Worldwide 2015

Tips to run a missions prayer event page 10 A new song for the Basques page 12

WORLDWIDE E UNREACHED THE MAGAZINE FOR REACHING TH 2015

VISIT US AT

WEC-UK.ORG

INSIDE 575 2015

EDITOR’S DESK

Your Worldwide ...

FRONT

02 Editor’s desk 03-07 World A round-up of mission issues today FEATURES

12-13 14-17

Reaching the Basque heart God answers prayer Journey into WEC How does it feel to join a mission?

REGULARS

09

10 18 20

Guest column I am with you; are you with me?

How to ... run a missions prayer event Opportunities To the ends of the earth

Our aim at Worldwide is to bring you stories and features that educate and inspire engagement with the task of taking the gospel to people who have little or no opportunity to see the love of Jesus expressed by his followers ... to places where there is no church that speaks the local language or knows the culture. We want to help you play your part in reaching the unreached.

For that reason we value your feedback. We need to know whether you find this a helpful resource. Could you spare a few minutes to answer two questions?

Which articles inspire you most?

What else would you like to see included?

Each month we will choose one respondent to receive a copy of Miraculous Movements, by Jerry Trousdale. This stirring book tells how thousands of Muslims have fallen in love with Jesus and, at the same time, challenges us to think about how we share the gospel.

In 2015 we will be printing one issue only of Worldwide.

The prayer supplement WorldwideXtra is available quarterly. Please let us know if you wish to subscribe.

Flora Davies Editor

email your answers to: worldwide@wec-uk.org ABOUT WEC WEC UK exists to take the good news to the peoples and nations who have yet to hear it: the good news that Christ came to bring forgiveness of sins and peace with God, and to displace hatred with love.

Want to know more?

Please visit wec-uk.org

02 WORLDWIDE

GET CONNECTED wec-uk.org facebook.com/WECUK twitter.com/wecuk instagram.com/wecuk issuu.com/wecuk WEC-UK.ORG

WORLDWIDE

Over

70%

➜wec-uk.org/resonance for music graduates with a heart for mission

* of Japanese people claim no personal religion

istockphoto.com

BURUNDI

Reach Beyond

2,000+ new believers

JAPAN

Commitment at concert in Tokyo

➜Fixed-tuned radios are practical for life on the go Burundi has been ravaged by many years of war, but christian radio is spreading a message of forgiveness and reconciliation. As part of this mission, people in parts of Rwanda, Congo and Burundi have received fixed-tuned radios from Radio Hope in Burundi. Samuel Nimubona, the late manager of the station, reported that around 2,220 members of his community had given their lives to Jesus Christ as a direct result of the fixed-tuned radios distributed.

On your knees: Pray that these new believers will ➜ demonstrate true forgiveness and seek reconciliation.

Christian concerts in Japan continue to prove a means of sharing the gospel. One concert in Tokyo drew an encouragingly large audience of nearly 200. Many believers were challenged to live for God wholeheartedly and one non-Christian chose to receive Christ and asked for baptism. This is all the more remarkable since the harpist performing at the concert was recovering from a serious car accident and had only just regained full use of her right arm.

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? GET IN TOUCH!

EDITOR Flora Davies email worldwide@wec-uk.org WRITER Simeon Whiting SUB EDITOR Liz Cleak ART EDITOR Chris Lawrence email design@wec-uk.org TO SUBSCRIBE email magazine@wec-uk.org online fill in the form at wec-uk.org write to WEC International, Springhead Park House, Park Lane, Rothwell, Leeds LS26 0ET. Worldwide is published once a year and sent free of charge. To order multiple copies contact us at Springhead Park House. Donations towards the cost of production and postage are gladly received. Worldwide is produced by WEC Media & Communications Office, Leeds.

Printed by Custard Apple Print, Bradford, on responsibly sourced paper. ©2015. Please recycle this magazine.

