eVisionOct2014

Winter 2014

Gospel Literature Outreach e-vision-14.indd 1

HOPE

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GLO Europe

4 My Summer: Hope for Albania

Living in Hope

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Stephen McQuoid

Country Profile Italy

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A Changing Continent

Juli Muhameti

Hope for Naples

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Stephen McQuoid

Luca Illiano

Seeing Jesus Regin Guttesen

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GLO Korea

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Tilsley College GLO Bookshop Andrew Lacey

David Clarkson

This magazine is published twice yearly to report on the work of GLO in Europe and around the world and to promote mission interest. There is no subscription rate but readers are welcome to send gifts towards postage and production.

If you would like to contribute financially to the work of GLO this can be done directly using the bank details below or by contacting our Finance Director Ian Smith (ismith@glo-europe.org).

GLO is a charity registered in Scotland: SC007355

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Leaving a lasting legacy M

any people have a concern about what the long term impact of their lives will be on others. As Christians this is a big issue because the Bible encourages us to live our lives in view of eternity. GLO,

BANK OF SCOTLAND, 72 BRANDON PARADE, MOTHERWELL ML1 1UW ACCOUNT NAME – GLO TRUST SCOTLAND, SORT CODE – 800915 ACCOUNT NUMBER – 00400636

along with many other Christian organisations, benefits greatly from legacies that people leave behind. It is a way of significantly helping the work of the kingdom by organising your giving after you have gone.

We have produced an information pamphlet on the use of legacies and if you would like to have one then contact Stephen McQuoid (smcquoid@glo-europe.org)

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GLO Europe

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Left: David Wilson Below: Brian & Iris Gooding

Living In Hope E

dmond Dantès, the key figure in Alexandre Dumas’ famous novel, The Count of Monte Christo, declared in a letter to his friend Maximillian, ‘all human wisdom is contained in these two words, ‘wait and hope’. There is a very real sense in which this expresses the sentiments of the Christian life and certainly Christian ministry. As we serve God we find ourselves waiting for God to work. No evangelist can make people Christians. No pastor can guarantee that their new converts or even established church members will be protected from temptation and discouragement. Neither can any of us by our own efforts bring about genuine transformation in the lives of the people we work with. Of course we do have a role to play in all of these areas. We can share the gospel, teach scripture, encourage and mentor and also diligently commit ourselves to our ministries. However the power to make a real difference in all of these situations comes from God and we need to learn to wait and hope that God will deliver.

Hope is a wonderful thing. Without it we are in despair. In turn despair leads to listlessness because if we have no hope of success then we lose any motivation to work towards a goal. As Christians, however, we have good reason for hope - we have hope because we believe in a God who longs to save people from destruction (2 Peter 3:9), we have hope because God wants to finish the work he began in the lives of those we led to Christ (Phil.1:6). We also have hope because God

is faithful and Jesus promises that when we obey his Commission he will be with us in all we do (Mtt.28:20). Our hope is not based on our own abilities or even the circumstances in which we minister. Rather our hope is in the character of God. As GLO Workers we rely on this hope and because of it we are optimistic about the future despite the enormous challenges that face us.

In this edition of e-vision we are reflecting on some of the situations we find ourselves in. We look back on the past summer and the exciting summer team programme which proved to be a real blessing to lots of people. There is an insight into two of the situations in Italy as well as what is happening currently in Albania. The College will keep us up to speed with the changes that have taken place there and our Bookshop has some tempting offers.

We are also very grateful to have four new workers joining GLO. Brian and Iris Gooding have joined the work to be involved in pastoral care; they come with many years’ experience of pastoring in a church in Troon. David Wilson comes to GLO to work with Tilsley College as Ministry Placement Tutor. We also welcome Gordon McLeod into the work of GLO to be involved in producing publicity video materials both for GLO and also churches and other Christian organisations. As these new people join us and the work grows we continue to wait on God with a certain hope that he will answer prayer and bless.

Gordon McLeod If you would like to enquire further about using the video ministry resource contact Ian Smith (ismith@ glo-europe.org)

Our hope is in the character of God. As GLO Workers we rely on this hope and because of it we are optimistic about the future.

