Spearhead Winter 2011/12
The Many
Faces of
Mission
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Many Faces of Mission
Contents: Spearhead Winter 2011/12 Issue Editorial The Many Faces of Mission by Stephen McQuoid Summer Team Experience by Stephen McQuoid Reaching the Student World by Marie-Christine Fave Reaching into Schools by Brian Hawthorne Partners in Training by Philippe Perrilliat GLO Bookshop by Andrew Lacey Mission behind the Scenes by Anna McRobert The Many Faces of Training by Mark Davies Planting Together by Ian Smith GLO ‘Alive’ in Zambia by David Lukama
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The Many
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European Edition Spearhead is published twice yearly to report on the work of GLO in Europe and around the world and to promote mission interest. GLO exists to engage in evangelism, church planting and training. This is done in partnership with missionaries and national leaders in many countries. There is no subscription rate for Spearhead but readers are welcome to send gifts towards postage and production.
hristian bookshops across the country sell armbands with the words ‘what would Jesus do?’ emblazoned on them. These armbands raise a very important issue, exactly what did Jesus do when he came to earth as God’s answer to the world’s problems? This is a key question for mission organizations because not only do we understand that Jesus is the Saviour of the world, we also believe that he was the first great missionary sent from God the Father to impact our world. Studying the life of Jesus is a fascinating and worthwhile thing to do. He was a person of such wonderful grace, yet determined and strong; someone whose life was filled with purposeful activity as he served God in a thoughtful and deliberate way. Yet, summing up Jesus’ mission activity is not easy because he was involved in a great variety of things. In Luke 4:18,19 we are given a résumé or
“His obvious love and care for them impacted and changed their lives.”
a purpose statement of Jesus’ missionary enterprise. Reading from Isaiah, Jesus declared that he had come to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for prisoners, to bring sight to the blind, freedom for the oppressed and to proclaim God’s goodness. All of this was carried out, and more besides, as Jesus wandered around the countryside with his disciples doing good. Throughout the gospels we see Jesus perform miracles so that people who are sick and could not afford or access medical help could nonetheless find healing. We also see Jesus spending time with individuals, sometimes people who were lonely, rejected and marginalized by their society. As he gave them time he was giving them something of himself, and his obvious love and care for them impacted and changed their lives. We also see Jesus the Evangelist in passages such as John 3, where he challenges Nicodemus about his spiritual condition and tells him firmly but gently that he needs to be born again. However, Jesus was not just an evangelist, he was also a great teacher. The Sermon on the Mount is as complete and well-rounded a sermon as anyone could preach. Here in this sermon Jesus gives his followers a
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Mission worldview and a code of ethics that they are to apply to their lives. He teaches them about the values of God’s kingdom and enables them to see how true faith should be lived out in practice. All of this, his teaching, his evangelism, his social care, and his healing provide a template for missionaries today as they go around doing what Jesus did in obedience to God’s call to mission. It is this very call that inspires missionaries today as they respond to the Great Commission, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching all that Jesus himself taught. In the work of GLO, Jesus’ model of mission very much applies. Our passion and desire as an organization is to see people throughout Europe being reached with the gospel and churches being planted so that they can be vibrant witnessing communities in the world around them. We are
unashamedly evangelistic because of our deep conviction that people throughout Europe need to know Christ in a personal way. But while our heartbeat is evangelism, we also see mission in its broadest terms, just as Jesus did. Jesus taught people and trained his disciples, so we too are involved in teaching and training. Just as Jesus spent time with people, caring for them and expressing God’s love to them, so we too are involved in people’s lives in a whole variety of ways so that we can convey God’s love and encouragement to them. The range of different ministries carried out by GLO workers is encouraging and exciting. In addition to evangelism and church planting GLO is involved in theological education, local church training, schools’ work, counseling and a full range of other activities that are intended to meet the needs of the church and community in
“You can help us fulfill the mission to which God has called us.” Europe today. This edition of Spearhead focuses on the many ‘faces’ of GLO that can be seen across Europe. Our desire is that as you reflect on the wide range of ministries that we are involved with, it will challenge you to pray more intelligently for the work of GLO and perhaps even think of ways in which you can help us as we fulfill the mission to which God has called us. Stephen McQuoid GLO General Director Facebook: GLO-europe Stephen McQuoid
Leaving a lasting legacy 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 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 3
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Summer Team
Experience S
hort term teams have always been an important part of the work of GLO. Not only are they a key evangelistic tool, they are also a great spiritual blessing to the people who go on them. Despite the difficulties in the current economic climate, we were very encouraged to have approximately 130 people on the summer team programme in 2011. These were, in turn, joined by an equal number of people in host churches who worked with the summer team members to spread the gospel. As usual, team members ranged in age from 17 – 60+ and proved to be an exciting mix of experience and energy.
