This booklet marks the last phase of the Pro-vision process. That does not mean that the parish will stop pursuing God’s vision. In this Response Brochure, we aim to challenge every member of our Parish to make a commitment to become More like Jesus. We would like to ask you to take your Bible and a pen, find a quiet place and take time to prayerfully work through this brochure. We also expect to collect the final personal responses to the Pro-vision strategy. We will call back to collect your final personal response to the Pro-vision strategy but the Pro-vision team would love to speak with you if you have any questions.
SEEKING GOD’S VISION FOR OUR CHURCH THROUGH PROMOTING THE UNITY OF THE BODY OF CHRIST IN PURPOSE AND PRAYER; THROUGH THE CALLING TO A WHOLE SURRENDER OF HEARTS TO GOD AND A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING TO GOD’S CALL TO BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS.
Pro-vision supports the parish’s vision to become More like Jesus. Pro-vision’s practical goals have the aim to raise the resources to build the structures that will allow us to fulfil that vision.
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Our short-term practical goals are: resourcing the ministries that will enrich the prayer life of our church;
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build a sense of community and discipleship through small groups and engage with the local community;
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developing a weekly programme to serve older people in our community, especially the housebound and the active retired;
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refurbishing the Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in Magheralin to create a welcoming space to everybody who desires to seek God in our community. We have many reasons to be thankful to God. We have already seen some answers to prayer and initial steps to fulfil these goals. We also know that there is much more to be pursued, spiritually and practically. Let’s keep our hearts open and continue to seek God for a whole transformation of our lives and of our church.
Bible verses are from the NIV translation unless otherwise stated
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Dear friends, The call to be “More Like Jesus” has been a touchstone motto in our parish for many years. The Pro-vision process has helped us to clarify what it looks like in practice. I believe that the themes of Living, Praying, Serving and Giving like Jesus, (taken in any order)are so simple that the youngest child or newest Christian can see their inherrent value. They provide a framework in which we can grow together, and gauges by which we canpersonally review whether we really are becoming “more” like Christ. To that aim, I hope that you will find this response brochure both comforting and challenging. I pray that you will take the opportunity it provides to reflect on your discipleship and our church life. I am excited to see how the personal responses which, in a very important way are on the level of you and God, make an impact on all our lives and bear fruit for God’s kingdom in the short and long term. May you know God’s blessing and guiding of his Spirit as you work through this booklet. God has more in store for each one of us!
Yours in Christ, Gareth Harron 3
‘ONE OF THOSE DAYS JESUS WENT OUT TO A MOUNTAINSIDE TO PRAY, AND SPENT THE NIGHT PRAYING TO GOD’ LUKE 6:12 A life of prayer is a life of dependence and surrender to God based on our new relationship with God, who we can call Father. Jesus modelled this intimate relationship of love, trust and dependence on the Father. Jesus spent time with God in prayer in public and in private. He constantly withdrew from the agitation of life to be alone with the Father and able to hear His voice. Likewise, a call to Christianity is a call to an intimate relationship with God which we develop through prayer and the practice of listening to His voice. Any relationship needs to be nurtured to grow; we need to practice talking to our Father and getting to know Him better day after day. The key to The key to developing an unceasing prayer life is to keep our hearts connected to God in everything we do. The parish hosts a number of prayer meetings Dollingstown Magheralin Magheralin Dollingstown
Sundays 9.15-9.45am Mondays 8pm, Hutchinson Suite 5th Sunday / month, Prayers for Healing, 6pm 3rd Thursday of the month,10 am
Father, thank you that despite your greatness and holiness you desire to have an intimate relationship with me! I don’t want to neglect this privilege. Help me to pray without ceasing. Open my ears to hear your voice, I ask. In Jesus name, Amen. 4
HOW TO PRAY MORE LIKE JESUS Find a time and place in which you can concentrate on nurturing your personal relationship with the Father. Approach God with confidence and faith - Hebrews 11:6 Have the freedom to be honest, to bring your struggles, weaknesses and hopes to God as well as your requests. God is not interested in many meaningless words, but in prayers that come from the heart. Remember that there is no formula to pray. Bring a ‘broken and contrite’ heart before God and He will not despise it (Psalm 51:17). Remember also that prayer is not a religious duty but the nurturing of your relationship with Jesus. There are helpful prayer calendars that you can use if that suits you. If you haven’t yet received your ‘More like Jesus’ prayer calendar, tick this option in the Response Form. It is always helpful to pray in accordance with the Scriptures. Use a Bible verse or a Psalm to help you to pray. Do not only speak, but let God speak to you. God can speak in many ways; if you stop to hear His voice, He will speak to you. Rely on the Holy Spirit. ‘In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.’ Romans 8:26
REFLECTING
Has your prayer life become nothing more than a religious duty? How can you nurture your relationship with the Father daily? Reflect on how you spend your day: ‘Am I putting other things before God in my life?’ What can I change in order to prioritise my relationship with Jesus?’ Would a prayer calendar help you? After reflection and prayer, take some time to complete the Pray like Jesus section in the Response form.
