The Maseno Project

“The experience and project are summed up for me in one word: Hope.”

The Maseno Project was set up six years ago after members of a North London church visited the Maseno District of Kenya. During their visit they noticed that the area comprised of hundreds of tiny plots of land, that poor farming methods were being used, that crops were sparse and so people had little to eat and that many of the men who would traditionally have worked the land had left to work in local towns. Migration to the towns meant that families were separated.

The team from North London felt that God was telling them to start Farm Schools to transform the lives of people in this area of Kenya by teaching effective farming techniques and by sharing the life changing love and power of God that all can enjoy. The Project is all about the Kingdom of God breaking through into the World.

Oak Tree became involved in this life changing project in 2007.

Oaktree and Maseno…

As a church we feel it is biblical and right to give away some of our money to bless others, no strings attached. The money Oak Tree donates to the Maseno Project comes from the giving of its congregation.

Oak Tree has a Giving Committee who determines where our charitable donations go according to agreed criteria. Maseno meets these criteria as it is a holistic project addressing material and spiritual needs. It fits Jesus’ principles.  He did not separate problems in to sections (spiritual, physical or emotional) but instead he addressed the whole situation.

We have 3 main areas of giving : a local organisation, a national organisation and an international organisation.  The Maseno Project is our International Organisation.

The project itself…

There are currently seventeen Farm Schools under the umbrella of the Maseno Project.

Farm Schools last for three years and are made up of about thirty five Farm School members who are chosen from the local church community.

Members meet on a weekly basis and are taught effective farming techniques and given Christian instruction by  Kenyan facilitators who are members of the community. Technical advice is given by Doctor Appollo, a local Kenyan agriculturalist, who also happens to be a world expert.

Day to day, the Project is overseen by two Kenyans, Festus and Noel.

Each farm school has a demonstration plot where members try out different crops and methods.  The members of the farm school work together on the demonstration plot.

Different crops are then transplanted to their home plots where they can see what works best on their land.

After 3 years Farm Schools are encouraged to form a Community Based Organisation that uses their combined selling power to take their excess crops to market and generate income for their families.

Emma’s report…

In November 2008, I, along with two others from Oaktree, had the privilege of going to Kenya to visit our farm school, the Lord’s House.

What greeted us there has left a lasting impression on me.

Looking around the shambas (small holdings) of our farm school members and seeing large, healthy crops which would feed their families very comfortably was quite staggering as was the fact that many of our farm school members were young men. Whereas traditionally women worked the land and the men had gone off into the city for work, meaning that families were separated for months on end, now the men had started to come back. Families were reunited and communities had a proper balance of peoples once more. One of the Shamba highlights was seeing Richard, one of our farmers who clearly had entrepreneurial leanings, rather than growing just maize, was growing curly kale, a cash crop which would earn him much at the market.

Another memory was praying with our farm school members. The following day we held a time of testimony where many of their number stood up and explained how God had been speaking to them. One man who didn’t call himself a Christian stood up and talked about how he had been prompted by God to pray all night for his family. Another man shared how he had given up praying for the people in the parish, but now he publically committed himself to this once more. Families who had been estranged, were reconciled. Whilst we were out in Kenya, the British organiser of the Project, Patrick, spoke about how as Christians we have access to the kingdom of God, and how as it says in the Lord’s Prayer we can ask “Your Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven”. It was great to see how the farm school were empowered by this and how they hungered for more of God’s presence and power. They were desperate to hear God’s word even when none was officially prepared for them! My favourite memory was sitting with the farm school in the garden of one of the members where the sense of unity was profound. These people really are our Christian brothers and sisters to whom we are inextricably linked.

The experience and project are summed up for me in one word: Hope. The hope that comes from trusting in Christ alone and that is based on the promises given to us in the Bible. The hope that meets both physical and spiritual need of people. Jesus met these needs and this is what we as Christians are called to do. Thank you Oaks, for your support of this important, life changing project. As one who has seen its effects first hand, I can really say that it is making all the difference!

