Summer 2019
EUROPE’S
Hard to Reach Peoples e-vision-19.indd 1
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EUROPE’S
Hard to Reach Peoples
THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL
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Stephen McQuoid
MISSION SNAPSHOTS
TILSLEY COLLEGE
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Allan McKinnon
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. GLO is a charity registered in Scotland: SC007355. If you would like to contribute financially to the work of GLO this can be done directly using the bank details below
PLANTING SEEDS IN DARNLEY
REACHING AFGHANS IN GERMANY
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Stephen McQuoid
Allan McKinnon
GLO BOOKSHOP
Miriam Mathie
CONNECT WITH US!
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CHURCH PLANTING INITIATIVE
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GLO Europe is on: LEAVING A LASTING LEGACY
or by contacting our Finance Director: Ian Smith (ismith@glo-europe.org).
Many 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, along with many
BANK OF SCOTLAND, 72 BRANDON PARADE, MOTHERWELL ML1 1UW ACCOUNT NAME – GLO TRUST SCOTLAND SORT CODE – 800915 ACCOUNT NUMBER – 00400636
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 booklet on the use of legacies and if you would like to have one then write to: Stephen McQuoid | GLO Centre | 78 Muir Street | Motherwell ML1 1BN | smcquoid@glo-europe.org
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THE HARVEST Is Plentiful by Stephen McQuoid
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urope has always been a challenging place as far as gospel proclamation is concerned. However, in this edition of e-vision we are focussing on some of the particular communities that require an extra effort if we are to reach them for Christ. I hope you enjoy reading this edition, and that you will continue to pray that the gospel will go out and lives will be changed. You will read some short snapshots from GLO workers who are making significant inroads into communities that have proved challenging to reach. We also have a guest article from a friend in Germany who is working with Afghan refugees, some of whom are now being impacted with the gospel. In addition we have reports from some of our ministries including Tilsley College and the GLO Bookshop.
This year is a significant one for GLO. We are in the process of changing our charitable status to become an SCIO and that necessitates both a lot of work and a degree of restructuring. Our plan is that it will better prepare us for future challenges. We are also working hard in recruitment because finding and motivating a new generation of short and long term missionaries is a bigger challenge than ever. In all of this we are driven both by the huge needs that exist and also by a desire to see God glorified in people’s lives. As you read this edition of e-vison, please pray for us. The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are still very few. We also often lack the resources we need to carry out our mission and so are dependent on God to be our Provider. Your prayers are key to us achieving the work that God has given us.
MISS You Can Help Us DON'T this chance... GLO is a faith-based ministry, none of our workers receive a salary and we rely on donations in order to be able to function as an organisation. We are grateful for the support and prayers of Christians who have a heart for mission and a desire to participate in what God is doing through the work of GLO. We are conscious of the enormity of the task and the many opportunities we have to share
the Good News of Jesus with people throughout Europe. We also have a desire to empower and equip Christians all over Europe to serve God and make a difference, transforming their broken societies with the love of Christ. In order to do this we need your help. Partner with us to impact Europe for Christ! Here are 12 practical ways in which you could impact Europe for the Kingdom of God:
l Pray
l Become a GLO Ambassador
l Join a summer team
l Become a summer team leader
l Study at Tilsley College
(training and guidance offered)
l Support a GLO worker
l Become a GLO volunteer (location
l Support a GLO ministry l Support the work in a country where GLO is active l Donate to GLO General Fund
specific) l Join the GLO itinerant teaching team (experience required) l Launch a ‘prayer support’ team
If you think you can help in any of these ways and would like to know more, contact Stephen McQuoid: smcquoid@glo-europe.org
Opportunities in life come and go and the decision to ‘seize the moment’ is often confined to a relatively small timeframe – that time is now!
Tilsley College exists to provide discipleship training for mission. We are in the business of helping our students take time to know and hear what God is saying to them so that they are increasingly aware of what matters most in life. Our graduates serve the Lord Jesus in his mission in the world across all five continents but especially in Europe. Tilsley College is strategically located at the heart of GLO Europe and the mission’s vision and purpose filters through our biblical teaching and practical ministry training. Just nine months at Tilsley College will mean God can do a new thing in you, for you and through you – it’s a chance not to be missed! Contact the College at www.tilsleycollege.com to secure your place for September 2019 and join God in shaping a new tomorrow.
