22Feb 2023 by Nigel Ring

Be prepared for death. Part 4 – Loose Ends

Equipping
Don't put it off! I have been interested how many friends (and others) have been in contact about this series, sometimes acknowledging that they have put off thinking about such matters, some not even having a will. Certainly, it is topic that none of us naturally finds exciting. But I do urge you not to put off addressing the issues I have been raising. Last Friday I attended the wonderful thanksgiving service for Brian Tibbert, a good friend and colleague - we worked together for eleven years for the Stoneleigh Bible Week where he was site manager. Reference was made by the family to the fact it was easy to organise the service as Brian had done much of the planning himself. Well done Brian! Loose ends In the first…
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15Feb 2023 by Nigel Ring

Be prepared for death. Part 3 – What is where

Equipping
So far we have considered some of the immediate actions needed. Next in my folder comes: Funeral arrangements This is of course very personal but some of the questions to ask are: Burial or cremation? If you want a burial, I suggest you buy a plot (single or double) and leave details for your executors. It is one less thing for them to do. Eco-friendly coffin? Will there be a funeral and thanksgiving service, or just one service? Where do you want them to be held? For the service(s) you may wish to specify Who takes it Who preaches Whether you want an evangelistic message What hymns you would like What readings you choose What dress code you suggest. A recent funeral specified 'No need to wear black'. Whether you…
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08Feb 2023 by Nigel Ring

Be prepared for death. Part 2 – Practical matters

Equipping
Why do this now? Recently a good friend, part of a weekly prayer group I attend, lost her husband unexpectedly while on a ministry visit to another country. Although she handled the consequences with great grace, she was very open about how difficult it was dealing with his affairs when she found there was little order to them. One of her first struggles, for instance, was that much information was on his computer and she had no passwords. Such practical matters are not the first things one thinks of when considering death but, for those left behind, the lack of such information represents a significant headache. So let me take you through the folder I have created for my own family. I am sure they will not find it easy…
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01Feb 2023 by Nigel Ring

Be prepared for death. Part 1 – Where will I go?

Equipping
We are all getting older; none of us will escape death. Are you prepared – personally and on behalf of your family? In this short series I will try to help you by addressing some of the implications both for you personally and also for your family. The first will have a strong spiritual dimension, the remainder will be very practical. Prepared personally Probably, like me, you occasionally ask yourself such questions as ‘When I die where will I be?’ and ‘What will I be doing?’ These are two questions that David and Gill Oliver asked themselves when their son, Joel, died of cancer in his late thirties. He had been a best friend to them and it was natural for them, in their grief, to ask such questions. In…
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23Jan 2023 by Nigel Ring

Budgeting and faith-filled finance in the church

Administration in the Church, Equipping
Budgeting is an invaluable tool in our armoury, especially at such times as this when there may be a shortage of funds both personally and in the church. It helps determine priorities and prevents spending on the first thing that presents itself, which may not be the most important in the long-term. For this short podcast I am interviewed by Gavin Smith of The Church Office, an excellent website which helps churches in many practical ways with their organisation and administration. It contains a wealth of resources; I urge you to explore it. It is one of several podcasts he has made with me. I trust it will help bring understanding and help improve the administration in your church.    
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03Nov 2022 by Nigel Ring

80 Not Out – my autobiography

News
I’ve written a book! It was in fact written for my family and a few close friends as we celebrated my recent 80th birthday, but I have been urged to make it more widely available. So, I have had a second printing. The title recognises my love of cricket! As well as tracing my childhood and university education, including captaining the Cambridge University Rifle Team, I have written about my time as an engineer leading a research team in a paediatric hospital. This included designing artificial limbs for Thalidomide-affected children. During this period, Janita and I met Terry Virgo when he began to visit our home to speak to a small spiritually-hungry group of believers who were to become his first church plant. As our friendship developed and he formed…
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