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GLO Europe

BARCELONA ‘What they don't tell you in the brochure for teams, is the blessing you receive when you partner with other Christians from all walks of life for the sake of the gospel.

It was a privilege to be part of a team where we were all united for the purpose of telling others about Jesus. In that environment, you could only thrive and grow in your Christian walk and love for God’.

Judith Gibson ‘One of my favourite memories was when visiting a Christian-run home for people with mental health issues; we sat with the staff in the garden and had a time of sharing testimonies! It was so exciting to hear and see the way that the Lord is moving and transforming lives all over the world, and even more to give him the glory for that!

We so often 'put God in a box' because we look at our own limitations, but there are no limits to what he can do- step out and see!’

Pamela McFadden

My Summer...

MOSHI ‘What struck me was the obvious evidence of God’s Spirit and favour being on and around the Centre and the children. In the midst of poverty, children were being fed, clothed, loved and taught about Jesus Christ.

Many were born again and walking with the Lord and becoming leaders of the younger children. God’s grace was clear to see and I received so much in terms of my own faith being strengthened. I will never forget how the Lord is loving, providing and protecting everyone at Moshi Christian Children’s Centre.

Rachel McLean

MOSHI ‘In just three weeks, it’s safe to say my life will never be the same again.

Travelling to Tanzania and meeting the kids at Moshi Christian Children’s Centre was something I’d always wanted to do and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to go this summer. Experiencing a different culture, meeting the wonderful children and witnessing God’s grace and provision in Moshi this summer has transformed my outlook on life and inspired me for future mission.’

Katharine Walker 4 e-vision-14.indd 4

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GLO Europe

COMMONWEALTH TEAM, GLASGOW ‘It was a real joy to spend a week of summer in Scotland at the Games. A friendly welcome, generous hospitality and a unity in service enabled me to enjoy the week from the off and play my part in a team effort. Looking forward to Gold Coast 2016 GLO team...’

John Meredith

COMMONWEALTH TEAM, GLASGOW ‘Really enjoyed working on the GLO team; a very challenging experience that stretched me in my faith, pushing me out of my comfort zone. I felt I've grown so much in my faith from going on GLO and become much more confident in sharing my faith with others through it.’

Calum Main

COPENHAGEN The Denmark team brought together many different nationalities and the feeling that we were all serving the same God together was amazing. We had a variety of different activities and it was wonderful to see the church full on the international evening, especially having visitors that came to the church for the first time. God was really good and was great to see Him among us! Eccl 4:9 Erika Raigné

LAVAL ‘Our mission theme was "Osons semer ensemble - Dare to sow together". Perhaps the word together is the lasting memory of this year’s team. Together we spent hours putting gospels, books and flyers into envelopes, together we distributed in the streets of Laval, together we prayed and worshipped our Lord, together we prepared outreach evenings, together we did mad things, together we laughed, together we learnt more about our faith. Together we were stronger than alone!’

Mike Packer

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GLO Europe

Church Planting in Orikum

by Juli Muhameti

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fter coming back from Tilsley College as a family we took over the ministry of church planting in the nearby city of Orikum, five miles from Vlorë. Orikum is a small city without a Christian witness. From that time until now as GLO missionaries in Albania we have been focused on church planting in Orikum.

The group there started with children and some teenagers and now is becoming more mature with couples and families attending the church meetings. We average more than 20 at our weekly meetings. We have started meeting as a church, having the Breaking of Bread service every Saturday and a Bible Study twice a week. From time to time we have a GLO Team and we organise outreaches and activities for sharing the gospel with people in Orikum.

In Orikum we have a large children’s meeting that has been facing difficulties because of a lack of leaders. Our main focus for reaching out to the people in Orikum is through personal evangelism and trying to be a presence in the city so we can share the gospel through our lives. We have had

baptisms this year; three of the members in Orikum have demonstrated their commitment to Christ through baptism; Juli, Elsi, and Ina are their names.

Being in a small city the difficulties are different to those of a big city. It is not easy to be part of the community because people here are closed to outside influence so what we do is try to help the locals grow so they can share their faith and be part of the community; consequently discipleship is a huge issue here for us.

