shareit! The Magazine of Church Army
37
Summer /Autumn 2013
shareit! The Magazine of Church Army
Patron: HM The Queen President: The Most Revd Dr Desmond Tutu Church Army Evangelists share the Christian faith through words and action and equip others to do the same. Evangelists and staff are devoted to a wide range of service in Anglican churches, projects and teams throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. Shareit! is the magazine of Church Army and it is available free upon request. Please let us know if you would prefer not to receive further issues of Shareit! or other communications from Church Army. Wilson Carlile Centre, 50 Cavendish Street, Sheffield, S3 7RZ Tel: 0300 123 2113 Email: info@churcharmy.org.uk www.churcharmy.org.uk
Registered Charity Nos: 226226 & SC040457 Editor: Hannah Gray 0300 123 2113 Sub-editor: Bethan Hill Design & Print: CPO 01903 264556 ISSN 1751-3960 If you have a story for Shareit!, or suggestions on how we can improve this magazine, then please contact Hannah Gray. The paper used is from sustainable forests and can be recycled. Printed by Bishops who have 14001 accreditation.
Evangelist Support Scheme This symbol identifies those evangelists who, through the Evangelist Support Scheme, seek support for their ministry through prayer and giving. It may be that you are drawn to an evangelist in this issue and would like to find out how you can partner with them in their ministry. To receive further information about the scheme, please email ess@churcharmy.org.uk or call 0300 123 2113.
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Welcom From the Chief Executive
Dear friends, ’m pleased to welcome you to this latest edition of Shareit! Magazine, where you can read all our latest news and stories of gospel transformation. In this edition, we tell you more about our newly launched campaign, Inside Out – mission in community, which will be highlighting how our evangelists are living and working in communities for the long-term. As Jesus Christ came to earth to dwell among us and reveal God’s eternal plan, we too are motivated to share the Good News with those in our neighbourhoods. As it says in John 1:14: “The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” As part of Inside Out, turn to page 8, where you can read about our Selby Centre of Mission in North Yorkshire, where our evangelists and volunteers are building community on a tough housing estate. While on pages 12-13 we feature our Prayer Care Team in Thanet, Kent, who reach out to staff and residents in care homes. Also in this edition, we want to tell you about an exciting new fundraising initiative, Menu for Change, which we’d love for you to get involved in. It’s pretty simple – we want you and your friends or church to enjoy time together over some food – whether it’s a picnic, Harvest Supper, coffee morning or pizza party – all in support of Church Army. We’ve produced some great resources to help you organise such an event, so why not turn to page 22 to see how you can get started and have fun! We’d really appreciate your support and partnership. We’re also keen to resource you in your own evangelism, so why not turn to pages 18-19 where Graham Tomlin, Dean of St Mellitus College and popular author, has written a reflection on spiritual fitness – a topic which he spoke on at our Church Army Gathering earlier in the year. In addition to this, turn to pages 26-27 for more top tips for community events. Finally, we’ve recently commissioned four new evangelists from our Mission-Based Training Programme – Dawn Hudson, Gordon Lamb, Nicholas Lebey and Karen Webb. To read about their training experiences and hopes for the future, turn to page 14. And if you know
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a young person who is interested in taking a gap year, read about our Xplore programme on pages 24-25, which gives 18 to 25-year-olds the chance to take part in mission in Romania and in the United Kingdom. This year’s Xplorers tell us more about their adventures and what God’s been teaching them. I hope you enjoy reading Shareit! and are encouraged at how, together, we are impacting thousands of people’s lives across
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this nation. Thank you so much for your faithful support both through prayer and finance. Together we are making a real difference. With my love and prayers,
Mark Russell Chief Executive www.churcharmy.org.uk/ceo
The Christian Enquiry Agency, which is led by Church Army’s Peter Graystone, has celebrated 25 years of giving free, confidential, reliable information about the Christian faith to anyone who wants to know. It has marked the anniversary with a campaign inviting people to visit the website www.christianity.org.uk and to send for a free, colourful Gospel of Luke in a magazine format. Fifty thousand postcards have been placed in cinema foyers where they will catch the eye of those who are unlikely to find their way to a church, especially younger people. Churches have placed thousands more in parent and toddler groups, outreach events and clubs for the community that meet on church premises. Peter said: “The campaign is relentlessly positive. Like me! When people visit the website they will find information about enjoying life, how faith can improve life, and resurrection.”
Mark Russell
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Contents
Shareit! 37
Summer/Autumn 2013
8
12
14
News
Faith
Words
6 News All the latest from Church Army
20 A week in the life of an evangelist… Rick Tett in Worcester
18 Fit Together Theologian Graham Tomlin on spiritual fitness
24 Xplore Hear from our gap year students
31 Peter Graystone has the last word
8 Inside Out – mission in community The Selby Centre of Mission 12 Inside Out – mission in community the Thanet Centre of Mission
30 Rendezvous Nanette Sanderson reaching the elderly
14 Fresh faces Meet our newly commissioned evangelists
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n 2013 2013/Autum Summer
Is this the first time you’ve read a copy of Shareit!? Would you like to receive your own FREE edition regularly? To sign up and to find out more about other Church Army resources please visit www.churcharmy.org.uk/res Alternatively email info@churcharmy.org.uk, telephone 0300 123 2113 or write to Church Army, Wilson Carlile Centre, 50 Cavendish Street, Sheffield, S3 7RZ. We will be more than happy to help.
