INSPIRE STO RIES TO LIFT YOUR SPIRITS
HOLIDAY ISSUE
WELCOME AND THE GOSPEL WHEN MPS DO GOD
SUDAN: CHILDREN IN CONFLICT How orphanage is saving lives Issue 113 • June 2017
Could your church host a holiday at home? SHARING LIFE AND FAITH IN THE CITY www.inspiremagazine.org.uk
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CONTENTS
S TO R I E S TO L I F T YO U R S P I R I T S
Making life better for our communities One of the aims of the Inspire Awards (taking a break this year) which we highlight is telling the stories of Christians making life better for those around them. In this month’s issue you’ll read about the pioneering work of Paul and Judith Keeble in inner city Manchester (4–5), churches in Cheltenham ministering to families (18–19) and how your church could run a holiday at home for elderly people (20–21). There’s also Krish Kandiah’s new book on God, strangers and hospitality (12–13), Nick Spencer examining how our leaders’ faith impacts their lives and ours (8), plus MAF’s part in rescuing children in conflict in Sudan (22). You can win copies of several of these books on our Giveaways page (26). And tell us how your church is helping YOUR INSPIRE communities! STORI ES TO LIFT YOUR SPIRIT S
HOLIDAY ISSUE
God bless WELCOME AND THE GOSPEL WHEN MPS DO GOD
Russ Bravo, Editor
TO ORDER INSPIRE AND/OR TO MAKE A DONATION Go to www.inspiremagazine.org.uk and click the ORDER button. Inspire is distributed FREE and has a readership of around 200,000 in churches across the UK. Published by CPO, it is funded by partners, advertising and donations.
SUDAN: CHILDREN CONFLICT IN How orph
anage is saving lives Issue 113 • June 2017
Could your church host a holiday at home? SHARING LIFE AND FAITH IN THE CITY www.inspirema gazine.o
rg.uk
4 Sharing life – Paul Keeble explains how Urban Presence in Manchester took root, and emphasises mission with inner city communities 6 Bits n Pieces – fun, stats, good apps and online destinations 8 The Mighty and The Almighty – Nick Spencer looks at what happens when politicians ‘do God’, and how faith works in the public sphere 10 Puzzles – relax with our crossword, sudoku and word goal 12 God is Stranger – Krish Kandiah says the Bible has plenty to teach us about hospitality and welcoming strangers 14 Question time – Dr Andy Bannister shares some basic principles to help you share your faith clearly with your friends 16 When God stepped in – Sky TV presenter Simon Thomas shares a powerful testimony from his younger days 17 Order INSPIRE – get a regular copy for yourself or bundles of 10 for your church 18 Help in tough times – Cheltenham churches’ Family Space has been caring for families for 20 years. Sheila Johnson reports 20 Host a staycation – many elderly people can no longer get away on holiday, so one Birmingham church has created a holiday at home for them 22 Airborne rescue – how MAF stepped in to take orphans under threat in Sudan’s civil war to safety 24 Little acorns – Sharon Barnard tells the story of a youth Christian activity centre near Sheffield that is a real faith venture 26 Giveaways – books to be won: God is Stranger, Mission With, The Mighty and The Almighty, plus tickets to Women of Peace conference 28 Holidays and Classified – great places to stay, small ads, and more Cover stories
Editor: Russ Bravo Email: editor@inspiremagazine.org.uk Designer: Phill Roberts Advertising Sales: Display/Inserts/Recruitment/Classified: Karl Ayling Email: karlayling@cpo.org.uk Tel: 01903 604342 Printers: Bishops Cover photo: MAF Order enquiries: Our friendly subs team Email: subs@cpo.org.uk Tel: 01903 604348
Order: at www.inspiremagazine.org.uk Contents © Copyright 2017 Publishers: CPO, Garcia Estate, Canterbury Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 1BW Tel: 01903 264556 Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement. Christian Publishing & Outreach, Registered Charity 221462. Company limited by guarantee in England & Wales, No 588731. VAT no 860 219 341.
