June - July 2014 / Issue 64
sparking passion for the Gospel across the UK
God’s dairyman 4
Finance update
11
Year Out
12
Camps & Clubs
Bursting with Opportunities! When was the last time you went to the playground with your children (or grandchildren)? One of my favourite rides is the roundabout, which is always a bit of a challenge. You have to look for a vacant spot, then watch it coming round and jump on at exactly the right time! This issue of Ignite is coming your way with a range of special opportunities for you (or someone you know) to get on board with us.
Are you looking for summer fun with summer service? Look through the range of camps associated with our evangelists and encourage some youngsters to join in, or volunteer to help. (Page 12)
Have you got a heart for mission and overseas service? Check out the FirstServe options or point a young person to this year-out experience of training and mission exposure. (Page 11)
Want to join a small community of disciples? Tilsley College (near Glasgow) is a great place to learn, grow and develop a closer walk with God – mentoring, mission and motivation. (Page 11)
Are you looking for finance to develop a new outreach? TES trustees are prayerfully seeking continued funds to be able to support another round of applications for grants to pioneer creative evangelistic projects. (Page 10)
Have you got any breath left? You might need a relaxing weekend away with great fellowship and solid Bible teaching? Join us for our ‘Partners in the Gospel’ weekend with Peter Maiden from 31 October – 2 November 2014. Great rates and under 16s go FREE! (Page 14) This month will never come around again, so please join us now and encourage others to do the same. Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days. Don’t be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do. Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5.16-18 GNB) With our very grateful thanks for your fellowship in the Gospel, Yours in Christ,
John Wilkes, Evangelist - CEO Counties exists to make Jesus known across the UK through our evangelists, exhibitions and resources, in Biblically faithful and culturally relevant ways. Address: Counties 30 Haynes Road, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 3HD Telephone: 01373 823 013 Email: office@countiesuk.org www.countiesuk.org Thank you for your valued partnership. We are glad to make Ignite available free of charge. It costs approximately £5 per year to produce and distribute six editions of this newsletter to you. Every additional contribution will help us continue in our mission. Counties (formerly Counties Evangelistic Work) is a Registered Charity No. 264278 and a Company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales No. 1041761 Editor: Helen Rimmer helen@countiesuk.org
Design: www.relevantdesign.co.uk 2 | Ignite
Contents
8: God’s dairyman.
News
4 Finance update 5 Banned Evangelist 14 New website
Features
8 God’s Dairyman 12 Clubs & Camps
Regulars
6 Generation Game 7 Ready for Rio 10 TES grants 11 Take a year out 14 GSUS Live & Life 15 Training day
4: Investing in God’s glory.
Please introduce Counties to your friends by following us on Facebook and Twitter
Facebook ‘Counties Evangelism Network’ Twitter ‘@countiesuk’
12: Clubs and camps. Ignite | 3
News
Investing in God’s glory Around 50 members attended the Counties Annual General Meeting to reflect on the financial year to 30 September 2013, learning how God’s work has been progressing and what is planned for the coming year. Trustee Simon Bennett presented the overview of our finances and said it had been another year of surplus, mainly generated by generous legacies. Almost a quarter of Counties income came from the legacies within the last financial year - £131,351 which is the second largest contribution next to £289,085 from trusts. He said: “As with all charities it is very difficult to balance the level of reserves with the need to maintain a sustainable level of activity. That is why it is important to look at finances over the longer term. Despite some recent annual surpluses reserves are still below levels last seen in 2008.” “As a Trustee it is always reassuring to see that our audited accounts show that over 87% of our expenditure is meeting direct charitable costs” “In recent years we have set budgets with significant shortfalls at the start of the year to ensure that the work continues amazingly God has seen fit to provide us with unexpected gifts which has enabled the trustees to think more widely at our recent strategy meeting as to how the work of Counties evolves over the coming years.” The extra funding meant that a number of things have been made possible ranging from additional gifts to evangelists within the year to enable them to complete their work to extra funding for training. Counties 4 | Ignite
are also proactively recruiting more evangelists, especially in new areas across the country. Counties also increased its support to the LIFE exhibition to help this fantastic resource reach even more primary school children and is also looking to provide seed funding to develop separate projects alongside evangelists as well as develop another new flexible exhibition bringing the good news of Jesus to different groupsacross the country. Simon said: “As the work of Counties is cultivated we need to ensure that seeds are sown on fertile ground and that we grow a strong and healthy evangelistic work that can be nutured through to harvest. We are therefore still looking at ways to diversify our income sources and increase our support base. Please pray for and promote the work of the Counties and its financial needs over the coming year.” In the last year, your gifts and prayers have helped us to reach more than 45,000 school children with the story of Jesus, supported more than 40,000 hours of outreach and trained hundreds of church leaders. If you or your church would like to donate to Counties work, please visit our website and click the donate tab.
