CAR: contingency plan
World Watch Monitor
Date posted: 1 Jan 2014
Consensus is emerging to begin
‘contingency planning’ to send a UN peacekeeping
force
to
the
lawless Central African
Republic (CAR), the UN’s No.2 official said
in mid-November.
‘The country
in the heart of Africa
is
descending into complete chaos before our
eyes and requires a capable security force on
the ground’, UN Deputy Secretary General
Jan Eliasson told the UN Security Council.
The occupation: ‘must be robust and prevent
what has
the high potential
to result
in
widespread atrocities’.
India: strategies to face persecution
Vinay Samuel & Chris Sugden
Date posted: 1 Jan 2014
Thirty
lawyers, media personnel, pastors
and agency workers from Christian denominations across India met at the Centre for
Religious Freedom in Delhi from November
25–29
to prepare
resources
to enable
Christians of all churches in India to meet
the
likelihood of
further persecution
in
months to come.
Persecution may be stepped up because
Hindu nationalist politicians may win power
in the current local and upcoming national
elections and even form the Government if
only in coalition with others.
A hard pill to swallow
Lee Gatiss
Date posted: 1 Jan 2014
The Church of England has now entered
another turbulent period of debate over
sexuality, which threatens to tear it apart
from the inside.
The Pilling Report on Human Sexuality
came out at the end of November and will
be discussed by the House of Bishops in
January. It contains worrying evidence and
worrying recommendations.
Rico’s recommendation
Pod Bhogal
Date posted: 1 Oct 2013
Evangelist Rico Tice suggests one resource which will help churches involved with A Passion For Life 2014
Pod Bhogal talks to Rico Tice, author of the Christianity Explored course about the importance of one-to-one personal work in evangelism, Seeker Bible studies and Uncover, UCCF’s latest gospel project which is now being adopted by local churches.
UK TRAINS THE WORLD!
Dr. Jonny Woodrow
Date posted: 1 Oct 2013
Over the last six years, a training ministry initially developed for a local church in the north of England now has a truly global impact.
The Porterbrook Network started in 2007 when church planters Steve Timmis and Tim Chester started work on a course that would equip Christians for mission and ministry in everyday life. It needed to appeal to busy Christians who couldn’t take a day a week for training. They wanted something that connected biblical theology to both heart change and mission. A key aim was to help men and women see mission as something to which they could contribute.
The result was Porterbrook Learning. It centred on biblical theology, character development and sound doctrine, as well as equipping people to speak the gospel into everyday life. It gave Christians a renewed vision for the centrality of the local church in mission, and trained people for evangelism and cultural engagement.
Man on a mission
In May, the FIEC announced Andy Paterson as their new Director of Mission. EN asked him about his vision for this new role.
EN: Director of Mission is an unusual title for the FIEC. What does it mean?
Exmouth extends
Lee Emerson
Date posted: 1 Dec 2013
Scott Drive Church, Exmouth, officially
opened
its new building extension on
September 21.
But the church’s real agenda is to see God’s
kingdom extended
in
this
seaside
town.
Founded in 1966 by a retired minister who
saw the need for an independent church with
strong biblical foundations, years of valiant
effort by many did not seem to be bearing
fruit until recently. Then God blessed the
congregation with
increased numbers and
several conversions.
Wales: lansio*
Bible Society’s
Date posted: 1 Dec 2013
Newswatch (The Baptist Times)
October 20 saw the first gathering of Calon
Lân at Rhiwbina Baptist Church in Cardiff.
After several months of praying together,
the group launched the new Welsh language
missional community. Cardiff’s population currently stands at 350,000 and is rising.
More than 10% of its residents speak the
Welsh language and this new group hopes to
reach out to the tens of thousands of speakers who have little or no connection with
any church.
Former shy man in Yateley
Ken Walters
Date posted: 1 Dec 2013
The induction service for Andrew Wigham,
the new pastor of Yateley Baptist Church in
Hampshire, was held on September 14 at
Yateley Manor School.
Over 170 people, including a good number from Wales, joined in a service of praise
and worship. The meeting was led by Ray
Smith, one of
the elders of
the church.
During the initial part of the service, Ken
Walters, another of the elders, explained how
the church came to feel that Andrew was ‘the
man of God’s choosing’ to lead the church
forward. In response, Andrew spoke of his
call to full-time ministry, from being a shy person
to preaching
in
the open air
in
Covent Garden. He has pursued theological
study in Wales and has experience working
in a number of churches. More recently he
has worked in a school in Rumney, Cardiff,
with special needs students.
