Dear Friends,
While in Australia recently I spoke again with Rick Paynter of the Gateway Family Church. Rick and Gateway sponsor the CONNECTING Conferences – leadership conferences designed to foster church planting movements from local churches. When I think of Rick and Marcy – and the whole team at Gateway (Mark, Murray, Chris, etc) – I think of a culture of encouragement!
What are you doing to encourage another person? What about a thank you note, an email, text message, phone call or visit. See the potential in another and affirm that person TODAY (and TOMORROW).
Who are you encouraging? In a recent email Juris Rekis (planter from Korinta – but, present student at Newbold College) noted that with winter and exams the pressure is on the Korinta team. They are “biting their lips and carrying on!” Then a week or so ago they had a THANK-YOU evening – when all shared appreciation for each other and God. Juris reports that Aira Arina (the present Korinta leader) said “it made them all feel stronger again.”
Yes, all need encouragement. Encouragement builds – and in fact multiplies effective ministries. It is an essential quality for the leader who seeks to foster and equip others for service. Church planters encourage and equip other church planters – and healthy churches plant new churches through encouragement! Encouragement tells us that we are not alone. That what we are doing is important – in fact, more important than we can imagine! And, that is true church planters. God is using you to extend his kingdom – to lead lost people to Jesus.
Be an encourager today!
Christian regards
Peter Roennfeldt
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CHURCH PLANTING NEWS – 31 Jan 05
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In this NEWS …
Ø LEADERSHIP TEAM READS ‘THE PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH’
Ø CHURCH PLANTING X-CHANGES for EVERYONE …
Ø COTTAGE BECK CAFÉ CHURCH – PUBLICITY, NEW STAFF & MORE WEDDINGS!
Ø STARBUCKS CONTRIBUTES COFFEE FOR CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE
Ø NICOSIA CHURCH TAKES A RISK!
Ø THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL
LEADERSHIP TEAM READS ‘THE PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH’ Leaders of the Nicosia church ‘re-plant’ (Cyprus) are being encouraged to read one chapter of Rick Warren’s ‘The Purpose Driven’ before each leadership meeting. “Karen Porter, our new Leading elder, kindly gave us all a copy,” reports Alex Elmadjian. “Our whole discussion at the leadership meeting is community-related and cognizant of church planting principles.”
CHURCH PLANTING X-CHANGES for EVERYONE …Leaders are serious about encouraging, equipping and supporting members and pastors who are revitalising, planting and replanting churches. Here are some of the X-Changes coming in the next few weeks –
Ø Norway at Tromsø – 4-10 April: contact Terje Bjerka [email protected] or Atle Haugen [email protected]
As well as more national X-Changes in 2005 (which we will keep you posted on) – there will be two international X-Changes with ministry approaches and styles of church planting relevant to each area. Contact your country Church Planting Coordinator or write to Peter Roennfeldt for more details –Ø Western & Northern European Church Planters X-Change 05: 24-31 July 2005 at Friedensau, Germany.Ø Central & Southern European Church Planters X-Change 05: 01-07 Aug 2005 in Hungary.
COTTAGE BECK CAFÉ CHURCH – PUBLICITY, NEW STAFF & MORE WEDDINGS! “We have had some excellent publicity already this year because of a Personal Discovery Course Isobel is holding at the Café – which a journalist attended,” writes planter Bryan Webster. Then, is response the needs of earthquake and tsunami victims Cottage Beck was opened as a “Collection Point” for goods or funds. Bryan has been working with the Editor of the Scunthorpe Telegraph and the local council to “adopt a village” or town so that money sent from Scunthorpe people can go to a specific place. They are working through ADRA and regular reports will be provided to the community on how their donations are helping rebuild. “We have a new staff helper,” Bryan reports. “18 year old Amy, who has been coming to the Cafe for nearly three years, is now old enough to be staff. She is a ‘Goth – with regulation studs – whose main ambition in life used to be to become a ‘vampire’. So it’s exciting that she wants to be at the Café all the time. She is unemployed and with no qualifications – but, well known in the area and bright.” Another couple who live next door have asked for Bryan to conduct their wedding – and he is sharing pre-marriage instruction. “The opportunities are endless if only we can keep up with them all,” says Bryan – who with the team are always on the lookout to get more small groups going.
STARBUCKS CONTRIBUTES COFFEE FOR CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE
“During our two Christmas services, we decided to ask for the congregation for donations to the children of Darfur,” reports Alex Elmadjian from Nicosia, Cyprus. “Since we placed ads in the local paper about the programmes, we decided have snacks/drinks at the end of each service so people could mingle and get to know each other more.”
