26Feb 2019 by Nigel Ring

Social Enterprise 4 – The Entrepreneurial Church

Poor
Nick Priggis continues his series on Social Enterprise by looking at the place of entrepreneurs within the local church. The church has an opportunity in these days to become an incubator for social transformation and enterprising business. There is opportunity for the church to express herself in a similar enterprising fashion due to a growing similarity with the context in which the early Quakers found themselves, that of a growing prohibition of Christians in public life. However, to be such an incubator will take creativity and faith for it to happen through and alongside the church. And perhaps it will require a new breed of church leader to facilitate its growth. Identifying entrepreneurs in the church For too long the church has been suspicious of the business entrepreneur. Instead of…
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19Feb 2019 by Nigel Ring

Social Enterprise 3 – Working with churches

Poor
Continuing his series on Social Enterprise Nick Priggis highlights more connections. Connection 3: Working with other churches One of the disadvantages of a small local church starting a Social Enterprise is that the skill-sets needed are not always found in a small church. But that disadvantage, as is often the way, can also be a great advantage. Having to look more widely for skills and gifts to grow our Social Enterprise has created many opportunities for partnership and connection with other churches. Our Chair of Trustees is a member of the church we have helped to plant. Our Administrator and Employment Coach comes from the church who planted us! The resources are found in the Body of Christ. They are also found in the mission itself. A recently qualified apprentice…
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15Feb 2019 by Nigel Ring

Building Churches on Estates – March 16th

Poor
I am very happy to recommend this day conference which is for those who are already planting or who are thinking of building a Church or congregation on an estate where there are high levels of social housing. Through the day there will be a number of talks, Q&A sessions and times to meet each other and network.   The Speakers include Martin Charlesworth (co-author of The Myth of the Undeserving Poor and A Church For the Poor, Nick & Christina Hoult who lead Southgate Family Church at Kings Norton, Birmingham and Jim Harper who has been working for many years in a number of ways serving the poor more recently Jim has planted a congregation on an estate in Worcester and has a vision to help plant many more.…
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13Feb 2019 by Nigel Ring

Social Enterprise 2 – Identifying talents, wooing investors

Equipping, Poor
Nick Priggis continues his series on Social Enterprise One of the joys of being part of an emerging and growing Social Enterprise is seeing how the Lord has made the connections connect. One of the identified challenges in the particular area where we live is the lack of aspiration and ambition around work and employment. Generational underemployment and a lack of academic success leave many people with a sense of despair and hopelessness. Our solution and the connectiions the Lord brought about was to address this through our Hope Initiatives vocational training programme. Connection 1: What latent gifts and untapped talents are in the church? The starting point wasn’t, for us, found in identifying the problems in our community. Rather, the Lord identified the resources in our local community church,…
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05Feb 2019 by Nigel Ring

Social Enterprise 1 – Enterprising, Social and Christian

Equipping, Poor
Social Enterprise to uplift the poor For many months I have been wanting to feature the important topic of Social Enterprise as I see this as one significant way of helping people who are poor or in need. So I was delighted when Nick Priggis responded to my invitation to write a series. I have known Nick (bio below) for nearly twenty years; he worked with me in the early 2000s to develop the Act Together Initiative which helped the Newfrontiers family of churches bring ministry with the Poor into the heart of church life. Nick’s and Tracey’s passionate hearts for the poor are conspicuous, so it was no surprise to me when empowering the poor became a central part of their church’s agenda when they moved into church leadership…
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23Jan 2019 by Nigel Ring

Businesses and church planting pt 4 – Stories from Albania

Poor
In the concluding part of this series about the Seed Fund Charles Glass tells of some of the successes in Albania – and a few failures.   Albania A small mountainous country in the Balkans, Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, although in the last few years it has become much more open. From within the Newfrontiers family Martyn Dunsford and other UK churches have planted or are planting nine churches, including two in the capital Tirana. 24 businesses – 21 successes Over the last ten years Seed Fund has helped start 24 businesses. All but three are still trading successfully or have fully repaid their loan. Although the total amount passed by Seed Fund to the country is only just over £14,000, as a result of…
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