I have just typed up my monthly minister's letter for the church magazine and also done a quick report on our Pentecost events.  I have chosen to do something I very rarely risk - I have thanked named individuals, albeit en bloc, for their contribution to the events.  A high risk strategy, because someone may have been missed and will be miffed, but overall a useful exercise because it shows that 2 out of 3 church folk were actively involved in making the events happen, and that even one of my ninety somethings was on a stall all afternoon.

Whilst some people are too frail to have helped, most of those who could have did, and that is what's worth shouting about.  In few churches would two thirds of the membership be motivated to get stuck in to a missional event - but imagine what might happen if they did...

So, to the good people of Dibley Baptist Church a mega massive WELL DONE!

This week the Baptist Times (BT) has listed in its fun loving Beattie's Diary column those of us who blogged about Assembly.  So if Beatttie sent you here, a warm welcome to my corner of Blogland, I hope you enjoy your visit.  Contrary to what you might have inferred from Beattie's column, you don't have to agree with me to visit or to comment - given I average around 1000 visits a month I am sure many don't share my views.  Some of my blog-friends I have never met in real life, others I know socially or professionally and we disagree on lots of things - but we all seem to think that Baptists are lovely but crazy (or crazy but lovely) people and/or we enjoy writing or reading about ideas to do with life, faith and mission.

Way back when, when I was still a spotty teenager, Maureen Lipman was Beattie for a totally different organisation, a kind of crazy Jewish auntie whose big concern was 'you got an "ology."'  I always imagine the BT's Beattie in a similar vein - maybe this kind of stuff is "blogology?!"

Anyway, if you are visiting for the first time, don't take me or my stuff too seriously, but do be open to new-to-you ideas.  Feel free to comment - whatever you think of my twaddle.  Oh, and keep reading Beattie's column!!