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Progress, Opportunities and Challenges

Progress, Opportunities and Challenges. Our context. The gospel need in the UK is greater than it has ever been in the last 450 years Conservative evangelicalism is stronger than it has ever been in the last 50 years. thegospelpartnerships.org.uk. ...the gracious hand of our God... Ezra 9:18.

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Progress, Opportunities and Challenges

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  1. Progress, Opportunities and Challenges

  2. Our context • The gospel need in the UK is greater than it has ever been in the last 450 years • Conservative evangelicalism is stronger than it has ever been in the last 50 years

  3. thegospelpartnerships.org.uk

  4. ...the gracious handof our God... Ezra 9:18

  5. 2011 7 4 goals for the next years

  6. 1 To extend the Partnership • from 40+ to 60+ churches in year four 35 Partner churches 30 Individual Partners 55 churches represented overall

  7. 1 To extend the Partnership • from 40+ to 60+ churches in year four Who could join?

  8. 2 To deepen our partnership Warmth of Partnership Meetings Relationships/Trust Cluster Groups (geographical/common situation) • Prayer together; preaching groups • Eating together; consulting one another • Shared evangelism and training

  9. 2 To deepen our partnership Can we do more? • In cluster groups • Praying/working together • Pulpits swaps • Avoiding isolation • Expertise sharing/mentoring/work shadowing

  10. 3 To develop and extend training across the Partnership Development of SMTC (Haywards Heath) Four Saturday Courses (various locations) 250 students

  11. 3 To develop and extend training across the Partnership Saturday Course Sept 2014 – EAST: Eastbourne • 3rd year option for former students Sept 2015 – WEST: Angmering/Chichester? Sept 2016 – CENTRAL: Lindfield/Brighton?

  12. 3 To develop and extend training across the Partnership How can we make sure people benefit? • Don’t give up promoting the courses! • Personal encouragement; Use former students • Encourage former students to take up further training • Spread the word • Use the short courses

  13. 4 To multiply the number of ministry trainees Currently 15 individuals in 14 churches A further 14 churches have had trainees

  14. Workers for the harvest field

  15. 4 To multiply the number of ministry trainees Recruiting trainees? • Year out for God • Developing student work/links • Thinking outside the box

  16. 5 To develop Youthwork across the partnership Come and See Training Programme Sorted by the sea Lovewise team Networking paid youthworkers (Revive)

  17. 5 To develop Youthwork across the partnership Continue Come and See? Replicate Sorted by the sea? Expand the Lovewise work? Repeat Revive? What else?

  18. 6 To increase cooperation in evangelism • Extend effective cooperation in Evangelism across the Partnership building up to A Passion for Life 2014

  19. 6 To increase cooperation in evangelism Work together more effectively? Sharing resources Working together locally Opening up events Making use of Glen and Martin

  20. 7 To plant and revitalise churches • 10 churches planted or revitalised over four years Challenges and disappointments Perseverance being rewarded Congregations multiplying A long way to go

  21. 7 To plant and revitalise churches Openness to a variety of approaches Starting brand new churches Multiplying congregations Breathing new life into churches in decline Restoring a gospel ministry to a gospel-less church

  22. 7 To plant and revitalise churches

  23. Questions and comment The next four years?

  24. Challenges and Encouragements in the local church

  25. Three Bridges Free Church Crawley Colin Jones

  26. Emmanuel Church Hastings Martin Lane

  27. Formerly Brighton Railway Mission – to reach working people Morning congregation ~ 60 including kids Committed membership of 27+ ,12 of whom are wage-earners Three full-time workers Situated at the end of a shopping street moving from street-drinking to cocktail drinking Calvary Church Brighton (1m)Phil Wells

  28. Biggest challenge (2m) • Is actually (for me) just to keep going in a godly way • For the church – to raise enough money to buy the freehold of the building • £162,500 = £40k+£40k+£80k(loan) • Via gift day #1 … = £74.2k • Gift day #2 = £50.6k • Leaving £37.4k to find • =challenge and encouragement

  29. Biggest encouragements (2m) • N.B. encouragement <> progress • N.B. encouragement ~~ significance • Passion4Life / out on London Road for an hour each morning offering Word-1-2-1 = Read John's gospel for 1 hour • 2 friends came the previous Sunday, various readings also occurred beforehand

  30. Biggest encouragements (2m) • Good conversations during the week (e.g. Eddy at Kodak Shop; Ami at the “Hempworks” Shop ) • One contact and one family the next Sunday • One request to do 1-2-1 (never yet made good)

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