06Nov 2014 by Nigel Ring

Guinea Update – Pt 1

Guinea, News, Poor
For many Guinea in West Africa was an unknown nation until recent weeks. Now with the outbreak of ebola it has become headline news across the world. But there has been a Newfrontiers church in Guinea for many years, originating out of the civil war in the 90s and early part of this millennium in neighbouring Sierra Leone which caused many to flee across the border to avoid the fighting. Some will know Nicolas and Elaine Thebault from Newfrontiers leadership events. I have recently received a Newsletter which I shall post in slightly edited form over the next few weeks. Nicolas writes... It has been two and a half years since we have sent a newsletter. Since the Brighton conference finished (Together on a Mission) we have lost contact with many of…
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28Oct 2014 by Nigel Ring

Moving on – some reflections. Part 5 – My own situation

CCK, Newfrontiers, News
The Poor Since this is a personal reflection on the past decades it is important to mention a sermon preached by Simon Pettit in 1998 at the Leaders Conference which deeply affected my life and the lives of many others. Simon spoke from Gal 2:10 ‘Only they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do’. Through this he exhorted us to see that ‘remembering the poor’ was an apostolic mandate. No sphere or church should ignore the plight of the poor if it is to fulfil its Kingdom role to its community. No one who was present could have failed to have been impacted by that preach. God had clearly spoken to us as a movement. Act 2000 The result was the launch of a one-year initiative, Act…
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22Oct 2014 by Nigel Ring

Moving on – some reflections. Part 4 – Holy Spirit activity and conferences

Newfrontiers, News, Terry Virgo
Prayer One key element of the growth we were experiencing can be attributed to prayer. I mentioned in the last posting that Clarendon Church had dynamic prayer meetings. The same was true for Newfrontiers where regularly, on a Thursday morning, leaders from Newfrontiers churches in given geographical regions would gather to pray together. There were also two days of prayer and fasting three times per year to which Terry invited all church leaders. At these days substantial time was given to worship, seeking God through intercession and listening to his voice through prophecy. Indeed, much of the development of the family of churches came through prophetic revelation, which was carefully weighed in a biblical fashion. John Wimber In the mid-80s we started to have regular visits by John Wimber from…
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15Oct 2014 by Nigel Ring

Moving on – some reflections. Part 3 – Growth

Clarendon Church, Newfrontiers, News, Terry Virgo
Multiple congregations The 1980s were years of steady growth of Clarendon Church. In 1984 we ran out of space and multiplied onto two congregations; a further three were added two years later. But we then realised that we had effectively created five churches. This ran counter to a prophetic word we had received in the early days that we would be like a substantial tree whose branches would reach over Brighton and Hove, a tree that would have visibility across the town. And so we started to meet again as one congregation in the local cinema complex with its six halls, allowing us to carry on the children’s ministry in parallel with the main meetings. New building There was an urgent need for us to have our own larger building.…
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08Oct 2014 by Nigel Ring

Moving on – some reflections. Part 2 – Entering Full time ministry

Clarendon Church, Downs Bible Week, News, Terry Virgo
I believe that full time ministry is more a function of practicalities than a calling. It is not a status or promotion, but a necessity when it is not possible to carry out what God has called us to without devoting more time than is possible while pursuing a secular job. Twice God had spoken to me about being in ‘full time ministry’; once when I was 9 years old and again in 1974 while leading a research team in a paediatric hospital. I mentioned this to Terry in 1978 in a crowded context. He did not respond so I assumed that he had not heard and I did not repeat myself. However, I was later to discover that it had registered, as we shall see! Downs Bible Week  In 1979…
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01Oct 2014 by Nigel Ring

Moving on – some reflections. Part 1 – Meeting with Terry Virgo

News, Uncategorized
33 years ago I and my family moved to Hove and joined Clarendon Church, now Church of Christ the King. Now the time has come to move on and embrace fresh adventures and opportunities. The trigger has been the need for us to ‘down size’ our home (our children are now all adult and living independently) and God has led us to live near one of our daughters with her family in Bath and join the young Newfrontiers church in that city. Times of change give opportunity for reflection and to thank God for all that he has allowed us to be involved in over the last 3 decades. Since my mind is increasingly focused on packing cases I thought I would share some of these reflections with you; I will…
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