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INSPIRE
BIG INTERVIEW
SHARING LIFE WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS
Paul Keeble tells MANDY PILZ why he chose to raise his family in the inner city AFTER I moved to Manchester nearly 40 years ago I began to notice that the majority of people lived in the inner city, but most Christians didn’t. It led to a decision to move into the inner city, feeling that this was what I personally should be doing as a follower of Jesus. I had come to Manchester from Belfast to train in social administration with an eye to working in probation back in Northern Ireland, but God changed my plans during that year. I also met Judith who shared my call to the inner city. We married and settled down in a one-bedroom council flat, then moved to the terraced house where we still live and where our three children grew up. Most of the time life in the inner city is just like life anywhere else. 4
Our community is diverse, but we all do the same things: food shopping, the school run, taking the bins out. There are a number of nationalities, ethnic backgrounds and faiths, with Muslims in the majority. We’ve discovered just how hospitable and generous they can be – especially when it comes to food! An important by-product of our living here has been working with our fellow residents on wellbeing/shalom issues that affect us all. These have included restoring a run-down park and creating a community garden. But the major one involved a gun and gang crime issue. A drive-by shooting happened outside a nearby pub not long after our daughter had walked past – one of several murders in our neighbourhood in the 90s. The grandmother of one of the victims was a member of our church. Late one night we were
awakened by a police helicopter shining its searchlight onto two armed suspects in our back yard. We’ve also faced mindless vandalism, and once our car was driven into by joyriders. Occasionally we might witness drunkenness and rowdiness in the streets, some of which kept our daughters awake at night. Our concerns were those of other local residents and parents. Was there anything we could do? In 2003, following a further spate of incidents, two local young men organised a march and rally called GangStop which drew several hundred people. We joined in as a family and our 12-year-old daughter was interviewed by BBC’s Newsround. Afterwards a community meeting was held and from that a group of us formed the organisation Carisma (Community Alliance for Renewal, Inner-South Manchester Area) as a grassroots response to the
BIG INTERVIEW
INSPIRE
JESUS CAME TO DO LIFE WITH US, AND THAT IS WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO
gangs. Some were people of faith, others not. Our only expertise was that we were local. We networked, mobilised and advocated on behalf of our young people. Mobilising was saying: “Let’s do positive stuff here”, such as a ‘PeaceWeek’ of creative and positive events. We had parades, concerts, awards. We ran a radio station called ‘PeaceFM’. We worked in schools; all for and by the community to tackle an issue of shared concern. PeaceWeek and our other work ran for 10 years until gun crime fell to the extent that we decided to close Carisma down. So what about moving to a bigger home in a ‘nice’ area? As followers of Jesus, we should question assumptions, for example, the norm for Christians to move out of the inner city when their kids get to school age. We were fortunate in having a good local school. Judith served as a governor there for a while. We don’t hide our Christianity, but we don’t see ourselves as being here to bestow blessings upon “you poor people”. It’s not about “them and us”. We’re here to share life as residents and neighbours who are Christians. We learn from other cultures; people help us, we help them. Our commitment to Jesus involves our whole lives, including the choice of where we live. Jesus came to live among us, to do life with us, and that is what we’re trying to do here in inner-city Manchester. Mission With. Paul Keeble works with the charity Urban Presence www.urbanpresence.org.uk and is the author of Mission With: something out of the ordinary (Instant Apostle). For the chance to win a copy, turn to Giveaways on page 26. www.inspiremagazine.org.uk
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BITS ’N’ PIECES ONLINE The Christian Enquiry Agency has a new website, giving tips on how churches can get involved in ‘the easiest evangelism ever’ https://christianenquiryagency.org.uk/
STATS | T ECH BEFORE SLEEP The average British adult spends an average of 57 minutes on their gadgets in bed before going to sleep, according to new research. A third (32%) of Britons fall trap to watching television in bed, revealed research of 1,012 UK adults carried out by gadgets and technology e-tailer, LaptopsDirect. co.uk. The device most commonly used by Brits in bed was unsurprisingly smartphones, with 68% using them from the comfort of their duvet.
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INSECT INSIGHT The teacher was giving her class of sevenyear-olds a natural history lesson. “Worker ants,” she told them, “can carry pieces of food five times their own weight. What do you conclude from that?” One child was ready with the answer: “They don’t have a union.” www.mikeysfunnies.com 6
Some 19% use their tablet before sleeping, 14% admitted to listening to music in bed, while 8% confessed to playing on games consoles.
STATS | T EA DECLINE? Over-50s spend three times as much as millennials on tea every year, suggesting the UK’s love affair with tea could soon be consigned to history. According to the recent Cost of Tomorrow report, from financial planner Tilney (using Office of National Statistics Family Spending data), people between the age of 50 and 64 spend £31.20 on tea annually, but for millennials this drops to £10.40. Currently, the average household spends £1,475 on tea over a lifetime, but this figure looks likely to fall if the current trend continues. Tea is already way behind coffee in terms of household spend, with the average family forking out £2,585 on coffee over the course of their lives, and millennials spending £31.20 annually.
Yasmin’s mum would dig through ants’ nests to feed her children.
WOULD JESUS WALK ON BY? In Yasmin’s village the stranglehold of hunger can be devastating. So great that Yasmin’s mum, Jumana, would steal from those smaller than herself to feed her children. She’d shadow a community and raid their grain store – digging a full metre, through hardened earth, to access the store. The degrading truth is that Jumana was taking grain collected by ants, from ants’ nests. This would be the only food six-year-old Yasmin had to eat. Tearfund follows Jesus to the places of very greatest need. Tearfund promotes the gospel you recognise – giving as Jesus gave in the poorest places on earth. And there’s a reason we’re inviting you to give like Jesus: you can enable the change
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POLITICS AND FAITH
WHEN LEADERS DO GOD As the general election nears, NICK SPENCER argues political leadership shouldn’t be a faith-free zone … “WE HAVE really everything in common with America nowadays,” wrote Oscar Wilde in The Canterville Ghost, “except, of course, language.” And religion, he might have added were he writing today, for if there is one thing that differentiates these both theoretically Christian countries, it is their attitude to religion in politics. For Americans, genuflecting before altar and Bible is a sine qua non, even to the extent of the latest President, not known for his piety or prayer, somehow finding God on the campaign trail. In the UK, by contrast, despite the fact that five of our last six Prime Ministers have been practising Christians of one sort or another, we (famously) don’t “do God”. In reality we do: Thatcher lectured about faith; Brown spoke about being a son of the manse; Cameron often talked about his vague, undogmatic, cultural Anglicanism; May likes to remind us about the values of growing up in a vicarage. It was only really Tony Blair who stayed resolutely silent, at least when in office. His was, nonetheless, an instructive example, his silence due to the recognition, early on, that for him public faith was a liability; and that recognition being due to the fact that everyone recognised how important it was to him. Cameron could talk about God a lot because no one thought it really mattered to him; Blair couldn’t because everyone thought it did. 8
Paradoxically, it seems the more important faith is to you as a leader, the less chance you have to talk about it freely. Thatcher was the exception here, and even she was more faithshy when she got into power. If this is so, it’s a problem, because it is precisely the most important motivating beliefs – those that matter most to our leaders – which we should be hearing about. For politicians to be scared off them by a manufactured media response, which sees talk of sin, or judgement,
SO MANY BELIEVERS HAVE PREACHED RATHER THAN PRACTISED THEIR FAITH or prayer as some kind of subversion of the normal political processes, ultimately harms us all: gagging politicians, strangling public discourse, and starving public debate of fresh perspectives. Believers are not innocent in all this, of course. Indeed, arguably one of the reasons why the media are so jumpy about believing politicians is because so many believers have preached rather than practised their faith, or have preferred to deploy faith instead of, rather than in partnership with, reason. Nobody (sane) wants a political leader who, for example, really thinks that one particular group in society is sinful; or that God’s judgement obviates the electorate’s; or
POLITICS AND FAITH
who thinks that prayer and Bible reading are an alternative to research and policy papers. Yet these are straw men and women. Having studied a range of global political leaders who call themselves Christians, and having spent time with domestic Christian parliamentarians over the last 10 years, I’ve seen few signs of the kind of theocratic bogeymen of the secular imagination. There are certainly some circumstances in which Christian political leaders deserve particular scrutiny, such as when there is big political capital to be made out of doing God (such as in Russia); or where political movements adopt the rhetoric of Christianity – “Christian nation”, “Christian people”, “Christian culture” – without adopting any Christian theology (such as has been the case with a number of European populist movements over recent years); or when candidates discover God on the campaign trail (Trump again). Playing the faith card should not get any politician out of jail for free. However, these have been relative rarities in the UK, which makes our particular nervousness about faith all the harder to understand.