The Lord knows your Name Although we write and express out thanks for every gift received, we would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation for the generosity and fellowship of those who have given via the web, standing order, cheques, trust vouchers, cash and those who give anonymously.
News
Banned from the London Marathon?
“He held his arm to stop me from running,” Clive said. “I asked if the problem was the cross and he answered with a ‘yes’. Clive Cornish takes up his cross.
Evangelist Clive Cornish was grabbed at the start line of the 2014 London Marathon and stopped from running. Clive has literally taken up his cross – a 12-foot wooden one – and has walked with it around the perimeter of Wales, from Lands’ End to John o’Groats, and from Jerusalem to Rome. Clive, from Ely, Cardiff, has taken part in six marathons carrying the 50lb cross since 2008 but he was stopped by officials the moment he approached the starting line in London. After insisting on talking to an adjudicator, Clive said he was told the wheel attached to the bottom of the structure, which supports it along the route, disqualified him from running. His offer to take the wheel off and carry its entire weight without any assistance was also turned down.
Speaking to Wales online, Clive said:
“We are celebrating Easter but we don’t want to include the cross. We have lost the aspect of Easter and what it is about. It has become all about bank holidays.” Clive has previously been stopped at the New York Marathon, but plans to apply to run in next year’s race and is regular at the Cardiff Half Marathon. Clive first ‘took up his cross’ by walking the 450 miles around Wales with photographer Lathan Ball and in 2004 they visited the rest of the towns in Wales, travelling 750 miles over seven weeks. They also climbed Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales in a trip called ‘Three Days, One Easter’. Clive also has retraced Paul’s missionary journey between Jerusalem and Rome, travelling through Israel, Malta, Sicily and Italy. He also works in Cardiff with children and the under privileged. Ignite | 5
News
The Generation Game David and Katie Symons, based in Bideford, Devon are seeing a great blessing through a ‘United Generation’ youth meeting. Despite two large youth groups being unable to make the young people’s praise event, around 214 made the event. David said: “We were also amazed to see the response after the main evening meeting with ten young people standing, making commitments to follow the Lord and many others asking for prayer. I was particularly encouraged to hear of young people, who had been prayed for by youth workers or friends for a number of years, making a decision to follow after Jesus. Let’s rejoice with the angels of heaven over those young people who have received forgiveness and entered into God’s kingdom.”
David and Katie Symons.
“We were also amazed to see the response after the main evening meeting with ten young people standing, making commitments to follow the Lord and many others asking for prayer.”
Getting ‘Appy Paul Willmott, who is well known for his children and families outreach work (not least at Spring Harvest) has launched an app for those with smart phones. Based on the Big and Bold roadshow, which he takes up and down the country, and featuring colourful characters and puppets, the app can be downloaded for iphone and Android phones, which is fun for kids but also highlights the message of salvation.
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News
Christ the Redeemer in Rio.
Getting ready for Rio Stourbridge based evangelist Andy Hodson is limbering up to be part of a multinational team set to hit Brazil in the World Cup finals this month. With all eyes turned to the football – where one game can attract around 260 million viewers – others will be sharing the good news of Christ through practical works in the country. Around 300 people from the UK, the USA and other European countries will be based in Curitiba in southern Brazil and Sau Paulo, the largest city in the southern hemisphere, throughout the tournament, working with football projects. Andy said: “Some projects will be training and coaching young people and children, some will be building projects, or a mixture of the two. The intention is for each person to take another person with them as an opportunity to disciple them through the projects as well as exciting them about the Kingdom when they return.
Brazil hosts the World Cup from this month.
“Our intention is to share Christ, encourage believers and lift up the Andy Hodson. poor and needy in urban communities and under privileged communities where we are working.” Ignite | 7
Features
God’s dairyman Tim Cracknell, church planter, evangelist, dairyman.
