Dear Friends
It is encouraging to see church planters getting in contact with each other for ideas – and even visiting each other’s projects to learn.
There are plans developing for some from Sweden and Germany to visit the Yeovil Family Church plant – and one person is going to spend about six months as a volunteer with Central Coast Community Church to gain experience and ideas.
Today a team of over 20 pastors in the Hansa Conference (Germany) paused to pray for the leaders of Club 39 in Linkoping, Sweden. Daniel Lamberth let us know that they were inviting the parents of the teenagers they work with to a special evening – to share the vision and values of Club 39 and to answer questions. We prayed that some of the parents will get involved in the ministries – which will also take pressure off the present team.
…
Christian regards
Peter Roennfeldt
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CHURCH PLANTING NEWS – 19 Sept 03
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In this issue:
# PRAYER REQUESTS …
# MOVIE-NIGHT AT CLUB 39 – & TALKING ABOUT GOD!
# CaféChurch EVENING SCHOOL BEGINS!
# CHURCH OPENS ON CRETE!
# 15 NEW CHURCHES IN THE SOUTH ENGLAND CONFERENCE # CLUB 39 – PLANNING ‘Experience God Nights’!
# BLUE – WEBSITE UPDATE
# CHURCH PLANTING TRAINING EVENTS & NATIONAL STUDY TOURS # ‘WELCOME HOME’ CONCEPT # BLUE introduces Synergy 2 – starting 27 September at Stanborough Park Church # CHURCH PLANTERS SHARE AT Euro-SEEDS # CORE GROUPS & HOLISTIC SMALL GROUPS – INVITE YOUR UNCHURCHED FRIENDS IN!
PRAYER REQUESTS … please stop right now and pray for …
# Laverne Byng … for the many friends she is making through her ‘Gym Fellowship and # Dana and Leslie King – and –
– – for their estate agent friend who may spear-head the adaption programme for the nurses coming in from overseas.
– – for the house that they need for their ministries.
– – for strength to handle the paperwork and many demands of their expanding ministries.
MOVIE-NIGHT AT CLUB 39 – & TALKING ABOUT GOD!
A week ago Club 39 (Sweden) had a movienight. “For me it ended at 3 am the next morning after a long conversation with two of the youth,”
says Daniel Lamberth. “The talk was about everything – including God. We are getting many opportunities to have good conversations with the youth.
It´s really exciting – and the best thing is that the youth are often the ones asking to talk!”
CaféChurch EVENING SCHOOL BEGINS!
“The class for couples has begun and is very good,” says planter Betina Wiik. The class for singles also started this last weekend. The ‘gospel weekend’ was scheduled a little too soon after the summer holidays
– and was cancelled. Betina says, “We are so blessed at CaféChurch at the moment. There are so many new people coming wanting to get involved. I’m also looking forward to the baptism later this month when two more want to live with Jesus as Lord of their lives.”
CHURCH OPENS ON CRETE!
“Evangelistic meetings on Crete (Greece) over the last month have resulted in two people being baptised,” reports pastor and planter Eugen Baciu. The little Adventist church building on Crete has been closed for almost 8 years – but, the doors are now open and a group is meeting each Sabbath.
15 NEW CHURCHES IN THE SOUTH ENGLAND CONFERENCE
“Fifteen new groups were voted into the fellowship of the South England Conference at the Conference Session a week ago,” reports Aris Vontzalidis. Many of these are new churches for people groups that have come to London in recent years. The South England Conference is encouraging churches to meet the needs of a wide range of language and ethnic groups.
CLUB 39 – PLANNING ‘Experience God Nights’!
“Since youth today are more interested in experience than in knowledge we have decided to create situations where we can invite unchurched youth to come and just sit in silence or talk to someone or to experience prayer. It will be up to God to touch them,” says Daniel Lamberth. “The idea came to us while we were praying together in Finland
so we think it is from God. We have introduced the idea to some of the
youth and they seem to be positive about it. The plans aren´t set yet – and the time is possibly not quite right yet.” Please pray for this idea.
BLUE – WEBSITE UPDATE
“Blue is continuing to progress and establish itself with more exciting new developments to carry Christ’s message to the current generation,” reports Blue’s Murray Harvey. INTERNET:[email protected] # The Blue website has changed address and will now be located at www.be-blue.org. We have come to realise that this identifies and reflects the true nature of what Blue is – a living, breathing organisation that is another ingredient of the Seventh-day Adventist Church at large, and not a dot.com company. We realise the information we present to people in the form of our website aids not only in identifying Blue, but also helps us present the Jesus we know and love more accurately.
# Additional website features include a DVD that you can either order or alternatively watch online. The DVD promotes the way in which Blue spreads the good news of the gospel through its Synergy worship services, Café and small groups, what we call Fresh Faith. If you would like to order your free DVD e-mail [email protected] or see the website.
CHURCH PLANTING TRAINING EVENTS & NATIONAL STUDY TOURS
National church planting training events are being planned in Sweden (tentative dates – 5-7/3 Stockholm, 1-2/5 Focus and 8-10 Linkoping)
and Britain. A church planting study tour is being planned for Sweden
(dates at this stage are 26-31/5) – and another in Hungary. For more
details – contact –
# Sweden – Martin Vukmanic INTERNET:[email protected]
# Britain – David Cox INTERNET:[email protected]
# Hungary – Laszlo Szabo INTERNET:[email protected]
‘WELCOME HOME’ CONCEPT
Church planter Rosemary Lethbridge has been developing an idea for wider contact in her community. She is sharing with community leaders and household the idea the ‘Welcome to Your New Home’ pastor. When people move to new communities they often do not have any person to turn to in times of crisis. Rosemary is offering her support and assistance in providing child dedications, funerals, support, etc. She plans to involve community people in the project. For “a friendly ear, practical support for those crisis and important times in your life” – or for more information or ideas on this ministry concept call Rosemary on +44 (0)7906
432014 or write to <INTERNET:[email protected]>.
BLUE introduces Synergy 2 – starting 27 September at Stanborough Park Church
Synergy 2 – an every second month worship service – will start on September 27. People will now be able to express their faith in a more interactive format which will not be filmed and broadcasted on the net.
“The service will be focused around a central theme for the month,” says Murray Harvey. “However, instead of a few selected individuals giving their thoughts on the topic to the ‘audience’, everyone in attendance will be encouraged to discuss the topic in small groups and then present their experiences to the wider group. This will be done in an ‘open mic’ type forum. A selection of scriptures and songs chosen by the group will also be integrated throughout the service when appropriate. As a result, there will no longer be an audience so to speak!”
CHURCH PLANTERS SHARE AT Euro-SEEDS
Planters Dana and Leslie King (Yeovil Family Church, England), Harald Giesebrecht (Cornelius, Norway) and Atte Helminen (CafeSEED,
Finland) shared case studies and conducted workshops at the EuroSEEDS conference at Friedensau, Germany (10-14 Sept 03). Over 220 people interested in planting churches attended. Union and conference leaders from Germany were supported by the pastoral studies teachers at Friedensau in developing the vision for church planting. Ron Gladden and Peter Roennfeldt shared in main sessions and also presented workshops.
CORE GROUPS & HOLISTIC SMALL GROUPS – INVITE YOUR UNCHURCHED FRIENDS IN!
The sooner you invite unchurched friends into your core group – the better. Certainly small groups are best started with unchurched friends present. If a group starts with only Adventists – it will be very difficult to get to inviting others later. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to first grow – before you invite others in. Having unchurched friends present right from the beginning will change the dynamic of the group – and cultivate growth!