“I really enjoyed my time in Newcastle, it was fun sharing God’s Word and what he has done in my life with others. ”
Over the years lasting friendships have been formed on summer teams and the feedback suggests that this year was no exception. It was also thrilling to see team members from different countries working together bringing to the team, not only different gifts, but also different languages and cultural backgrounds. Team locations varied. Some were based in large cities such as Naples and Marseille, while others took place in smaller towns. In each location, however, there was real spiritual need as there is throughout Europe. Just as the locations were varied, so too were the team programmes. Some teams focused on a wide range of activities to reach children and young people. Others put an emphasis on literature distribution and doorto-door visitation to impact as many people as possible. Many utilized market stands, open airs, international evenings and family fun days. These
activities provided team members with opportunity to develop and use skills in music, drama, puppetry, art, sport, conversation, and public speaking. The ‘Music 4 the Soul’ team in Laval was a specialised team, which put together a high quality music programme and a series of concerts. Another specialised team was the one that went to Prague to run English language classes as a way of making contacts. For some team members this was their first experience of a GLO summer mission, others were regular team members. It is our prayer that some of them will think seriously about a commitment to long term mission and will join us in the work of GLO as we endeavour to plant churches and reach out to people throughout Europe. We were very pleased by that fact that three of the teams were filled by youth leaders who block-booked teams and organised for a group of young people to go from their church. Phil Davies took a group from Dunvant Christian Fellowship,
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South Wales to Romania, Andy Hamilton accompanied a group from Scrabo Hall, Newtownards, N. Ireland to Avellino, Italy, and Iain McCallum took a group from the YF in Cartsbridge Evangelical Church, Glasgow to the Czech Republic. Initiatives like this not only help GLO to reach people with the gospel, they also help the youth workers as they disciple their young people. Reflecting on his experience Iain McCallum writes: I believe that forming a team of young people from the Youth Fellowship to serve in a cross-cultural context is a very worthy part of the overall ministry that takes place during the year. The galvanising effect on the team was also one of the primary advantages of the experience. We met many times on the lead up to the mission to pray and plan for our time away. There is also no doubt that the experience of serving in a cross-cultural context had a profound effect on the young people. Lots of team members have been in touch to express something of what the summer team programme meant to them. Niel who went on the Romanian team wrote, “For me the over-riding memory for GLO 2011 in Romania was the village of Merca. The run down group of Communist era apartment blocks were depressing and made me wonder who would want to live here. As we opened the car doors the kids ran to us, grinning and smiling and talking excitedly. They
took the leaflets we had so quickly, we were left standing around wondering what to do next, so we chatted to them. In the end we had to force ourselves to leave. Each subsequent visit was just as amazing, so much love, community spirit, yes, rough and tough but I learnt so much from them.” On a similar vein Lizzy Conroy wrote, “I really enjoyed my time in Newcastle, it was fun sharing God’s Word and what he has done in my life with others. Really excited about next year and where God will send me.” Another team member, Christina, stated, “‘We had the most fantastic time away and I feel it has been truly life changing.” As we look back to the summer of 2011 we are thrilled that thousands of tracts and scriptures have been distributed, thousands of people have heard the gospel, and that the lives of many Christians have been impacted for God. It is now time for prayer. We need to pray that all of the literature and the conversations will challenge people to think and that we will hear of people coming to faith in Christ. We also need to pray for the resident missionaries and national workers who now have the job of following up contacts from the teams. We will be praying for team members for next year, willing to give two weeks of their lives to reach needy Europeans for Christ. Stephen McQuoid