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‘WHOEVER CLAIMS TO BE IN HIM MUST LIVE AS JESUS DID’ 1JOHN 2:6
Jesus is our model of life. We should live as He lived! He displayed God’s highest virtues of purity, love and selfsacrifice. He taught and lived out the values of the Kingdom of God. Here are some on the kingdom’s values as Jesus taught them in the Sermon of the Mount (Matthew 5-7): Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (5:44) If anyone slaps you on the right cheek turn to them the other cheek also. (5:35) Be reconciled to them (5:24) Let your light shine before others (5:16) You are the salt of the earth (5:13) Give to the needy (6:2) Do not worry about your life (6:25) Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (6:33) Do not judge (7:1) Enter through the narrow gate. (7:13) Only the one who does the will of my father (7: 21) ...hears these words of mine and puts them into practice (7:24) Do to others what you would have them do to you (7:12) Forgive other people when they sin against you (6:14) The kingdom’s values are practiced in the context of community. God is a relational God. The greatest command is “Love the Lord your God” and points to our relationship with Him. The second one is “Love your neighbour as you love yourself” and points to our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The apostles not only heard the words of Jesus but they learned how to practice them as they walked closely to Jesus and to each other as a family. This is God’s intention: that those who are born to His new life, are also born into a new family – God’s family, the church. That is where we first need to live as Jesus taught us. Together we can practice love, forgiveness, care, mutual support and encouragement. ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ John 13:34 Lord, I want to do your will and live as your child. I repent from living my life in my own way, not yours. Help me in my weaknesses. Change my values to be in accordance with your kingdom. Help me also to practice genuine love and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen 6
HOW TO LIVE MORE LIKE JESUS PERSONAL BIBLE READING Since Jesus is our model, we need to learn from His life and teachings through the reading of God’s word, the Bible. We encourage you to read your Bible regularly in an attitude of humility, dependence on the Holy Spirit and openness to be taught, corrected and transformed by the Spirit of God. Get involved in the fellowship of the church family and seek to practice the unity that Christ wanted to see in His church. ‘I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.’ John 17:21-22 REGULAR CHURCH BIBLE STUDY AND FELLOWSHIP GROUPS Our Parish seeks to serve you through some groups that will encourage your growth in the knowledge of God and His word in contexts where you can exercise Jesus’ command to love and support one another. Bible Study Fellowship Weekly bible study group aiming at going deeper in the study of the books of the Bible. Home Groups A network of smaller groups, usually no bigger than about a dozen people, meeting regularly for fellowship, prayer and encouragement. Cell Groups if you are a young person (12-18), you can join Christians that are your same age to grow in the knowledge of God and to have fun and fellowship!
