GOD’S WORDS

M A G A Z I N EJ U LY 2 0 1 5

C R O S S L I N K S

G O D ’ S W O R D T O G O D ’ S W O R L D

Joshua BroomfieldDavid GibbsAshkenaz Asif KhanDavid LuckmanNoj NorthwayPenny Northway

W I T H C O N T R I B U T I O N SF R O M

I N T H I S I S S U E

FAV O U R

G R A C Et h e g r a c e o f g o d h a s a p p e a r e d ,

b r i n g i n g s a l v a t i o n f o r a l l p e o p l e . t i t u s 2 : 1 1

W O N D E R F U L

C H A R I S

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Published byCrosslinks 251 Lewisham Way, London SE4 1XF

Tel 020 8691 6111Fax 020 8694 8023Prayerline 020 8692 5321www.crosslinks.org

Mission DirectorAndy Lines alines@crosslinks.orgOperations DirectorGiles Rawlinson grawlinson@crosslinks.orgGB & overseas circulationcmt@crosslinks.orgIreland circulationIreland@crosslinks.org

Crosslinks works with over a thousand churches in Britain and Ireland. Founded in 1922 as BCMS (TheBible Churchmen’s Missionary Society), Crosslinks isan evangelical mission agency facilitating partnerships largely within the Anglican Communion. In fellowship with churches in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, Canada and Australia, it provides personnel, sponsorship for theological students and support for local mission wherever it happens.

Crosslinks policy is to use all funds received for the purpose to which they are designated. Crosslinks retains the right to use any surplus funds at the end of deployment or at the end of a project, at its discretion for gospel purposes.

Registered Charity number 24 99 86.

God’s wods to God’s world...

In this magazine we begin a series looking at words frequently used in scripture. These words are then sometimes taught - with all good intentions - with the meaning not fully explored or even used wrongly. It is easy to turn a word conveying a very specific biblical principle into preaching shorthand and expect that everyone’s understanding of it is the same as ours.

The words that the Bible uses to carry ideas and truths can also get muddled by overuse: ‘love’, for example, describes God’s world-changing motivation as well as some people’s relationship with curry.

So over the next few issues of the Crosslinks magazine, we will be looking at how we understand and then put into practice faith, hope, love, repentance and salvation. But we begin with GRACE... what does it mean and what difference does it make to our lives and mission?

Mark Gillespie Communications Manager

COMMENTJ U LY 2 0 1 5

God’s words: GRACE Alan PurserLearning about grace Noj Northway

Grace for our families Penny NorthwayAmbassadors for grace Joshua Broomfield

Grace for Christian families in Pakistan Ashkenaz Asif Khan The importance of grace in ministry David Luckman

Grace, Church and Wanstead David GibbsA great cloud of witnesses

The last word Andy LinesCrosslinks diary and prayer meetings

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C O N T E N T S

‘The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people’ wrote the Apostle Paul, instructing Titus how to conduct his ministry amongst the churches of Crete (Titus 2:11).

J. I. Packer writes, “In the New Testament, ‘grace’ is a word of central importance - the keyword, in fact, of Christianity. Its God is ‘the God of all grace’; its Holy Spirit is ‘the Spirit of grace’ and all the hopes it proclaims rest on ‘the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ’. The good news about Jesus is ‘the gospel of the grace of God’ (Acts 20:24)”. [God’s Words - studies of key Bible themes. IVP]

But because ‘grace’ does not crop up in everyday conversation it is a word that needs to be explained. What then does ‘grace’ mean? And what should be our response?

Put simply, grace is the undeserved love of God. As rebellious human beings we do not deserve God’s favour, and yet “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son...” (John 3:16). This extraordinary gift brought grace into the world, “for the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Not only does God’s grace save all who believe, it also keeps them safely for heaven. The Apostle Paul was one such recipient of grace, and it changed his life - and, through him, the lives of countless others - for ever.

How then should we respond to grace? Embracing the gospel of God’s grace for ourselves is the first step, and then proclaiming it to others. We must also walk as those forgiven by grace and treat others according to the grace we have received. Paul insists to Titus that grace trains us “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives”. This means renouncing both legalism (contradicting grace by attempting to establish our own merit in God’s sight) and antinomianism (abusing grace by treating it as a licence for living in a way that sits loose from God’s clear commands).

