Fuse Issue 21

I N T R O D U C ING MI S SION S T Y LE S # ES C A P E A N D PRAY SUCCESS C A L L E D T O J O IN F U S I ON ?

WHAT ’ S C OVE RING E U R OP E

www.fusion.uk.com

‘You’re Hired!’ (Matthew 20:1-16)

The landowner (aka Father God) in this parable appears to be having a very busy day, numerous trips to town and a refusal to delegate some of the tasks of running his estate to the estate manager. In this story Jesus reveals that our Father is a God of justice, compassion, kindness and generosity, and goes out of his way to employ those looking for work.

The workers are coming! This is something we sense for student mission. God is looking for those who want to work for him and is personally hiring them. The implications are of course much broader than student mission – God’s vineyard is expansive and there are no unemployed there.

Christian’s are never unemployed as they are first and foremost hired by the King and they have been called to outwork the Kingdom.

As in most editions of fuse we never venture too far from the mission of God and for this edition we have a heady mix of great stories and some very practical tools to help us as we work with others.

Rich

CONTENTS

HELLO...

FEATURES & INTERVIEWS 04 News 08 Missionstyles.org 14 #escapeandpray 18 Called to Join God’s Big Mission

Amongst Students

22 Student Mission Story 24 Student Worker Interview 26 Church Profile: St Thomas Crookes 30 European Update 32 Improvise 34 About Fusion 36 Fusion Resources 38 Key Partners 48 Where Are They Now 50 Fusion Giving

Design: Creative Hope Studio www.creativehopestudio.com For advertising opportunities please contact: Editor: Caroline Harmon E: caroline@fusion.uk.com Fusion UK is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales No. 3679369 and a registered charity No. 1073572 18 The Office Village | North Road Loughborough | LE11 1QJ

Rich Wilson Team Leader Fusion @richwilson01

Printed on 120 Cocoon 100% recycled, FSC® certified paper, totally chlorine free. Printed with vegetable inks.

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INSIGHT NEWS NEWS

MISSION STYLES We’re really excited to introduce our new online tool, Mission Styles, which has been designed to help you discover how you most naturally share Jesus and what would reach your friends most effectively. Mission Styles is free, online missionstyles.org, stacked with resources and stories to inspire evangelism, and it’s bespoke rather than playing to stereotypes.

Miriam Swaffield, Student Mission Leader for Fusion, explains: ‘We are all wired differently and yet, when it comes to evangelism we sometimes act like there’s a one-size-fits-all way of doing it. Mission Styles gives you permission and freedom to share Jesus as you. We want you to enjoy discovering your Mission Style and embrace your God-given identity and God-designed creativity in how you live out the mission of God on campus and with your mates.’

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Natasha Walker, a student in Worcester, has used the tool: ‘We did Mission Styles in our student group.

It was so interesting to discover the ways we were naturally sharing Jesus and also where some styles didn’t even get a look in! I’m glad we’ve learnt this now so we can reach the Freshers better.’

Rich Grant, a Church Planter and Leader, said: ‘Mission Styles is an amazing tool that helped our interns discover that mission could be fun and is already part of who they are made to be. It was so good seeing them each discover how evangelism is part of who we are.’

Learn more about Mission Styles in Miram’s article on page eight. missionstyles.org

BERS NEW FUSION TEAM MEM s

bers. Rich from Sheffield join We have three new team mem ie from Nottingham will be the Student Work Team, Kat and York uni graduate Adam championing Student Linkup, m. joins our Student Mission tea

ents

called to work with stud How about you? Could you be & church? Turn to page 18 fusion.uk.com/called

SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN NO RWAY

Alfie Eccles, a former Youth & Student Worker at Blessed Church in Ealing, has moved to Norw ay to support churches in and around Olso in their work with students. Following on from a visit last year, Alfie felt he might be called to spend more time there. This was confi rmed in a number of ways, most recently when he signed up for Fusion’s Escape and Pray (see page 14) and ended up in Oslo!

Alfie moved to Askim, a town just outs ide the capital, in August taking with him ‘a one way ticke t, two bags and my guitar.’ His prayer requests are that he would learn the language fast and find the cultural trans ition easy, and that God would be at work in the churches he works with.

1300 STUDENT WORK TRAINING REACHES

ed 1300 Student Workers. 120 Last year Fusion’s student work training reach Communities, a two year ing Learn nt Stude gh of those are halfway throu ent which takes place in London intensive programme of strategic developm g People’s Network Leader at Edinburgh and Manchester. Anna Clarke, Youn Exeter Network Church, is taking part: ed incredibly valuable time ‘The Fusion Learning Communities have offer ther. Our student work toge out for reflection, dreaming and strategising s we dreamt up and thing of t resul t is sharpening and expanding as a direc ties’ muni planned at the Learning Com fusion.uk.com/studentworkers

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INSIGHT NEWS NEWS STUDENT FINANCES BECOME MORE CHALLENGING Student finances have recently become even more challenging for some students with the scrapping of maintenance grants for those from low income families. Until recently the grants provided up to £3387 a year that, unlike a loan, didn’t have to be paid back. More than half a million students in England were receiving the grant each year and the NUS has said getting rid of the grants will leave those from poorer backgrounds ‘with a lifetime of debt’.

A report published by the Intergenerational Foundation in 2015 challenged the existence of a so called ‘graduate earnings premium’ whereby graduates earn more over their lifetime than those who don’t go to university. The authors believe that for many graduates the introduction of £9000 tuition fees, and the debt that will create, cancels out any premium.

