Together (Summer 2016)

together SUMMER 2016

local church, national vision ALSO INSIDE Christmas outreach Independent training Organising your church

WELCOME...

Our front cover features Chloe from Enfield Evangelical Free Church who was baptised at Easter. You can read the full story on page 12.

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 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.

Got a story?

We’d love to hear stories from your church – why not get in touch with us? The deadline for submissions for the Winter 2016 edition is Friday 30 September.

One of the reasons churches become part of FIEC is to partner with other like-minded churches who share their gospel vision. By belonging to our Fellowship, Independent churches are part of something bigger. But how can we best foster this sense of togetherness?

Since the last issue of Together I have been touring Great Britain, visiting around 30 FIEC churches with a filmmaker to interview pastors, ministry leaders and church members about their church.

It has been one of the most encouraging things I have ever done.

From a church that started meeting in a kitchen to our largest church refurbishing a building with a steeple, I have visited churches in many different contexts. Despite these differences, one thing has come through loud and clear: people love being part of churches where the Bible is faithfully taught and where people are being reached with the gospel.

During the tour I heard wonderful testimonies and great stories of God’s goodness. In the months to come we’ll be making all these stories available as videos to our churches to help you see that belonging to FIEC means you are truly part of something bigger.

In this issue of Together you can read a couple of the stories in advance as I report back from visits to Bethesda Evangelical Church in Hay-on-Wye and Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh. There will be more in the weeks to come!

Don’t miss National Director John Stevens writing about FIEC’s national vision on page four and we’re also encouraging you to start thinking about your Christmas outreach now to make the best use of this gospel opportunity in 2016.

Phil Topham FIEC Head of Communication

CONTENTS 3

Have you signed up yet?

14 Independent training

4

Local church, national vision

16 Organising your church

6

Christmas outreach

18 Book reviews

10 News in brief

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FIEC Together Summer 2016

20 New church affiliations

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TogEther magazine Together magazine is no longer sent out in bulk to churches. Single copies are posted to individual subscribers. Have you signed up?

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FIEC Together Summer 2016

3

LOCAL CHURCH: NATIONAL VISION I am convinced that one of the greatest benefits that churches gain by belonging to FIEC is the opportunity to join in with a national gospel vision.

This is especially important for Independent local churches which do not belong to any denomination. I say that because it’s easy for a church to have a John Stevens

gospel vision for its immediate

community or region, but then fail to see its ministry in a bigger, national context.

In Britain today, we estimate that 97% of the population do not know Christ in a saving way, which makes it all the more urgent that we work together to bring the good news of the Lord Jesus to the nation as a whole.

FIEC is genuinely a national family. We have more than 560 churches across Great Britain with a concern for the work of the gospel in a variety of social contexts.

Inspiring churches This national coverage means that when FIEC’s Directors and I visit our churches and engage with leaders and churches from other gospel denominations and networks, we can gain a good picture of the way that the Lord is at work.

It enables us to provide accurate information to our churches and their members, which will inspire them and enable them to pray and plan

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in the best possible way.

Our Go Into prayer cards, which identified 50 areas of gospel need, is one example of the way in which a national vision can help us to work together to advance the gospel. I am delighted that a number of our churches are now seeking to establish church plants in some of these communities, and we will be reporting on these in the months to come.

A national picture also helps our churches to gain insights on their own ministry situation.

Many churches are deeply grieved by the relative paucity of conversions they are seeing, despite their efforts at evangelism and witness.

Without a national overview they may feel that they are doing something fundamentally wrong, but we can show that this is the normal reality of gospel ministry for most churches around the country at the moment.

FIEC HELPS OUR LOCAL CHURCHES TO HAVE A NATIONAL VISION, AND TO EXPERIENCE THE ENCOURAGEMENTS OF BEING PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER. Whilst there are wonderful stories of individual conversions, and many people become Christians while they are young or at university, the general trend is for churches to see an annual conversion rate of perhaps 1–2%. Whilst we long and pray for more, we need to take comfort that this is the norm for our place and time.

