news in brief
Bangladesh: 18 baptised
Rural Muslims Bangladesh’s (RMB) partnership with FEBA UK combines Christian teaching with input on health and social issues, it was reported in July.
18 listeners have been baptised in the last year. Those who respond to RMB’s gospel message know that, in doing so, they risk being expelled from their villages. RMB broadcasts in Bengali, providing trustworthy material on faith and practical issues, and presents Christian content in a style that is accessible to non-literate listeners.
New director
Natalie Parsons
Date posted: 1 Sep 2015
On 30 June Minister David Meredith of
Smithton Free Church was offered the position of Missions Director
for
the Free
Church of Scotland.
In mid July he accepted the position after
spending two weeks in prayer and discussion
with the elders at Smithton, as well as others
in the wider Church.
Capital Gains
Regular visiting
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Aug 2015
We live in a shallow world of internet ‘friendships’.
In contrast to this, the London City Mission perseveres with the long-term commitment and depth of relationships that we find described in the Bible.
Brazil: Amazonian disciples
Jason Murfitt
Date posted: 1 Sep 2015
Imagine the scene: you have been a missionary in a river community in the middle of the Amazonian jungle for nearly ten years, and, among other things, have spent over four years teaching the children from Genesis to Revelation.
But now some of the children are entering adolescence and you have decided to begin a Friday evening club to take the older ones ever deeper into the Word. As your wife busily prepares the after-meeting meal, you silently rehearse your notes – an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. Expectations are running high as the veranda begins to fill up with excited teenagers, all arriving by canoe in the half-light. You thought eight to ten might attend… but in no time 25 have arrived!
Manchester mission conference
David Butler
Date posted: 1 May 2014
Supporters of the European Missionary Fellowship (EMF) in the north-west of England gathered at Chorlton Evangelical Church, Manchester on March 8 for an afternoon conference.
A report was given by EMF missionary Volodymyr Kostyshyn, who pastors a church in Ternopil, west Ukraine, both about his own ministry and also about recent political developments in Ukraine.
Shoulder to shoulder
Susie Leafe
Date posted: 1 Oct 2015
In 1995 the Irish rugby authorities commissioned a song to unite players and supporters from all four provinces of Ireland as they played as one team in the Rugby World Cup.
No doubt we’ll hear the resulting song on numerous occasions over the coming weeks:
Whitby Bible School
Matthew Hibbard
Date posted: 1 Oct 2015
Beth Keel & Michael Taylor
On the first weekend of September around 25 young people arrived in Whitby for the annual September Bible School.
This year the theme of living as a Christian in the modern world was taken. Andy Patterson (FIEC Missions Director) and Phil Heaps (Grace Church, Yate) were the speakers. Kamal and Emma Zarour shared news of their work amongst Muslims in Manchester.
Elaine Todman 1973 –2015
Peter Mawson
Date posted: 1 Oct 2015
On Tuesday 22 August almost 500 people packed into a church in South Bristol. Was this for a person with an international ministry, or for someone well known within the Christian community? Well no, actually. The Thanksgiving service was for Elaine Todman, the wife of Neil, the lead pastor of Headley Park Church.
Elaine became a Christian at the age of 16 through the witness of a friend at school and through a Billy Graham campaign.
‘I always want to win!’
Graham Hooper
Date posted: 1 Oct 2015
Graham Hooper asks if Christians should be competitive
‘The trouble with the rat race is that even when you win you’re still a rat.’ (Lily Tomlin)
World Cup – give it a try?
Neal (Paddy) Patterson
Date posted: 1 Oct 2015
Paddy Patterson invites us to make the most of the opportunities that the Rugby World Cup offers
This next few weeks are a great opportunity to reach anyone in Britain with a sporting bent now that the Rugby World Cup has arrived on our shores.
Pakistan: growing church
MERF
Date posted: 1 Oct 2015
Middle East Reformed Fellowship (MERF)
partners
with Westminster
Biblical
Missions (WBM) to support the witness of
the Bible-believing Lahore Church Council.
Lahore
is
the capital of
the populous
Punjab province next to the Indian border.