In the 2016 Sodexho University Lifestyle Survey 40% of those

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surveyed said they did not believe their expected level of debt was acceptable in terms of their future career prospects, up from 20% in 2014 and 18% in 2012. Asked how they would have approached the choice about going to university, knowing maintenance grants weren’t available, a quarter of female students who currently receive the grants said they would have postponed their studies, whilst one in five males (22%) would not have chosen to go to university at all.

Greater financial burdens are having an impact on lifestyle. More than a third of students surveyed don’t drink alcohol, up from 26% in 2012 and 28% say they spend nothing on socialising. Instead, there is a strong café culture at universities; over half of students (53%) spend up to £20 a week on tea and coffee from university cafés.

AHEAD OF UNI STUDENTS GET LINKEDUP

0 students signed academic year more than 150 In the lead up to the current They were sent of starting their university life. up to Student Linkup ahead to welcome them, ersity city who were waiting details of churches in their univ who were coming to ived information on students and these churches also rece Student Linkup have 92% of students who’ve used rs yea s viou pre In a. are ir the they’ve got to university. committed to a church once Students and churches are

encouraged to sign up online:

studentlinkup.org

CYCLING FUNDRAISING

Chris Judge, a student and member of Elim Aberystwyth Christian Fellowship, recently attempted to cycle from his home town of Woodbridge to his University town of Aberystwyth to raise money for Fusion: ‘I saw my journey as a metaphor for students leavi ng home to go to university for the first time. It’s lovely having a church family at university to encourage me, but it can be hard for students to find one. Fusion’s Student Linkup makes it easier and I wanted to support that work .’

A knee injury meant that Chris complete d 325km of his 550km journey but he had still managed to raise £211 as we went to press. Contribute on his giving page : http://bit.ly/2aGnSFl or turn to the inside back cover of this magazine to make a donation to Fusion’s work.

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Fusion has launched a new online test to help you discover how you most naturally share Jesus and what would reach your friends most effectively.

Miriam Swaffield explains more.

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At a party, who are you? The one checking the playlist is set and everyone has a drink in their hand? The one enjoying the music by gathering a bunch of people for a dance-off? Maybe you’ve been having a deep-andmeaningful with someone most of the evening? Or perhaps you’re scouting the room for an interesting conversationalist, otherwise you’ll make a subtle exit to watch something far more interesting on Netflix…

We are all wired differently, we learn differently, the way we find our space within a social setting, the people who end up our closest friends, even the way we come to faith and most instinctively relate to God, isn’t a carbon copy of the next person. And yet, when it comes to evangelism and how we live the mission of God, quiet panic sets in and the defaults come out, as if student mission is a one-size-fits-all expression.

Nervous of ‘getting it wrong’ or being asked questions we can’t answer, we scrabble around for what we already know; a free BBQ, an

apologetics debate on a question we’ve chosen so that we can’t be caught out, any kind of event we can plan, brand, and leave invitations subtly dotted around for. With beads of cold sweat on our foreheads and the words of Jesus’ great commission ringing in our ears, we hope this ‘counts’ as evangelism. We hope someone else had a ‘good conversation’ with a not-yet-follower of Jesus whilst we were busy helping, and we hope we’ll get better at feeling natural and comfortable with this stuff eventually.

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Surely there’s more to mission than this?

I struggle to accept the creativity crisis we have when it comes to sharing our faith with the people around us.

I also struggle with the identity crisis we have when it comes to our own abilities to witness to the good news or encourage people towards Jesus. I totally get that some people are gifted to the church by God as evangelists, however evangelists aren’t where we outsource our mission. Each and every one of us is created in the image of God, the God who sent himself to us, in his Son, in his Spirit. God is a sent God, we are his sent people. God is a God of mission, we are joining in with it. So we’ve got to get through the crisis moments of identity and creativity and somehow find this thing freeing, life-giving and, dare I say, fun?

Enter Mission Styles Mission Styles is free, online (missionstyles.org) and stacked with resources and stories to inspire evangelism.

It’s made for whole churches, student groups, friendship groups and individuals, and it’s bespoke rather than playing to stereotypes.

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#LinkupNow studentlinkup.org

FIND A CHURCH NEAR YOUR UNI

Mission Styles gives you permission and freedom to share Jesus as you.

No guilt, no comparison. It’s totally ok if you don’t just take things at surface value, but you like to debate and wrestle your way into really understanding what it means to know and follow Jesus today. Your ‘Convince Me’ style is a gift to the church, and for some of the people you influence, they want to engage in those debates, read that book, chew the fat, with you. And don’t feel inadequate if your gift is the big life chats over a drink or a wander. The invitation as a ‘Talk With Me’ style is to bring Jesus into the conversations you’re already having.

We are a body, each playing our part to help the whole church move and function and live. It makes sense that how we play our part in sharing Jesus can be both different, yet complimentary and, in fact, necessary. We need you, ‘Convince Me’ people, to help the church be more thought-through, thorough, and grounded in how we explain the good news. We need you ‘Talk With Me’ people to share the story

of knowing Jesus, to listen to other’s life stories and spot the fingerprints of God already all over who they are.

We need you ‘Show Me’ people to empower us all to live the difference Jesus makes, providing and feeding, serving and solving. We need you ‘Let Me Experience’ people, partly because otherwise you’ll suffer from the fear of missing out, but also because you remind us to dive in, take risks, and find more of Jesus in living it out boldly.

So enjoy discovering your Mission Style. Stretch yourself to grow in styles less instinctive to you and share your stories to encourage others.

We want to embrace our God-given identity, and explore our Goddesigned creativity in how we live out the mission of God on our campuses and with our mates. missionstyles.org #missionstyles @loveyouruni

Miriam leads all things student mission for Fusion.

