19Feb 2013 by Nigel Ring

Pray for Kenya

Kenya, News, Poor
Elections I have never before used my blog as a vehicle to urge prayer but as I write this I am in Nairobi and am aware of tension in the air. It is in the run up to the Presidential Election and there is a growing sense of apprehension as Election Day approaches on March 3rd (followed by a second day on 17th if there is no majority winner on 3rd). Prayer is urgently needed. Looking back The last election was just after Christmas in 2007. Before results were even declared major conflict arose between the various tribal groups as accusations of rigging were widespread. Thousands of people were killed as neighbour turned on neighbour, and tens of thousands were displaced as they fled from their homes; some have still…
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23Jan 2013 by Nigel Ring

Ministry update – Asha HIV, India

HIV, India, News, Poor
I love visiting Mumbai in India! I have been many times. One of the ministries that impresses and humbles me most is the ministry among those infected and affected by HIV. I have reported about this ministry on a previous occasion. I have just received a full report of what was achieved in 2012. This is just an extract. Scan it and absorb the diversity, the love and compassion, and the holistic approach that Nelson, Pamela and their team bring to those who are often rejected by society. Ask God to touch your heart as you read. I will let Nelson tell the story. What do we do? Connect the HIV infected people to their families who normally disown them; often it takes months or years. Of the 47 people…
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19Dec 2012 by Nigel Ring

Do we need a ‘social’ charity? Pt 7 – Partnering

Administration in the Church, Charity, Equipping, Poor
This is the last post in this series and also the final one of 2012. So let me take the opportunity to wish you a very happy Christmas. I love this time of year when we celebrate Jesus' birth and do hope there will be time for you to reflect on the amazing truth that he was prepared to come to earth and take the form of a servant, ultimately conquering death for you and me. I also hope you will have time to relax and be refreshed with family and friends. Partnership I am a great advocate of working with other interested bodies. Why duplicate services if this can be avoided? Partnerships may be with other churches or agencies, including secular ones, who have specialist skills and knowledge. How should this be structured?…
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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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12Dec 2012 by Nigel Ring

Do we need a ‘social’ charity? Pt 6 – Trustees and Oversight

Administration in the Church, Charity, Equipping, Poor
Trustees' abilities and skills Last time we saw how, in choosing trustees, there needs to be a combination of spiritual maturity, unblemished character, and spiritual and natural gifting. In the area of natural gifting it is good to identify what would help. Perhaps people representing the following disciplines: Finance, Law, Building (e.g. surveyor), Social Work, Teaching would be a good start. Another role trustees can fulfil is to ‘keep their ear to the ground' in the church. Sometimes elders are held in high regard by the people and thus be slightly removed from them, even if that is not their wish. The trustees are usually less conspicuous; few people will even know who the trustees are as they fulfil a supportive role ‘behind the scenes'. Thus they can sometimes be…
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05Dec 2012 by Nigel Ring

Do we need a ‘social’ charity? Pt 5 – Working in the local church

Administration in the Church, Charity, Equipping, Poor
Structure What sort of structure is appropriate within a church? How do elders and trustees relate? What level of ‘hands on' management and direction over a particular ministry is appropriate by trustees? These are some of the questions that need to be addressed as you proceed with registering and managing a separate charity. Let's look at some of the key issues. Charitable Trust or Charitable Company? Currently I prefer the charitable company. Why? First, because this follows a company structure with directors (trustees) and members. The members appoint the directors and this mechanism provides a way of ensuring the church and trust do not get separated. For example, in our church we have only one member of the ‘social' trust and that is a ‘corporate member' in the form of…
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