St Paul’s Church Parkwood, Mission Partners, 2007/8

1. Andy Dipper – CEO – Release International

Address: RI, PO Box 54, Orpington, BR5 9RT

Release International founded by the Romanian Pastor Richard Wurmbrand in 1968, serves the persecuted church around the world in five key ways:

1 Showing God’s compassion
providing for the needs of the families of martyrs and prisoners

2 Serving God’s church
enabling them to survive persecution and its effects

3 Sharing God’s love
helping the persecuted church win to Christ those who are opposed to the gospel

4 Spreading God’s Word
supplying Bibles and literature to meet the need for growth and evangelism

5 Speaking as God’s advocates
being the voice of the martyrs and the oppressed

It was good to welcome Andy with Emma (see Polly Charlotte and Jess on screen behind) to St Pauls, one Tuesday in November 2006.

They helped those of us present to try to understand what it is like to be persecuted for being a Christian by showing us a film of Partners working with RI in Nigeria.

We thought about forgiveness – and marvelled at the way so many people could forgive their oppressors, those who had murdered loved ones etc. Would we be able to do the same?

You can keep up to date with the work of RI by looking at the website, http://www.releaseinternational.org/ or subscribing to the RI publication, Witness. There are also fortnightly updates of the work going on in 7 countries where persecution is particularly rife available by email or snail mail.

See the current 7x7 Prayer News Alert here

I’m pleased to announce that a new website has been launched today which is a portal to many major retailers, including Amazon.co.uk and John Lewis.

If you go internet shopping via this portal and make purchases in the regular way, at the advertised prices, a percentage of the sale or a lump sum contribution (eg of £15 or £30) will be donated to Release International at no extra cost to you!

Additionally, some are offering worthwhile introductory discounts over the next few weeks (click on “Offers” to find out more) so you can actually benefit, too!

So if you still have some Christmas shopping to do, need to buy electrical items for the home, or just want to make a few smaller purchases, do visit this site:

www.release.spendandgive.co.uk

Thanks very much,

Andy

Andy Dipper
Chief Executive
Release International

the voice of the persecuted church

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2. Gerry Bowyer – Bishops Lay Evangelist - Church Army – North Aberdeen

Address: No 2 Buckie Road, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, AB22 8DG

Reaching people where they are
The Church Army are about communicating the unchanging message of an unchanging God
to a fast-changing culture.

Gerry with his wife, Jo, and son Nick, live study work and worship in the St Ninians Parish. Daughters Georgina and Vic(toria) are both away at University.

Nick is working for his GCSE’s (or Scottish equivalent) and plays bass guitar and drums in the church youth band.

Jo continues to run “chill and chat” and preaches once a month.

Give thanks

that St Ninians has seen some growth over the last 18 months
that the Diocese (of Aberdeen and Orkney) has now elected a Bishop, the Rev Robert Gillies and pray for him as he starts work in September
that SAMS Kids Club continues to progress with up to eighty primary children coming to the main event on a Wednesday evening

(nb SAMS aims to reach the non-church primary school kids in the St Machar Academy (Secondary) catchment area.

Please continue to pray

that the people of St Ninians will claim the mission as their own
for continued growth, both spiritually and numerically

And pray for Gerry and his colleague, Brian Wisener,

in the many initiatives they take to bring the good news of Jesus to people within the parish including Gerry in his role as chaplain to a local secondary school and Brian working in local primary schools that they will come up with ways of helping to make church relevant to all the local people.

You can find out more about the work of the Church Army by looking it up on the website

http://www.churcharmy.org.uk/ca/home.asp

Captain Gerry Bowyer Web Site

To read the most recent prayer news from the Bowyers click here

“Church Army is the Heineken of the Church”

Bishop Graham Cray( Maidstone)

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3. Beth Lewis – Diocese of Kondoa – Tanzania

(linked to the Diocese of Rochester)

Beth is developing education within the Diocese of Kondoa, promoting adult literacy as well as supporting primary schools. She is very involved with the Mothers Union.

She has

written a guide to Kondoa for visitors coming to meet the Bishop, explaining customs, a few phrases in Swahili, what to do, and how not to offend people
survived power cuts and torrential rain
become fluent in Swahili (understanding, writing and speaking it)
designed contracts so that people actually know what they’re supposed to be doing, and where their responsibilities lie
had several proposals of marriage
visited many schools and is working at setting up links with schools in England
developed an English evening class,
had malaria twice
carried 20 litres of water on her head

Pray that:

Beth remains in good health
God's priorities will inform Beth’s priorities
she won't bow to pressure to start up loads of projects (that will be unsustainable when she leaves)
she won't be ignored through being female and young (not a problem with the Bishop or General Secretary but has proved an issue for Officials- most of whom are Muslim)
relationships between Christians and Muslims will continue to be peaceful
she will continue to grow and develop in the skills and experience that God wants her to have for her future
the better harvest last year will alleviate the effects of famine this year

Address: PO Box 7, Kondoa, Tanzania;
email:d-kondoa@africaonline.co.tz with fao Beth in subject box.

To read Beth's most recent emails, click here

For more background information about the Diocese of Kondoa click here

For more information about any of our mission partners, contact Jill Lovell through the webmaster

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