The national perspective can also help us fiec.org.uk

to understand the struggles facing churches in different contexts to our own. This will deliver us from judging their effectiveness in an unhelpful way, or from assuming that we have all the answers to their challenges.

FIEC churches can be found in cities, towns, suburbs, estates, villages and rural areas. There are unique ministry challenges in each of these different contexts. It is easier, for example, to grow a church in a student city because so many 18 year olds leave home and move there, and it is inevitably harder to grow a church in a town without a university because so many of the young people leave.

CHURCHES THAT HAVE JOINED FIEC SINCE 2010

Working together We are convinced that one of the most important ways we can fulfil our vision of growing gospel-driven churches is by helping them to have a national gospel vision. If we are going to re-evangelise Great Britain we will have to work together.

FIEC can help catalyse such cooperation and it has been so encouraging to me to hear, for example, of a church in London giving generously to help fund a church plant on an estate in Liverpool, and of churches around the country giving generously to help support The Globe Church in central London because they have grasped the strategic importance of gospel ministry in the UK’s capital city.

We’re thoroughly committed to local churches because we’re convinced that this is where the work of the gospel takes place. However, part of the founding vision of FIEC was the desire to prevent our churches from becoming isolated, insular or inward-looking.

No local church can reach Great Britain alone, and we are able to do far more together. FIEC helps our local churches to have a national vision, and to experience the encouragements of being part of something bigger.

John Stevens, National Director fiec.org.uk

FIEC Together Summer 2016

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CHRISTMAS OUT START PLANNING NOW The sun is shining and the barbeques are smoking – so why have three articles with a Christmas theme?

Well, in 2015 Cornerstone Church in Nottingham decided to start planning their Christmas events well before the summer holidays. As a result they increased their congregation numbers at Christmas outreach events significantly. Families Worker Kathryn Jackson takes up the story before we hear from two other churches to help inspire your seasonal outreach: I’m not sure how you feel about Christmas. I have to confess that I love it; although that’s not how all of us on the staff team at Cornerstone feel.

But, despite our different views on how much fun Christmas is, we are united by our conviction that Christmas presents us with almost unrivalled opportunities in British culture to share our faith with people and invite them to church.

As a staff team we read Ready, Steady, Grow by Ray

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Evans – pastor of Grace Church, an FIEC Church in Bedford – and we were struck by some of his observations about the possibilities for evangelism at Christmas. So with a fresh determination to make the most of the opportunities, we went back to the drawing board and looked again at what we were offering at Christmas.

And last year we didn’t wait until the autumn term – our planning started well before the summer holidays.

A rethink We asked ourselves questions about the timing of our services, the names of services and the types of services we offered. We looked at what other churches did and then made some alterations to our own programme.

Out went the 6.30pm carol service (we figured it clashed with tea-time in many homes and certainly with dinner

time in the student halls of residence) and in came two 7.30pm services and a 4.30pm service instead. And the 4.30pm service was an all-age service, something that was new for us.

But perhaps more significant than any change to our programme was that throughout the autumn term we sought to encourage and equip people to invite their friends. And the slightly uncomfortable place we began was with ourselves!

In his book Ray Evans writes: “Leaders should model this. Too many pastors, vicars, ministers and elders challenge members to bring people, but don’t do it themselves. Once you start, others will begin to catch the vision that God reaches people through Word settings.”

So in a team meeting we asked ourselves some questions. Why don’t I invite people? Do I excuse myself from inviting people because I’ll be at the front? Who can I invite this Christmas? Can I be freed up from serving in any role in order to invite fiec.org.uk

REACH

CAROL SERVICE AT CORNERSTONE CHURCH, NOTTINGHAM

someone? And then as a team we spent time praying for our friends, family and neighbours who don’t know Christ and who we could invite.

Publicity ready At the start of October we really began the push with our members, asking them to think about inviting friends. Everyone was given information called ‘Christmas is Coming’ which gave them all the dates in advance and encouraged them to plan to invite friends. We spent time in a service in October praying for Christmas and praying for our friends. And then we made sure our publicity was ready early.