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Nick Spencer is Research Director at Theos, and editor of The Mighty and the Almighty: how political leaders do God (Biteback, 2017). Turn to Page 26 for your chance to win a copy Ultimately, politics is rather like religion. For both to function, they require a fair amount of faith. But both can suffer from blind faith, the kind that pays no attention to the quality of the message or the ‘candidate’ and can lead to unthinking obedience. “Respect those who labour among you and are over you”, St Paul wrote to the Christians in Salonica, before advising them to “test everything”. He was writing about church life, but it’s pretty good advice for politics too.
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BRAIN STRAINERS
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CROSSWORD Across 1. Health, strength (7) 5. Respectful body gesture (3) 7. Promotional leaflet (5) 8. Orchard tree (5) 9. Cooperative, obliging (7) 11. Perfumed (7) 15. Rogue (5) (Anag) 16. Outspoken (5) 17. Place to work out (3) 18. Smallest possible (7) Down 1. Forty plus ten (5) 2. Dribble, flow intermittently (7) 3. The world (5) 4. Mini, portable (5) 6. Possibly man’s greatest invention (5) 10. Engaged woman (7) 11. Small flower spray (5) 12. Something special (5) 13. Its county town Exeter (5) 14. Baby bird of prey (5)
You’ll find the solution in our My Inspire section at www.inspiremagazine.org.uk
SUDOKU SuDoku in Japanese means ‘number-solving’.
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WORD GOAL How many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? Each must contain the centre letter, all the others can be used only once. Goal: Superb – 20; Excellent – 18; Well Done – 14; Good – 10
You’ll find the solution in our My Inspire section at www. inspiremagazine. org.uk
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The grid is 9x9, but has nine 3x3 minigrids or ‘regions’ built in. Some numbers, called ‘givens’, are inserted to give you a start. The goal is to fill in the empty cells, one number in each, so that each column and row in the main grid, and each region, contains the numbers 1–9 exactly once.
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INSPIRE
Wishing for things that can never be is foolish . . . or is it? Hope Harbor police chief and single mum Lexie Graham has zero time for extracurricular activities—including romance. Ex-con Adam Stone isn’t looking for love either—but how ironic is it that the first woman to catch his eye is a police chief
In the early days of the Church, danger lurks around every corner. As these new believers risk their lives—and hearts—can their budding faith withstand the unthinkable?
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This is the story of how I took my life back.
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INSPIRE
HOSPITALITY
DOES YOUR HOME HAVE AN
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If we want to really know God better, then hospitality must be an essential part of our everyday lives, says KRISH KANDIAH I BARRICADED my bedroom door that night. My mum had let yet another stranger into the house. This unexpected guest had knocked on our door late in the evening and unlike all the other residents of Wellington Road, Brighton, my mother had fallen for his unlikely story. The young man hailed from Germany, and was explaining in broken English that he had met a girl on a plane. But it was only after he had passed through customs that he realised that he did have something to declare: his undying love for the stranger who had been on the seat next to his. He had searched the airport to no avail, but remembered she had told him she was heading for Brighton. So here he was, going from house to house, determined to try every one of Brighton’s 120,000 homes until he found her. Mum had arrived in Brighton from India aged 16 to train to be a nurse. As an Anglo-Indian
HOSPITALITY
child growing up in an Indian orphanage, she had been treated as a pariah. And it was no better when she came to the UK in the 1950s. She knew what it meant not only to be on the receiving end of verbal and physical abuse, but also to be ignored, dismissed and marginalised as an outsider. Because her grandmother had gone to such great lengths, following her son’s death in the war, to rescue my mother and her sisters from various orphanages and secure their education and careers, she also knew what it meant to be welcomed in by a family that had lost her and then found her again. Maybe that is why the German was not made to stay on our doorstep but was welcomed in and given tea and encouraged to share his story. Pretty soon she was turning our sofa into a bed for the stranger and, because my bedroom was just opposite, I started to turn my furniture into a barricade. Perhaps I had watched too many movies about conmen or home invasions, or heard too many dark fairy tales, or too vividly remembered my teacher’s warnings about ‘stranger danger’. I spent a disturbed night
INSPIRE
clutching my Swiss Army penknife and worrying far more about my own security than that of my gullible parents and defenceless younger sister. The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, this love-struck loner resumed his crazy search. We never saw him again. I like to think that, thanks to my mum’s kindness, there is an Anglo-German couple living happily ever after and telling their children about an Indian woman who demonstrated through her hospitality that she too believed in love. It’s taken me a long time, but I have changed my views about strangers. There’s a big shift going on in our world right now – there’s a growing fear of strangers. Terror attacks and a global refugee crisis have made many countries more concerned about guarding their borders than offering hospitality. IT’S TAKEN ME A In my latest book God is Stranger I LONG TIME, BUT I decided to take a look at all the times that HAVE CHANGED God turned up as a stranger. I tracked down all the times he turns up MY VIEWS ABOUT unannounced and unrecognised and I found STRANGERS out something very strange. Looking at Bible stories from Eden to Emmaus, from Abraham to Jesus, I uncovered some neglected truths that were disturbing and comforting, exhilarating and terrifying. One thing I uncovered was that the Bible shows us that if we want to really know God better then hospitality must be an essential part of our everyday lives. It turns out that my mum’s open door rather than my barricaded one was the right response. Writing the book set me off on a new adventure of discovery with God. I invite you to open the book and be prepared to open your life up to our wonderful and strange God. Krish Kandiah is the founding director of the charity Home for Good and is also an international speaker and strategic consultant. His latest book God is Stranger is published by Hodder. For the chance to win a copy, turn to Giveaways on Page 26 www.inspiremagazine.org.uk