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ne of the many changes to take place in Europe over the past few decades has been the increasing diversity that we see in much of the continent. Some might argue that Europe has never been a monocultural entity with a shared worldview, that divisions and fissures have always existed. While there may be some truth in this claim, it would be equally true to say that the Europe of the past was certainly less diverse, more predictable and more cohesive than it is now. In the past you could assume that, despite the presence of sub groups with their distinctive cultural norms, the average European would subscribe to a Judeo-Christian worldview; they would believe God existed even if they had no personal faith, they would be white and they
“ The increasing diversification of European life has produced subcultures that are often hard to reach with the gospel.”
EUROPE’S
Hard to Reach Peoples by Stephen McQuoid
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would share at least some cultural norms that were widespread throughout the continent. Today the picture is much more varied. The reasons for the diversification are often complex, but nonetheless real. Immigration has certainly played a big part. Europe has always had migration, but often much less obvious and not to the same extent as today. However, migration is not the only force to produce diversity. The rapid urbanisation of the twentieth century together with cultural influences from other parts of the world, including the USA, have produced, particularly in our cities, a patchwork of ideas, lifestyles and interest groups that have in turn formed a myriad of subcultures right across the continent. Diversity can be exciting. Most people enjoy being able to eat out at a sushi bar, getting a Chinese take away or taking a few friends to their favourite Indian restaurant. We love the eclectic styles of music that have flourished in Europe and the individualism that has produced a blossoming of style. Diversity adds colour and that in turn makes life more interesting. From a spiritual angle diversity has also brought a great deal of life. It is exciting to see, for example, vibrant African churches popping up all over Europe, especially in major cities. However, there is another side to this diversity that we need to consider. The increasing diversification of European life has produced subcultures that are often hard to reach with the gospel and require a particular focus if we are to evangelise them. Perhaps the most obvious group of people who fit this category are the continent’s 44 million Muslims. Islam is growing rapidly throughout much of Europe and a quick glance at a couple of national censuses for England and Wales illustrates the point. Between 2001 and 2011 the number of Muslims in England and Wales grew by 1.2 million and they now represent almost 5% of the population. Moreover, the data shows that, in contrast to the ageing Christian population, 48% of all Muslims in England and Wales are under 25 and 9 out of 10 are under 50 years of age. The UK is only one of the countries where Islam flourishes. There are significant Muslim communities in places such as Germany, Spain, Sweden, Italy and France where they represent over 10% of the population and in Bosnia, Albania and Turkey, Muslims are in the majority. The Islamic community is itself diverse. Many of Europe’s Muslims originate from different parts of the world and have different histories. Some Muslims thoroughly integrate into European culture while others seek to integrate but only on their own terms. Still others wish to play a dominant role in Europe’s future and to impose Sharia law. Many Muslims are deeply moral people who want a relationship with God and Islam as a whole acts as a potential bulwark against further secularisation in European society. However, the sense of identity which unites Muslims and their commitment to faith as well as their suspicions of liberal European culture makes them a difficult community to reach with the gospel. Another hard to reach community are the
by Stephen McQuoid
“ Whole swathes of Europe are amongst the most secular places on the planet and we have a generation of young people who have never had any experience of church of any description, or Christian witness. ”
Chinese. They number more than a million in Europe and this number is growing steadily. Again, their cohesion as a community in many parts of Europe makes them difficult to reach. As a consequence, while there are vibrant Chinese congregations in Germany and the UK, throughout most of Europe the Chinese are virtually unreached. Much the same is true of Europe’s Jewish community. They were reduced to a remnant in many European countries due to the Holocaust and migration to Israel. They also suffer prejudice as antisemitism remains a real issue in Europe. As a consequence, they tend to be introspective and are in need of loving and understanding evangelism. Another community to suffer prejudice are Europe’s Gypsies. There are actually distinct types of Gypsies, some such as the Roma originating from India while Travellers came from Ireland. Among the Gypsy communities in some European countries there are a significant number of vibrant churches and they are often open to spiritual influence. However, because they suffer prejudice in many European countries, mainstream churches often show no interest in reaching them with the gospel. Consequently, they often remain hidden in their own communities suffering from lower levels of employment, education and resource than the population as a whole. Their numbers are hard to quantify, for example in Romania estimates vary from 500,000 to 2.5 million, but throughout Europe they are a
