25Jan 2017 by Nigel Ring

Leading a church to minister with the Poor pt 4. Money

Finance, Poor, The church
In this concluding interview with Andy Cottingham we talk about money. What are the possible sources of funds including the pros and cons of gift days in the church and charitable grants? How to make a ministry sustainable. What about overseas giving? What are the pitfalls and the damage that can be done by unwise giving? What is success? In these discussions two books are mentioned which I recommend: When Helping Hurts and Toxic Charity. Both address the issue of damage that can be done if giving is not wise.     In concluding this series I want to encourage church leadership teams to watch these interviews again together and apply them to your own situation. Andy raises many questions that you may not have thought of. They should stimulate good…
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18Jan 2017 by Nigel Ring

Leading a church to minister with the Poor pt 3. The structure of a ministry

Charity, Equipping, Poor, Social Enterprise, The church
We have now looked at two topics: how to make church life more accessible to those who are poor or in need so that they can 'hear' the gospel, and how to identify what particular ministry we should be carrying out in our church. In this interview Andy Cottingham considers some matters related to running the ministry. Form a Charity? The church is an integral part of the community. A charity has a separate life. So it is with great caution that a church should consider forming a separate charity and there must be safeguards in the governance to prevent any such charity becoming independent of the church. Andy addresses this in the talk below but I have also written about it in a previous series. Relationship with other agencies Typically there are several agencies…
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12Jan 2017 by Nigel Ring

Leading a church to minister with the Poor pt 2. Identifying and supporting a ministry

Equipping, Poor, The church, Together on a Mission
Last time we looked at some adjustments that may be indicated to help a church become more accessible to those who are not familiar with church and who may even be social outcasts. Now we shall consider how a church decides what ministry to carry out to help those who are poor or in need. How should it be identified - by need? In part 2 of these four interviews Andy Cottingham gives some guidance on how to define a ministry, how to base the leadership of that ministry on the passion of individuals and how to mobilise church members to serve. Andy also talks about what the 'good news' is for an individual who faces great deprivation or need, before speaking about how the elders might bring oversight to such ministries, stressing…
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06Jun 2012 by Nigel Ring

Every member is vital – lessons from Philippines

Equipping, News, Philippines, The church
Meet Abby Abby walked towards me. She had been in the morning service at which I had preached about God's heart for the Poor a few hours earlier. Could it really be true that this young good-looking woman lived here? I was standing in the midst of Bamboo Village. Contrary to the image conjured up by such a name this was no idyllic rural community but rather a community who lived on the site of what had been a bamboo plantation, a community living in shacks on stilts to keep the floors of their houses above the stagnant swamp that filled the air with a stench of rotting vegetation and sewage - above the swamp, that is, until torrential rain causes floods which fill the houses with disease-laden water. Abby…
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