16Aug 2012 by Nigel Ring

Helping Homeless People

Equipping, Good Practice, Ministry Report, News, Poor
Post Olympics I hope you enjoyed the Olympics! It seemed a great occasion that lifted the atmosphere in the UK. And wasn't God good in giving us such fine weather compared to the previous ‘x' weeks!! Now we are into holiday time in the UK so this will be my last posting until September. Friends First Church of Christ the King in Brighton has had a ministry to homeless people for about 25 years. Starting with a ‘soup kitchen' it developed first into a one evening per week drop in for a meal, clothing hand-outs and hearing the gospel. Ten years ago the church purchased a house for 12 people who have demonstrated their desire for help towards independent living, having come off any addictive substances such as drink or…
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10Jul 2012 by Nigel Ring

Helping make decisions pt 2. Group dynamics

Administrative Skills, Equipping, Good Practice, Poor
As we continue to look at making decision-making more efficient (and, I hope, enjoyable) we will now look at the people involved and how they flow together. It may be helpful to say that this part, particularly, applies to any small group in the church, whether decision-making or just meeting weekly for encouragement and discussion. Who takes part? It is not possible to be dogmatic about who should participate in discussions but, in the case of the Ministry Health Checks I carry out, I like to have not only those who lead the ministry, cast vision and support the team, but also those who are ‘hands on' in carrying out the day-to-day activities. This second group often know more about the reality of what is happening than the leaders since…
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05Jul 2012 by Nigel Ring

Helping make decisions pt1. What is Facilitation?

Administrative Skills, Equipping, Poor
Facilitation What an unattractive word! Yet behind it lies an important skill; that of helping a group discussion to be fruitful and come to meaningful conclusions. In this short series I will share some of the things I have learned when I have been a facilitator in various settings. For instance, when I help a church carry out a Health Check on a ministry among the poor I facilitate a discussion with the team which allows them to consider the key characteristics and performance of their ministry and to produce an action plan to make improvements. Another example would be a discussion I was asked to facilitate recently about how a team could work strategically in Burundi to contribute to cultural transformation through the outworking of the gospel. Key features…
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20Jun 2012 by Nigel Ring

Ministry with homeless people – Kings Arms Project

Drug addiction, Good Practice, Ministry Report, News, Poor
Recently I carried out a 'Ministry Health Check' with the Kings Arms Project. I was impressed about the high standard of ministry and felt their story should be told. Ali Green, the present leader of the ministry, has responded with this report. More recently Ali told me she will be leaving the Project to have a baby - good news for her bad news for the Project. They are now looking for a replacement. At the end of this article is a link with more details for anyone interested in finding out more. "They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendour." (Is 61:3) To be set free This is the dream for those of us who work for King's Arms…
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15Jun 2012 by Nigel Ring

Malaysia and Burundi

Burundi, Drug addiction, Malaysia, News, Poor
Following my week in the Philippines I flew to Malaysia to meet up with Steve Oliver (South Africa and Dubai) and a team of thirteen from Burundi, Dubai, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and the United Kingdom. This was a variation of the team that had met over a period of three years (2006/9) as the Newfrontiers strategic Task Team for Ministry with the Poor. That team produced the two books Embracing the Poor and The Poor deserve the Best as advertised in the side panel. Since the team was formally disbanded in 2009 we came together in Mumbai in August 2011 where we led a conference on ‘Embracing the Poor'. This was now our next meeting. Melaka For me this visit to Malaysia was a first. From our arrival in…
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29May 2012 by Nigel Ring

Toxic Charity – how churches and charities hurt those they help

Books, Christian ministry, Equipping, Good Practice, Poor, Relief and Development, Social Enterprise
This is a provocative book - a 'must read' for those working among people who are poor or disadvantaged, espcially in an urban setting. But first, the church I belong to (CCK, Brighton) was live on BBC television last Sunday? This  was a one hour Pentecost service. You can watch it on this link. When helping hurts In recent months I have been recommending widely When helping hurts. As the title suggests our well-intentioned generosity may sometimes cause greater problems rather than relieving them (but not always!). It looks critically at the damage we can cause, particularly with cross-cultural ministry among the poor, and suggests how we can improve our practice. Toxic Charity Here is another thought-provoking read to make you think through your stance on how you really can…
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