OUR PRAYER WAS THAT ...

WE MIGHT BE BOLDER WITH OUR INVITATIONS AND MORE WINSOME WITH OUR WORDS. On the first Sunday in December we gave each household at church a gift. We’d wrapped up copies of Tim Chester’s Advent devotional One True Light and as a church we read through it in December. Why did we do this? Because in the midst of all the excitement and encouragement for evangelism we didn’t want our members to miss out on the opportunity to once again marvel at the God who became flesh and dwelt among us.

Our prayer was that with our eyes fixed on Christ and on the beauty of the incarnation we might be bolder with our invitations and more winsome with our words. And God was good. In 2015 we had a 40% increase in numbers at our carol services in comparison to 2014.

For more info Visit: www.cornerstonechurch.org.uk

fiec.org.uk

FIEC Together Summer 2016

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UNCOVERING THE CHRISTMAS Each year we have one explicitly evangelistic series on a Sunday morning, writes Paul Gamston, pastor of South Craven Evangelical Church in Yorkshire.

We usually use a published resource for our materials and 2015 was no different.

We chose Advent for our evangelistic series and I adapted UCCF’s Uncover Luke and Rebecca Manley Pippert’s Uncovering the Life of Jesus for a six-part series.

The mix of videos from the web and questions from Rebecca Manley Pippert’s book were a really helpful way of presenting timeless truths in a fresh and

contemporary way.

Rather than an interactive Bible study, I created a presentation for the congregation where I asked the questions and answered them by keeping the Scriptures on the screen. This showed people where the answers to my questions were coming from.

I find using other people’s material really helpful in ensuring I keep my gospel preaching fresh rather than constantly reusing the same

old phrases or style which I am more comfortable with. I really found the question and answer style refreshing and could see it drawing people in to the message.

EACH YEAR NEW PEOPLE HAVE COME, BEEN WELCOMED, HEARD AND MOVED FORWARD IN THEIR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY. We have a good number of young children on a Sunday morning and I am very conscious of how quickly they

WORSHIP AT SOUTH CRAVEN EVANGELICAL CHURCH

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FIEC Together Summer 2016

fiec.org.uk

STORY

REACHING CHILDREN

are growing in their ability to

The routine of going to

relay games at the start and

listen. I find that an annual

church on a Sunday is not part of children’s upbringing

then we split the kids into more manageable groups

anymore, writes Dorothy Hamilton from Clarkston Baptist Church, Glasgow. A child’s experience of going to church is attending weddings

and arranged bases for them to visit. Our bases included doughnuts on a string, cake decorating, superhero crafts and superhero beanbag toss.

and school carol services.

Here at Clarkston Baptist Church, we have 10–15

The kids had a blast.

The positive comments from the parents were

kids who come to Sunday School on a regular basis

overwhelming. What they saw was much more than a kids’

and we wanted to arrange something where they could bring their friends

party. They saw more than fifteen people giving up their Saturday afternoon to arrange

to church and experience something different.

a free party for their children.

They experienced the love,

So we started to think about an alternative Halloween party with a

care and kindness of those who make up the church.

Encouraged by the

‘superheroes’ theme. We set ourselves a target of reaching 30 children but the results were much more rewarding than any of us expected!

feedback, two months later we arranged a Christmas Party, entwining the real Christmas story through every game and activity.

The invitations went out as the leaders were planning and arranging the day itself and God provided us with

And the result? We’ve seen two new children join us in Sunday School since these evangelistic

53 children. Some were from the toddler group held in the church, while others were school friends of other Sunday School kids or grandchildren of church members.

It was amazing. We had

parties which is a real encouragement to all those who organised them.

explicit gospel series ensures they hear and know the gospel.

We had new people come to church for most of the series which was very encouraging.

Some continue to show an interest but as is the hard reality of gospel ministry, others who initially seemed enthusiastic then stopped coming along altogether.