REFLECTING
Is your heart completely surrendered to obey God and live like Jesus? How are you doing in your daily Bible reading? Are you sensitive to hearing God’s voice when He challenges your values and lifestyle? Have you been more influenced by movies, TV, friends, culture, etc. than by the Word of God? Take some time to read the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 5-7. What challenges you the most? How can you put into practice the things Jesus taught? Pray for the Holy Spirit’s transformation in your struggles. Consider if one of the Bible studies and fellowships that the church offers could help you grow more. After reflection and prayer, take some time to complete the Live like Jesus section in the Response form. 7
‘WHOEVER ‘WHOEVER CLAIMS WANTS TO BE BECOME IN HIMGREAT AMONGMUST YOU LIVE MUST AS BE JESUS YOURDID’ SERVANT, AND WHOEVER WANTS TO2:6 BE FIRST 1JOHN MUST BE SLAVE OF ALL. FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY.’ MARK 10:43-45
A heart that loves people loves to serve. Jesus humbled himself and came to serve because He loves us. We are called to follow in his steps. We have been empowered by His Holy Spirit to love and to serve others. We have also each received gifts (special abilities given by God) to work for the good of others (1Peter 4:10) God has bestowed his gifts on every believer. It is important to try to identify some of your gifts to use and develop them. The Bible mentions some of the gifts the Spirit gives: Teaching / Prophesying / Encouraging / Serving / Giving Showing mercy / Evangelizing / Pastoring / Practicing hospitality / Words of wisdom / Words of Knowledge / Faith Gifts of Healing / Working of Miracles / Discerning of Spirits Interpretation of tongues.. The exercise of your gifts is not limited to church activities. There are many other special abilities God gives us to serve His kingdom where He has placed us. Serving like Jesus is a lifestyle that we can develop in our daily life. .
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HOW TO SERVE MORE LIKE JESUS Look at people around you with the love that the Spirit pours down into our hearts. Be ready to serve them in their needs, even if an act looks small. Matthew 25:31-46. Use opportunities from your day to day life to exercise generosity, service, goodness and love. Serve in the Church community. We read in Ephesians 4:12 ‘works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up’. Gifts are given for the sake of others not ours. They should be used to build up the church of Jesus. As members of a body, each one has a function that should be exercised for the body to work perfectly. Church is also the space where you can better identify and develop your gifts. Our church offers you many opportunities to serve others. Speak to us about how you can best use your gifts and service at a local level.
Lord, I want to do your will and live as your child. I repent from living my life in my own way, not yours. Help me in my weaknesses. Change my values to be in accordance with your kingdom. Help me also to practice genuine love and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen
REFLECTING
Does your attitude towards other people show love and service in the same way as Jesus’ attitude? Are you humble and ready to put others above yourself? Can you identify some of your gifts? Think about the things you really enjoy doing and that bless others. These are probably some of the gifts God has given you. Are you exercising the gifts God gave you to build up His body? Are you seeking to develop your gifts? We can also ask God for His gifts. “So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.” 1 Corinthians 12:31 NLV After reflection and prayer, take some time to complete the Serve like Jesus section in the Response form.
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‘WHOEVER ‘HECLAIMS WHO DID TO NOT BE INSPARE HIM HIS OWN MUST SON,LIVE BUTAS GAVE JESUS HIM DID’ UP FOR US ALL—HOW WILL 1JOHN HE NOT 2:6ALSO, ALONG WITH HIM, GRACIOUSLY GIVE US ALL THINGS?’ ROMANS 8:32
God has a giving heart. He gave the most precious thing he had for us – Jesus. Jesus also gave himself sacrificially and willingly for our sake. He gave his all. He expects us now to respond to his love with our complete surrender to him. All that we have, and all that we are, need to be given to God. If our lives are surrendered to Christ, our pockets should be too. Christians understand that all that they have is given by God and belongs to him. We are only stewards of God’s gifts. Therefore, we need wisdom and a prayerful attitude to know how best to spend our money. Besides being a good steward of the resources God has blessed us with, He desires us to be generous with our resources when it comes to serve others and the kingdom of God: ‘Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.’ Hebrews 13:6 ESV
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HOW TO GIVE MORE LIKE JESUS Some of this material is based on the leaflet Giving for Life by the The Archbishop’s Council of the Church of England.
GIVING IN ALL OF LIFE
Christian giving is a lifelong journey. We change our thinking about money and what is appropriate to give as we grow and mature in God’s grace we may change our thinking about money and what it is appropriate to give. In which area do you find it easiest to give? Which do you need to work at?
GIVING LIFE
When we give, we give life. Regular committed giving by church members enables the church to carry out God’s mission in the world. Church and charitable giving gives new life, new vision, new hope. Do you give regularly? Do you give generously?