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QUESTION TIME
HELPING PEOPLE SEE JESUS ANDY BANNISTER gives some guidelines on how we go about discussing what we believe with our friends … IN 1 PETER 3:15-16, Peter offers this advice to Christians who want to share the incredible news of what Jesus has done: Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. The phrase “give an answer” is the English translation of the Greek word apologia, which means to give a reason or a defence. Peter here is saying that the Gospel is not a piece of advice, or a warm fuzzy feeling, or just something we should believe because we should believe, but something for which reasons can be given. From the word apologia we get the term “apologetics” – that branch of Christian theology concerned with answering questions or objections to the Christian faith, setting out to our friends why Jesus Christ is worth taking seriously. Although a word like “apologetics” can sound pretentious and technical, it’s actually beautifully, simply and intricately connected to the heart of the Gospel. As I’ve listened to, engaged with, and wrestled with people’s questions about the Christian faith over the years, I have learned that there are number of basic principles that 14
QUESTIONS ARE VERY POWERFUL work time and again. They’re easy to learn, simple to apply, and can be a game-changer in how you have conversations about the Gospel with clarity, conviction and compassion. 1. KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND WHY This is a challenge for those of us raised in the Church, or who have been Christians for decades. Too often we give how-shaped answers to why-shaped questions. If somebody asks us why we are a Christian, we often give a narrative of how we became one. But that isn’t always helpful: many of our friends want to know why you’re a Christian now, today, with all of the challenges to your faith that daily attack you. What’s your 20-second case for Christianity? 2. REDISCOVER THE POWER OF QUESTIONS We’ve often tried to reduce evangelism to formulas. But the most powerful form of sharing the Gospel is talking to people and asking good questions. Learn to ask your friends what they believe (or don’t believe). If a colleague at work is a Muslim, try saying, “I’ve never really talked to a Muslim before. What do you believe?” Or if a friend self-describes as an atheist, respond, “‘Atheist’ tells me what you don’t believe. But what do you believe?” Questions are very powerful and if you read the Gospels carefully, you’ll notice asking them was Jesus’ primary method of evangelism.
QUESTION TIME
3. ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE’S HONEST QUESTIONS Don’t ignore objections. A few months ago I met Alex, a young university student, who introduced himself to me as an agnostic. “I used to be a Christian,” he explained, “but I was raised in a fundamentalist family.” Questions about religion were forbidden in his family and church. Alex began to read atheist books and eventually abandoned his faith. “But you introduced yourself as an ‘agnostic’,” I said gently. “What happened?” Alex explained he attended a local atheist group, and discovered that they were, in his words, “fundamentalists too”. Questioning was not allowed there either. Alex told me he didn’t know what to believe or disbelieve any more. Then, he asked me if I thought he was lazy. I replied, “There are two types of agnostics. A lazy agnostic is somebody who can’t be bothered to find the answer to the God question. An active agnostic is genuinely searching for the answer, but just hasn’t found it yet.” We talked long into the evening and slowly began to deal with some of the questions Alex had buried for so long. 4. KNOW WHAT THE GOSPEL REALLY IS That sounds obvious, doesn’t it, but a good deal of our problems in the Church stem from forgetting. We’ve allowed the Gospel to become tangled up with political positions, culture wars or moralism. As an atheist friend once put it to me, “I know what you Christians are against, but I have no idea what you’re for.” A brilliant, if tragic, observation.
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FURTHER READING
Three great books that will help you explore some of the themes I’ve touched on in this article are Randy Newman, Questioning Evangelism (all about the power of good questions); CS Lewis, Mere Christianity (an old but incredibly helpful book) and John Stackhouse, Humble Apologetics (a wonderfully accessible book whether you’ve been a Christian for 20 weeks or 20 years). The word “Gospel” comes from the Greek word euangelion, which means, quite literally, “good news”. The good news of what God has done in and through Jesus Christ, his Son. It’s not a piece of advice, or a moral system, or a philosophy. The Gospel is the radical claim something has happened as a result of which the world is a different place. That’s the good news that it’s our privilege to share through evangelism. CONCLUSION: CLEARING THE GROUND Ultimately, the task of apologetics is largely one of debris clearing: removing the obstacles so people can see Jesus clearly. Arguments can’t bring somebody to faith, but they can help create a climate in which faith is possible. Ultimately, what people need is not a clever argument, but to see the greatness and attractiveness of Jesus. Our task, and the task of apologetics, is simply to present Him as clearly as we can. And then get out of the way.
