mission update': cms press supplement sept 2012

God’s grace and new braces for NadiyyaA young girl in Jordan who suffered a brain injury from extreme

abuse at age two is doing something

few people thought possible – walk.

She’s also being introduced to the love

of Jesus.

This is thanks to the persever-

ance of Michael Green, a CMS mission

partner and nurse in Jordan, who first

met Nadiyya seven years ago on a visit

to the hospital to which he has recently

been transferred. “She was four at the

time and most people assumed she’d

never walk,” Michael recalled.

“Once I got placed at this hospital

and became responsible for her care,

the first thing I did was get her assessed

for braces, which Nadiyya received a

few months ago.”

Not only are the braces helping Na-

diyya walk but they are straightening her

posture. “We work on her walking daily.

Sometimes she laughs and enjoys it and

other times it’s hard, but she’s doing

it! We take her for walks in the garden.

Because she is mostly blind, she likes

experiencing the smells and feeling the

plants.”

On Good Friday Michael took Nadi-

yya to an exhibition for children called

“The Journey to the Cross”, which had

multi-sensory activities to help engage

with the story of the crucifixion. “Nadi-

yya enjoyed the perfume smell of the

nard that Jesus was anointed with, she

ate bread like Jesus blessed, she felt a

crown made of thorns, she helped nail

pieces of paper with sins on them to

a cross and she touched empty grave

clothes. All while I explained to her the

death and resurrection of Jesus

in Arabic.

“Due to her learning disability, I

couldn’t ask her if she wanted to follow

Jesus, but it was so good to see her

emotional responses to the various

elements.

“I felt so privileged to take Nadiyya

through this journey and so encouraged

that the person who helped me was

a local nurse who heard the story of

Jesus’ death and resurrection. Please

pray for Nadiyya, giving thanks for her

growing ability to walk, and pray that the

truth and love of Jesus will continue to

make a deeper impact into all hearts

and lives here.”

“I explained to her the death and resurrection of Jesus in Arabic.”

A whole Hindu village in Bangladesh has come to Christ and now has a place to worship

him together, thanks to the Church of Bangladesh and a grant from CMS.

Former CMS manager for Asia Adrian Watkins said, “In 2009 CMS sent a grant for the con-

struction of a church in Rajshahi Deanery. The whole Santali tribal village had recently accepted

Jesus through the work of the Church of Bangladesh. The building opened in April.”

The Rt Rev Samuel Sunil Mankhin, Bishop of Kushtia, sent his thanks to CMS donors for

their generosity. In the past few years, seven new churches – with a combined membership of

over 700 people – have been started in the area. CMS has a longstanding partnership with the

Church of Bangladesh.

But that’s only because we

see this happening daily.

We see the love of Jesus touching

the hearts of prisoners, pagans and

presidents.

We see people we know giving

up good, well-paying jobs to go

and live out their mission calling

in remote, uncomfortable and

sometimes dangerous places.

We see God raising up gifted local

leaders in Africa, Asia and Latin

America who are bringing about

remarkable transformation.

We have witnessed the emergence

of grassroots mission movements

in non-western countries and

these have changed the way we

see and live mission.

We have seen the difference that

seemingly ordinary Christians can

make by living mission in their

everyday lives.

We see pioneers break new

ground, cross boundaries and

create new channels for the gospel

in our country.

So we ask you, do you see

what we see? Take a look at

these pages, be encouraged

by what God is doing through

CMS supporters’ prayers and

gifts and sign up for the CMS

bi-monthly Mission Update so

you can be part of the story.

Mission partner Michael Green helps Nadiyya, age 11, take physical and spiritual steps

A CMS grant helped provide this church for a village of new believers

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My story

My work with Sacred Space Kingston is about

engaging with spiritual seekers who might be more at

home at, say, a festival than in a church.

In March, Jonny Baker of CMS and I were invited to

speak at a diocesan healing day about our experience of

engaging with people at the Mind Body Spirit Festival in

London over the last seven years.

Derek Legg, who is on the organising committee of

the Lammas Festival, which is put together by the pagan

community in Eastbourne, heard us and suggested getting a

team together to run a stall at Lammas.

As I am also a student on the CMS Pioneer Mission

Leadership Training course, I joined forces with fellow

pioneer students and Eastbourne residents Glyn Moreton

and Karlie Allaway. Together, we gave training to local

volunteers.

