I've been endeavouring to be more proactive to provide financial assistance to people that need it most.

Each month there are people that knock on the office door who are looking for help with food vouchers. But at times, such people can be few and far between.

Les Van Lelyveld directed me to a need at Townview State school, namely, their need for book packs for financially disadvantaged students. We have since provided the school with 10 book packs, at a cost of $50 each.

The two weeks in the book of Samuel, and in fact, much of the book has highlighted God's desire for his people to be obedient.

One of the areas of reading I enjoy is how Baptist churches in the past dealt with issues of holiness and discipline. Namely, for two reasons.

The first reason is to read about the more bizarre matters that were brought before local members for consideration of the need for discipline.

For example, this week I read of an obscure case in England where a man was brought before the membership for 'registering a patent.' It was suggested that this man had an 'immoderate love of money."

Thes second reason is to see how seriously Baptist churches took the matter of holiness.

For example, such matters of discipline included the use of tobacco, working on the Sabbath, participation in the slave trade, attending the theatre and marrying a non-Baptist.

There are of course always contextual considerations to consider when we read of historical actions of discipline. But it does remind us that, in the past, Baptists have had high regard for Christian holiness. Now I should note, that Christian perfection in this life is not a Baptist distinctive.

But as one of the books, I have been reading states:

"...there is at least an expectation that those who are members of a Baptist church will display visibly higher standards of ethics than those around them; and that they will be open to correction, and committed to repentance and the amendment of their lives when correction comes."*

May we be a church that is concerned with personal holiness, motivated by our confession that 'Christ is King.'

*Holmes, S. R. (2012). Baptist Theology (p. 152). London; New York: T&T Clark.

UPCOMING PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT DATES

Many of you would have requirements for personal development in your places of work. As a registered pastor, I also need to fulfil certain requirements of development to maintain my registration.

The two lots of development this year are all falling within a month of each other.

• Prepare and Enrich (Marriage Counselling) - 26 April & 12 March,
• Baptist Distinctives (Ordination requirement) - 25 & 26 March.

These four training days will be done via zoom. I will be in town but my availability during those weeks will be limited.