Dr Andy Bannister is the Director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity and an Adjunct Speaker with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. His best-selling book, The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist (or: The Dreadful Consequences of Bad Arguments) is available from all good book stores. Also check out the popular Solas video series, SHORT/ANSWERS, at http://www.solas-cpc.org/shortanswers/ www.inspiremagazine.org.uk
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MY STORY
SIMON THOMAS: ‘ I FIRMLY BELIEVE GOD INTERVENED’ KEITH MORRIS reports for Network Norwich & Norfolk ...
SKY TV football presenter Simon Thomas told a 600-strong audience at Soul Church in Norwich of an occasion when he believed God saved his life. Born in Norwich, the life-long Norwich City fan grew up in Cromer, then Grimston in West Norfolk where his father was an Anglican curate then rector. “God was ever-present in terms of family life as I was growing up,” he said. “I guess I had those moments when I thought ‘is it true?’ – but deep down I always knew that it was. For me it was a strong sense that this God that I have heard talked about is actually for real. “One day when I was seven, after a rainy morning, we went for a family walk in Massingham Forest, a couple of miles from home. It was a pine forest so there were not that many trees which you could 16
climb, apart from one huge one which I scrambled up and sat in. “It started raining again. Mum said ‘we need to move into the shelter’. We said ‘why do we need to move as we are sheltering under this enormous tree already’. She said it for a second time and again we said it was ridiculous as we were already being sheltered under the tree. She said it for a third time with a real sense of firmness that we had to move across to the other side of the clearing right now. “Within seconds of us moving across, there was what I can only describe as the sound of a Tornado jet flying very low followed by the most incredible explosion and flash of red and this almighty thud. The tree in which I had been sitting seconds before had been hit by a ball of lightning and that would have been the end of me. “We were very traumatised by it. We went home and some good friends came around and we talked about it and they asked ‘why did you move?’ My mum said ‘I felt really strongly God’s voice saying ‘you have to move now!’.” Read more from this interview at inspiremagazine.org.uk
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A great big ‘THANK YOU’ for this cracking little magazine. It does exactly what it says on the front cover – and more. Inspiring, heartwarming, challenging and fun. We look forward to each edition. Sandra Timms, West Wellow Methodist Church, Hants They love Inspire. And so will you. SUDAN: CHILDRE N IN Published by CPO, and funded by partners, advertising and donations, it’s been CONF LICT our vision from day one to produce a magazine that is good news, telling the stories you don’t always hear of changed people, churches, and communities. Find lots more stories and content on www.inspiremagazine.org.uk. *We do encourage churches to consider an annual donation towards our postage costs. How orp han saving live age is s
Issue 113 • June 2017
HOLIDAY ISSUE
WELCOM E AND THE GOSPEL WHEN MPS DO GOD Could you r church hos t a holiday at home? SHARING LIFE AND FAITH IN THE CITY www.inspir emag
azine.org.uk
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INSPIRE
FAMILY MINISTRY
Many families are under pressure these days – SHEILA JOHNSON reports on how one town’s churches are helping meet the needs … CHELTENHAM charity Family Space, started by local churches and the YMCA, has been spearheading Christian care for local families for more than 20 years. Founded in 1995, the charity is based in Hester’s Way in the west of the town, one of the top 10% of worst income deprivation places in the country. And passion for the needs of families is what drives manager and trained social worker Sarah Avery: “I think, eat, sleep and breathe Family Space.” Sarah and her team regularly come across families struggling to feed their children. This situation worsens during the school holidays when children no longer receive their free daily meals, so Family Space helps to provide these families with food parcels and 18
second-hand clothing. To keep doing this valuable work, they need to find £100,000 each year to impact around 300 families. Sarah says: “I try to raise awareness of the needs wherever I can, through local churches, rotary groups, the woman’s institute, whoever will invite me to give a talk. But I believe I can always do more. In 2017, we are running a ‘match funding’ project. Anyone who starts a regular donation to us will have that donation doubled.” Family Space delivers in four main areas: CHILD CONTACT CENTRES There are Child Contact Centres in Cheltenham and Gloucester. Their primary function is to help families going through parental separation – they help resolve any contact issues the partners may face with their children and help protect the children from conflict. Occasionally this results in contact with the local courts, but only in an advisory capacity pointing people towards the available professional services.
FAMILY MINISTRY
INSPIRE
The Oasis Centre, the charity’s headquarters since 2015, is open on Saturday afternoons between 1pm and 3pm for parents and children to get together with a parent/parents they no longer live with. Parents are usually offered 8–10 sessions either weekly or fortnightly over a four to fivemonth period. They don’t need to meet one another during these sessions. BEFRIENDERS Befrienders are volunteers who provide emotional support for mums to be and families with children aged up to five by being good listeners and building up a relationship of trust with the parent/parents. This relationship is not time constrained, as each family’s needs are different and the befriender is there as long as the parent or child needs them. There is a befriender dropin group on Tuesday mornings between 9.15 and 11.15, where mums who have children at school or pre-school, can drop in to learn a new skill or craft, seek advice about parenting or job hunting, or I BELIEVE I simply make friends. A similar CAN ALWAYS group meets on Monday DO MORE mornings with a creche. One of the mums who has benefitted from a Befriender relationship says: “My mother passed away suddenly. After this I tried to take my own life. Then a friend of mine told me about the ‘Befrienders service’. Julie, my Befriender had experience with families and told me about a group called ‘time out for mums’. Myself and my youngest daughter now LOVE our time there.” TIME OUT FOR MUMS Time Out For Mums is a small group of parents who meet weekly to engage in recreational and craft activities, and to learn new skills to benefit them and their children.
