Lausanne Congress in Cape town

The third Lausanne Congress on World evangelisation has just finished.. You can catch up on what happened and see some of the prenations (after registering) on

 

http://virtualcongress.lausanne.org/index.php

There is also one persons acoount of the congress at http://new.shipoffools.com/lausanne/

good practice guide for faith-based projects involved in volunteering

Faithfully Volunteering is a good practice guide for faith-based projects involved in volunteering, volunteer centres, and Councils for Voluntary Service who work with faith-based projects.

 

see and download from http://www.cuf.org.uk/act/resources-projects/faithfully-volunteering

Fw: Bible Driven . Urban Social Action.

 

At our network meeting in Preston on 30^th September we were asked to flag up a Bible verse or passage that motivates or encourages us in our present practice of  mission or community work..  This is what emerged.. a mixture of public concern and personal reliance on God. It's encouraging how God's word challenges and encourages us to go on.

 

• Jeremiah 29:7
  Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

 

• The story of Ruth… care for the widow, orphan and alien…sharing the harvest

 

• Hope…  perhaps  Romans 8:  

¹⁸I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹that^[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

²²We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

(Worth reading if you haven't already Tom Wright's "Surprised by Hope")

 

·        Living Water… The woman at the well John 4.

 

·        "But for the grace of God go I

 

·        Luke 4.. the Nazareth Manifesto

 ¹⁶He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ¹⁷The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
 ¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
      because he has anointed me
      to preach good news to the poor.
   He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
      and recovery of sight for the blind,
   to release the oppressed,
    ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."^[e]

• Micah 6  ⁸ He has showed you, O man, what is good.
         And what does the LORD require of you?
         To act justly and to love mercy
         and to walk humbly with your God.

 

• 1 Timothy 4:12
  Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity

 

• Exodus 3 ² There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ³ So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."

 

• John 16  ³³"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

 

• Luke 15  11-32 … The Prodigal son… a story of lostness all round..

 

• Dreaming dreams Acts 2:  ¹⁷" 'In the last days, God says,
        I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
     Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
        your young men will see visions,
        your old men will dream dreams.

 

• Isaiah 58

 

 ⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
       only a day for a man to humble himself?
       Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
       and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
       Is that what you call a fast,
       a day acceptable to the LORD ?

 ⁶ "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
       to loose the chains of injustice
       and untie the cords of the yoke,
       to set the oppressed free
       and break every yoke?

 ⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
       and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
       when you see the naked, to clothe him,
       and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

 ⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
       and your healing will quickly appear;
       then your righteousness ^[a] will go before you,
       and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

 ⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
       you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
       "If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
       with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

 ¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
       and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
       then your light will rise in the darkness,
       and your night will become like the noonday.

 ¹¹ The LORD will guide you always;
       he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
       and will strengthen your frame.
       You will be like a well-watered garden,
       like a spring whose waters never fail.

 ¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
       and will raise up the age-old foundations;
       you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
       Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

 ¹³ "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
       and from doing as you please on my holy day,
       if you call the Sabbath a delight
       and the LORD's holy day honorable,
       and if you honor it by not going your own way
       and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

 ¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the LORD,
       and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
       and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
       The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

·        Psalm 91

1        He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
       will rest in the shadow of the Almighty

2        ² I will say  of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
       my God, in whom I trust.

 

• Binding up the brokenhearted

  Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:2-4 (in Context) Psalm 147 (Whole Chapter)

 

 Isaiah 61:1
[ The Year of the LORD's Favor ] The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

 

·        Jer 17    (See also Psalm 1)  ⁷ "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
       whose confidence is in him.

 ⁸ He will be like a tree planted by the water
       that sends out its roots by the stream.
       It does not fear when heat comes;
       its leaves are always green.
       It has no worries in a year of drought
       and never fails to bear fruit."

·        And Rev 22   ¹Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ²down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

 

·        Philippians 2  the model of the incarnation..

 

 ⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
 ⁶Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
      did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
 ⁷but made himself nothing,
      taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
      being made in human likeness.
 ⁸And being found in appearance as a man,
      he humbled himself
      and became obedient to death—
         even death on a cross!
 ⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
      and gave him the name that is above every name,
 ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
      in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
 ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
      to the glory of God the Father

 

A day of Training on inter faith issues. for those engaged in Christian Ministry

 

I think this should be of great value to anyone ministering in multi faith settings and I can highly recommend the keynote speakers.

 

Ethnicity, Culture and Faith

A Lancashire and North West Perspective

 

Wednesday November 3^rd 2010

At

Noorul Islam Mosque, Audley Range, Blackburn

 

 

A day of Training for those engaged in Christian Ministry

 

 

This important training day is geared to further equipping and enabling Christians engaged in leadership respond to the diversity within our area. It focuses on the local scene where the predominant groups are Black Christian, Whites Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh. The day will directly address the issues raised by this diversity and engage with Christian responses in mission and ministry. There will be a keynote address, workshops as well as time for informal networking with others from the region. A selection of appropriate resources will be available.

