Do we need a ‘social’ charity? Pt 4 – What is its purpose?

Administration in the Church, Charity, Equipping, Poor
What are Objects? Any charity or charitable company (more about that later) needs objects. These define why the charity exists and what it is hoping to achieve. In this respect it differs significantly from the stated objects of the church, which may include such phrases as ‘promoting the Christian gospel through teaching and outreach'. For a social charity we need to emphasise the benefits to those who are poor or disadvantaged. To illustrate, the first object of my local church's trust document states that we are to ‘Advance the Christian faith'. This is not attractive to many secular donors. In contrast, the first object of one of our social charitable trusts is ‘the prevention or relief of poverty'. There is also an object in our church trust document that relates…
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Do we need a ‘social’ charity? Pt 3 – Relationship with the Local Church

Administration in the Church, Charity, Equipping, Poor
Ministry or Project? Is the help and transformation you are trying to bring to people who are disadvantaged defined as a ‘ministry' or a ‘project'? Recently I was with some church leaders in Holland. I asked them what the word ‘project' (suitably translated!) conjured up in their minds. The list included such terms as Time Boundaries, Finance, Project Manager, Process. After about ten words or phrases had been listed I pointed out than none of them reflected the people they were hoping to help thus showing that ‘project' tends to be a very task-associated word. In the church we are talking about people; people within the church and people outside. I suggest that we should not talk about ‘project' but about ‘ministry'. The work in your church with the children…
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Remember the poor – Simon Pettit

Equipping, General, Poor
Good news! In 1998, at the Newfrontiers Leaders Conference in Brighton UK, Simon preached a movement-directing message from Gal 2:10 that it is an apostolic mandate to remember the poor. We have just been able to convert this and make it available as a video. Remember the Poor from Newfrontiers on Vimeo.
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Do we need a ‘social’ charity? Pt 2 – Why?

Administration in the Church, Charity, Equipping, Poor
Would a separate charity ever be helpful? The short answer is ‘yes', but only when the time is right. The trigger for creating a separate charity is probably when a) it interacts closely with the world, particularly in the area of finance or of partnering with a secular agency; b) when the risks of this aspect of the church's ministry appear so significant that it is worth ‘ring fencing' from the core church finances; c) if the ‘ownership' of the ministry does not sit fair and square in the church vision but it is something that some members are keen to do and the church wants to support in part (see ‘Proceed with caution' below). Why? Many secular donors do not like giving to the church; they feel their donations…
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Do we need a ‘social’ charity? Pt 1 – Pros and Cons

Charity, Equipping, Poor
Introduction I am increasingly travelling among churches to advise them on setting up ministries to work with people who are poor or disadvantaged. I am encouraged how many churches have those who are poor on their agendas. The prophetic word that Simon Pettit preached in 1998 at the Newfrontiers leaders conference that it is an apostolic mandate to Remember the Poor (Gal 2:10) is certainly bearing fruit. Ministry with the poor is not only about taking the love and compassion of Jesus to those in need but it is a powerful and effective way of winning favour with your local community (both people and authorities) and of growing your church. As I share with church leaders some of the basic principles in setting up such ministries I frequently find that…
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