AUGUST 2014
ISSUE 12
T H E N E T WO R K Developments at Kingfisher This year we are celebrating our 21st birthday at kingfisher - the year where we have 'come of age' and are moving forward as a mature, refined and focussed network. One major development on this front is the news that Ollie Bennett, the assistant pastor at Tredworth, is set to take on the role of full time pastor there from September 1st. Ollie currently works for the charity Turning Point, which provides specialist and integrated services which focus on improving lives and communities across mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, primary care and employment. Ollie has been a manager in that organisation for some years, but is responding to God's calling to pastor Kingfisher Tredworth full time, taking over this role from Senior Pastor James Burn. What will this mean for the church, for Ollie and Rachael and for James and Jan? For Ollie this means that he will take on the responsibility of leading Tredworth church full time. He will be developing the pastoral life of the church, overseeing the Connect groups, taking responsibility for developing the preaching ministry particularly in the morning services. He will be working with elders, ministry leaders and trustees to ensure that the church grows and develops. Rachael continues in her role of Children's Leader for Tredworth, and moves into the wider role of supporting Ollie as the Pastor.
and mentoring National Directors in those countries.
• Overseeing, mentoring and training the pastors of the local, UK churches • Developing and producing training courses • Providing oversight for the direction and spiritual health of the whole Network. For Jan, this means that the role she has been developing for the past two years - that of Community Outreach Leader - continues and develops. She has, and will continue to be, involved in developing the Social Enterprise, raising its profile with local and national leaders within city and county councils, regional and national NHS, Public Health England, the Care Quality Commission, NICE and many more. Thanks to Jan, we have had our model for community outreach presented on several occasions to the Cabinet Office in Downing Street. Jan has spoken at the national NICE conference, where our model for community was commended publicly.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE: Kingfisher India launched a leadership training school in Haridwar, Northern India, 18 months ago. Haridwar is known as 'the land of the gods' and is considered by Hindus as being one of their most holy places. It is a tough place to have a Christian witness! And so, in true Kingfisher style, that is just the place that was chosen to put a training school! Using the training materials provided by us, the emphasis has always been on 'learn it then use it'. Consequently, the students are regularly sent out to practice what they have learned in the classroom, with the emphasis firmly on evangelism. The result? Kingfisher is now the biggest church in the region with 1500 people regularly attending church services! At the heart of Hinduism, a vibrant, growing witness to Jesus Christ has sprung up, with the vast majority of those 1500 people being converts to Christianity. What a miracle!
Kingfisher Africa continues to expand. James and Stuart recently visited the new Centre in Mozambique and commissioned that James and Jan will still be attending building, as well as the new National Tredworth church, will still be Director, Fuloresi Dempster (see thoroughly involved in events and ministries during the week and James article on page 3 for more details). will be doing the bulk of preaching at Meanwhile, our materials have now the Sunday evening services as well as been launched in Nigeria, thanks to a regularly preaching at both Tredworth growing relationship with a Nigerian pastor, called Emmanuel Praise. and Kingsway on Sunday mornings.
This is such an exciting development For James, this means that he will be for Kingfisher - God really seems to able to commit himself more fully to be strategically positioning people the role of Senior Pastor. This role has into key roles at the moment, in various elements: preparation for what is to come. If you have any questions about the • Developing the Network various leadership role developments, internationally, establishing do ask! Kingfisher in new countries and on new continents, appointing
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Pastor Praise contacted us a few months ago to request support, mentoring and resources. Now, our foundations course and Leadership course are being taught to leaders in Enugu State, Nigeria. Two new churches have already been launched in the area and we are praying for further developments!