The Bible is full of references to shepherds and the care of sheep but very rarely dairymen and the care of cows. In one corner of England, on the edge of the Forest of Dean, Counties worker Tim Cracknell with his wife Katrina are part time dairy farmers and full time evangelists and have seen a remarkable revival around them. The couple, who live on the farm where Tim was born 50 years ago, have just celebrated the eighth birthday of a local church which, in 1999, had effectively died. Tim says: “It used to be a 1920s Gospel Hall when it reopened it had six ladies in their 80s. Today the Forest of Dean Community Church has around 100 attendees each week.” 8 | Ignite
It hasn’t always been an easy journey. But the Lord’s provision, close work with the community and the work of the faithful, decades previously has led to the huge growth at the Forest of Dean Community Church. “As we re-launched the church, we began to see a trickle of people come through the doors. Typically, the story was very similar. They had attended Sunday School in the 1950s or 1960s. But there was something missing in their lives, they knew they loved God but hadn’t set foot in a church in 35 years,” said Tim. They began returning to God and His church. The other major work in the church was community outreach, providing the services such as toddlers groups and drop in centre or practical assistance, a food bank and street pastors.
Features
Along the way they have seen people transformed by God’s salvation. When Duncan Murray first walked through the church door, his marriage of 15 years to Linda had ended in divorce. Everything had gone wrong for them as a couple, including attempted suicide. God worked so wonderfully in their lives that after five years of separation they remarried. Tim said: “We are now in the process of appointing Duncan as our second Church worker, briefed to be our “community pastor.” On another occasion, a young lady who first came on a Sunday morning saying that she was going to commit suicide that morning but when she saw the Church banner outside the school decided to come to church instead. Two years of pastoral support from members of the Church followed even though she did not come back to church. Then in February this year she returned to Church with her mother. After the service she said she wanted to be sure that she would go to heaven and she came to the Lord. She and her mother are now part
of a group of six people going through Christianity Explored each week on a thrilling journey of faith. Tim is keen to share his experiences as a church planter and an evangelist with other church leaders. Having heard how the Gospel Hall died a slow death from the late 1960s to the end of the century from a series of poor decisions, he says leaders have to work closely together, not shy away from having tough conversations with themselves and each other and constantly seek God’s guidance. “Sometimes in the church we have had well intentioned people who either didn’t share the vision the Lord had given us or the theology we have, or those who claim to be Christians but showed little or no fruit of the Spirit in their lives and cause havoc. “And we have to resist the “we have enough people now” syndrome, when the reality is that there are tens of thousands in our area without Christ. So we need to keep on being unselfish people, to reach out to the lost and accept the changes in our church that this creates.”
“My passion and heart is to say, as church leaders we need to make the right decisions, it’s not about being popular – this is tough, but there is no greater calling in the world.” Ignite | 9
Regulars
TES outreach update The Evangelization Society (TES) continues to be managed by Counties, supporting pioneering outreach projects across the UK.
TES is delighted to have been supporting outreach for 150 years and over the last eight years £316,000 has been distributed Your prayers and support are now appreciated as funds are greatly reduced. TES Trustees met recently and were pleased to be able to support a number of grants for projects. Reports from previous grants:
do this and to come to know and live the truth themselves. I have seen how MOET can serve students so well by working with Christian Unions in presenting the Gospel in an engaging and relevant way, and am excited to be part of it for the coming year!” Please pray for Emily as she is involved in opportunities across the UK, overseas, as well as local contacts in Bournemouth. Send us YOUR memories! For further information on TES, or to support the work, please contact the Trust Manager via office@tes.org.uk or 01373 823 013.
Just one example of some of the work TES supports was when they appointed an associate evangelist. In August 2013 TES made a second grant, this time for £1,500 to the Michael Ots Evangelism Trust (MOET) towards the support of an associate evangelist who would work with Michael. Emily Burgess has spent a year with MOET, being trained in university missions with Christian Unions. Emily shares, “It has been such an exciting year, helping Christian students to share the Gospel with their campuses by training them in evangelism and also by speaking at and leading mission weeks. It is a real privilege to meet sceptic students and be able to encourage them to think, answer some of their questions and introduce Jesus to them.” “It was at university that I was really challenged to think through my assumptions and questions and came to see that the Gospel really does make sense of reality, and is both good and true! I am passionate about helping students to 10 | Ignite
Westminster Chapel 1959.
Long standing supporter reaches 100! Counties wishes to congratulate Hilda Hibberd who celebrated her 100th birthday in May. Hilda was very active as our catering manager at the AGM meetings in London during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. In addition Hilda’s late husband, Albert, was part of Counties ‘General Oversight’ regional support network from 1959-94.
