Together (Summer 2015) by FIEC

together SUMMER 2015

FIEC.ORG.UK

THE MAGAZINE OF FIEC

To reach the unreached ALSO INSIDE: Church refit fuels mission Reaching men Training success in Scotland

WELCOME... Welcome to the summer 2015 issue of Together.

Together is published by FIEC, 39 The Point, Market Harborough, LE16 7QU. 01858 434540 fiec.org.uk admin@fiec.org.uk fb.com/theFIEC @theFIEC INSERTS/ADVERTS For all enquiries about advertising in Together please email admin@fiec.org.uk EDITOR Phil Topham 01858 411553 phil.topham@fiec.org.uk DESIGNED BY AH Graphic Design www.ahgraphicdesign.co.uk ah@ahgraphicdesign.co.uk 07500 465753 Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

I started working for FIEC in March and spent my first few weeks trying to absorb everything I possibly could about the organisation. One word kept coming into my mind as I did so: perception. It’s pretty clear to me that the perception many people have about FIEC and the reality are two very different things. In fact, in my first meeting with the FIEC Directors I described changing the perception as ‘turning the tanker’. Often the perception of FIEC is that we are a shelter for conservative evangelical churches. The reality is that we are a family of gospel churches keen to make disciples for Jesus in every community. In other words, we are helping churches to be missional. When we think of mission it often brings to mind work overseas, with brothers and sisters sharing the gospel in some of the toughest parts of the world. That’s quite true but surely Great Britain is a mission field too? In this issue of Together we have articles designed to get you thinking about FIEC facilitating mission. I’m delighted to introduce you to our Go Into prayer cards – highlighting 50 places of gospel need around the country. We’re giving you some ideas of how you can use the upcoming Rugby World Cup as a mission opportunity and there are also articles about the FIEC Church Planting Pack as well as news of how a legacy left to an FIEC church has been used to help mission in another part of the UK. I hope you enjoy it and become inspired to join us on mission! Phil Topham Head of Communication

CONTENTS 3

To reach the unreached

20 On the road

Giving supports church plant

24 Church revitalisation matters

10 Reaching men

27 Training success in Scotland

13 Gospel opportunity in London

30 Book reviews

16 Church refit fuels mission

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32 New recognised church plants and affiliations

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TO REACH THE UNREACHED FIEC has launched a brand new initiative to encourage prayer for many areas of Britain that have little, or no, evangelical witness; places that need church plants.

been good at the first area of need – Jerusalem – the immediate areas around where we live and worship. Praise God for believers who are living as salt and light in their communities and for churches which equip, encourage and facilitate

evangelism and disciplemaking, not least in the planting of new churches. We’ve been pretty good at sending people ‘to the ends of the earth’ too, engaging in cross-cultural missionary work. But we’ve not been so strong when it

Our Go Into prayer cards identify 50 areas of gospel need, encouraging churches and individuals to pray for these places and maybe consider planting a church there. FIEC Mission Director Andy Paterson explains… As Christians we all know the verse from the beginning of Acts where Jesus prepares his disciples for the task of world evangelism: ‘You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). Traditionally we’ve fiec.org.uk

FIEC Together Summer 2015

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comes to reaching out with the good news of Christ to ‘all Judea and Samaria’ – those areas within our wider national boundaries. When we think of mission we tend to look abroad and it’s easy to picture mission taking place around the world while we overlook the desperate needs of our own nation.

IT’S EASY TO PICTURE MISSION TAKING PLACE AROUND THE WORLD WHILE WE OVERLOOK THE DESPERATE NEEDS OF OUR OWN NATION. A Christian country? We might assume that Britain is a ‘Christian’ country but the reality is very different. In the 2011 Census for England and Wales, 59% (33 million people) identified as Christian – a significant decrease from the 72% reported a decade earlier. There has been an increase in those reporting no religion (from 15% to 25%) while church-going evangelicals form only 2.9% of the population. They are startling figures. That’s why FIEC recognises fiec.org.uk

a responsibility to Britain as a whole, not just to areas closer to home and areas abroad. The fact is that Britain is now more unreached than many of the nations it has traditionally sent missionaries to, and is now a ‘receiving’ country rather than a ‘sending’ one.

need in Great Britain; rather they are 50 places that have a small number of evangelical churches relative to the size of population. Go Into is designed to stimulate prayerful concern for our land so that both churches and individuals can use the cards to pray for needy areas of our nation.

