Plan for Mission – New Employed Field Minister

Dear Friends,

In February we updated you on what is happening in the British Isles in relation to the planning for mission that each mission centre of the church has been challenged to develop following the World Conference of 2007.

In the feedback received to the questionnaire circulated there was strong support for additional employed staff to support congregations, especially those who were opening doors in an endeavour to share the peace of Jesus Christ. The reality that we face at this time, due to the church’s financial situation, is that we have actually lost one employed minister with Derek Judd’s retirement and with Andrew Fox replacing him as the Mission Centre Financial Officer.

As we look to the future, we have considered this situation along with the needs of the church in the British Isles. At this time we bring leadership as we perceive what will be the outcome of the ‘Plan for Mission’. We also echo the challenge from Apostle Young to those gathered for the October 2007 mission centre conference,

“As many of you have heard me say on many occasions, there is a real need for the British Isles church to work toward a greater degree of self-sufficiency. As a move in that direction, I hope the mission centre will give serious consideration to engaging in a concerted fund-raising effort in order to maintain the youth minister position after May 1, 2008 ….. I believe it would be in the best interest of the church in the British Isles to continue to have a full-time youth minister”.

It is our intent to ask the church here to rise to the challenge to employ a full time Field Minister with responsibility for youth ministries. In the coming months we will be looking to individual members and congregations for pledges, in addition to what is already being given, sufficient to employ someone for a minimum of three years.

If this is achieved we will bring an amended budget to the October 2008 conference which will include this funding with a view to employing someone from the 1st January 2009.

Please share this information with the members of your congregation / house church.

Sincerely

David Waring  & Andrew Fox
Mission Centre President & Mission Centre Financial Officer