Winter 2018/19
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Europe
A NOTE OF HOPE
THE FRAGMENTATION OF EUROPE
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EDITORIAL
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Stephen McQuoid
EXPERIENCING CHANGE
CELEBRATING SUMMER TEAMS
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TILSLEY COLLEGE
Simon Marshall
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
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Stephen McQuoid
Chris Hall
FIRST SERVE
Heidi Guttesen
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GLO IN INDIA
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John Pandi
Connect with us!
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Richard Harknett
GLO INTERNATIONAL
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GLO Europe Mission 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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MINISTERING In Our Times W
elcome once again to e-vision, the magazine for GLO Europe. We hope you will find it a useful guide to the work
of GLO as we try to fulfil our calling to reach people in Europe for Christ. Over the many years we have been doing this our vision has never changed and can still be expressed in the words EVANGELISE, ESTABLISH, TRAIN, RESOURCE. Our desire is to see God’s church built up and empowered so that it can reach out to this lost continent with a message of hope. The Europe that we are witnessing to continues to be a complex place as our lead article suggests. In this article we are focussing on the twin challenges of populism and identity politics, issues which have come to the fore in recent years, but which now exert a significant influence in our society. We have great stories to tell. In this edition Chris and Michelle Hall talk about their choir ministry which reaches out to many people through concerts and also allows Christians to establish meaningful relationships with their unchurched friends as they sing together. It is a good example of how gift and imagination can combine to get the gospel out in unusual ways. There is also a story of change. Regin and Heidi Guttesen have experienced change in almost every facet of their lives. Heidi tells the story of how their family, church and ministry all experienced significant change, within a culture that is resistant to change. Their story is an inspiration and a lesson in perseverance. In addition, there is an article about the 2018 GLO summer team programme which was hugely successful. We had 33 teams all over Europe, with two being in Africa. These teams comprised around 250 team members who were in turn joined by about 200 local Christians, sharing the gospel and challenging people to believe in Christ. We thank God for the conversions that took place as well as the discipleship work done in the lives of team members. It would be hard to overstate the blessing involved in the lives of young people who experience mission first-hand while at the same
“ We see endless opportunities for service, but we are few in number, and praying that God will send us more people who will join our mission family.” time praying and studying the bible with their fellow team mates. We have articles from Tilsley College and from First Serve, which is our gap year programme. These give an insight into some of the practical training that is on offer. There is also an article from GLO India reminding us that GLO is not just European, but a global family of Christian workers serving God in a significant variety of locations around the world, but with the same vision of telling people about Christ. As you read, please pray for us. Jesus said that the harvest was plentiful, but the labourers are few (Mtt.9:35-38) and that is something we in GLO experience. We see endless opportunities for service, but we are few in number, and praying that God will send us more people who will join our mission family and help us achieve the work that God has given us. Perhaps one of those new family members will be you!
by Stephen McQuoid
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Europe
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n his bestselling book ‘The Strange Death of Europe’, Douglas Murray painted an alarming picture of a continent pushing the selfdestruct button as it loses its identity and sense of hope for the future. Whether or not you agree with Murray’s assessment, there can be no doubt that Europe is going through very challenging times. Europe has been a cradle for civilisation and democracy, a destination for people wishing for a better life, and a global economic and cultural powerhouse. Europe post-World War II reshaped itself to provide a stable continent where friendly neighbours could trade with one another and live together in peace. The formation of the European Economic Community in 1957 and subsequently the European Union, provided a political backdrop that offered the stability and continuity everyone seemed to want. Indeed, once the Iron Curtain fell, a united continent appeared inevitable. True, there were challenging moments along the way such as the Balkan crisis.