Go Into prayer cards FIEC conducted a research project to identify areas of Great Britain where the gospel witness is relatively weak and as a result has listed 50 areas to highlight this need and published information about them – our Go Into prayer cards. Each card includes statistics about the place in question, a picture and some key facts to help fuel our prayers. We’re not saying they are the only places of gospel

GO INTO IS DESIGNED TO STIMULATE PRAYERFUL CONCERN FOR OUR LAND. You could pick out a card to pray for a place at mealtimes or perhaps use one of the cards as a bookmark for your Bible to prompt you to pray. Churches could use the cards

in prayer meetings or housegroups and perhaps leadership teams could use the cards to pray about places in which they might feel God is leading them to support a church plant. Our hope is that churches will use the Go Into prayer cards alongside superb resources such as Operation World. This will mean as well as praying for tribes and nations around the globe, we will add certain British towns and cities to that list. It’s our longing that we will see a coalition of churches, mission agencies and church planting organisations coming together to work out ways of getting churches planted in these needy areas of our nation.

Reaching the unreached Once upon a time we sent workers to the furthest corners of the globe in response to the Great Commission. That world has now come to Britain’s shores and we have the remarkable privilege and responsibility to show and share the saving news of faith in Christ alone.

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So I want to encourage you to buy a pack of Go Into prayer cards – better still, buy multiple packs and share them with your Christian brothers and sisters, praying together that the gospel would be heard in some of the most unreached areas of our land. Jesus told his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’ (Luke 10:2). How to order You can order the Go Into prayer cards from 10ofThose. They are available individually for £3.00 a pack. If you buy between 2 and 9 packs the price drops to £2.50 each and to just £2.00 per pack if you buy ten or more. Shipping costs £2.50 up to an order value of £25 and is free for larger orders. You can purchase them online from www.10ofthose. com or by phone on 0844 879 3243.

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At the FIEC Leaders’ Conference back in November, a map was on display highlighting areas of Britain with little, or no, gospel witness. One thing was abundantly clear – more churches need to be planted. It’s a vision shared by many fellowships up and down the country and at FIEC we are encouraging gospel-hearted churches to work together to see more churches planted – fiec.org.uk

to reach our nation by going and making disciples for Jesus Christ in every community. One FIEC church that shares that passion is Bethel Evangelical Free Church in

Leicester. Founded back in the 1940s, Bethel now has a membership of around 100 and has helped to plant and revitalise churches throughout its history.

Supporting others Recently the church received a legacy to use for gospel work, but at the moment they aren’t in a position to plant a new FIEC Together Summer 2015

Photo by Elliott Brown on Flickr, used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license

GIVING SUPPORTS CHURCH PLANT

church. Rather than sitting on the money and waiting

thinking missionally. “We need to move

for an opportunity to come

forward together and we can

up locally, Bethel decided to

do that by supporting church

donate the legacy to FIEC to

plants in this way. When you

support church planting in

can support eternal issues –

other parts of the country.

that’s what it’s all about.”

BETHEL DECIDED TO DONATE THE LEGACY TO FIEC TO SUPPORT CHURCH PLANTING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

Ongoing prayer support In discussion with FIEC about a number of projects that are looking for funding, the leadership at Bethel asked for the bulk of the money to go towards supporting a plant in the Longbridge area of Birmingham, led by John Walley, with a view to the

Pastor Dan Eagles says

church at Bethel taking an

the church was delighted to

ongoing prayerful interest in

donate the money. He said:

its launch in September 2015

“We’ve had a history of

and subsequent work.

good links with FIEC and we’ve been encouraged by the great work they are doing at the moment with church planting. At the conference in November we were reminded to be generous-hearted people, so we are delighted to support this fund. “Members of the church

IT ENCOURAGES US TO STOP LOOKING AT OURSELVES AND INSTEAD START THINKING MISSIONALLY.

are used to being sacrificial, as we have often given

“We’re really pleased

leaders and members to

that this money will support

various church plants, so

a church plant on the

it sets a good foundation.

ground,” Dan said. “There

I think it’s really healthy to

was a general feeling among

donate money to a church

the leadership that this is

planting fund like this, as it

where we wanted the money

encourages us to stop looking

to go and although we are

at ourselves and instead start

not planting at present we

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JOHN WALLEY

want to support a wider movement. “The opportunity we had to network at the Leaders’ Conference in November reminded us that we are part of something bigger. Trevor Archer [FIEC Training Director] made it clear that we are to be sacrificial and Andy Paterson [FIEC Mission Director] stirred us up to go out with the gospel. We need to look at the places which haven’t been reached yet and it reminds us about the need for more gospelcentred churches across Great Britain.” For more info: If you would like to know more about how you can support church planting contact FIEC at admin@ fiec.org.uk or call 01858 434540.

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REACHING MEN

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How do we reach more men with the good news of the gospel? It’s one of the frequently asked questions among churches and church leaders. Women’s ministry and children’s ministry often see gospel fruit, but it seems far more difficult to reach men. Neal Patterson attends Knighton Free Church in Leicester and also works for FIEC Practical Services. He has been wrestling with this problem for years but believes this autumn presents a great opportunity to reach men and their families across the country when the Rugby World Cup comes to our shores. England is hosting the tournament which begins in September and runs right through until the end of October. It’s the third biggest sports tournament in the world and it means players and fans from across the globe will arrive on our doorstep later this year.