This was the first time Christians had engaged with

visitors to this event and the response was overwhelming.

Emma Moreton from Old Town Community Church

decorated adults and children with temporary henna

tattoos, while other team members offered to pray for

participants, utilising resources like the Jesus Deck or

Ruach (spirit) cards, which contain biblical stories and

scripture passages.

Many festival-goers expressed surprise that Christians

were present.

attendee talked about the “really good vibe” in the

Christian tent and was moved to tears as she chose a

card from the Jesus Deck that talked about Jesus giving

her peace. She said that was exactly what she needed

and how unexpected it was that God knew that and had

touched her so deeply.

Another woman chose a card about love that costs

even to the point of physical pain, followed by another

that spoke of healing. She explained that she had been

a victim of domestic violence for many years and had

recently started her life over. It was prayed that she might

recover her sense of identity and receive a new sense of

purpose and hope. She went away thankful.

Others recounted tales of hurt and judgement they

had experienced in church and were pleased to have

the opportunity to encounter loving and welcoming

Christians.

The Rev Mike Blanch, curate at St Michael and All

Angel’s Eastbourne, called his participation in mission at

Lammas, “a truly wonderful experience encountering Jesus

in so many unlikely people, reaching out in unexpected

places and supported by the grace of God.”

At the end of the festival, organisers asked the team

to come back next year and suggested other pagan

gatherings to attend!

Together with the local church, we were able to take

a risk, step out and be Christ to those who are seeking

spiritual fulfilment in places and practices that will

ultimately only disappoint.

If you would like to know more about engaging with spiritual seekers at events like these, contact

Pagan festival: boldly going where few Christians have gone before By CMS mission partner Andrea CampanaleMission partner

Andrea Campanale shares Jesus with people that many Christians neglect

Mission pioneers shared the light and love of Jesus at a pagan festival this summer

These cards contain scriptures and stories that

become the basis for praying with seekers

“This was the first time Christians had engaged with visitors to this event and the response was overwhelming”

From guerrilla leader to church leaderA man sentenced to 190 years behind bars for a brutal murder is now

leading a prison church in Colombia.

According to CMS associate mission

partners Pancha and Terry Barratt, this

came about through the prayers of

Christian prisoners and through the

SEAN theological education by extension

programme they help direct. “This man

was so violent he’d served eight years

in solitary confinement. But his Christian

fellow prisoners prayed for him daily –

they would sit outside his cell singing and

praying. One night God touched this man

and he believed.”

This had a big impact in the prison.

This man eventually graduated from

the SEAN programme in 2005 and

now helps lead the prison church. His

sentence has recently been reduced

to 19 more years for good behaviour

and the SEAN programme has been

welcomed in 23 out of 25 major prisons

in Colombia.

Colombian murderer is now a minister through CMS partner’s work

Asylum seekers find home in JesusThree Muslim-background asylum seekers from Central Asia have embraced

Jesus through a Bible study run by a UK mission partner who must remain

anonymous. “T, M and F have expressed a desire to get baptised and so I have

started meeting with them to have discipleship and baptism classes.” Over

the past months, the Bible study group has grown, as more Central Asians are

attending following seeker-sensitive Sunday services started by this CMS mission

partner. “We’ve also recently had an answered prayer as T, who was about to

be deported back to a potentially dangerous situation in his home country, was

released from detention and his fresh claim for asylum is being considered.”

Five years ago, someone like Sunmaya would have barely any chance

of being in church leadership in Nepal –

because she’s a woman.

Yet today her church has given her

responsibility over children’s and youth

ministry. She also preaches and teaches

and disciples others. Through her

InveSTIng In woMen leAderS helPS nePAl ChurCheS ThrIve

Sunmaya, one of hundreds of women helping shape the rapidly growing church in nepal

A boy named reagan, who was living on the DR Congo streets, has received a badly-needed leg operation and

returned home to his family, thanks to Centre Kimbilio in Lubumbashi.

“We’d noticed Reagan walking with difficulty and found a piece of metal embedded in his leg,” recalled CMS mission

partner Ian Harvey, who pioneered Kimbilio (‘place to go for safety’) with the diocese of Katanga.

A CMS donor paid for Reagan’s operation. “In a positive turn of events, Reagan’s father visited him in the hospital –

after the operation his family welcomed him back home,” Ian said.