However, a strong and stable Europe did emerge that became admired around the world. Today, however, all is not well in this ancient and sophisticated continent. Rumblings of discontent appear to be leading to a fragmentation of this otherwise stable place. From a UK perspective the most obvious evidence of this is Brexit, a democratic decision which has not only caused concern throughout Europe, but also polarised opinion within the UK. Whatever your view of Brexit, there can be little doubt that it has exposed deep divisions in society. The fracture can be seen throughout Europe in the many tensions that beset the continent. One significant reason for the fracturing is the rise of ‘populism’. This is a hard to define though easy to spot phenomenon. The Brookings Institute described populism as ‘an illiberal democratic response to undemocratic liberalism’. Basically, the populists have a concern about institutional power and believe European liberal democracy to be run by self-serving elites who are detached from the ordinary man in the street. They have a desire to defend their own and to protest against the perceived failings of liberal democratic
A quick glance around Europe illustrates the point. The European Union is itself a hotbed of infighting with many accusing the EU of subverting the sovereignty of national governments. In France the apparently ever popular National Front is rebranding itself as ‘National Rally’ under the careful leadership of Marine Le Pen. While the makeover and name change are noticeable, the rhetoric remains the same with Le Pen criticising the Macron government of ‘submerging the nation under a tide of immigrants’ . In Hungary Victor Orban continues his opposition to and frequent standoffs with the European Union. In Poland street protests and resistance to EU laws have prompted EU President Donald Tusk to warn that his native country was moving ‘backwards and eastwards’ . In Austria the populist right wing FPO party gained enough electoral traction to help form a coalition government with Sebastian Kurz as the youngest ever Chancellor. Even in liberal Sweden the recent elections have given significant prominence to a populist party, the Sweden Democrats, whose opposition to immigration have elicited accusations of racism. The picture that emerges is clear. Europe is not a
society. Whether or not the populists are correct, like many protest movements it elicits a visceral response from opponents and supporters alike and carries considerable influence in society at large.
homogenous whole, but rather a continent under stress, causing anger, division and giving rise to widespread anxiety and discontent. The tensions already faced are added to by the renewed vigour of identity politics. Put simply, identity politics is a tendency for people of a particular religion, race, gender, social background or interest group to form exclusive alliances in order to advance their own interests
“ One significant reason for the fracturing is the rise of ‘populism’. This is a hard to define though easy to spot phenomenon. ” 4 e-vision-17.indd 4
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by Stephen McQuoid
above others. While separate identities have always been part of European life, rarely has their demand for recognition been so strong. Europe is a place where human rights are championed. The problem with identity politics is that one group’s rights have to be balanced with the rights of another and when this is
about the needs and aspirations of others in society. The so-called ‘zero sum game’ of balancing everyone’s rights has proved impossible to find and the result has often been more anger, division and disappointment with society at large. The question could be asked, what does this have to do with mission? The answer is twofold.
people to love their neighbour and their enemy and to welcome, not exclude, the stranger. It was a positive message of hope that offered justice for the poor and a vision of a better world for everyone. Jesus’ message was based on a recognition that the best life is one surrendered to God and that only God could make the world
goes out of kilter, it causes division. The rise of identity politics has put different groups into conflict with each other: it has pitted Muslims against secularists, LGBTQ advocates against feminists, Christians against atheists, black against Asian or white and has led to a significant myopia
Firstly, as we proclaim the gospel, we need to understand our environment and to be aware that many people have concerns, not just about their own personal lives, but also about the whole direction of their culture. As people lose faith in institutions and government they need to find comfort and authority elsewhere. So, as the church, we neither accept unquestioningly nor dismiss unthinkingly the political movements and changes that occur around us. Rather, we look to critique these changes from a biblical perspective, affirming the good and lovingly challenging actions that fall short of God’s standards of justice. We can do this because we know that the one true King is Jesus, the one who both has defeated the powers and set all authority in place. It is in this setting that we are proclaiming the gospel. Secondly, we need to think about the nature of the gospel itself. What is the message of Jesus all about? Jesus was born into a world where there were many injustices and while the Roman Empire offered stability and a degree of security to all, there were many who not only mistrusted the government but were also angry about their lot in life. Often this anger spilled out into the streets and political tensions became the norm. Into this world Jesus brought love. He talked abut the values of the Kingdom of God and assured his listeners that in God’s Kingdom justice prevails, power is never abused, and true leadership is expressed in service. He taught