THIS AUTUMN PRESENTS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REACH MEN WHEN THE RUGBY WORLD CUP COMES TO OUR SHORES. Neal (or Paddy to his friends) is a huge rugby fan. He plays and coaches the sport in his spare time and would like to see churches use this opportunity to share the gospel with men and their families during the tournament.

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Building friendships “I believe we should use sport as a way in,” says Paddy. “Rugby is a great sport and allows you to build friendships with non-Christians because it is such a friendly game. There is an instant community in rugby and you might knock each other around on the pitch but by the end of the game everyone is friends. fiec.org.uk

NEAL PATTERSON

“Non-Christians are not in church on a Sunday and this is a great opportunity to engage with them. I want to encourage FIEC churches to work together and get alongside local rugby clubs during the World Cup to see if they can build bridges with their communities. What could your church do? Perhaps your local rugby club is showing the matches on a big screen – could the church offer to run a kids’ club alongside it?”

Sharing the gospel In March, Knighton Free Church put on an evening with Brad Thorn. Brad is a Christian from New Zealand who in the 2014/15 season played professionally for the Leicester Tigers and won the Rugby World Cup with the All Blacks in 2011. The church used a suite at the Tigers’ stadium for the evening and it was a great opportunity to share the gospel. “I was able to invite all the parents of the children I coach and some came along to hear Brad,” says Paddy. “It would be great to see FIEC churches working together to see if they can use this opportunity of the World Cup to do something similar. FIEC Together Summer 2015

“It doesn’t have to be an evening with a speaker, but perhaps they could host an introduction to touch rugby or engage with local schools. 10ofThose is producing a tract for the Rugby World Cup and other organisations are producing resources such as the Rugby Bible.

RUGBY IS A GREAT SPORT AND ALLOWS YOU TO BUILD FRIENDSHIPS WITH NONCHRISTIANS “You can even buy a special rugby ball that includes different coloured panels to help you share the gospel. It’s called the Living Ball (www.livingball.co.za) and can be used to simply explain sin, redemption, indwelling by the Holy Spirit and growing as a Christian.” The Rugby World Cup begins on Friday 18 September and even though England is hosting

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the tournament, there are also games in Wales. The matches take place as far north as Newcastle and as far south as Exeter and Brighton. For a full list of the venues head to www.rugbyworldcup.com

What could your church do? Pray – this is key to the whole mission Host a rugby festival Show the games (you will need a TV Licence) Have a service at your local rugby club Host a touch rugby evening – this is a mixed version of the game for all ages Host guest events and perhaps invite a speaker from Christians in Sport www.christiansinsport.org.uk Work with other FIEC churches to train together for evangelism

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THE ALLCOCK FAMILY

GOSPEL OPPORTUNITY IN LONDON Why plant another church in London? It’s the first question many people ask when they hear about the plans for The Globe Church on London’s South Bank – an entertainment, business and residential district on the banks of the Thames in Lambeth and Southwark. Doesn’t London have enough churches? Wouldn’t the time and resources of FIEC churches supporting the plant be better used elsewhere? Maybe. But we also have fiec.org.uk

to recognise the strategic importance of London. Over eight million people live there – that’s almost three times the population of Wales – and several million more travel

into the capital as tourists. In short, people from across the world live, work, study and relax in the South Bank. There is a tremendous opportunity for the gospel. The Globe Church can trace its roots back to May 2012 when a consultation was held with FIEC church leaders across London. As they prayed together, many recognised the great needs at the heart of this capital city. One of those leaders was FIEC FIEC Together Summer 2015

Training Director Trevor Archer. He said: “In May 2014 some of the pastors who had been part of that original consultation gathered again to pray and discuss – and to dream! This group developed into the Advisory Group for The Globe Church, comprising the pastors of Enfield Evangelical Free Church, East London Tabernacle in Mile End, The Slade Evangelical Church in Plumstead, Twynholm Baptist Church in Fulham and Chessington Evangelical Church. They became the initiators and sponsors, along with their congregations, of The Globe Church.”

Finding a venue The new church will meet in Bankside Space – www. banksidespace.com – a conference and meeting venue in Southwark and will be led by Jonty Allcock. Jonty and his family helped to set up Bush Hill Park Community Church in north London seven years ago

It is wonderful to see how the Lord has prepared the way for his church to be able to release Jonty for this new ministry. “We have now made visits to the leaders of several central London churches to share our plans, and in every instance met with a positive response. Many of these leaders had already identified the South Bank as presenting an opportunity to reach a diverse community; students, office workers, residents, those involved with the arts, internationals and the tourists who flock to the area.”

PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE WORLD LIVE, WORK, STUDY AND RELAX IN THE SOUTH BANK. THERE IS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GOSPEL.

and have now been released for this ministry after Jonty’s assistant – Stuart Chaplin – took over as senior pastor at Bush Hill. Trevor added: “Jonty has long had a passion for the needs and opportunities of central London and we recognised in him the character and gifting needed for the specific challenges such a church would present.