Letter from America
Moody on Moody
Josh Moody
Date posted: 1 Dec 2013
In coming issues, this column will profile significant American ministries.
In this month’s column, Josh interviews Dr. Paul Nyquist, president of Moody Bible Institute.
Music
Free church
Richard Simpkin
Date posted: 1 Dec 2013
First of all, something huge to give thanks for.
A third year cellist from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama put his trust in Jesus this week. Thank you for praying in the light of the mission I wrote about last month, and praise the Lord for his grace.
Directing Reform
EN caught up with Susie Leafe, the recently appointed first full-time Director of Reform, just before their leaders conference and asked her a few questions.
EN: Tell us about your own conversion. SL: I grew up in a nominally Christian home, so I went along to Sunday School at our parish church and learned a few Bible stories.
Building again at Beverley
Jim Thompson
Date posted: 1 Dec 2013
The
year-long
search
of
Latimer
Congregational Church, Beverley, came to
an end on October 12 as Iain Clements was
inducted to be the new minister.
Around 150 people gathered to celebrate
the occasion and to pray God’s blessing on
Iain and the fellowship.
World: changes at OM
Daniel Bullock
Date posted: 1 Oct 2013
On September 1, Lawrence Tong took over
as
the new
international director
of
Operation Mobilisation (OM). He succeeded Peter Maiden who retired from the role
after serving
for
ten years and George
Verwer who founded OM in 1957.
Everyone expects big changes when a new
leader takes the reins. So what can we expect
from Lawrence? For the first time the position of international director will be filled
with a non-Westerner, Lawrence
is
from
Singapore and with that he brings his own
certain Global South
flavour. Another
noticeable change, as Lawrence puts it, is
that there will be ‘an intentional emphasis on
the globalisation of OM — to make OM
more user-friendly for non-Westerners’.
Oliver Barclay 1919 – 2013
One of the men who has had the greatest influence on post-war evangelicalism has gone to be with the Lord
Oliver Barclay, second General Secretary of IVF/UCCF, died at his home in Leicester on September 12, aged 94.
Faithful in South Africa
Dave Doveton and Gavin Mitchell
Date posted: 1 Sep 2013
The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans
(Southern Africa) was born after the
GAFCON 1 meeting in Jerusalem in 2008,
with the aim of standing for biblical orthodoxy. FCA has two constituent parties,
members of the Church of England in South
Africa (CESA) and members of the Anglican
Church of Southern Africa (ACSA).
Among the Dioceses of the ACSA, Port
Elizabeth Diocese, the Diocese of St. Mark
the Evangelist, Zululand and Niassa
Dioceses would count themselves as evangelical. So are clusters of parishes in Kwazulu
Natal. In the Western Cape about 4-5
parishes, including the very big St. John’s
Wynberg, a conglomerate of seven churches,
are evangelical and charismatic in varying
degrees. A good strong parish within the diocese of Cape Town is St. Martin’s Bergvliet.
In Johannesburg there are 4-5 strongly evangelical parishes, generally the larger ones.
Zambia: OM training centre
Operation Mobilisation (OM) is currently
working in ten African countries, one of
which is Zambia.
Zambia is a beautiful country filled with
wonderful people and is well known for its
copper mineral wealth and the mighty
Victoria Falls. It is bordered by eight other
countries, is politically stable and has
declared itself a Christian country.
Uncover for Passion for Life 2014
Richard Cunningham
Date posted: 1 Sep 2013
Pod Bhogal talks to Richard Cunningham about reaching students and resourcing churches
Pod Bhogal, UCCF’s Head of Communications, talks to Richard Cunningham, UCCF’s Director, about the Uncover Gospel Project, the impact it has had in the student world and its potential for helping ordinary Christians — in a local church context — to introduce their friends to Jesus.
Park life
London City Mission
Date posted: 1 Sep 2013
A June Family Fun Day showed the results
of long-term mission in a former ‘no man’s
land’ in East London.
St. John’s Park is a green space on the Isle
of Dogs. Just a few years ago it was a place
where no one dared to enter because of the
gangs, drugs and high levels of crime. But
now it is a vibrant hub of community where,
particularly in the summer months, parents
and children gather to enjoy time together.
Syria: please do something for the body of Christ
Barnabas Fund
Date posted: 1 Sep 2013
On July 30, Barnabas Fund received a report from one of its Christian partners, a doctor in Aleppo, a devastated city that has been forgotten as the world stands by and fails to intervene on behalf of its traumatised citizens.
He chose to stay to help those in need of medical care and is also heavily involved in co-ordinating Barnabas Fund’s aid to Christians, whose plight is worsening as the fighting rages on.