She travels about equipping students for mission and evangelism through the local church. She lives in York, dabbles in spoken word poetry, thinks she’s more of a surfer than she actually is and tries not to make jokes all the time.

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CAP’s one year paid leadership programme Join us on our mission to serve the poor, save the lost, with the Church, across the nation.

year of opportunity

The leadership programme from Christians Against Poverty Registered Office: Jubilee Mill, North Street, Bradford, BD1 4EW. t: 01274 760720 e: info@capuk.org. Charity Registered No: 1097217 (England & Wales), SC038776 (Scotland).

Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered in England and Wales No. 4655175. CAP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registration No: 413528.

A C R E AT I V E A G E N C Y P A S S I O N AT E A B O U T C R A F T I N G BEAUTIFUL AND EFFECTIVE C O M M U N I C AT I O N .

W W W . C R E AT I V E H O P E S T U D I O . C O M

EUROPE

333 100 75 25 STUDENTS

TEAMS

UNIVERSITY COUNTRIES CITIES

IN JUNE 2016 HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS VISITED EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY CITIES IN TEAMS OF TWO TO FOUR PEOPLE Their mission was simple: pray for the university, connect with the church and use their faith to Improvise & be ready to be used by God. From Aalborg to Zurich, through Ljubljana and Malaga, our second #escapeandpray adventure covered Europe in prayer.

#ESCAPEANDPRAY will take place again in June 2017

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IN NUMBERS

1

2

Person (that we know of) invited Jesus into their life

Lawns were mown in acts of kindness

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9

People were physically healed

Different currencies were used

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12

Airlines were flown with from 15 UK airports

Devotionals, preparing people for their adventure, received 66,419 hits

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Days of Escape and Pray news received 47,283 hits

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Different nationalities were represented amongst Escapees

Churches represented by Escapees

134

634

Students in 36 cities at the peak of Escape and Pray

text messages scheduled to encourage teams as they departed and touched down

643

1210

2772

3000

Instagram posts

THINGS WE COULDNN’T COUNT

Passport digits correctly inputted at check in

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Tweets

Calling cards passed out giving people we met a way of following up the adventure

Steps taken on prayer walks

Church gatherings joined

Random acts of kindness

Prophetic and encouraging words given

Meals shared with new friends

#ESCAPEANDPRAY WILL TAKE PLACE AGAIN IN JUNE 2017

CALLED TO JOIN

GOD’S BIG MISSION AMONG STUDENTS Rich Wilson believes God is calling many more people to join the Fusion student movement as it gathers momentum. Our recruitment is moving away from advertising specific roles to calling specific people to come and join us. If you are called there will be a role for you.

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The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.

(Luke 10v2)

God is moving through his church and in the student world. It is impossible to generate this kind of movement of the Spirit and we are not called to do that.

However, we are called to join in with the movement of the Spirit and for the last 20 years Fusion has sought to make God’s movement our movement. That has meant creating language and vision for what God is doing and wants to do, it has meant developing structures and pathways to serve and facilitate the movement of God, it has meant resourcing and training those who also want to participate in this movement.

This movement is gathering momentum We believe the local church is the hope of the student world and we are working with over 1700 churches across Europe to be part of a net that captures students. Students who have realised life with

Jesus is a better life and that their lives are caught up in a faith adventure. Students who will carry the love and fire of God into every sphere of society. Fusion are working to see 10,000 churches be part of this net and raising up thousands of workers to take their place in and alongside these churches. Fusion is also mobilising and resourcing student mission through students in local church and making passionate disciples of Jesus.

Have you got what it takes to be part of this movement?

Do you want to be a full time student worker who serves in a local church and is part of the Fusion team? Or perhaps you could serve in one of the following areas? Student Linkup, student worker training, student mission, church relations, operations, administration, finance, media, web and app development and international work.

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Fusion has recently adopted a new funding strategy. Team members will need to raise support from partners who will journey with you in your Kingdom work. There is a cost to outworking calling and God’s calling in our lives is always tested. The financial pathway that Fusion have adopted is not a test, however it does serve as an indicator for the adventurous faith that is needed to work for Fusion.

Up for the adventure? fusion.uk.com/called

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Most people want to give to a ministry that is going somewhere. It doesn’t have to be big or spectacular or even humanly successful, but it does have to have God’s fingerprints all over it.

- Scot Morton

‘Partner Fundraising deepens your relationship with God because you’re always expectant for his generosity.’

Grace McSharry volunteered for Fusion for eight months before joining the Fusion team and developing Student Linkup in Europe. She is Partner Fundraising to raise her salary.

people and explaining really clearly why I’m so okay with raising my own salary; for some people it comes as a bit of a shock because it’s not the usual way to earn your money.

I think it’s really important when you’re raising your own salary that there is a strong reasoning behind it. So I explain why I feel called, how I ended up working for Fusion, what my job role is and why all the Fusion team are now raising their own salary.

Through volunteering one day a week for Fusion I really learnt what my passions are. The more I was working there the more I realised that Friday was my favourite day of the week. I felt energised by the end of the day because I‘d been doing things that I really care about.

I love everything Fusion stands for; having been a student and a Student Worker and seen the benefits of Fusion, it’s a family I really wanted to be part of.

If you’re thinking about working for Fusion, pray about it, then dive in. If you feel you want to work for Fusion it’s because something Fusions does resonates in you.

Partner Fundraising is part of the job and it means you’re building really great relationships with people.

It sounds daunting at first but it’s part of a really exciting journey.

It deepens your relationship with God as well because you’re always expectant for his generosity.

The fundraising is very relationship-based.