Front cover: Our Prayer Care ministry among the elderly in Thanet, Kent
18 Action 22 Menu for Change Have fun fundraising
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26 Top tips Evangelism ideas to inspire you 28 A helping hand Church Army Residential Services in Cardiff
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jane’s big jump A brave fundraiser, Jane Lamb, has reached new heights after taking part in a sponsored skydive in support of Church Army. The tandem jump took place at Langar Airfield in Nottingham, raising more than £1,300 for us. Jane said: “A year or so ago my brother took up skydiving and when he suggested I give it a go, I found myself saying ‘yes’ before thinking too hard about it! “On the day of the jump the weather was beautiful and before I knew it I was hanging out of the aeroplane door by my harness with my feet dangling, nearly two-anda-half miles up. A quick smile and a wave at the cameraman and we were suddenly
hurtling towards the ground at approximately 120 miles per hour. “The freefall lasted for about 60 seconds and felt like I was on a very fast motorbike, but going vertically instead of horizontally. I found it an exhilarating experience.”
Jane would like to say thank you to everyone who sponsored her and for their amazing generosity. Jane’s husband, Gordon Lamb, is a Church Army Evangelist and is about to start a new role at Trinity Churches in Shrewsbury.
International friends
Church Army International leaders from around the world have gathered in Sheffield where they’ve been considering the future of evangelism and sharing best practice. Leaders representing Church Army’s work in more than 15 countries flew in for the conference, including those from Africa,
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Australia, Jamaica, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and the USA. The purpose of Church Army International is to facilitate communication, cooperation, fellowship and shared vision between the Church Army societies and to promote the growth of Church Army ministry worldwide. The conference took place at Church Army UK’s home, The Wilson Carlile Centre, and during their stay the leaders preached in local churches and visited our Marylebone Project in London which is a hostel supporting homeless women. Sheffield MP, Paul Blomfield, also paid them a visit.
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Church Army September
We are pleased to announce the launch of Church Army September! The idea is pretty simple. For just one Sunday in September, we want your church to promote our life changing work and spend some time hearing about how our evangelists are reaching those on the very edge of society. You can even book a Church Army speaker for the occasion who will be able to share inspiring stories with you. We also have films, resources and fundraising packs available to
order to help the day go well and to bring a focus to your prayer and giving. We hope that through Church Army September our partnership with you can be strengthened and grown. We also hope it will encourage and motivate you in your own evangelism – particularly for those involved in Back to Church Sunday. For more information, visit www.churcharmy. org.uk/september or telephone 0300 123 2113.
Sweaty Church research Think that ‘messy’ is the only way to do Messy Church? Think again! Church Army’s latest edition of Encounters on the Edge tells the story of a new form of church in York called Sweaty Church. Sweaty Church, based in St Paul’s Holgate, adheres to the Messy Church value of ‘learning as a family’ but uses sport instead of craft to explore the Christian faith. Table tennis, tightrope walking and indoor hockey are all regular features of this new Christian community. Additional physical activities link
in thematically; for example, games for harvest included finding a needle in an actual haystack, competing for the highest free-standing vegetable tower and a ten-pin bowlingtype game with food tins. Especially good at connecting with boys and dads, Sweaty Church addresses the issue of: how can other churches develop a ‘learn by doing’ approach alongside the more traditional ‘learn by listening’ approach? To find out more visit www.encountersontheedge.org. uk or call 0300 123 2113.
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Read about our new campaign, Inside Out, which we have launched to highlight our transforming work in communities. Across the country our evangelists are living and working with people for the long-term, and person-by-person the gospel is changing our neighbourhoods. Find out how this is happening in Selby, North Yorkshire Six years ago, Evangelist Richard Cooke and his family moved to the Flaxley Road Estate in Selby, North Yorkshire – a place where there was no Christian witness and where residents often lacked hope for the future. Unemployment, family breakdown and debt problems impacted the community as people searched for short-term solutions to fill the emptiness in their lives. Yet Richard and the local church had a vision to establish a new Christian community on the estate and with the help of a committed group of Christians from St James’ Church, The Edge Community was formed. Richard said: “The idea to reach out to the Flaxley Road estate first arose from a home group at St James’ Church who had been praying about the area and how it lacked links with the church. “The group realised that to build Christian community on the estate, church would need to be done very differently from its traditional format, so St James’ got in touch with Church Army to see what
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could be done. That is when I got involved.
A new community “When The Edge Community was first launched there were just 14 of us, seven adults and seven children, and we would meet together in the children’s centre on the estate. Connecting with the community, serving people practically and building relationships were our initial aims. “As it says in John 1:14: ‘The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’. So we too wanted to dwell among the community. “Since then, and more recently with the help of Evangelist Neil Walpole who joined us in 2011, we have set up a mothers and toddlers group, a youth group, weekly assemblies and an after school club in the local primary school, a parenting drop-in, holiday clubs and debt advice sessions. Through all of this we have been able to share our faith through words and action, and have seen our weekly church gatherings slowly grow.
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“The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” John 1:14
Reaching families “We hope that by reaching out to families we are investing in the future generation of children and young people, and therefore long-term we will have a positive impact on the estate.”
JAFFA afterschool club
Neil Walpole said: “We have found there is a real spiritual poverty on the estate and a lack of hope that things can change for the better. Many people try to fill this emptiness with material possessions with an attitude of ‘living for today’. “It’s not just the activities that we run that are making a difference to people’s lives. Simply by moving into the neighbourhood and walking with people through life’s ups and downs, helps them see that Jesus cares for them. Gradually, with patience and perseverance, we are seeing the gospel transform people from the inside out.”
Parenting drop-in
The Edge Community, which is a Church Army Centre of Mission, is the first of our projects to be featured as part of our Inside Out campaign. Over the next year we’ll be highlighting how our evangelists are living and working in communities for the long-term. As Jesus Christ came to earth to dwell among us and reveal God’s eternal plan, we too are motivated to share the Good News with those in our neighbourhoods.
