15Feb 2010 by Nigel Ring

To the Nations – Visit to Ghana and Nigeria – Part 2

Cross-culture, Ghana, International, News, Nigeria, Poor
Recently Danny McBride, a friend from my church (CCK, Brighton) and I visited Ghana and Nigeria. In part 1 of this report (see February 8th) I showed an interview with John Kpikpi of his vision and apostolic ministry in West Africa. While in Ghana I was also able to speak to John about his attitude to the Poor. The Kingdom Mandate of Is 61:1-3 demonstrates God’s heart for the Poor and the fruit of the gospel in their lives. I thought it would be interesting to gain John’s perspective on this from the context of a nation and church which has many poor people in their midst. Theology of the Poor in Ghana - John Kpikpi from Newfrontiers on Vimeo.   [caption id="attachment_944" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Gate of No Return"][/caption]…
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11Feb 2010 by Nigel Ring

Time Management pt 7 – Paper or Electronic?

Administrative Skills, Equipping, General, Good Practice, Planning, Time Management
What is a diary? Traditionally diaries have been for recording history. Many books have been written as a result of people keeping diaries of their daily events and these have given us fascinating insights into life and culture in different eras and nations. Elizabeth Fry I have just been reading a biography of the great prison reformer in the UK, Elizabeth Fry, who lived at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. Without her diaries we would know far less about her. She was clearly a formidable woman – perhaps I should not admit that she was my great great great grandmother! But diaries have changed and now tend to be looking forward. They are the most common vehicle for making appointments, planning holiday dates and…
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08Feb 2010 by Nigel Ring

To the Nations – Visit to Ghana and Nigeria – Part 1

Christian ministry, Cross-culture, Ghana, International, News, To the Nations
I am breaking into my Time Management series to include a report on my recent visit to West Africa. It was a joy to be with John Kpikpi in Ghana and Sam Amara in Nigeria. John leads City of God Church in Accra and brings apostolic oversight to Newfrontiers churches in 7 West African nations. Sam leads the Riches of Grace Church in Lagos and is church planting in both Lagos and beyond. This report will come in 2 parts. The first is primarily an interview with John about his ministry and the West African scene. I encourage you not only to watch this but then to link to his teaching videos which have arisen out of his very successful television ministry. In the second part (with the next Time…
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04Feb 2010 by Nigel Ring

Time Management pt 6 – Prioritising Discretionary Time

Administrative Skills, Christian ministry, Equipping, Good Practice, Planning, Time Management
Its as easy as ABC! How did you get on with a ‘Do it’ list? I now want to help you complete the prioritising but first we need to unpack ‘Important’ in a bit more detail. Last time we saw how the definition of Important in this context was a matter of values and had a particular focus on your unique gifting and responsibility. However, there are other considerations and these typically relate to how you interact with others. Let’s consider an example. Suppose you have to write some ‘copy’ for a piece of publicity. This may not seem very important or urgent to you for today. You know it is not going to be printed for another month. However, when you have written that copy it has to be…
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02Feb 2010 by Nigel Ring

Ministry Report 3 – Foundations for Farming Conference

Christian ministry, Good Practice, Ministry Report, News, Poor, Training, Zimbabwe
Saturday January 30th saw 80 people gather in Swindon, UK for a Vision Day on Foundations for Farming. We were greatly privileged to have Brian Oldreive, the visionary who has developed Foundations for Farming, with us for a day of envisioning and impartation of the Biblical principles around which Foundations for Farming has been developed. Tobacco or Food? Foundations for Farming, formerly Farming God’s Way, has been developed by Brian over the past 3 decades in Zimbabwe. Having been a very successful tobacco farmer he was challenge one day by his daughter, ‘Daddy, why do you tell us never to smoke and yet you grow tobacco?’ He was so convicted that he never grew another tobacco plant! As he shared his personal history and walk with God we were conscious…
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28Jan 2010 by Nigel Ring

Time Management pt 5 – Discretionary Time

Administration in the Church, Administrative Skills, Equipping, Good Practice, Time Management
Hopefully you have a grasp of appointment time. Now let’s look at discretionary time. As the term implies this is time over which you have discretion. Appointments are often determined by someone else; discretionary time is always for you to determine and use at your discretion. In any day this is the time where the battle of fulfilment and achievement tends to be won or lost (although, believe it or not, even meetings can be fulfilling and satisfying, though many see them as wasting hours to keep minutes!). Are you a list keeper? As one who lives by lists I am often amazed to find that about 50% of people do not use them to plan their time. Recently I was in Africa and my friend told me that typically…
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