I make sure that I’m connecting with

Sponsor Grace or other members of the Fusion Team at fusion.uk.com/give

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INSIGHT NEWS STUDENT MISSION STORY

BETH HAYDEN

is in her second year studying Christian Theology at York St John University I love the fact that God provides us with so many opportunities to be lights in the world of Uni. I will put my hand up and say I was scared when one of my housemates asked me a question about my faith. I wasn’t really expecting it; it was the first day we had met and I felt totally unprepared. As the months went on I told them my testimony, they asked to come to church and nine months later they’ve become a Christian. An amazing adventure which I am so privileged to have been a part of.

I’ve often asked; ‘God, why would you want to use me!?’ I have felt completely inadequate to be the one who is helping them journey on their faith. But I know that God has chosen me and put me in this house for a reason.

I have often had to ask him to help me out in this; there have been times 22

when I have been scared, excited, maybe even slightly embarrassed. But He’s reminded me that I’m not doing this on my own. I have discovered that through putting my trust in God He has equipped me; He has shown me how to be compassionate, how to care for people when they’re struggling with homesickness, how to encourage them and build them up when they’re overwhelmed with stress. And most of all, I know that God loves my housemates unconditionally and therefore they need to know it themselves!! They are His children. They have been created

by Him with a purpose. They are loved and accepted. They just don’t necessarily know it yet. And so, after seeing my housemate take a step of faith and get baptised, I want to encourage you who are praying, who are striving for faith conversations with the people that you live with, with the three top tips opposite.

1)

Be ready. Be ready for the tough questions. Be ready for the late night chats. Be ready to explain the way that you are choosing to live. And be ready for God to use you. ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ Romans 8:31.

2)

Be expectant. Don’t rule anyone out. God equips us and strengthens us to do his work for him. How exciting! Nothing is impossible with God. ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’ Matthew 19:26.

3)

Be encouraged. You are not doing this on your own. God is in control. He gives us strength, wisdom and love. Draw near to him and continue to press in to him. Know that you have been placed in your house or hall with your friends for a reason and go for it! ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand’ Isaiah 41:10.7

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STUDENT WORKER INTERVIEW WITH JOE ROBBINS Joe Robbins is a Student Worker at Plume Avenue Church in Colchester. He used to be the Chaplain for a campus of the University of Gloucestershire.

Sometimes as churches we can be better at receiving students than sending them. When I was working as a University Chaplain I noticed that a lot of students who didn’t get hooked into church weren’t being checked up on by the church they had come from. Where I work now we send a lot of young people to university and we make sure we contact them, remind them we’re here for them even though they’ve moved, and encourage them to find a church at university. We really try not to lose sight of them just because they’ve left.

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and college, making use of Fusion’s Student Linkup Sessions material. My aim is that our young adults will have a vision to reach other young adults by the time they leave us.

We have a system where each young person is buddied up to an older member of the church who is a sort of spiritual guide to them while they’re at university. We want to equip and support them to be Christians in the places they are at, at the moment.

Don’t assume that because a church in your area appears to get all the Christian students that they really do. I was a live-in Chaplain on the smaller of two campuses; I was in Gloucester and the larger campus was in Cheltenham. There was a feeling among the churches in Gloucester at the time that all the students went to a church in Cheltenham that did a lot of student work. But I knew that wasn’t the case.

Christian students were getting all fired up over the summer at Christian festivals, then arriving at university as freshers ready to jump in, but it was like there was no water in the pool because the churches local to them weren’t preparing to receive them.

Last academic year I ran a university prep course in the local sixth form

So we got churches involved in student work on campus. The most

successful thing was a free weekly lunch on campus. It was mostly attended by non-Christians, but because it was in the Chaplaincy and a few Christian students came along too it became normal for people to be praying for each other, for healing to be happening, and for people to talk quite openly about God. We saw people come to faith through that. We worked with one church to get students involved in their Alpha course. 14 students from the same block in halls attended and some became Christians.

In the process of all this we found Christians who had never

mentioned they were Christians to anyone for a year and a half!

Resonate Student Work Training Days Wednesday 7th December 2016 Wednesday 1st March 2017 Wednesday 7th June 2017 All three dates: London and Sheffield fusion.uk.com/studentworkers

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CHURCH PROFILE

ST THOMAS CROOKES In each issue of Fuse we profile one of our 1700 Connection Churches. James Brown is the Student Worker at St Thomas Crookes in Sheffield, a church of 1000 with around 120 students.

Tell us a bit about your student work Our main focus is six student Missional Communities which are led by students. They all centre around an activity and each community decides what this will be. At the moment we have one which runs a café on a Saturday morning, another does a Soup Run on a Friday night, and another goes walking in the Peak District.

As a church we are very outward looking. We’re always looking for the frontier and thinking about what it looks like to work out our faith out there. When it comes to discipleship, we feel where better to learn the lessons about caring for the poor

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and the marginalised than to get out to those in need? I do Alpha every year and I meet people who have some brilliant questions every time.

It’s not just about outreach it also makes me sharper as a disciple. If I’m on Alpha and there’s a question in a small group then I can go work on that and find out what the bible says.

How are you developing your student work at the moment?

Over the last year we’ve been trying to imagine what a relationship with the Student Union looks like and to prioritise developing that relationship. We had a great meeting with the Student Union Welfare Officer and we’re excited about

what the future might hold for our involvement with looking after students’ welfare on nights out at the union.

A big win already is our involvement in a campaign to reduce the University’s carbon footprint.

They run a project called Save Our Sandwiches which involves them giving one of our Missional Communities leftover sandwiches from their shops which would otherwise go to waste. Our students give them out to the homeless on a Friday night. It’s one way in which we’re building relationships with the SU and partnering with them.