Children’s church

Children are an important part of the church family here at Oak Tree and there’s quite a few of us of every age from zero and up.

Sundays…

During our Sunday services, after some time worshiping with the whole church family, our children & young people meet separately for more worship and teaching in a style best suited to their age. Our aim is that the children & young people don’t just learn about God but also experience Him. They are encouraged to discover and develop how God has gifted them and to use these spiritual gifts to help build up the church.

During the week groups

Roots is a mid-week group for children in school years 1-4.

Shoots is a mid-week group for children in school year 5, 6 & 7.

In Roots and Shoots, we apply the stuff we know about God and His ways to our everyday lives.

We also share biscuits and juice, update each other on what’s happening in our lives, worship the Lord with songs we choose, encourage each other in our faith, celebrate birthdays, play games, do some art and crafts.

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Market Family

Market Family is part of Market Church on the Acton Market Place.

It happens twice a term to offer crafts and activities in the Market twice a term as a face in the community act of service.

We encourage the children of Oak Tree and their carers to take part in these activities.

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Look out for these dates in the calendar:

Autumn

Bright Light party (an alternative to Halloween)

Winter

Activities leading up to Christmas:  Family Market, the Carols service, Christmas Craft, Epiphany, Valentine’s!

A word from Thalie…

The children’s work vision – that children of all ages will be a full and active part of the worshipping community, centred in Christ, rooted in the Bible, filled with the Holy Spirit, choosing to obey God’s will in ways appropriate to each individuals age, development and experience.

The children’s work aims:

* That children have fun and fellowship with each other and people of all generations so that they have, and can be, role models of the Christian faith

* That children will be encouraged to become familiar with the Bible and the Christian faith and be able to draw from it truths about God that they can apply to their everyday lives

* That children will enjoy spending time in worship and praise of God and, through being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they will pray and see answers and minister to others

* That children will encounter Jesus for themselves. That they will grow in their faith and make commitments to follow God and share their faith with others

* That children outside of the church will hear about Christ’s love for them and have opportunities to explore that love further

* To, as much as we are able, meet the emotional, physical, social and spiritual needs of each child.

 

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You can download our child Protection Policy here.

You can download  our Communion Policy here.

Branch (Home) Groups

See CORE groups

Church Central +

Church Central is a monthly meet up of Oaks to go deeper in teaching, training and ministry than we have time for on a Sunday.

We meet at Acton Green Church, Cunnington Street, W4 at 8pm.

Prayer Breakfast

Every Wednesday morning we have a prayer breakfast.

This is a great time to get together and have some extra prayer over tea, coffee and toast.

It’s early but its great.

Christ’s high priestly prayer

Dear Oaks,

I hope that you are familiar with what some call Christ’s high priestly prayer. It can be found in John 17. Why not take a moment to open it up and read word for word a prayer Jesus himself prayed.

Briefly here are just a few comments for your thoughts:

V1 Jesus addresses God as his Father. Muslims have 99 names for God but none is Father. In Christ we have been called into an intimate relationship with God! We are his children if we are in Christ otherwise we are not. Jesus was very clear in his teaching on this, see John 8:42-47.

Let us make sure that we live in relationship with our loving Father and call him as such. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches that this is how we should address God in prayer.

In verses 20 and 21 Jesus prays “I pray also for those who believe in me through their message (this refers back to earlier disciples and is addressed to us) , that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”

Jesus who right now is at the right hand of the Father praying (see Hebrews 7:25) is presumably still praying this because this prayer is as yet unanswered. By the way I hope that gives you some encouragement to go on praying for our new building! Jesus must have been praying this for about 2,000 years and we will see our prayers answered very soon. But even more importantly please note just how united Jesus wants his church. I mean how much more united could God the Father and God the Son be, yet this is the measure of unity Christ prays for in his body, the church.

The application is I hope obvious and one little step you could take to help this prayer be answered is to get along to the unity service on Sunday. It is at Acton Hill Church, opposite Acton Police Station at 4 (four) this Sunday afternoon. The preacher is me but don’t let that be an excuse!