New term, fresh faces
Chris Sugden
Date posted: 1 Oct 2015
In the Western hemisphere, September saw a new year for schools, universities and many professional bodies. This year it saw the elections for the new five year term of the Church of England General Synod and four new appointees in the Anglican Communion and the Church of England take up their office and ministries.
They all come from evangelical and orthodox backgrounds and commitments.
WEST kicks off
Kerry Orchard
Date posted: 1 Oct 2015
Students, staff and supporters gathered on
Saturday, 12 September
for
the WEST
Dedication Service to mark the beginning of
the new academic year.
Principal Jonathan Stephen explained the
values underlying the work of WEST and
Union. These are: delighting in God; growing in Christ; serving the church and blessing
the world. Jonathan said:
‘We
join God’s
mission to fill the earth with the glory of
Jesus as we are led by the Spirit.’
news in brief
Theology free
As theologyontheweb.org.uk celebrated its
14th anniversary on 1 September,
the
25,000+ theological articles that it hosts are
equipping millions of visitors around the
world to study in-depth, not only the Bible,
but also church history, biblical archaeology
and Christian missions without the need to
access a university or Bible College library.
Launched in September 2001 the original
website biblicalstudies.org.uk has developed
into eight inter-linked sites which provide
their resources free of charge.
9Marks in Richmond
JEB
Date posted: 1 Oct 2015
Christian conferences are often strong on the great matters of the gospel but offer little guidance as to the nuts and bolts of church life.
9Marks Ministries, headed up by Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., majors on local church related issues and Tuesday 1 September saw the first 9Marks conference in this country. With around 100 church leaders in attendance, it was hosted at Duke Street Church in Richmond where the pastor is John Samuel. The main mover behind the day was Jonathan Worsley of Kew Baptist Church, himself a former intern at Capitol Hill.
London: global warming party
FIEC
Date posted: 1 Aug 2015
On Monday 15 June more than 120 people gathered at Bankside Space in Southwark, London – which will be home to The Globe Church – to hear about this new venture.
The Globe Church is being planted in an area of art galleries and entertainment venues with theatres, restaurants and hotels on its doorstep. It’s also home to tens of thousands of people who live in Lambeth and Southwark. The new church is a joint initiative between several FIEC churches in London and the capital’s Co-Mission network of evangelical churches.
Temple talks
David Luke
Date posted: 1 Aug 2015
Book Review
GOD DWELLS AMONG US
Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth
Read review
Bury: light in the north
On Saturday 27 June the church at Radcliffe
Road Baptist Church (RRBC) met with invited friends from other churches to give thanks
for Geoff and Maggie King’s 30 years of
ministry in Bury, Greater Manchester.
In 1985 Geoff and Maggie
left Derby
Road Grace Baptist Church, Watford, to re-plant a small and fading work in Bury. Along
with David and Laura Higham from Wigan,
Geoff and Maggie were supported in this
work by their sending churches and by the
Grace Baptist Mission.
150 years ago... a story to inspire us all
Chris Fry
Date posted: 1 Aug 2015
On Saturday 24 June 1865, James Hudson
Taylor visited a friend in Brighton, England.
Six years of missionary service in China had
intensified his burden for the interior of that
great land and its 300 million people.
But there was no mission organisation prepared
to
launch
out
into
the
inland
provinces. He was burdened by the fact that
every hour of the day a thousand Chinese
were dying without Christ.
Africa is turning the tables
Those reached by Western missionaries are now becoming missionaries themselves
Over the last several years Operation Mobilisation has been developing an exciting new Missions training centre in Zambia.
Work in Progress
Curl up and dye?
Roger Loosley
Date posted: 1 Aug 2015
Subject: Liz Lewin, a hairdresser from Leeds who is married with one child.
Age range: 50-60.
Interests: work, church, walking and friends.
RJL: How did you become a Christian?
Liz: I had left home and was living alone. My business as a mobile hairdresser took me to visit wealthy clients in big houses – I thought I had made it! I started asking meaning of life questions. I was visited by Jehovah’s Witnesses and talked to them, but I had a problem with their views on blood transfusions. After I left home my parents had become Christians and when I had to have an operation they were praying for me.
