Reaching the UnreachedAn annual conference for churches trying to reach out in the hard places of our land

‘Going Viral’

‘How can the gospel go viral on estates and schemes in the UK?’

Friday 17th May, 4pm-9.15pm and Saturday 18th May, 9.30am-4.30pm

This year’s conference looks at how the gospel can go viral on housing estates and schemes in the UK. It’s a look at the new strategy of RTU for the gospel going viral in the UK.

Main Speakers

Andy Mason
Efrem Buckle
Duncan Forbes
Mez McConnell
Neil Robbie

There are a limited number of spaces so book your place!

This year the conference is held in Derby at:

St Giles Church
Village Street
Normanton
Derby
DE23 8DE

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

A full programme will be sent out after booking.

Seminar from this last year’s Reaching the Unreached conference, “Getting started and keeping going”.

Seminar from this last year’s Reaching the Unreached conference, “Getting started and keeping going”.

Seminar from this last year’s Reaching the Unreached conference, “Getting started and keeping going”.

The second session from this last year’s Reaching the Unreached conference, “Getting started and keeping going”. Andy Mason looks at Titus 1:5-16.

The first session from this last year’s Reaching the Unreached conference, “Getting started and keeping going”. Duncan Forbes looks at Titus 1:1-4.

This post is by Julian Rebera, Church Leader at New Life Church, Brighton.

Ok, so this is my first blog on the RTU web site, and I want to share my thoughts about estate discipleship in light of the Great Commission.

Actually, my thoughts are not really distinctive to estate discipleship – it’s just discipleship. But I think, on estates, only authentic discipleship has a chance of cutting the mustard.

Two points which have shaped my understanding of discipleship.

Point 1. Evangelism and the ‘Discipleship Process’.

Most people think of ‘discipleship’ as the process through which believers bring believers to maturity. But that falls short of Matthew 28:20, Jesus didn’t say, ‘Evangelise all nations and then make disciples of the converts’ as if ‘evangelism’ and ‘discipleship’ are two distinct processes. He said ‘Make disciples of all nations …’ which implies ‘evangelism’ is part of, not distinct from the discipleship process.

It follows then, that:

1. If I am not evangelising, I am not being a disciple.
2. If I am not teaching others to evangelise and helping them learn how to do it, I am neither being a disciple, nor making disciples.

Point 2. The distinctive of Christian discipleship.

The distinctive of Christian discipleship is not that we follow Jesus and His teachings rather than some other Rabbi. The distinctive is that we are to ‘teach to obey everything … [He]… commanded’ (Matthew 28:20). This implies, people (a) do not know Jesus’ teachings and so need to be taught them and (b) when they do know, they still need to ‘learn to obey’.

Consider Hudson Taylor. I reckon what made him a great missionary was his radical discipleship. For example, when he learned and understood the parable of the Faithful and Wise servant (Matthew 24:45-51) that he should always be ready to unashamedly give an account, he immediately went through his wardrobe and books etc. Anything he didn’t need, or could be better used by others he gave away. He learned to obey Jesus teaching. How many of us have books we will never read again, clothes we will not wear etc? In Romans 2:21 Paul asks, “You who teach others, do you teach yourself?”

So What?

We must teach people what obedience to all God’s commands actually looks like in our own lives and teach them ‘how to obey’ in their own lives.

Although we should make the most of the best discipleship resources available, in fact, the best or the worst audio/visual resource by far is that of our own lives. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Perhaps in another blog I’ll share how we try to work this stuff out in out church. What do you think?

Guest post by Nathan Davies, CAP Centre Manager in Torfaen, South Wales.

Almost every day a fire bell rings at the headquarters of Christians Against Poverty in Bradford.

It’s not an emergency, but a celebration of salvation.

“God has forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Col 2:13-14

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) UK are seeing many people come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour through their witness. They have over 200 centres in the UK that help nearly 20,000 people each year pay off their financial debts. And their workers also seek to tell those people about the God-man named Jesus who came to settle their spiritual debts.

The clients CAP work with faced a terrible time with debt before finding help. 6% attempted suicide with a further 34% seriously considering it. A scary 78% of clients faced health issues due to debts and 42% were prescribed medication! CAP is literally seeing lives saved physically and spiritually as God guides them to the most vulnerable people in society.

Almost every day across the UK someone comes to know Christ through their work, and when they do, the fire bell is rung at Jubilee Mill, the CAP headquarters in Bradford, and all the staff stop to pray and thank God! CAP works for local Churches to provide this service, and all of their centres are opened and run by local Churches and for the growth of local Churches.

This ministry is seeing thousands of Christians from local Churches enter unbelievers homes to show and share the love of Christ in word and deed. It is reaching the unreached people of the UK. The service is completely free for clients of any background, gender, race or religion. The Churches help pay all the costs to run the service locally.

Christians Against Poverty aims to open 300 more centres in the UK over the next few years to attain national coverage. Why not check out the website on Church partnerships to enquire about getting involved?

There are thousands of people in the UK in need of debt counselling and are currently going to good quality secular advice… CAP is the same quality as all the other secular organisations but unashamedly Christ-centred and helping build the Church while maintaining world class debt help.

If you know anyone in debt and there is a CAP centre by you get them to call 0800 328 0006 to find out if CAP can help them!

Let’s keep that fire bell ringing!

“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Matt 25:40

Getting Started & Keeping Going:

Building estates ministries with enduring gospel impact

In the estates of the UK new churches are being started, established churches are being renewed, and forgotten communities are being reached. Yet there remains so much to do. How do we get started? And how do we keep going?

Getting Started & Keeping Going is a weekend of discussion, prayer and teaching for all those with a heart to see enduring gospel impact on UK estates.

You can find more information and book your place here, or watch the conference trailer above.

Video produced by 2V design