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Many Faces of Mission
Reaching the
Student World T
here are about 2.2 million university students in France with approximately 67,000 of these in the University of Aix, Marseille. The student population is a distinct group that needs to be reached with the gospel. Why work among university students? Several reasons can encourage us to do so: Students are going through a very strategic period of their lives. Many important choices (career, job, marriage...) are being made. Their ideas and convictions are still being formulated. As one student, Dominique, noticed a few years after her studies: “I realise that now I am asking myself fewer questions”. Students spend one of the most sociable times of their lives mixing with many people at university or in the halls of residence, and are looking for a group with whom they can feel at ease. Speaking about our Bible study group, Natana explains: “Here discussions and activities are contained within a moral framework. So we can be more natural and feel more at ease with ourselves.” “For students who don’t live at home, church life is complicated” says
“Their ideas and convictions are still being formulated”
Raphaël, because they spend one part of the week in one town and the weekend in another. So Christian activities and groups can be a help to them. Among the 10 % of foreign students, some come from countries which are not very open to the Christian faith. What an opportunity to meet them and share the gospel with them! A challenge Starting a new ministry among students in Marseille represented a challenge for me as it was the first time I had developed a work from its beginnings. There were very few students in the church (Le Cep) at that time. We created an association which is called: ESPEVIE (Espace Protestant Evangélique de la Vie Etudiante). Food for thought We try to do some distribution of flyers in the halls of residence and some surveys at the entrance to the university. It is a good way to speak with students, and share the gospel. Some students don’t ask themselves a lot of questions about God. This makes me think about the vast crowd that Jesus saw in Mark 6:34. Jesus “had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.” Pray that God will give us
compassion for university students and opportunities to share the gospel. A further step ... Bible in hand We have Bible study groups nearly every week during term time. Christians and seekers together look at biblical texts and discuss them. Natana explains: “It is encouraging for me to know some Christians on my campus. I meet others who present me with spiritual challenges. We have the opportunity to deepen our knowledge of biblical texts. She also adds: “the subjects discussed are relevant to life as a student”. Local Church link The link with our church (Le Cep) and with another church in Marseille helps to introduce students to church life. Training Before returning home to Gabon, Cyril, told me: “I appreciated how we studied in-depth biblical texts together. I want to take that style of learning back home.” As for Natana, attending the Bible study group has been a challenge to share the gospel during his university years. Working with students is also preparing church leaders for the future. Marie-Christine Fave
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Reaching into
Schools O
ne of the most exciting aspects of being involved in Christian ministry is that sometimes God leads you down paths where you never thought you would go. I say this because, if you had asked me three years ago whether I would ever have seen myself being involved in a youth ministry then I would have probably have had to say, “no”. I suppose one of the reasons for this was that I felt that I would have needed a much cooler image as well as the ability to speak a different kind of lingo. So what changed my mind....well it was primarily related to my concerns over losing contact with the children who were moving to high school. I felt it would be such a shame to relinquish some of the good relationships I had established as a result of over two years of children’s work and this is really what led me to consider working with an older age group. It was a prayerful step into the unknown and I probably felt a bit overwhelmed with the thought of beginning a ministry that I was unfamiliar with. On my initial approach to our local High School, I was really encouraged