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Stories from the community Dammie: “Last year my husband left me and our four children when the youngest was only one year old. I was unable to cope on my own with the house and mortgage so moved from London to live with my brother in Selby. This was a difficult time as there were eight of us living in a two-bedroom house and there weren’t enough beds for my children. During all of this, I met Richard and he supported us by praying with us and over time helped me get a house through Social Services. He and the church congregation then helped me furnish my new home and have really welcomed me to the Flaxley Road area. I am very thankful to God for the way He has provided.” Bev said: “I have met so many new people through The Edge Community. The estate can be very insular with people wanting to keep themselves to themselves, building fences around their gardens and houses. You can’t chat over the fence in that neighbourly way, so this space is great to connect.” Becky Railton, Home/School Support Worker for North Yorkshire Education, works with Richard and Neil at Selby Community Primary School. She is there to support parents/carers, pupils and school staff where children are having difficulties accessing education. She said: “Richard and Neil are real assets to the community and have offered many families emotional support and parenting advice. They’ve also organised day trips for low-income families, which have provided people with quality time to
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enjoy together. The Edge Community has helped people feel fulfilled and as if they belong – it has definitely had a positive effect on the area.” Dot: “I’ve lived on the estate for more than 10 years and am so pleased The Edge Community has been set up. When I first moved to the area I used to live next door to the pub and would regularly see young people taking drugs. Sadly my son also became involved. But The Edge Community’s work with children and teenagers is brilliant, as they are learning about Jesus and the hope that he brings, and will then be able to share that with others.” “I’ve also grown in my own faith since getting to know Richard and the team, and have taken part in an Alpha Course and a Road to Maturity course. I now attend the community’s gatherings and prayer meetings. Everyone is like family and there’s always a really welcoming atmosphere.” To find out more about Inside Out or to donate, visit www.churcharmy.org. uk/insideout To find out more about the Selby Centre of Mission, please visit www.churcharmy.org.uk/selbycom
Richard Cooke and Neil Walpole
Wilson Carlile Centre the home of ChurchArmy
Church Army’s Wilson Carlile Centre is a charitable conference centre in Sheffield which has been fully refurbished to a high standard. It offers a convenient city centre location close to all transport links, yet is a peaceful venue for those wishing to take some time out. Hospitality is high on our priority list and we offer the ideal venue for: • Church weekends away • Home group weekends away • Retreats • Conferences • Training days or workshops What our guests say… “If you are looking for a base for time out to reflect, you could hardly do better than the Wilson Carlile Centre. The facilities are excellent at a modest cost. The refurbished flats are comfortable and there is a good selection of books to consult in the library. The staff are also really helpful and friendly.” Jared Hay
For first time bookings we are pleased to offer a 25 per cent discount exclusive to this edition of Shareit!* www.wilsoncarlilecentre.org.uk For more information: Wilson Carlile Centre, 50 Cavendish Street, Sheffield, S3 7RZ Telephone: 0300 123 2113 Email: wcc@churcharmy.org.uk Centre Manager: Darren Heathcote Wilson Carlile Centre Limited is the trading subsidiary of Church Army and plans to donate all taxable profits to Church Army. * When booking please quote reference Shareit offer valid until October 31 2013.
Building Christian community and bringing people together is at the heart of our Inside Out campaign. Find out how our Thanet Centre of Mission in Kent is ministering to those in care homes Living in a care home can at times be a very lonely and isolating experience for many people. But here in Kent, Evangelist, Andrew Chadwick, and Prayer Care Co-ordinator, Margaret Hawkins, have worked with the local churches to form a Prayer Care team who regularly visit care homes in the area where they befriend residents and share their faith. The team was originally formed back in 2007 and it now has 25 volunteers who visit seven different care homes. Their vision is to bless the care homes’ staff, residents and their families, while demonstrating God’s love to them. Andrew said: “When I first started work here in Thanet, part of my job was to get alongside the local churches and help them engage in mission. The area has a high percentage of retired people, so Prayer Care is really meeting a need. “During our visits we spend time chatting with people, as well as trying to share the Good News about Jesus Christ through craft, songs and games. We also put on special events throughout the year, such as pancake parties, and Evangelistin-Training, Stuart Budden, has joined team training events and carol singing.
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“Prayer Care has also helped churches in the area to work together and has equipped people in evangelism. As a team we meet together regularly for training and to share the challenges and encouragements we are experiencing. By trying to build genuine Christian community within the team, we hope and pray it will then naturally overflow into the care homes when we visit.”
What the residents say Maisy, 90, said: “I think the Prayer Care team are wonderful. Whatever the weather they come and visit us. Although I am very well looked after, being in a care home can be quite boring, so I really appreciate chatting with new people.” Fred, who was an RAF engineer for the Spitfires during the Battle of Britain in World War Two, said: “The Prayer Care team visit us regularly and they are always very friendly and caring. Sometimes they do activities with us and I really enjoyed it when we planted spring bulbs and then watched them grow. The daffodils and tulips were lovely.”
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“The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” John 1:14 Margaret Hawkins (right)
What the volunteers say Margaret Hawkins, Prayer Care Coordinator and Lay Reader from Birchington, said: “I have been involved in Prayer Care since 2008 along with a number of other people from my church. Having been a primary school teacher for many years, it has been a nice change to work with older people and I find it very fulfilling. Andrew has also provided the Prayer Care team with really helpful training and spiritual direction.” Mary Hewitt, a Prayer Care volunteer from Our Lady Star of the Sea in Broadstairs, said: “I first heard about Prayer Care when a lady at one of our church meetings told me about it. I work as a carer with older people, and therefore felt it was something I could do to serve others. I find older people so interesting to sit and be with. Prayer Care has also encouraged churches in the area to work together and it has been good to meet new people.”