To take God’s word to God’s world is to be in the grace business, proclaiming the gospel of God’s undeserved love and exhibiting it in our lives. Read on...

A L A N P U R S E R

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Alan Purser is Crosslinks Church and Members’ Team Leader

Noj and Mary Northway have been working at St. Andrew’s School, Turi, in Kenya for eight years as Bursar and School Doctor. St Andrew’s is an international multicultural Christian boarding school, with a vision to train godly leaders for the future. As well as being a centre of academic excellence, it is a place where students are nurtured to grow in their faith, to know the grace of God, and to live for Christ.

‘THEREFORE, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATION; THE OLD HAS GONE, THE NEW HAS COME!’ (2 CORINTHIANS 5:17)

An eager buzz of a gathering of students, parents and staff on the wooden benches alongside the outdoor pool; a small group in swimwear chatting to friends and family next to a pile of towels; but the clue is the keyboard, electric guitar and microphone. Not a swimming gala, but the annual baptism service, and what has become one of the most significant moments in the school diary.

Every year a group of students make the decision to publically demonstrate their new life in Christ with baptism or confirmation. There is always encouragement in hearing how God’s grace is at work in lives through the testimonies that they each give; rich symbolism as they are plunged into the water and pulled up again alive with joy; and a recognition of the part that Christian staff, fellow students, and parents have played in sharing their knowledge of Jesus during the journey leading to this point.

St. Andrew’s School attracts students from across Africa and beyond. Many are from wealthy and influential families and likely to hold prominent positions in business and politics themselves in the future. There is a strong vision among staff to make Jesus known to young people. Being a boarding school, this happens in many different and creative ways: small-group bible studies in staff homes; lively singing and dancing at evening meetings; reflective prayer and Holy Communion; nights of prayer; exploring Christian truths through study courses; and plenty of opportunities for building relationships and having conversations with peers and staff. A recent emphasis of the chaplaincy team has been to encourage students to share their faith with each other; this year some have taken on more responsibility for leading Christian Union meetings, chapel services and helping with Youth Alpha. Our prayer is that many students will choose to follow Jesus during their time at school and go on to become a godly influence themselves. What if a future African president first discovered the grace of God at St. Andrew’s School?

N O J N O R T H W A Y

G R A C EL E A R N I N G A B O U T

‘TRAIN A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO, AND WHEN HE IS OLD HE WILL NOT TURN FROM IT...’ (PROVERBS 22:6)

As a privileged community living in an area of rural poverty, there is an obvious disparity in wealth and prospects. By being encouraged to look outwards, it is hoped that students will develop genuine compassion for the poor and needy and will learn to serve others. Many get involved enthusiastically with charity projects, both locally and further afield.

For instance, ‘Love in Action’, the Prep School charity, has worked in partnership with local churches to set up Turi Children’s Project, a day care centre for vulnerable families. Pupils raise money and visit regularly to play and interact with children, learning to give both resources and themselves to others in need.

Molo Street Children’s Project is working to rehabilitate local street children and support poor families looking after their children at home. The centre helps with feeding and schooling. Groups of Senior School students spend time planning and then visit every week to get involved with songs, games and teaching.

During their time at St. Andrew’s, we long for students to hear and know the grace of God in their own lives; and by getting involved in the community projects to recognise that God’s grace is not something to be received just for ourselves, but to be shared freely, generously and practically with others.

Please see the following websites for more information about St. Andrew’s School, and the projects that students are involved with.www.standrewsturi.comwww.turichildrensproject.comwww.molostreetchildren.co.uk

Noj and Mary will be leaving this summer to return to the UK. Please do pray for them and the ongoing ministry of St Andrew’s School.

GOD’S WORDS

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At the start of Forte Torre’s public ministry we had just one mum and one toddler. Then, after five years of one-to-one bible reading, another mum and and her unsaved husband came to a course that explored the basics of Christianity; as a result, she and her two pre-schoolers started coming on Sundays.