In recent times there have been more openings for the gospel with the people of Orikum; they are becoming more friendly to those of us from Vlorë and do not see us as foreigners any more. This has opened doors for us and for the gospel; there is hope and there is great joy in seeing people getting saved in the city of Orikum.

Please pray for Orikum that the Lord may use us there to extend his Kingdom. Pray for the three young Christians who were baptised in September that the Lord may use them for the church in Orikum. Give thanks to God for the team from Vlorë that serve with us in Orikum.

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GLO Europe

Albania -

by Juli Muhameti

The Land of The Eagle!

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lbania now claims to be a country where there is freedom of religion, which is a huge change from 1967 when it was prohibited by law to believe in God. With this religious freedom the church has grown from almost zero to several thousand Christians, but Islam is also becoming stronger and particularly in the East of the country it is radicalising. 2013 was an election year in Albania and the main opposition party used the slogan ‘Reborn’ and called for a radical change in Albania. While Albania is European from a geographical point of view, it is not yet accepted as such by many European countries and sometimes

looks more like a Majority World country. While University City of Albania sharing the gospel the country needs economic regeneration there with students. Albania is the poorest country in is also a need for the church to revive. In the Europe and the church in Albania, for the moment, census of 2011 born-again Christians were less depends financially on outside help. The economic than 1% of Albania’s 3 million population, and situation is a challenge also because Albanians this demonstrates how difficult it is for the gospel leave the country to find jobs throughout Europe to penetrate. On a positive note from 2000and this includes church members and even 2007 there was a change in leadership in many leaders. churches from missionary leadership to Albanian The general view is that Islam is growing and leadership and this in turn makes the church more becoming more radicalised and in this situation indigenous and less influenced from the outside. we need to remember Hebrews 6:19 ‘We have this The last three years have also seen a big change hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It in attitude from believers and a desire to share the enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain’. The gospel and to be involved in the local community. hope that we have is an anchor for the future and The Brethren movement which is small in Albania we are getting more exited every day as we share has for years suffered division but recently has the gospel with the Albanian people; we believe that matured and is growing. A real characteristic of God is going to use the Albanian Christians to reach these churches is their commitment to the Word of our Muslim countrymen.

God. These churches also grow by a small number each year.

One of the key ministries in Albania One of the key ministries in Albania is the student is the student ministry BSKSH ministry which now operates in every University (IFES-Albania) which of Albania sharing the gospel with students. now operates in every

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GLO Europe

Country Profile -

Italy

Opportunities to serve with GLO in Italy Naples - Campania region A couple to work in the Fuorigrotta church in the centre of Naples participating in leadership, teaching, pastoral care, children and women’s ministry. Long term commitment (5-7 years).

A couple to work in the province of Avellino, preferably in a tent-making capacity. The ability to teach English or Spanish is a significant advantage. The work will primarily be church planting and evangelism in a small town context.

Molise Short term (2 months to 2 years) Experienced English as a Second Language teachers to prepare courses for children, teens, or adults as part of the La Fonte outreach.

Children and Youth Workers.

University students. Molise has a good university and conservatory that accept international students. Be a help and blessing to the church while studying.

Long term (4+ years) Church planters - a younger couple, open to living in a small town setting, to partner in a recent church plant.

Tent makers - anyone with the possibility of bringing their work with them to move to Molise, using their free time to bless the church!

Piemonte: Mombello Monferrato (Alessandria) A mature couple, who have experience and a desire to help in the only evangelical church in the area.

A couple or individual to help a small group of Christians in Brusasco primarily with evangelism.

GLO Italia Rep A young person or a young couple to be a GLO Italia rep. This involves organising GLO summer teams and promoting the work of GLO in Italy at national events and also by visiting churches. At least a 5 year commitment would be preferable.

For further details contact Stephen McQuoid

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he nation of Italy with its 60 million evangelicals combined make up just 1% of the people is one of the world’s top ten population whereas the Jehovah Witnesses economies and well known for the outnumber any single evangelical denomination. manufacture of luxury goods. There is a However pessimistic this picture appears, there huge contrast between the North and the are signs of hope. Evangelicalism however small is South with unemployment, organised crime and slowly growing. There are also increasing signs of poor local government being a feature of life in unity and cooperation among churches. Immigration the South. from Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Italy has contributed so much to the world Philippines has also breathed new vitality into many including Roman law, the Latin language, the churches.