a better place. This message of the love of God is the very thing that could bring healing to our continent and indeed the world because it offers a genuine alternative to restless frustration of contemporary culture. The early church exchanged the cry of ‘Caesar is Lord’ for ‘Jesus is Lord’; this radical realignment of allegiance is one we need to recapture in our bringing of the message of the good news of Jesus. Jesus’ message also acknowledged the sin and selfishness of human culture and the darkness of the human heart. However, his solution was much more fundamental than merely proposing a new political system or theory. What Jesus offered through his death on the cross was the possibility of true transformation. A change of heart, mind and motives that begins with the confession of personal sin and then the cleansing that only the blood of Jesus through the ministry of the Spirit can offer. This is the heart of the gospel and it offers a remedy to the anger and discontentment of our culture. It also offers a vision for the future - for through the gospel people from every tongue, tribe, culture and nation can be united. Not because of their political ideology, but because they recognise they are united as a new people, the children of God whose motive is to love and care for one another and put other interests before their own. It is this exciting message that we have to take to an increasingly fractured Europe and trust that God can calm storms by transforming hearts.
“ As we proclaim the gospel, we need to understand our environment and to be aware that many people have concerns, not just about their own personal lives, but also about the whole direction of their culture. ”
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A Note
OF HOPE by Chris Hall
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he origins of the choir came from conversations between Michelle and I and a musician friend, Sam, who had been on a number of the music based GLO summer teams here in the county of Mayenne. The idea, although not necessarily new, was that evangelism could be something we do ‘with’ people, not just ‘to’ people. Instead of organising a gospel concert to share our faith with the audience, we could organise a concert with non-Christian friends, thus having an opportunity to share our lives and faith with them as we prepare the event and the event itself could still communicate the gospel. With this idea in mind, we ran a Christmas Carol Concert several years running, involving local friends as readers of the Christmas story. We also put on a personalised version of Handel’s Messiah during Easter, 2012. We opened the choir up to anyone from the Carol Concert and put an article in
the local paper inviting people to join us. The result was the formation of a choir combining a dozen or so local men and women along with members of a GLO Easter team, with the concert providing one of the main evangelistic events on that team. The local choir members came both from our church and people of no faith, including an atheist. We chose Handel’s Messiah for our first musical offering for several reasons: l It’s a well-known piece of music that can be performed by choirs of various sizes l The theme works well for Easter or Christmas l The song lyrics are based on biblical texts so both performers and public have an opportunity to hear something of God’s Word (We performed the concert in English with French translation) We selected eight pieces from Handel’s Messiah
adding some contemporary worship songs and an original composition and entitled the performance ‘My Messiah’ stating that our relationship with Jesus is a personal choice. We began weekly rehearsals where we got to know one another, had fun together, talked about the songs and lyrics and had several opportunities to talk about faith in Jesus at a personal level. After the Easter concert we considered disbanding the choir, but everyone wanted to keep going so the choir s[i]nglish was officially born in 2012.
THE AUDIENCE Today we have between 50 and 60 choir members, and a small group of guitarists who accompany us. The majority have no regular connection with church and about half a dozen members are Christians from our church. Most members are between 35 and 55, though some are younger. We have performed as a traditional choir doing concerts in churches and Town Halls and a library, as a rock/pop-choir accompanied by a full band, but generally we perform as a large vocal group accompanied by percussion and guitars and go wherever we’re invited. We have organised several charity concerts raising awareness about cystic fibrosis, autism and cancer. We have also performed at the invitation of local town councils for different events such as Christmas Markets, street theatre festivals and discovery walks. We even managed to bring our choir to Barnstaple in Devon, UK, where we performed with a local community choir at Grosvenor Church, Barnstaple. It was an excellent opportunity for our choir to discover Church and Christians in the UK, particularly as members of the church opened their homes to accommodate our choir members. We have created an association to organise and administer the choir. The association also allows Michelle and I to perform as a duo in churches, bars,
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“ Today we have between 50 and 60 choir members... The majority have no regular connection with church ”
and for other associations, as well as performing as a group with our friends Michel and Karim. It also allows us to organise music workshops in our town for the choir members and local people. One of the stated purposes of our choir is to give people the opportunity to practise English so we facilitate this doing English conversation workshops, games and pizza evenings.