What are your hopes and dreams for the students in your church?

Over the next year I’d like to see the number of student Missional Communities double or even triple.

I’d love to see 15 or 16 of these

groups popping up all over the city and campus, led by students who are passionate about working out their faith and reaching their friends.

Those are the groups with real life in. A person on a stage sharing some content is only one way of doing church; the students gathering together and encouraging one another is where the Kingdom of God comes.

Why are you a Fusion Connection Church?

Relationship and encouragement.

We love the team, they’re dear friends. We’ve been trying to work out what it looks like to work with students for the past 15 years and we’ve been on this journey with Fusion. I’ve still got a lot to learn and I find them a real encouragement as I do. It’s really encouraging to hear stories from other churches; we get to steal their best ideas for our own work!

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We sent out six of our students on Escape and Pray (see pages 14). I was so excited to see that adventurous spirit in our students worked out. It might not seem to have benefitted us directly but I know there will be fruit brought back home that we can use next academic year.

What advice would you give to a church just starting to do Student Work?

Prioritise relationship over

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programme. Don’t worry if you haven’t got the right structures in place, just get behind loving students and welcoming them.

If you prioritise relationship the programme will work itself out.

Are you a church that works with students or would like to, or do you send young people off to uni? Sign up as a Fusion Connection Church and you’ll get access to a list of students coming to study near you and Student Work Training to help you reach a generation of students for Jesus: fusion.uk.com/churches

HOLIDAYS

CONFERENCES

RETREATS

www.facebook.com/leeabbeydevon relax@leeabbey.org.uk

@LeeAbbeyDevon

01598 752621

lee_abbey_devon www.leeabbey.org.uk/devon

Hong Kong

The Netherlands

South Korea

Germany

Hungary

The UK

Find out more about our gap year opportunities: www.timeforgod.org email office@timeforgod.org

TIME FOR GOD

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” - Habakkuk 2:1

As we wrote this update (in early August 2016) Britain’s relationship with Europe felt full of uncertainty and unknowns. But we are certain that God has called us to reach the students of Europe for his name’s sake.

In times of uncertainty we are invited to reject the fear of circumstances and embrace the fear of God. To fear God is to be in awe of Jesus Christ (think the transfiguration, Matthew 17) and His word to us.

24/7 media coverage of the latest in politics has a tendency to magnify ours fears rather than representing the wisdom of God. By contrast, the fear of God sharpens our focus.

So, how about leaning into the conversation going on in heaven?

Maybe the conversation is about God working and how all things will be for His good in Europe? We have faith that Europe’s students will be

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filled with the knowledge of God’s goodness like the waters cover the sea. His good is way bigger than our good.

God doesn’t want us to hold back in our work in Europe. So how about it?

Let’s lead Europe out of the fear of circumstances and into the fear of God. Let’s build friendships and not take for granted our European neighbours. Let’s share vision, ideas and stories of God’s work among students.

If you want to chat about being involved in seeing God move with churches and students in Europe then get in touch: we’re recruiting.

You can also invite churches to sign up to studentlinkup.org all over Europe to help students find churches.

Churches connected in 35 nations

Nations have Student Linkup

Leaders at German gathering

Leaders at French gathering

A PRAYER FOR STUDENTS May these students see Their Father running toward them.

May they feel his embrace.

And hear his tender words.

May their hearts come alive And their perception soar May they go on this wild adventure To risk all to share the father’s love.

ALAN TAYLOR @alantaylor82

Alan lives in Manchester with his wife and two children. He loves playing with his kids and enjoys a good run and watching Spurs. He’s imagining pioneering churches all across Europe connected by love and vision for a spiritual awakening in the universities.

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ABOUT W H AT ?

7 million students, 46,000 churches – unleashing the potential

‘Spending time with Fusion enabled us to articulate the vision and culture God has placed in our hearts for students in Chester. Without that help we would still be sat looking at a blank piece of paper, but because of the help we are actively working through what God has called us to do.’

Dave Tonks, Northgate Church, Chester

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HOW?

Fusion connects students to churches and churches to students. Not just one or two but serving thousands of churches in reaching and discipling millions of students.

We are convinced that local church needs to be at the heart of student mission and students at the heart of local church.

W H Y?

Fusion is committed to catalysing a relentless student movement that sees thousands respond to Jesus and prioritise their lives and ambitions around God’s kingdom agenda.

‘We bought the Student Linkup boxes for our small group of girls who we’re heading to University.

They really enjoyed the four sessions that we ran with them.’

Andrew Foulkes, Youth Worker, St Luke’s Church Lodge Moor

OUR CORE PURPOSES Equipping Students

Serving Churches

Preparing & inspiring students for a life of mission & discipleship at university.

Connecting students into the heart of local church and encouraging churches to be at the heart of student mission.

This happens through: The Student Linkup App and the Student Linkup sessions.

The loveyouruni project.

Resources that prepare, connect, equip, inspire and disciple students.

Sharing stories of what God is doing amongst students across the UK and beyond.

This happens through: Advising and resourcing churches to prepare school

leavers for the university experience and to send them well.

Equipping churches to welcome and

connect with new students in their city.

Putting local churches on the map of student mission.

Developing Student

Workers

Training, resourcing and strengthening all those in church-based student ministry.

This happens through:

Providing local and national forums where student workers from different churches and locations can connect and support each other.

Access to a wide range of specialist resources, white papers and student work experts.

Student Work Conferences.