by the positive response from the Head of the Junior Department who openly welcomed the opportunity to begin an SU group after the summer break. I didn’t really didn’t know what to expect for the first few weeks but I remained hopeful that through time we would be able to establish a group who would come on a regular basis. We advertised the group throughout the school and were encouraged by the initial response from some of the pupils as well as the support of a Christian teacher who was willing to provide her classroom facilities for the group. Over the year, the numbers attending fluctuated but we were still very happy with the 7/8 who attended regularly. We tried, throughout the year, to do a variety of Bible related topics mixed with games and challenges and it appeared to work well. As we live in an era of high technology we have found using videos clips and music downloads to be successful in keeping the young people interested. With most of the group having easy access to the internet we encouraged them to source Christian songs and video clips. Our group discussions are often
lively and thought provoking and this gives us an insight into how they view and react to various topical issues. Perhaps, the real success in it all is that we have established good relationships with our group and this has been highlighted by the fact that they have returned for a second year. We are praying that the group will continue to grow and be strengthened and that soon, our local high school will be transformed with a new generation of young people whose desire it is to live for Christ. I would encourage anyone, who is involved in children’s ministry to think about the value of those relationships that they have established and consider seriously the possibility of investing further into the lives of those who are about to embark on the challenges of high school life. Brian Hawthorne
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Many Faces of Mission
Partners in
Training F
or several years Philippe Perrilliat has been involved in the ministry of the Geneva Bible Institute, helping to train a new generation of French leaders and missionaries. In this interview he shares his experience at the Institute. Philippe, tell us a little about the background to the Bible Institute? The IBG (Geneva Bible Institute) is situated on the hills around Geneva in a suburb called Coligny. In 1927 the field of a large property was sold to Hugh Alexander, a Scottish missionary, for the price of a potato field. Since then, times have changed and today the suburb is a true Swiss “Beverly Hills” and land is sold at a very expensive price. The Bible school was first used as a training centre for students who had become Christians during the revival that accompanied Hugh’s ministry. As a result of the revival a missionary organisation called “Action Biblique” was founded. A real turn around; Calvin had instigated the spread of the Reform from Geneva into Scotland in the 16th century and then in the 20th century the Lord had seen fit to send a Scottish missionary to Calvin’s country to start a dynamic Christian work and a Bible school. Who actually runs the Bible Institute? This task was too great for one organisation on its own and Action
Biblique called upon other groups to help. GLO was one of the first to grasp the vision and commit itself. We are grateful to visionaries such as Samuel Gibson and David Goold who understood the potential of this school and worked alongside Mike Evans, the IBG director at that time. By 2011 there were 17 Christian organisations and different church groups who were partners with the IBG. The present director, Pierre Klipfel, at a recent meeting spoke of GLO as part of IBG’s history, as one of the founding organisations. Is there any sense in which the Bible Institute offers something distinctive to the French-speaking world? There are other Bible schools in France, which are more academic and which have longer courses. The IBG’s approach is different. French society is an elitist world where diplomas have a great importance and “apprenticeship” is not very favourably looked upon. Nevertheless in the Bible there is only one Greek word for disciple and apprentice! The IBG’s idea was to put practical learning at the heart of their training. The four year course, which constantly combines practical and theoretical learning, is made up of one year spent at the IBG centre and then two placements of two years and one year interspersed with several weeks of lectures.
