Questioning students overflow outside at CU mission
Daniel Stafford
Date posted: 1 Apr 2023
An event hosted by Christian Unions in the city of Liverpool was so highly anticipated that students had to stand outside the venue to remain in earshot.
Students in University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores, and Liverpool Hope universities (pictured left and centre) came together to host a week of daily, high-profile, evangelistic events entitled ‘Truth Defined’. With students facing a much more unsettled and uncertain future, greater numbers than ever are open to considering faith, with over 100 students crowded into a packed-out venue.
Young French believers meet en masse
Iain Taylor
Date posted: 1 Jul 2023
Around 6,500 teenagers and young people from churches across France gathered in Zénith d’Auvergne at a large triennial congress – Echo 2023 – that seeks to encourage young members of evangelical churches to discover God’s calling. The theme of Echo 2023 was ‘See, I Am Doing Something New’ (Isa. 43:9).
The programme was based on three areas: ‘Me and God; Us and God; You and Me’. It included preaching, worship, workshops, concerts and special programmes for Ados (12–17 years old) and Jeunes (18 and over). Christian youth workers also offered training and connections. Seminars addressed issues such as Bible reading, Christian ethics, science and faith, and sexuality.
‘I’m in’ – stem cell transplant student comes to faith
Kitty Hardyman
Date posted: 1 Jul 2023
‘What’s stopping you taking the step to become a Christian?’ For Chris, a student at Nottingham Trent University, this Spring was the point at which he was able to answer ‘nothing’ – and give his life to Jesus Christ, writes Kitty Hardyman of Christian student organisation UCCF.
Chris made his commitment of faith attending the Word Alive conference alongside faithful friends from Nottingham Trent Christian Union who had walked with him during the past four years at university. The journey had been long, but surrounded by 800 other undergraduates and the wider church family, it was at Word Alive that the decision was set plainly before him, and he was able to say: ‘I’m in’.
George Verwer through the decades: an appreciation
David Baker
Date posted: 1 May 2023
The impact of George Verwer, the mission pioneer who has just died (see obituary here), was so extensive that for me, as with many others, he has seemed like a constant influence, even though we never met.
My first encounter with his work was when one of the OM ships visited Bristol, where we lived, in the 1970s. To a small boy, the idea of Christians voyaging round the world giving out books seemed an exotic, alluring and rather exciting one, and I still remember the smiles of those serving on the ship.
New missionaries aim for first Bible
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 May 2023
Five years ago, a translation of the New Testament into Keliko – a South Sudanese language – was ceremoniously and joyfully carried into a Ugandan refugee camp church.
Today, new missionaries are preparing to fly to Uganda later in the year to join the Bible translation team. Philip and Heidi Knight will be working with the Keliko people – an ethnic group who have never had the Bible in their own language.
letter from the
Philippines: One year on, a new church plant
Reuben & Cathy Saywell
Date posted: 1 May 2023
One year here and the Lord has not only given us a clear mission to keep us busy, but also continued provisions to keep us going and countless blessings to keep us praising.
Just before our family took the big step onto the mission field, we were reminded at our commissioning service that the God who sends is also the God who supplies. The same Jesus who was described as Immanuel at His incarnation is the One who, at His ascension, was self-identified as the God who will be with us always, even to the end of the age. What a comfort to have studied, sensed, and seen that promise to be true over the past 12 months as missionaries, thousands of miles from home.
Pain produces church growth in Krakow
One Polish church in the southern city
of Krakow has experienced remarkable
growth over the last two years in surprising
circumstances: the Covid-19 pandemic and
warfare, writes Tim Thornborough.
Christ
the Saviour Presbyterian Church
(CSPC) currently meets in a converted bank
and, as we entered, we were handed headsets to
enable us to listen to the live translation of the
service from Polish to English. Others picked
up the headsets marked ‘Ukrainian’. My main
contact in Krakow is Sashko – a Ukrainian from
Lviv, just over the border from Poland – who is
the assistant minister at the church.
Operation Coronation reaches celebrities
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 Jun 2023
Coronation Day was unforgettable for the nation, but it will also be remembered by some as the day they met with the King of Kings.
On the weekend of 6 May, hundreds of Christians joined Royal fans around Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and elsewhere in central London handing out gospels and Christian literature. Thousands of tracts and the coronation booklet God Save The King – co-authored by Roger Carswell and Alan Marsden – found their way into the hands of ordinary people, as well as celebrities such as TV hosts Ant and Dec and other guests at the Coronation.
From music to nerf guns: right across the UK - this is mission today
www.apassionforlife.org.uk
Date posted: 1 Oct 2022
What does mission in the local church look like in 2022?
The answer is that it is as gloriously varied as each individual congregation and its members.
letter from Latvia
Ukrainian amputees with gospel hope
John Woods
Date posted: 1 May 2023
One of the questions I am asked whenever I return from Latvia is: ‘What is the mood in Latvia at the moment?’
The question relates to the fact that Latvia shares a land border with Russia and has many historical reasons to be anxious about the intentions of its larger neighbour.
New ‘healthy church’ event
Free Church of Scotland
Date posted: 1 May 2023
Around 90 people from congregations in the Glasgow and Argyll Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland have attended the first ‘Healthy Church Gathering’ organised by the Free Church of Scotland.
Two main sessions were held. The first session focused on what it means to be a healthy Christian and what a healthy church looks like. Andrew Giffen, CEO of the Free Church of Scotland, spoke about these topics, with opportunity for discussion around tables.
Russian villagers hear gospel for the first time
Slavic Gospel Association
Date posted: 1 May 2023
In parts of Far East Russia there are those who have never heard the name of Jesus.
Alexander Balagansky, a missionary sponsored by the Slavic Gospel Association (SGA), in the Buryatia region, is involved in the difficult and sometimes dangerous challenge of reaching them. Villages and communities there are isolated, often cut off and inaccessible due to extreme weather conditions. However, strange as it may seem, the extreme weather can become the missionary’s friend and associate in pioneering gospel ministry!
Coronation chickens? Not us!
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 May 2023
Churches and communities across Britain and beyond have been finalising their preparations ahead of the Coronation.
Jonathan Gillespie, assistant curate at All Souls Langham Place, says: ‘It’s a missional opportunity to point to monarchy under Jesus’ loving rule.’ And Ben Topham, associate rector at St George’s Church, Stamford and St James Gerrards Cross, pointed out that many will get invited to family events and street parties. ‘We are encouraging our church family to plug into those, to be a Christian presence in those places.’
101-year-old mission veteran takes to the skies once again
en staff
Date posted: 1 Oct 2022
A pioneer of the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has marked his 101st birthday by taking to the skies again.
Jack Hemmings, who is also a former RAF Squadron Leader, was given the flight as a surprise present.
From Korea with love – to Wales
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 Feb 2023
Korean Christians are preparing to descend on Wales this summer – with Welsh churches urged to prepare for a week-long Korean Prayer Mission and pray for a fresh revival.
Organised by the Director of the Europe Prayer Mission, Namjin Kim, the mission is due to take place on 3–10 July. Kim, who recently returned to the UK after a three-week visit to South Korea, had been invited by 11 Korean churches to share with them the spiritual state of Wales and to pray together for the country.
Mike Jourdain
en staff
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
The head of Brighton City Mission has
died. Mike
Jourdain was described as
someone with
‘great
faith, passion and
ability’ by Nick McQuaker of the Sussex
Gospel Partnership.
Will Cockram,
pastor
of Cuckfield
Baptist Church wrote:
‘Mike was treated
for oesophageal cancer three years ago, but
around Christmas
it
reappeared. Whilst
given
initial confidence
from
the medics
over Christmas that it was treatable, Mike’s
health declined very steeply, and the family
were given the news that it was very possible
that it might not be treatable and that he
had months –possibly weeks – to live. He
died six days later (17 January) in a hospice,
aged 58. He
leaves his wife Wendy, his
daughter Clio, and a church family that is
rejoicing for him, but grieving very deeply.
We would covet your prayers.’
‘All the drug dealers thought we were stealing their clients.’ This is Igal’s story
Iain Taylor
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
Igal Vender was born in Ukraine but emigrated to Israel with his family in 1988. He began using drugs as a child and later switched to heroin and cocaine.
Igal writes: ‘I was an addict and in and out of prison, but empty inside. I came to faith after meeting an old friend who had become a Christian. Now I am a missionary with IMJP (the International Mission to Jewish People) telling Jewish people about Jesus.’ Igal Vender tells his story to Iain Taylor for en.
Cambridge to Madagascar
en staff
Date posted: 1 Mar 2023
Julian Hardyman has ended his ministry as pastor of Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge and is heading unexpectedly to Madagascar.
He had become Associate Pastor in 1996 and then Senior Pastor in 2002. To their surprise, Julian and wife Debbie (see photo) discovered the Lord was calling them in a sudden and dramatic way in a single weekend in September 2021 to leave Eden and Cambridge, to serve as missionaries in Northern Madagascar. The church joined in the discernment process and so their pastor and his wife will become Eden Mission Partners and members of evangelical mission organisation SIM.
Mission today: TikTok pastor clocks up online flock
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 1 Feb 2023
An evangelical church minister has headed for the spiritual harvest fields of TikTok, one of the latest and most popular social media platforms, to evangelise a new, younger audience – and he’s starting to reap success.
David Sims, vicar of St Thomas’ Church in Aldridge, Walsall since 2021, has amassed more than 10,500 followers on his @ tiktok_vicar profile where he runs virtual church services, reads the Bible and raises controversial subjects.
Inverness church plant is planning for new town growth
Sarah Robinson
Date posted: 1 Apr 2023
A church plant has launched in the new
community of Tornagrain, near Inverness.
Tornagrain Community Church is being
led by Innes Macsween (see photo with his
wife Anna and their two children), who is the
Assistant Minister at Smithton Free Church
in Inverness. He is supported by a launch
team of around 25 adults and 12 children.
Cyclone Freddy: missionary’s anguish
Iain Taylor
Date posted: 1 Apr 2023
An evangelical missionary in Mozambique says storms and rain were ‘incessant’ and poorly-constructed houses around her were ‘flooding and collapsing’ as a tropical storm battered the country.
Cyclone Freddy, the longest-ever recorded tropical cyclone, which has returned several times, ripped through the country and neighbouring Malawi with over 600 dead and countless people missing, injured or made homeless.
Cyhoeddir mai Tim Rowlands yw pennaeth newydd y Gynghrair Efengylaidd yng Nghymru
Evangelical Alliance Wales
Date posted: 1 Apr 2023
Mae’r Gynghrair Efengylaidd yn llawn gwefr o gyhoeddi y bydd Tim Rowlands yn ymuno â thîm y staff fel pennaeth y Gynghrair Efengylaidd yng Nghymru o’r 1af o Ebrill, i gynorthwyo’r eglwys yng Nghymru yn ei chenhadaeth leol ac i fynd â’i llais i’r gymdeithas ehangach ac i’r llywodraeth.
Cymeradwyodd Gavin Calver, Prif Swyddog Gweithredol y Gynghrair Efengylaidd, y penodiad gan ddweud: ‘Rwyf wrth fy modd bod Tim am ymuno â ni i wasanaethu a chynorthwyo’r eglwys yng Nghymru. Mae’n arweinydd eglwys profiadol sy’n gwybod drosto’i hun sut y gall yr eglwys ymgysylltu’n wleidyddol ac yn ddiwylliannol yng Nghymru. Edrychaf ymlaen at wasanaethu gydag ef ac at weld Duw yn symud yn nerthol ledled cenedl Cymru.’
Len hopes for divine addition in Europe
64fellowship.com
Date posted: 1 Apr 2023
A US-based prayer fellowship for ministers
is seeking to expand into the British Isles
and Europe.
The 6:4 Prayer Fellowship describes itself as
‘a pastor-led, Biblically-based, international
and multi-denominational
network
of
pastors rooted in the Biblical paradigm of
ministry seen in Acts 6:1-7.
Zambia to Abingdon
Jim Sayers
Date posted: 1 Apr 2023
Abbey Baptist Church
in Abingdon has
a new pastor – from Zambia! Chris and
Helen Hawthorne enjoyed many years of
ministry in St John’s Wood in London, and
have spent three and a half years serving
with Grace Baptist Mission at Proclamation
Institute Zambia (PIZ). Chris was inducted
as pastor in Abingdon on 18 February, with
Richard Underwood from FIEC preaching.
Chris said Zambia has been a great gospel
opportunity. People want to speak about
Christ,
supermarkets play Matt Redman
songs, and Christians are welcomed at many
doors. ‘One day at PIZ, we were doing some
text work and the passage clearly convicted
everybody
in
the classroom. The whole
class went quiet. The following day we were
talking about preaching, and the way God
worked the previous day made it clear that
the power is not in the presentation (like
the big show often seen in Zambia), but
in being clear with the gospel. Our time
in Zambia further convinced me that the
heart of church ministry
is
teaching
the
Bible
really clearly and prayerfully, and
making
sure people understand what
it
means for their lives. There are some great
Zambian churches doing
just
that, and
seeing significant fruit.’