Register your church with Fusion: fusion.uk.com/churches 35

FUSIONRESOURCES Loveyouruni Bundle £10 The loveyouruni bundle contains four brilliant resources for students. It’s the essential resource for current students as they seek to live in response to God’s calling on their campuses and beyond. Living Mission is the student mission manifesto - small communities connected to, and part of local churches, moving into neighbourhoods to show the student world what God is like. The Stuff of Life is all about facing challenges and doing life well. Fuse magazine provides timely nuggets of student mission wisdom. Finally, The Graduate Alphabet is the essential guide to life after university.

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The Stuff of Life

Living Mission

£5

£5 (also available on Kindle) This book invites you into the adventures of students who are intentionally living mission-shaped lives and sharing God with friends and communities.

The Stuff of Life is about the stuff that affects all of us. It’s the stuff that affects our relationships, values and outlooks. It’s stuff that, if not faced, can diminish a lot of freedom and enjoyment in day-to-day living.

HEARTBEAT

BREATH

Studentscape

Student Linkup Sessions

£5

An A-Z For Life After University

the graduate alphabet

Studentscape is an honest and reflective discipleship tool and bible study for any student new to or within the university culture. Using a value-based approach to discipleship, it will challenge and equip you for this life stage. It covers topics such as identity, work, friendships, money and cultural expectations.

Contributions from Liz Clark, George Critchley, James Featherby, Alexander Lee, Sarah-Jane Marshall and Anna Mathur.

MOVEMENT

£5

This is a discipleship tool for honestly preparing and reflecting for some of the biggest challenges in the university culture. Available as part of the Student Linkup Box

Graduate Alphabet £5 (also available on Kindle)

The Graduate Alphabet is a light-hearted, fresh and practical guide to life after graduation. It celebrates the many new opportunities in this life stage, and offers wisdom for its challenges too. It talks about adulthood, bosses, interviews, parents, responsibility, singleness and success.

Student Alphabet

The Student Linkup Box £10

Everything you need for starting university in one box. The Student Linkup Sessions, Studentscape, Student Alphabet and Fuse magazine.

£5 (also available on Kindle)

An A-Z for starting university The Student Alphabet travels quickly from A to Z with everything you need to know about starting university. It is light-hearted, practical and shares hundreds of tips, stories and advice throughout. It covers alcohol, budgeting, fresher’s week, halls, lectures and relationships.

All these resources and more are available online: fusion.uk.com/resources

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CHURCH

NETWORKS

Fusion serves a number of church networks, strengthening their work amongst students and young adults and helping them become increasingly effective in sending, receiving and reaching students.

New Wine is a movement of local churches working together with one vision: to see the nation changed. We do this through a network of church leaders, training events, discipleship courses, resources and conferences including the United National Gatherings each summer. We believe this nationwide change will be brought about by the spiritual transformation of individual lives, and through the renewal, strengthening and planting of churches. Join us!

Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland participates in the advancement of the Kingdom of God through the work of local Vineyard churches that communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and practice. Across the country, university cities have Vineyard Churches that would love to welcome you into a community of people who are working out their faith practically, making room for those who are seeking, in a fun, accepting environment. We train and equip young people to make an impact in this world, in whatever sphere God has called them. We are working with Fusion to achieve this.

The Ground Level Network is made up of churches throughout the UK that are committed to welcome, empower, release and support students and other young adults to discover their God given destinies and make a lasting difference in this world. We are passionate about providing students with a vibrant, welcoming and supportive church family when they go to uni and we’re grateful for our mates at Fusion who help us to make this happen. Ground Level also hosts the ONE event (formerly Grapevine).

info@new-wine.org

students@vcuki.org.uk

carl@groundlevel.org.uk

www.new-wine.org

vcuki.org.uk

www.groundlevel.org.uk

@vcuki

@NewWineEngland

Pioneer is a network of churches and ministries committed to church planting, leadership development, training and the support of innovative community projects. We are privileged to be in partnership with Fusion to help churches & networks within Pioneer invest into & grow the next generation of church.

@GroundLevel

Elim has been serving cities, towns and villages across the UK for more than 100 years. Our 550 local churches often vary both in style and size and are united by a desire to reach the lost and make effective disciple makers. Many of our churches, particularly those in university cities, have worked over many years to welcome and resource students. We are working closely with Fusion to develop this further.

Since the early days of Salt & Light we have been about partnering in the mission of God to make disciples of all peoples and to go together as family. Comprising around 75 churches in the UK and a family of churches worldwide, S&L have a vision to plant new churches, develop strong equipping hub churches worldwide, as well as ultimately transforming our society with the power of the Gospel.

admin@pioneer.org.uk

tim.alford@serious4god.co.uk

info@saltlight.org

www.pioneer.org.uk

www.serious4god.co.uk

www.saltlight.org/uk

@PioneerNetwork

@elimpentecostal

@saltandlightuk

The Salvation Army is a worldwide Christian church and registered charity working in 126 countries, demonstrating Christian principles through practical support, friendship, and hands on help to people of all ages, backgrounds and needs.

Students can get involved in all sorts of ways; through volunteering with fundraising initiatives and activities as well as attending church services and groups.

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alove@salvationarmy.org.uk

@ALOVEUK

alove.salvationarmy.org.uk

Key

Partners

Through the Key Partner programme Fusion is acting as a doorway to other ministries working with, supporting, serving and resourcing students. Our hope is that areas of specialism that have been honed and developed over many years can be much more readily accessible to students. We believe this will lead to greater joined up thinking and action that will better serve God’s purposes in this nation & beyond.

Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that freely explore the basics of the Christian faith.

No pressure. No follow up. No charge. Check out alpha.org to find out how you can run Alpha in your University today.

We want to see a generation of students invite their friends to explore life on Alpha.