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“The idea was to put practical learning at the heart of the training” How did you become involved? Thirteen years ago when GLO suggested that I become one of the IBG teachers I didn’t really feel up to the challenge in front of me. My apprehension was even more acute when the IBG committee asked me to take over the lectures of John Alexander, the son of Hugh, the founder of the IBG. John was a renowned Bible teacher, an author, and responsible for teaching on the book of Genesis. Progressively and then entirely, the 50 chapters were given to me. John Alexander and I worked together for the first year and John confided in me that he felt too old to teach and that his vision was to pass the baton before entering into the presence of his Lord. In 2001 I was officially given the responsibility for all the lectures. The following year, at the age of 82, John went into the presence of his Lord, God knew. For four weeks (at different times of the year) I lecture on the book of Genesis for the first year students, and also teach on “Discovery groups” (evangelism) for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students. So over the past 12 years I have spent 1 year teaching at the IBG! I have had the privilege of meeting young people, single people, families, men and women amongst the 399 students who have completed the 1st year course, enthusiastic people with many questions. Some come to the course to deepen their understanding
of the Bible before returning to secular employment, with the desire to be a light in French society and in their local church. 177 students came with Christian service in view and now serve the Lord on a full time basis. I have also had the joy of mentoring several students on placement with me for a period of at least two years, living our spiritual lives together and the realities of Christian ministry. One of them now works in a Christian bookshop and two have become pastors. All have remained friends. I understand your wife is also now involved in the work of the institute Just over a year ago the IBG asked Marie, my wife, to lecture on women’s ministry which had previously been taught by Ursula Herrmann. My wife and I will now be working together at the Institute, teaching 35 students in our respective courses. (I think that Marie will come to my lessons and I will go to hers). How does the work of the Bible Institute fit into the ‘big picture’ of life in the French-speaking world? Since September 2008 I have been part of the Bible School council and this helps me to better understand the challenges and issues that have to be faced. A large proportion of existing pastors will soon retire and many missionaries from the UK, the States and other countries are
returning to their commending countries after years of faithful service. Who will replace them? An additional but good problem is that the number of churches in France is increasing. We still need missionaries to plant new churches, and trained pastors to take care of existing ones, working alongside elders. The challenge that the Master gave is still valid “The harvest is ripe, but the workers are few”. This is the reason why we work freely with 40 other lecturers to train future leaders who will serve our churches and, if the Lord hasn’t returned, discern the French-speaking world’s mission strategy for the 21st century. The Frenchspeaking world is made up of France but also Switzerland, Belgium, Luxemburg, many African countries, parts of North Africa, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Indian Ocean islands such as Reunion Island, Madagascar, New Caledonia, Fortuna Islands, countries with which we have contact. Please pray for this perhaps largely unknown part of the work of GLO. Philippe Perrilliat
“I have had the joy of mentoring several students, living our spiritual lives together and the realities of Christian ministry” 9
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Many Faces of Mission
The New Face of the GLO Bookshop T
he GLO Workers’ Conference at the end of August coincided with the re-dedication of the GLO Bookshop. This brief service, ably led by John Speirs, marked a major re-merchandise of the Bookshop carried out by the staff over the summer months. The layout of the store has been ‘reversed’, with Card & Gift products
“The store has been re-merchandised to respond to the current difficult trading conditions in the High Street”
brought to the front of the store, and the ‘Printed Page’ product moved to the back of the store. God’s Word, the Bible, continues to hold the ‘prime’ trading position in the store, and the shop holds a vast selection of Bibles in many different translations and formats, including overseas languages. The store has been re-merchandised to respond to the current difficult trading conditions in the ‘High Street’ that have seen many local Christian bookshops forced to close. We are very blessed by the fact we own our premises here in Motherwell, and we pay tribute to those who took this step of faith almost 30 years ago. This has enabled the Bookshop to continue to be successful and financially viable, despite the current problems in retailing. Our recent developments reflect changes in the market, and will also enable us to engage more effectively with our local community. Some of the key benefits of the changes: • By moving Gift and Card products to the front of the store, we hope to encourage more friends from the local community to browse these products. • The range of DVDs and other media titles has been significantly increased, and a wide range of audio-books has been brought in.