Mary Hewitt (right)
Andrew Chadwick (left)
T o watch a film about Inside Out visit www.churcharmy.org.uk/insideout or scan the QR code with your mobile phone. T o find out more about the Thanet Centre of Mission, please visit www.churcharmy.org.uk/thanetcom
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Fresh faces
Shareit! catches up with our new evangelists who are being commissioned from our four-year Mission-Based Training Course
Name: Dawn Hudson Mission-Based Training placement: Warwick Gates Centre of Mission First job: Pioneer Evangelist in Sheffield What sort of evangelism have you been involved in at your Centre of Mission? One of the main areas of work I’ve pioneered during my training is a new Christian community for people with learning difficulties - Connect2God. The group meets at St Margaret’s Old School House. We worship through prayer, art, dance and drama. Before establishing the group I spent time networking locally with other support agencies and I also recruited a team of Christian volunteers to help me lead the project. An additional Connect2God group is now emerging in The Kings Table Café in Kenilworth. It’s been great to help equip and enable the volunteers in growing their own evangelism and develop their leadership skills.
volunteers to work alongside me, and that I would find favour with other agencies who support those who are mentally ill.
What has been the highlight of Mission-Based Training for you? Leading someone to give their life to Jesus in a mobile phone shop! Also, as part of the Pentecost Celebration in the town centre of Leamington Spa, I was handed a microphone and asked to preach and share my testimony in the open air. It was perhaps one of the most exciting and scary things I’ve done. But as I was speaking I could see that the words God was giving me were connecting with people. It was brilliant. What is the most important thing you’ve learnt during your training? That when times get tough, you’ve got to hang on in there with God as He never leaves you and His faithfulness never fails you. How can we pray for you as you begin your first job? As I begin my new role in Sheffield, please pray I would grasp God’s vision clearly, inspire
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Name: Nicholas Lebey Mission-Based Training placement: the Sorted Project First job: At the time of going to print, Nicholas was exploring a job working with young people in the Thamesmead area of South London.
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commuters and school pupils. I’ve also helped to organise special outreach events at church including hog roast, tea dances, and food tasting evenings – all with a guest speaker. During the marching season we would give away 1,000 free hotdogs on the streets in 20 minutes! So it has been incredibly varied. What has been the highlight of Mission-Based Training for you? Seeing God’s healing grace, transforming people’s lives – it is a privilege being a part of that.
Name: Gordon Lamb Mission-Based Training placement: Willowfield Centre of Mission in Northern Ireland First job: Pioneer Community Evangelist at Trinity Churches in Shrewsbury, Shropshire What sort of evangelism have you been involved in at your Centre of Mission? Throughout my training I have used a number of styles of evangelism; relational, servanthood and invitational. I’ve been involved in kids club, prayer walking, mums and toddlers, a men’s lunch club, youth work, a parenting drop-in and a bus stop ministry where we give away refreshments to
What sort of evangelism have you been involved in at your Centre of Mission? The Sorted Project is a group of youth congregations which is run by young people for young people. We work in some of the most deprived areas of Bradford with young people who have little or no experience of church. During my training I have helped to lead the Sorted 2 group. Initially this began as a discussion group for young people wanting to explore the Christian faith, but as more and more of them put their faith in Jesus I also became involved in discipleship. Twoand-a-half years later, Sorted 2 is its own youth congregation and we’ve recently celebrated four baptisms. Alongside this
What is the most important thing you’ve learnt during your training? That our God is so generous and freely gives to you, to us, so we should give too; and when I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone and taken risks for Him, I’ve seen blessings, so we should disciple others to do that too. Also, never stop sowing seeds as God’s word really does speak into people’s live. How can we pray for you as you begin your first job? Pray I will capture God’s vision for Shrewsbury and not get caught up in doing the things I like. Also pray God will reveal key people (gatekeepers) in the community that I need to work with. Please pray that I will be wise: ‘He who wins souls is wise!’ Proverbs 11:30.
I’ve also been involved in schools work leading lunch clubs, football sessions and offering chaplaincy support. What has been the highlight of Mission-Based Training for you? Seeing so many young people coming to faith and then going on to serve in the Sorted church as young leaders. It just blows me away. Also, another special time was when I took 12 young people on a retreat to Ingleton in the Yorkshire Dales. One of the days we walked up a nearby hill and when we reached the top we stopped and spent some time looking at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It was a really special time.
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Nicholas Lebey continued What is the most important thing you’ve learnt during your training? Learning to trust God even when it feels like nothing is happening and you aren’t seeing people come to faith. It makes you realise nothing is done in your own strength, but His.
How can we pray for you as you begin your first job? Pray for my wife Evelyn and our baby Joshua as we prepare to move house. Pray God will help us to manage the transition and be willing to step out to follow our calling.
Name: Karen Webb Mission-Based Training placement: Lisburn Centre of Mission First job: Continuing to work at the Lisburn Centre of Mission with a focus on children and schools work What sort of evangelism have you been involved in at your Centre of Mission? Well, one of my main focuses has been children’s work and outreach to schools. Alongside Evangelist, John O’Neill, I have been privileged to work in schools leading assemblies, curriculum-based subjects relating to the Christian faith and a variety of after school clubs. I’ve also spent time leading Kids Praise Events at Lisburn Cathedral, holidays clubs, puppet workshops and offering training to children’s leaders. Recently, we’ve also opened a community coffee shop in Lisburn Cathedral as a way of welcoming people in. Through this I’ve had many chances to pray with people and I look forward to how this develops. Finally, during the past year, we’ve had two of Church Army’s Xplore gap year students working with us which has been great! What has been the highlight of Mission-Based Training for you? I think one of the highlights for me has been getting to know the other evangelistsin-training during our residential learning in Sheffield at the Wilson Carlile Centre. It has also been great to spend time studying again and a reminder that we never stop learning.