DOING EVANGELISM The combined membership of the choir and the English activity group is about 80 people. The small group of Christians is an essential ingredient in evangelising and witnesses to other choir members. As we share experiences with one another within the choir, opportunities naturally occur for sharing life stories, faith, hopes and fears. On numerous occasions choir members have asked for prayer for issues they are dealing with. We maintain a friendly, relaxed atmosphere to encourage this interaction, so while I may be going over a part with the men, the ladies are free to chat quietly amongst themselves. Our relaxed get togethers such as meals, picnics and outings allow more time together. As choir leader, most of my opportunities come from being with the smaller group of musicians and those that organise the association. Another way we share our faith is via the choice of songs and the resulting explanation of the lyrics and themes. The songs are selected because they fit with our view of life and faith, although they are generally not perceived as ‘Christian’ songs. We have a few Gospel songs which speak clearly about a relationship with Jesus, but we mainly sing pop/rock songs from the 60’s onwards such as ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry which is about value and worth, which echoes the values found in the Gospel, namely God gave His Son Jesus to die for us because he loves us, or ’The Reason’ by Hoobastank which is about regret, admission of fault and the need for
forgiveness. Here we find echoes of human frailty, sin and the need for forgiveness through Jesus.
happy to come along to special events at church and while they claim not to believe in God, they do appreciate the teachings of Jesus. THE PERSONAL STUFF Nelly joined the choir’s sopranos along with Our choir has two guitarists, initially myself and Michelle and through time they have become friends my guitar student Emeline whose mum, Annie, was and have had several conversations about spiritual part of the choir. Emeline left the choir because issues. Nelly expresses a desire to believe. Another of school commitments, so her dad Michel offered soprano, Lucy, claims to be an atheist and Michelle to help out. We’ve been friends ever since and has been able to share something of her faith in Michel also plays drums in our group ‘Everlight’s Jesus. Despite Lucy’s atheism she asks Michelle to Keep’. Michel gave his life to Jesus 2 years ago and pray for issues that affect her and her family. was baptised last year. The choir was only one of a number of connections with Michel, but it was a THE FUTURE significant one. Today the rationale behind the choir remains Corinne is another of our original choir strong, it is a place where people can enjoy members. She joined because she loved English making music together, an opportunity to create and so wanted to come and sing. As our friendship community, to share experiences in the continued developed and we started holding church services in hope that God uses these connections to reveal our town, Corinne came along and was challenged himself to our friends through our witness, words about her relationship with God. She was baptised and friendship. and we have since had the joy of officiating at her wedding. Pierre and Madeline came along to the choir “ It is a place where people can enjoy making music more recently. They love the friendly together, an opportunity to create community, to atmosphere and camaraderie. share experiences in the continued hope that God Because of this uses these connections to reveal himself” connection they are
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Celebrating T
SUMMER TEAMS
his summer we had 33 summer teams in 13 different countries across Europe, as well as a team in Tanzania and one in Chad. Team
members were involved in a wide variety of outreach activities including migrant ministry in Italy, community work with a new church plant in Glasgow, summer camps for children in Poland, street evangelism in Hungary, work amongst students in France and much more! A key part of
the GLO summer team is the Bible teaching. This, along with involvement in the outreach activities and time spent with other team members, plays a valuable role in the discipleship of those who go on a GLO summer team and helps to develop a passion for mission. Here is a flavour of what some of our teams got up to:
“The mixtures of ages, cultures and languages of my GLO team all working towards the same goal of serving God completely filled me by awe of how great our God truly is”
“One of the many highlights would have to be engaging with the local Christians and seeing the seeds that were being sown in that community, as well as God strengthening my own love for the country and potential calling to mission there!”
