Issue 49Spring 2015

firm foundations investing in church leaders

our peoplepartners and staffGlobal Partners (by country)Burundi Dioceses of Gitega & Matana

DR Congo Dioceses of Bukavu, Kindu & N. Kivu

Egypt Diocese of Egypt

Kenya Diocese of Kajiado; Urban Development Programme, Nairobi

Nepal Human Development Community Services; SD Church

Rwanda Dioceses of Kibungo & Shyogwe

South Sudan Dioceses of Ibba, Kajokeji, Maridi & Yei

Uganda Dioceses of Luwero & Madi West Nile

Zambia Diocese of Northern Zambia

Mission PartnersRory & Denise Wilson, with Gideon[Luwero Diocese, Uganda]

Paul & Tania Baker [Luwero Diocese, Uganda]

Ronnie & Maggie Briggs [Kajiado Diocese, Kenya]

STEP VolunteerLisa Young [Luwero Diocese, Uganda]

Mission AssociatesIsabelle Prondzynski [UDP, Kenya]

Deirdre & Mark Zimmerman, withZachary & Benjamin [Nepal]

Alison Gill [Province of Burundi]

StaffRachel Brittain Mission Resource Coordinator

Anne Buckley Finance Assistant

Jenny Christie Administration Coordinator

Roger Cooke Mission Resource Manager

Brian Lavery Finance Manager

Gillian Maganda Personnel Coordinator

Jenny Smyth Mission Director

Kelly Yates Partnership Coordinator

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looking down building up

Working in CMSI’s Belfast office brings with it certain risks. The whole area around Dargan Road is reclaimed land: our office is built on mud! Despite the assurances of the City Council and engineers, I occasionally wonder whether we’re slowly sinking…

This same mud is the reason for one of Belfast’s more curious landmarks – the leaning tower of the Albert Clock. When the tower was built in the 1860s, the wooden beams used for the foundations weren’t long enough. As the tower began to lean, the clock’s pendulum stopped working and required regular adjustments.

Poor foundations can lead to all sorts of problems.

The bible makes repeated use of building metaphors, with some applied to our individual lives and others applied to Christ’s body, the Church. We are to be people – both individually and corporately – who continue to be ‘built-up’, but this is only possible with the right foundations. We are to build on Christ, His Word and the apostles and prophets. (Luke 6:46-49; Eph 2:19-22).

CMSI believes it’s vital to help the Global Church lay firm foundations, by investing in church leaders who are rooted in Christ and in the Word of God. This edition of inMission shares something of this vision.

So, as I gradually subside, think solid thoughts – and enjoy the read!

Roger CookeEditor

Cover image: Bishop John lays a foundation stone in Gitega Diocese, Burundi

During the past few months I have had the opportunity to visit several of our Global Partners in DR Congo and South Sudan. These visits have been very special times of connecting with people and hearing inspiring stories of faith under fire. I got to see how ordinary people can have an extraordinary influence when inspired by their faith in the God who calls us to live out His transforming love. I have been reminded of the potential we all have – as believers in local churches - to be change makers, when we are prepared to stand up and be counted, to make ourselves available in God’s service, to hold out the Word of Life.

It is a great privilege and responsibility to be called to serve in this new capacity as Mission Director of CMSI. It is my hope and prayer that, through our Partnership Links, churches throughout Ireland will be encouraged and inspired as they share stories and resources with their Global Partners in God’s worldwide family. May each ‘ordinary person’ find the courage to stand up and be counted, to find the particular

our new mission director

thing that God is asking them to do, for Him, in their local community.

As I adjust into the new role of Mission Director, I take courage from the words of Rev Peter Taban, who was a speaker at the Youth Conference in Yei:

“When we face challenges, perhaps the overwhelming task, perhaps the difficulties we see around…we are tempted to say: ‘For me, I cannot.’ It is true, yes, you cannot…but God can. He looks inside and sees our potential and God can. He can do it, when you depend on Him.”

