A Little Introduction to
Home Mission
wards Jonathan Ed Secretary General
Home Mission: Encouraging Missionary Disciples Home Mission is quite simply the Baptist Union’s family purse. When we want to do things together then we need to find the money from Home Mission. I want you to be really excited about Home Mission, because it enables us to do an immense range of things together. And all of those activities are inspired by the fact that we are united in wanting to encourage missionary disciples. That is to say, we want to be obedient to the words of Jesus who called us to follow him and to encourage others to do the same. In this little book I want to open up for you the amazing ministry of Home Mission. I want you to meet many of the people who are supported by Home Mission – and there are more than 400 of us! But let me be honest. I am desperately keen for Home Mission to grow – and it can grow! It will do so as more and more people commit themselves to this exciting ministry. Before anything else we need your prayers and your interest. But we also need you to give money … and to save up your stamps, coins and postcards … and to make sure that Home Mission is mentioned in your will. In these very practical ways you can ensure that the Kingdom of God will grow.
Home Mission: Putting faith in the workplace Home Mission supports some of the 200+ Baptist ministers across England and Wales who are involved in chaplaincy on a full or part-time basis. There are chaplains in education, the Armed Forces, industry, retail, healthcare, prisons and sport. A chaplain supports staff and raises issues of justice and humanity with the institution being served. For those with whom the chaplain works, it can be their only contact with a person of faith.
Adrian Thomas is a chaplain at Bournemouth Airport and for an insurance company who have offices in the seaside town. He is also team leader of IBEX, an ecumenical charity supported by Home Mission, which encourages Christians across the central south coast to make connections between faith and work, to start voluntary chaplaincies and to integrate workrelated themes into their worship. “I think it is important for us to affirm peoples’ working lives. To reassure them that what they are doing is making a valuable contribution to the local community and is an important part of God’s purpose,” says Adrian.
Home Mission: Giving people hope Buttershaw Baptist Church is situated on a challenging estate in Bradford, Yorkshire. Buttershaw is in the top two percent of deprived wards in the UK, adult illiteracy is three times higher than the national average and life span is 26 percent less than the UK average. Annora Elliott, Lee Huggans and Marie Lacey all live on the estate. From difficult situations, they have been given hope and found faith through the friendship and community involvement of Buttershaw Baptist Church and its family centre. The Family Centre offers a variety of activities and services including counselling, playgroups, after-school clubs, a cooperative which sells fruit and vegetables, and a contact centre for parents who are separated or divorced enabling them to see their children in a safe environment. Home Mission funding has supported the work of Buttershaw Baptist Church for nearly 20 years. This investment has produced dividends, not in monetary value but in changed lives.
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Home Mission: Resourcing you for mission The National Resource centre in Didcot resources, supports and represents Baptist churches, associations and colleges. There are nearly 50 members of staff, all of whom are funded by Home Mission. Here are just some of the areas of work they are involved in: • • • • • • • • • • •
helping churches with local ecumenical partnerships providing resources on political, social and international issues providing worship materials supporting ministers giving grants for mission projects advising on evangelism and church planting helping with legal and property issues dealing with the media advising on child protection issues gives financial guidance including taxation and charity accounts advising on charity registration
and much, much more.
Home Mission: Local support for your church There are thirteen Baptist associations around the country whose regional ministers and support staff are there to advise, support and encourage the churches in their region. Their work is funded by Home Mission. Opposite is the regional ministry team of the London Baptist Association (top to bottom David Shosanya, Kumar Rajagopolan, Pat Took and Paul Martin). Together with their support staff, they are responsible for promoting mission-minded congregations, offering pastoral support to ministers, helping churches with issues like racial justice and strengthening the links between Baptist churches across the capital.
Home Mission: Working together in mission re:Source is an urban ministry project set up to help small Baptist churches in deprived areas of Bristol to reach out and play an active part in their communities. It does this by facilitating partnerships for these churches with larger churches in the suburbs, working in conjunction with the West of England Baptist Association (WEBA) and Bristol Baptist college. These partnerships also provide opportunities for people who want to gain experience and training in urban mission and ministry.
In 2006, Mary Clarke, originally from Cairns Road Baptist Church, went to Lawrence Weston Baptist Church for a year’s urban mission placement with re:Source. Lawrence Weston is in an edge-of-town estate with high levels of economic and social deprivation. Mary worked with the minister, Sheila Cooper (who was, and still is, on loan from Westbury-on-Trym Baptist Church) to build relationships with people on the local estate. Mary still attends the church and is now training to be a minister. People from other local Baptist churches have also supported Lawrence Weston with all kinds of work and ministry - building and tidying, children’s clubs, Sunday worship, and running activities and groups for people on the estate so that the church can better serve the community. From just eight people, the congregation has increased to 25. “It is early days but the green shoots are there. We are now a church with a new vitality and a new relevance to its community,” says Sheila. re:Source is supported by the Baptist family through the West of England Baptist Association and a ‘special ministry’ grant from Home Mission.
How you can help Home Mission ... Please give generously Through the generous giving of our 2000+ churches each year, over 400 projects, ministries and other initiatives similar to those in this booklet are supported by Home Mission. As God calls and Baptists respond, these funds enable visions and dreams to come to usly enero life! g g Givin
Review your church budget If you are a church leader why not prayerfully look again - during your next deacons’ meeting - at the amount your church gives to Home Mission? Then have a chat with your association team to review the church’s giving - visit www.baptist.org.uk for details of the team in your region.
Hold a special event!
Why not hold or take part in a fun sponsored event to raise money for Home Mission - a great way to bring people together for a purpose. A cake sale at the next church coffee morning is a simple way to raise funds! For more ideas please visit www.baptist.org.uk/homemission.
Why not leave a legacy?
By leaving a legacy in your will, you would be making a huge difference for others in the future.
Collect stamps, coins, medals and postcards Did you know that these items can be turned into money for Home Mission?! For several years, Home Mission has been collecting and selling stamps, coins medals and postcards to raise funds. Please send items to Alan Cookson (41 Pemberton Close, Aylesbury, Bucks HP21 7NY) or drop them off at the Communications Department at the National Resource if you are visiting Didcot...every little helps!
Baptist House PO Box 44 129 Broadway Didcot Oxon OX11 8RT United Kingdom telephone 01235 517700 facsimile 01235 517715 email info@baptist.org.uk website www.baptist.org.uk Registered Charity Number 1125912