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The Globe Church is going to be an expensive venture but Trevor has been encouraged so far. “From the outset the Advisory Group knew that the funding would have to come primarily from their own churches,” he said. “This would be aided by other churches with the same vision and some initial investment from Trusts

and individuals.” Jonty and his family have now moved to the area and have started to build relationships with local people. Before the launch on Sunday 20 September the core team will meet for prayer and Bible study each Sunday afternoon.

Wide support As well as support from FIEC churches in London there has been affirmation from other gospel churches and organisations in central London. The Globe Church is receiving help from St Helen’s Bishopsgate, All Souls Langham Place, the Co-Mission church network, London City Mission, Friends International (Christians supporting international students in the UK) and ReachGlobal (the missions arm of the Evangelical Free Church of America). Trevor hopes the church will be a huge support for the gospel around Great Britain. He said: “City centre churches are often places where future leaders and gospel workers are identified and trained. The Globe Church has the potential to become such a place. This wouldn’t simply benefit other London churches but FIEC churches nationwide as well-trained believers move to different parts of the country. “Thank God that right across London there are FIEC fiec.org.uk

churches, along with many others, labouring to make Christ known in hard places of great need. Pray that in God’s goodness The Globe Church might be one more such church established in 2015 for His glory.”

RIGHT ACROSS LONDON THERE ARE FIEC CHURCHES, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS, LABOURING TO MAKE CHRIST KNOWN IN HARD PLACES OF GREAT NEED. Could your church plant? We recognise that it’s not just London that needs to see new churches started. So here at FIEC we want to equip our churches to enable them to start new plants across Great Britain – just like we’ve helped to equip the London churches that are planting The Globe Church. Some of the ways we are equipping churches to plant is explained in our Church Planting Pack. Split into six sections it tackles routes fiec.org.uk

into church planting ministry as well as helping you to profile an area to assess its needs and potential. It also offers a low-cost online Church Planter Candidate Assessment Tool and the potential for a grant towards the cost of setting up charity governing documents as well as a loan towards start-up costs.

Recognising church plants The Church Planting Pack also explains how a plant can be part of the FIEC network – whether as an independently constituted church or as a congregation of an existing FIEC church. And we are recognising those plants not only when they are meeting as a public congregation, but also in the planning stages when advice, support and gathering a core team is vital. So, on the back page of Together we’re delighted to show church plants recognised by FIEC since the previous issue – welcome to the family! For more info: To download the Church Planting Pack go to fiec.org.uk and search for ‘church planting pack’.

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CHURCH REFIT FUELS MISSION

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A church that meets in a former pet shop has spent more than £20,000 refurbishing their building to help mission and ministry to flourish in Blackpool. Rehoboth Christian Centre started life as a church plant 11 years ago meeting in a local café. When an opportunity came up to lease a nearby pet shop the church began meeting on the first floor. Soon they were able to lease the whole building – but there was a problem. For many years the ground floor remained boarded up and looked dilapidated because there was no money to revamp it. When Pastor Mark Walters began to lead the church four years ago, he spoke to FIEC Practical Services about whether there was financial help available for refurbishment projects. Although FIEC is not able to provide grants for projects like this, Mark was advised that an FIEC church in the North West had closed down. There was a stipulation in the church’s governing documents that money raised from the sale of the building should be given to another FIEC church in the same area. Rehoboth Christian Centre applied for some of the money and received more than £19,000 for their refurbishment project. That money – added to donations from the church and help from local businesses and fiec.org.uk

contractors – meant the refurbishment could begin. “We had a concrete frame building dating back to the late 1950s with a rotten canopy at the front,” said Mark. “It was cold, draughty and there was no natural light downstairs, so it needed a complete overhaul.” The money helped Rehoboth pay a local window company to remove the rotten canopy and the front of the building was rendered to make it watertight.

THE FLOOR TO CEILING WINDOWS MEAN THAT WHEN WE MEET FOR WORSHIP WE CAN OPEN THE BLINDS SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE IN. Huge double glazed windows were fitted to flood the worship space with natural light and the transformation inside was completed with a new heating system, rewiring, plastering and a suspended ceiling. “Now that the work has been completed the building feels light and airy,” Mark added. “The floor to ceiling windows mean that when we meet for worship we can open the blinds so that the community can see in. We have better disabled access and the whole project has given a positive feel to our growing church. “Since the work’s been completed, we have used the building for a mission led by Roger Carswell, held a community fun-day and had a FIEC Together Summer 2015

ROGER CARSWELL SPEAKING IN THE RENOVATED BUILDING

number of table-top sales. We held our first ever holiday Bible club in 2014 and we use the building for youth work, a retired persons’ lunch club as well as seeker courses such as Christianity Explored.” Although the building is primarily used for worship, mission and ministry, Rehoboth rents it out to the local Slimming World group and to a church member for office use, which encourages members of the community to get used to coming into the church building.