I ask for your prayers for this new challenge and I daily remind myself that God is faithful – we can all depend on Him.

‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.’ (Eph 3:20-21)

CMSI is delighted to announce the appointment of Jenny Smyth as the society’s new Mission Director. Jenny started her new role on 23rd February, having taken over from Ronnie Briggs, who is returning to Kenya as a CMSI Mission Partner with his wife, Maggie. We’ll share more from Jenny in the coming months, but for now, she offers some initial reflections on her appointment.

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laying firm foundations putting leaders in their place

‘So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you – as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.’ (Deut 1:15)

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The significant flaws and repeated failures of many of God’s leaders are well documented in the pages of our Bibles and yet, God continued to anoint and appoint. Indeed, the whole biblical narrative tends to focus on these leaders, exposing their humanity, unveiling their shortcomings, while at the same time revealing their gracious, loving and Sovereign God, who worked in them and through them.

For God’s people, in God’s Kingdom, leadership is important. For CMSI’s Global Partners in Africa and Nepal, leadership is important. Parishes and dioceses in Ireland support a whole range of mission programmes through CMSI and our Global Partners: healthcare, education, community development, agriculture, water projects and much more. These things all make a huge difference to the work of the Church as it brings healing, offers hope and shares God’s transforming love.

But these things are only possible through people - God’s ordinary people in local, ordinary parishes. These are the people who carry out the mission. These are the people who do the caring, the

teaching, the building, the growing and the healing. And these people need good leaders: leaders who love God and who are rooted in His Word; leaders of integrity, vision and compassion; leaders who can disciple others and equip them; leaders who seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness.

This is why, when we ask our Global Partners to identify their biggest priorities and their main request for support from Ireland, the almost unanimous response is ‘training church leaders’. Because without church leaders there can be no Church. And without the Church, there can be no mission.

In CMSI, we want to highlight these priorities. We want to encourage parishes to support our Global Partners as they provide bible teaching, theological education and clergy training.

These things aren’t always an easy ‘sell’; they’re often not as tangible as building projects or as easy to grasp as education or health initiatives. But if this is what matters most to our Global Partners, it should be what matters most to us. So, please help us to put leaders in their place.

Throughout the history of His relationship with His Chosen People, God has anointed and appointed leaders – chiefs, judges, kings, prophets, apostles and elders – and He has called these individuals to direct, to guide and to nurture others.

When we realised that a visit by our pastor from Bangor would coincide with the Ngoma Leadership Conference, we thought we’d put him to work there.

Ngoma is a small town, two hours north of Kiwoko, in an arid cattle-farming region. Every January, the town plays host to a Leadership Conference for pastors of local churches. In rural Uganda, if you’re able to read and you own a Bible, you are very likely to be chosen to lead a church. There’s no requirement for theological training – which is just as well, as none is available. This is why the conference happens.

Here’s what Pastor Johnny had to say about his time at the conference:

“We, in the West, have much to learn from the simplicity of life, contentment and joy that is evident in the lives of many Ugandan believers. However, we can also be a support and encouragement to them in the Great Commission, which God has called every Christian to be part of. Jesus is not looking for converts, but disciples, and I was delighted to help in the disciple-making process, both in the hospital community and at the Ngoma conference envisioned by the hospital.

Johnny preaching in Ngoma

“God brought together over 350 pastors in Ngoma. We spent time in community together, eating, singing and studying God’s Word. We studied the book of Colossians and teased out the themes that Christ must have supremacy in our homes, our workplaces, and be in his rightful place as Head of his body - the Church.

“In Ireland, we have ready access to many books that can help us in our spiritual lives. However, the only book that will ever ‘read us’ is the Bible. It is my prayer that we in Ireland and the Ugandan believers will continue to grow and deepen in our knowledge of our God through His Word. May the Bible continue to be our guide for life and godliness.

“What a privilege it was for me to receive in Uganda a foretaste of our eternal position, when we will be a people gathered from every tribe, tongue and nation, standing around the throne of God, worshipping the Lamb, who has been slain for us!”