Regulars
Take Year Out in mission The FirstServe gap-year programme for 18–25 yearolds was set up in 2010 and is sponsored by GLO, Echoes of Service, Interlink and Counties. The emphasis is on discipleship, mission training and practical experience as preparation for life and ministry. Intakes are in February and September each year. To date, 17 young people have completed the programme which consists of 4 elements: “FirstServe by far exceeded my expectations. Had I organised my own gap year I would not have achieved as much, grown as much spiritually, made as many friends or seen as much of the real culture of India, as I have through doing FirstServe.” James
“I am constantly in awe of how God works. I have learnt so much about myself and my faith, and Christian mission. And it has given me a lot to think about as to my future.” Rosemarie • Introductory training course – 3 weeks • UK church placement: 4-6 weeks (longer placements are available) • Overseas placement: 3-6 months • Discipleship study course There are also three further variations: FS Compact - a shorter programme for those with less time or who are need an alternative start date. FS Practical - for those wishing to use practical skills and work alongside Brass Tacks. FS Reverse - for those wishing a longer placement in UK and a shorter placement overseas.
Check out the website: www.first-serve.org.uk or email Gordon Curley curley@countiesuk.org
Tilsley College
Open Day 3 June 2014 “Equipping God’s people for God’s work in God’s world” An opportunity to visit Tilsley College at 78 Muir Street, Motherwell, ML1 1BN. The day includes morning devotions, a sample lecture, meet the students & staff, a college tour and lunch. Ignite | 11
Features
Hitting the high notes for Easter Around 270 people came and heard a Gospel message, as well as a Gospel song – and a Mary Poppins song at a recent outreach event in Chippenham.
Something to Sing About junior choir.
Hosted by Ladyfield Church and evangelists Jonathan & Heather Brain, the Something to Sing About junior choir celebration ahead of the Easter holidays drew in the crowds and all went home with a John3:16 pen and an invitation to Easter celebrations. Some of those attending also took home Bibles as well.
Clubs and camps Even though Easter only seems a few weeks gone, Counties workers and their partners from all across the country will be starting to think about the summer outreach work which for many includes holiday clubs, summer camps and beach missions. During Easter Gordon and Penny Curley had a great week at a ‘Mega Makers’ Holiday Club, Duncan Road Church, in Southampton. Gordon said: “There were lots of kids full of energy and bounce, keen to learn the mega message of Jesus Christ! One parent later commented on facebook, saying: “Such an amazing holiday club once again. The children have loved every minute. We really appreciate the hard work that goes into setting up and running this club. Thank you xx”. 12 | Ignite
Features
Summer Camps 2014 Youth Trek (in Chepstow)
Good News Camp
aged 8 to 16
28 July - 2 August
aged 8-15
17-22 August
Martin Erwin
erwin@countiesuk.org
Gordon Curley
curley@countiesuk.org www.gcurley.info
SPREE Wales aged 8-15
4-6 July
Mike Thomas
thomas@countiesuk.org www.spreewales.com
South Hants Bible Camps Senior (16-19yrs)
19-26 July
Inter (13-15yrs)
26 July - 2 August
Junior (9-12yrs)
2-9 August
Naomi Burden
southhantsbiblecamps.org
2:42 Weekend (speaker: Bob Telford) Families
23-25 August
Gordon Curley
curley@countiesuk.org www.gcurley.info
Suffolk Family Camp (Sizewell Hall) Families
24-31 August
Tony Hood
hood@countiesuk.org suffolkchristiancamps. org.uk
Swansea & District camps
Merseyside Christian Youth Camps (Pwllheli)
Girls (10-18yrs)
27 July – 2 August
aged 9-11
24-31 May
Boys (10 - 18yrs)
3 Aug – 9 August
aged 16-18
19-26 July
Phil Davies
davies@countiesuk.org
aged 11-14
26 July – 2 August
Family Camp
2-9 August
Christian Camps in Dorset
aged 12-15
16-23 August
Senior (15-17yrs)
28 July – 2 August
aged 15-17
23-30 August
Inter (12-14yrs)
4–9 August
aged 18-25
30 Aug - 6 Sept
Junior (10-12yrs)
11–16 August
Rob Watson
Ian & Sally Carr
icarr@countiesuk.org www.countiesdorset.org
watson@countiesuk.org www.mcyc.co.uk
‘Shout’ Warwickshire (in Dorset) Senior
3-9 August
Junior
9-13 August
Ivor Cooper
cooper@countiesuk.org
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Regulars
Would you ‘link’ your GSUS Live & Life church to our website? where are they? Churches across the country are being encouraged to link to the newly launched Counties website.