WEC International is a registered charity, numbers 237005 & SCO37715. email info@wec-uk.org online wec-uk.org Facebook/wecuk

*Top of page source: Feba

WEC-UK.ORG

03

WORLDWIDE

➜Link up with WEC UK on Twitter or Facebook

WORLDWIDE

1%

* of the population of France are evangelical Christians

IN BRIEF

GOD SPEAKS IN SIGN LANGUAGE Translation teams from across Africa have completed 110 passages of scripture in their various sign languages. Teams from Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana and Tanzania met together in Nairobi to celebrate.

»

Bible.is KIDZ Faith Comes by Hearing continue to promote Bible engagement with the release of the Bible.is KIDZ app. Its beautifully illustrated stories encourage children to engage with the Bible.

ANTI-CONVERSION Government jobs and education assistance should be withheld from impoverished Christians, according to India’s social justice minister.

He suggested this might deter Dalits—the country’s poorest citizens—from converting from Hinduism.

CALL TO MISSION Latin Link Guatemala have held their first commissioning service.

Three Guatemalans have answered God’s call to serve as missionaries in the UK and in Ecuador.

04 WORLDWIDE

WORLDWIDE

More than 1,000 translations shutterstockphoto.com

Only

The YouVersion Bible App has expanded to more than 1,000 translations of the Bible in over 700 languages. The landmark translation was the Deftera Lfida Dzratawi, the first digital version of the New Testament in Hdi, a language spoken predominately in Cameroon.

‘It’s unprecedented having so many Bible versions in the palm of your hand,’ commented Bobby Gruenewald, the app’s creator. *Top of page source: Operation World

»trends

Atheism is in decline worldwide, according to a recent study.

The number of atheists has fallen from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and is projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity.

In its report, Christianity in its Global Context, 1970-2020: Society, Religion, and Mission, researchers analysed data on the membership and activities of Christians and

other religious groups worldwide.

While the number of atheists and agnostics in the West continues to rise, the resurgence of religious interest among the Chinese is a major factor in the overall growth of religion.

The study points out that, “If this trend continues, agnostics and atheists will be a smaller portion of the world’s population in 2020 than they were in 2010.”

WEC-INT.ORG.UK WEC-UK.ORG

➜For shortterm mission opportunities email trek@wec-uk.org

To fight ebola, donations of the release of Band Aid 30

£1m

* were raised in just four minutes after

»my mission...

THAILAND

istockphoto.com

Creative outreach draws a crowd

➜Well-known artists helped present the message of Jesus Pastors of the various churches in Tak province are looking back on a remarkable shortterm outreach project. The local church was supported in the project by a team of 30 Americans, who offered medical treatment, performed BMX stunts and even gave demonstrations of sword-swallowing.

A main stage by the river held performances from well-known Christian artists for three successive nights.

On the final evening, 2,000 people listened to Thai singer-songwriter Boy Peacemaker. The message of Jesus was presented powerfully and many people have shown interest in exploring the christian faith further.

On your knees: Pray for Thai pastors—for further ➜ creative partnerships to reach the unreached of Tak province KAZAKHSTAN

Warning on ‘non-traditional religious movements’ In East Kazakhstan officials warned about the ‘activity of non-traditional religious movements which is not declining’. Grace Church, New Life Church, the Baptists and Jehovah’s Witnesses were given as examples. It was declared that ‘new forms and methods of countering religious activity by non-traditional religious movements need to be prepared and implemented.’

WEC-UK.ORG

WORLDWIDE

*Top of page source: BBC

Reflections from Nigel Stanton, on completing six weeks in Guinea Bissau: My mission was teaching English at a christian summer school. The teaching itself

was rewarding and great fun.

There were plenty of highlights outside the classroom too, as the students were keen to show me their town and to spend time just chatting.

Attending one of the team prayer meetings in the capital Bissau was a memorable experience.

Missionaries from all over the country came together for fellowship, worship and prayer. It was a very moving time.