Paul Baker and Pastor Jonathan McClaughlin

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from bangor to ngomatraining clergy in uganda

Jonathan McClaughlin is the pastor of Hamilton Road Baptist Church in Bangor, the home church of CMSI Mission Partners Paul and Tania Baker.

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standing firm for Godyouth training in south sudan

After the cancellation of our trip to South Sudan in January 2014, due to the civil unrest at that time, we were so thankful that, this January, we were able to fulfill the visit to the Diocese of Yei.

During our week in Yei, we met some really inspiring individuals who impacted the lives of myself and the members of the team. It was very moving and humbling to listen to some of their stories and hear something of the cost of following Jesus in their situation.

One of the main purposes of the week for Naomi Kumar (a parishioner from Kill O’ The Grange) and myself, was to take part in a six-day Youth

Conference that is organised annually by the diocese. Hard work from the Youth Conference planning team meant that every ‘young person’ (late teens to early 30s) in the diocese was offered the chance to attend this week-long event.

Between 500 and 600 young people attended the conference, many of them travelling between 50 and 75 miles on open-back trucks, in intense heat. Such was their desire to be there, join with other youth and hear teaching from the Word of God.

I was invited to speak through the first six chapters of the book of Daniel, under the overall theme of ‘Standing Firm for God’. Given the

Rev Arthur Young, (Kill O’ The Grange Parish, Dublin) recently took part in a CMSI META to South Sudan, where he and other team members contributed to a diocesan youth conference. Here, Arthur shares some reflections from the week.

Youth Conference Delegates

standing firm for Godyouth training in south sudan

context of life and faith in South Sudan, it’s a very relevant theme for those who attended. The days ahead may be unsettling and unstable, but their determination and commitment in following Jesus is real and resolute. That could be obviously seen in their spiritual hunger and their desire to learn and go deeper with God’s Word.

To witness so many young people sitting in front of you with Bibles and notebooks open, writing down as much as they could possibly manage, was an uplifting and encouraging experience.

Our experience with God during those sessions was most amazing – I have never felt so challenged and so fulfilled.”

After each presentation on Daniel, the young people were presented with two questions to discuss in groups. Before the next day’s sessions, we allowed time for feedback and debate around the issues that had been taught the previous day. Their participation and enthusiastic engagement was thrilling, as were their answers to the set questions. Our experience with God during those sessions was most amazing – I have never felt so challenged and so fulfilled.

Bishop Hilary’s presence and teaching at the evening sessions was so empowered by the Holy Spirit. He gave four talks, all of which were challenging and life changing for so many. The first evening, 72 young people committed their lives to Jesus, something that was repeated throughout many other sessions during the conference.

A lot of the bishop’s teaching also emphasised the importance of being peacemakers, and the young people were challenged to take responsibility for affecting change in their country. The tools for change were identified as: devotion to God’s Word and to prayer; boldness in sharing their faith; Godliness in their living; involvement in social projects. Bishop Hilary encouraged these young adults to return to their homes, communities and villages and live out the differences that Jesus was making in their lives.

Training, mentoring and supporting young leaders is such an important aspect of ministry in the Diocese of Yei. Throughout the week, I witnessed the personal growth and development of not just those who were being ministered to, but also those who were leading the conference. These young leaders were equipped and empowered by all they had undertaken to provide through this conference. Many of them were remarkable and talented and they had such a burning and consuming desire for God. They covet your prayers for them, for their ongoing work amongst the young people, and for the youth leaders in the various parishes throughout Yei.

Some of the participants sent letters to Link Parishes in Ireland. Here’s what Samuel wrote:

“With great and mighty honour I greet you in Jesus’ name. I am very grateful to see my brothers and sisters from Ireland who came and helped and advised us through the mighty Word of God, especially Naomi who helped us a lot by telling us a lesson on ‘discipleship’ which moved me and I felt encouraged.

“Please keep praying for us and especially our nation South Sudan. We believe that with God, all things are possible. He alone knows the plans for our nation.”