New features include an interactive map to find evangelists as well as a clearer calendar of upcoming events and more links to social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. The website has also been designed with smart phones in mind, so people can access information clearly and easily while they are on the move. If you have your own church website, can you put a link to countiesuk.org your pages? Please help us spread the word.
Please pray for the GSUS Live units visiting secondary school pupils at: June/July - Cardiff, Bristol Sep/Oct - Gravesend, Hampshire Nov/Dec - Birmingham, Stoke on Trent The Life exhibition will be at visiting: 30 May - Tabernacle Baptist (Newbridge) 9 June - Llandath North Christian Centre (Cardiff) 16 June - St Andrews Church (Sedgley) 7 July - Lockerley Water Farm Christian Camp (Hampshire)
Partners in the Gospel
Friday 31 October to Sunday 2 November 2014 Join us for our Counties Supporters weekend with Peter Maiden. Programme includes: great fellowship, worship, exploring Bible truth, praying with passion, family fun night, inspiring evangelism and children & young people’s groups. Great rates and under 16s go FREE!
The Bad news: unfortunately the hotel we had reserved is unable to fulfil our requirements. Please accept our apologies. The Good news: we have just agreed arrangements for an alternative venue, upgrading from a 3-star venue to 4-star (Jer. 29:11)!
En-suite room £130 per adult — all children under 16 GO FREE.
Daventry Court Hotel (Northamptonshire, NN11 0SG).
Many thanks for those who have already expressed an interest in booking.
For further details please contact office@ countiesuk.org or 01373 823013
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Regulars
FREE Training Day
Partner with us Subscribe Please send me:
n Ignite Magazine by post (address) n monthly Praise and Prayer Diary by post n monthly Praise and Prayer Diary by email My Details Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Other
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Counties Training Forum A stimulating day for Counties evangelists, church planters and church leaders Wednesday 2 July 2014 at Solihull Gospel Hall, (parking off Grove Avenue) B91 2AH 11.00am—4.00pm (coffee from 10.30am) • The Good, the Bad & the Ugly (Sermon illustrations) by Bob Telford • Larger & Stronger (Church Growth) by Martin Erwin • Avoid the Paper Chain (Better Administration) by Will Andrews • Finding your Timothy (Mentoring) by Phil Davies Plus updates on • Counties Resources • Counties Schools handbook To book your FREE place and a snack lunch contact 01373 823 013 or office@countiesuk.org
Email:
Your details will be kept on our database and may be shared with a local COUNTIES Evangelist, but with no other persons or organisations.
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(please make cheques payable to Counties)
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This is a Gift-Aid donation (We will send you a gift-aid declaration, if you have not already completed one). I would like to set up a regular standing order.
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Your feedback is always appreciated.
THANK YOU
COUNTIES 30 Haynes Road Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 3HD
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Your local evangelists 1. Charles & Elizabeth Addoco 2. Will & Lynne Andrews 3. Tim & Joy Ayrton Tony & Ruth Hood 4. Kevin & Anita Baldwin 5. Jonathan & Heather Brain 6. David & Lindsey Brown Andy & Isobel Hodson (CPI) Paul & Vanessa Willmott 7. Ian & Sally Carr 8. Tim & Charissa Cooke 9. Ivor & Angela Cooper Bob & Rita Telford 10. Clive & Fiona Cornish Mike & Janet Thomas 11. Tim & Katrina Cracknell (CPI) 12. Gordon & Penny Curley 13. Ray & Carol Dadswell 14. Phil & Sheila Davies 15. Martin & Rachel Erwin 16. John & Rachel Hardwick 17. Colin & Linda Johnson 18. Mike & Su Strange 19. Matt & Nicola Rich 20. James & Naomi Richards 21. David & Katie Symons 22. Robert & Sarah Watson
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CPI - Church Planting Initiative
Seniors and widows Grace Anderson Tom & Madelene Bathgate Jean Campbell Geoff & Isobel Carr Roger & Hazel Chilvers Lionel & Mavis Clargo
Rose Geary Stephen & Jean Gillham Victor Jack Andy & Miriam Jelfs Phyllis Jenkins John & Hettie Hall Wendy Iliffe
John & Jane Martin Elsie Newman Dennis Pierce Ruby Powell Dick & Betty Saunders Margaret Stokes Gladys Whittern
All Counties evangelists are self-employed, receiving support from our funds, as the Lord provides. We welcome approaches from new evangelists, potential trainees or associates, particularly in vacant counties. Call John Wilkes on 01373 823013 for an informal discussion.
countiesuk.org ALL NEW!
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