26Apr 2010 by Nigel Ring

Effective Meetings pt 2 – Characteristics of a meeting

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Good Practice, Meetings
I am involved in many different types of meeting. Not all have the same structure or importance but listing them may give you a point of identity from your own scene, so I will discuss them briefly in the next blog. First, however, all need to have certain characteristics or questions answered. Characteristics 1. What is the purpose? 2. What are the expected outcomes? 3. What is the status e.g. does it have a legal standing as part of the management of the church/charity? Purpose This defines the structure on which to hang topics to be handled. So, the purpose of one group could be ‘to govern the church’ (i.e. elders’ meetings), ‘to organise a conference’ (e.g. the annual Newfrontiers conference ‘Together on a Mission’) or ‘to manage and strategise for the family…
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19Apr 2010 by Nigel Ring

Effective Meetings pt 1 – Overview

Administration in the Church, Administrative Skills, Biblical Administration, Christian ministry, Equipping, Meetings
The future of Time Management I still have one more Time Management posting to make about PDAs but am not yet ready to do so. In the meantime I want to begin a new series on meetings. I hope you will find it helpful. Meetings in abundance Do you ever feel that the Lord got it wrong?! When he says he came to give life in abundance do you sometimes feel that he must have meant meetings in abundance? We all seem to attend so many! I am sure that many in leadership feel that their lives consist of attending meetings. I don’t mean worship meetings, but planning and strategy meetings, finance and administrative meetings etc. It is obviously vital that such meetings take place in order for your church…
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16Mar 2010 by Nigel Ring

Zimbabwe – Meet Brian Oldreive

Agriculture, Christian ministry, Good Practice, News, One to One interviews, Poor, Zimbabwe
About 30 years ago Brian Oldreive, a former Zimbabwean test cricketer, was farming tobacco when he and his wife Cath became Christians. He is now well-known for being the visionary behind Foundations for Farming, formerly Farming God’s Way. In this interview you get to meet him and to learn something of his background, and why he changed from tobacco to food. You will also sense his passion to see the Kingdom of God advance in Zimbabwe and the whole of Africa, and his great heart for the Poor.   One to one with Brian Oldreive from Newfrontiers on Vimeo. If this video has inspired you and you wish to become involved in Operation Trumpet Call there is a day of prayer for Zimbabwe on September 26th. More details will become…
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12Mar 2010 by Nigel Ring

Time Management pt 11 – Progressing the Do it list 1

Administrative Skills, Christian ministry, Equipping, Good Practice, Planning, Time Management
Now that we have dealt with prioritising and have the Organiser organised it is time to bring practical application to your Do it list. When you write the list leave two imaginary columns on the left side – in other words indent the items. In the column nearest the list you write the priorities, A1 etc. So a list may look like this: |  |  |Phone John Smith 019234 567890 |  |  |Plan the Conference meeting agenda |  |  |Complete ministry proposal for the elders’ meeting |  |  |Brief staff about holiday arrangements |  |  |Report back to staff on trustees meeting |  |  |Monitor progress with Sally about Easter outreach |  |  |Ask Mike to set up meeting with local press officer Note the ‘2 columns’ of space beside…
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02Mar 2010 by Nigel Ring

Ministry Report 4 – Jubilee Health Centre, Cape Town

Christian ministry, Good Practice, Health, HIV, Ministry Report, News, Poor, South Africa
I love receiving regular updates from the Clinic based at Jubilee Church in Cape Town! They are always full of faith and testimonies of God’s intervention – so I felt to share a report with you to be blessed also! It is written by Dr Caryn Wilson whose passion and leadership of the Team make this a highly effective ministry. This is one of a dozen Mercy Ministries from Jubilee Church and at the end of this blog is a video made about 18 months ago showing how they integrate together, an important feature of good practice in a church’s social ministries. But first, let Caryn tell you the story.   Our experience of working alongside God in the Jubilee Health Centre is aptly described in the words of a…
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15Feb 2010 by Nigel Ring

To the Nations – Visit to Ghana and Nigeria – Part 2

Cross-culture, Ghana, International, News, Nigeria, Poor
Recently Danny McBride, a friend from my church (CCK, Brighton) and I visited Ghana and Nigeria. In part 1 of this report (see February 8th) I showed an interview with John Kpikpi of his vision and apostolic ministry in West Africa. While in Ghana I was also able to speak to John about his attitude to the Poor. The Kingdom Mandate of Is 61:1-3 demonstrates God’s heart for the Poor and the fruit of the gospel in their lives. I thought it would be interesting to gain John’s perspective on this from the context of a nation and church which has many poor people in their midst. Theology of the Poor in Ghana - John Kpikpi from Newfrontiers on Vimeo.   [caption id="attachment_944" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Gate of No Return"][/caption]…
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