LIFE GIVING
Giving His life for us, Jesus made the ultimate demonstration of God’s generosity. Giving is at the centre of God’s character - God gives us life, and his giving is renewed daily. In what ways have you expressed your thanks for all that God has given to you?
GIVING THANKS
Generous giving is the acknowledgement that all that we have is given to us by our gracious and loving God and we give back to Him in response to His prior generosity. Instead of only thinking about what we give, we need to explore our motives for doing so — do we give out of thankfulness? Think about the blessings you have received. Thank God for His generosity!
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GIVING MOTIVATED BY LOVE
Acting generously requires abundant love; love for God, love for neighbour, love for God’s work, love for family. Love that flows over into generous, open-handed giving of time, money, hospitality, talents and our very selves. ‘If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.’ I Corinthians 13:3
GIVING IN RESPONSE TO NEED
Generous giving leads us to respond spontaneously to the need we encounter. ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was sick an you looked after me...’ Matthew 25:31-46
GIVING IN RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR CHURCH
Generous giving requires us to give regularly in a committed way to our church and the causes God has placed on our hearts. Just as Jesus’ ministry needed support (Luke 8:1-3), so does the ministry of the church today.
MAGHERALIN PARISH Our parish has been blessed by the generosity of faithful givers throughout the years. However, as a church that desires to fulfil God’s calling for us we know that we should be doing much more! Our goal is to become More like Jesus in prayer (spiritual life), in living (as the family of God and the light to the world), in service (to our members and to our communities) and in giving (to local outreach world mission, to address the needs around us). As the outset of the Pro-vision Programme, we set the 3 priorities mentioned at the beginning of this booklet.. they are means to help us grow towards our church vision. To fulfil those priorities we need an increase in our income of about 35%! Your generosity and commitment is needed even more. That may seem too big a task but we would like to draw your attention to some Biblical principles and a few figures in the next pages. 12
WHY GIVE TO THE CHURCH? Many people struggle when it comes to considering giving to the local church. Younger generations are more likely to be driven by causes and would prefer to donate to other sorts of organizations. Our Parish itself is committed to give to other ministries. However, the New Testament (NT) also teaches us to provide resources for those who minister to us: in the local church context. (1 Corinthians 9:11-14). There are also other reasons why we should commit to give to the church:
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The church is allows us to come together with a passion for social causes c, to share vision and gather resources. We rejoice in the fact that Magheralin Parish has been a starting point and/or an important support to organizations like Fields of Life, Lurgan CAP Centre (Christians against Poverty), Charlene’s project.
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The church is the place where you and your family can be spiritually fed and cared for through many different organizations.
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Churches should be well placed to identify those in need. They also have a capacity to serve the community. In our Parish, we are working to increase the support to ministries like Love your Neighbourhood, Manna Ministry, Senior’s ministry and others.
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When we do not give to the local church we burden those who do, and we let them carry all the work alone.
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WHAT ABOUT THE PRINCIPLE OF TITHING? In the Old Testament The word tithe means a tenth. That is the amount God commanded the people of Israel to support the Temple and the Levites. A tenth represented the first, or the most important, portion of all that they had. The Israelites were divided into 12 tribes. One of those tribes - the Levites - was responsible for the ministry of the Temple of the Lord. They offered priestly ministry and spiritual leadership. God commanded all the other tribes to pay the tithe for the sustainment of the Levites. Besides the tithe, the Israelites gave other offerings and sacrifices amounting to a total of more than 20% of what they earned. In the New Testament Jesus only mentioned the tithe a couple of times. When he did so he was talking to the Pharisees. Jesus approved their obedience to tithing but condemned their negligence towards caring for the needy. (Matthew 23:23;Luke 11:42). After the destruction of the Temple in 70AD, Israel ceased to function as a political nation so the old tithing system stopped. In the early church, we see is the more radical practice of giving 100%. “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” (Acts 2:44-45). The NT does not suggest a percentage for giving. However, it does command Christians to give according to their possessions. But although the New Testament is not explicit about tithing, it does support the same principles that are found in the practice of tithing: honouring God first, giving sacrificially, faithfully and in support to those in need and to those who live from ministry. John Ortberg uses the analogy that tithing is like stabilizers when we are first learning to ride a bicycle- it helps us to get started!Another church leader, Rick Warren, tells us his testimony: “Kay and I became reverse tithers. When we got married 30 years ago, we began tithing 10%. Each year we would raise our tithe 1% to stretch our faith: 11% the first year, 12% the second year, 13% the third year. Every time I give, it breaks the grip of materialism in my life. Every time I give, it makes me more like Jesus. Every time I give, my heart grow bigger. And so now, we give away 90% and we live on 10%.” Jesus taught that the more you give the more you will receive. “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured onto your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measure to you”. (Luke 6:38) 14