So I’d love to report that we have seen people saved directly through these initiatives but that is not the case yet – as far as we are aware. But each year new people have come, been welcomed, heard and moved forward in their spiritual journey.

During our 2015 series, church members commented on how they found it helpful for themselves spiritually and in particular the story of the prodigal son and the wonder of God’s grace left several pairs of eyes moist.

In 2016 we are planning a shorter series using Glen Scrivener’s evangelistic resource 321 before moving to UCCF’s Uncover John in 2017.

For more info: Visit www.southcraven evangelicalchurch.co.uk

fiec.org.uk

For more info: Visit www.clarkston baptistchurch.org.uk

FIEC Together Summer 2016

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NEWS IN BRIEF TWO TRANSFORMATIONS During the last twelve months, one of our larger churches and one of our smaller churches have both completed building projects.

Charlotte Chapel and Bethesda Evangelical Church may have had different budgets but they both have the same heart – to reach out with the gospel.

The former St George’s West Church is one of the most iconic buildings in Edinburgh. Back in 2012 it was purchased by Charlotte Chapel – an FIEC church in the city – which had grand plans to turn it into their new home.

Now the Grade A listed building has been through a huge facelift which began back in February 2015. Fifteen months and £2million later, Charlotte Chapel met for the first time in their new building on Sunday 29 May. Located on Shandwick Place just off Princes Street in the centre of the historic city, it means that Charlotte Chapel and its work is much more noticeable, with the facilities providing space for

BETHESDA BEFORE

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FIEC Together Summer 2016

new and growing gospel initiatives.

Lead Pastor Paul Rees said: “This is a great moment for our congregation as we begin a new phase of our life as a church. We’re excited about the potential this gives us to contribute to this vibrant West End community.”

Meanwhile, 350 miles south…

Bethesda Evangelical Church in Hay-on-Wye is also settling into a refurbished building. It used to be a Methodist chapel – a big open space with a high ceiling. Now it’s got a two-storey modern interior with kitchen facilities and disabled access. A baptistry has even been dug into the floor.

Designed to be a place where they can hold all their meetings, Bethesda can now host Sunday services and fellowship evenings as easily as youth groups or evangelistic curry nights.

The church sold another building they owned in Hay-on-Wye to help fund this refurbishment and they have been able to use the legal expertise of FIEC Practical Services to help them to complete this work. Pastor Gordon Bingham said: “We had quite a problem trying to connect the sewerage.

The contractors came and set up the temporary traffic lights, dug the hole for the work and then

BETHESDA AFTER

fiec.org.uk

when we asked the water service inspector to inspect the connection, we were told the paperwork was not in place.

“So they had to fill the hole up and go away again. Practical Services were very helpful in terms of pushing that paperwork forward so that we could finally get the sewerage connection done.”

The church is excited about using their new facilities to reach out further with the gospel – particularly among those who visit the town every year for the Hay-on-Wye book festival.

THRIVE 2016

CHARLOTTE CHAPEL

ROY RETIRES After 14 years, Roy Saint retired as FIEC Administrator in July.

Roy helped to develop FIEC’s Family Week at Pwllheli and found the venue for Cheltenham Bible Festival before masterminding the move from Croydon to Market Harborough for FIEC’s office.

Pastoral Ministries Director Richard Underwood said: “Roy will be sorely missed. It is our heartfelt wish that he and his wife Christine will have a very long, very fruitful and very happy retirement.”

You can read Richard’s article in full at fiec.org.uk – just search for Roy retires.

fiec.org.uk

Jane McNabb from The Slade Evangelical Church in London was the main speaker at this year’s Thrive Conference – our annual event for women who serve in church-based ministry positions.

More than 30 women gathered in Worcestershire to hear Jane speak on Psalms 15, 16 and 17.

Now in its fifth year, Thrive is an opportunity to help women who are serving in a variety of ministries in FIEC churches to come away to rest and support one another.