WITH OVER
200 250 33 CHURCH SUMMER TEAMS
TEAM MEMBERS
MEMBERS
“It was an incredible time being in Albania, working alongside the young folk and leaders there”.
“It was really wonderful to spend time with such passionate, enthusiastic Christians, share life together, and to watch the children be really receptive to all the stories and activities at the club.”
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“One best moment was definitely when I went on a GLO team to Hungary this summer…”
“The members of the church and children seemed very content despite the fact they did not have much materially - a challenge to me!”
by Laurence Reeves
“Wonderful to share, encourage and also to be challenged in my walk with God.”
Summer
EXPERIENCE WITH GLO
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“Thrilled to be with older Christians who were still so switched on, keen to serve, and hungry to learn. The ‘young people’ on the team were a joy to work with.”
orking with GLO this summer was an experience I will treasure and never forget. I was placed into a very mixed team of people who had come from all different parts of the world, but even with such variety I felt close to them from day one, united with a purpose and hope. I stayed with an amazing couple, Angelo and Lori who made me feel so welcome and, within such a short time, we were a family. They were a big part of my experience in Sicily as I witnessed how a Christian couple truly live out their faith. Their way of life and attitude to faith has impacted me greatly. I was soon able to meet the church in the area. The
people in that church were so passionate in their worship and praise and in welcoming us all into their church family. I came to the mission trip as a Christian who had been drifting further way from the church family as I had got more involved with sports and university life. The trip has made me realise how important it is to surround yourself with other believers so that you can support each other and help each other to grow and be held accountable. I am grateful for GLO who organised this trip and helped me to re-find my feet in the Christian faith.
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THE DISCOMFORT OF CHANGE The past years have been defined by change in many areas of our life and ministry. Some say change is like jumping into a swimming pool - that first shock, as the cold water engulfs you, is really uncomfortable! You consider getting out, and wonder why you chose to jump in the first place. But you stay in. You stay because you anticipate the reward, the feeling of weightlessness and the refreshing embrace as you swim. Then, suddenly, you notice that the water is not as cold anymore. It actually feels good! What changed? The water did not warm up. You simply adjusted. Change is often an uncomfortable process, but with patience and perseverance we adjust, and the end result is so worth it!
CHANGES IN FAMILY In 2015 we adopted two little girls from the Philippines and shortly after we had the surprise of adding another little girl to the family. In a little over a year we grew from three to six! The biggest change was not in how many people were in our family, though. It was this life altering change in the identities of all involved. We had always been a multicultural family to some extent, but that definition was now stretched even further. Our family traditions and values were not immediately shared by our daughters, and we had to discover and appreciate their traditions and values as well! There was a time of resistance at all the discomfort those changes brought. But over time came acceptance and appreciation, as well as a new
sense of normal. Our family identity changed to something new and even more beautiful!
CHANGES IN ITALY Italy is generally slow at embracing change. I think it is part of Italy’s charm that lures tourists from all over the world and it has helped preserve family values in a very secular Europe. However, it is also one of their greatest challenges. An old Italian proverb says: Chi cambia la via vecchia per la nuova, sa quel che lascia ma non quel che trova. He who leaves the old way for the new, knows what he leaves but not what he gets. This fear of breaking away from cultural and religious tradition has been a major hindrance to the gospel in our area. But things have been shaken up with the migrant “crisis” of recent years. When our now 16 year-old son, Noah, started nursery here in Molise, he was the only foreigner, non-Catholic is his class. This year, Emma, our 2 year-old started nursery. In her class is an amazing blend of Italians and foreigners, including children from Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and India. There is a noted change in the society around us and a new generation is growing up with a much broader view of the world.