What is the most important thing you’ve learnt during your training? Going back to the selection process for the Mission-Based Training Course, it has been brilliant to recognise my call as an evangelist and formally acknowledge that. The course has really allowed God to work through me and to develop my gifts. It has also been great to see how my skills in computer science and business administration have fitted together with my skills as an evangelist. How can we pray for you as you begin your first job? Please pray I will be able to discern which areas of ministry to continue with and to what extent, and to know which to let go of. Also, pray I will be increasingly intentional about getting the word of God out beyond the walls of church.
n If you would like to find out more about Church Army’s training opportunities, please visit www.churcharmy.org.uk/mbt or telephone 0300 123 2113.
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This is Church Army Evangelist, Damien Hine, from our Sorted Project in Bradford. He would like to say thank you.
Saying
to Hetty Smith Because Hetty Smith left Church Army a legacy, Damien, upon leaving school at 18, was able to take part in our Xplore gap year programme where he developed a passion for evangelism through mission placements in the United Kingdom and abroad. He then went onto complete our Mission-Based Training Course and was commissioned as an evangelist last year.
for young people – reaches out to hundreds of non-churched teenagers and young adults each year in some of Bradford’s most deprived areas. Through Sorted, the hope of the gospel is transforming the lives of the next generation and raising up future Christian leaders.
Damien now works at our Bradford Centre of Mission where he passes the Good News of Jesus Christ onto the next generation of young people through the Sorted project. Sorted – a group of youth churches run by young people
Please consider leaving a legacy so we can continue to reach those beyond the church for years to come. To find out more, please call 0300 123 2113 or email legacies@churcharmy.org.uk
The seeds that Hetty planted have grown and borne much fruit. Her legacy continues to live on.
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At Church Army’s Gathering, popular author and Dean of St Mellitus College in London, Graham Tomlin, spoke about the importance of spiritual fitness. Here he shares some of what was learnt
Spiritual fitness A number of years ago I walked out of my front door, heading for our local church, which meant turning left. I saw a steady stream of people walking in the other direction. It suddenly dawned on me where they were going. A new gym had opened up in our neighbourhood a few months before and this was where everyone was going. Not to church, but to the gym. It is estimated that around 100,000 people join gyms every January. It’s not hard to think why after turkey, Christmas pudding and chocolate have done their worst. It also testifies to the emphasis we place on physical health and fitness in our culture. The physical fitness industry has it well worked out. We all have in our minds an image of the perfect body, whether male or female. That image is paraded in front of our minds every time we look at a magazine, watch TV or see an advert at the bus stop. And each time we see that image, it serves as a stimulus to us to want that body: in our heart of hearts, most of us would like bodies like the ones the models have on TV. Then there is fitness: fit people can do what unfit people can’t. They can run upstairs, play tennis, and endure physical pain. Unfit people have their options strictly limited (unless sitting in front of the TV eating crisps counts).
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Gyms are communities dedicated to helping people acquire physical health and fitness. You go to a gym to learn a set of exercises that will help you develop a more attractive, healthier, fitter body. There is, of course, a cost involved. It costs money, time and effort. Yet people do it. 800,000 people a year join gyms, if we believe the statistics. Of course many don’t actually go (it is said that Britons waste £37m per year on unused gym memberships and slimming classes) but we still believe the narrative.
“ As churches decline, gyms grow. Why?” As churches decline, gyms grow. Why? Because they offer a clear picture of what you can change into and provide the means to get there. Gyms offer the prospect of change, of personal transformation, of the opportunity to do what before you could not do, of life enhancement. And people will pay the price, financial, physical and mental to get such transformation. The early church often used athletic metaphors for the spiritual life. 1 Timothy 4 speaks about “training yourself in godliness”, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 compares Christians
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to athletes who “go into strict training”. The early Christian monks were often referred to as spiritual gymnasts, with their feats of fasting and endurance. In other words the early churches saw themselves like gyms do today – communities focused on enabling personal transformation, only this time spiritual, rather than physical. Just as a physically fit person can do things a physically unfit person can’t, the same is true spiritually: spiritually fit people can forgive when wronged, give when they are relatively poor, keep their temper when provoked and keep their promises to their wives or husbands even when sorely tempted not to. Allan Bloom, the American philosopher once wrote of his observation of students he had taught: “Students have powerful images of what a perfect body is, and pursue it incessantly. But they no longer have any image of a perfect soul, and hence do not long to have one.” He is right – in our culture, everyone does not have an ideal of what a perfect ‘soul’ or person looks like, however, we Christians do. We have seen an image of the perfect soul – in Jesus Christ. What if churches up and down the land were known as communities dedicated to enabling people to acquire the qualities we see in Christ – patience, kindness, generosity, humility and forgiveness? You don’t have to be a Christian to realise that life tends to work better if you have learnt these virtues, if they have become habitual reactions to adversity and life in general.