• We continue to carry a huge range of books. This area of the shop now includes a coffee machine, reading tables and comfy chairs. DVD players and computer systems have been provided to allow customers to sample some of the resources on show. • Space is being created to allow a relevant range of second hand books to be sold. We are currently appealing for donations of books. • In response to customer requests, we are developing a suitable selection of local interest and general books. • The GLO Bookshop is now part of the ‘HIVE’ network of local independent bookshops. This gives us the ability to retail e-Books. The HIVE network also provides access to over 4.5 million general book and DVD titles at very competitive prices. We would encourage friends of GLO to use this facility if they require ‘general’ books. If you order from our ‘HIVE’ shopfront, GLO will benefit from a commission on each sale. Andrew Lacey
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Photo courtesy of Motherwell Times
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Mission Behind the Scenes For many people in Scotland, the GLO Centre has been the ‘public face’ of GLO since the early days. The tower dominates the Motherwell skyline, and visitors affectionately talk about going to ‘the GLO’ for a coffee, although some are unaware of what ‘G.L.O.’ stands for or of the work that we are involved in across the world. This Centre with its bookshop, coffee shop, conference facilities, college, and admin offices is, nevertheless, a ‘hub’ for the whole community. Our customers are vital to the work of GLO as the profits made from the Business Ministries are re-invested into the work. However, this is not the only objective of the Centre; the coffee shop, bookshop and conference facilities become an opportunity for ministry and mission in themselves. The coffee shop provides opportunities to reach out to the community offering a place where customers can find a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of their lives and have ‘time out’ with a book over a hot cuppa or meet with friends for coffee and chat. This, however, is the
goal of most coffee shops, so it would be our desire to be distinct. We not only offer a welcome, but also wish to provide an environment where sharing and praying together is encouraged and offered when the need arises. Alongside the coffee shop there is a conference centre which also seeks to serve the local community. This work has grown massively in recent years and we are grateful for the many individuals, churches, community groups and businesses that it gives us contact with. It is through these groups who hire the facilities regularly or require a conferencing service that we are able to make relationships and share our lives. Again, the challenge is to make the conference centre distinctive. It is our passion to serve these groups in a personal way, always going the extra mile, and praying that this practical expression of Christian love will draw attention to the One we ultimately serve. The GLO Centre was previously the premises of Dalziel North Church and over 50 years ago a prayer of dedication was
written for the purpose of this building. Here is just a small extract from the prayer: “….That the citizen and stranger, young and old, may find this a place where they shall meet with the living Lord…” It is exciting to see how our faithful God is still answering that prayer today through GLO and it would be our prayer, that through the ordinary events of every day service, God will continue to meet personally with those who come in. Anna McRobert
Anna McRobert moves into a new role at the GLO Centre as Conference Hirings Manager in January 2012
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Many Faces of Mission
The Training Dimensions of
Tilsley College W
hile our training base is the college in Motherwell, the various dimensions of training mean our students may be seen in many different situations. We’ve asked a prospective student to give you a first-hand report! In the Classroom … “Hi! This is Justin Credible reporting from Tilsley College: I’m here to check out the standards of training being offered because I need a theological education that will empower me for God’s work in God’s world. I expect that the teachers will be academically qualified with experience in Christian ministry. I would like to study in a residential college where the facilities are up to scratch and
where the course can tie in with other training courses. Personally, I am also looking for a small college, capable of delivering the goods at the sharp end so that I can have a formally recognised certificate that bears my name – Credible! Tilsley College has a pedigree proven by the quality of ministry that many of its past students are now engaged in; a pedigree recognised by the European Evangelical Accrediting Association and British Accreditation Council. Tilsley is clearly a place where your knowledge, skills and character can see incredible development - looks like it may be the place for me!” In local churches … “As part of the course at Tilsley College, students undertake a series of practical assignments alongside their academic studies. There is a range of opportunities from youth clubs, school assemblies, and children’s clubs to various social outreaches such as soup kitchens and mobile bus ministries. Each year they try to add new areas to their ‘portfolio’. This gives Tilsley students an opportunity to take part in ventures that may be new to them and in some cases to realise gifts in areas that they have gone on to develop after the course. That’s exactly what I need. It has been encouraging to hear feedback from these places and to realise that they
are of mutual help to placement and student alike. That’s incredible!” In a learning community … “Since church is all about community, I figure this training will be greatly enhanced as the Tilsley students learn to function at close quarters with others. With 16 students living in limited space, there will be lots of opportunity for all of us to learn about living in community! It will certainly reveal to us the aspects of the “fruit of the Spirit” that we are lacking! They tell me this can be a real challenge, but it must also be a truly rewarding experience. I mean the upside is that such close community also allows people to minister to each other by sharing “each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way to obey the law of Christ,” ...right?!” In overseas placements … “Every year a couple of the staff take the whole group of students on a one-week mission experience visit to a location in Europe – incredible! I found the group was just back from a meaningful time in Naples seeing the church planting needs of that region as well as visiting ancient sites of relevance to understanding New Testament background. Students also have the additional option of taking their 4-week individual field term abroad if they want further cross-cultural experience in mission.