But that will only be one small step, as a second why not start/continue to pray for other churches and other Christians in Acton, and even better go out and adopt one!!

Jesus says in John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

And finally in John 17:25-26 Jesus concludes his prayer for you and me with these words. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Just how much love is that? Christ’s prayer for our love for one another is immense and almost unfathomable. But his prayer will be answered and I want to both pray it with him and be part of the answer. I hope you do also.

In His love,

Mark

Market training this week…24th Jan ’09!

MarketCHURCH

the TRAINING sessions…

Are you interested in the market?
Would you like to serve on the stall with a bit more skill and cool?
Would you like to get in some key time to build your people skills?
Or would you just like some space to talk about your experience of serving on the stall? (or listen to those who have?)

…then here is your invite to come this Saturday 24th Jan to;

MarketTRAINING | Acton Baptist Church | 11am-1pm

Book you place with me by e-mail or text or ring to find out more info ring! (see below)
I’d love to see everyone there whether you’ve been before or never served on the market!

God bless your week.

mb

Spring 2009

• 11 January – How to Live Under God’s Blessing
• 18 January – How to Grow in God’s Blessing
• 25 January – United Service with Antioch
• 1 February – How to Turn Troubles into Peace
• 8 February – Dave Bookless, UK Director of A Rocha
• 15 February – How to Influence Society
• 22 February – How to Grow Healthy Attitudes
• 1 March – How to Live Honestly with Others
• 8 March – How to Love Your Enemies
• 15 March – How to Set Your Priorities Right
• 22 March – How to Get a Reward
• 29 March – How to Pray
• 5 April – How to Go Deeper in Prayer
• 12 April – Easter Sunday
• 19 April – How to Enter the Path of Life
• How to Live a Life that Blesses Others

loved ones

Dear Oaks,

Do you ever get disheartened wondering when your spouse, friend, parent, child, workmate or neighbour is going to become a Christian? You have perhaps prayed for years and witnessed in every way you know how but it just seems that they don’t have a spiritual inkling in their body.

If so, you are no doubt in good company and what is more you are in mine as well. Daily I pray for loved ones to come to Christ and whilst I have seen all of my immediate family come to Christ, others still resist in the wider circle and some that did come to faith seem to have fallen away.

But you never know when you might just be one link in a chain. What is more don’t stop praying you never know when the break through is going to come!

This morning I received an email from a man I visited in about 2002 in my role as a parish vicar, as I was in those days. I had been invited to this mans house to meet with his parents and sister and to have a lively debate with what he described as a household of “heathens”. They asked me all sorts of questions; fed me and watered me (with good red wine) and sent me on my way exhausted from 2-3 hours of grilling questions. I don’t think I ever heard from them again, that is until this morning.

The young man concerned, had traced my contact details and wrote to tell me that in October 2007 he had become a Christian. Partly he tells me, due to the things I had said on that evening some five years before. Well I have no idea what I said, what I do know is that the Holy Spirit is the greatest evangelist in the world and after I had left the house HE most certainly had remained.

So keep up those prayers for salvation. Pray specifically for the revelation of Jesus that person you pray for so badly needs. It is not religion or even church that need but a vision of whom Christ really is – Saviour and Lord. And keep up that witnessing not only in words but certainly in the deeds and the lifestyle that they no doubt observe quite closely!

Remember you might be the only gospel some people ever read.

In His love,

Mark

Ps This Sunday I continue to preach on the sermon on the mount. The greatest sermon ever preached (the original one that is, not mine!)

Wed Eve Branch Group

I wanted to write a brief piece on our Branch group cause I am really enjoying it.

As the post Alpha branch group it’s been amazing seeing the poeple who recently did  Alpha, grow in their faiths. If there was ever a time to see God activley working in someones livsthen seeing them grow does just that. It also remindes me again and again of how God tunred my life around for me.

I love the oeople in our group and i love getting ton know them all better. People say that church should be like family. This group certainly feels that way.

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