Among the delegates was Catherine Heath who is a women’s worker at St Neots Evangelical Church. She said: “Jane’s ministry was such a blessing as she taught and shared with us both formally and informally throughout the conference. Her sessions were followed by time in small groups allowing further discussion and prayer, which were such helpful and honest times together.”

Details of Thrive 2017 will be available on fiec.org.uk in January.

FIEC Together Summer 2016

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NEWS IN BRIEF BAPTISM JOY In the last issue of Together we reported that FIEC churches are seeing – on average – 800 baptisms every year across our family of churches.

Here we rejoice with brothers and sisters at baptism services that took place over Easter.

Kenton Evangelical Church, London was packed on Easter Sunday as the congregation gathered to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the baptism of two new believers.

There were fifteen nationalities represented in the congregation and Pastor Mike Hutton says it was a joyful celebration: “It was great, not only to see the church full, but to see the diversity of Kenton represented in the congregation. There were about 180 people at the service, most of whom (around 150) stayed for lunch. Running out of plates and cutlery was a good problem to have!”

The first baptism was Zipporah. She is 17 years old and from a Christian family of Tamil speakers from Sri Lanka. Many of her friends and family were at the baptism so Kenton had one of the readings in Tamil from Zipporah’s father – with the English translation on the screen.

The second person to be baptised was Philmore. He’s originally from Barbados and is in his 70s. He was married at Kenton in 2000 and over the last eight years has attended the church more regularly. In his testimony he said: “I am now completely convinced that it is Jesus who can give me eternal life and though I am not good enough for God, Jesus has died for my sins and I know that I am forgiven.”

Meanwhile there were also baptisms on Easter Sunday in another part of London – at Enfield

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Evangelical Free Church.

Rich and Chloe were baptised during the morning service and both gave their testimony to the church. Rich explained that coming to faith had been a gradual process for him but that he probably trusted Christ for the first time in his teens. He went on to say: “It is difficult living for Jesus. There has been a lot of pain and hardship, but through all that there is great joy in knowing my sins are forgiven, that God is working for my good in all things and that I have a wonderful eternal future awaiting.”

Meanwhile, in her testimony, Chloe revealed that she first heard the Good News about Jesus at the age of eight but it wasn’t until recently that she reflected this in her life. Chloe said: “I have come to know Jesus’ mercy and patience for myself. I know that I’ve been forgiven for sins that I committed against God that were deserving of eternal punishment. On the cross Jesus switched places with me – He took the punishment that I deserve and in return I receive His righteousness and a relationship with God.”

ZIPPORAH BAPTISED AT KENTON

fiec.org.uk

“Although the journal intends to be a digest of the lie of the land and some of the best current

. a textbook or introduction to a subject 2. a material used to prepare a surface for further treatment 3. a device or compound used to ignite an explosive charge

Primer is designed to help church leaders engage with the kind of theology the church needs, to hew it over together, and to train up others.

ue to s word

There is space to make notes – and we hereby give you permission to underline, highlight, and cribble at will. There are resources online at PrimerHQ.com to stimulate discussion and take hings further.

the doctrine of sin

Published twice a year, each issue of Primer takes one big area of theology and lays a foundation.

We look at how people are talking about the doctrine today, and what good resources are vailable. We dig out some treasures from church history to help us wrap our heads around he big ideas. We focus on what difference the truth makes to the way we live life and serve the hurch.

how far we fell

issue 02 – the doctrine of sin

primer, noun | 'pri-mer |

issue 02 - how far we fell

issue 01 – the doctrine of scripture

thinking about the topic, it is not

ISBN 978-1784981716

a lightweight publication and contains enough meat to push a thoughtful reading group to new levels or to feed a busy pastor

Q.com

rHQ

with some fresh thinking.”

Leaders’ Conference 2016 fiec.org.uk

Review of issue 01 in Evangelicals Now, April 2016

find out more > fiec.org.uk/LC2016

Primer issue 02 ‘How Far We Fell’ (the Doctrine of Sin) is now available. Find out more at PrimerHQ.com

main speaker > Ed Stetzer

9 781784 981716

theme > Engaging Evangelism

£4.99

dates > 31 Oct - 3 Nov

rHQ

rPics

FIEC Together Summer 2016

13

INDEPENDENT TRAINING There was a new addition to the end of term Awards Evening at Edinburgh Theological Seminary (ETS) this year: ‘The Certificate in Independent Church Ministry’.