Our visit to South Sudan has been an enriching experience, and an amazing opportunity to serve God. It’s something I will forever remain thankful for.

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Discussions at the 2015 Yei Youth Conference

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In January, a CMSI Mission Experience Team Abroad (META) spent two weeks in Nepal. As always, the priority was to deepen relationships and strengthen links, but the specific focus of the visit was a four-day conference for church leaders.

Recent years have seen exponential growth in the numbers of Christians – and the number of churches – in Nepal. Thanks to our partnership with SD Church, CMSI has had a window on this incredible work of God. Every couple of weeks, we hear news of more baptisms at the church in Kathmandu and at the many smaller fellowships in rural parts of the country. As the church shares God’s love with the poor, the sick and the marginalised, God is ‘adding to their number daily’.

As the numbers of small house-churches has grown, so has the need to invest in the leaders of these fellowships, through biblical teaching and theological training. As part of the partnership with SD Church, CMSI were asked to help address this need, by leading a conference on the basics of Christianity. So a team of six – four from St Brigid’s, Glengormley, and two from St Patrick’s, Coleraine – flew from cold and wet Ireland and landed in sunny but cool Nepal.

Team member Alan Robinson picks up the story…

“Kathmandu is a great experience once you realise that the words ‘health’ and ‘safety’ do not translate into Nepali. Electric cables on poles in the street festooned like spaghetti; a family of four on a small motorbike with only one helmet; animal heads and meat displayed on counters open to the street; drivers who minimise the distance between their vehicle and any other; overtaking on blind bends; riding a motorbike over a swaying pedestrian suspension bridge. I wouldn’t have missed seeing it for the world.

“The Nepali people are so friendly, particularly those in the churches at SD and the Leprosy Colony. They sit on large rugs, worship is heartfelt and everyone prays together out loud. The church has a real heart for the disabled and poor.

“The seminars for the church leaders were held over four days in a small conference centre which used to be royal stables. With the abolition of the monarchy in 2008, the stables have since become a cafe and conference venue. The main hall used for the seminars opened out on a sunny courtyard, where we had tea or coffee

building on the Wordleadership training in nepal

They came from all over Kathmandu and from many different rural districts in Nepal. The four participants from North-western Nepal had taken a week to get there – a day of walking and six days travelling by (and waiting between) various buses. The folks from a high mountain region had taken even longer. In all, about 40 people gathered together to share, to listen and to learn. They came to be blessed and to be a blessing.

at breaks and a self-service lunch of delicious Nepali food.

“About forty or so people attended the seminars, six of them in wheelchairs. About half of the participants were women. Each morning and afternoon we began with worship. The tunes were familiar to us but the words were in Nepali. Then everyone prayed out loud as they felt led. We had two translators for the fourteen talks.

“..it was the illiterate folk taking no notes who retained most.”

“It is an interesting experience being translated. Firstly, you need much less material. Secondly, your translator speaks for longer than you do as they have to contextualise your sentences and sometimes explain theological terms for which there is no directly equivalent word. We gave talks on such basic topics as The Cross, Salvation, Prayer, Forgiveness, The Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit, Leadership, The Cost of Discipleship and Family Life. In preparing these, we deliberately taught what the Bible says on

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each subject because ‘the word of the Lord endures for ever’ and it speaks to all cultures.

“As the course went on, our welcome each day became even warmer, the worship became more enthusiastic and the questions after each talk became more numerous. For example, what do you advise a man who becomes a Christian when he has more than one wife? At the end of the course the team had the privilege of praying for each person present. Our Nepali friends showed us such friendship and hospitality that we felt we had received more than we had given. Incidentally, when the participants were questioned afterwards to discover how much had been retained, it was the illiterate folk taking no notes who retained most.

“If you get an opportunity to teach like this abroad, take it. Just remember to teach from the Word of God, not from our culture, find a translator who knows both the local culture and the participants and relax and go with the flow! Things happen when they happen.”