spiritually needy and isolated people. We should not forget those individuals and families who struggle with disability. In any setting this is a challenge and many European countries are not very good at looking after the disabled. Suffering from a disability can in itself be an isolating thing and the sufferer and their families can feel ostracized or left behind. Churches too often struggle to know how to help and reach our relevantly, making Europe’s disabled people another group greatly in need of the gospel. Perhaps one of the most difficult groups of people to reach in today’s Europe are the secular young. Whole swathes of Europe are amongst the most secular places on the planet and we have a generation of young people who have never had any experience of church of any description, or Christian witness and know absolutely nothing about Christian values. They are not necessarily closed to spirituality, but it generally takes the form of New Age, Eastern mysticism or the occult. They are possible to reach with a culturally relevant message, but in parts of Europe, even the churches that do exist are not equipped for such a method of communication. Europe’s current under 25’s are one of the most unreached generation in history and it will take a concerted effort to impact them with the gospel. Diversity is colourful and exciting, but it presents a great spiritual challenge to the gospel in Europe today!
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N O I S S I M s t o h s p Sna
Reaching out
TO THE GYPSY COMMUNITY
by Cristi Sortan
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f in some parts of the world the doors for the gospel are closed, when it comes to witnessing to Romanian gypsies, the door is unlocked, but sadly remains unopened. There are many Christians in Romania, Orthodox and even evangelical that view them as a problem and push them aside. As a result they live isolated, as a subculture in gypsy villages or in the suburbs. The problem lies elsewhere. The gypsy lifestyle is different, but there is no viable excuse for not reaching out to them. Romanians have to understand that we must go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15 NKJV). We must follow the example of our Lord Jesus in Scripture, the One who breached all cultural barriers. We would ask you to pray with us for an open heart for the Romanian people. May the Lord raise good men and women from within the gypsy communities, workers with sound doctrine, strong in faith and willing to serve. For ‘the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.’
Reaching out
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TO FAMILIES WHERE AUTISM IS PRESENT
utism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others. Autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently to other people. Some families can feel they are worlds apart because of the particular way they have to function to accommodate an autistic person. One of the first challenges is to become informed and trained as quickly as possible about how to behave and interact around the autistic person. Sharing the gospel with these families means being faced with their difficulties and suffering – lots of listening before talking is required! Friendship evangelism seems the obvious choice as evangelistic events and church life are brimming over with sensory
by Catherine Moreau
issues and social interaction – a total turn-off for some parents! Alternatively someone could offer to babysit or care for the autistic person to release the parents to attend the church activity. In France we have found that serving others through a non-Christian association specialising in autism is invaluable. The biggest challenge is to remain true to our calling of being people who have a ministry of reconciliation and this, despite our weaknesses and the difficulties encountered in dealing with autism. God is able to do ‘immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…’ (Ephesians 3:20).
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by Ermal Bimaj
Reaching out TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN ALBANIA
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lbania is in the heart of Europe, and it contains more than 70% nominal Muslims. With an average age of 26 years, it is a huge mission field for reaching young people for Christ. Most of these young people come from nominal Muslim backgrounds, but in reality they don’t have a religious identity. Actually, they don’t have an identity at all. They are caught up in a hopeless mess with no bright future and they are giving up on everything. They don’t read anymore, they don’t dream anymore, they don’t work anymore, they just survive! In the midst of this desperation, God is saving souls for himself. Through our youth ministries (Pre-teenagers, teenagers and college student ministries) we are sharing the gospel with 100 young people every week and an average of 10 of them get saved every year. Joni is one of those young people, who got baptised in September and now he is dedicating his life to reach his friends for Jesus. Summer camps and GLO Teams are helping to catalyse a year round of ministry and discipleship. We declared ourselves an atheist country 50 years ago, and today God is transforming the entire nation by reaching its youth.