It was given to students who had completed this new FIECAndy Hunter led course, hosted in partnership with ETS as Scotland Director Andy Hunter explains.

As Independent churches proliferate and become an increasingly growing force for the gospel, there is more than ever a need to see their workers well trained both theologically and in the practicalities of leading a self-governing church.

Uniquely placed The diversity and experience encompassed by FIEC and

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its pastors makes it uniquely placed to give guidance and help to prepare gospel workers for service in a wide variety of Independent church settings.

THESE CLASSES INCLUDED THE HISTORY, THE THEOLOGICAL BASIS AND THE ECCLESIOLOGY OF INDEPENDENT CHURCHES. Throughout the academic year a number of students – both inside and outside ETS – attended

classes on a range of subjects with particular relevance to service in Independent churches.

These classes included the history, the theological basis and the ecclesiology of Independent churches.

They also covered a range of practical issues such as Training, Mission, Organisation of Services, Inter-Church Discipline, along with Appointment and Ordination Procedures in Independency.

The course concluded with a consideration of The Future of Independency taken by John Stevens (FIEC National Director), a session attended by a number of the college faculty.

Practical and inspirational Students wishing to attain the formal certificate completed a course fiec.org.uk

assignment – which allowed for reflection on how the various parts of the course had deepened their understanding of Independent churches, and how what they learnt could be of practical use in the future.

One of the essays noted: “The independency module has introduced me to a whole history I did not know about and shown me where some of the problems we face in the church today originated.”

Feedback from the first group of students who attended the course has been very positive – one describing it as “practical and inspirational”, another as “very good and up to date”.

The course leaders, Dr Ian Shaw (an FIEC Pastors’ Network member and Director of Langham fiec.org.uk

Scholars UK) and I, are looking forward to rerunning the course for a new group of students and others starting in September.

It is hoped that technology will be available to allow remote streaming of the course for those not able to attend in person.

PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER LIKEMINDED GOSPEL CHURCHES IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT FOR CHURCH VITALITY.

Working in partnership

commitment to that.

As one student expressed it in his course essay: “The FIEC course has reminded me that partnership in the gospel with other likeminded gospel churches is not an optional extra but an essential component for church vitality.”

No one church grouping is going to reach Scotland or Great Britain on its own – the great cause for all Biblebelieving evangelicals is the gospel, and this partnership between the Free Church of Scotland and FIEC is a wonderful expression of both groups’ primary For more info:

For those interested in finding out more about the course and how they might participate – information will be available on the ETS website www.freescotcoll.ac.uk – or you can contact Andy directly at andy.hunter@fiec.org.uk

FIEC Together Summer 2016

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ORGANISING YOUR CHURCH

Governing documents are rarely viewed as an exciting topic at a church meeting but our Practical Services Director Gemma Adam says they have a much deeper spiritual significance.

She’s recommending a resource by 9Marks to help churches to think through church organisation prayerfully.

9Marks exists to equip Gemma Adam churches with a biblical vision and practical resources for displaying God’s glory to the nations. The Winter 2016 edition of their journal, entitled Confessions, Covenants and Constitutions: How to Organize Your Church, begins by commenting that 9Marks (just like FIEC) get questions about church governing documents “perhaps as much as any other topic”.

Churches coming to FIEC are often motivated by a legal need but this journal is really helpful at showing us how church governing documents

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FIEC Together Summer 2016

(confessions of faith; covenants made between church members; and church constitutions) have greater spiritual significance.

King Jesus’ embassy I love the picture in one of the articles of the church as King Jesus’ embassy in this fallen world. It is stressing the fact that the ultimate authority in a church is from King Jesus – not the elders or the congregation or the senior pastor – and that Jesus has given his embassy, the church, instructions (in Scripture) on how to organise and conduct herself until his return.