Alan wrote daily updates from the team and they really are worth a read. You can find them on the CMSI website.

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CMSI’s Mission Personnel Coordinator, Gillian Maganda, has just returned from a visit to our Global Partners in Egypt, where she saw an example of the Church in three different countries working together to train leaders: the Church in Ireland supporting the Church in Egypt as it supports the Church in Sudan.

The Diocese of Egypt has historically been a safe haven for refugees and asylum seekers, including those from South Sudan, Sudan and the Nuba Mountains. The government in Sudan is seeking to systematically destroy or limit the activities of the Church, and as a result, Cairo has now become home to over one million Sudanese refugees.

Rev Dr Emad Basilos from the Diocese of Egypt joined us last May for CMSI’s 200th

three-way partnershiptraining sudanese leaders in egypt

Anniversary celebrations. While he was here, Jenny Smyth met with Dr Emad to discuss our partnership with the Diocese of Egypt. He suggested that we could assist the diocese as it offers theological training opportunities for pastors from the Episcopal Church of Sudan. These courses are run at the Nuba Bible Institute, Cairo (NBIC), which is in St Michael’s and All Angels’ Episcopal Church. The Church, located in Heliopolis, hosts the largest Sudanese congregation in the whole of Cairo.

Gillian with staff and students from NBIC

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NBIC was started in February 2013 with the aim of providing pastoral and ministerial training for leaders of the Sudanese immigrant community. The Institute teaches to diploma level and offers a wide range of Biblical, Missional, Theological and practical subjects. Instruction is given in Arabic, by both Sudanese and Egyptian lecturers, two evenings per week. The students are also given books to help them develop a personal library and to assist them in their ministerial development.

During my visit to NBIC, I had the privilege of spending time with lecturers and students. Many of the students have been persecuted for their faith in Sudan and yet, living in Egypt has brought a different set of challenges. In addition to their studies, all of the students are employed in menial jobs for up to 12 hours per day. So, studying two nights per week is a real commitment; participants come to lectures weary after a long day’s grind, while they also have to manage the competing demands of family life. It’s certainly a busy, challenging and exhaustting experience!

With support from Hillsborough Parish (Down and Dromore), CMSI recently agreed to sponsor four Sudanese students who have been sent to NBIC by Bishop Ezekiel Kondo from Khartoum Diocese. The students are studying for their three-year diploma courses in Theology, after which they will return to Khartoum to minister in the Church. This is a wonderful example of how the Church in different places is working together in partnership and supporting one another in difficult circumstances.

One of the students at the Institute, Daniel – a Lay Reader and Evangelist – shared something of his faith in God’s bigger plan:

“Many of the active ministers in Sudan are in prison and their churches have been destroyed. The government’s plan is to Islamize the whole of Sudan, and yet God is doing His plan in Egypt, to equip His people to return and be a light in the darkness. We want to be missionaries to Sudan, and we are not in Cairo by chance, but by God’s plan to equip His Church”.

“This is a wonderful example of the Church in different places working together…supporting one another in difficult circumstances.”

At the end of my visit to NBIC, I met again with Rev Dr Emad (who lectures at the Institute) and with the Curriculum Supervisor, Rev Adel Shukrallah. They spoke of the inspiration they draw from these students:

“The Sudanese who are studying at NBIC think we are teaching them – but actually they are the ones teaching us! Their lives of service and dedication are testimony to God’s work in them, and their desire to use their time in Egypt for learning and equipping for future ministry”.

Please do pray for the lecturers and students at the Institute, particularly for the four students who are being supported by Hillsborough Parish and CMSI: Sameer, Shawkill, Yasser and Mikhail.

I’d also ask you to pray for the pastor of the Sudanese congregation in Heliopolis, Rev. Hassan Jemes. Prior to my visit, he tragically lost his wife and three of his children in a house fire. Pray for him as he comes to terms with this immense loss and for his remaining five children at this very difficult time.