When the Sunday school (Torricine Domenica) began a local lady brought her eight year-old niece along. Then an entire family (husband, wife and 10 year-old) began worshipping with us. We pray that the children will discuss what they learn with their parents.

Meanwhile the first baby born into the church is assured of faithful bible teaching, as can the new-born of yet another mum with an unsaved husband. He is, by the way, ‘super-impressed’ with Torricine Domenica and this reflects the comments of many parents we have met through our outreaches. “Loving, hard-working, creative, fun, passionate, professional, caring....”

Torricine Bilingue, the church’s mission to families, was initiated in 2010 using English as a hook to draw people in. We were thrilled as five Italian families sent their children and have since sung our praises to others at the school-gates. The after-school club runs during term-time; we hold two weeks of summer camps for 6-11 year-olds and one week for older children. From this we have started a regular club for teenagers.

We rejoice at the sight of children sitting attentively under God’s word. We are encouraged by contact with parents, giving us opportunities

to invite them to church events and services.

We set out our stall every six months or so by means of a puppet show in the town centre or park. Huge fun and hard work involving almost everyone, this has brought many smiles and contact with a widening circle of Bolognese families.

Under God’s sovereign grace and by continued personal recommendation, attractive publicity and one-to-one teaching, our outreach grows. Yet let’s not forget that behind it all lies faithful preaching and hours of prayer.

‘Work as if everything depended upon our diligence and yet not rest in the heart upon ourselves but on the blessing of the Lord.’ (George Mueller).

Penny Northway works at La Chiesa Evangelica, Forte Torre, Bologna, in the north of Italy. There they proclaim the grace of God through his Son. Here, Penny describes how the outreach to children and families has developed.

P E N N Y N O R T H W A Y

G R A C E F O R O U RFA M I L I E S

G R A Z I AP U P P E T O U T R E A C H >

Earlier this year a team of 11 volunteers were engaged in short-term mission with Crosslinks in Fajara, The Gambia. Working with the local church and GamFES (the university Christian Union movement in The Gambia) they taught, among other things, Religious Education in nearby schools. Joshua Bloomfield explains why.

Kairaba Avenue runs from the Atlantic Ocean into the urban sprawl of Serrekunda. On one side of this highway sits the US embassy, guarded by soldiers with guns. It is unclear whether their purpose is to keep the people out, or the diplomats in. Next door is the marginally more inviting American International University and next to that the headquarters of the Peace Corps. Political presence, education, philanthropy; it would appear that America knows how to present itself abroad.

Less than a mile away, off the main road, there is a small house. Unbeknown to the outside world, this is also an embassy, because the people who stay there are ambassadors, although of a different kind. Between January and May, God has been making an appeal to The Gambia through 11 young Brits. To the casual observer, this embassy appears to lack any real influence or power, but to those who know better the most powerful being in the universe is at work: God, by his grace given in the Lord Jesus.

It began when God placed us 11 in Christ, making us new creations. Daily, looking at him in his word, we are being transformed into his likeness by the grace we see there. It’s not complicated or flashy, but it is powerful. As grace sinks in, the appeal can go out.

The appeal given is this: ‘Be reconciled to God.’ In The Gambia, this statement is not controversial: Muslims here are comfortable with this concept. It is when we try to explain how they can be reconciled that differences emerge. ‘God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.’ Not Muhammed, but in Christ is God’s grace found. His death makes it possible to become righteousness with God without praying five times a day.

Being an ambassador of grace, especially among Muslims, requires a life-long commitment. It demands more than can be given in five months. Mercifully, ambassadors can sow verbal seeds that grow over time, so short-term mission is not wasted mission. But Jesus pointed out that whilst the harvest is plentiful, the workers are few. Grace teaches us to pray for more workers.

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S H O R T T E R M M I S S I O N I S N O T W A S T E D M I S S I O N

L O C A T I O N O F F A J A R A , T H E G A M B I A

GOD’S WORDS

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G R A C EF O R C H R I S T I A N FA M I L I E S I NPA K I S TA NUnderstanding God will help us to understand grace; experiencing grace in our lives will help us also to understand God. This is a truth which shows us the character of God: almighty and self sufficient, he loved us, the weak and dependant. We must trust him for all and in all situations. Appreciating grace from God is to say, ‘Thank you, God; you loved me, as I am and where I am’.

