Home Mission
Put quite simply Home Mission is the Baptist family purse. It is the way that members of the Baptist family support and resource one another. Home Mission provides funding for the thirteen associations, funding for the national resource as well as £2m worth of grants to churches and church-related ministries. All Baptist churches in membership of BUGB and/or one of the associations are asked to give at least 5% of their general fund income to Home Mission so that the work and mission of all our churches can continue to grow and develop.
To find out more about Home Mission and how you can play your part use the links on the left.
Just Imagine – Latest Update!
The Association Home Mission Network and the Communications Department at Didcot have been busy! We are developing some special resources to help you grow the theme 'Just Imagine' within your church. Prayerfully imagining and seeking God's heart at a time when there is so much uncertainly is vital for our life together.
'the Just Imagine film'
In December we shared with you a preview of the new Just Imagine (Home Mission ) film. So far there have been 540 views on You Tube! The actual DVD's will be sent to churches later this month, so another opportunity to share/ use this amazing short 2 minute film in your church… Please do use this for prayer and discussion to capture more of the vision of how Home Mission funding blesses and enables our churches and beyond. If you missed the film click on here ….
Also coming up…
'the Just Imagine bookmarks'
By the end of the month Association teams will take delivery of 4 style of superb Just Imagine bookmarks. These include a passage and prayer written by one of our ministers in Cambridge. Keep an eye out for local communications from your Association team regarding access to these resources.
'the Just Imagine booklet'
A new little Just Imagine booklet is also about to go to print and will be available from next month…more news in February's webwatch!
'the Just Imagine all age worship materials'
One of our Minister's and his son from Essex are busy writing a fab 'All Age Worship' resource with animation. Suitable for all age groups and attention spans…ready in March!
Thankyou for all you continue to do for Home Mission and sharing the Just Imagine story
Latest News item – for church leaders
In September 2011 Just Imagine (developed by our 13 Baptist associations and the national resource) was quietly launched to our churches*. Our vision is that together as a Baptist family and with the help of Just Imagine we will rediscover a new Christ-like spirit of generosity and sacrificial giving . This is much more than asking for more Home Mission funding - which we need badly - during a difficult economic time. It is about believing that as God's people we are called to 'walk together and watch over each other'. It is about caring enough to pray for each other and to seek to help equip and empower each other in mission and ministry. As interest in Just Imagine gains momentum and as we dream together, we would love to share more about how in your role as leaders you can bless this journey and let you know about the new resources coming up to help you do this. (*Please see the initial launch message below – ‘Join the Journey’).
Before we say more, why not get inspired and watch this sneak preview of the moving 2 minute Just Imagine film www.baptist.org.uk/resources/bugb-youtube-videos.html. To download, click here.
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Filmed this autumn across the country, it features a diverse range of ordinary people like you and me from our churches. It shares the rich variety of ways our Baptist family is enabled to transform lives through Home Mission supported situations and your generous giving…and invites us to Just Imagine what more God could do if we did give more.
You have a very important part to play within Just Imagine as a local minister, church secretary or treasurer. By looking more closely at how as a church you plan opportunities to pray for Home Mission, by thinking more deeply about what God is doing through the funding you give to Home Mission, by illustrating slots on Home Mission with Just Imagine resources and the film, you are bringing to life the awesome fact that without your help many of these grants could not be made.
As you plan ahead into 2012 here are some ideas to get you started…
- Agendas – Deacons Meeting, Church Meetings, Services - Plan ahead for slots and meeting agenda items to talk about Just Imagine and Home Mission. Don’t forget to invite your Home Mission Rep to help too!
- Prayer – Include regular slots for praying for Home Mission. If you need inspiration and details of Home Mission supported situations near you, call or email your local association.
- Invite or visit Home Mission churches – Why not invite someone from a nearby Home Mission supported church to speak about how their situation is blessed through a grant. Again chat to your Regional Minister for ideas and contacts.
- Budgets – Pray and discuss together giving 5% or more of your church General Fund to Home Mission. New Just Imagine resources coming up to support you in the New Year include…
- DVD - Hard copy disk including a Bible reading and prayer (available now on You Tube)
- Sermon Outline on Mary of Bethany anointing Jesus
- Booklet – postcard-sized booklet with great Home Mission stories
- Facebook campaign – to appeal to all ages!
- All Age Worship materials – written by a minister and his son, this online resource will include an animation
- 'Do 12 things' ideas sheet
And much more!!
It would be terrific if you would join the journey too!
As across our churches we continue praying, dreaming, sharing and giving more sacrificially... Just Imagine what God could do in mission and ministry at a time when there are so many opportunities to share the love of Christ in our communities!
Ephesians 3:20 “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...”
Just Imagine - Join the journey!
September 2011 saw the soft launch of a new 3 year Home Mission Project called Just Imagine. As representatives from the 13 Association Teams and the National Resource have developed this project, it feels like the beginning of an adventure, quite different from any previous Home Mission Promotional initiative.
Our prayer is that as Just Imagine gains momentum we will learn to love each other with greater compassion, care more deeply about what God is calling others to do, and this will move us to step out in faith and give with a new spirit of generosity as a Baptist people.
Our vision is that through posters, creative storytelling, interviews, fresh resources, opportunities to ‘just imagine’ and much more, our Baptist family will capture a fresh passion and understanding of what Home Mission is all about.
From late September churches will start to receive a set of 4 Just Imagine posters and the introduction page in new edition of Baptist Life will share more about the dream. In the New Year 2012 a Just Imagine DVD, All Age Worship material and bookmarks will also be available.
But in the meantime, start praying, dreaming and sharing... and imagining how God is already working through Home Mission and what God could do if we were able to give a little bit more.
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