Wesleyan Reform Union : Home Missions & YPD – News & Prayer Letter

Excited about Mission! February 2013

Please don't hesitate to contact me regarding anything in this letter. I would love to hear from you, especially if you want ideas or help with outreach in your area! Andy Wilcock - [email protected] (Home Missions - Development and Outreach Consultant) Martin Ludbrook – [email protected] (YPD Youth Worker)

Please check out Martin’s YPD Blog - http://wru-ypd.blogspot.com/

Ashington Church (Sian Edwards) Dear Friends, What joy to finally be serving in the Ashington and Guidepost (Choppington) area. I am very thankful to have settled into the new manse just in time for Christmas. My transition from the Cawston Circuit in Norfolk went well and I had the lovely opportunity to travel for several weeks in between posts, visiting with YWAM a ministry I once worked with in Mexico. It was an incredible time particularly seeing how the discipleship school amongst the Tarahumaran Indians had grown from it’s humble beginnings when I served with Youth With A Mission in Creel, Chihuahua. One of the ladies attending the school was an inspiration to me this dear face was a picture of God’s Grace. I also got to see at YWAM El Paso/Juarez the plans for a new children’s home. The day I arrived they were holding a Dessert Night to raise funds. So of course I had to taste the award winning carrot cake, little wonder with lots of , prayer and such delicious desserts more than $50,000 was pledged.

Getting the new home of to a good start. During this past month I have so enjoyed meeting with members of Ashington and Guidepost at home, breaking bread , praising the sharing together over God’s word to our lives. I have been made most welcome and rejoice in finding those of kindred spirit amongst us. Singing with Stella was a real joy, she asked to be reminded to you all sending her greetings for the New Year. Getting around the community and introducing myself, what an inspiration many of you have been to me.

Prayer Points:  Thanks giving for such a lovely Manse, that is being used in all manner of ways.  House Church these past several weeks,  Prayer partners luncheon  Family and friends My home has become a real hub since we have been unable to use the Chapel, so house church has been the way forward. Meeting with the Ashington Members and getting to in a less formal way. This has somehow smoothed the way to a gentle transition for us all. I have been made to feel very welcome by the members of both Ashington and Guidepost fellowship. Please pray for us as we seek to develop in relationship together with a clear purpose of seeking God's Kingdom in future days. One way of doing this has been to do a number of home visits, breaking bread and praising God with some dear folks who previously attended the chapel in Guidepost but are now unable to do so. Although I have only attended one Ministers lunch time meeting, I was well received and it opened up an invitation to meet with the local YMCA. The Carol Service hosted by a number of youth was well attended and show cased some great talent. I have been along to two local churches joining morning Worship, this opened a door to me sharing at a home group and being asked to go back and do a 10 min slot by way of sharing why I have moved into Ashington. These first six weeks have gone by very quickly and have been a source of challenge and blessing on a few different levels. I do believe that stepping out form Norfolk to Northumberland in obedience has resulted in a long time prayer that my family would feel a liberty to visit with me. Not only did I get to host a friend for Christmas , but my Mum, sister and brother-in-law flew into Newcastle and spent the New Year with me. Wow! what a surprise! There are a few young people at Guidepost, that I have taken to heart and would dearly love to see something fresh happening for them, maybe Youth Discipleship also a point for prayer.

INTER GENERATIONAL WORKSHOPS (2013) Led by Sharon Prior (part time tutor at Cliff College) The beauty of knowing is that we can come to know God at any stage of our life. Any age, gender, class, nationality, education. Sharon will help us all explore how important it is to make our worship times relevant for all ages. These workshops are not just of interest to church leaders, preachers and worship leaders, but the whole congregation. Hugely enjoyable and practical, please encourage people to come along.

Organised through Paul Busby – Chairman of Home Mission Committee

DATES AND VENUES Saturday, 23rd February - 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Ibstock WRC, 135 Melbourne Road, Ibstock, LE67 6NQ

Saturday, 13th April - 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Rushden Mission Church, 161 Wellingborough Rd, Rushden, NN10 9TN

Saturday, 13th July - 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Worsbrough Community Church, High Street, Barnsley, S70 4SG

Freewill offering at each event to cover speaker’s expenses

7 Alive – Mount Hermon (Addingham) 7 Alive is monthly Sunday evening event, that has been running since September 2012. It is held in the hall and laid out in a relaxed format around coffee tables. Coffee and Tea is served and there is a lot of space for relaxing with friends. This is proving a great opportunity to invite friends along to meet up with the people of the church. There is an informal programme planned which can include, Video clips, live music, poems, storytelling, jokes etc. They have been very encouraged by this new venture, and have seen a number of new people joining them. Please pray for those planning and leading each month and for everyone in inviting people from the surrounding area to join them.

Mexborough are also planning a similar venture Blue Chair Café and are currently refurnishing the kitchen and hall in preparation. It will be run with a Bistro feel to it and is aimed at teenagers. There will be a wide range of activities available for the young people, and they are hoping it will lead to greater things in the near future. More on this next month, so watch this space ! Overseas Mission Away Day – Date for your diary Saturday 18th May - 10.00am until 3.30pm Ibstock Wesleyan Reform Church, 135 Melbourne Road, Ibstock, LE67 6NQ

Mission Aviation Fellowship - Wycliffe Bible Translators - AWM-Pioneers

for an amazing and exciting day finding out how technology is used by A buffet lunch will be provided at a cost of £5 to be paid when booking for attendance at the day so we know numbers to cater for.

DVD Outreach Resource – “Life on the frontline” This DVD is just £8 to buy and would be excellent for either a Home Group / Bible Study setting or to be used with in a service. It looks at how we all have a ‘Frontline’ in which we can share the good news of Jesus. Be it at work, over the garden fence or at the gym. Each of the six session are very well presented, and will get people talking and thinking about how they share the gospel in their everyday situations.

http://www.licc.org.uk/imagine-church/resources/life-on-the-frontline/

Women of Action Spring Event at Grimesthorpe, Sheffield Saturday 23rd March 10am for coffee start at 10.30. Due to finish around 3.30 “Right Royal Celebration” 'A right royal celebration' is the theme. £3 to cover materials. Bring and share lunch. A talk and various optional activities to include drama, creative cake decorating, flower arranging, and more. Sandra Fall (Please let Sandra [email protected] know if you are attending – for catering purposes)

Unreached – Growing Churches in Working-Class and Deprived Areas http://www.thinkivp.com/9781844746033 Thinkivp prices - Paper back £7.79 - Ebook £5.69 (incl. Kindle)

'When I became a Christian, I didn't have many Christian men to look up to. There were few who could show me what a council-estate Christian looked like.' Duncan Forbes Think of the thriving evangelical churches in your area, and the chances are that they will be in the nice areas of town and their leaders will be middle class. Unreached is about reaching deprived, urban, working-class areas, often estates or housing schemes. It offers us the combined experience of the Reaching the Unreached working group www.reachingtheunreached.org.uk, an informal network of Christian leaders from different parts of the UK. This book doesn't claim to offer the final word, but it presents us with a vision of what can be done. We pray that it will start a vital process in all our hearts and minds.

I would love to come and visit your church to speak or chat with you about outreach opportunities in your area. Please get in touch I would love to hear from you.

Yours in His service

Andy Wilcock WRU : Development and Outreach Consultant.