In Pakistan, a typical day for a Christian family begins by sending children to school. A mother will get up early to pray, read her bible and then get the children ready. They need to have clean, ironed uniforms, their homework done and lessons learned. And they need to be at school before 8am. There are no school buses so children use bicycles or ride with an older brother or father on the family motor bike! For the less-privileged, education is a dream and for middle classes it is a struggle. Families spend a large portion of their income on education; a sacrifice that parents make gladly for their children. A Christian home is a place where the word of God is read and taught and children taken to Sunday school and church. Their mother will normally work until 11pm to make the home clean, tidy, and ready for the next day before she goes to bed. This environment and the parents’ sacrifice helps a child grow up with a heart which is kind and open to God.

A S H K E N A Z A S I F K H A N

Ashkenaz Asif Khan is the Principal of Zarephath Bible Seminary, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. See www.crosslinks.org/projects/zarephath-bible-seminary for more information.

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School is tough but grace is enough.A Christian student faces many challenges at school. Being a minority among a Muslim majority (Christian comprise 1.5% of a 190 million population) and often are also economically poor and ethnically despised. A Christian faces a situation that cannot be easily comprehended. Every Christian needs God’s grace to find supportive and loving friends, a kind teacher, a quiet place to study at home and somewhere safe to keep books. Parents, though doing menial jobs, have to afford a school uniform and notebooks. These are normal hopes and fears and a praying family will know God’s closeness. For a child, these experiences in school will bring reliance on God and an expectation of Jesus as a personal saviour. If a child has to drop out of school then opportunities for jobs and security in the future become limited and there may be a temptation to ‘give up’ on God. ‘It is by God’s grace that children do well at school’, a parent might well say after each exam!

The work place is a challenge and an opportunity.A father has a formidable task to provide for the family and be a godly leader in the home. He needs to be Hercules! But his God is more than Hercules. Jobs are scarce and often Muslim applicants will get preferential treatment. His heavenly Father knows this and has promised to provide. But there is more to it than that: God is putting him in a place where he can demonstrate grace to his colleagues and superiors. If he has experienced God’s love and forgiveness he can forgive those who persecute and ridicule him. His personal experience with God and walk with Jesus will enable him. The next generation will stand or fall partly due to his demonstration of grace - he is Hercules if God’s grace is upon him.

In Pakistan, a home, family, classmates, friends and colleagues are opportunities for showing grace. May you, as mother, father or friend bring someone closer to God by sharing your knowledge of grace with those who may need it today.

G R A C E

Turning to Paul’s letter to the Romans, we read, ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no-one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one… there is no fear of God before their eyes.’ (Romans 3:9, 18).

The repeated words, none, no-one indicate that there are no exceptions to humanity’s worthless standing before God. Having been created for a relationship with God, there is no evidence of this relationship or any signs that we seek it. The ‘mouth is full of curses and bitterness,’ (Romans 3:14) indicating the state of the human heart. Jesus said, ‘out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.’ (Matt 12:34).

I deserve to be cut off from the very presence of God in hell for eternity, such is my rebellion against him and such is my pride that leads to every other sin; what CS Lewis called ‘The anti-God state of mind’.

Can the Law of God help? The Law of God makes us conscious of our sin. It shows us how crooked we are but it can’t provide a right standing with God through observing its requirements. So God justly condemns humanity. There is no way that we can work our way out of it. Any solution must come from God.

Sin is dangerous and God hates sin because it separates him from his people. Martin Luther said, ‘a man must completely despair of himself in order to become fit to obtain the grace of God.’

Before we can minister to others grace must minister to us... and before grace ministers to us, it is important that we are convicted about our hopeless state before God if we are to appreciate fully the good news of salvation, God’s grace to us.

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So I cry out to God, ‘O Lord please have mercy upon me a miserable sinner – the remembrance of my sins is grievous to me; the burden of them is intolerable. I repent of all my sin’. As the hymn puts it, ‘Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to your cross I cling; naked, come to you for dress; helpless, look to you for grace; foul I to the fountain fly; wash me Saviour, or I die.’ (Rock of Ages, Toplady, 1740-78).

