different parts of the country where I explore how one might preach a book of the Bible. In 2019 this has been 2 Thessalonians. I have met for the first time many of God’s servants in these places and have been delighted to encounter old friends as well! It is a little foretaste of heaven to rejoice in fellowship with believers you’ve never met before!

I have also spoken for several Gospel Partnerships as well as for the Cornhill training course in London and in Belfast. I have done less preaching on one-off weekends for churches, largely because our primary engagement remains in our own church, Emmanuel here in Bath, where we have been both blessed and stretched in serving the Lord in multiple ways.

As for the future, my current commitments are rather patchy, but that is not so unusual and there are very likely to be other things that will come my way, as well as preaching in Emmanuel and probably a further series of preaching seminars with the Christian Institute. I am currently working on a further series on how one might preach the book of Jude. There are some commitments already in my diary for 2021. Please do pray that the Lord will open up for me just those opportunities He intends me to take. Please also pray for wisdom in knowing what to decline as well as to accept!

All in all, how grateful we are to God for His kindness to us and His many provisions for us, including the love, prayers and care of all who read this report!

With our love in the Lord Jesus,

Rupert and Margie

 

Rupert’s Past Commitments from Jan 2019-Jan 2020

Jan 2019

20^th Sun preaching twice Bethesda Ipswich

24^th Thurs  Christian Institute trust board

25^th Fri  lecture to Christian Institute staff

31^st Thurs  South West Gospel Partnership Ministry Training Course session 1 on Isaiah

Feb

2^nd Sat  Norwich Bible Rally

3^rd Sun  preaching twice Norwich Evangelical Church

7^th Thurs SWGP MTC sessions 2 and 3 on Isaiah

14^th Thurs SWGP MTC sessions 4 and 5 on Isaiah

17^th Sun preaching Emmanuel

19^th Tues 3 sessions on 2 Thessalonians in Newcastle for Christian Institute

29^th Wed lecture and preach at Christian Institute

March

21^st Thurs 3 sessions on 2 Thessalonians for Christian Institute in Cardiff

22^nd Fri  3 sessions on 2 Thessalonians for Christian Institute in Bristol

April

2^nd Tues 3 sessions on 2 Peter at Northern Ireland Cornhill

7^th Sun preaching Emmanuel

19^th Good Friday preaching in Emmanuel

22^nd Easter Monday two talks at Maesycwmmer, Wales

May

2^nd Thurs  Christian Institute trust board

14^th Tues 3 sessions for Christian Institute on 2 Thessalonians in Loughborough

15^th Wed 3 sessions for Christian Institute on 2 Thessalonians in Bury St.Edmunds

26^th Preach at Ladyfield, Chippenham

June 2019

3^rd Mon Lecture at Cornhill, London on topic of endurance

4^th Tues Lecture at Cornhill, London on topic of endurance

11^th Tues Preaching seminar for church leaders on 2 Thessalonians for the Christian Institute in Liverpool

12^th Wed Preaching seminar for church leaders on 2 Thessalonians for the Christian Institute in Sheffield

15^th preach at Induction service in Coventry

19^th preach at Forest Fold church, Crowborough church anniversary

25^th -27^th attend Evangelical Ministry Assembly, London

30^th Sun preaching twice at Duke Street Church, Richmond

July

7^th Sun preaching in Emmanuel

20^th Sat preaching at Emmanuel baptism

28^th Sun preaching at Calne Free Church

September

1^st Sun preaching at Emmanuel

28^th Sat speaking twice at Solent Gospel Partnership Men’s Conference on two passages from 2 Timothy

29^th Sun  preaching at Emmanuel

October

2^nd-3^rd Wed & Thurs  doing preaching seminars for Christian Institute on teaching 2 Thessalonians. Wed 2^nd in Sevenoaks and Thurs 3^rd in Chessington

19^th Sat-20^th Sun speaking and preaching at Emmanuel Church, Canterbury’s 10^th anniversary weekend

November

7^th Thurs speaking at Bath University CU

16^th Sat  speaking twice at Midlands Gospel Partnership Men’s Conference in Northampton

23^rd Sat speaking twice on prayer at Sussex Gospel Partnership day conference

24^th Sun  preaching at Emmanuel

December

2^nd Mon-3^rd Tues  speaking at Northern Ireland Cornhill in Belfast on 2 Thessalonians

29^th Sun preaching Emmanuel

Jan 2020

16^th Wed South West Gospel Partnership Ministry Training Course session 1 on Judges

23^rd Thurs Christian Institute trust board

24^th Fri preach and lecture to Christian Institute staff

26^th Sun preaching Emmanuel

30^th Thurs SWGP MTC session 2 on Judges

Rupert’s Future Commitments for the rest of 2020

Feb 2020

6^th Thurs SWGP MTC session 3 on Judges

13^th Thurs SWGP MTC sessions 4 & 5 on Judges

16^th Sun preaching Emmanuel

23^rd Sun preaching twice at Forest Fold, Crowborough

May

9^th Sat preaching at Scottish Reformed Conference

14^th Thurs Christian Institute trust board

15^th Fri lecture and preach to Christian Institute staff

June

13^th Sat speak at Midlands West Men’s Convention in Birmingham

15^th-16^th Mon & Tues speak twice at London Cornhill on topic of endurance

27^th Sun speak at East Midlands Churches’ Day

July

4^th-6^th Sat-Mon speaking three times at Northumberland Bible Convention

September

6^th Sun preaching at Hilperton Reformed Baptist Church

10^th Thurs Christian Institute trust board

11^th Fri lecture and preach to Christian Institute staff

November

7^th Sat speak at Midlands East Men’s Convention in Nottingham