Adapting to a different culture and climate was interesting and at times challenging, but God worked through this. As a result of those challenges, my faith in God grew and continues to grow.

I would like to thank the Trek team in the UK and my WEC mentor in Guinea Bissau for their care and support. Would I recommend a Trek? Definitely.

05

WORLDWIDE

WORLDWIDE

➜Looking for a good read? worldmissionbooks.com

50 million

* More than people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes in the last year

»the least first...

Turka, Tyurama

Country: Burkina Faso Population in country: 54,000 World population: 54,000 Language: Turka Main religion: ethnic/ animistic Minority religion: Islam Bible: portions available

Oasis for the thirsty

flickr.com

WEC is focusing prayer on 33 people groups which have no indigenous church. Some of them are the last to hear the gospel because they are hard to reach! Will you join us in praying for God-inspired strategies and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

UK

A run-down pub in Reading, converted into a modern oasis, offers spiritual refreshment to the neighbourhood.

The Oasis, formerly The Eagle public house, has become a flourishing local meeting point under the guidance of Carey Baptist Church. As neighbours build relationships with church members they hear about the good news of Jesus. The venue is used most days, with community evenings, low-cost lunches, ‘knit and natter’ sessions, men’s breakfasts and courses exploring christian beliefs. People are coming to Christ as they explore life and faith in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

NIGERIA

Christians under pressure

>> Sources: operationworld.org, joshuaproject.net Photos: WEC, Professor Hai Feng/Wikipedia.org, flickr.com

Country: Kyrgyzstan Population in country: 59,000 World population: 105,000 Language: Dungan Main religion: Islam Christ-followers: less than 2% Bible: portions available

Arab, Lebanese

Country: Lebanon Population in country: 2,882,000 World population: 10,091,000 Main language: Arabic (North Levantine) Main religion: Islam Evangelicals: 0.60% Bible: portions available

06 WORLDWIDE

Bo Ebeuhi

Dungan

➜‘Nigerian Lives Matter’ is a plea for action at London rally Attacks by Boko Haram on Christians in northern Nigeria have left many traumatised, bereaved and homeless. The onslaught has been relentless, with schoolgirls taken captive, towns violently seized, homes burnt down, churches stormed by armed muslim extremists and worshippers shot dead. In one area nearly 200,000 people were displaced and 185 churches torched in two months. *Top of page source: Operation World

WEC-UK.ORG

➜cornerstonecollege.eu Bible college for cross-cultural mission training

WORLDWIDE

47 years

* is the life expectancy of a homeless person in the UK

»op world...

BRAZIL

Christianity Explored Ministries and Prison Fellowship International have announced that their new evangelism programme has been accepted into both the Brazilian and Uruguayan prison systems. Over the next three years, nearly 11,000 Brazilian prisoners will complete The Prisoner's Journey through Prison Fellowship Brazil. This initiative is being funded by the national government.

shutterstock.com

Government funds prison outreach

➜Hope for prisoners

The population of Tanzania

The percentage of Tanzanians who call themselves Christians

in Brazil

On your knees: Pray for this life-changing programme in ➜ Brazil which has the world’s fourth largest prison system, with some of the worst conditions on earth.

*Top of page source: Crisis

The number of languages spoken in Tanzania

likeunlike The Bible has been At the beginning of 2015 voted more valuable the JESUS film was to humanity than Darwin’s available in 1,260 languages, Origin of Species in a Folio with over 700 requests for Society poll, topping the vote further new translations. with 37%.

Up to 10,000 children Young British women are have been recruited being groomed online by armed groups during the and offered cash to travel to conflict in the Central Syria as ‘jihadi brides’.

African Republic.

The operations of Islamic extremist organisation Boko Haram have spread to northern Cameroon.

