St. Mark’s Church has been involved in mission work – i.e sharing the good news of Jesus, both at home and abroad, from its earliest days. St. Mark’s Church itself came into being as a result of the curate at St. Mary’s, Gillingham Parish Church, being open to the calling of God upon his life and along with others had a vision to share Jesus with those who were moving into the new houses being built in this part of Gillingham in the late 1850’s and early 1860’s. The first vicar – Rev. Alfred Willis, went on to become a missionary to Honolulu (some people have all the luck you might say!!) and he worked there for forty years eventually becoming a Bishop. The early congregations were also very aware of those around who needed to hear the good news about God’s love for them and they planted a mission church in lower Gillingham, and also were among the first to get involved in education for the ‘masses’, with a boys school and then a girls school as part of the parish outreach.

Successive generations have carried on being obedient to the Great Commission – ‘to go and make disciples of all nations’  (Matthew 28 vs 19). In recent times (that is within the last forty years or so) many individuals (the list is endless) have responded to God’s calling on their lives to serve him within our own church, our community, somewhere else in the UK, and in overseas mission. (i.e ’Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth’ as in Acts 1 vs 8). Some went overseas - to India, Nepal, South America, Nigeria, the Philippines, Japan, Zimbabwe, Senegal, eastern Europe, the Soviet Republic, France, Asia. The list goes on and on. Others were called into the ordained ministry of the Church of England and are serving in many different parishes around the UK. One has even been appointed a Bishop. There are those who were, or are, working with mission agencies in this country. Many of those called to work in mission outreach do so ‘by faith’. That is they rely upon their financial needs being met by the generosity of God’s people - and that includes you and me and our church. Some are in organisations which give them a monthly allowance but rely upon donations to the mission agency towards this allowance. None receive large salaries. Currently we at St. Mark’s actively support twelve different Mission Partners -  serving in many different areas of work. We pray for them on the first Monday of each month, and we support them financially from the PCC budget – this year to the tune of £12,500. Each Mission Partner is associated with a Home Group who it is hoped keep in touch with them through letters, e-mails, birthday cards etc.

Recently the PCC suggested that the Mission Support Group endeavour to raise the ‘profile’ of our mission partners and this Mission Update is the start of our efforts to keep you informed.  It is our intention to focus on one mission partner each month – through an insert in Marktime and with an information board in church.  Our first Missionary of the Month was Jan Rowland - a recent member of St. Mark’s and a founder member of the Mission Encouragement Trust (MET). There will be an insert in next week’s Marktime giving background information on Jan and the work of Mission Encouragement (See Below).  Jan was in church Sunday (30^th January) and shared with us in the evening service.  Her supporting Home Group – the Becks – are extending an invitation to everyone to come along at 4.00pm that afternoon to met Jan informally over a cup of tea and a cake, and to see a video about the work of MET. Why not take this opportunity to become more aware of what she is up to and how best you can support her in her work.  Like St. Paul when he wrote to the church in Philippi (chapter 1 vs 3 – 6) our mission partners often express their thanks for our ‘partnership’ with them in the gospel and they give thanks to God for each of us. 

HOME & AWAY                

TIM & TRICIA BARROW
(with Michael, Ben, Sacha & Gabby)
We are presently on Home Assignment, although the bulk of this time is being spent in SA. so as not to disturb our kids schooling more than we have to. We have recently returned from the US where we visited supporting churches, supporters, friends and family, and we are planning a similar trip for September this year to the UK. We will be in the UK September and part of October with the purpose of visiting partner churches etc.
We expect to be arriving the first week of September and as it stands September 9 is booked, as is September 24. At present September 16 evening is also booked. Could I suggest that we make a plan to be with St Marks on and around September 30? I realise there may be a conflict from your side but I guess we have to try and start somewhere? We would like to come and say 'thank you' to the Church for their faithful partnering in the ministry we have been involved in. We would also be happy to share in mid-week meetings, meet with the M.T.G or to do whatever is requested in services.
Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you on this in the near future.
Every blessing, Tim & Tricia.

HOME & AWAY                

Mission Agency : Youth For Christ
Aims /Mission Statement :  “To take good news relevantly to every young person in Great Britain”

CONTACT DETAILS:     
If you wish to know more about YFC you can find them on the web at www.yfc.co.uk

I have been with YFC for over a decade now because I believe we take risks. Often we are the only organisation that will try something new, or invest in some young person, or just be willing to risk looking silly trying; thinking we would rather try something then wonder ‘what if’ for the next few months. As well as giving a chance to young people that others might not, we also support 61 centres across the country that present the gospel in a variety of exciting ways to 225 000 young people each and every month of the year.