Members of staff are available to give a friendly listening ear or useful parenting advice. The organisation also has two members fully trained to offer practical advice on child rearing. They are not counsellors and if further help is needed, parents are directed to the right professional organisations. All groups and play activities run during school holidays as well as term time. STAY AND PLAY SESSIONS These take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10 and 11.30am at a local Baptist church and at the same time on Thursdays at the Oasis centre. Snacks and drinks are provided at these sessions. Family Space is always looking for local people to fundraise, provide food or clothing donations or volunteer their time, talents and skills in the care of the families. But a valid DBS check covering the person’s suitability to work with young children is necessary as well as a willing heart. One Family Space Mum says: “Family Space groups offer me a lifeline with somewhere safe I can go to take my children. I know I am going to find support in a tough time.”
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INSPIRE
HOLIDAY AT HOME
IT’S LOVELY to be able to sit on a beach or take in some country air while you’re on holiday. But if you’re older or not so fit as you once were, you may no longer have the means or the mobility to get away. Putting on a ‘holiday at home’ is a great way for churches to reach out to their older members and neighbours, especially those who are lonely, bereaved or unable to see their families very often. No suitcases or visas are required for these guests who can enjoy a range of daily activities, often on a particular theme, for the best part of a week. It’s a chance to make new friends and have some fun, as well as indulge in the odd ice-cream or two. This August St John’s Church in Harborne, Birmingham will be running their 10th Prime Time, the name for their annual three-day holiday at home. Over the years guests have enjoyed a variety of themed events, from the Olympics to a ‘cruise’, complete with cocktails with the captain. “We’ve even had the seasons as a theme which included a full Christmas dinner and a visit from Father Christmas in the middle of August!” explains Catriona Foster, the Older People’s Pastor at the church. “We always feel that the guests benefit physically, socially, mentally, emotionally and spiritually from joining in. Sometimes a driver might comment that a person was a bit down in the morning, but by the time they picked them up to take them home they were a different person – bright and more agile. “Our guests experience the church as a good place to be,” she continues. “Relationships are built up. Some, hopefully, are helped by the spiritual ‘Thought’ at the end of the day. “During the week, we invite the guests to sign up to attend some interactive sessions for the over-70s we run in the autumn and spring terms exploring various matters of life and faith. These have really helped the older people on their spiritual journeys – to either find or deepen faith.” 20
PRIME TIME A ‘holiday at home’ could be just the ticket for older people in your community who can’t get away. Could your church organise one? asks SHARON BARNARD
... REALLY HELPED THE OLDER PEOPLE ON THEIR SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS
HOLIDAY AT HOME
INSPIRE
STAYCATION Inspiration from The Gift of Years
Debbie Thrower is an Anna Chaplain to Older People and team leader of the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) programme The Gift of Years which aims to resource the spiritual journey of older people. She offers some ways churches can bring older members or the community together for a time of friendship and fun on a holiday at home. Popular themes are: ‘Beside the sea, ‘Off to France,’ ‘The Wild West,’ ‘Music of the 50s and 60s,’ and ‘Taking a cruise’. Engage local schools to help provide entertainment and a local university to offer a display, such as one on marine biology for the seaside theme. Businesses are often happy to sponsor different aspects, for example Highfield Church in Southampton involved a local supermarket, an icecream parlour and a local care home as partners. Investigate other churches who’ve already held a certain theme who may be prepared to loan their scenery and props, saving much time and energy. Whether the event is held over one day or several, vary activities to suit different tastes, with a choice of activities each morning and afternoon. There might be musical entertainment, gentle exercise, speakers, discussion groups, games, crafts, a computer corner. Allow plenty of time to chat or relax on comfortable armchairs borrowed specially for the event (and appreciated after a quality three-course meal!). The Salvation Army has built up considerable expertise running holidays at home. Support is available from the Older People’s Ministries (OPM) team. To contact your local OPM specialist, email rob.rolls@salvationarmy.org.uk or call 07341 864 601 Check out a paper written by Michael Collyer as part of the Discovering Faith in Later Life series produced by Church Army. Contact info@churcharmy.org.uk + For more information, and examples from schemes around the country, visit www.thegiftofyears.org.uk
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INSPIRE
INTERNATIONAL AID
MAF TO THE RESCUE FINGERS on triggers, the soldiers turn to look at a group of young girls. South Sudan’s Juba Airport is packed with more people than they’ve seen here in a long time. It’s almost at a standstill. A group of orphans were getting a good education in the town of Yei, until reports of revenge killings made it imperative for them to escape. With ‘roads’ unsafe and mobile networks down, an MAF aircraft was their only way back to the safety of their orphanage in Juba. With a foreign president flying to the capital on the same day, MAF had its work cut out, but squeezed in two extra emergency flights to bring the orphans back home. Piling off the MAF aircraft, the overjoyed girls run towards their ‘Auntie Cathy’ – the leader of the orphanage. MAF has a long history with the organisation that runs the orphanage: Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC). CCC finds orphans like Lizzie clinging to life in the city’s slums, cemeteries, markets and in the growing number of camps for internally ns’ the orpha flies to MAF
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rescue
displaced people. Their new home protects them from hunger, violence and rape. Three years ago, CCC took Michael under its wing after he was shot on his way home from school. With a seriously damaged leg, and his brother miles away in a refugee camp, he had no-one to help him in his hour of need except the staff at the orphanage. Children like Lizzie and Michael are the future of South Sudan. Instead of fear, these precious children – and many more like them – now have food, clothes, books and a safe place to live. And adults who love them. This rescue was one of more than 100 MAF flights during the country’s recent civil unrest. Today, the need for our planes remains desperate throughout the nation, especially since famine was declared in February. MAF has served in South Sudan for over 60 years and remains committed to supporting aid agencies with relief flights wherever the need exists. Read more inspirational stories of MAF’s work on behalf of the South Sudanese people at www.maf-uk.org/southsudaninspire ‘Auntie Cathy’ Groene ndijk – CCC Founder
MAF uses planes to transform the lives of the world’s most isolated people, bringing help and hope to those in need.