 

We are privileged to be granted permission by the leadership of the Noorul Islam Mosque to use their magnificent building (only opened in summer and built at a cost of £1,300,000). The day will include a tour of the mosque and anybody who wishes to will be welcome to observe lunchtime prayers. This is a chance

not just to talk about diversity but experience it first hand.

 

The keynote speaker is Dr Philip Lewis  (BCDD)

 

Other contributions from Dr Helen Reid (BCDD)

 

Mrs Anjum Anwar MBE (Blackburn Cathedral Exchange Programme)

 

 

This training day is free of charge. Please register your intention to attend by emailing Revd. Steven Hughes MBE on steven.hughes24@btinternet.com

or phoning on 07896098272 

 

 

 

Fw: Community Mission eNews October 2010

I have just received this regular email from Community Mission.. I reckon it is worth you all signing up to it to receive monthly resources and inspiration for the soical action work your church or project is doing

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Community Mission

To: credoconsultancy@maister-smith.fsnet.co.uk

Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 11:40 AM

Subject: Community Mission eNews October 2010

View this email in your browser 4 OCTOBER 2010 Dear Greg, During the last month you have likely heard discussions about whether the Millennium Development Goals are being implemented. There are valuable questions to be asked but the end result is often disillusionment and the feeling that some things are out of our control. This month we welcome a new initiative by Micah Challenge. What's your Promise? asks ordinary people to make a promise to do one thing so that the poor are remembered. The website already includes many promises including buying extra food each month to give to a local charity, giving unneeded clothes away, not being wasteful and volunteering more time to help others. Our promise is to continue helping you serve those in most need. What's your promise? God Bless, Jill Clark Community Mission PS Livability would like to improve their training events and plan for 2011. Please take five minutes to complete their survey. Complete either London training survey or North training survey for a chance to win a free place on an upcoming event. Thank you! Help a London Child offers grants of up to £3,000 to projects that help London's children and young people who are experiencing poverty and disadvantage, abuse, neglect, homelessness, crime or those with an illness or disability. The average grant for 2009 was just under £2,000. Examples of projects that received past funding include adventure playgrounds and a young carer's organisation. The next deadline is 3 November. To request a copy of the guidelines and application form, complete this online form. Communitybuilders is a £70 million investment fund for multi-purpose, community-led organisations that have been operating for at least one year. There are three levels of funding: development funding, feasibility funding and capital investment funding. Capital investment funding includes a mixture of loans and grants. Their funding is available to churches and Christian community groups that serve the whole community. Read the core application criteria, FAQs, application process or complete an online eligibility test. There are no deadlines but the funding will be allocated by March 2011. For more information, email them or phone 0191 269 2278. The People's Postcode Trust aims to make the UK a better place for both people and the planet through offering grants of between £500-£10,000 to charities and individuals. Projects must work in the fields of poverty prevention, community development, human rights and environmental protection. Registered charities can apply for up to £10,000 and other groups up to £2,000. All projects must be completed and the funding spent within three months. The next round of applications will open on 11 October. For more information, read the guidance notes, case studies of previously funded projects or the list of funded projects. To apply after 11 October, download the application form. The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust awards grants to charities in the UK, particularly those with a national focus, that work with children, youth and the elderly. Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 are available for one year and the preference is for specific projects rather than core funding. Churches are not able to apply but community projects that are inclusive are eligible. There is no application form and instead a limited amount of information is requested. The next deadline is 1 November. Read the FAQs, recently awarded projects or the application guidelines. Drinkaware wants to change the UK's drinking culture for the better by reducing alcohol misuse and challenging the myth that binge drinking amongst young people is inevitable. Three types of grants are available: Ideas Fund of up to £2,000 for community groups to implement an innovative idea, Awareness Projects of up to £25,000 to raise awareness and educate, and Big Impact Awards of up to £100,000 to help larger organisations. Grants can be used in a variety of ways: drama, education, summer schemes or DVDs. The aim is that the work is planned, led and evaluated by young people themselves. There is no application deadline. Read the grant guidelines, project profiles of past winners, download an application form or contact Andy Law on 020 7766 9908 to get advice on applying. Mind and Soul is a Christian response to mental health. Mind and Soul Telford, part of CRE Telford, is being run on 22 October at the International Centre, Telford . The day will include teaching on what can impact mental and spiritual health, how to respond to this and how faith can be a resource rather than something that gets in the way. Speakers include Rev Will Van Der Hart, Dr Rob Waller, Jonathan Clark and many others. There will also be workshops on a variety of topics such as