That is not a mis-print!
YFC reaches 225 000 young people in Great Britain every month!

That is a staggering figure. Large numbers are hard to imagine, but as a guide the Olympiastadion, where this years World Cup final was held in Germany holds 72 000 football fans.

Below are some exciting snap shots of the reality of YFC, and why I consider my role of enabler, critical friend and planter being such a privilege to be a small part of:

You will remember that I am involved in Integrate, our mission strategy which supports centres who wants take their mission up a gear in their location. Following an Integrate mission in the Midlands a young girl’s story brought tears to my eyes.

This girl wrote to Cadbury’s to ask them to donate 1 cream egg for every pupil in her school.

They did. She then visited every tutor group in her school, spoke about why Easter was important to her for 5 minutes or so and gave every fellow student a cream egg. As I write I am amazed at the courage of this young girl! YFC is about encouraging and enabling young people to make a difference where they are.

Another Integrate mission in Swindon is having a significant impact on the area. In the last couple of months we have run 2 mission weeks. 

At one of the mission weeks 17 young people responded to the message of the gospel.

At the second week 50 responded and are being discipled through Café projects running weekly. One lad who became a Christian wrote to the director saying ‘Thank you.

You have given me the confidence to stand up and admit that I am a Christian. I know now God is the best help for me.’ Here, again, we see YFC positively impacting the lives of young people.

One of my exciting roles is working with groups of churches to plant new centres around parts of England. I am currently receiving enquiries most weeks to consider this. In the last few weeks alone I have been involved in conversations with people in Basingstoke, Brighton, Bournemouth, Ealing, Horsham, Ivybridge, Peckham, Swanley, Tunbridge Wells, Wareham, and Lands End in Cornwall.

If that became a centre we could then say YFC had a presence from the Shetland Isles to Lands End!  

One major task I have at the moment is to write a strategy for where I believe we should be looking to plant new centres and how we should go about doing so. As I do this I need to have one ear to the ground, listening to where young people are, and the other ear listening to what God seems to be doing around the country.

At the end of July I launched my first centre which I have supported from start to finish on the Hoo Peninsula. Later in September I will be launching my second, this time in Gloucester. For me, personally, these have been exciting mustard seed times.

We live in exciting times and I would appreciate your continued prayers. I send out a weekly prayer email from my diary for those that wish to pray specifically for each day – if you would like to receive this please let me know. Generally, I would appreciate prayer for the following:

·         For my spiritual life to remain a priority

·         That I can be a good husband, dad and friend.

·         For integrity in how I use time and deal with people

·         That I can be an encouragement to all those that I visit.

·         For wisdom in knowing where God wants us to plant centres.

·         That I will be able to achieve the 50% personal support figure soon.

As always, mission costs. St Marks is very generous in its support, as are a number of other individuals within the church. British YFC staff have to raise 50% of their salary and I have dropped below this figure and so am looking for a few more people to partner with me in this exciting movement.

If you would like to chat about this, or feel able to partner with me and YFC from as little as £5 per month, please do give me a shout. I quite often carry the relevant YFC standing order form with me!

HOME & AWAY                

Supporting Home Group:  Mike and Wendy Haslam,  Chris and Gary Atkins & Mike and Denise Young.

Hi, my name is Lynne Martin and for the past 16 years I have had the privilege involvement in full-time Christian ministry. 

I spent 12½ years serving with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Scotland, Guatemala and Canada.  In 2001 the Lord led me out of YWAM with the promise that there was ‘something new on the horizon’.  Having trained as a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher I then spent a year and a half teaching English at a state university in Xi’an, China.  On my return to Scotland my heart was immediately drawn to the many international students studying locally and in January 2004 I took up a post as a Staff Worker with Friends International.  

Friends International’s vision is that ‘every international student in the UK should have a Christian friend, giving them the opportunity to respond to the message of Jesus Christ and return home with the desire and skills to spread the Gospel in their own country and throughout the world’’.  Did you know that there are approximately one million international students currently studying in the UK?  Almost 1,000 of those study here in Paisley. 

When I began in January 2004 there was no local ministry to internationals students, not through the Christian Union, nor any of the local churches.  My role is to network with local churches and to help mobilise and equip them in the task of reaching out to these students.   