Churches that seek to do this will need to think hard, just like gyms do, about the processes that enable such spiritual transformation: the thinking, the disciplines, the atmosphere that will mean people actually do change over time. If churches began to offer that kind of change, by going back to an earlier vision of what church was for, they might just find a whole new lease of life.
n If you want to find out more, why not read Graham’s book, Spiritual Fitness: Christian Character in a Consumer Culture
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A week in the life of an
Rick Tett leads the Tolladine Mission in Worcester. He shares with us
Wychavon Yo
Monday Since 2011, my family and I have been living in Tolladine – an area which is in the top two per cent of deprivation in the United Kingdom. Working alongside the local churches, St Barnabas and Christ Church, our aim is to establish a long-term missional community that shares God’s love in practical ways through words and social action. As part of the project, we have two mission houses, and today we held a prayer meeting. It is always great to see people coming along and feeling welcomed. We followed this with our support group meeting and we prayed particularly for the right person to join our second mission house. Each week we lead an Open the Book session at three of the nearby primary schools; Gorse Hill, Fairfield and St Barnabas. These sessions are
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used in schools nationwide and explain the Bible through drama. Today we looked at the story of Jonah and the whale. We made a boat and the children covered themselves in a blue sheet to represent the whale swallowing Jonah. I was dressed as the captain with some other children as the sailors; we had drum noises for the rough sea and cymbals for the lightning. We even had someone with a water pistol wetting the crowd! In the afternoon I planned a service for the Bishop Perowne Church of England Academy which has around 1,000 pupils. It’s always a great opportunity to explain the gospel.
Wednesday This morning I met with the other ministers in our cluster team for prayer – something we do each week. This takes the form of common prayer and morning worship, and sometimes the Archdeacon joins us. In the evening
©iStockphoto.com/ChrisPrice
Tuesday
uth Bus
faith
evangelist a snapshot of his ministry I helped lead a session with the Wychavon youth bus which travels around the area providing young people with a safe space to meet. It is equipped with games consoles, laptops and chill-out areas. Tonight we had more than 20 young people visit the bus and we had many wonderful conversations with them about their faith and about some of the difficulties they are facing.
Thursday Back in October 2011 we began a garden project with a year nine class from the Bishop Perowne Church of England Academy. Their task was to create a vegetable garden and they began by building raised beds, a fence and a shed made from pallets. It has been a real blessing for us to see a change in the young people and we’ve also had positive feedback from the school’s staff. Today the
Rick Tett
pupils spent time harvesting some of the vegetables they have grown and at the end of the afternoon we enjoyed toast and hot chocolate together.
Friday Day off!
Saturday Today, as part of our youth work with the deanery, we took 13 young people to Top Barn Activity Centre where they canoed, went on the rifle range and did archery, Even though some of the time it rained, we had a great time of fellowship and we hope to run this event year on year.
Sunday As part of the Tolladine Mission’s work, we are on a rota to lead services at St Barnabas and Christ Church. Today, as a team, we led the 10am all-age service where we looked at journeys. We made feet and talked about how Jesus died on the cross to take away our wrongs. Our aim is to make these services open to all, and it was good to see several new people come along. Scan the QR code with your mobile phone to donate £10 to Church Army or text CHUR24 10 to 70070
Mission ho
use
Shareit! 21
re people in a e r e h t t a h t wrong overty p in We think it ’s g in v li , s s o are homele h w y r t n u o c ferent r if d ou f o s t r o s ll sed for a and marginali here at o s , e g n a h c o t needs reasons. That g about it. in h t e m o s g in o we’re d Church Army us? Good! Will you join o
ing you to d
ask What we’re
to host an our church y r o u o y t n me ple! We wa ether over so g to e m ti It’s pretty sim y enjo cue, people can rning, barbe o m e e event where ff o c icnic, pport ther it’s a p eal – all in su m t food – whe e rm u o g nt you r five-course antly we wa rt breakfast o o p im st o rmy. And m of Church A ising. while fundra to have fun hange Menu for C t a re g e m so organise We’ve got to help you le b ila a v a resources invites, ing posters, d lu c in t, n e your ev ards. takeaway c d n a ts a m place
To find out more visit www.churcharmy.org.uk/menuforchange where you can register your event and download our fun range of resources.
22 Shareit!
action
Our recipe for succ
ess
1. What type of ev
ent will you hold and where? 2. When would be best to get th e most people and time? Mak there? What da e sure you leav y e yourself enou people along an gh time to invite d make it a grea t event. 3. When you’ve decided, get so meone to help better when yo you. It’s always u work together . 4. R egister your ev ent at www.chu rcharmy.org.uk – you’ll find all th /menuforchange e materials you need there to pr event and mak omote your e it a success. A lternatively call Fundraising Team ou r friendly on 0300 123 2113 . We can’t wait what you’re up to hear about to. 5. S end out invitatio ns either by em ail or by hand. committed to co Get people ming along – in vite your friends church – it’s a gr , neighbours, eat way to mee t people or rene Alternatively yo w old friendships u can invite pe . ople via Facebo ok. 6. I n terms of fundraising for us , you can ask fo a donation to C r people to mak hurch Army or yo e u can charge a your event – wha set fee for tever works best for you. 7. T hink abou t whether there’ s anything else same time, a qu you can plan at iz, bring and bu the y stall, raffle, et people there yo c – with all thos u’ll want to raise e as much money as possible. 8. Consider sh owing a short C hurch Army film or TV, dependin on a big screen g what type of event you’re ho view them on ou lding. You can r website, on Yo uTube, or we ca one on DVD. n send you 9. O n the day – ha ve fun! 10. A fter the event, send the money you’ve raised to any photos you us along with took. We want to tell others ab out how you did!
So what’s on the m
enu? Change!