The Christian Aid Collective is a movement of people who want to create a different world, without poverty and injustice.

Where everyone has what they need to live life in all its fullness.

We believe that community has the potential to change the world. That by joining up to take action where we are, we can impact our global community for the better and make it poverty free. Poverty over: a beautiful plan.

Compassion is an international child development charity with more than 60 years’ experience.

Working in partnership with the local church, we seek out the most vulnerable children and with the support of individual sponsors, provide them with the means to break the cycle of poverty and create a viable future for themselves. Today, more than 1.7 million children attend our church-based projects in 26 countries around the world.

Joseph.snelling@alpha.org

Collective@christian-aid.org

Info@compassion.org

www.alpha.org

www.christianaidcollective.org

www.compassionuk.org

@alphacourse

Tearfund are passionate about seeing the world changed through a generation who have the guts to become the kind of people that change the world. We are excited about developing habits, regular patterns in our lives that change us and the world as we live out Jesus’ values of generosity, advocacy, contentment, and connection. We call this Rhythms. To join the community and sign up to Rhythms, head over to the website.

@theCAcollective

Our heart is to help young people capture a vision of Jesus and then to equip, train, empower and release them into his ministry in their everyday lives. We do this in a number of ways including summer conferences, weekends away, resources, training events and a leadership course called Soul61. We also run Naturally Supernatural events for the whole church, aimed at anyone who wants to move in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Come along and camp with other students and 20/30 somethings as we worship, hear from God’s word, pray for one another and put into practice what we’re learning.

@compassionuk

CV is a global ministry with a vision to reach one billion people around the world with the message of the gospel and an opportunity to choose a personal faith in Jesus Christ.

We achieve this through online evangelism through resources such as yesHEis, Church Connect and Simple Truth as well as on-the-ground projects, which equip and support the local church in evangelism.

Dot.tyler@tearfund.org

jonny.goodchild@soulsurvivor.com

info@cvglobal.co

www.rhythms.org

soulsurvivor.com

www.cvglobal.co

@TearfundRhythms

@soulsurvivorgb

@TouchaBillion

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CV John Wesley was an 18th century Anglican minister passionate about evangelism. One of his best known quotes was, ‘You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore, spend and be spent in this work. And go not only to those that need you, but to those that need you most.’

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Living in the 1700s John Wesley had to travel everywhere on horseback to go and tell people the good news about Jesus. Today, of course, we don’t need horses to tell people about Jesus, we can do that without even leaving our living room. The Internet has changed everything and most people have a smartphone so that everyone is connected.

Did you know that each day there are approximately 3.5 billion searches on Google! In fact, three out of every four Internet searches now take place on Google and the most googled question is, “What is Love?” There are a lot of people searching for answers online and as Christians we have many of the answers that people are looking for.

However, Wesley’s principle of saving souls has not changed, every Christian is under Jesus’ mandate to “Go into all the world and preach Good News to everyone” (Mk.16:15). Today, the ‘going’ has just gotten so much easier!

Jesus is often the answer! After all, he mends the broken hearted, he heals the sick, he restores relationships and, ultimately, he is the way to eternal salvation.

I believe that Christians need to

engage the world today just as Wesley did three hundred years ago, but we have to engage the world relevantly and as we find it now. So we need to be where the people are, and predominantly they are online (just think of how many people have played Pokemon Go in the recent craze). The ministry I work for seeks to resource Christians so they can engage effectively in mission and evangelism in the digital age. We have an app called ‘yesHEis’ that is free for you to download and use; this features various testimony videos that you can share with friends. We also have a community space called ‘Chapel’ where Christians can hang out and engage with culture. And, finally we have an app called ‘Simple Truth’, ideal for personal Bible study or small group use.

So, have a think, who is God calling you to reach today? Or in the words

of Wesley, ‘who needs you the most?’ How can you engage with them today – perhaps send them a text message of encouragement, letting them know you are thinking and praying about them. Perhaps this will be a first step toward introducing them to Jesus and saving their soul.

The Reverend Jon Turner is an ordained Baptist Minister and Evangelist. He heads up Christian Vision in the UK. CV has resources that you can use for mission. Download yesHEis and Simple Truth from the app or android store and visit Chapel’s online community space: www.wearechapel.com

CV @TouchABillion facebook.com/christianvision www.cvglobal.co 41

ADVERTORIAL

Being Naturally

Supernatural Want to be an effective witness, reaching others with the gospel and demonstrating God’s love through your words and actions?

Then we invite you to come and be equipped at Naturally Supernatural 2017! This event, run by Soul Survivor, is all about having loads of time to spend in God’s presence, exploring what the Bible says about leading Naturally Supernatural lives and then putting into practice what we’re learning.

We believe that the great need today is to encounter the Lord in a way that changes us and nothing changes us like being in his presence so we’ll be spending lots of time worshipping and praying for one another in the main meetings each morning and evening.

In the afternoons there will be a range of workshops covering topics such as spirit-led evangelism, emotional healing, physical healing, leading a ministry time, spirit-led worship, and more. We’ll also have a prophetic team available to pray with you.

This event is for the whole church but will have camping villages particularly for students and 20s and 30s, plus loads of great venues and social activities including cafes, live music, a bar, sports, films, and opportunities to meet new people in relaxed settings.

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Our great desire is to equip all of God’s people to move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and to fall more in love with Jesus.

We believe this is essential if we are to be effective witnesses and reach our nation with the gospel.

Come and join us on this next adventure as we discover what it means to live naturally supernatural lives.