by Anne Dryburgh
Reaching into
THE DARK WORLD OF ABUSE
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t is hard to know what goes on behind closed doors. Hidden from sight, there can be abusive situations that isolate people making them hard to reach. Abuse does not just take the form of physical violence, it can include emotional manipulation, controlling behaviour, intimidation, subjugation, punishment, mind games, coercion and threats, blame, financial control and a host of other forms of abuse. The abuser may also use children to control, and can jealously guard their family, all the while occasionally behaving normally. The devastating effects of abuse include confusion, doubt, fear, guilt, worry, and inhibition. Victims will frequently suffer from anger, shame, and a changed mental state. Ironically the abused person becomes dependent on the abuser, and the sideeffects of this vicious circle can include loneliness, depression and sorrow. How do you reach people who are trapped in their own world and, as victim of their circumstances, hide behind closed doors? Clearly the Christian gospel is good news as it offers unconditional love, forgiveness and a fresh start. However, wisdom and sensitivity are required before we can ever get to the point of building the trust that enables people to open up and share their deepest concerns. A loving, caring, and understanding community offers the kind of support that an abused person needs in order to experience the liberation that the gospel brings. Getting behind those closed doors is difficult, but with gentle persistence it can happen.
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We are delighted to have a guest article of what God is doing amongst refugees in Germany.
Afghans IN GERMANY AND EUROPE T
hose in the younger generation in Afghanistan have never seen a day of peace in their lifetime. Since the Russian invasion in 1979 violence and war have been an everyday reality for Afghans in most parts of the rugged and mountainous country in Central Asia. Civilians are those who suffer most under the ongoing fighting between the Taliban and government security forces. For decades Afghanistan has been the number one refugee producing country in the world. Iran and Pakistan have been flooded with millions of Afghan refugees again and again. They were not welcomed and mostly treated very badly by officials and by the local people of the host countries. That is why a larger number of the second generation of these refugees have moved on to Europe in the last years in the hope of a more peaceful and better future.
A HARD PLACE FOR THE GOSPEL NO. 2 ON WORLD PERSECUTION LIST The ‘Open Doors’ 2019 persecution list has placed Afghanistan at No. 2, second behind North Korea. The organisation describes the country as a place, ‘where Christianity is not permitted to exist.’ In their country report they write that ‘even government officials are hostile toward Christianity - as are ethnic group leaders, leaders of local mosques and ordinary citizens. Anyone leaving Islam is seen as betraying their tribal community. In most cases, conversion brings shame for the family; family members will do all in their power to bring the convert back to Islam or to atone for the shame. Multiple, radical Islamic vigilante groups fight for the honour of their interpretation of their religion, and any deviation—even if only perceived—is highly dangerous.’ There is a small number of Afghan believers, but they are living their faith secretly and under a constant threat to their lives. Many Muslim
background believers got killed and quite a number of foreign workers were martyred by Taliban, IS and other religious hardliners in recent years.
EUROPE – THE LARGEST AFGHAN REFUGEE DIASPORA OUTSIDE THE MUSLIM WORLD Large numbers of Afghan refugees came to Europe in recent years, almost 300,000 of them at the peak of the refugee crisis in 2015/16 alone. For most of them Germany was the country where they applied for asylum. According to official statistics their number in Germany quintupled to a total of more than 250,000 by the end of 2017. In the UK the number of Afghans has also grown, to more than 70,000. The total number of Afghans living inside Europe today might be more than 600,000.
COMING FROM HARD PLACES –SOFTENED BY GOD Among a growing number of Afghan refugees that came to Europe in recent years we have seen an increasing openness for the Gospel, especially
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“ Afghan Refugees in Germany quintupled to more than 250,000 by the end of 2017”
among those who are ethnically Hazaras and following the Schiite sect of Islam. The Hazaras are facing a very fierce racial and religious persecution by the Taliban who are ethnically Pashtuns and mostly follow a radical brand of Salafi Sunni Islam. Hazaras continue to face unofficial discrimination from Pashtuns in the Southern provinces of Afghanistan. They see that Islam does not bring peace and they cannot understand why members of their tribe are killed in the name of Allah by Taliban or IS fighters. God has put a longing for peace into the hearts of these refugees and many are starting to realize that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace who is the only one who can bring reconciliation with God and within communities.