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National Training Consultation “Connecting the Grid”
There is also FIRSTSERVE, a programme where up to six months can be spent in a cross-cultural mission. This follows two-weeks of study preparations at Tilsley College and 4-6 weeks of church work orientation here in the UK.” With “Open Access” students … “Their Open Access provision allows interested people to come in and join their full-time students for as little as one week or for one or two terms. I’ve seen that college life is enriched by the addition of these part-time students. This avenue is obviously beneficial for people who are unable to take a whole year out and may be looking for some study in a specialist subject area or in relation to on-going personal development.” In the evenings … “Tilsley is a versatile college working closely with local churches and their leaders. Over the years they have offered a range of seminars and consultations from which emerged the Joshua Project which is a leadership training course run jointly by the College and local churches. The course, while providing instruction in leadership skills, places a strong emphasis on biblical and theological studies, the need for personal spiritual development and an increasing awareness of the issues facing churches in the 21st-century. It seems especially effective at engaging students with their own church leaders
in the training process. The college is open to the possibility of helping set up this evening-based course in any locality! Well... this is just incredible!” In teaching conferences … “The college is also involved in an annual Mini Bible School. This takes place at Motherwell in January of each year and provides an in-depth look at a topical subject, Bible book or doctrine. Experienced teachers take up different aspects of the subject. In more recent years the Mini Bible School has been held in other locations within England, N Ireland and Scotland – Tilsley would be very keen to talk with church leaders about helping develop this in your area.” Well, many thanks to Justin for his comprehensive reporting. Let us just finish off by saying that we are also...
On 4th October 2011 a National Training Consultation was held at Canley Community Church, Coventry by a mixture of church leaders and organisations linked with the Brethren Movement. Under the theme of “Connecting the Grid” the purposes were to • Celebrate what’s happening: Recognise the value of what each of us are doing in providing training at local church and regional level.. • Make better training connections: Share information which can facilitate fellowship, networking and mutual encouragement between leaders of local churches and service groups concerned about and engaged in training. • Explore the gaps: Identify more precisely the educational and training needs, understand how the existing “systems” are seeking to meet some of these needs, and identify key gaps that need to be filled. • Prepare to grow: Develop an action plan that will link-up training options that can be made available to local churches. There was a warm spirit of cooperation which helped progress the good working relationships that exist between our various ministries. Full details of the reports and discussions are available. An agreement was made to progress the following:• Central Source for training information: establishing a suitable way of collating and presenting information of training schemes with clear links to our spectrum of churches should be pulled together e.g. a website and brochure. • Develop a training hub or network: the steering group that put the consultation together should continue to function, drawing in a few more key church leaders and organisations in the process. • Meeting again: There should be future opportunities for growing relationships among those involved in delivering or using training and to share further discussions in future developments. Godwilling we are planning to meet again next year.