I was greatly challenged and inspired by my time at NBIC, by the lives of the staff and students and by their vision of investing in Church leaders in Egypt and Sudan. As CMSI continues to equip God’s Church in God’s mission, this is exactly the sort of initiative that we want to support.

Emad and Gillian

on the kitchen table, I applied for a Short-term Experience Placement (STEP) in Luwero Diocese, Uganda. This experience had a very transformative effect and set me on a distinct path, which I am still journeying on today. When I was asked, in 2013, to be a Board Member, I saw it as a good opportunity to enable others in the same way that I’d been enabled at a pivotal time in my life.

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going full boarda spotlight on our trustees

IM: What led you to offer yourself as a Trustee of CMSI? PM: I’ve been a member of CMSI since I was 20-years-old. I’d been aware of CMSI from a very young age, having had a number of African bishops and returning missionaries regularly stay in our family rectory.

During my student years, I wanted to explore the world and so, having seen a CMSI brochure

Preparations are well underway for CMSI’s Annual Review and AGM, which takes place in Dublin on Saturday 18th April (details on the back cover). A central element of the AGM programme is the election of Trustees to the CMSI Board. Our Trustees represent the wider membership and provide the overall leadership and governance of the society. It’s a vital role and with a number of the current Trustees completing their terms of service, the elections this April are hugely significant.

inMission recently caught up with Philip McKinley, one of the most recently appointed Trustees, to find out a bit more about his role.

There will be seats to fill in April

inMission6

Now involved with the renowned Hard Gospel project, Philip McKinley traces his concerns for cross-cultural mission to a CMS Ireland overseas experience.

To explain the role and impact

of mission on my life, I feel it’s

important just to paint a little

of the context out of which I

came. I was born and raised

in the foothills of the Dublin

Mountains, in an area and

parish called Whitechurch,

where my father was a Church

of Ireland clergyman. All of

life’s needs (schools, shops and

relatives) weren’t further than

two miles from home. It was

really a very cosy, self-suf� cient

upbringing, with little adventure

or displacement.

However perhaps it was

also quite bubbled and

homogenous. All of my friends

for instance were middle-class,

all were white and Irish, all

played hockey and almost all

were Protestant. Therefore up

until I was 18 years of age,

these identities formed my

primary worldview and I knew

little of the wonders of God’s

varied humanity.

However when I left secondary

school, I started a course in

Radio Broadcasting in the Dun

Laoighaire Institute of Art,

Design and Technology. On my

very � rst day, I was handed a

minidisk and microphone and

told to go and interview the

heroin addicts in the People’s

Park in Dun Laoighaire. This

was the beginning of a number

of massive culture shocks for

me throughout the course.

After radio broadcasting I

hoped to pursue a career in

� lm. However while I was

working for an arts and culture

programme on a Dublin

commmunity radio station I

was sent to cover the premiere

of a big new Irish � lm. I was

very excited interviewing all

the stars of the � lm and a

number of other celebrities in a

top Dublin nightclub. When the

interviews were over I went to

the toilets and found many of

the stars and crew of the � lm,

snif� ng cocaine on the toilet

seats.

This experience stuck with

me, and after a period of

deep searching, I found a

CMS Ireland magazine on

our kitchen table, which

immediately struck a chord

with where I was at in my life.

One thing led to another and

within six months I was out in

Uganda (having never travelled

further than England), staying

with the wonderful Quill Family

in Luwero, near to Kiwoko

Hospital.

babel to pentecost

Local children walking along Luwero Road. Credit: Blane Scott

CMS InMission25.indd 6 19/2/08 09:22:22

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A word from the Chair of the BoardI will always be indebted to CMSI for helping me grasp and experience the joy of partnership in mission with fellow disciples from different cultures and experiences. I have been blessed, challenged and inspired in the mission that is God’s mission.

When I was asked to become Chairman of CMSI, I did so as a recognition of how much it had been a blessing to me in my discipleship and ministry. The last three years have been a privilege, both as Chairman and as a member of the Board, as we were part of the society’s 200th anniversary celebrations. These celebrations were particularly encouraging because, at the heart of them was the joy of having our partners with us to refocus our minds and spirits for the future.