Naturally Supernatural STAFFORD SHOWGROUND

Saturday 22nd-Thursday 27th July 2017 Early booking discounts apply – check out the website for more details and to book.

www.naturallysupernatural.co.uk

Just before we went to press more than 250 Student Workers took time out to attend our annual Student Worker Conference in Sheffield. Here are a few pics of the weekend. We’ll be gathering again in September 2017.

THIS SPACE COSTS ÂŁ49

BOOK A CLASSIFIED:

caroline@fusion.uk.com

Interns and Gap Year Students Join Our Team: we need you with us Apprenticeship Scheme Apply now for 2017-18 https://springsdancecompany.org.uk/apprenticeships/

volunteer@nicodemuscharity.org.uk 02078 460331 www.nicodemustrust. org.uk

Eden sends and supports teams of urban missionaries to share the gospel, make disciples and rebuild communities.

Volunteer opportunities nationwide. Also currently recruiting Team Leaders.

Salary ÂŁ21-25,000. hello@joineden.org

joineden.org

KEEP CALM & JOIN THE SCARGILL COMMUNITY

Encounter God & experience Community living in the Yorkshire Dales Opportunities to develop your practical & leadership skills Join our Kitchen, House, Admin or Estate & Maintenance Teams Community receive accommodation, food & monthly allowance.

Contact Diane Stone di@scargillmovement.org 01756 761236 www.scargillmovement.org

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Sanjay Mahtani

Sanjay studied French and Linguistics in Oxford from 2008. After a spell in London where he was on CARE’s leadership programme, he lives in Oxford again and is a member of Oxford Community Church. He now works for Openwell, a social innovation firm, and got married as we went to print.

At university I started to explore questions about how faith and life, and particularly faith and work, can be integrated. I found myself getting frustrated with people who seek to do evangelism but as a separate thing to the rest of their life. Through discovering that, I felt that I should go on the CARE leadership programme and that increased my sense of it being possible to bring together faith and work.

I was at a Fusion training day and had a very powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit where he gave me a heart for London where the programme was based. So I took up the opportunity and that was where I stepped much more into

48

the area I now work in. It was in that environment of faith, risk and expectation that God will do something outrageous, that Fusion provides, that I heard God clearly.

Today I work for a social innovation firm called Openwell. We were established recognising that there are massive problems around the world, but there are also solutions to those problems. Often those solutions are not just good ideas but God ideas. Openwell comes alongside the remarkable people who are putting them into practice; we provide consultancy and investment to help them start or scale up their ideas.

I’m revisiting prayers, hopes and dreams that God revealed to me about Oxford when I was a student. There was a prayer meeting that we started on Friday mornings at 6:45am – the sacrifice was in the timing! We would gather just a few of us and have remarkable times of intimacy with God. We really prayed for revival in our city. I’m not going to use the term revival yet, but currently there’s a remarkable sense of openness to the gospel in Oxford. A few friends have really been moved by compassion and are having remarkable conversations on the streets.

If you’re starting university make sure you get plugged into a church.

There’s so much to learn not just from being at university but from being in a Christian community within the university context. It’s a phenomenal training ground

for exposure to different ways of thinking.

Ask yourself the question: ‘Is my life worth following?’ Look for people in your church older than you who you can learn from, but also bear in mind that once you get to second year and beyond there will be people coming up under you. What’s your role in discipling them? Mentoring other, younger people has made me take much more seriously my own relationship with God. Am I living in a way that I would want others to follow in the ways I handle my money, do evangelism, do my work etc?

SANJAY MAHTANI University of Oxford Graduate

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You may have heard that the way Fusion is being funded is changing. We believe God wants to grow and multiply his work through us and this wouldn’t be possible with our old structure.

Our new structure allows for dozens more workers to be released to serve God’s great mission among students. The new structure also allows and invites many more of God’s people to partner with Fusion through releasing some of the resources He has given them.

The two main areas that need funding are workers and core costs.

Our workers are more outward facing in the areas of student linkup, student mission and training. They raise their entire salary and expenses through partner support.

Our core costs are the office overheads and office team, pension provision, projects, resources and digital media. They are covered by church giving, trusts and one off donations.

Please consider making a one off donation towards the fantastic work the office team do or setting up a standing order and partnering with one of the Fusion Team 50

GIVINGFORM STANDING ORDER

CONTACT Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS Title and Name

I have set up this standing order myself directly with my bank. Please still return this form to Fusion for our records.

I want Fusion to setup this standing order by sending this completed form to my bank.

Address

To the Manager Bank

Address Postcode

Email

Postcode

To the Bank Manager, Please set up a Standing Order payable to

Fusion Barclays Bank, East Street, Chichester Account No: 00047198 Bank Sort Code Number: 20-20-62

Phone Number

For the amount of

GIFT AID If you are a UK tax payer, paying income tax or capital gains tax, you can make your gifts worth 25% more at no extra cost to you.

I am a UK tax payer, and want Fusion to claim back the tax on all donations I have made in the past four tax years and on all future gifts. I will notify Fusion if I change my name or home address or if I no longer pay sufficient tax on my income and/or capital gains.

Signature

ÂŁ

To be paid on the 1st or the 15th of the month and thereafter on a monthly basis until further notice. I wish for the standing order to start as soon as possible, or on the following date:

Name of Account Holder(s): Account Number:

Please return forms to: FUSION UK 18 The Office Village, North Road, Loughborough, LE11 1QJ For other methods of giving including via Stewardship, CAF and direct debits please visit www.fusion.uk.com/give

Sort Code Signed

Date

Fusion UK is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales No. 3679369 and a registered charity No. 1073572.

Donate online: fusion.uk.com/give

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I find sharing my faith natural, instinctive and fun.