In February ‘05 we then began to offer International Sunday Lunches, hosted by a number of local Christians from several different churches.  Many hosts finds their lives enriched by this contact with students and the students themselves, who often suffer from extreme homesickness, very much enjoy an afternoon in a local family home.

HOME & AWAY                

Mission Agency:  Operation Mobilisation (Ship’s Ministry)  

Family: (Adult children) Christopher and Heather  -  

Supporting Home Group:  ‘Albion’ 
(Keith Sheepwash, Ian and Sheelagh Graves etc.)

Dave is a Gillingham boy.   His parents lived in Gillingham and his father was a chemistry teacher at the Howard School, (formerly Rainham Boys School).   He went to Byron Road School and then the Rochester Math School. Dave was converted through the young people’s ministry at St Mark's Gillingham in 1959, during the next few years he commenced training as a Marine Engineer at Newcastle University. (On numerous occasions he fell asleep on his motor cycle as he made the journey back and forth between Newcastle and Gillingham – with a few broken limbs to show for his adventures!!). Dave writes. . . . .  

HOME & AWAY                

Katy Barnwell was born in England in 1938.  She joined Wycliffe Bible Translators in 1963 and served in Nigeria from 1964 – 1989.. 

From 1971-76 she served as Coordinator of Bible translation programs for SIL in Nigeria. Then she focused on the training of Nigerian translation consultants and translators. 

From 1981-89 she served as Translation Coordinator for SIL Africa Area.  From 1989-1999  she was International Translation Coordinator during which time she led training seminars for translation consultants and other translation-related programs in Kenya, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Philippines, Cyprus, and North America.

She has written textbooks on Bible translation and literacy, prepared reference helps for translators, and published a number of articles in Notes on Translation, and The Bible Translator.

Since 2001 she has been with the Seed Company, involved in the development of the Luke Partnership project, a partnership between The Seed Company and the JESUS Film project.  In countries like Madagascar, Ethiopia, East Asia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

Katy became a committed Christian while at university, and heard of the need for Bible translation shortly after that.  She remains a member of Wycliffe UK and is thankful for the supportive partnership of three churches, in Gillingham, Newick and Goring-on-Thames. 

Please commit Katy and this life impacting work to prayer: 

HOME & AWAY   

Brian & Jenny Stutley

Mission Agency: CLC UK (Christian Literature Crusade)

Mission’s aim:  To make evangelical literature available to all nations so that people ma come to faith and maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Family: Daughter Marion married to Andrew

Who? :  Brian and Jenny Stutley have been associated with St. Mark’s since the early 1980’s when they came to live in Gillingham Road.  Brian was then working as the Bookshop Manager at the Scripture Union flagship shop in Wigmore Street in London. At that time Brian also looked after the St. Mark’s Bookstall. In the 1990’s the bookshop was closed and Brian and Jenny began to seek for new avenues of service.  Both of them have a life-long love of books and Christian books in particular so the work and ministry of Christian Literature was an obvious side-ways move for them.  It was a major step of faith as they moved from being salaried to ‘living by faith’ 

For several years Brian managed the CLC Bookshop in Southampton and then moved to Halesowen to oversee the financial accounting of selling. A very responsible job. Jenny has always worked alongside Brian – being his right hand woman – helping in the bookshop and then with office administration.   

They are currently living in Arlesford, Hampshire, where they are part of the CLC Wholesale Team. 

What? : 

Brian:    Credit control and opening of new accounts

Liaison with reps. who visit Christian Bookshops in the UK and  Ireland.

Ensuring that all orders are serviced and dispatched as quickly as  possible.

Jenny:   ‘Picking’ oders, answers the phone, unpacks goods and stacks  shelves.  She undertakes some admin. tasks as and when needed.  She also assists Brian as and when necessary.

              She also reads and writes book reviews of new Christian books as they are published. 

Current prayer needs:

·      That more people will join the CLC shop and warehouse teams in the UK.

·      For the appointment of a new national leader for CLC

·      For Jenny’s mum as she makes decisions about a possible move to be nearer to Jenny and Brian.

·      That friendships developing with their neighbours may bear fruit!
 

HOME & AWAY                  

Richard & Carolyn Davey with daughters Ruth and Alison

Mission Agency:  World Evangelization for Christ (WEC) is an international agency currently working in 65 different countries. There are over fifty nationalities represented amongst their team of mission partners who work in some of the most difficult places in which to present the good news of salvation. 