It has been a joy to work with the staff, the Board and with Ronnie as Mission Director. Our prayers are with him and Maggie as they return to Kajiado in Kenya. It was also a delight to welcome Jenny Smyth as the new Mission Director. I know she will value your prayers as she begins this new phase of her service. After my three years as Chairman, I have decided not to seek re-election. My thanks to all who have supported me in this role. I know CMSI is in good heart. We are blessed by a vibrant Board and a dedicated and able staff team. Undergirding all the society does is you and the many prayerful, faithful and dedicated volunteers and supporters that make CMSI able to serve in mission. Thank you to all who do so much and thanks be to God who calls us all to His mission.

Grace and peace to you all,

+Alan Connor

“CMSI would not have lasted 200 years were it not for a gift from the Holy Spirit”

IM: What would you say are the main priorities for the Board?PM: Of course, there are essential duties of governance and compliance required of any board. However, I particularly enjoy exploring the strategic questions, as this whole area has to do with vision. Vision, in Christian terms, is more than just strategy and programming. It is primarily discernment of the Holy Spirit – and it can often be challenging to strategise for this. As I’m new to the Board, I have needed to firstly see what the passions of CMSI are and how those passions compliment the missional needs of the world. It is at the meeting point of these two processes that God’s vision comes alive. IM: What contribution do you hope to make as a CMSI Trustee?PM: I come to the Board with what I hope is good experience working in missional contexts in Ireland, particularly around issues of reconciliation, ecumenism and inter-culturalism. I have also had many transformative visits to East Africa, particularly to the Diocese of KajoKeji in South Sudan, which I consider a second home. These experiences have greatly assisted me in working with people from other nationalities now living in Ireland.

IM: What’s the best thing about being a CMSI Trustee?PM: CMSI would not have lasted 200 years were it not for a gift from the Holy Spirit that stills permeates through so many strands of the organisation. I therefore very much enjoy working with the wonderful staff and Board members.

I have found the diversity of gifts and experiences on the Board very interesting. For example, I find it fascinating to hear the stories from Board members who were raised overseas by missionary parents. These stories are all the more fascinating when the political geography of the world has changed so much in the past 50 years. This life-long perspective on mission is deeply enriching.

snippets from supporters, staff and mission personnel

Mission Personnel UpdateThe coming weeks will see a fair bit of movement from our Mission Personnel.

Ronnie and Maggie Briggs head to Kenya on 28th February to begin a new term as CMSI Mission Partners. Recent weeks have seen them busily packing-up (to bring, send or store), selling-up (a house and a car) and setting-up new parish links to help send and support them. Please remember Ronnie and Maggie as they move and settle back in to life and work in Kajiado.

We’re still looking for individuals and parishes to commit to supporting the Briggs financially. Please contact Gillian Maganda for further information.

As Ronnie and Maggie head from Ireland to Africa, Rory, Denise and Gideon Wilson will be getting ready to travel in the other direction. To accommodate Gideon’s education and Rory and Denise’s responsibilities at Kiwoko Hospital, the Wilsons plan to return annually for a two-month Home Assignment. We’re very much looking forward to having them with us from the end of March.

There will be lots of opportunities to hear from the Wilsons when they’re in Ireland – details are available from CMSI’s Belfast office and on the website.

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The Wilson’s return also marks the end of Lisa Young’s STEP at Kiwoko. Since August 2014, Lisa has been teaching Gideon for his P1 year. It’s been a huge success and Gideon has really flourished as he’s worked with Lisa, who has also been actively engaged in other work at the hospital. Please pray for Lisa as she considers the next steps in her journey.

The hunt is now on for a P2 teacher for Gideon. So please do get in touch if you, or someone you know, might be interested in a one-on-one teaching placement in Uganda.

Paul and Tania Baker are well into their 4th year at Kiwoko Hospital, with Tania and her Ugandan colleague kept busy at The Fashion School and Paul working with the hospital’s Estates Staff and, in particular, the engineers repairing medical equipment. They’re excited about God’s plans for them as a family.