GIVING IN MAGHERALIN In 2012, the Free Will offering income from a total of 423 contributors was £148,522. The general Parish cost for the same year was £214,694. An increase of 35% in the church income may seem a huge amount, but things could be different if we adopt a committed giving. Consider these numbers: If each of our contributors (423) were in a low annual wage of £10,000 and tithed (10%), the church income would increase to £423,000! There would be no need, for example, for fundraising events or requests for special donations to cover the costs of refurbishment of Magheralin Church Building. In terms of mission and ministry we would be able to do much more than what we do today. The economic climate is undeniably are difficult, but there is still space for us to grow in giving. God honours faithfulness, sacrifice and generosity. We can take a step of faith in His Word even when our finances are not so well. Our intention in talking about tithe is not to condemn or burden anyone. We are not suggesting this become a legalistic rule, but explaining the Biblical principles about giving may challenge all of us in this aspect of our lives. Jesus talked many times about money and giving because he knew how easy it to hold back in this area. Again, as Rick Warren says, when we give, we break the power of money in our lives, We also want to communicate the needs and vision of our church clearly so that we may be able to fulfil God’s calling for us together. We are the church of God and must be united and work together to do the work In an attempt to meet the present needs, we ask you as a member of Magheralin Parish to reflect on the Biblical principles above and consider if you could increase the percentage you currently give. Your decision is totally personal and private. We know that every person will be able to give differently. The wealthier can give more, the needy less, but what is more important is that we all give with the correct motivation and attitude. God does not look at the amount you give, but to your heart and sacrifice. (Luke 21:1-4). Do you give out of a sense of honouring God first, out of thankfulness, sacrifice, compassion and generosity? “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;their righteousness endures for ever’. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:7-11). 15
Our intention in talking about tithing is not to condemn or burden people, much less to make it a legalistic rule, but rather explain Biblical principles about giving and challenge our members in this aspect of their lives. Jesus talked much about money and giving and he warned us not to let this area of our lives have a grip on us. As Christians we should be giving like Jesus. We also want to communicate the needs and vision of our church so that together we may be able to work to fulfil God’s calling for us. In an attempt to meet the present needs, we ask you as a member of Magheralin Parish to reflect on the Biblical principles above and consider increasing the percentage you currently give. Your decision is totally personal and private. It is between you and God. We know that every person will be able to give differently. The wealthier can give more, the poorer will give less. But we pray that both will give with the correct motivation. God does not look at the amount you give but rather to what that means to you. (Luke 21:1-4). Do you give out of a sense of honouring God first, out of thankfulness, sacrifice, compassion and generosity? This is what God is looking for.
‘Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures for ever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.’ 2 Corinthians 9:7-11
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REFLECTING
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HOW DO I KNOW I’M GIVING GENEROUSLY? When I set my giving in the context of my income, the percentage I’m giving away is a realistic amount. When my giving is a priority from what I received each week or month rather than what’s left over.
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When if what I give away was given back to me, it would make a real difference to me.
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When I see that my giving in all its forms has an impact on my lifestyle. I can identify an element of sacrifice to my giving.
Lord God, I want to be generous as Jesus. Help me to serve and honour you with my resources. Would you pour down love and genuine concern for others, for your church and for your kingdom? In Jesus’ name, Amen.
After reflection and prayer, take some time to complete the Give like Jesus section in the Response form.
May you know God’s grace and help as you pray through, consider and respond to this brochure. If this process has stirred up pressing pastoral needs or concerns,please feel free to speak to one of the Pro-vision response team,or contact the parish office or one of the clergy.
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