Radio producers in West Bengal have been trained to address human trafficking and prostitution, both huge issues in this region

The rank of Tanzania out of 182 countries on the Human Development Index

The percentage of Tanzanian people groups unreached by the gospel

The number of Tanzanian universities with organised groups of evangelical students

Operation World is the research ministry of WEC International. Available from worldmissionbooks.com

Sources: Mission Network News, Christian Today, Evangelicals Now, BBC, The Independent, Feba

WEC-UK.ORG

07

WORLDWIDE

THE WEEK-PER-VIEW PRAYER GUIDE

OF WEC INTERNATIONAL

ne pages 5 & 10 Tibet coverli Prayer news from serve page 12 heretothanks ways coverliene Visas do not hinder creativ nes page 15 people coverli d Bhutan – a least reache

HING HED EL FOR REAC THE UNREACwecuk .org PRAYER FU 2015

SPRING

Prayer fuel for reaching the unreached WorldwideXtra is WEC International’s week-by-week prayer guide, full of material to inspire you and enable you to pray for the nations in an informed way.

To subscribe now, email magazine@wec-uk.org

TM

Receive WEC’s prayer guide on your mobile phone WorldwideXtra can now be accessed through PrayerMate. Download this new app to your mobile phone (Android or iOS), and subscribe to our weekly prayer feed. You’ll find WEC listed under ‘Mission and Bible Translation’ or go straight to: http://praynow4.org/wec

ENGAGE

To subscribe

online wec-uk.org/magazine email magazine@wec-uk.org

Guest column

I am with you; are you with me?

!!

Susan Sutton is the author of four

books: A Quiet Center, A Sure Path, A Vision of the Deep and Designer Living.

They are all available from worldmissionbooks.com Also available from

!!

Daily challenges from God's word. Speakers who had done more than dip their toes in the shallows of missions. Among them, Dr Helen Roseveare and Elisabeth Elliott who had both suffered in serving God’s heart for the world, yet found him faithful.

And on the final evening … ”Who will go for me?”

As a university student, loving God and wanting him to be a vital part of my world, it seemed a good thing, going to this mission conference. It turned out to be life-changing. I was trying to love God with all my heart and wanting to make him part of my world. Now I saw his heart. It was much bigger than mine. So was his world, for that matter. And God was extending an invitation: “You’re doing a good job of making me part of your world, Susan. Now I want to make you part of mine.”

Thus began a journey of fellowship with God. A journey of risk and sacrifice, but also privilege. The privilege of knowing and serving one who is worth following to the ends of the earth.

What about you? Are you trying to love God with all your heart? Great! Keep it up! He is with you. But are you with him and involved in his world? Maybe that is your next question to answer.

worldmissionbooks.

com is Life Lessons—a compilation of stories from nine WEC missonaries, including Susan Sutton.

These life-changing stories are ideal starters for small group discussions.

Susan Sutton

Louis and Susan Sutton are the International Directors of WEC. They began their missionary career in Chad, then served as directors for WEC USA.

WEC-UK.ORG

09

WORLDWIDE

A prayer event is a great way to encourage yourself and others to pray.

It can be uplifting for your church or small group. Most of all, God uses our prayer and changes things!

Planning an event can be daunting though. These are our tips for running your own prayer event for world missions.

Make some decisions. Ask these questions to shape your plan: WHAT DO I WANT THE FOCUS TO BE? Are you inspired to pray for an unreached people or a Bible translation project; for a political hotspot, or for a local outreach coming up?

WHO DO I WANT TO COME? Is this an event for your whole church, your Christian Union or your small group?

HOW LONG WILL MY EVENT BE? It can be as long or short as you think appropriate – from a whole Saturday to a ten minute segment of a Sunday service.

WHAT SORT OF RESOURCES CAN I GET? It’s good to have a mix of media, so look for presentations, videos, photographs and audio, as well as prayer points on paper.

10 WORLDWIDE

WEC-UK.ORG

HOW TO

THE CONTENT Look at all the materials you have beforehand. Prayer requests might need printing, videos downloading, and it helps if you’ve seen the presentations before you use them!

