World Mission
At Rushmere Christian Fellowship there has always been a desire to serve the Lord in mission whether at home or abroad. Soon after the church was formed it was felt that as a church we should give regularly to mission as well as encourage people to participate in mission on a long or short-term basis. A committee was set up to make sure that the giving from the first Sunday in the month went to mission.
It was also decided that we should give 10 per cent of our overall yearly giving to mission. At the beginning the committee allocated funds from month to month and at the end of the year if there were funds over these would also be given to mission. During the last few years it was decided to support a few mission organisations on a more regular basis and after praying about it the mission team decided on 5 main projects to support each year. The team would highlight these special projects by having one of the 1st Sunday’s offerings for them.
The rest of the 1st Sunday’s offerings were allocated as the team felt led by the Lord. If there are any 5th Tuesdays in a month the team try to organise a special mission meeting at the Rushmere Village Hall in Humber Doucy Lane.
At present there are four people on the mission team: Irene Pickess (leader), Gordon Stone, Richard Jolley and Jackie Bloomfield.
Château Blanc:
One of the key overseas mission projects that RCF has partnered with over the last 10 years has been the Château Blanc in Thumeries, France.
At least one workgroup visits the Château each year to help with the restoration and maintenance of this 16th Century building owned by part of the international mission movement based in Wales, called World Horizons. A couple from RCF has recently returned to Ipswich after managing the Château for the last 3 years.
The Château, called ‘Centre Pour Les Nations’, is a place of prayer for France and other nations, a place for mission training, a centre for accommodation of groups from France and other countries and a base for other Horizons ministries involving church support and encouragement, youth work and evangelism. More information can be found on the World Horizons website: www.worldhorizons.org/
Operation Timothy:
We support Operation Timothy as another of our projects. This work is aimed at promoting the Christian faith is Eastern Europe and the former Soviet bloc, by Bible teaching, literature and support of the national workers.
Website address: www.operationtimothy.net
CYM:
We have enjoyed supporting a local outreach which is based in Ipswich called Christian Youth Ministries. This work seeks to encourage the young people to reach out in schools and churches in the local area. They have full time workers who go into local schools and take assemblies and R.E. lessons. They also run courses and encourage young Christians to work in evangelising other young people.
Website address: www.c-y-m.org.uk
Email: ian@c-y-m.org.uk
Inter-mission Care and Rehabilitation Society:
Imcares (as this mission is known) is working in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in India. This mission reaches out in many ways to the people of Mumbai seeking to show the love of Jesus to all people. They have pavement ministry, Day Care Centres, Joy Clubs and a Children’s Home. They also seek to reach those with HIV/AIDS with medical help and practical help where possible. We have supported this work for many years and several people have been out to India from RCF to see how where we can best help in the future and how money has been spent that has been given.
Website address: www.imcares.org
Email address: agape@imcares.org and timothy@imcares.org
Moshi Christian Children’s Centre, Moshi, Tanzania:
Moshi Christian Children’s Centre is a ministry providing for a variety of needs in the surrounding African community, especially in and around Moshi, Tanzania, East Africa. MCCC is run in association with CMML (Christian Mission in Many Lands), and the local social Welfare department, but reaches out across boundaries of race and religion to all kinds of children in need. The work of MCCC is divided into three main area’s. These are the children’s centre, a new outward bound / outdoor activities centre for young people and community work. Associated to this is the Berea Bible School.
The slogan adopted from the initial letters of MCCC is – ‘Making Children Count for Christ’ – is an unashamed attempt to explain what is done and why it is done. What is done primarily is the care of children.Their goal is to do the best they can for children in need of care assistance to prepare them for the future.
CMML and MCCC together with the Christian Brethren and Evangelical Churches that they represent, hold firmly to the principal of ‘faith missions’. In that they believe that God provides for the needs of His people and their ministries through the people of God, and occasionally through other sources, as God supremely moves and rules in peoples lives. In this respect most of the funding for the ministry comes to them through churches, mission service agencies, and individual sponsors as God challenges them to give.