Repentance is the drainage system of the soul and God is faithful and just. He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I am no longer a slave to sin but freed by God’s grace, so I put to death those unrighteous urges and temptations. And I am thankful for the strength this freedom brings for right living. My heavenly Father loves me and I am secure in him therefore I am not afraid and nothing can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord.

‘All that I was, my sin, my guilt; My death, was all my own; All that I am I owe to thee; My gracious God alone’ (Horatius Bonar ).

How true it is that ‘the grace of God does not find men fit for salvation, but makes them so.’ (Augustine).

It is only in knowing how much God has forgiven me that I can minister to others. This is where grace in ministry begins.

David Luckman is the Crosslinks Ireland Team Leader.

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to your cross I cling;

naked, come to you for dress; helpless, look to you for grace;

foul I to the fountain fly; wash me Saviour,

or I die.

G R A C EGR

ACE

WOND

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‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God’ says Jesus as the rich man turns away because of his attachment to monetary wealth. It is a verse I have reflected on as I continue to lead a Crosslinks church plant , Grace Church, in Wanstead, a relatively affluent suburb in East London.

How does grace impact our ministry here? Grace must be at the centre of what we proclaim as Christians, whether we are in a rich or not so rich area; making known ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense’ must be at the centre of everything we do.

What difference does that make to ministering in affluent Wanstead? Because of our sinful mindsets, the gospel of grace is often misheard; it is interesting to reflect on what the mishearing in Wanstead sometimes is.

There seem to be two problems with understanding grace in our area. First, because of their material wealth some folk don’t think that they need grace - they have all they want and need nothing from God. In some of our door to door visiting there has been a note of contempt from some whom we have visited as if you say, ‘You might need a crutch to get through your life, but look at me, at my house, at where I live - I don’t need any handouts from God – I’m doing fine.’

And there is some material truth in that: although we support a food bank in a neighbouring area that is less well off, we haven’t felt particularly led to set up social programmes to seek to meet people’s physical needs.

The second problem is really an outworking of the first. The thinking can be, ‘If I

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really need something I can get it for myself. My wealth and talents will get me whatever I need.’ I am not sure if this is very different from the temptation to self-righteousness common to many more, but the creation of wealth or the rewards of a well paid job might just give the attitude an extra edge.

I often reflect on Moses’ words to the Israelites on the edge of the promised land. Moses looks forward to a time when they will be settled in that land; when God by his grace will give them a comfortable existence. ‘When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you… Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, … then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God’ (Deuteronomy 8: 10-14). Moses goes on in verse 17, ‘You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.’

So there are reasons why grace is particularly hard for the more materially well-off to hear. But as Jesus reflects on his conversation with the rich man, he says nothing is impossible with God, and we know in the Bible many wealthier individuals have come to see their need of and accept God’s grace (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, Zacchaeus and the wealthy in Corinth who made up at least part of the church there). And with that conviction we continue to present God and his grace knowing that whatever human barriers there are to the acceptance of grace, God has his people and will draw them to himself from whatever background they come.

David Gibbs is married to Jane. They have lived in and around London for the last 15 years. Prior to leading Grace Church, Wanstead, David was a Curate at Christ Church, Leyton.Find out more about David and the church at www.crosslinks.org/mission-partners/david-and-jane-gibbs

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M R S DEBBIE WATKINSON 2 1 D E C E M B E R 1 9 6 3 - 2 2 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5

A G R E A T C L O U D O FW I T N E S S E S

Debbie was a serving Mission Partner at the time of her death. She had been working in Singapore since 2008 as a consultant in palliative medicine: a ‘new challenge’ with her husband, Neil, also a Crosslinks Mission Partner, who co-ordinated Schools of Biblical Training in South East Asia. Before that, Debbie qualified as a consultant in palliative medicine at Florence Nightingale House, Stoke Mandeville. Debbie and Neil travelled widely in the region and Debbie was able to build on her earlier visits to a hospice in Bangalore, India. There she began a programme of palliative care training for the Emmanuel Hospital Association with the support of the National Cancer Centre in Singapore. She had already made two visits, and was planning a third, when she was diagnosed with a cancer in April 2014. She braved nine months of chemotherapy, receiving exceptional care from colleagues in Singapore, Oxford, and Stoke Mandeville.