See the W.E.C. web page for more information:   www.wec-int.org 

Mission focus :  ‘reaching the unreached, planting where there is no church.’ 

Supporting Home Group:    The ‘Littlewoods’ 

Richard and Carolyn have been associated with St. Mark’s  since their early days in missionary work (1980’s).    

They both became Christians back in the 1970’s, Carolyn whilst at University and Richard when he was in the Army.  They met at Bible College where God called them to work among Muslims in West Africa.  They were based in Velingara, Senegal, where they led a team of 10 seeking to reach the Fulakunda.  Richard & Carolyn's main work was translating the scriptures into the Fulakunda language and they were also involved in supporting the local Christian believers. 

Since the mid 2000 they have been based at the W.E.C. UK headquarters at Bulstrode, Gerrards Cross. Richard and Carolyn are the UK Candidate Directors and have the responsibility of vetting potential new mission candidates, appraising their ‘calling’ and their suitability for mission work as well as taking them through an ‘Orientation Course’  ready for the work ahead.  However, they are soon to step down from this role and take on the job of Managers at Bulstrode.  This means being responsible for the day to day running and long term developments of the building.  They will be leading a team of about 20 full time staff and volunteers who deal with maintenance, grounds, catering, accommodation, reception, looking after guests and much more.

The Davey's have two daughters – Alison who is a qualified physiotherapist but now studying at Moorlands Bible College and Ruth who is in her final year studying medicine.  Both girls are seeking to know God’s plans for their lives – are they being called to serve God on the mission field.?   Please include them in your prayers. 

Current prayer needs:

·                     For a good transition from being Candidate Directors to Bulstrode Managers - it will be a steep learning curve.

·                     For good leadership skills in leading the Management Team.

·                     Richard asks for prayer for his mother, Olive, whose health is deteriorating.  Olive was a member at St. Mark’s for many years before she moved to a lovely Christian run residential home in Chalfont St. Peter, Bucks, so as to be nearer Richard & Carolyn.

HOME & AWAY                

What are the needs of missionaries? Aren’t they spiritual superstars?

It is an immense privilege to be called as a missionary, a “sent one”. However, let us not romanicise living and working abroad, it is tough and costly too.

Spiritual dryness—a sense that inner spiritual resources lag far behind the outward spiritual demand of ministry.  WHO spiritually replenishes a missionary?

Breakdown of relationship with home sending church—interaction and communication often wane after the opening burst of enthusiasm. Home churches face trials and internal difficulties, often re-focusing on local issues; the missionary feels forgotten. WHO brings perspective and understanding?

Loneliness— thousands of miles from home the feeling of home sickness can overwhelm you and the longing for close friends and family rise to the forefront of your heart.  Unchecked those feelings can easily turn into debilitating depression. WHO gives counsel and help?

Culture shock—even with training the reality is often much more overwhelming than you would have expected. At first it is a novelty, but then it can grind.  WHO helps missionaries’ process the unmet expectations?

Anxiety over their children’s education— what is best? Home-schooling, host culture education, or boarding school?  WHO helps a missionary work through the uncertainties of raising children in a foreign culture?

Broken relationships on the field—high stress   levels, teams often under-staffed, weariness, and little privacy with no escape. On the mission field there is always a great strain on relationships. Many simply   don’t make it and go home broken. WHO helps bring reconciliation and healing?

MISSION ENCOURAGEMENT TRUST PROVIDES THAT HELP IN A RETREAT ENVIRONMENT

The Mission Partners we support are part of the family of St. Mark’s – wherever in the world they are?  Whether it is in Zimbabwe, the Philippines, Eastern Europe, the UK – on dry land or at sea. 

Do you know who they all are?  Do you know their children by name?   Do you know what they do, where they live, their sphere of work?    (If you don’t why not check out the Missionary Display Board at the back of Church near the coffee area).    What about their interests and hobbies?     Do you know anything about their extended families?

In praying for our mission partners pray for the whole person.  Ask God who you should be praying for this week, praying particularly for their health, their personal safety when travelling  and in their homes.  Pray for the country they are in – yes even those who live and work in England. Pray for the people they are in contact with each day. 

Read Acts 12 verses 1 – 18 and remind yourselves of what happened when Peter’s friends got praying – and how God answered.  !!