Renaissance, art, music, and of course fashion. It In addition, there are some new leadership was also a country where Christianity flourished and training ministries which is a key issue as the need where the Roman Catholic Church became virtually for mature, qualified and gifted leaders is urgent. a state religion. So much so that Italy was almost Servant leadership is particularly important as untouched by the Protestant Reformation. authoritarian structures, power struggles and a lack Today however the Roman Catholic Church of pastoral concern are commonplace. has lost a lot of credibility. Culturally Italians are There are many things to pray for in Italy. Pray Catholic but many are cynical about the church. for the unreached as more that 70% of towns, Studies show that as few as 15% of Italians now villages and urban areas are without a Biblefaithfully practice Catholicism. The North is believing congregation. One of the neediest of these largely secular and materialistic while in the South areas is Sardinia where a population of 1.7 million Catholicism is mixed with a lot of superstition. is served by only 30 evangelical churches. Pray too Despite this the Catholic Church remains active for the 1,850,00 students in Italy’s universities. The nationally and does exert an influence on Italian evangelism of Italy’s 1.5 million Muslims needs society. prayer; 70% of them come from North Africa and Protestantism has been around for a long many of these are illegal immigrants. time in Italy with the Waldencian church going back some 800 years.

However Protestantism as a whole is weak and Culturally Italians are Catholic but many are divided and liberal theology has impacted cynical about the church. Studies show that as few several mainstream as 15% now faithfully practice Catholicism. denominations. All

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GLO Europe

Is there hope for Naples?

by Luca IIliano

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friend of mine said that hope is the last thing to die. It is not always encouraging to hear that even if it seems to be true. Even if hope is the last thing to die, it is going to die at some point. Many people from Naples whether in Mergellina, or in other areas like the one where the CLC Bookshop is located have this idea. Nothing is really certain, not even hope.

There is no hope in politics, nor in the law, nor in a job, nor in the family, nor in friendship, and there is no hope in Christianity - like the story of Emanuele.

A short story At the CLC Bookshop where I 'work' most days Emanuele drops in. He is not a believer; he is a young man of around 19 years who just got his diploma from high school. His temporary job is delivering coffees to the shops in the area, and one of them is the CLC Bookshop.

When he comes in asking if I want a coffee we have always a few minutes to chat about life. As he knows that he is stopping into a Christian bookshop,

one of his favorite topics is “there are too many religions in the world, Christianity being one of them. Which is the right one?”

Since the first day he came into the shop Emanuele was different from most of the young Neapolitans that I met since I moved back to Naples.

He is full of ambitions and hope, although there is not much hope here of finding a job for a future with certainty. Although his main argument is that there are too many religions the message he needs to hear is that Christ is risen, and that His resurrection not only is the finger that “points” to the right God excluding religions, but through His resurrection we may have a living hope in Him as we believe.

I believe that the people in Mergellina (“tested” with surveys) as in other places need to hear that Christ is the only hope for them, even in the middle of a financial or family crisis. They need to know that Christ’s resurrection is more than a story told in a book or that they learned at the catechism or just a day called Pasqua (Easter). But it is actually relevant to us for our lives, for Naples, for the world.

Emanuele’s idea of hope is not in the certainty of the risen Christ, and for most people like Emanuele

their hope is in uncertain things, in an uncertain future. So for them the only thing which is going to give a hope is probably in a betting shop by hoping that their football team is going to win this year.

The message that through the risen Christ there is living hope which does not end in a grave or depend on how much money you have, will never be too much to share, and will never be enough to preach only once a year to people. This message brings the believer straight to where Christ is. That is why I want to make the exclusivity of Christ clear in our evangelism. All other things, even if they may seem to give hope to people, sooner or later will end and die. But the message of the Gospel is different, because it is a message of an empty tomb and a risen Hope Giver.