We continue to give thanks for her life while sharing the sorrow of her husband Neil.

THEREFORE,SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES, LET US ALSO LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, AND SIN WHICH CLINGS SO CLOSELY, AND LET US RUN WITH ENDURANCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US, LOOKING TO JESUS, THE FOUNDER AND PERFECTER OF OUR FAITH. HEBREWS 12 1-2A

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M I S S NORA MUSGROVE 9 O C T O B E R 1 9 2 7 T O 1 7 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

Mission Partner in India from 1956 to 1980, serving as a nurse mainly in Robertsgani and Kachwa.

R E V C A N O N MICHAEL JOHN SAWARD1 4 M A Y 1 9 3 2 - 1 5 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5

Served on General Council 1964-1974.

M R S JOAN AGNES TAYLOR M B E1 2 F E B R U A R Y 1 9 2 4 - 6 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5

Joan served the Lord with her late husband Dr Joseph Taylor OBE (d. 1997) in Tanzania with BCMS/Crosslinks from 1953 to 1988. They were associate mission partners from 1988 to 1997.

M R S CHRIST INE MARY BELL1 5 S E P T E M B E R 1 9 5 5 - 2 6 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5

Mary served with her husband Tim in Iringa, Tanzania from 1989 to 1994.

M I S S MARY EL IZABETH PUNT1 1 J U L Y 1 9 2 8 - 1 4 M A R C H 2 0 1 5

Mary had been serving the Lord in Tanzania since 1957, but joined BCMS in 1975, working in the diocesan offices in Mwanza and then Morogoro. She returned to the UK in 1982, serving on the home staff of BCMS/Crosslinks until her retirement in 1991.

R E V C A N O N DEREK JUPE1 J A N U A R Y 1 9 2 6 - 6 M A R C H 2 0 1 5

Derek was BCMS Deputation Secretary for Ireland from 1965 to 1972.

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15Andy Lines is Crosslinks Mission Director

THELASTWORD

‘The people who give grace best are the ones who know they need it most.’ (Paul David Tripp).

One could say that a realisation of our own sinfulness is an essential element in someone engaged in God’s mission. In the early days of my Christian discipleship I visited a former China Inland Mission missionary as he prepared for his ‘departure’ to be with the Lord he had served. What struck me about him was his sense of unworthiness, despite a life poured out in the service of his Saviour, and yet also his calm assurance of his destiny in Christ. I am often asked what I look for in someone willing to serve in mission. These characteristics of my friend would rank highly: a sense of unworthiness and a calm assurance. Both of these attributes spring from grace.

This was the lesson that Jesus drew out of Simon the Pharisee when Simon grumbled about Jesus’ contact with a sinful woman: ‘Therefore I tell you, her sins which are many, are forgiven - for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little.’ (Luke 7:47). This is why it is not helpful to ‘big up’ Mission Partners as if they were somehow more dedicated and special than other servants of the Lord. A.G. Pouncy writes in his preface to the book called For the Sake of the Name, ‘The saddest pages of missionary history are not concerned with material disasters or international upheavals, but with the shortcomings of the human agents in God’s employ. And the reason? Without doubt... because we at home have honoured them, but have not prayed for them; we have expected great things from them, but have not attempted great things for them; we have them in our hearts as missionaries; we have not had them in our hearts as people. More often than

not we have prayed for them in relation to their work, and not in relation to themselves... by revealing the missionary as a person we do not strip them

of honour; rather do we come to understand their real dignity.’

Our recognition and acknowledgement of our sinfulness magnifies the wonderful grace of God; this is an essential element for anyone engaged in God’s mission.

I N M I S S I O N

M E E T I N G SP R A Y E R

If you could start up a Crosslinks prayer meeting in your region, get in touch with Abbi McClure amcclure@crosslinks.org (London) or Val Ellis vellis@crosslinks.org (Ireland) and we will help and support.

