Start The Week

Outlook Trust - mission for and among those over 55

Saga warriors like me (Paul: 56 this week) may be cheered by this raft of resources from Norman Critchell and his new trust which hopes to work as an evangelism agency with the over-55s.

Download Mission & Vision

Download June Outlook Newsletter

Download Resource List September 2009

Samaritans Purse International

Holistic mission from the Billy Graham family of organisations - Dave Vann has this with fuller details for download here:

Download Samaritan's Purse - connecting with churches

I work for Samaritans Purse International and our mission is “Taking an integral mission approach – demonstrating and proclaiming the whole gospel, we partner with local churches the world over to bring hope, help and a self sustaining future to the communities we work alongside” 

My particular role is Head of Operations and Logistics and I am accountable for our Volunteer and Church Partnership programme in the UK. Our UK facing campaigns, specifically Operation Christmas Child, Turn on the Tap (Water Access, Sanitation and Hygiene) and Positive Impact (HIV/AIDS) are all relationally based and offer Churches in the UK three key opportunities:

1.              Helping the (local) Church to be at the centre of its community. It provides natural and simple relational opportunities for congregations to engage positively with Schools, Work Places, Organisations and Neighbours. Many of these opportunities represent those who will not normally associate themselves with Christian activities.

2.              Helping volunteers grow in their Christian lives and in the skills God has given them. The project is achieved through volunteers and we partner with them to develop the necessary skills. Our ideal is to work in partnership with the Church leadership so that the maximum mutual benefit can be derived.

3.              Encouraging Churches to have a mission orientated world view. As people get involved we find that frequently a latent passion is released, that God has placed and uses. This opens further opportunities to serve and get involved with both mission and outreach.

Interfaith dialogue - CTE resources

Lorraine Shannon writes from Churches Together in England:

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to send you two Bulletins of inter faith resources.

One is on the 'Golden Rule', the other on 'Do's and Don'ts and Fruits of Dialogue'. They have been prepared for Inter Faith Week, 15th-21st November, but not exclusively so as they are hopefully resources for Christians that go beyond particular events.

They can be downloaded from the CTE website via the following link;
http://www.cte.org.uk/Groups/94752/Churches_Together_in/Themes/Dialogues
/Inter_faith/Inter_Faith_Week/Inter_Faith_Week.aspx

Sport and Christian Outreach - Rank Trust bursaries

Dr John Higgs of the Joseph Rank Trust writes with news of the Trust's bursary scheme for those wanting to study for the MA below. If you or someone you know is interested in exploring this opportunity please contact Dr Higgs at the address below.

Here are details of the MA Course in ‘Sport and Christian Outreach’ which is run by the University of Gloucestershire. 

In 2006 following a close collaboration with Lord Carey’s ‘Sport and Mission Advisory Group’, this Trust committed itself to funding between 2008/2012 a number of students to attend the course, whilst also funding their work placements.  The total funding committed to date is £350,000.

The web link for course is:

http://www.glos.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/sco/Pages/default.aspx

and the web link for the course leader is: 

http://resources.glos.ac.uk/faculties/shsc/staffprofiles/andrew-parker.cfm

Dr. John Higgs

Secretary

The Joseph Rank Trust

secretary@ranktrust.org

www.ranktrust.org

Mission Action Planning: Study Day November 12

Just a reminder of this excellent day with Mike Chew, Mark Ireland, Peter Hill and their team.

For a second year running, Mike Chew, Peter Hill and Mark Ireland are organising a MAP study day for diocesan missioners and facilitators. The first one was help in September last year and it proved useful for sharing both progress to date and future plans. 

The output led to new insights and fresh material being added to the 'churchmaps.co.uk' website. 

Arrangements are now being made for this year's study day - to be held on Thursday 12th November at Mark Ireland’s church, All Saints, Church Street, Wellington (near Telford). 

Coffee will be available from 10.30am, and the programme will start at 11am and finish by 3pm. 

The day will begin with short presentations about the latest news about use of MAP, then there will be workshops on topics selected by participants. Handouts will be available. 

All Saints is adjacent to Wellington railway station with a half-hourly service to Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Wellington is 5 minutes drive from the M54. Bring a packed lunch (or alternatively, there are coffee shops and sandwich bars close by) and drinks will be provided. 

There will be a fee of £10 to cover expenses, payable on the day.  

Participants will also be able to purchase a copy of Mike and Mark's new book "How to do Mission Action Planning", which is due for publication on November 19th.

Please would those are interested in attending email the organising team via their website (www.churchmaps.co.uk and click on 'email us') and you will receive more details and a booking form.

Bishop's Mission Order: who's first?

Norman Ivison writes:

Karen Carter has just been appointed Media Officer for Fresh Expressions and one of Karen’s first tasks will be to determine which fresh expression of church has the first Bishop’s Mission Order awarded. We know of one signing due to take place on 8^th November. Does anyone know of one before then, or indeed one already signed? 

Please respond to Karen.carter@freshexpressions.org.uk with a copy to us at the national office: paul.bayes@c-of-e.org.uk

Forty:Three Trust

Founded by Ian Knox who has handed the baton to the excellent Mark Greenwood, 40:3 Trust remains an evangelism resource for the whole church. Mark has a strategic vision and is available for a range of evangelistic events and training. More at their website http://www.fortythreetrust.com/; meanwhile here are a couple of flyers as samples.

 Download Bc

Download Caec

"Older people an untapped resource for mission" - Michael Collyer on Share

News from Andrew Wooding:

Mike Collyer of Church Army's The Sheffield Centre has written a guest blog for Share, asking if aging church congregations should be seen as a problem or a challenge. He points out that 'our aged congregations are an untapped resource for mission in reaching not only their own peer group, but also the younger generation'. This is a follow-up to Mike Collyer's recent blog, called 'The invisible generation'. To read and comment on this blog, as well as see an archive of past blogs, visit: www.sharetheguide.org/blog

Christian Enquiry Agency - Project Co-ordinator

Rob Freeman sends news of this new post, carrying forward CEA's work in the new context of partnership with Church Army. Please pass on to anyone in your area who might be interested.

Details here:

Download CEA Co-ord Job Description and Person Specification

Download CEA co-ordinator - advert

Download CEA co-ordinator - info sheet 

Download CEA News - autumn 2009

Cavedwellers - a Christian Christian forum

Vic van den Bergh writes from Lichfield diocese:

Cavedwellers forum – What and why?

Basically, I find in the madness of daily ministry that I have need to dialogue and discuss certain issues but the opportunity isn’t always there. Although forums are a place where we can discuss stuff and get a bit of stimulation, fun and challenge from others sadly I’ve been on a few Christian forums and found that generally they just weren’t Christian in the way they dealt with each other and the conversations left a lot to be desired. I came away more stressed than blessed.

I wanted to find a place where Christians (lay or in some form of ministry) could discuss what we do and how our life and ministry was going, share good and bad practice and find somewhere to just chat without all the dross and so Cavedwellers came into being.

Membership is by recommendation and invitation (such as this) rather than generally having people just signing up. This serves a couple of purposes in that it keeps the bots and other internet detritus off the forum and also ensures that some of the people who might otherwise join to troll and create mayhem are not present.

Unlike some, Cavedwellers is not a campaigning forum, merely a Christian one! Why not give it a try?

 http://www.cavedwellers.org.uk/forum