A warm welcome Mark says the whole project has been a huge encouragement to him and the congregation: “It has made a significant difference to the ethos of the church because we now have a great

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building that we are proud of and that we can welcome people into. It gives us a local presence in the community and the building is no longer dilapidated; it is dynamic and transparent.

FIEC support “FIEC has been a huge help to us on this project – particularly Paddy (Neal) Patterson in Practical Services. It’s worth noting that throughout the process there was always help and support at the other end of the phone. “FIEC provided us with written guidance on completing the building project. It wasn’t as if they said ‘here’s the money’ and let us get on with it; FIEC was involved in the whole process – particularly with legal support in terms of our church constitution.”

John Stevens, FIEC National Director, who visited the church towards the end of 2014 commented: “Churches usually view closure as a sign of failure. But when a work comes to an end it’s possible for it to ‘finish well’, and often for its assets to fuel gospel work in other needy areas of the country. “Rehoboth Christian Centre was one of the beneficiaries of just such a situation and vast areas of our country could be reached with new or revitalised churches when faithful churches coming to the end of their journey catch a vision to release their assets in this way.” During his trip to Blackpool, John recorded a video interview with Pastor Mark Walters. You can see it by going to www.youtube.com and searching for ‘Developing Ministry in Blackpool’. For more info: If you have been inspired by Rehoboth’s story, get in touch with FIEC Practical Services. The staff can help you with legal queries about leases and licences for church properties, as well as assisting with the purchase of land or buildings to help further the gospel in your community. They can also help to initiate a discussion on church closure. You can contact them on 01858 411569.

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JOHN STEVENS SPEAKING AT THIS YEAR’S WORD ALIVE

ON THE ROAD John Stevens, National Director, manages a team of six Directors at FIEC. Here he gives an insight into his role and ministry by taking us through his first month back at work in the new year: The mission of the FIEC is to ‘help our family of independent gospel churches to go and make disciples for Jesus Christ in every community.’ My role is to make sure that the central

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staff team fulfil this mission effectively. Our team of Directors are involved in front-line gospel ministry and we try to make sure that at least 60% of donations to FIEC support the

work of their ministry. The Directors aim to envision, equip and encourage our churches and their leaders in their gospel work, and to engage with others on their behalf. So, how did I allocate my time strategically in that first month or so of 2015?

Meeting with Directors and FIEC staﬀ The year began with a day-long fiec.org.uk

meeting of the Directors and then a day retreat with the full FIEC staff team â&#x20AC;&#x201C; some 20 people in all. We prayed together for the work of FIEC and for the churches.

Meeting with other church leaders I spent 24 hours meeting with 20 church and movement leaders from the UK which was convened by Terry Virgo, founder of the New Frontiers family of churches. It was a great opportunity to hear how the Lord is at work through other church networks and to discuss and pray about matters of common concern. I was warmly received and there was real interest and appreciation for FIEC and its ministry.

WITH 43% OF GUESTS COMING FROM FIEC CHURCHES, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE A STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH WORD ALIVE. Planning for Word Alive I am a member of the Steering Committee of Word Alive and had a number of meetings in January to plan the Easter 2015 event (where I had preaching and seminar responsibilities) and undertake a strategic review for future years. With 43% of guests coming from FIEC churches, we are delighted to have a strong partnership with Word Alive.

The Hub Conference One of the highlights of the month was attending The Hub Conference for men and women who are investigating whether God might be calling them into gospel ministry. It was thrilling that there were 135 delegates at this FIEC event, the majority aged under 35. Ray Evans from Grace Community Church, Bedford preached, and I gave two seminars, one on Getting Organised and another on Leading Other Leaders. fiec.org.uk

Conference preaching I was delighted to speak at the South East Gospel Partnership Conference at St Helenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bishopsgate in London, and then at the Peninsular Gospel Partnership Conference in Plymouth. I spoke on Gospel Ministry in 21st Century England, highlighting the desperate spiritual need of our nation, the challenges that we face as Bible-believing evangelicals, and the encouragements I see as I visit churches around the country.

Visiting churches One of the blessings of my role is that I have the opportunity to visit FIEC churches of all different sizes and ministering in different communities. I have a young family so I try to make sure that I am not away from home too often, limiting my commitments to a maximum of two Sunday mornings away a month. In January I preached at Christ Church Fetcham, a medium sized church in Surrey, and at Kenton Evangelical Church, an ethnically diverse church in Harrow. It is always an encouragement to hear how the Lord is at work and there are often wonderful testimonies of conversion and gospel growth. I also hear about the stresses, strains and disappointments of ministry. I always learn more than I give when I visit churches.

