02Nov 2016 by Nigel Ring

Engaging with local authorities – a practical approach

Good Practice, Poor
Does your church minister in isolation with those who are poor or in need, or does it work/network/partner with local agencies and stakeholders? Healthy changes There was a time in the UK when churches were viewed with suspicion by local authorities. I am sure that is still the case in some areas. But with financial cutbacks, and changes in government policy and practice, faith-based programmes to help poor and needy people are now looked on more favourably. Foodbanks (eg Trussell Trust) abound, as do activities such as Street Pastors, Nightshelters (eg Church and Community Night Shelter Network), soup kitchens to help people who are sleeping rough etc. Also, ‘Not Invented Here’ would formerly have stopped churches carrying out ministries. There was once a desire for recognition of an activity as…
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23Mar 2016 by Nigel Ring

Pursuing Excellence in Ministry with the Poor – Pt 4. The Action Plan

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Evaluation, Good Practice, Poor
So far we have seen how to consider different issues related to the ministry and have captured ideas for improvement. We now need to take these forward to a finalised Action Plan. 4. Identifying and agreeing improvements to be made By the end of Day 1 many sheets of notes have been blue-tacked to the walls of the room. On Day 2 we take each of the issues discussed on Day 1 and dig deeper until we have specific actions that all can agree need to be taken. By this stage there is an ever-growing participation and enthusiasm from the team members. Often they have had great thoughts overnight and have further contributions to bring following reflection about the process. We start by prioritising the list of topics that we wish…
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16Mar 2016 by Nigel Ring

Pursuing Excellence in Ministry with the Poor – Pt 3. The Process

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Evaluation, Good Practice, Poor
Having outlined the philosophy of ‘pursuing excellence’ we shall now look at the process of carrying out a Ministry Health Check with a ministry team. 1. How long does it take? Two days, or the equivalent, are needed for the process to be carried out. This may seem a lot of time but to lessen it loses much of the benefit. 2. Initial discussion and information gathering On day 1 I work with the ministry team and facilitate discussions based on statements that are graded individually by each participant according to the extent to which they feel that statement applies to the ministry from their perspective. These statements relate to vision, team support, handling of finances, relationship with the church, and so on. There is always a range of responses. This…
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08Mar 2016 by Nigel Ring

Pursuing Excellence in Ministry with the Poor – Pt 2. Some examples

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Evaluation, Good Practice, Poor
Last time I proposed that a church's ministry with the poor should be excellent. Let me now share some ministries in which I have helped develop Action Plans for further improvement of what were already good ministries. School In Guinea, in West Africa, I helped evaluate a church-based school with which I have worked for many years. Originating out of the Sierra Leonean civil war of the ‘90s and into the new millennium, when many fled over the border to neighbouring Guinea. The school was started out of the church which was planted in the capital, Conakry, to serve the refugees. There are now well over 300 children attending ranging in age form 3-26. Many of the older ones have missed so much school due to civil and political unrest that…
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02Mar 2016 by Nigel Ring

Pursuing Excellence in Ministry with the Poor – Pt 1. Setting the scene

Administration in the Church, Equipping, Evaluation, Good Practice, Poor
In the coming weeks I will share how I believe churches can carry out excellent ministries with the poor. I believe that is on God's heart. It is good At creation we repeatedly read that God looked on all that he had made and declared it to be good (Gen 1:4, 10, 12 etc). Sadly, when the world looks at the church today it expects to find irrelevance or second-rate performance. The media often ridicule the church and Christians. That should not be! On my business card I have as a tag line ‘Pursuing Excellence’. If we are to be witnesses to Him and all that He has done we should expect the world to look at us and all that we do, and be impressed – not by us but by…
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12Dec 2012 by Nigel Ring

Debt Advice Network receives Queens Award

Debt, Equipping, Good Practice, Poor
What a Christmas present! Community Money Advice, which began in the Newfrontiers church in Burgess Hill and is now based in the Newfrontiers church in Shrewsbury, has just been chosen as one of only 60 charities to receive the highly prestigious Queen's Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award. This amazing and ‘good value' support ministry now has 120 community based Debt Advice Centres ‘training & employing' 700 fully qualified volunteers across the United Kingdom. The Cabinet Office released this statement on December 12th. Within this statement Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, said: ‘The list of recipients of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Award for Volunteering 2012 reads like a Who's Who of some of our most important charities and voluntary organisations.' Heather Keates (CEO and Founder of CMA): ‘I am so proud…
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