2017 | Feeding 5,000 is no picnic...

16Feb 2017 by Nigel Ring

The roots of Newfrontiers – a personal reflection pt 1. We meet Terry Virgo

Increasingly people are joining churches related to Newfrontiers through other apostolic spheres and have no awareness of how it all started. Several have recently asked me for the early history so over the next few weeks I will share my personal story of those early days since I was privileged to be in from the start – indeed, from before the start. A letter One day, on return from our family holiday, I found a letter awaiting me. “Will you be my administrator? I don’t know what an administrator does but I know I need one”. I picked up the phone. “I also don’t know what an administrator does” was my reply, “but yes!” On that somewhat precarious basis a special friendship turned into an employed relationship with Terry Virgo. The continuing deep…

08Feb 2017 by Nigel Ring

Around the Newfrontiers apostolic spheres – Relational Mission

Edward Buria, Kenya, Mike Betts, Newfrontiers, News, Relational Mission

From time to time I have published interviews with the various men leading the new apostolic spheres following the transition of the Newfrontiers family of churches in 2011 from one to multiple spheres. Here I talk with Mike Betts who leads the sphere ‘Relational Mission’. We were able to have a discussion about what his vision is and how the sphere has developed since the transition. Relational Mission – meaning and outworking Having given insight to the name ‘Relational Mission’ Mike shares some of the ways in which his vision and values are being outworked: a Leadership Conference, Clustering churches for local fellowship, Church Planting, Leadership Training and ‘extraordinary’ Prayer. Book Many of the values and practices of Newfrontiers have been updated and redefined in the book ‘Relational Mission – A Way…

01Feb 2017 by Nigel Ring

Pathways Care Farm

Agriculture, Farming, News, Poor

I have not met many alpacas – in fact I had not met any before I met Boris. But he was a good representative of his species and quickly made me feel at home. I was visiting Pathways Care Farm in Lowestoft, UK, founded by Geoff Stevens. I came to know Geoff when he was exploring an initiative within the Relational Mission sphere of Newfrontiers, Pathways from Poverty, now led by Julia Miller. Geoff knew nothing about farming when the opportunity arose to start a care farm but he and his team have achieved an astonishing amount in just two years. Walking around the farm with him I found he is bubbling with ideas – ‘we’re going to put a bird watching hide here’, ‘we will create an arts and crafts room…

25Jan 2017 by Nigel Ring

Leading a church to minister with the Poor pt 4. Money

Finance, Poor, The church

In this concluding interview with Andy Cottingham we talk about money. What are the possible sources of funds including the pros and cons of gift days in the church and charitable grants? How to make a ministry sustainable. What about overseas giving? What are the pitfalls and the damage that can be done by unwise giving? What is success? In these discussions two books are mentioned which I recommend: When Helping Hurts and Toxic Charity. Both address the issue of damage that can be done if giving is not wise. In concluding this series I want to encourage church leadership teams to watch these interviews again together and apply them to your own situation. Andy raises many questions that you may not have thought of. They should stimulate good…

18Jan 2017 by Nigel Ring

Leading a church to minister with the Poor pt 3. The structure of a ministry

Charity, Equipping, Poor, Social Enterprise, The church

We have now looked at two topics: how to make church life more accessible to those who are poor or in need so that they can 'hear' the gospel, and how to identify what particular ministry we should be carrying out in our church. In this interview Andy Cottingham considers some matters related to running the ministry. Form a Charity? The church is an integral part of the community. A charity has a separate life. So it is with great caution that a church should consider forming a separate charity and there must be safeguards in the governance to prevent any such charity becoming independent of the church. Andy addresses this in the talk below but I have also written about it in a previous series. Relationship with other agencies Typically there are several agencies…

12Jan 2017 by Nigel Ring

Leading a church to minister with the Poor pt 2. Identifying and supporting a ministry

Equipping, Poor, The church, Together on a Mission

Last time we looked at some adjustments that may be indicated to help a church become more accessible to those who are not familiar with church and who may even be social outcasts. Now we shall consider how a church decides what ministry to carry out to help those who are poor or in need. How should it be identified - by need? In part 2 of these four interviews Andy Cottingham gives some guidance on how to define a ministry, how to base the leadership of that ministry on the passion of individuals and how to mobilise church members to serve. Andy also talks about what the 'good news' is for an individual who faces great deprivation or need, before speaking about how the elders might bring oversight to such ministries, stressing…

Year: 2017