adelaide place baptist church

Christmas is a time for procrastination. We procrastinate about how much we will spend on presents. We hesitate about who is on or off our Christmas card list. We contemplate who we will invite for Christmas dinner, or whether we’ll head for the Maldives and save the hassle.

For millions of people around the world Christmas time is the same as any other time. Its about scratching out survival in a barren dusty land. Whether these people know about Chrismas is a moot point. Even when they do and wholeheartedly believe in Jesus Christ they often have no means to celebrate the birth of their Saviour with any kind of excess. Survival for another year is about the best they can manage.

Many of the major aid agencies such as Oxfam, Sciaf, Tear Fund provide all sorts of ways to make Christmas bearable for the world’s poor. We at Adelaide Place are going to invite the children to make a large Christmas card upon which the church members can write greetings to one another.

However they will have to pay for the privilege and with the money collected we hope to buy a herd of goats through the agency of Christian Aid. That way we don’t need to procrastinate over who to write individual cards to in the church and at the same time give something to the world’s poorest people.

The collapse of Farepak has had widespread repercussions and I suspect we will all know of someone who has lost their investment, some having lost a considerable amount. The current advice being broadcast on the news is avoid getting loans from those whose interest rates are exorbitant and decide to have a simpler, less elaborate Christmas. It seems like good advice but how easy will it be to heed?

There is no disguising how disappointed and upset investors will be to realise that it is unlikely they will see their money again and it may be difficult for them to perceive that the situation offers an opportunity to them that others will miss because they are under less financial constraints.

Indeed perhaps the situation is a challenge to us all to make more of less. It may sound trite, but perhaps those who haven’t been directly affected by Farepak’s demise need to be more disciplined in deliberately not spending excessively this Christmas. In fact would it not be an act of Christ-like behaviour to plan to spend less and share what we save with those who have suffered this significant financial loss, and give to those organisations which relieve the suffering of the wider world’s poor?

Helpful links

If you have been affected by the Farepak collapse or would like to help those affected:

• Farepak Response Fund
• unFairpak.co.uk
• Advice on Debt from Keith Tondeur, speaker at BiG in May 2006
• Credit Action – for online debt advice; alternatively call 0800 138 1111

Alternative Christmas gifts:

• Christian Aid – Present Aid
• Oxfam Unwrapped

On Thursday evening 16th November, at his flat at Auchlochan House Nursing Home, Lesmahagow, Stanley Victor Mills completed his life and died peacefully after a short illness.

Stan was a dedicated man of faith whose whole purpose in life was to be a servant of Jesus Christ his Saviour. He was a member of Adelaide Place Church for over 50 years, serving the church in many capacities but particularly in leadership as a Deacon and Elder and the support of world mission. The work of the former Regions Beyond Missionary Union was especially close to his heart, but many missionaries past and present have benefited from both his and his late wife Mara’s support.

He was a man of many talents, a keen gardener, a supporter of RSPB and a particularly skilful photographer whose work was recognised by the Royal Society and whose legacy in 20th century industrial photography will continue to be recognised in the years to come.

Update 22/11/2006:
Stan’s Funeral will be held at Dalnottar Crematorium, Clydebank, at 11 am on Saturday 2nd December, with a Service of Thanksgiving at Adelaide Place Baptist Church at 12.15 pm.

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord”.
(Revelation 14:13)