DELIVERING ARTICLES, SERMONS AND LECTURES TAKES TIME AND PRAYER AND SO I HAVE TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE CLEAR TIME FOR READING AND PREPARING. Training I was able to spend a morning lecturing students at the Midlands Ministry Training Course in Birmingham on the book of Leviticus. I was FIEC Together Summer 2015

Course Director of the MMTC

stevens.com and has a wide

to meet the needs of our

for five years and it is always

readership. Writing my blog

churches. We need to invest

a pleasure to be able to return

takes a considerable amount

in the revitalisation of smaller

and see that the course is

of time. In January I posted six

churches, to support the work

thriving. There were more

articles, including a Christian

of the gospel in Wales and

than 35 students from FIEC

response to the horrific

London, and to raise ÂŁ250,000

and other churches across the

murders at the Charlie Hebdo

a year to replenish the FIEC

West Midlands.

magazine in Paris. Delivering

Training Fund. We spent one

articles, sermons and lectures

of our meetings taking advice

Writing and researching

takes time and prayer and so

from a consultant who is

One of the ways that I can

I have to try to make sure that

helping us to make applications

extend my ministry is by

I have clear time for reading

to UK and US grant-making

writing and publishing. I

and preparing.

bodies and to develop a

try to write in ways that are

strategy for generating other

biblically faithful but relevant

Senior Management Team

to churches, leaders and

I have a regular meeting

Christians who are facing

with the senior staff in the

Praying for our churches

the challenges of living

FIEC office. One of the major

One of the most important

in our secular culture. My

challenges at FIEC is a lack

ways we can serve our

blog, Dissenting Opinion,

of resources to enable us

churches is by praying for

can be found at www.john-

to expand our ministries

them. The FIEC staff team

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income streams.

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meets to pray every Monday morning, and we ask for prayer requests from five churches each week. It is a privilege to pray for them and bring their needs to the Lord. We also pray for churches and pastors who are facing specific difficulties, for example illness, and I try to remember to pray for them regularly throughout the week in my own personal quiet times.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS WE CAN SERVE OUR CHURCHES IS BY PRAYING FOR THEM. Local church leadership As well as serving as the FIEC National Director I am one of the Elders of my local church, Christchurch Market Harborough. Christchurch is a small but growing church that was planted just over four years ago, and it is a blessing to my wider ministry to be involved in the pastoral challenges and encouragements of local church life. A version of this ďŹ rst appeared on Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blog at www.john-stevens.com

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JOHN STEVENS SPEAKING AT THE FIEC STAFF DAY

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CHURCH REVITALISATION MATTERS 24

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More than 200 FIEC churches around the country have a membership of fewer than 25 people. Some of these are new, vibrant and growing churches. But what about others that are tired and declining? What can be done to support churches like this? Richard Underwood, Pastoral Ministries Director,

reserved for the larger churches. Take the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7. Planted by the Apostle Paul and pastored by Timothy, this church has a pedigree that is second to none. It’s busy and active… discerning and faithful… patient and persevering. There’s such a lot that’s right about the church. But the Lord Jesus sees something wrong – something so wrong that none of the church’s strengths can make up for this fatal weakness. He puts it like this: ‘Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first’.

is launching a Church Revitalisation initiative designed to help these churches to thrive: In many ways, the Bible is a book about revitalisation – after the flood, after the exodus and after the exile. Many of Paul’s epistles remind us that the Church faces the perpetual need for revitalisation. Without the constant, renewing work of the Holy Spirit, we might slip into dependence on our leaders, nostalgia for the good old days, or maintenance rather than mission. It’s only as the Lord Jesus is set before us and the gospel preached to us each week that the fire keeps burning and our focus stays clear. Over the last year I’ve had the privilege of working with others on the beginnings of a revitalisation initiative to support smaller churches within FIEC. We are now trialling and testing some of the ideas. As I’ve given

thought and prayer to the dynamics of church revitalisation, I’ve been struck by two thoughts:

IT’S ONLY AS THE LORD JESUS IS SET BEFORE US AND THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO US EACH WEEK THAT THE FIRE KEEPS BURNING AND OUR FOCUS STAYS CLEAR. Like an abandoned lover, the Lord Jesus feels deserted. Can there be a way forward for a church that has got it as wrong as this? Praise God, there can. In this letter, the Lord Jesus spells out the biblical paradigm for recovering our spiritual health: remember – keep on remembering how things were at the beginning; repent – turn away decisively from forsaking our intimacy with the Lord Jesus; and return – get back to doing what we did at first. The secret’s not trying harder; it’s reflecting more deeply on Jesus’ love for us.

It’s not just small churches…

It’s not just churches…

At the end of the New Testament, the Lord Jesus

The heart of revitalisation is not corporate; it’s personal. In the first instance, it’s not churches that lose their love; it’s church members. And if the church is to experience revitalisation, I

dictates a series of letters to the Apostle John with words of both rebuke and encouragement. What intrigues me is the more severe letters are

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FIEC Together Summer 2015

must be revitalised. How good am I at remembering, repenting and returning? Well, here are three tests of my

of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God’ (Eph 3:17-19).

spiritual health. You might like to try them out yourself: 1. Do I still desire intimacy with the Lord Jesus? Is it a joy to think about him… to spend time with him… to speak about him? 2. Do I still serve him out of delight? Or has it simply become my duty? 3. Am I still amazed at the gospel? Jesus’ letter ought to have touched a nerve

THE HEART OF REVITALISATION IS NOT CORPORATE; IT’S PERSONAL ... IT’S NOT CHURCHES THAT LOSE THEIR LOVE; IT’S CHURCH MEMBERS. The Lord Jesus wants us to know and enjoy his love – that’s the ultimate secret to maintaining our spiritual health.

in Ephesus, because it was to this church and to these Christians that the Apostle Paul wrote

FIEC is investing time and resources in church

a few years earlier: ‘I pray that you, being

revitalisation, acknowledging that over one third

rooted a nd established in love, may have power,

of churches responding to our Annual Church

together with all the Lord’s holy people, t o grasp

Survey expressed an interest in it.

how wide and long and high and deep is the love

FIEC Together Summer 2015

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PATHWAYS CONFERENCE

TRAINING SUCCESS IN SCOTLAND Andy Hunter, Scotland Director, reports on the launch of a new ministry training initiative called Pathways that took place in early 2015.

Conference, held in England, in recent years.

‘There will be two equally good outcomes from this weekend. One is that you will realise that vocational Christian ministry is not for you... The other is that you will realise that vocational Christian ministry is the way forward.’ So was introduced the very first Pathways conference for men and women considering full

forming with others across Scotland.

or part time Christian ministry. Held in Glasgow at the end of January, the conference was designed to offer the same kind of help for people in Scotland as has been provided by The Hub

there were also training providers including

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In initiating the conference, FIEC brought together a group representing some of the key training churches and providers in Scotland. This partnership reflected the smaller number of FIEC churches ‘north of the border’, but also the strong and growing gospel relationships FIEC is Indeed, one of the most gratifying comments on the weekend was; ‘You’ve done something that’s not happened often before, you’ve brought all these groups together’. It was a reference to the blessing of having gospelcommitted people from a range of colleges and churches working together in one place. As well as representation from key Scottish churches, Edinburgh Theological Seminary and Highland Theological College. Like The Hub Conference, Pathways is one

FIEC Together Summer 2015

component of a process in which delegates, in conjunction with their local church leadership, can work out how they might best serve God in their lives. For some that might be a call to some kind of full or part time vocational Christian ministry. For others the call to serve God is not any less but will be worked out in the secular workplace. As a new venture it was especially thrilling that almost 90 people gathered together for this weekend of teaching, discussion and networking. Delegates came from all parts of Scotland – and also the north of England and Northern Ireland.

The content The conference began with Andy Gemmill (Cornhill Scotland) speaking about the challenges of maintaining gospel-centred ministry. On Saturday, Robin Sydserff (Chalmers Church, Edinburgh) took us to Mark’s Gospel to show us the central component of authentic gospel ministry – speaking the Word to people. Trevor Archer (FIEC Training Director) outlined the character requirements of those suitable to be set aside as gospel workers – noting that a bit of realism and honesty at this point can save delegates and churches a lot of grief down the line. The closing session on Sunday was taken by Jeremy McQuoid (Deeside Christian Fellowship) who gave an inspiring presentation

of the cost, responsibilities and privilege of God’s calling from Exodus 4. All of which was supplemented by 15 seminar sessions covering a wide range of ministry issues.

THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR A NEW GENERATION OF GOSPEL WORKERS TO BE RAISED UP AND EQUIPPED ‘NORTH OF THE BORDER’. One emphasis of the conference, mentioned in the main sessions and included in the seminar programme, was the need for workers who can serve bi-vocationally. With so many small, yet strategically important gospel churches, there is a great opportunity for workers who can, at least in part, support themselves. If the nation is to be reached again, the expectation that ministry training will lead to a full-time position with a pre-provided congregation needs to be re-thought. Thus, those entering ministry in the coming years will need to be much more flexible and creative in how they envisage their arrangements in serving, revitalising and planting churches.

The need At a time when evangelical Christians in Scotland are reckoned to make up only 1 or 2% of the population, there is an urgent need for a new generation of gospel workers to be raised up and equipped ‘north of the border’. Pray that Pathways will be used by God in helping to meet that need and make Christ known again to the people of Scotland. With feedback from those attending being overwhelmingly positive, Pathways will take place again from 29–31 January 2016. For more info: Visit the Pathways website www.pathwaysconference.org

FIEC Together Summer 2015

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FIEC Together Summer 2015

BOOK REVIEWS

321 The Story of God, The World and You

What do you think of me? WhY do I care?