On one of his “infrequent” visits to Starbucks, Alex approached the manager about the possibility of them donating some coffee for this charity event. “He was thrilled to participate and gave me Starbucks cups, sugar, stirring sticks, milk and plenty of coffee,” Alex says. “He was even willing to send along a Barista and professional coffee machines! I declined since I didn’t want to make their people to work on Sabbath! I wrote him a short report at the end of our service, with photos, and he responded that we can contact them any time should we organise another similar charity event”
Alex notes that “This was good for our church on two levels. We got some excellent coffee for free, plus it gave our event some more credibility because we had an internationally recognised company supporting us. We thanked them in the bulletin and I took a copy to the manager. I also got to speak to him about our church and its activities. The Starbucks manager told me that they have a budget for charity events. I expect that other recognised coffee houses around Europe have a similar policy which could be of benefit to other church plants.”
“During our two Christmas services, we decided to ask for the congregation for donations to the children of Darfur,” reports Alex Elmadjian from Nicosia, Cyprus. “Since we placed ads in the local paper about the programmes, we decided have snacks/drinks at the end of each service so people could mingle and get to know each other more.”
On one of his “infrequent” visits to Starbucks, Alex approached the manager about the possibility of them donating some coffee for this charity event. “He was thrilled to participate and gave me Starbucks cups, sugar, stirring sticks, milk and plenty of coffee,” Alex says. “He was even willing to send along a Barista and professional coffee machines! I declined since I didn’t want to make their people to work on Sabbath! I wrote him a short report at the end of our service, with photos, and he responded that we can contact them any time should we organise another similar charity event”
Alex notes that “This was good for our church on two levels. We got some excellent coffee for free, plus it gave our event some more credibility because we had an internationally recognised company supporting us. We thanked them in the bulletin and I took a copy to the manager. I also got to speak to him about our church and its activities. The Starbucks manager told me that they have a budget for charity events. I expect that other recognised coffee houses around Europe have a similar policy which could be of benefit to other church plants.”
NICOSIA CHURCH REPLANT TAKES A RISK! There are thousands of Asians working in Cyprus as domestic helpers. One of the members of the Adventist plant in Nicosia volunteers with a community welfare group called the Migrant Support Group (MSG). They try to assist any migrant workers with employment and immigration issues. When MSG launched a street appeal for tsunami victims the members of the ‘replanting’ team collected funds and, instead of handing the money over to ADRA, the natural choice, they gave the funds they collected to MSG.
“Our volunteer member is the only Christian working with them, the rest are staunch atheists,” reports Alex Elmadjian. “When she passed on the money to them they were touched that a Christian church, especially a non-Greek Orthodox one, had entrusted them with the money. To cut a long story short, they have now requested ADRA to be the consignee and distribution agent for the 40ft container of medical aid they are sending to Sri Lanka any day now. They have also asked our church if we can help locate a medical practitioner (‘even a Christian’), to help staff a health centre they wish to fund in Sri Lanka.” Alex concludes, “It would have been the easy option to hand our money directly over to ADRA. But we took a risk, and by doing so, helped out a local community support group, who in turn developed a new respect for Christianity and our church in particular.”
“Our volunteer member is the only Christian working with them, the rest are staunch atheists,” reports Alex Elmadjian. “When she passed on the money to them they were touched that a Christian church, especially a non-Greek Orthodox one, had entrusted them with the money. To cut a long story short, they have now requested ADRA to be the consignee and distribution agent for the 40ft container of medical aid they are sending to Sri Lanka any day now. They have also asked our church if we can help locate a medical practitioner (‘even a Christian’), to help staff a health centre they wish to fund in Sri Lanka.” Alex concludes, “It would have been the easy option to hand our money directly over to ADRA. But we took a risk, and by doing so, helped out a local community support group, who in turn developed a new respect for Christianity and our church in particular.”
THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL Tony Moore has completed an evangelistic resource – that is also being aired on the Hope Channel and available on DVD. It is called The Footsteps of Paul. There are twenty episodes – very professionally produced – and there is a 4x colour study guide for each presentation. The study guides also appear on the DVD and the answers come up by command. This series is being translated into French and Spanish – and is being dubbed in Arabic for airing on the Spirit Channel in Lebanon (starting in March). This material would be of great value in home Bible studies or small groups – such as a LIFE group. Tony is also using this material in public evangelism. He combines it with a series that he does on archaeology. He does two weeks of meetings – and then introduces the DVDs on The Footsteps of Paul. For more details contact Tony Moore by writing to [email protected] .
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CHURCH PLANTING NEWS
TED Church Planting Office
Peter Roennfeldt
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