But those instructions are not exhaustive in their detail and it is for churches to work out the particulars of how the King’s instructions are to fiec.org.uk

be carried out. How will the church elect elders or adopt a budget? What exactly is the process for membership and church discipline? The conclusion of the article is: “a church’s constitution…is a deeply theological and even spiritual document. That’s because both the creation of it and the following of it are acts of worship; they represent our heartfelt efforts as a local church – as an Embassy of the High King of Heaven – to obey our beloved sovereign.”

CHURCH GOVERNING DOCUMENTS CAN HELP FACILITATE UNITY IN THE CHURCH. The journal is really helpful at showing how church governing documents can help facilitate unity in the church. A statement of faith, for example, helps visitors to know what a church believes and the doctrines that bind members together.

One of the authors of the journal explained how church governing documents are “active aids in guarding the sound doctrine we have been entrusted with (2 Timothy 1:14)”. Church covenants let everyone know what their job is as members and how they fiec.org.uk

are to live and what covenant faithfulness looks like.

Consistency and unity Another talks about how church rules help to ensure consistency and equity at times when that is most needed. When a church is facing a stressful situation that threatens to fracture an already fragile unity, the writer says “what a relief it is to have recourse to standards and procedures that are already in place that we have previously agreed to follow, and therefore stand at a healthy remove from the particular situation before us.

No set of rules, of course, can guarantee unity, but there is nothing like procedural anarchy to precipitate disunity in the church.”

All of these are reasons for having, investing in, and even loving church governing documents which we do not usually stress when we focus on their legal necessity.

Church plants

of church governance. I hope that in time the FIEC Practical Services team will be able to write something similar to this with English charity law in mind and recognising the breadth of church governance structures in the FIEC. In the meantime, I would heartily recommend this journal as a fantastic introduction to the reasons why church governing documents are important for churches, the theological implications of these documents and also very practical points about how to put such documents in place and use them for the good of the church.

For more info: All FIEC churches have access to 30 minutes free legal advice per issue every year.

To find out about how FIEC Practical Services can help you with your church governing documents please call us on 01858 411569 or email practicalservices@fiec.org.uk To find out more about 9Marks visit www.9marks.org

There is an article specifically addressing use of documents in church plants, pointing out the importance of getting these in place as early as possible in a church’s life. The writer says “a church with no guiding principles and church governance will likely guide themselves right out of biblical faithfulness”.

Of course, the journal is quite American in parts and assumes a congregational form FIEC Together Summer 2016

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BOOK REVIEWS

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

And so I began to read...

Church Leadership

by Faith Cook

by Ray Evans

If you know Faith Cook’s writing, you will know that her biographies draw you warmly and sensitively into the lives of many believers from past centuries; their personal struggles and labours for the gospel.

Faith writes in such a way that you feel at one with them and seek to emulate their trust in the living God and live wholeheartedly in His service.

This book is no different; except that this time the story is Faith’s own and is intricately woven through the books that have shaped her Christian walk and hope.

From John Bunyan to Thomas Brooks, from Jonathan Edwards to C.S. Lewis, from heroes of the reformation to contemporary Christian novelists, Faith records how reading their works has spoken into her own experience and given her a sharper focus on God’s purpose for her life and a yearning for heaven.

Without sentimentality, she chronicles the legacy of separation from missionary parents in WW2 China, later the pressures of being a pastor’s wife, the challenge of mothering five children, coping with illness and the pain of relocating home and church. In God’s providence Faith Cook’s passion for reading whilst on her own ‘troubled journey’ has turned her from reader to writer, and for our benefit.

The godly honesty of this book will absorb you, and maybe like me, you will realise that through Faith’s story you are reflecting on your own.

We often think of equipping candidates for ministry with theology and homiletics (and these are vital) but leadership has too often been the poor relation.

The idea of ‘leadership skills’ has been viewed with suspicion in some circles and a pastor can be called to his first church with little thought about the mechanics of leadership – often ill-prepared by his Bible College training.