April sees the latest STEP in our arrangement with the Church of Ireland Theological Institute. Danielle McCullagh, a first year Ordinand and a member of Mossley Parish (Connor) will spend three weeks in the Diocese of Madi West Nile in Uganda, working alongside Rev Alice Bayo and her team. Pray for Danielle on this, her first visit to Africa.

Don’t forget to visit our website to read the latest news and views from our Mission Partners.

Lit tle Lights Week 1

Jesus Light of the World

Lit tle Lights

Red 5-7 years old

sharing love: bringing hope

CMSI Children’s Resource 2015

Name:Age:

Church:

Lit tle Lights

blue

8-11 years old

sharing love: bringing hope

CMSI Children’s Resource 2015

Name:

Age:

Church:

Anna shows her film flareFollowing the fundraising feats of various 10-year-olds in the past couple of years, another Irish ‘tween’ has been the source of much encouragement and inspiration to the CMSI staff.

Anna (aged 10) and her family attend Kill O’ The Grange Parish in Dublin. She wanted to raise some money to support the Children’s Home in Butembo – a ministry of North Kivu Diocese in DR Congo. Based on some images and stories sent to her by Jenny Smyth, Anna – with a little help from her dad – put together a short film about the Children’s Home, which she also narrated.

Anna shared the film with friends and family and showed it at a Bake Sale, raising over €2200 in the process. We really loved the film. So much so, we included it on the Little Lights DVD.

Raising funds, creating communityAnna’s not the only one who has been coming up with creative ways to raise money. We’ve been hearing about lots of different ways in which parishes and individuals have been raising funds to support the work of CMSI and our Global Partners.

There have been Beetle Drives, Stew Nights, Murder Mystery Evenings, Cake Sales, Auctions, Talent Shows and much, much more. We’ve heard about plans for a golf tournament and for sponsored cycles, scoots and walks. We’ve also heard how these events create a bit of ‘buzz’ round parishes – providing a focus for fun and fellowship.

So do please send us stories and photos from your fundraising efforts – they might just inspire others to do their bit!

Little Lights start to shineFebruary saw the launch of Little Lights, CMSI’s Children’s Resource for 2015. Following our launch events and ‘pit stops’, almost 60 parishes have already picked-up their resource packs, with many of them planning to use the material during Lent.

The Little Lights Resource shares stories from the Bible and from our Global Partners to show how God uses ordinary people, doing ordinary things, to make a big difference. Through this resource, we want children and young people to explore what it means to shine as little lights for God. We also want to shed some light on DR Congo and on the work of the Church there as it offers love, hope and healing.

To find out more about the Little Lights Resource or to order your materials, visit the website or contact our offices.

spring 2015

lit tle lights

sharing love: bringing hope

CMSI Children’s Resource 2015

Special Focus on DR Congo

Church Mission Society Ireland is registered in Dublin, Ireland - Reg No. 26905 - as a Company Limited by Guarantee, with permission to omit the word ‘Limited’. Charity Ref No: CHY 910 Recognised in the UK as a Charity by the Inland Revenue - Ref No. XN 48809. CMS Ireland is a registered business name - Registered Office: Dublin Office, as above.

Belfast33 Dargan Road, Belfast, BT3 9JUTel +44 (0) 28 9077 5020 Email belfastoffice@cmsireland.org

DublinChurch of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6Tel +353 (0) 1497 0931 Email dublinoffice@cmsireland.org

www.cmsireland.org

facebook.com/cmsireland@cmsireland

CMSI Annual Review and AGM 2015

Opportunities to ask questions and make decisions

Election of CMSI Trustees

Highlights from the past year

A chance to celebrate, share and pray together

Saturday 18th April / 11am-4pm (AGM at 2pm)Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Dublin

Lunch included / Transport available from Belfast

For further details, visit the website or contact the offices.

An event for all CMSI members and supporters, featuring: