EFAC reorganises & renews its mission
Chris Sugden
Date posted: 1 Feb 2018
At a meeting of Trustees in October, the
Evangelical Fellowship
in
the Anglican
Communion (EFAC) restated its vision and
appointed new leadership.
EFAC’s purpose remains to encourage and
develop biblically
faithful
fellowship and
mission throughout the Anglican world. It
is adjusting its goals and strategies to best
serve its constituency, which has seen tremendous change since John Stott founded
the Fellowship in 1961.
The urban priority
Dave Williams
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
Dave Williams reminds us of some uncomfortable facts about the evangelical church
‘The UK is a mission field and the church needs to step out of maintenance mode and into mission mode.’
Field of dreams
Teaming up with church
Sarah Righetti
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
How well do you know your local area?
I’m pretty confident that wherever your church is based, there will be sportspeople and sports clubs on your doorstep. And there will probably be sportspeople in your church family too.
Independent but together
Mark Herbert
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
A story of church revitalisation
Mark Herbert is one of the pastors at Long Crendon Baptist Church.
Christianity Explored’s growing global impact
Christianity Explored Ministries
Date posted: 1 Dec 2018
Many churches in the UK have been using the various evangelistic courses developed by Christianity Explored Ministries for several years. There are an increasing number of countries who now have access to them in their native languages.
Following the launch of Christianity Explored (CE) in Albania in May, the evangelistic course has had a major impact across the nation.
GBM: ‘Be of good cheer.’
Matt Benton
Date posted: 1 Dec 2018
‘When the servant’s wish and the master’s call coalesce, it will happen.’ This was the glorious and timely assurance ministered by David Campbell to the 600 or so who attended this year’s Grace Baptist Mission Annual Mission Day on 27 October.
David’s message, which closed the day conference at the Renewal Centre, Solihull, was not one of triumphalism. Rather, skilfully and gently, taking Acts 23.11 as his text against the backdrop of Paul’s desire to preach the gospel in Rome and the journey there, David reminded us that God’s plans always come to fruition and yet so often happen very differently from how we expect.
Milestones 2019
Joy Horn
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
Joy Horn flags up Christian anniversaries worth noting in the coming year
EVENTS
Morgan Llwyd, said to be the first non-conformist minister in Wales, was born in 1619. Converted under Walter Cradock, he served as a chaplain in Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army and became minister in Wrexham. His books have influenced Welsh national consciousness and literature to the present day.
Reaching the loneliest older people at Christmas
Louise Morse
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
Louise Morse offers a timely challenge to the churches
Christmas is a great time to show the love of God and to tell the salvation story.
20/20 vision for 2020?
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
As we look back on 2018 and forward to 2019 – and beyond – where are Anglican evangelicals in relation to the wider CofE ?
Here are some things I think we can be thankful for and encouraged by from 2018.
Cardiff: hungry students
Hayley Marchant
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
In November, the Christian Unions of Cardiff
held their annual city-wide events week.
Christian students on six different campuses across three different universities, as
well as an
international outreach
team,
stepped out to ask questions of their peers,
illustrated stories, answered questions and
proclaimed the good news.
Holding on to power
Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
The Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion (EFAC) has re-emerged after being somewhat dormant over the last decade.
That it is re-emerging with global participation and recognition among clergy and lay leaders in national groups indicates where apostolic succession truly lies – in the faith deposit entrusted to the people of God. For the news that EFAC was starting up again was met with instant brand recognition and welcome from evangelical Anglicans around the world.
Prayer – the youth key
Scripture Union
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
A report in late September identified prayer and responding to local needs as two of the most important factors in seeing youth mis-sional objectives met.
The study found that prayer makes a significant difference to a mission’s success, identifying clear links between teams that met their mission objectives and those who dedicated time to prayer for the work. Alongside the obvious benefits of God answering prayers, respondents also reported the positive psychological impact of knowing others were supportive of the work. Prayer was also cited as an effective way of increasing support for the mission, providing involvement opportunities for those who couldn’t help practically.
Jesus for Jewish people
Christian Witness to Israel
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
With anti-Semitism on the rise, Christian Witness to Israel reminds us of their work
Kyle was a homeless Jewish drug addict.
Ewart Helyar 1920 – 2018
Tony Thompson
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
Ewart Frederick Bertram Helyar was called
into the presence of the Lord just five days
short of his 80th ‘spiritual birthday’.
Born in 1920 in South East London and
unable to continue his schooling following
the sudden death of his mother when he was
14, he went to live with his grandparents in
East Coker, near Yeovil. His grandmother
was a Christian and encouraged him to attend
the local church. He started going to a boys’
Crusader Class and in 1938 he accepted the
Lord Jesus Christ, under the preaching of
Captain Reginald Wallis. During World War
II he served in Yeovil in the bomb disposal
unit of the Home Guard, being in a reserved
occupation with Westland Aircraft.
Dr Kathleen Berger 1920 – 2018
Stuart Cross
Date posted: 1 Nov 2018
On 24 July, Dr Kathleen Berger was called
home aged 98.
Kathleen Berger trained as a doctor and
entered the Army in WWII, rising to the
rank of Captain. When she was demobbed
she joined the Bermondsey Medical Mission.
After
the war, new housing estates were
built
in
the London suburbs and people
were moved out. With no GP practices in
the area, people would walk miles back into
Bermondsey. In 1950, Dr Berger was asked
to become the family doctor to the Coppice
Estate in Petts Wood, south east London.
Hull: building towards 2030
ReNew Hull / York
Date posted: 1 Dec 2018
Around 45 people (including 35 church leaders) gathered together at Jubilee Central church in Hull on 9 October for the launch of Hull 2030.
Hull 2030 is a new movement to pray for, facilitate and encourage the planting of 20 new gospel-centred churches in Hull by the year 2030. It came about through a partnership between the Anglican ReNew and New Frontiers churches of Hull because of the massive need for new gospel-centred churches to reach those currently unreached, and therefore the need to work together wherever possible.
Joy in Hitchin
Grace Baptist Church
Date posted: 1 Dec 2018
On 13 October, Grace Baptist Church,
Hitchin held a welcome service for their
new pastor Tom Forryan.
Around 200 people gathered in The Priory
School, Hitchin as friends of the family and
former church members joined the 20 or so
existing members. Ashkan Sarmadi, current
pastor of Derby Road Baptist Church, Watford
spoke warmly of Tom’s previous ministry.
Richard Lambert, Elder, explained the challenges of their three-year search for a pastor,
mentioning in particular a ‘somewhat sombre’
evening gathering of church officers when they
seemed to be out of options. In the providence
of God, a few days later a phone call suggesting
Tom for consideration was received.
news in brief
Argentina: no to abortion
On 9 August, the Argentine Senate rejected a bill which would have legalised abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
After a marathon debate, 38 senators voted against it and 31 in favour. Its defeat means lawmakers must wait until next year to resubmit legislation. Some pro-choice campaigners started fires and lobbed missiles at police in Buenos Aires after the vote. Demonstrators on both sides of the debate had rallied outside parliament as voting took place.
More railway chaplains
Railway Mission
Date posted: 1 Oct 2018
In August it was announced that the Railway Mission has invested in the chaplaincy service and increased the support to the railway industry to help staff through the recent industrial problems faced by many of the train operating companies.
As well as the addition of five new full-time chaplains to the chaplaincy team, the hours of some of the part time chaplains has also been increased.
Believing in Barrow
Robin Ham
Date posted: 1 Oct 2018
A new Cumbrian church plant is giving thanks for six months of life and looking ahead to God’s provision as they face the future…
The joke is often made that Barrow-in-Furness is at the end of the longest cul-de-sac in the country!