Ray Evans has made leadership a matter of special personal study over the years, and has been a great blessing to churches in sharing his insights.

He begins by outlining how the Lord providentially prepared him for leadership through experiences in childhood, at school, university and in employment.

Many pastors testify of the benefit of secular work experience, with its opportunities and challenges of leadership, and the positive and negative lessons learned from their own ‘boss’.

Many of us feel ill-equipped and unworthy to be leaders in God’s church; Ray provides much encouragement for the hesitant. He points to the importance of spiritual development in character and in spiritual disciplines. He encourages us to grow and develop not only as preachers and pastors but also leaders, and to train and develop an eldership as a leadership team. There are biblical examples of what leadership looks like and how it works.

This book is a gem, with helpful wisdom not only for those aspiring to ministry, but also for those already serving.

Sue Barlow, Beeston Free, Nottingham

Bill James, Pastor, Emmanuel Church, Leamington Spa

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FIEC Together Summer 2016

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1966 and All That An Evangelical Journey

by Basil Howlett One of the most significant events which was to shape the future of evangelicalism in the UK was the appeal made by Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones in 1966 for evangelicals to leave their mixed denominations in order to form an association of evangelical churches.

How that call was to be viewed has been the subject of debate for 50 years. Was it a tactical mistake or a biblical necessity?

The book is told from the perspective of a Baptist pastor who heeded the call, paid the price and didn’t regret it as subsequent events bore witness to the unfailing faithfulness of God to those who act according to their conscience in line with biblical principle.

Back then theological liberalism was far more aggressive and maintaining a clear evangelical stance was far from easy. Neither was it an easy decision to leave the security of buildings and pensions in secession.

Such men were far from ‘hot heads’ (John Stott’s phrase), they were thoughtful and principled and deserve the honour and respect of a younger generation.

While one may not always agree with the entailments the writer draws for being an evangelical in a mixed denomination, it raises the question: Is there any point an evangelical will say ‘enough’ and take decisive action? This book is a ‘must’ for all those who not only wish to understand the past but are concerned for the future.

Melvin Tinker, Vicar of St John Newland fiec.org.uk

Gentle Rain on Tender Grass

by Sharon James If you were asked ‘How often do you read your Bible?’ what would be your response be? We all know what the right response should be, but why do we find it so hard to actually read our Bible daily?

Deuteronomy 32:2–3 describes the term ‘gentle rain on tender grass’ to emphasise the need for us to be refreshed daily through God’s word. Reading God’s word in this way is “steady, non-dramatic and refreshing. It is a lovely picture of continual, persevering study of the word of God.” The readings are all taken from the Pentateuch.

When given this book as a young Christian, my first thought was that I would need a dictionary.

However, this was not the case. The devotions were clear, straightforward, and easy to read. No dictionaries needed!

There are devotions for 123 days. Throughout the devotions, there are short references to enrich the study, deepen your thinking, whilst expanding your knowledge of the Bible. At the end of the devotions, it concludes with a prayer that you can use for that day.

Seeing how Jesus shines through the Old Testament is particularly amazing. The devotions not only help us read our Bible, but help us to fix our eyes on Jesus day by day. You could use this yourself for your own time with God, but equally it could be used in a group. Either way, it points you to Jesus!

Steph Parsons, 10ofThose FIEC Together Summer 2016

19

Since the last edition of Together:

NEW CHURCH PLANT RECOGNITIONS Cornerstone Church, Portsmouth (Planted by Christ Church Southampton) Barlanark Glasgow (Planted by 20schemes and supported by Harper Church) Christ Church Cambourne (Planted by St Neots Evangelical Church) St Augustines, Isle of Man

NEW AFFILIATIONS Poole Christian Fellowship Church by the Bay, Morecambe

Will you join us in praying for our nation using our Go Into prayer cards? We’re praying for 50 places where – relative to population size – there is little or no evangelical witness. Will you pray for churches to be planted in these places? Packs available from 10ofThose.com

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