CHANGES IN MINISTRY When our local community opened asylum processing centres, we as a church made the obvious choice to reach out to our foreign neighbours and show them Christ’s love. When a
foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt (Leviticus 19:33-34). We tried to help with their immediate physical needs. Many who came from central Africa had an evangelical background, and so we invited them along to church. When they were homeless we opened our homes and our church. Honestly, it was a really uncomfortable process! Some Sundays were pure chaos. There were lots of misunderstandings and disillusionments, but the blessings have been incredible! As we have opened our doors and our hearts to migrants, God is blessing us personally and as a body. We are reminded every day of the gifts God has given us and the responsibility we have to use them for Him. We are learning so much through their lives and their faith. We are learning to love with actions and in truth. And as God does this work in our hearts and in our church, He is using us to reach not only the foreigners in our midst but also our countrymen!
“ This fear of breaking away from cultural and religious tradition has been a major hindrance to the gospel in our area.”
EXPERIENCING
Change by Heidi Guttesen
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Opportunities
IN ITALY
NAPLES AND AVELLINO PROVINCE
l A couple working in Fuorigrotta church, Naples in leadership, teaching, pastoral care, children and women’s ministry, reaching people on the boundaries of society - refugees, homeless, prostitutes, dysfunctional families etc. Ideally they should work part time as a tent maker to gain respect and to make contacts. Teaching English is a good opportunity. Long term commitment (5-7 years) l A mature couple to work in the Avellino province forming a team with the Zucchetto family, perhaps working as tent-makers. The ability to teach English or Spanish is an advantage. The work will primarily be church planting and evangelism in a small town context. Long term commitment (10 years at least). l A young person or a young couple to be GLO
Italia Reps. This would involve organising GLO summer teams and promoting GLO in Italy at national events, in universities, and through visiting churches. At least a 5-year commitment would be needed to build relationships with churches, leaders and organisations.
PIEMONTE: MOMBELLO MONFERRATO (ALESSANDRIA)
l University students – Molise has a good university and conservatory that accept international students. l Immigrants – Ministry amongst the growing number of refugees in Molise, including evangelism, humanitarian help, helping with integration etc. Long term (4+ years) l Church planters – a younger couple, open to living in a small town setting, to partner in a recent church plant to be involved in children’s work, evangelism, teaching English, preaching, discipleship and mentoring. l Tent makers – We encourage anyone with the possibility of bringing their work with them to move to Molise, using their free time to bless the church! For further details contact Stephen McQuoid
l A mature couple, who have experience and a desire to help in the only evangelical church in the area.
MOLISE REGION (WHERE THE GUTTESEN’ FAMILY IS BASED) Short term (2 months to 2 years) l Experienced English as a Second Language teachers to prepare courses for children, teens, or adults as part of the La Fonte outreach. l Children and Youth Workers 11
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Lizzie Bell, FirstServer September 2018
First
SERVE by Richard Harknett
W
ith the explosion of short-term mission programmes in the last couple of decades, you could be forgiven for asking why it was felt that there was a need for another one. But the fact is that FirstServe is unique, offering a combination of experiences that you just won’t find elsewhere. The programme is divided into three sections. It begins with ‘Learn to Serve’ in Motherwell, at Tilsley College, where the FirstServers spend a month living and studying as a part of the community there. This gives them a grounding in God’s Word and challenges them to think more deeply about their faith. The second stage, ‘Serve Local’, consists of 4-6 weeks in a church in the UK. This will throw
the participant into all aspects of the life of a local church, but do so in a language and context which is relatively familiar to them. The experiences gained all help to prepare them for the final stage, ‘Serve Global’, when the FirstServer travels overseas for 3-4 months to work alongside established mission workers. This will present them will a very different set of challenges; from language and culture, to seeing God work in new ways. Tying these three elements together is a discipleship course specifically created for the programme. This allows participants to continue to grow in their understanding of the Bible and to reflect on issues which they encounter during their FirstServe journey. A mentor also walks with them through all of the three stages, alongside those who will help in each location of service. One of the strengths of FirstServe is that it is an individual, not a team, programme. This means that each placement, both in the UK and overseas, can be tailored to the gifts, experiences and passions of the participant. Lastly, it should come as no surprise that such a diverse programme is the result of a collaboration of several organisations. FirstServe is jointly run by Counties, Echoes International and GLO. With each one bringing something distinct, it has allowed FirstServe to become a gap year which offers progressive growth and exposure to mission throughout its duration.