By Glen Scrivener

By Edward Welch

This is the book that Christians really need to read to re-orientate their evangelism and then give away to a world that is dying. In his quirky style Glen compares Christianity to a grand house that looks dilapidated and battered on the outside. The problem is that no one is looking inside. He then takes the reader on a no-holdsbarred tour of the inside and asks the reader to look at what Christians really believe. He challenges common misconceptions about God, Jesus and the world by taking his readers through a grand tour of Jesus’ life and explanation of the Trinity. In the first half of the book there is freshness in his approach and I found myself reading a book with clarity. Not many evangelistic books offer answers to objections. You generally have to go to a specific book for that. Not here! In the second half, there are answers to most common objections to Christianity from the authenticity of the Bible, to suffering, to sex, to other faiths. All dealt with succinctly and with tenderness. This is a really well thought out book. You can almost feel the author turning the pages with you inviting you to consider Christianity with fresh eyes.

In this book, Ed Welch reminds us in a strikingly profound, yet reassuringly accessible way of the core truths of the gospel, and shows us how they help us root our identity in Christ. The reader is reminded of the wrong ways we view ourselves, God, and those around us – mistakes which enslave us to a need to compare ourselves to others. Once we’ve been shown the problems with this kind of thinking, Welch helps us see who we really are, who God really is, and how we really can enjoy relating to and loving those around us, free of anxiety or self-concern. I love the conversational style of the book, with copious opportunities for personal reflection. The helpful addition of blank space to take notes throughout adds to the reflective, conversational tone of the book, enabling the reader to examine their own heart in light of the words of the author and of Scripture. This is a great read whether you’re feeling confident in yourself or longing for the recognition and praise of others. It’s deliberately aimed at a younger audience, and I’d heartily recommend it to anybody aged (roughly) 16–35.

Reviewed by Neal Patterson FIEC Practical Services

We would like to say a big thank you to Jonathan Carswell and 10ofThose for providing these book reviews.

FIEC Together Summer 2015

Reviewed by Alex Hays Ministry Development Oﬃcer 10ofThose fiec.org.uk

True friendship

Heaven, How I Got There

By Vaughan Roberts

By Colin Smith

This short book distils the teaching from Proverbs about friendship in a coherent, succinct, easy-toread and challenging way. Most importantly, it is Christ-centred – something that many books on Proverbs singularly fail to carry off. However, rather than review the contents, let me tell you how we used it. First, I read it for myself. I found it profoundly helpful at all kinds of levels. Those in ministry often fail to cultivate the kinds of friendships God’s Word esteems. That includes me. This is a book that did me much personal good. So much so in fact that, secondly, I bought a copy for each of my fellow elders. Since then we’ve started meeting together as friends to pray – not just as leaders of the church. It’s early days, but it’s been a good start, despite our busy lives. And thirdly, we bought a copy for each family in the church as a Christmas present. In bulk that meant £1 a copy – great value. We then gave people a month to read it and afterwards met together as a church to discuss and pray. We all need friendships and this remarkable book worked at each of those levels.

Here is a short book to read and give away to a non-Christian friend. Written in the first person, it tells the story of Good Friday from the perspective of the crucified criminal who asked Jesus to remember him. With a biblically informed imagination, Colin Smith recounts the way this guilty criminal went from condemned cell, via the agony of crucifixion, to the joy of heaven with the Lord Jesus. He imagines the criminal looking back on that last day from the perspective of the eternal security of heaven. He speaks as an eyewitness of the sufferings of Jesus; one who heard His words spoken from the cross. What unfolds is a story of amazing grace. Here was a man with nothing to commend him; with no time to turn over a new leaf; with no record of a new start. He simply turned to the Lord Jesus and asked for mercy. What a demonstration of the truth that whoever comes to Jesus will never be driven away! I know of one believer who, on reading this book, ordered ten and quickly found opportunities to give them away to others. Go for it!

Reviewed by Adrian Reynolds Director of Ministry Proclamation Trust fiec.org.uk

Reviewed by Johnny Prime Enﬁeld Evangelical Free Church

FIEC Together Summer 2015

Since the last edition of Together:

NEW RECOGNISED CHURCH PLANTS Buckhaven Community Church Cardea Community Church, Peterborough Christ Church Hemel Hempstead (planted from Spicer Street Church, St Albans) Christ Church Longbridge (in preparation to be planted from Grace Church Dell Road, Birmingham) Emmanuel Church Marlborough (planted from Emmanuel Evangelical Church, Chippenham) Emmanuel Epsom (planted from Chessington Evangelical Church) The Globe Church, Southwark, London (in preparation)

NEW AFFILIATIONS Carlisle Baptist Church Christ Church Newcastle Grace Church, Bridgend Lichfield Christian Church Southbourne Evangelical Church, Bournemouth Trinity Church Oxford Upney Baptist Church, Barking

fiec.org.uk fb.com/theFIEC @theFIEC 01858 434540 admin@fiec.org.uk Registered Charity No. 263354 Charity registered in Scotland SC040111

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