THE BIRTH OF THE AFGHAN DIASPORA CHURCH Hundreds of Afghans have found their way into German churches or Farsi speaking fellowships which meet regularly within church buildings. In September 2016 local Christians invited their Afghan friends and together followed an evangelistic livestream that was sent from Cologne via the internet for three consecutive nights at about 400 locations in Germany and several neighbouring countries. Nine Afghan believers confessed their faith in Christ in public in an evangelistic programme on the stage of a church in
Cologne that was telecast live through internet. It was a historic moment, in a way the ‘coming out’ of the Afghan Diaspora Church in Europe. The fact that the discipleship course ‘Come Follow Me’, which had been specifically published for this event, was sold out within months and that by now we have seen two more reprints of the Farsi edition and one reprint of the German edition is showing the hunger for spiritual growth. A number of regional discipleship trainings have been conducted in the meantime.
STILL MUCH TO DO AND MANY BARRIERS TO OVERCOME We are happy to see God moving among Afghans in Germany and Europe. But so far only a small percentage have had the chance to hear the gospel and to understand what it means to follow Jesus, the Messiah. We see many barriers, like language, culture, fear of Islam and hate against Muslims, that have to be overcome among local European Christians in order to reach the 90+ percent that have not been exposed to the gospel so far. Christians must overcome their dullness, their laziness, and their self-centeredness in order to find their way to those Afghans who are living in isolated refugee camps in rural areas or in segregated ghettoes of larger cities.
PLEASE Pray for
l more labourers for the harvest among Afghan refugees in Germany and Europe l strength and perseverance for those already involved in ministry with Afghans l growth and maturing among the small Afghan fellowships and boldness to share the gospel with other Afghans, no matter what it may cost l ways to bring the gospel in print or through mobile devices and internet to each and every Afghan who has made his way into Europe l welcoming and hospitable churches and Christian families who open their doors and hearts for these people who have fled war and violence and have a deep longing for peace and belonging.
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Planting
SEEDS IN DARNLEY by Allan McKinnon
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arnley Mill Church is a new church that is sprouting on the south side of Glasgow. In the autumn of 2015, Stephen McQuoid (GLO’s General Director) brought the challenge of church planting to the elders of Greenview Church. In God’s providence, this matter had not been far from their agenda, however, finding people to lead a new initiative was proving difficult. Over the ensuing months, God laid on the heart of Allan & Jacqui McKinnon, an increasing burden for the area where they lived. Darnley is famous for its big tree - a grand and historic sycamore - but in prayer this became a vision for what God would do in growing ‘oaks of righteousness’ (Isa. 61:4) in the Darnley area. The passage speaks of God’s intention to rebuild ruins, to restore the broken and to renew a desolate generation and the zeal of the Lord Almighty would accomplish this. As the burden of ruined, broken and desolate lives in and around Darnley grew, so did God’s purpose in bringing together a team of people to serve and minister into people’s lives through early
2017. James and Linda McKerlie have a history in a year. We did some research of our area to discover the Darnley and Priesthill area: James was brought who lived beside us, what the population profile up there. He remembers many of the haunts of was, who would be within the immediate catchment these parts although his career as a secondary of a new church, what their needs were, etc. We teacher took him away from the area. James and identified six housing estates in the area with Linda had previously worked together in church over 3000 homes and about 10,000 people where ministry in the Govanhill area for many years, but only one very small traditional evangelical church were looking for a new opening to serve the Lord existed. We met with other church leaders, shared Jesus. Allan and James knew one another through our vision, received encouragement, leafleted the Tilsley College, so conversations led to prayerful area, so that by early 2017 we were able to run an considerations and finally a commitment to serve Alpha course in our local Sainsbury’s café. In late together. Then as the need and the vision grew and was shared more widely, David and Kerry Holmes, felt that they too would like to put their energies into this new initiative. David and Kerry have “ Great oaks grow slowly. We began a burden for evangelism and prayer and in a house group working with small were a perfect complement to the small core team. numbers, teaching the Bible and Great oaks grow slowly. We began in house group working with small praying together faithfully week by numbers, teaching the Bible and praying week for over a year.” together faithfully week by week for over
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NEW GL0 WORKERS James & Linda I 2017 and early 2018 we were able to run a series of special ‘acoustic café’ events in a local restaurant under the banner of Darnley Mill Church. By the summer of 2018 we were enrolling a GLO summer team to come and help us launch a week of children’s events in the community - this became the launch-pad for a regular monthly contemporary church event - but where to meet? In God’s good grace, we got to know the manager at our local pub/restaurant as we explored the possibility of doing an older folks’ event on a Tuesday afternoon. As we chatted, she asked us where Darnley Mill Church met on a Sunday. When we explained we had no building she offered us the use of the facilities! We’ve been meeting there for nine months! Every Tuesday for ‘Chatter and Natter’ and monthly on Sunday for our ‘Celebrations’! Our April 2019 event saw about 50 people attend, one lady has come to Christ and many more growing in grace and righteousness they’re looking more like oaks every month! Praise the Lord!