This is why I plan to go out evangelizing wearing a polo shirt on which is written ‘Gesù la speranza per Napoli’, ‘Jesus the hope for Naples’

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GLO Europe

by Brian Murray

Seeing Jesus

by Regin Guttesen

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e are so exited! I just got back from the first evangelistic Bible study with Lucio, an older man, who lives in Pietracatella, the town where our little church is.

Lucio desperately wants to get to know Jesus. The last words he said to me as I was leaving were: ‘When can we do the next Bible study?’

The fog In the past ten years that we have lived in Italy, we have not always been this excited. Honestly, we have been close to quitting many times. I remember back to the years we lived in Campobasso, the regional capital of Molise. We tried to help a group of believers start a church and, despite good intentions, it did not go well. It was a time of discouragement and doubt for our whole family.

Then, in 2009 we began to meet as a house group in Pietracatella, a small town in the mountains of Molise, with our coworkers and a newly converted family from Campobasso. It was the start of the La Fonte church. From the beginning, our prayer was to see Pietracatella reached with the gospel and to

see a breakthrough in this town.

During these past five years we have done countless outreaches, events, Bible studies, and we have built dozens of solid friendships. We praise God that we have seen people come to faith. But no one from Pietracatella has come to faith, not that we know of. The new believers come from six different nearby towns, some of them even driving 40 minutes to attend. There has been no real breakthrough in Pietracatella.

Our burden for this town has, at times, literally brought us, and the church, to our knees. John Knox prayed: ‘Give me Scotland or I die’. That is often how we have felt: ‘God, give us Pietracatella or we die as a church’.

At times we look at what we are doing and where we are and think: this is impossible. These people don't want Jesus. They are content in their religion and rituals. There is nothing we can say or do that will make any real difference. In those times of discouragement and doubt Jesus continually reminds and encourages us with these words: ‘I will build my church!’ It is as if He is telling us: ‘all your activities are great, continue to do them! But

remember that this is My church! I will take care of building it, and nothing will stand against it. Take your hands off and let Me do My job!’

The light Over the course of this past year something has changed. We are seeing Jesus at work in the hearts and lives of people in Pietracatella in a way we have never seen before. An older couple, hungry for companionship, has started attending church quite regularly. Several elderly ladies are reading through the gospel of John with us, and they continually invite friends to join in. A young woman felt God was trying to get her attention and asked to study the Bible with us so she could get to know Him. Local children regularly attend the Saturday club and hear about Jesus. Many of our friends are opening up about spiritual issues - and then there’s Lucio, passionate about knowing Jesus!

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: ‘We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.’ There is hope! Jesus is building His church.

It doesn’t depend on us. We can't convince people.

We can’t make them see their need for Jesus. And we certainly can't save anyone. Jesus is building His church and we are just so incredibly excited to be a part of it!

Please come visit us on: www.lafontemolise.it to get a feel of Jesus’ church at Pietracatella.

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GLO Europe

Name: Pætur Gerðalíð Age: 23 Currently serving in Italy, Molise Ex GLO Student 11/12 www.lafontemolise.it

The last eight months I’ve been working in central Italy, in a mountainous area in the Region

practical things. After just one week here I became really good friends with some local musicians, and

of Molise. Molise is the smallest region with only 320,000 inhabitants. The people are scattered around the region, living on mountain tops, creating small villages all around. I’m working with two GLO missionaries, Regin and Heidi Guttesen, in a young church plant in the village Pietracatella, called La Fonte. Around twenty people attend regularly, of whom the majority are new believers.

In the beginning I spent most of my time learning the language and getting to know the people, settling in my little house and just helping out with

that opened the door for a music outreach. Apart from helping out in church life, in music, preaching and practically, my main responsibility has been to organise ‘jam nights’ in the church, where the local people could come and hang out, play music together and in this way we connected to the younger people in the area. This year God has really shown me that all my fears and doubts about anything I had with mission were really nothing. God provides when we step out, God helps us when we fail and though we might feel inadequate in the work, we rest in the fact that God is doing the work.

In those times of discouragement and doubt Jesus continually reminds and encourages us with these words: "I will build my church!"