THE LOCATION Make sure there is room for everyone to sit, but also check what technology you will need. Think about who will be there and what text size will work best for printed prayers.

TELLING PEOPLE Well in advance, announce your event to your church, call your friends to make a date, and add an event on Facebook.

There are some factors that can make or break the event. Don't forget to: START WITH WORSHIP It focuses us on who God is. You could read the Bible, sing with a musician or to a CD, or watch a devotional video.

MOVE ALONG! Try to keep things moving quickly. Use presentations as springboards for prayer and aim to spend at least half the time praying not explaining.

KEEP IT GOING Prayer can be hard work, so if you are running a longer event plan breaks and refreshments.

WEC-UK.ORG

If the idea of running a prayer event still seems overwhelming, we can help.

JOIN US FOR AN EVENT WEC frequently runs prayer events all over the UK. See wec-uk.org for more details. Wycliffe Bible Translators also run prayer events every autumn called Frontline Prayer Live. You will find more information at wycliffe.org.uk

READY-MADE RESOURCES Wycliffe have gathered together prayer materials into downloadable modules that take about an hour to pray through (www.wycliffe.org.uk/ fpmodules). Keep an eye on the website for new material.

Available from WEC are Operation World and WorldwideXtra. Operation World provides indepth prayer information on every country, while WorldwideXtra gives you short cameos and prayer points on different topics and countries.

!!

Before the event you’ll need to get the practicalities sorted. Don’t neglect to think about:

This article has been adapted from Focused Prayer, Kingdom Results, a prayer pack from Wycliffe Bible Translators. Reproduced with permission.

11

WORLDWIDE

REACHING PEOPLE

REACHING THE BASQUE HEART Fiercely independent, proud of their identity and with a distinctive culture –the Basques are a unique and fascinating people.

Juan Arvelo tells us about what is being done to reach them with the good news.

12

WORLDWIDE

W

hen I first came to the Basque country, I started trying to learn the language. In one of the first lessons, my teacher said to me: “If you want to say something important to me, you’d better say it in Basque.” This helped me see how proud the Basque people are of their identity.

They live in northern Spain and southern France, but they see themselves as neither Spanish nor French. If I wanted to have a ministry among the Basques, I knew I needed to speak their language and understand their culture.

Unfortunately for me, the

Basque language, Euskara, is one of the most difficult languages to learn!

There are around 2.1 million Basques living in Spain and 250,000 in France. Only 0.5% of the population consider themselves evangelical believers. The evangelical church is seen as a foreign concept, something for the immigrants and not for them. The Basques are an unreached people, but much is being done to reach them. There are missionaries in the Basque country from all over the world. Some are doing street evangelism, including drama, music

WEC-UK.ORG

REACHING PEOPLE

A NEW SONG FOR THE BASQUES In 2012 WEC's Resonance ministry took a group of musicians to the Basque country where they ran two songwriting workshops. Here local believers created new songs in their own language. As a result, a CD with nine new songs was recorded. This is now being used to introduce Basque churches to this 'new way' of worshipping God.

WEC-UK.ORG

spiritual breakthrough.

Last summer, we saw our prayers answered when, during an evangelistic outreach, a Basque woman came to us, saying she realised that she needed to change and that this could only happen through Jesus Christ. I was delighted listening to her, knowing that all the time we’d spent praying had paid off. I can also see the results of our prayers as more Basques now come to church, and some have become followers of Jesus.

!!

performances and public preaching. There is also a lot of friendship evangelism. It’s common for missionaries to look for that ‘person of peace’ who will open the door of the gospel to other locals.

There’s also a ministry called Summer in the USA, which takes young Basques to the USA for a month, so that they can stay with christian families and go to a christian camp where they will hear a gospel message.