MAF in South Sudan Over the last three years, many people of South Sudan have been displaced from their homes and lost their livelihoods due to civil war. They now live in huge humanitarian camps, facing starvation and in need of medical supplies.
Find out how MAF is helping in South Sudan, visit: www.maf-uk.org/southsudaninspire MAF UK Castle House, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2TQ Scotland Office 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD T 01303 852819 E supporter.relations@maf-uk.org
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INSPIRE
YOUTH HOLIDAYS
GOD AT THE CENTRE The Oakes, a Christian residential activity centre for young people on the southern edge of Sheffield, is a faith venture right down to its roots. SHARON BARNARD reports INSPIRED by their time as volunteers at Teen Ranch, a Christian residential centre near Sydney, Australia, PE teachers Dan and Billie Thaw were keen to set up a similar venture back home in the UK. “Young people heard the Gospel in an interesting, relevant, engaging way in the context of enjoying a great holiday. It was a special place,” says Billie. When the couple clapped eyes on a Georgian mansion near Sheffield one miserable January day in 1996, they knew it was the answer to their prayers – even though the 24
36-roomed house was in serious need of repair. Two years later, the mansion, set in 10 acres, was purchased by The Oakes Trust. Following another two years of major renovations and “many incredible answers to prayer”, The Oakes opened on 1 July 2000 as a 60-bed residential activity centre for eight to 18-year-olds. As well as enjoying a fun-filled holiday, young people can hear the Christian message and are encouraged in their faith. The centre is also open for church weekends, school residentials and holiday camps, and parent-child weekends.
YOUTH HOLIDAYS
The 25-strong staff team are all volunteers and the work is funded by gifts. “The Oakes is a faith venture,” explains Billie, a mum of four. “The centre exists to glorify God and introduce young people to Jesus.
INSPIRE
“We rely on God to provide for all our needs and He continues to do so in amazing ways on a daily basis.” Major highlights so far include being able to share the Gospel with more than 25,000 young people and welcoming an increasing number of school groups. “The Oakes lies within an incredible site. We have already developed a ropes course in the woods, established archery in the walled garden, built a climbing wall, cleared the lake for rafting and installed a Tough Mudder assault course. “Plans for the future include an underground maze and excavations have already begun. But what we look forward to more than anything else is the wonderful privilege of sharing Jesus with more young people,” says Billie. “‘Great is thy faithfulness.’” www.oakes.org.uk
WE RELY ON GOD TO PROVIDE FOR ALL OUR NEEDS
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17 great giveaways worth £250+ Every month in Inspire, we give you the opportunity to bag an inspiring book, CD, DVD, tickets – anything we can lay our hands on to give away. Just fill in the form and tick your preference. You never know, you could be a winner! The Mighty and The Almighty book For a secular age, we have a lot of religious politicians. Theresa May, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, even Donald Trump all profess Christianity, as did Obama, Brown, Sarkozy, Bush and Blair before them. But how sincere is this faith? Has it shaped past leaders’ politics, and if so, how? Theos Research Director Nick Spencer digs into the issue in his new book The Mighty and The Almighty: How Political Leaders Do God (Biteback Publishing £18.99). 5 copies
Mission With book How did a middle-class Northern Irishman find himself in inner-city Manchester, co-founding a community response to gun crime? What does putting out the bins have to do with mission? How do Christians decide where to live, and is ‘where’ as important as ‘what’ for Christian service? In Mission With: Something Out of the Ordinary (Instant Apostle £8.99), Paul Keeble shares his story of living long-term as a follower of Jesus in a multi-ethnic inner city community. 5 copies
God Is Stranger book In his new book God Is Stranger (Hodder & Stoughton £13.99), Krish Kandiah turns the tables on what we think we know about God, and challenges us to encounter the divine stranger who brings revolution in his wake – a revolution of love that goes way beyond our expectations. Krish uncovers the truth of a God whose very unpredictability, his challenging strangeness, is the strongest indication of his real presence. 5 copies
Women of Peace tickets Women of Peace is the title of this year’s day conference hosted by our sister title Woman Alive magazine, along with partners BRF, and which will be taking place in Woking, Surrey (17 June) and Leeds (21 October). Great teaching, worship, fellowship and ministry are in store, and speakers include Lyndall Bywater, Jennifer Rees Larcombe, Bridget Plass and Liz Babbs. Tickets are £25 and we have a pair on offer for either event. Book on brfonline.org.uk/womenofpeace2017 2 tickets
Title............................ Name........................................................................................... Address............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................... Postcode................................................... Tel .................................................................. E-mail....................................................... Who do you receive Inspire from?........................................................................................ My church is ...................................................................................................................... My choice: n The Mighty and The Almighty n God Is Stranger n Mission With n Women of Peace – Woking (enter by 31 May) n Women of Peace – Leeds Please return this form to: Inspire Giveaways, CPO, Garcia Estate, Canterbury Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 1BW