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GLO Europe

Tilsley College “The Biblical church is called to be a community unlike any other, a place where people welcome the outsider, spur one another to good works, encourage one another in difficult times, and work to help all members grow in Christ” (Tim Keller).

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hat is a tough task, but it is the task we are called to as God’s children.

We can give thanks that the task of building the church into this type of welcoming, challenging, encouraging, growing community is one which Jesus himself does (Matt 16:18). But we, as his people and as members of the community of Christ, have been given the unfathomably great privilege of being called to work with our Saviour in this task. The future of the church - the hope of the church - is in its ability to show the reality of Christ’s love in a community which gives a glimpse of what God’s Kingdom – his rule – actually looks like.

For this to happen, all of us have to be engaged in discipling and training others. Whether in the home, the youth group, the men’s and women’s groups, or in our main church services we need to ensure that not only is our teaching biblicallybased, but that we are striving to nurture Christlike character and servant attitudes. It must be part and parcel of who we are in all areas of life.

The need for well-trained, spiritually mature leaders has never been greater. In his wisdom, God has placed the leadership of the church in the hands of human beings, people who are – and always will be – imperfect and fallen individuals; weak and often struggling. But this is how God has chosen to work. With the responsibility of leadership in the present comes the commensurate responsibility of preparing the next generation; for us to truly live out Paul’s charge to Timothy, “the things you have

heard me say in the presence of many witnesses our optimism concerning training in the UK and the entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified rest of Europe. to teach others” (2 Tim 2:2).

The core of Tilsley’s training, though, remains It is this desire to prepare the next generation our full time courses. It has never been easy for which lies at the heart of what Tilsley College does. students to take the step of devoting a year or two Our various programmes offer opportunities to to training. Pressures to get a good education and a grow and develop in comprehension, competence good job - legitimate concerns in many ways - can and character, and provide an environment for all too easily get in the way of setting aside time for training in righteousness. A year or two at Tilsley concentrated study. It is here where parents, youth gives an opportunity to explore the many facets of leaders and church elders have an important role our faith, not just what the Bible says, but what the to play in setting an example for young people to truths of the Bible look like in real life. follow; encouraging them to be giving training and The last few years at Tilsley have shown some spiritual growth its rightful importance. It means positive growth in those attending ‘Joshua’, our that those in any form of leadership in the church evening classes, with centres in Motherwell, need to be actively engaged in seeking out young Stourbridge and Dundee. Other centres will be people for whom training would be beneficial. It opening in the next year. For those who are means parents encouraging their children – boys unable to take a full year to study, this offers a real and girls – to take the time out to deepen their opportunity for quality training. This growth has understanding of the faith and be better equipped to been part of the rationale behind some changes in serve God in his world. And it means churches being the Training Department of GLO. The two roles of willing to help finance the time spent at college.

Training Director and College Principal, which Mark Davies has been fulfilling have now been split. Mark and his wife, Shirley, will be moving to England in 2015 In his wisdom, God has placed the leadership to develop, among other things, Joshua there. The of the church in the hands of human beings, Principal’s post has been taken up by Simon Marshall. people who are - and always will be imperfect, For GLO, this is an exciting weak and often struggling. development and a sign of

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GLO Europe

A Student’s Eye View

by Vince Corpus

“My time at Tilsley College in the “Stepping Out” programme was a very enriching time for me. From the very first day, I knew that it would be a year of growth and possible exposure to different thoughts and ideas that I hadn't considered prior to my time there.

While that turned out to be true, one of the biggest things I took from my time at college was a broader view on certain things that I used to think were fairly cut and dried. One example of that would be from the Theology of Creation module.

We need to read Genesis to see what it is trying to tell us about God, not science; that would be a rough paraphrase for the emphasis of the class. There are plenty of other areas where we were stretched and prodded and challenged, as the lecturers are very thorough in their preparation and their application of Biblical truths. Suffice it to say, you will get a demanding education while here in a loving Christcentred environment.”

“This brings me to the best thing about Tilsley, the friendships and camaraderie that develop as you learn, grow and challenge each other for a year.

I loved the chance to get to know my classmates.

