Progress, Opportunities and Challenges

Our context

• The gospel need in the UK is greater than it has ever been in the last 450 years

• Conservative evangelicalism is stronger than it has ever been in the last 50 years

thegospelpartnerships.org.uk

...the gracious handof our God...

Ezra 9:18

goals for the next years7 42011

To extend the Partnership– from 40+ to 60+ churches in year four

35 Partner churches30 Individual Partners55 churches represented overall

1

To extend the Partnership– from 40+ to 60+ churches in year four

Who could join?1

To deepen our partnership

Warmth of Partnership Meetings Relationships/Trust Cluster Groups (geographical/common

situation) Prayer together; preaching groups Eating together; consulting one another Shared evangelism and training

2

To deepen our partnership

Can we do more? In cluster groups Praying/working together Pulpits swaps Avoiding isolation Expertise sharing/mentoring/work shadowing

2

To develop and extend training across the Partnership

Development of SMTC (Haywards Heath) Four Saturday Courses (various locations) 250 students

3

To develop and extend training across the Partnership

Saturday CourseSept 2014 – EAST: Eastbourne

3rd year option for former studentsSept 2015 – WEST: Angmering/Chichester?Sept 2016 – CENTRAL: Lindfield/Brighton?

3

To develop and extend training across the Partnership

How can we make sure people benefit? Don’t give up promoting the courses! Personal encouragement; Use former students Encourage former students to take up further

training Spread the word Use the short courses

3

To multiply the number of ministry trainees

Currently 15 individuals in 14 churchesA further 14 churches have had trainees

4

Workers for the harvest field

To multiply the number of ministry trainees

Recruiting trainees? Year out for God Developing student work/links Thinking outside the box

4

To develop Youthwork across the partnership

Come and See Training Programme

Sorted by the seaLovewise teamNetworking paid youthworkers (Revive)

5

To develop Youthwork across the partnership

Continue Come and See?Replicate Sorted by the sea?Expand the Lovewise work?Repeat Revive?What else?

5

To increase cooperation in evangelism– Extend effective cooperation in Evangelism across

the Partnership building up to A Passion for Life 2014 6

To increase cooperation in evangelism

Work together more effectively? Sharing resources Working together locally Opening up events Making use of Glen and Martin

6

To plant and revitalise churches– 10 churches planted or revitalised

over four years

Challenges and disappointments Perseverance being rewarded Congregations multiplying A long way to go

7

To plant and revitalise churches

Openness to a variety of approaches Starting brand new churches Multiplying congregations Breathing new life into churches in decline Restoring a gospel ministry to a gospel-less church

7

To plant and revitalise churches 7

Questions and comment

The next four years?

Challenges and Encouragements in the local church

Three Bridges Free ChurchCrawley

Colin Jones

Emmanuel ChurchHastings

Martin Lane

Calvary Church Brighton (1m)Phil Wells•Formerly Brighton Railway Mission – to reach

working people•Morning congregation ~ 60 including kids•Committed membership of 27+ ,12 of whom are

wage-earners•Three full-time workers•Situated at the end of a shopping street moving

from street-drinking to cocktail drinking

Biggest challenge (2m)● Is actually (for me) just to keep going in a

godly way● For the church – to raise enough money to

buy the freehold of the building● £162,500 = £40k+£40k+£80k(loan)● Via gift day #1 … = £74.2k ● Gift day #2 = £50.6k ● Leaving £37.4k to find● =challenge and encouragement

Biggest encouragements (2m)● N.B. encouragement <> progress● N.B. encouragement ~~ significance● Passion4Life / out on London Road for an hour

each morning offering Word-1-2-1 = Read John's gospel for 1 hour

● 2 friends came the previous Sunday, various readings also occurred beforehand

Biggest encouragements (2m)● Good conversations during the week

(e.g. Eddy at Kodak Shop; Ami at the “Hempworks” Shop )

● One contact and one family the next Sunday ● One request to do 1-2-1

(never yet made good)