Sadly, many endeavours have limited impact because they are done in Spanish (or English) and this is not appealing to the

typical Basque man or woman. One of the most effective ways to reach Basque hearts is to use elements of their unique culture. They have their own forms of dance and literature, and a special form of improvised poetry called Bertsolarism in which a group of people get together and improvise a song around a theme.

This is very popular, so there is a lot of potential in using this art form to preach the gospel.

We realise, of course, that prayer must be an integral part of our ministry. That’s why for the past five years we have invited people to join us every Easter Sunday in an International Day of Prayer for the Basque People*. Before Easter, we visit every province within the Basque country and pray with the local church, if there is one, for a

Juan Arvelo, with his wife Ainara and baby son Alain, are WEC missionaries working among the Basques For information on the International Day of Prayer for the Basque People go to diopv.com (in Spanish) For information about Resonance workshops visit resonancearts.net

13

WORLDWIDE

Illustrations: Chris Lawrence

MOBILISING MOBILISING FORFOR MISSION MISSION

WEC-UK.ORG

Through Candidates’ Orientation, WEC CO staff aim to get to know the candidates, and to discern together God’s call on each candidate’s life. In their 10 weeks at WEC’s UK Headquarters (Bulstrode in Gerrards Cross), candidates for mission learn more about WEC and explore what role they could play in reaching the unreached. This includes times of fellowship, prayer, visiting other WEC UK centres, and ministry opportunities, as well as lectures covering aspects of spiritual formation and of life as an overseas missionary.

Pauli and Linnea Lindelöf joined WEC in 2014. They felt called to mission for many years, particularly to do church planting work in

Course of

!!

In WEC International we take very seriously our responsibility to prepare new workers for cross-cultural mission. Central to that preparation is Candidates’ Orientation (CO).

“What we are looking for in new workers is a love for God, a passion for the gospel, and a desire to see the good news shared with the unreached,” explains Heather Lawrence, from the WEC UK Candidates' Department. “The specific ministry and place will vary, depending on where God is leading an individual and the gifts he has given them for service. But all new workers need to be flexible, willing to fit in and serve joyfully alongside other WECers, and ready to trust God to provide and guide in every way.”

2014: from

many places, going for God to many places.

Meanwhile, preparing is fun (see photos on page 17).

15

WORLDWIDE

MOBILISING FOR MISSION

STORY

!!

Pauli and Linnea start their mission adventure

with support and prayer

Thailand. “WEC was a natural option for us,” Pauli says. “Our denomination has worked with WEC since 1972. And we felt drawn to WEC’s emphasis on reaching the unreached.”

Pauli and Linnea found that CO confirmed their calling to Thailand and to WEC, and encouraged them to press on in their journey. “It was great to make so many new friends, too,” they reflect. “These kinds of relationships will last long into the future. It is a blessing to be part of God's big family.

We also really appreciated the time that we had with some more experienced missionaries. They shared some real wisdom with us.”

16

WORLDWIDE

“As a teacher, I know that learning is about more than words in lessons: learning context, classroom activities and unspoken expectations all contribute, for example. As I remember CO, I think of how God was preparing me for ministry through the whole process, not only through the content of lectures. We experienced different aspects of ministry, such as building relationships with a fantastic group of people and serving with them, but also dealing with opposition from the enemy, tiredness, discouragement, different ways of approaching tasks, and the inevitable goodbyes at the end. I’m thankful to have gone through this process, even the uncomfortable bits!” l Jude is serving with WEC in SE Asia

A new worker’s home church plays a pivotal role in sending and supporting them. So, from a candidate’s first contact with WEC, the home church’s involvement is encouraged.

Members of the church

already know the candidate well and will have seen them serving in their community, so the church’s observations and references are invaluable as WEC consider the candidate’s application. And the church can be involved throughout the preparation process, through prayer, encouragement, finances and pastoral care. Once a new worker makes it to their place of ministry, they will therefore WEC-UK.ORG

MOBILISING FOR MISSION

WEC-UK.ORG

Regional reps are local WEC people, who usually meet the candidate early in the application process.