It was refreshing to grow alongside like-minded

people who love the Lord, and see them each time we would meet back in Motherwell and share what the Lord was doing in each of our areas of ministry and personal lives. It was a great year.”

First year full-time students 2014/15 Sarah Turner (Scotland), Nichola Weir (Scotland), Tim Ortez (Spain), Jessica Evans (England), Liam Parnell (Scotland), Gillian Clancy (Scotland), Debora Jack (Argentina)

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GLO Europe

Visit to GLO Korea – a personal perspective

by Richard Harknett

by David Clarkson

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am writing this article on the day of the Scottish independence referendum. One of the key questions we have been wrestling with is ‘what does it mean to be Scottish?’

Actually, this is the second time this year I have tried to answer this question. The first was during my visit to Korea in July.

I had been invited to teach at CTI (Christian Training Initiative) in Namsa about 30 miles south of Seoul. I had been asked to teach on ‘cross cultural mission’ and was happy with the subject because I felt it would help me to find out how Koreans thought about the world. My advance preparation included reading three books, one entitled ‘Understanding the Korean Mind’, the second was a similar book describing the Scottish character (I thought I had better check out who I was first) and the third was Max Hastings excellent book on the Korean War. The Korean War which finished around 60 years ago left the country almost completely destroyed.

The visitor today finds it virtually impossible to imagine that this was the case. Modern Korea is a vibrant, developed economy with new housing and factories being built on every available piece of land. The progress made over the last 60 years is truly astonishing.

was most stimulating and I discovered that there were many points of contact and similarity between Korea and Scotland. It had been a Scot who had first translated the Bible into the Korean language. All the students knew ‘Auld Lang Syne’ which we sang in our various languages on the final night (no haggis, only kimshi). This was a moving experience and in a way illustrated how Scotland had influenced the whole world.

Most interestingly, many of the students felt their outlook on the world had been influenced by the fact that they were a small nation often dominated by larger neighbours. I don’t know if Scots can relate to that!

We also spent considerable time exploring what we felt were strengths and weaknesses in the Korean missionary movement and compared these with the Scottish missionary movement of earlier centuries. Both are characterised by a deep commitment to prayer and love of the Bible, both are influenced by the Protestant work ethic and both need to be aware of the dangers of exporting something of their own culture to the people they seek to serve.

I found my visit totally absorbing and was grateful for the opportunity to reflect on how much my background and culture has influenced my understanding of the world and of the Bible.

Hopefully something of my new insights rubbed off on the students.

So too has been the progress of Christianity.

At the end of the Korean War there were very few national Christians but everywhere you look in modern Korea you see churches, some simple some ornate, some with attractive steeples and others with bright neon lights. Korea has become the second largest missionary sending country in the world and will soon overtake the USA should present trends continue. It is estimated that at present some 20,000 Koreans are serving God overseas.

Getting back to my teaching - I had decided to reduce the amount of lecturing and increase the time given to discussion. I approached the subject by presenting myself as a cross cultural missionary coming to Korea from a Scottish background. We spent about half an hour every day during which I tried to explain to the students what it felt like to be a Scottish person coming to Korea and then asked them to explain to me how Korean people saw Korea has become the second largest the world and particularly how they viewed missionary service. missionary sending country in the world There were just over twenty students in the class and my colleague and will soon overtake the USA should Ok Yong Lee was as always an excellent translator. The discussion present trends continue.

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GLO Europe

Sometimes, we come across great resources that we can’t sell to people, but that doesn’t stop us letting people know about them! One such resource is being produced by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, ‘My Hope UK with Bill Graham’, which will feature ‘The Cross’ DVD. “‘My Hope UK with Billy Graham’ is a nationwide effort to reach people across the United Kingdom with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. During the 60th anniversary of the 1954 Harringay meetings and the 30th anniversary of Mission England, you can bring the same Gospel message to your community through My Hope UK with Billy Graham.

Through this outreach you can present others with powerful testimonies and a recent message from Billy Graham. Let’s work together to share Jesus with a world desperate for hope.”

We would strongly encourage churches to look carefully at these resources and see if they can make use of them in their local community.