Reagan is one of more than 100 boys living on the streets who have been reunited with their families in the three

years since Kimbilio was established. Recently, two boys who had been sleeping under market stalls were taken home

to their families in Kolwezi. Ian says the process is costly, but worth it to reintegrate children forced to leave their

families for a range of reasons.

In addition to helping boys return home, Centre Kimbilio supports up to 90 street boys a week with food, learning

activities, Bible study and a safe place to sleep.

Recently, Kimbilio opened its doors to a girl, a baby abandoned on the road. “Kimbilio residents named her Chancelle

Vie Ian – the first part means a chance to live,” said Ian. “We identified a local family eager to look after her.”

More than 100 street children get to go home

testimony, her entire family has come to

believe in Jesus.

Sunmaya and hundreds of women like

her are able to use their gifts to benefit

Nepali churches, thanks to the Leadership

Training Department (LTD) of the National

Churches Fellowship of Nepal, which is led

by CMS Timothy (local) mission partner

Manoj Pradhananga.

He says, “In the last five years, 250

women have been given leadership training

from 51 out of 75 districts of Nepal. Women

leaders from remote and rural areas are given

high priority for this training.

“The Nepali church constitutes a

substantial number of women. However,

many women are deprived of a number of

privileges in the patriarchal culture. They are

also prevented from several opportunities

for ministry…LTD has focused on releasing

women to use their God-given gifts and

talents.”

One pastor, who has sent six women

from his church for leadership training, said,

“The church has become more mature

spiritually through women using their God

given abilities.”

runners and walkers make great strides for missionIn the past year, hundreds of

pounds were raised for life-chang-

ing mission by people putting their

best foot forward. Some, like Domi-

nic Monney, completed a marathon

whilst others like Judith and Tony

Hodgson, opted for “a gentler chal-

lenge” – a lovely walk through the

South Downs. When asked why he

took on this sponsored challenge,

Dominic replied, “The work [CMS

does] is the most important work

there is and I wanted to support the

work of the kingdom.”

“I’m constantly amazed how many

gifted people volunteer for mission

placements, often in dangerous

places, for CMS and this is a testa-

ment to their extraordinary faith,”

said walker Judith Hodgson.

Huge thanks to all CMS sponsored

challenge-takers and to all those

who support them and God’s

mission with their gifts and prayers.

For more info on how you can do a

CMS sponsored challenge, write to

[email protected]

A Brazilian woman who once practised divination

and black magic, is living a transformed life, thanks to

CMS Latin partners Ian and Simea Meldrum at Living Waters

church in Olinda.

“When we first met Mrs Jo she was a ‘mae de santos’, a

spiritist leader. Her life had been one long tragedy, losing

four sons through violent deaths and her daughter had

severe mental health problems,” the Meldrums recalled.

Through the ministry of Living Waters church, Jo now knows

and loves Jesus. She has recently taken in her grandson

Ivson, who has been living at My Father’s House, a haven

for at-risk boys from Olinda’s violent streets.

“Ivson came to My Father’s House five years ago, when

he was 12,” says Simea. “We remember him carrying

handmade guns provided by the man living with his mother

at the time. Since then, his life turned around.”

A local child welfare judge agreed that Ivson can now

live with his grandmother, Jo, and My Father’s House will

continue to follow up with these two people who have

been transformed into family.

From witchcraft to godmotherSince our founding in 1799, more than 10,000 women and men have served worldwide with CMS

The CMS mission community currently has 2,500 members committed to making mission part of everyday life www.cms-uk.org/community

on 20 october, 13 CMS supporters will Jump for Jesus in a sponsored skydive, including a handful of canons and vicars. To support them in their leap for mission, contact [email protected]

CMS has a new executive leader, the Rev Canon Philip Mounstephen. To attend his commissioning celebration on 13 October in Oxford, contact [email protected]

Fundraising champions Tony and Judith hodgson and dominic Monney (below)

CMS latin partner Simea Meldrum leads living waters church in a Brazil shanty town

“My security is in god”: one of the boys

who has found a haven in Kimbilio

like what you’ve read in these pages? To get good news stories of how god is working in our world delivered to you by email or post every other month,go to: www.cms-uk.org/missionupdate Don’t forget to like Church Mission Society (CMS) on facebook and follow us on Twitter: @cmsmission

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