They are available to meet in person locally and can draw on their knowledge and experience of WEC to give helpful input to the candidate and their church. Chris and Staci benefited from the support of a regional rep, from very early on: “Our regional rep, Paul Hutchinson, got us in touch with various possible ministry options almost as soon as we contacted WEC, which I think was really important for us in getting the ball rolling. It made us consider potential placements and got us connected with other workers there. Because our church had no prior contact with WEC, our church leadership valued the contact with Paul, too. It is this close personal contact with WECers that makes the difference, I believe.”

!!

already have a strong base of support in place.

Chris and Staci Ochs are on staff at Worldview Centre for Intercultural Studies, a training centre run by WEC in Tasmania, Australia. They also joined WEC in 2014, encouraged and supported by their home church. “In our experience, the home church is crucial,” Chris explains.

“When we indicated our interest in missions and in WEC, our church leaders first asked me to join the ministry team as a trainee for a year, in order to observe me from close up and to be able to speak into our lives and confirm this calling. This also strengthened our existing bonds with the leadership team and allowed us to become better known by the rest of the congregation. This close personal link ensured that the church was able to fully embrace us, identify with our particular calling, and send us into WEC with their wholehearted support.”

Could God be calling you to overseas mission with WEC? Why not talk it over with someone? Call 0113 282 2291 and we’ll put you in touch with your local WEC rep.

17

WORLDWIDE

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Longterm opportunities*

Teacher

Do you love to invest in children and young people?

Are you a qualified and experienced teacher? Come and use your teaching skills to serve children and help shape their lives. WEC has opportunities for Christian teachers in many contexts worldwide, including in our international schools in Senegal and South Korea, where you will be part of a Christian community, providing a safe and inspiring environment for the children.

Musician/Creative Arts Specialist

Church Planter

Whatever your skills in the arts, you can use them in evangelism. For example, join a project encouraging the development of heart-worship music for various people groups, through composition workshops and culturallyrelevant performances. Or help run camps to get people involved in the arts, teaching your favourite craft or skill, and sharing your passion for Jesus.

Take the gospel to unreached communities in one of many different nations. Use your creativity and relational skills to connect with local people, share the gospel, make disciples and encourage believers in evangelism. Walking alongside people might include learning or teaching a language, serving in the community or even doing construction work. Do whatever you can to establish a thriving church.

IT Professional

Doctor/Nurse

Do you have computer technology abilities and training? WEC International needs you! You could keep electronic communication running smoothly at one or more of our national hubs: look after network infrastructure, maintain computer hardware, install software, and take care of network security. Enable WEC evangelists to do their work more effectively.

18 WORLDWIDE

shutterstockphoto.com

WEC

shutterstockphoto.com

Many more opportunities are available. Visit wec-uk.org/opportunities

If you have medical expertise, WEC would love to hear from you. Communities all over the world are in need of essential healthcare services and information.

Help meet these needs, train local health professionals and share the good news.

As well as doctors and nurses, we have opportunities for dentists, ophthalmologists, midwives, psychiatrists and more.

*Note: our opportunities are voluntary and WEC does not pay salaries

WEC-UK.ORG

Shortterm opportunities

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Love the gospel. Love the people. Love to go.

WEC International’s short term mission programme is geared to fuel your passion for God through hands-on mission. You can either join a shortterm team or spend up to two years on placement alongside WEC workers.

The kids' club put on a nativity play. One boy asked if there would be a fight scene. Hmmm, I don't remember that part of the story …

(Liz, Spain) The traditional meal is a ball of rice placed next to a bowl of sauce. Everyone sits on the floor; takes a bit of rice, and dips it into the sauce. Saves on washing up …

(Peter, Chad)

Six keys to the success of our short term mission

Who is Trek for?