McKerlie
am delighted to be involved in the Darnley church plant in the south side of Glasgow which is less than two miles from where I was brought up in Nitshill. It was there I trusted the Lord at an outreach Sunday school and where I first lived with my wife, Linda, who is a GP. We have three teenage children, Andrew (17), Sarah (16) and Stuart (13). I worked for 18 years as a technology teacher in secondary schools in Paisley and East Renfrewshire. In 2011, I felt I could no longer continue to develop my career, be a father, church leader and I felt the call of God to devote more time to the study of his Word. I left my teaching post to attend Tilsley College and then became an outreach worker in my home church, Victoria Evangelical Church, in a multicultural area of Glasgow. I gained a lot of useful experience in this role and so when it came to an end in the summer of 2017, we were looking for another place to serve the Lord and use our gifts and experience. The Lord led us to Greenview Church and to the Darnley church plant. Working in Darnley seems like returning home for me, although there has been much expansion and regeneration in the area. It is the first time I have been involved in church planting so I am learning on the job. I am presently working part time in Darnley and part time in Barrhead High School as a Technical Technician / supply teacher. As the church develops and expands, I expect that my role will do likewise.
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TILSLEY COLLEGE Preparing you for Gospel Work in Hard Places
by Allan McKinnon
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ilsley College has been responding to the needs and demands of world mission for four decades. Presently, the college is served by a multi-national faculty that currently combines high-level post-graduate training in theology with solidly grounded ministry experience from internationally diverse contexts. It’s a great package that has benefitted many who now serve across the world as Tilsley graduates. Drawing on such broad experience, Tilsley College is keenly aware that the world has changed to be a different place in many ways from what it once was even ten years ago. We do not live in an ivory tower. Theological education itself has changed and is changing. This is why at Tilsley we are always monitoring and evaluating the services we bring to the wider church as we endeavour to ‘equip God’s people for God’s work in God’s world’. Over the last academic year we have implemented a comprehensive curriculum review in order to assess where we are, and where we would like our students to be in the coming years. We have retained and reinforced our biblical studies and theology elements to ensure that the evangelical heritage that is ours remains core to what we teach. We have streamlined and sharpened our focus on the vocational elements of practical ministry which are taught and overseen by practitioners. Examples of new courses introduced in the light of our changing world would be Responses to Islam, Christian Community for a New Age, and Trends in Global Christianity. However, delivering the Good News of Jesus in today’s world means being ready to discuss, defend and present the faith that was ‘once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3). This is the need of the hour. It means knowing and understanding the Bible, the world, and the best ways of making our life-changing message clear.
PREPARING STUDENTS THROUGH KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING At Tilsley College we facilitate the learning of all our students so that they can find the paths to knowledge and understanding that will be needed for their future ministry, whatever and wherever that might be. We are in the business of creating lifelong learners who know how to keep on learning. In the classroom we spend time in broad introductions during year one that establish firm foundations upon which to build. Second and third year pushes students to increasingly wrestle with and apply their knowledge and understanding in the global contexts of our world. We want to move beyond recall and remembering towards
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understanding and applying principles, analysing opinions, evaluating truth claims and even into finding new creative ways that will help us be most effective in sharing Jesus with the world.