BELFAST3 August and 2 November at 8pmCrosslinks Ireland Office, 32 Montgomery Rd, Belfast Contact Rev Trevor Cleland on + 44 (0) 28 9265 0134

BOURNEMOUTHSecond Tuesday of each month at 10.30am at St Paul’s Church, Throop, BournemouthContact Douglas Newport on 01202 397342

BROOKEBOROUGH1 September, 3 November at 8pm Aghavea Church Hall, 21 Aghavea Road, BrookeboroughContact Rev Gary McMurray + 44 (0) 28 8953 1210

CHORLEYAt St Paul’s Church, Bury Lane, Withnell PR6 8SDContact Crosslinks at cmt @crosslinks.org or 020 8691 6111

DONEGAL21 September, 14 Decemberat Donegal Parish Centre, Donegal Town at 8pmContact Ven David Huss on 00 353 74 9721075

DUBLINSecond Monday of each month at 8pmContact Janet Craven on 00 353 1 2194595

DUNGIVEN20 August, 19 November at 8pmat Dungiven Parish Hall, DungivenContact Val Ellis on +44 (0) 28 9079 6028

FRINTON-ON-SEAFirst Thursday of each month at 3pm at 34 Ashlyn’s Road, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex CO13 9EUContact Tricia Hamilton on 01255 676376

OXFORDAt St Ebbe’s Church, OxfordContact cmt @crosslinks.org or 020 8691 6111

RIPONFirst Saturday of each month at 1.30pm at 2 All Saints Square, RiponContact William and Ruth Deeth on 01765 690366

STONEYFORDThird Friday of each month at 8pmWatson, 2 Stoneyford Road, LisburnContact Margaret Sharkey on + 44 (0) 28 9266 5996

WARINGSTOWN14 September and 9 November at 8pm 78 Murray Wood, WaringstownContact Rev Jim McMaster on + 44 (0) 28 3882 0741

WEYMOUTHSecond Monday of each month 7.30-9pmContact Derek Saunders on 01305 779510

ARCTIC FELLOWSHIP – OADBYContact John Tonkin on 0116 281 2517

E V E N T S

C R O S S L I N K S

AUTUMN PRAYER CONFERENCEThursday 19–Monday 23 November Whitemoor Lakes Centre, Lichfield, WS13 8QT

This long-established five-day annual conference presents an opportunity to pray for God’s mission around the world, with input from Crosslinks Mission Partners, staff, and daily bible readings by Mathew Payne from the book of Titus. Make new friends, meet up with old ones and take time to relax and enjoy the facilities of the conference centre. Includes the ‘Pray, Give, Go’ conference on Saturday 21 November.For more information see www.crosslinks.org or email cmt@crosslinks.org

PRAY, GIVE, GO: The priority of local and global missionSaturday 21 NovemberWhitemoor Lakes Centre, Lichfield, WS13 8QT 10am-4pm

A one-day conference for churches and individuals wanting to be more involved in God’s local and global mission. The day includes presentations from Ishaya Baba (chairman of the board of trustees of Abuja Bible College) serving Mission Partners, Crosslinks staff, and three seminar options to choose from.

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SUMMER CAMPS IN IRELAND 2015

Junior Camp (ages 8 – 11)8 - 12 August Senior Camp (ages 12 – 17)8 -15 August

Castlewellan Castle, Castlewellan, Co. DownCost: £80/€100 Junior Camp and £130 /€160 Senior Camp. For booking details see www.crosslinks.org/camps

RESET (ages 18–30) Friday 21- Sunday 23 August Dunluce Parish Centre, Bushmills, Co. AntrimCost £35/€45. For booking details see www.crosslinks.org/camps

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH?Saturday 27 February 2016Armagh City Hotel, 2 Friary Road, Armagh BT60 4FRKeynote Speaker: Kevin DeYoung Further info: Contact Val Ellis vellis@crosslinks.org

Kevin DeYoung has been the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church, Michigan, USA, since 2004. His main responsibilities include preaching, leadership, and administration. He has published a number of books including one that captures the theme of our conference ‘What is the Mission of the Church?’