You, if you have: l a growing relationship with Jesus Christ l a servant heart l a flexible attitude

WEC-UK.ORG

l Excellent orientation through WEC Short Term l Team leaders with cross-cultural experience l Experienced workers lead the programme and ensure that appropriate projects are chosen l Orientation and debriefing on location l Hands-on pastoral support from team leaders l As much as possible, people can use their gifts

My experience in southeast Asia opened my eyes to the unreached groups in the world and in my own community. I so loved working with the children and teaching them about Christ and his love.

(Bev, Indonesia)

Contact trek@wec-uk.org wec-uk.org WEUK @wecuk

19

WORLDWIDE

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH WE WILL GO

20 WORLDWIDE

WEC-UK.ORG

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH WE WILL GO

»Restoring broken lives ...

Since starting up in Spain in 1985 Betel, WEC's ministry to addicts, has become a global phenomenon. Betel residences host more than 2,000 recovering men and women in 100 cities in 23 nations.

Addicts and substance abusers are generally marginalised by society and often forgotten by the church. Over the past 30 years more than 100,000 homeless and socially disadvantaged have been helped by the work of Betel. A large percentage have conquered their addictions, and more than 50 individuals have even gone on to become pastors!

Current prayer targets include setting up Betel centres in Estonia, Poland and Scotland. In all of these countries the main religion is Christianity, but little is being done to reached the addicted.

“I had no intention to become a Christian; just get cleaned up and then go live my life. But I noticed a very real difference about the guys at Betel, how they looked after me when I came off drugs.”

Anthony, leader at Betel Manchester (pictured) Restored: Betel UK runs a number of furniture stores and restoration services.

The profits help cover costs at its free longterm residencies.

Visit betel.org.uk for more information.

WEC-UK.ORG

21

WORLDWIDE

60-SECOND INTERVIEW

Q&A

Tim Fung British Trinidadian

How or when did you become a Christian? When I was about seven, my Sunday school teacher asked who wanted to ask Jesus into their life. I said ‘yes’ and prayed. She was my Mum. How did you become part of WEC? I wanted to serve/help/feed hungry Africa and so studied agriculture. During this time I met my wife-to-be. Later, right near the end of our mission studies, Wayne and Miriam, missionaries with WEC in Chad, spoke about their outreach work in N'Djamena. We happened to be sitting apart, but after the meeting discovered we'd both been strangely struck by what they said. That was our call to WEC and to Chad.

What does your role involve and what motivates you to do this? As a boy, I dreamed about being in a multicultural music group playing an incredible fusion of world music. My dream was realised when I joined the Resonance band as a guitarist. I caught the ethnomusicology virus! Then I received a clear call to start Resonance France, where God had brought us after leaving Chad for our children's education.

How do you combine missionary work with family life? My time is very flexible and so I can be with the family

22 WORLDWIDE

»profile...

NAME Tim Fung NATIONALITY British Trinidadian PLACE OF RESIDENCE Lisieux, Normandy, France ROLE WITHIN WEC Leader of Resonance France, Church planter in Lisieux

when the girls are at home after school.

My second daughter likes singing for the Resonance band sometimes. My wife is getting involved in Resonance now as an artist. That’s really exciting.

What's been your most surprising moment in mission? Has to be a series of things: how quickly the rebel jeeps zoomed into town on that fateful Saturday morning; how bad it felt to leave our home helper to get to the ‘safe’ zone protected by the French army; how dangerous that place was, as the attack helicopters pounded overhead, as the shells flew over between the soldiers and the rebels and how much trusting in God silently touched the other 27 packed into that house; how thankful we were to be flown safely to the UK. What do you like to read? I avidly read The Week as it keeps me up to date with what's happening in the world.

What is your favourite book of the Bible and why? 1 John because it tells us how much God is love.

What music most influences you?

The sameness of christian music motivates me to encourage groups to create their own songs from a fusion of their heart-musics.

WEC-UK.ORG