DEVELOPING CHARACTER Head knowledge is one thing, and even learning to be effective in service (hands) is another; but at Tilsley College we believe the core of effective ministry is the heart - a Christ-like life. We want to work with our students to equip them for the hard knocks in life. We know that those who serve at the front line of Christian ministry will be footsoldiers who will get hurt and wounded, who will endure discouragement and despair. If you come to Tilsley College we will endeavour to prepare you in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, to grow in character. We will try to lead you by example - not perfectly, but hopefully in godly ways. We will formalise your development through a personal mentor. We will provide an environment which will shape your ethical choices and hold you to disciplinary standards. We will offer you relevant
“ The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will only be real in the world when it is a reality for you personally.”
experience so that with coaching and personal practice you can develop in your spiritual life. We will explain what we believe ideal graduates ought to look like and invite you to rise to the challenge of these key character traits. We are convinced that godly character will stand our graduates in good stead for whatever they may face in the hard places of Christian ministry.
Christian perspectives in matters like the debates surrounding gender and sexuality. How can we train students to face these difficulties in a world where it is hard to uphold Christian morality and ethics?
FACING THE REALITY OF THE WORLD TODAY
WORKING THE PROBLEMS THROUGH CASE STUDY TEAMWORK
The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will only be real in the world when it is a reality for you personally. Furthermore, the diversity of our modern world is such that the relevance of the gospel needs to be clearly demonstrated in us as believers. In the Majority world of Africa, Asia and South America, the church is booming in many places, nevertheless, for some there, the price for being a believer can be very costly. Meanwhile, in the Minority world of Europe, facing declining church numbers and a hostile post-Christendom reaction, the challenges before us are numerous. Cultural commitments to the autonomy of the individual, the isolationism and posturing of social media, and the hyper-rationalism of an increasingly well-educated populace leave us grappling with issues that the Bible’s message would challenge. These include a widespread distrust of authority, the hypocrisy and pride in our narcissistic outlook, and an unhealthy skepticism about mystery or the supernatural. Alongside such a difficult profile of western culture, the church and its leaders today face many challenges to other traditional
No one individual has all the answers, and that is why at Tilsley College we have developed our Integrated Learning Week. Close to the end of the academic year we set a week aside to consider a real-life problem that students need to ‘solve’. Working in teams across the three years of our programmes, students share knowledge, skills, character, experience, and wisdom; guided by their tutors, they learn to harness the power of teamwork, debate, discussion and deliberation so that robust and well-reasoned biblical and theological responses can be found. In recent sessions, students have been working to form a church policy that would help lay out biblically informed responses to the matters surrounding gender identity. In an upcoming challenge they will tackle the thorny problem of sexual misconduct in frontline mission enterprise. All in all, Tilsley College takes the world seriously, but endeavours, by God’s Spirit, to equip God’s people effectively so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ might reach, inform and transform even the hardest of places.
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READING, RECOMMENDING
& Retail B
eing raised in a Christian household, one thing I have always been encouraged to do is read thought-provoking Christian books. These stories have shaped me into the person I am today. As I have grown older, I have tried to push myself to read more mature books. Working in the GLO Bookshop has helped me to do this, by exposing me to authors I would not have come across otherwise. One such book I read recently was ‘When Darkness Seems My Closest Friend’ by Mark Meynell. This book expresses how a Christian lives whilst battling mental illness and is now one of my personal favourite Christian books. It was refreshing to read an author who expresses their experience in such a candid manner, showing that it does not mean you are a bad Christian to
go through mental health difficulties but instead, the author is someone who develops in their relationship with God, knowing him to be their ever-present guide through the hardships, even when it seems difficult. Thus, at times like these, probably more so than before, we should be encouraging young people to read Christian books and be inspired by authors such as C.S Lewis. Despite being from another generation, Lewis can help people become closer to God. However, it can be challenging for them to approach God, particularly with the amount of temptation in the world and the belief (or lack thereof) within young people today. Therefore, our encouragement should provide a taste of God’s love until they feel the full hunger and they want to be fed themselves. Society today is damaging in many ways and allowing a young person to read a book such as I previously mentioned, could help them tremendously in gaining understanding on the way we can see our lives from God’s point of view. It is like a ray of sunshine in the darkness. A darkness that a lot of young people know too well these days, I, myself, included. However, I believe in the strong power of knowing and reading the Bible and books that dive deeper into topics of extreme relevance today, gaining a bond with
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G
Europe
yourself and with God that is irreplaceable. Personally, there is nothing more rewarding whilst working in the Bookshop than being able to talk to the customers, building a relationship with them whilst helping pick out books or gifts that they desire. No matter the occasion weddings, baptisms, deaths or new Christians - the stories and lives you are able to touch for a moment, last a lifetime. These customers have also impacted what books I want to read and how I conduct myself on a daily basis, knowing the fragility of life and society today, despite being so young. Therefore, like many young people, I want to be challenged, inspired, and engaged in various ways, including through books. I believe strongly that power and love can come from the turn of one simple page. Pain can be subdued from the peace that can overcome difficulties. Eyes that were previously shut, can now become open to the help supplied by God. Encouragement has always been something I am thankful for within the Bookshop from my co-workers, manager and even the customers. It keeps me going and inspires me to challenge myself on a daily basis. Who knows what book I’ll read next and how it will encourage me on my Christian journey, strengthening my bond with God - one page at a time.