You can pre-order the DVD and resource pack at http://myhopewithbillygraham.org.uk/what-ismy-hope/? Or telephone 0208 559 0342. In case of difficulty – please give us a call at The GLO Bookshop, and we hope we will be able to help you!

GLO Bookshop

by Andrew Lacey

O

n any given day in the GLO Bookshop, we receive scores of ‘phone calls. These range from the inevitable telesales people, selling everything from advertising to Zumba classes, through to people enquiring about local events and even people enquiring about big national events.

In the summer, we had a customer asking if we could help her with accommodation for the Keswick Convention – some 150 miles away from Motherwell! Many of these people start the conversation by asking, ‘I hope you can help me.…’.

Of course, we always do our best – no matter what the enquirer asks, but sometimes we cannot give the answer or information the customer wants, and their ‘hope’ in us has been dashed.

What we can always do is pass the customer to someone who can fulfil their hope – the hopeful Keswick visitor was passed the telephone number for the Cumbrian Tourist Office, and I do hope she found somewhere suitable to stay! As Christian believers we are sometimes called to face questions from people who are looking for Hope. These questions may relate to all manner of situations and problems. We often meet people in the GLO

Bookshop asking about different resources or books, sometimes for themselves, and sometimes to give to people to help undergoing different trials – but always looking for Hope in these varying circumstances. In addition to our role to help people find the right product, we are there to lend a listening ear, an encouraging smile, a sense of friendship and fellowship, even for a few short minutes. And sometimes we have the privilege of pointing people to the only One who can offer real, permanent, abiding and constant hope. Recently I had the privilege of helping a young believer find their first ‘proper’ Bible and it was a real thrill to see that young man leave the shop with Word of God that will confirm and direct him in his new faith and hope in Jesus.

I am reminded of the closing verses of Romans, which motivate us to share this great news of Jesus Christ, the One who is the Hope of all Nations.

‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.’ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:12 & 13

Special Offers Billy Graham – ‘The Reason for My Hope’ Billy Graham presents the core message that has guided his life and calling for more than 70 years. Filled with new stories and timeless truth, Graham once again calls the world back to the Hope that we can only find in Jesus.

RRP. £9.99 Special Offer price £7.00, with FREE post & packing within the UK.

Stuart Townend – ‘There is a Hope’ CD & DVD special edition Stuart Townend is one of today's finest modern hymn-writers. The title track ‘There is a Hope’ has distinctive lyrics are rich in theology and poetry. This combined CD plus DVD pack is an excellent way to purchase the album and DVD together.

RRP. £14.99 Special Offer price £12.00, with FREE post & packing within the UK. Please quote ‘e-Vision Magazine Special Offer’ when contacting us – please get in touch whichever way is most convenient. If ordering online, please note ‘e-Vision Magazine Special Offer’ in the ‘Order Notes’ field, and we will adjust your final payment manually.

All offers are subject to availability and while stocks last. Offer expires 30th November 2014. Overseas post & packing charged at cost.

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Contact Details Stephen McQuoid (General Director) smcquoid@glo-europe.org smcquoid@glo-europe.org 01698 267298 Mark Davies (Training Director) Director) mdavies@glo-europe.org mdavies@glo-europe.org Sam Gibson (Missions Director) Director) samgibson1980@btinternet.com samgibson1980@btinternet.com 02890 479411 Ian Smith (Finance Director) Director) ismith@glo europe.org ismith@glo-europe.org 01698 263483 Admin office office admin@glo-europe.org admin@glo-europe.org 01698 263483

GLO Board Members Stephen Cracknell Mark Davies Edwards Graham Edwards Richard Elliott Sam Gibson Karen Macrae Stephen McQuoid Mike Packer Philippe Perrilliat Ian Smith Patrizio Zucchetto

GLO Mission Teams 2015 Check out our website for details of mission teams 2015: www.glo-europe.org

College Office Office college@glo-europe.org college@glo-europe.org 01698 266776

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Tel 01698 263483 Fax 01698 253942 E-mail: admin@glo-europe.org Internet: www.glo-europe.org

Gospel Literature Outreach 78 Muir Street Motherwell ML1 1BN

GLO Bookshop books@glo europe.org books@glo-europe.org 01698 275343/ 252699

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