self-harm, eating disorders, counselling and dementia. It is £20 per person in advance or £24 on the day; this includes free entry to CRE Telford. Book online or phone 01793 418 218 for more information. The first Youth Work Summit is being held on 23 October at St Mary's Church in London. It aims to be an innovative and new type of event where youth workers can learn from each other and theological differences are put aside in order to show unity of purpose. It is being hosted by Chris Curtis from the Luton Churches Education Trust, Martin Saunders from Youthwork magazine and Matt Summerfield from Urban Saints. All three main organisers are involved in youth work at their local churches. Read more about the day, including thevalues behind the event and the aims for the event. There is also a podcast with more information. Book online or, for more information, complete this online form. Livability, Tearfund, Breathe and theLondon Institute for Contemporary Christianity are joining together to host an inspiring evening with Tom and Christine Sine, authors and Christian activists. Mustard seed faith: How to live more simply in order to follow Jesus is taking place on 25 October from 7–9pm at LICC, central London. Aimed at Christians who work during the day and would like to put their faith into practice throughout their lives, Tom and Christine Sine will speak about ways that Christians can make a difference in turbulent times and how we can live more simply as an alternative to consumer culture. Andy Flannagan, Christian Socialist Movement, will lead music. It is £5 per person. To book and pay online, visit the Community Mission website. Following requests from churches and Christian projects for training on working with those affected by drug and alcohol addiction, Livability is hosting 'Just say yes!' Practical ways the church can respond to people affected by drug and alcohol addiction on 24 November in central London. Facilitated by Sarah Brighton, Chief Operations Manager at drug education charity Hope UK, the day will include current trends in drug and alcohol use, basic teaching on the laws relating to drug use, how a church can practically respond and what we can learn from the Bible about addiction. The day is aimed at those with experience as well as those hoping to help people in the future. It is £30 per person including lunch and it is essential to book and pay online. For more information, contact Jill Clark or phone 020 7452 2018. In Livability's 2009 training survey, many people asked for help in working with older people. Beyond the Lunch Club: How churches can work effectively with older people is being hosted on 25 November at the Mirfield Centre near Wakefield. Facilitated by local practitioners and older people themselves, the day will explore links between poverty, ill health and life expectancy as well as the spirituality of older people, case studies of engaging with them and how to appreciate the stages of ageing. It is £20 per person. To book, contact Rachel Salmon or phone 01924 481 920. For more information, contact David Arscott or phone 0113 350 8070. Churches looking for ways to respond relevantly to their communities this Christmas can find help through Livability's free resource, Neighbourhood Nativity. A how-to guide to running a living nativity, the pack is focused on involving everyone in your church in telling the story of Jesus' birth. The aim is to communicate that Jesus is available to everyone, regardless of lifestyle or church attendance. It can lead to deeper relationships both within the church and with neighbours. It is free to order from the Livability website. Buttershaw Baptist Church, South Bradford is in the centre of a very deprived estate and is active in the local community through the work of its family centre, fruit and vegetable project and counselling programme. Most of the church members live within half a mile of the church. The church has not always been this active, though. Over the last twenty years, the leadership team and church members have been on a journey of meeting local people, finding out what is needed in the area and responding. Read their inspiring story on the Community Mission website, watch their Buttershaw is Home video or view some of the recent artwork from their Prophetic Art project. Leeds Churches Together in Mission has produced a new DVD that can be used by individual Christians as well as churches to reflect on mission in an urban context. Sidelined focuses on the stories of nine people who have been touched by the activities of Christian social action projects in Leeds. Profiled projects include Joanna, Meeting Point, Manuel Bravo, Integrate, New Hope and many others. It is available for a donation of £3. To order a copy, email Jonathan Dorsett or phone 07930 364 733. EQUIP, the new name for Enabling Christians in Serving Refugees (ECSR), connects and supports Christians who work with asylum seekers and refugees. Their new website has information on where EQUIP partners are located, FAQs relating to asylum seekers and refugees as well as a fortnightly newsletter with events, resources, funding and job opportunities. The most recent blog entry was written by a chaplain in a detention centre. The Christian Distinctives Trust helps Christian organisations be more spiritually passionate, professionally excellent and distinctively excellent so that our communities are transformed. Their manual Disintctives: the ethos and practice of people management has been revised and will now be downloadable from their website. The new edition comes with a special appendix on the Equality Act as it relates to Christian organisations and will be available in October. Their website also includes a list of key Christian values that can be tailored for business plans and mission statements. Unsubscribe Contact us Forward to a friend Registered Address: Livability, 50 Scrutton Street,London EC2A 4XQ, Telephone: 020 7452 2018 Registered charity number: 1116530 | Registered in England