Shareit! 23
An adventure Our Xplore gap year programme for 18 to 25-year-olds offers young people the chance to do mission in Romania, Ireland and the United Kingdom. This year’s Xplorers tell us about their experiences and what God has been teaching them
Aimee Jess, 22, from Lisburn in Northern Ireland “My gap year with Xplore started with a six-week placement in Romania which turned out to be an amazing time. We stayed in a town called Siria where we worked with a community of Roma gypsies. I was part of the school team where I helped to run the after school homework club which included helping the children with their academic work and doing more practical activities such as art, drama, gardening and woodwork. We also washed their hands, faces and teeth which was a real novelty for them as they didn’t have the facilities to do this at home. Since returning to the United Kingdom, I’ve been based at Church Army’s Lisburn Centre of Mission in Northern Ireland working alongside Evangelists John O’Neill and Karen Webb. So far I have been involved in leading school assemblies, after school puppet clubs, and children’s groups and youth groups. I have been very challenged this year about spending time with God and hearing His voice. Before Xplore I never really made time for God and if I did it was always me asking Him to do things or to give me things. I feel that I have grown so much because I have stopped, listened and been expectant to hear from God. It’s also been great to spend time with the other Xplorers – we get on so well and have had some great adventures together.”
24 Shareit!
faith
with God Peter Coombs, 19, is from Wantage in Oxfordshire and is in his second year of Xplore “I joined Xplore in September 2011 after hearing about it at the Next Generation youth conference in Oxford. I’ve had a brilliant time so far with Xplore where I’ve been given the space and opportunity to discover my gifts and grow in them. During both of my trips to Romania I have been part of the building team helping some of Europe’s poorest communities. I have also been working at Church Army’s Southampton Centre of Mission on the Weston housing estate where I’ve got involved in a variety of ministries. These include a renovations project where we decorate people’s homes who are struggling physically or financially and a weekly lunch club for the elderly and isolated. The Xplore teaching sessions have also been helpful and one of the biggest things I’ve learnt is the need and importance to be in a right relationship with God before going about evangelism to others.”
Rosie Elwood, 19, from Nottingham “Spending time in Romania was really encouraging and I worked at the social enterprise, DECE, where vulnerable women are taught to crochet hats and scarves which are then sold online. As well as spending time with the women, I also helped with the administrative side of the project; writing letters to potential customers and editing photos for the website. The teaching I’ve received as part of Xplore has also been really challenging as we’ve tackled subjects such as prayer, obedience and idolatry. Back in the United Kingdom, I’ve been working at Church Army’s Greenwich Centre of Mission in south London, helping with kids clubs, community drop-ins and outreach services for the nearby housing estates. My involvement with Superkidz has been a highlight for me – it is just great to see how much the kids enjoy it and how they share their hearts with you in such an honest way.”
Shareit! 25
Top tips for reaching P
ractical action: Mobilise your church for a day of community action. Identify needs in the neighbourhood, for example: elderly people who need help with their gardens or companionship, schools, community centres or old people’s homes which need decorating, public areas that need cleaning up. Then challenge your church to get involved to show God’s loving sacrifice and commitment to people. Include activities that the elderly and young can do. Repeat the event annually to show it is not just a one-off.
C
ar boot sales: Many people who never come to church are at car boot sales on Sunday mornings. If they won’t come to you, why not go to them? A stall that provides a focus for prayer and reflection can be a helpful contrast to displays of bargains. And our experience is that people will ask for prayer or just want to chat, if you make it clear that these things are on offer. If you are there regularly, people will come back. You will be amazed at how open people will be about discussing the important issues of life if you meet them in a context where they are comfortable.
F
ilm night: Invite friends and neighbours round to your house to watch a film and to discuss the faith issues that it raises over a drink and refreshments. Films tell stories and touch on the big questions of life, so go for a popular film rather than one with obvious relevance to faith.
P
ampering parties: Everyone loves to be pampered! Beauty therapists and hairdressers find people pouring out their hearts to them when they relax. Gather a few friends and give each other a facial and a manicure. Pray that God would guide the conversation and provide you with opportunities to share your faith.
26 Shareit!
action
your community R
eading groups: Join or set up a reading group or book club. Gather a group of friends or neighbours, and choose a book to read over an agreed period. Then get together in a home, a coffee shop or a pub, to discuss it - how you feel about the main characters, how they handle crises, life issues that arise, matters to which you can relate. Other people’s choices of books will open your eyes and broaden your horizons. Perhaps once a term select a book with a low-key Christian theme such as grace or love.
E
ating together: Our ultimate aim is to feed people spiritually, but there is an old saying that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. So why not get cooking? Think of every opportunity to invite people to eat - summer barbecues, bonfire potatoes, Christmas dinners, mince pies, pizza parties, hot cross buns and more. Also, when organising such events, why not invite your Christian and non-Christian friends so they can get to know one another and build friendships.
C
reative craft: In recent times, there has been increased interest in traditional crafts. If you are excited by things like knitting, crochet, embroidery, quilting or card-making, why not gather a group of like-minded people to meet regularly? Chatting while working on crafts together is a great way of sharing faith and building friendships. Meetings can easily be held in your own home, but maybe you could consider setting up a session in a residential home and involving the elderly residents. If you are interested in doing this, ask at your local home. They will almost certainly give you a warm welcome.
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A helping hand Church Army Residential Services in Cardiff has been providing accommodation to homeless young people for more than 25 years. Susan Way tells us more
Here at Church Army Residential Services we are committed to giving young people a fair chance in life and all of our work is based on the Christian principles of hope, justice and love. We work with 16 to 21-year-olds from a variety of different backgrounds who have nowhere else to call home and no-one else to look after them. The first stage of our accommodation, Ty Bronna, provides 13 young people with 24-hour supported housing. It aims to equip them with the skills they need to move onto independent living and each of them has a personal development plan. As part of their tenancy with us, they are required to participate in some form of further training or education and we also help them acquire skills in areas such as tenancy rights, cooking and domestic skills, socialising and networking, developing interests and hobbies, and budgeting.