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CLASSIFIED
HOLIDAYS
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ISLE OF WIGHT – SHANKLIN Spacious, well-equipped self-catering holiday lodge, sleeps a maximum of 2 adults and 2 children up to 10 years. Quiet location, shops and station nearby, private parking, beach half mile. Brochure on request. Tel: 01983 865650/07899 075 133 Email: manderley@dacs40.plus.com www.manderleyiow.co.uk
FAIRHAVEN CHRISTIAN HOTEL (LLANDUDNO) Andrew & Paula offer you a warm Christian welcome, a relaxed atmosphere, Good home cooked food, diets catered for and a high standard of cleanliness overlooking Llandudno bay. All bedrooms are En-suite. Colour Brochure + info Phone 01492 878447 Email: fairhavenchristianhotel@gmail.com
PEMBROKESHIRE Award winning guest house in 18th century manor house , glorious Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, organic, fair trade and special diets, Green Key accredited, 10 rooms and a 3 bed self-catering cottage, groups, retreats, conferences. Walled garden, woods, orchard and lawns, one mile from the sea, quiet countryside. enquiries@cuffernmanor.co.uk www.cuffernmanor.co.uk 01437710071
WHITBY “B & Beside the Seaside” B & B faces the sandy beach. Panoramic sea views. Enjoy our peaceful location, good food, free parking, Wi-Fi and many extras. Request brochure. £30 pppn Tel: 01947 603955/07518 658346 email: info@bandbesidetheseaside.co.uk
NEAR SOUTHWOLD Our self-catering Willow cottage in Wangford, Suffolk sleeps 6–7. Facilities include: kitchen, microwave, TV/DVD and washing machine. The beach is just three miles away. www.evelyn-brewer.co.uk Tel: 01621 891361 Mob: 07778356099 Email: brewer.cottage@yahoo.co.uk
ˇ SOLWAY – BOTLEY, HAMPSHIRE Set in beautiful countryside within two acres of restful gardens. Two bedroom bungalow is self-contained with self-service breakfast. So ˇlway offers peace and rest. Prayer available. Tel: 01489 795600
LLANDUDNO Enjoy superb views overlooking the sea and Snowdonia mountains at Beth Eden Christian Guest House. We offer fellowship, Bible ministry and exceptional home cooking, and welcome individuals, couples, families, and groups of up to 30. Tel: 01492 877057 www.betheden.co.uk info@betheden.co.uk
ALGARVE, PORTUGAL Luxury 3 bed villa (all en-suite) sleeps 6/8. Pestana Golf Resort, Carvoeiro, own pool, BBQ and large garden. Free Wi-Fi. Faro Airport 45 minutes. Details & brochure: Brian Chambers. Now on Trip Advisor Email: brialdon50@g.mail.com www.casa-oleander.co.uk Tel: 02380 265683
KELSO, SCOTTISH BORDERS Tiore (This Is Our Rainbow’s End). Stay in our lovely two bedroom, self-catering cottage, which offers a peaceful retreat or welcome base to explore the area. Tel: 01573 450262 E-mail: peterandchristine@tiore.co.uk www.tiore.co.uk
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PERSONAL Want someone else in the picture?
LANCASHIRE Relax in a picturesque lakeside/ woodlands setting in the Lancashire countryside in one of four selfcatering cottages from a recent barn conversion. Write or phone for a Lakewood Cottages brochure to: Alec & Christine Sayer, Cragg Hall Farm, Galgate, Lancaster, LA2 0HN Tel: 01524 751053 www.lakewoodcottages.co.uk
Call us now! 0208 088 2359
PEMBROKESHIRE Great holidays in Pembrokeshire National Park. Holiday house sleeps 4 to 6. 5 mins walk to safe sandy beach. Coastal path. From £290pwk. For brochure contact Mrs V Thorpe Tel: 01452 760768 E-mail: val.thorpe@virgin.net
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Contact: Karl Ayling Tel: 01903 604342 E-mail: karlayling@cpo.org.uk Nr. PADSTOW CORNWALL Chalet (sleeps 6). Secluded. Countryside & distant sea views. Area of outstanding natural beauty. Sandy beaches less than 2 miles. Close to Eden Project, Port Isaac, Newquay. £150 – £400 weekly (including heating) Missionary discounts Tel: 01202 253879/382598 E: paulandruthbromley@gmail.com www.atlanticbaysholidaypark.co.uk
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PEMBROKESHIRE FRESHWATER EAST 3 Well equipped adjacent holiday homes. Excellent base from which to explore Pembrokeshire. Sleeps 1–6. Beach 250 yards. From £250pw. Discounts for Clergy and additional weeks. Sorry no pets. Please call for more information and brochure Tel: 01978 357481 www.fresheast.co.uk
A big thank you to you and your team for Inspire, I look forward to receiving each edition and I am never disappointed by the content, always interesting and encouraging, and in a very accessible style. Russell Elson (via email)
Somerset and Snowdonia
Near Dolgellau (3 bedrooms, by stream, mountains/estuary). £200-350 p.w. Text: 07746 994186 Email: bnglws@gmail.com
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ISLE OF WIGHT Small, Christian, family-run 4 star B&B in quiet area of Shanklin. Close to train station and shops, beach half mile away. Brochure on request. 4 nights for the price of 3 and ferry discounts available all year. Tel: 01983 865650/07899 075 133 Email: manderley@dacs40.plus.com www.manderleyiow.co.uk
Two spacious bungalows: Dunster (near beach), Minehead (2 bedrooms, Exmoor, steam trains and Spring Harvest!)
Your magazine has proved both useful and interesting. Sue Scregg, St Luke’s Church, Poulton, Merseyside 29
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