Church
PLANTING UK C
by Miriam Mathie
hurch planting has been part of the DNA of GLO from the very beginning. However, some years ago we launched into a cooperative venture with sister organisations (Counties, Partnership, CGT) to church plant in the UK under the banner of the Church Planting Initiative. CPI ran for several years, God blessed the work and churches were planted. In more recent years, however, there was a growing feeling that CPI had achieved its aims and that the work of church planting should be streamlined. The decision was made that, going forward, CPI would come to an end and GLO and Counties would assume responsibility for church planting within the UK with encouragement from Partnership and CGT. GLO has always been committed to church planting both in the UK and across Europe and
our desire now is to raise up, train and equip a new generation of church planters for this vital work. We also want to do this together with existing churches that have a burden to plant and would want to partner with us in planting. If you have an interest in church planting in the UK please get in touch or if you represent a church that wishes to plant out but needs a partner to co-operate with, again please be in touch by contacting Stephen McQuoid: smcquoid@gloeurope.org. The UK faces extraordinary spiritual challenges. Secularism is endemic, Islam is growing and at the same time churches are closing down. If we really believe that the church provides hope for our nation, then we need to plant more churches. Please pray for this and prayerfully consider how you can be involved in supporting church planting in the UK.
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GLO BOARD MEMBERS
CONTACT DETAILS Stephen McQuoid (General Director) smcquoid@glo-europe.org 01698 263483 Mark Davies (Training Director) mdavies@glo-europe.org 07503 953259 Sam Gibson (Missions Director) sgibson@glo-europe.org 028 9447 9411 Ian Smith (Finance Director) ismith@glo-europe.org 01698 263483
Rupert Abbott Stephen Cracknell James Davies Admin office admin@glo-europe.org Mark Davies Judith Gibson 01698 263483 Sam Gibson Karen Macrae College Office college@glo-europe.org Simon Marshall Stephen McQuoid 01698 266776 Mike Packer Philippe Perrilliat GLO Bookshop Ian Smith books@globookshop.com Patrizio Zucchetto 01698 275343 / 263483
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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 SHORT TERM Opportunities
Places are still available on the following teams: LOCATION L’Aquila, Italy Johnstone, Scotland Northfield, N. Ireland Lyon, France Bohumin, Czech Rep. London, England Enniskillen, N. Ireland Royal Welsh Show Enniscorthy, Ireland Såzava, Czech Rep. Benone, N. Ireland Troon, Scotland Wirral, England Darnley, Scotland Hamilton, Scotland Bray, Ireland Eger, Hungary Belfast, N. Ireland Chieti Pescara, Italy Aix-en-Provence, France
DATES 1 - 8 July 29 June - 7 July 7 - 20 July 8 - 14 July 13 - 20 July 19 - 29 July 20 - 27 July 20 - 25 July 20 July - 3 August 26 July - 3 August 27 July - 3 August 27 July - 4 August 27 July - 4 August 3 - 11 August 3 - 11 August 4 - 11 August 12 - 19 August 17 - 24 August 1 - 10 September 21- 28 September
Check out our website for the most up-to-date information: www.glo-europe.org or contact: missionteams@glo-europe.org / 01698 263483
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