On the internet The Learning to Lead course has been presented in churches across the UK and beyond and an internet version is currently being offered. We have a conviction that the development of a new generation of leaders is of paramount importance. This is an area we will continue to develop in the years to come. In the meantime, please visit our website at www.tilsleycollege.com for details of all our activities or find us on Facebook. by Mark Davies
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Speahead Winter 2011/12
Many Faces of Mission
Planting Together P
artnership and helping others is vital in today’s world and one area that GLO is passionate about is church planting here in the UK. In 1999, some 12 years ago, the Church Planting Initiative (CPI) was set up to encourage and develop church planting in the UK. Over these past years this initial vision has grown, developed and been used to see many new independent, evangelical churches started. CPI is made up of four partner organisations (GLO, Counties, Partnership & the Church Growth Trust) who share the same vision to see new churches established in the UK. To date, with God’s help, CPI has been involved in providing support to a dozen church planting locations where local Christians wanted to plant a new
“Planting new independent, evangelical churches in the UK is vitally important.” church, to ‘re-plant’ in a new location or re-launch in the same building with a renewed vision. I have served on the CPI Board for the last three years as a trustee and treasurer and it is very clear that the priority is not to invest in buildings but people. One of the founding principles of CPI is to financially support church plant workers and not to finance buildings. We are currently concentrating our efforts on building a network of church planters across the country and are developing exciting new plans to plant new churches in
the next year or so. CPI’s role will be to motivate and support these church planters so that they can bring these new churches into being. Planting new independent, evangelical churches in the UK is vitally important. It brings life to people and communities. If you want to know more about CPI then don’t hesitate to contact me for more information. Also look out for our new book on church planting called ‘Fresh Shoots on Stony Ground’. Ian Smith
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Gospel Literature Outreach
In Zambia I
n 2009 GLO Zambia launched a programme to facilitate the development of children and young people both in churches and our local communities. It is called ‘GLO Alive’. Our vision is to empower children and young people to fulfil their God-given potential so that they can become what God intended them to be, in this world and the world to come. (John 10:10). Our strategy is to use every means possible in facilitating young people’s learning both from life experiences and their formal education. It is about becoming all things, to all men, by all means, in order to win some. (I Cor. 9:22) We believe that every human being has something to offer and that in using our abilities, skills, gifts and experiences, we can all enrich each other’s lives.
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GLO Alive involves various programmes: Sports’ Ministry We have a football team and a volleyball team of young people aged from 12 – 19 years old. This helps us to engage with the young people and create meaningful relationships in order to share the Good News of the Kingdom with them. Carpentry and Gardening Many of the young people in our communities come from poor families who are unable to provide for their needs. With lots of charitable organizations giving hand outs, in good faith, many young people have developed a dependence mind-set. We therefore try to enable them to learn a skill that will give them a sense of self-
worth as well as a sustainable way of life. The Carpentry and Gardening projects are an attempt to achieve this. Teen Mums The education of girls continues to be a big challenge in Africa, and Zambia is no exception. We see lots of girls dropping out of schools and getting married at an early age. Teenage pregnancy in most of our communities is high. We have girls as young as 14 with babies, living in terrible conditions. We train these teen mums in parenting, tailoring and other related skills for the betterment of their lives.
How can you be a part of this? 1. Pray for the work of GLO Alive in Zambia 2. Plan to come to Zambia and join us in our work. Remember there is always something you can offer. Just come with your skill, talent, gift or experience they all can be used 3. You can give towards the work. 4. You can tell someone or your church about this work and envision them for the work of missions in Zambia
Children’s Clubs We go in the community to run children’s clubs, using the small group model to engage and reach out to kids at their level, in their environment. Extra Tuition We provide extra lessons for young people and children in our community. Many of them come to us with difficulties in their studies. We concentrate on English as this is the official language and a requirement for Zambian education. Youth Leaders’ Training We have an on campus and off campus course to train youth leaders, expanding their biblical knowledge and teaching them practical ways to engage with young people in order to reach out to them for Christ’s sake. Youth Camps We run two camps every year – a senior and junior youth camp. By David Lukama
“It is easier to build boys and girls than to repair men and women.” 15
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Many Face of Mission
Glo European Members
Mark Davies mdavies@glo-europe.org 01698 266776
Stephen McQuoid smcquoid@glo-europe.org 01698 267298
Admin office admin@glo-europe.org 01698 263483
Sam Gibson samuel.gibson@ntlworld.com 02890 777404
Ian Smith ismith@glo-europe.org 01698 263483
College Office college@glo-europe.org 01698 266776
Tel 01698 263483 Fax 01698 275418 E-mail: admin@glo-europe.org Internet: www.glo-europe.org
Gospel Literature Outreach 78 Muir Street Motherwell ML1 1BN
Contact Details
For further information or up-to-date details of team places still available please contact Allison Hill or Jenny Smith: Tel: 01698 263483 Fax: 01698 253942 E: admin@glo-europe.org W: www.glo-europe.org
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