The secret ingredient

Christian ministry, Development, Equipping, Good Practice, Poor, South Africa
Gospel Impact As I travel to churches helping them think through the key issues to launch a ministry with the poor I invariably contrast what the church has to offer compared to secular NGOs and aid agencies. There are areas of similarity and areas of contrast. The biggest contrast is that we have a ‘secret ingredient' - the Gospel. We are able to approach the ministry God has laid on our hearts knowing that we go into situations in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Angela Kemm I first met Angela in 1987. Working out of what is now called Jubilee Church, a Newfrontiers church in Cape Town, South Africa, Angela regularly stepped out of her comfort zone and went into the communities living in tents and…
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Impacting communities through Social Enterprise

Equipping, Jubilee+, Newfrontiers, Poor, Social Enterprise
Community Engagement There are three strands to the way in which the church can exercise community engagement to bring about change in the social environment - Social Action (hands-on involvement), Social Justice (advocacy) and Social Enterprise (transformation through business). The last, Social Enterprise, is the one most likely to produce lasting personal and community transformation with financial sustainability. It was thus with great interest I attended a half day conference on this important topic organised through the Jubilee+ Initiative of the Newfrontiers family of churches on March 16th. This was then followed on 17th by the Everything Conference which, on occasion, touched on the same subject. What is Social Enterprise? Social Enterprise is attaining a growing profile in the UK. Increasingly businesses are being launched or re-aligned to help those…
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Teams that work – pt 15. Supporting one another

Equipping, Team
As we come to the final part of this series I want to look at Phil 2:4-8, the heart of what Jesus has modelled for us in total unselfishness, putting our interests before his own, even to the extent of laying down his life for us. Over the last 30 years I have had the privilege of serving many teams, both as a member and as team leader. I have provided administrative support to various teams led by Terry Virgo and have given leadership to the management teams for the Downs and Stoneleigh Bible Weeks, and for the Together on a Mission Conferences. I have also led the staff team of Terry Virgo's office in Hove. In each case I have sought to encourage team members to see their role…
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