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Our second stage of accommodation, Ty Danescourt, sees our young people living more independently while still having the support of staff if needed. For example they have their own front door key, manage their own day-to-day routines and have a communal lounge and kitchen.
“ The young people arrive in desperation and leave with hope...� Many of the young people arrive at the project in desperation and leave with hope for the future having been enriched from the care and training they’ve received. They also leave us secure in the knowledge they can remain in contact with us so we can give them help if things go wrong and share in their achievements.
Joanne’s story
Chris became homeless after losing his tenancy in the private rented sector and was forced to sleep in a tent for a number of weeks in the local woods. During this time Chris was physically attacked. In August 2012, Chris was offered a room at Ty Bronna and support was put in place to help him regain his confidence and to get his life back on track.
Joanne was placed into care by social services after suffering mental and physical abuse from her family. After several years in foster care, Joanne was referred to Ty Bronna to develop living skills as part of the transition to independent living. This included learning to cook, wash and iron clothes and budgeting skills. After a short time at Ty Bronna, Joanne was considered ready for independent living and secured privately rented accommodation. Church Army provides on-going support to Joanne, such as helping her set up utility accounts and benefit claims.
Ty Bronna gave Chris the stability and security to grow and he was soon able to realise his potential by securing a job in a pub as a chef and then later in a factory in the South Wales Valleys. Chris demonstrated his determination to maintain employment and travelled a considerable distance to work each morning. It soon became evident that he no longer required the high level of support provided by Ty Bronna and was helped to find privately rented accommodation.
action
Chris’ story
Joanne says: “Church Army has been really helpful with sorting out my housing benefit, taking me to the places I’ve needed to go to, helping me when I haven’t had any food and taking me to the food bank. When I haven’t had any money for electricity, they have made sure I have credit.”
Chris says: “Church Army offered me a place to stay after becoming homeless and living in a tent in the woods. I was offered a home, a place of warmth and understanding and now that I have left the project I still have the support of Church Army to rely upon when things get tough.”
Ty Bronna
©iStockphoto.com/ktaylorg
Ty Danescourt
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faith
Retired Evangelist, Nanette Sanderson, from Chesterfield in Derbyshire leads the Rendezvous group at her church, which reaches out to older people. She tells us more
Rendezvous B
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are getting ancient! We are blessed with volunteers who give time, expertise and prayer to make this possible. Stereotypical images of older people as frail and over-the-hill need to be challenged. Whatever age we are, we are not passive receivers but people with gifts to share. Older people already represent a significant percentage of the population which will continue to grow in years to come. There is a mission field out there!
Helpful resources: Rhena Taylor’s book Three Score Years – and Then? and the Outlook Trust’s Holiday at Home DVD and manual. To purchase these please visit www.outlook-trust.org.uk or telephone 01494 485222.
©iStockphoto.com/bonniejgraphicdesign
ack in 2005 my church, St Thomas’ Brampton, held a year of mission for our community and I felt it would be a good opportunity for outreach among older people. So, after much research and prayer, I decided to form a planning group and organise a Holiday at Home event called Rendezvous, which would run for three days and be filled with fun, food, friendship and faith. We arranged a good variety of activities to attract both men and women including carpet bowls, crafts, quizzes, art, local history and line dancing. A Thought for the Day was also held before lunch in the form of a visual gospel presentation. Thanks to the event being well advertised, 57 people came along and nearly half of those were not church members. The event was backed by prayer, hard work and a holiday atmosphere was generated. We rounded off the week with a celebration service on the Sunday afternoon. Since then, Rendezvous has developed into a monthly meeting and, eight years on, the planning group and I are still kept busy thinking of new ideas and creative ways to communicate the gospel. We also continue to run Holiday at Home each year. Alongside this we have found that personal loving contact is also paramount, especially when folk are ill or bereaved. Rendezvous continues because we believe this is what God wants us to do, even if we
the last word
Small is beautiful The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches. Matthew 13:31-32
D
oes size matter? Absolutely not, said Jesus. Potential is what matters. When God brought salvation to our world, he could have invaded with armies of angels. He didn’t. Instead came as a vulnerable baby born in an obscure street. Jesus didn’t travel far – you have probably travelled further since the start of the year than Jesus did throughout his entire life. From the very beginning his mission had powerful opponents. His followers must have thought that what they were doing was as fragile as a tiny seed. But that was before the resurrection. The power of new life to exceed anything that went before it is phenomenal. We now live on a globe where Jesus is worshipped by more people than even existed when he walked on it. Sometimes we get despondent because what we can do to spread the Good News of Jesus seems so little. A small amount donated to Church
Army’s ministry. A short prayer for the evangelists who appear in Shareit! A shy ‘God bless you’ murmured to a neighbour. An invitation to a church service pushed through a front door. Mere mustard seeds! But in the goodness of God these seeds grow to make a genuine difference to people’s lives. Not a single thing you do to help make Jesus known is wasted. And this is what I would like you to do for Church Army today. Eat an apple! Before you bite, guess how many seeds it contains. (There’s no prize for getting it right except feeling smug all day.) Pick the seeds out of the core and have a look at them. Now try to guess how many apples there are inside each seed. We are a community – you, me and Church Army. Working together we can multiply what any individual can do. Please do something that will help Church Army’s evangelists right now – something really small!
By Peter Graystone
Shareit! 31
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