Christmas is coming, and whether or not you’re the sort of person who has everything organised and check-listed to within an inch of its life, Christmas is a God-given opportunity in countless ways.
Suffolk-based Jane and Alan Hutt were leading a comfortable life with secure jobs. Life was settled: they attended a village church and had a strong Christian faith. Their three children were starting out on their own adult lives: one about to start teacher training; one ready to graduate and the youngest about to embark on his university career. The easiest thing in the world would have been to stay put. But in 2013, everything changed when they answered God’s call to move to Nakuru in Kenya and found the Beehive, a home for child mothers and their babies.
As if we weren’t already aware of it, the last few weeks have underlined the fact that nothing on Earth is certain. The ripple effects of the Brexit vote continue to play out but we have already seen a fairly dramatic effect on currency exchange rates. Since 24 June, the value of Sterling has dropped against many currencies creating as much as a 15% reduction in the exchange value of donations from supporters for some Christian Workers based abroad. The suddenness of the fall has created a problem for some who are finding their incomes being cut while bills and general living costs in their country of residence remain the same.
As I write this, the summer holiday season is coming to an end, and the resorts, camps and festivals are winding down for the winter. For some, holidaying involves passports and foreign currency, for others it’s camping equipment and windbreaks. Summertime, and particularly the school holidays, seems to exert a call to holiday as strong as the need for the swallows to migrate north in May.
Picture the scene – you’ve been invited to speak to a group about your work. It’s gone well and there has been lively discussion and prayer. Then over coffee one person approaches you and tentatively suggests they might like to support you in your work. Your first instinct may be to clasp them in a bear hug weeping tears of relief or there may be an embarrassing pause as you try to suppress a look of complete shock. So what might in fact be a helpful response?
At the end of the year we posed five ‘awkward’ questions to challenge you on your personal approach to your work. Now that 2016 is well underway, we thought it might be good to shift the focus forward with five questions to help you look to the future.
A good church is made up of a number of ingredients, but a key one—often overlooked—is the need for good trustees. Good trusteeship is much more than a legal requirement or title and more than a ‘rubber stamp’ for decisions taken elsewhere.
There are some questions that only a very good friend will ask you – the kind of awkward, put-your-finger-right-on-the-sore-spot, kind of questions that no-one else will ask you. We’ve come up with our top five ‘awkward’ questions to get you thinking about your personal approach to your work. Call it an end of year review...
There’s a little-known and yet vital part of setting up a recipient account with Stewardship. It’s not a secret and yet sometimes it would appear that it might as well be. Time and again we’re surprised at how few Christian Workers are aware of it and how it can help them.
There are several ways to lose supporters (probably more if you try hard enough) but from our experience the no.1 danger area is relationship.
blogs by the Stewardship team and selected guest writers.
Stewardship is the operating name of Stewardship Services (UKET) Limited. Established in 1906.
Registered charity no. 234714, and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 90305.
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