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Tilsley COLLEGE by Simon Marshall
T
he new academic year began at Tilsley College in September, and once again the international - and especially European - nature of the College is clear from its student body. Of the nine first years who started, five of them come from outside the UK, four from the rest of Europe. Our three second years all come from abroad, two from Europe, and of our four third years, one of them is European. This has been a pattern for many years as the College has trained people from all over Europe and further afield for God’s work in his world. The staff body is almost equally diverse, with three staff from Europe, one from South America, and the others from the UK. This international flavour to the College is an important part of Tilsley’s uniqueness and ethos, training as we do people for cross-cultural ministry. This is manifest in many ways, from our Mission Awareness Trips, this year to Northern Ireland and Italy, to the number of staff and students who lead or are part of GLO Mission Teams; from a Syrian student cooking Maklouba, one of his favourite dishes, for the other students, to third year studies in global trends in Christianity. A year or more spent in such an international, multi-cultural environment is good preparation for the realities of future ministry. Within this environment, the truth of the unity that we all have in Jesus is made ever more real; whatever our background and nationality, we all serve the same God. The continent-wide growth of separatist and nationalist movements militates against this basic truth of the Good News. It is, therefore, a context and environment in which the oneness of the household of faith must become an ever-brighter beacon of hope in a fractured world and society. This must be our prayer, and must guide the training that Tilsley offers. However, the UK’s decision to leave the European Union and government pronouncements on the future immigration status of EU citizens raise serious issues for the College and its recruitment of European students. At present, all EU citizens can
attend Tilsley without having a visa for the full one year, two years, or three years of the programme that they choose. Students from outside the EU have needed a Short Term Study Visa, which has only allowed them to stay in the UK for a period of six months–thus not being able to gain a full qualification. From either March 2019, or January 2021 (depending on the outcome of negotiations) this visa requirement will be applied to all EU27 citizens as well, thus rendering it impossible for a French, Italian or Romanian student (for example) to gain a full, accredited qualification from Tilsley in the normal time. We know that we serve the one who is King, and that these changes in the political sphere did not catch him by surprise. This reality gives strength and confidence as we consider the future and as we plan carefully for how we might maintain the international nature of the College in the future through the delivery of our programmes. It also raises the issue of how we might encourage more people from the UK to train for cross-cultural mission. This missionary drive, which used to be one of the defining characteristics of UK evangelicalism, has been on the decline over the last few decades. Perhaps the changes in our relationship as a country to the rest of Europe may be a spur for more people to see the need to reach out to our closest neighbours with the Good News of Jesus. Please pray with us as we look to the Lord’s guidance in our decision making. And please pray that he will raise up more workers - especially people from the UK - because the fields are ready for harvest.
“ This missionary drive... has been on the decline over the last few decades.” 13
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GLO
J
IN INDIA
ohn and Sundari Pandi have been serving God with GLO in their homeland of India for 42 years. The GLO work in India began with the mass distribution of Christian literature and John and Sundari continue that vision today. At the heart of their literature ministry is a distribution project that takes place every Christmas and Easter. They prepare packs of gospel booklets which a team of 200-300 volunteers distribute over these festive periods. In total around 100,000 gospel packets are distributed each Christmas and Easter. Another key time for distribution is during important Indian festivals, especially in their home state of Tamil Nadu with its population of 80 million. Over a period of 10 days each September, around 150-200 volunteers come together to engage in personal evangelism with the festival
goers and they distribute gospel tracts in many different indigenous languages. As well as distributing Christian literature, John and Sundari are involved in producing it. Their bespoke literature ranges from short gospel tracts to more substantial gospel booklets. Perhaps the most popular one is a booklet entitled, ‘His Name shall be called Wonderful’. Already some 1 million copies are in print and have been distributed with more due to come off the press in the future. In addition to these smaller pieces of literature they also run a Bible project whereby they offer free Bibles to people upon request. This project has significant cost implications as even the cheapest of Bibles add up when distributed in bulk. However, this project has enabled John and Sundari to put the Word of God into the hands of people who really want to hear.
They also have a desire to enable Indian Christians to witness more effectively to their neighbours and within their community. To facilitate this, every May they host an evangelists training programme where upwards of 20 Indian Christians are brought together for some intense training in evangelism. India is a vast country whose population now numbers in excess of 1.3 billion. Such huge numbers require methods of evangelism that will reach the masses. Literature has a key role to play and John and Sundari continue to serve God faithfully in this way. (If you would like to contribute to the GLO India Bible Project please contact Stephen McQuoid at smcquoid@glo-europe.org)
Offers from the
GLO BOOKSHOP
Unshakable Hope Max Lucado
Includes UK post & packing GLO Bookshop 78 Muir Street Motherwell ML1 1BN
Normal price £10.99 e-vision reader price £8.00
Tel 01698 275343 or 263483
Have no Fear John C. Lennox Single copy price £2.99
Email – books@glo-europe.org
Please ask about
Visit our webshop at
prices for larger
www.globookshop.com
quantities
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GLO
Europe
INTERNATIONAL G
LO is not just a European work it is worldwide. We have workers serving in countries as diverse as Zambia, India, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and Peru. In many of these locations we offer training as well as doing mission and, in each location, we try to meet the distinctive needs of the church in that area. GLO International is, in essence, a family of different mission movements with GLO Europe being one of the largest components. Every three years the leaders of the different GLO ministries get together for a time of prayer and sharing, and also to discuss how we can help each other. This year, the GLO International Conference was held in Motherwell just after the GLO European Conference. It was a wonderful opportunity for GLO Europe workers to meet their
counterparts from around the world and compare notes. Between the two conferences we spent a day touring Edinburgh as some of the GLO International visitors had never been to Europe before. It was also a time of refreshment given that many of them would rarely be able to afford a holiday. The laughter and joy was mixed with deep conversations about the challenges we all face in ministry. At the GLO International Conference we had papers presented on a number of subjects including church planting, accredited training, reverse mission and finance in mission. It was also a time to talk about how we support one another, share good practice and reflect on where GLO International is going in the future. In three years’ time we hope to get together again in Zambia.
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GLO BOARD MEMBERS Stephen Cracknell James Davies Mark Davies Judith Gibson Sam Gibson Karen Macrae Simon Marshall Stephen McQuoid Mike Packer Philippe Perrilliat Ian Smith Patrizio Zucchetto
CONTACT DETAILS Stephen McQuoid (General Director) smcquoid@glo-europe.org 01698 263483 Mark Davies (Training Director) mdavies@glo-europe.org 07503 953259
Admin office admin@glo-europe.org 01698 263483
Sam Gibson (Missions Director) sgibson@glo-europe.org 028 9447 9411
College Office college@glo-europe.org 01698 266776
Ian Smith (Finance Director) ismith@glo-europe.org 01698 263483
GLO Bookshop books@globookshop.com 01698 275343 / 263483
GLO SHORT TERM OPPORTUNITIES Check out our website for the most up-to-date information: www.glo-europe.org or contact: missionteams@glo-europe.org 01698 263483
GLO EUROPE VISION STATEMENT
Our vision is to grow mission focused churches in Europe.
Our focus is to:
EVANGELISE:
to proclaim the gospel to as many people as possible in Europe
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
using every method available
ESTABLISH: to ensure believers are established in their faith, strengthen existing local churches and plant new mission focused churches in Europe
TRAIN:
to prepare and equip people for mission, to evangelise and church plant and to serve God and his Kingdom with excellence in a wide variety of vocations
RESOURCE:
to provide resources that support mission activity through finance and literature, strategic input and pastoral care
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