Bunyan Baptist Church, Stevenage

Mission

As a church, we try to take seriously Jesus' instruction to His disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations". This is worked out through support for those involved in world mission, particularly members of the church who respond to God's call to serve him in mission, whether in the UK or elsewhere.

We actively support:

• The Baptist Missionary Society

• Wycliffe Bible Translators

 

• Samaritan's Purse (Shoebox Appeal)

• Mission Aviation Fellowship

• Church Missionary Society

 

• Christian work via two of Stevenage's twin town links:

Kadoma, Zimbabwe

Shimkent, Kazakstan

• All Nations Christian College

• Bridgebuilders
• Cornerstone

 

• Baptist Union Home Mission Fund

• Habitat for Humanity

Baptist Missionary Society

Our support for BMS is:

• through our link missionaries, John & Norma Clark, who are in Ecuador developing a country-wide mission leaders' programme;
• through regular church giving to BMS;
• through support for the BMS Birthday scheme and other personal giving;
• by way of occasional gifts to the BMS Relief Fund.

BMS link: www.bms.org.uk

Wycliffe Bible Translators

The church takes a keen interest in the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Until recently the church supported Jodie Whiteley, who was a member working at their headquarters at Horsley's Green, Buckinghamshire.

Wycliffe link: www.wycliffe.org.uk

Samaritan's Purse (Shoebox Appeal)

For several years, members of the church have responded to the annual Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Appeal, now organised by Samaritan's Purse. Shoeboxes have been filled with toys, sweets, writing materials, gloves and much more to be sent as Christmas gifts to needy children around the world.

Samaritan's Purse link: www.samaritanspurse.org.uk

Mission Aviation Fellowship

The church supports one of our families - Derek & Ruth Hyde and their children - who are serving with MAF in Kampala, Uganda.

MAF link: www.maf.org

Church Mission Society

One of our members, Dr Ruth Hulser, is serving in Tanzania with CMS. Ruth is involved in primary health care and preventative medicine.

CMS link: www.cms-uk.org

Stevenage Twin Town Links

Stevenage is twinned with towns in four countries and the church has had links with two of them, Shimkent, in Kazakstan, and Kadoma, in Zimbabwe. The main current link is between groups of young people from churches across Stevenage (Cornerstone) and a similar group in Kadoma (Sungano). There have been exchange visits between the groups and a further visit to Kadoma is planned for August 2007.

Cornerstone, together with the Stevenage Kadoma link, has a vision to equip Kadoma. This summer (2007) they will be working together with Sungano to look at refurbishing an old beer hall and turning it into a fully equipped sport, youth, and training centre.

They also plan to look at projects involving schools, churches, youth council, dance/drama groups, the old peoples home (which is now in new premises), sports projects, a candle-making project, development of the tuck-shop, opportunity to give the young people of Kadoma the chance to experience a youth camp.

Cornerstone link: www.konnected.org.uk
Stevenage-Kadoma Link Association: www.skla.org

All Nations Christian College

The church has been encouraged, and its interest in world mission enlarged, by its links with ANCC in Ware. Regular student teams placed in Bunyan help with youth work, assist in Sunday School, share in Sunday services and work with the church in a variety of ways.

ANCC link: www.allnations.ac.uk

Bridgebuilders

As a church we support and benefit from the ministry of Bridgebuilders, who work with school-age children in Stevenage and seek, more generally, to encourage churches to find ways of 'building bridges' between churches and the local community.

Bridgebuilders link: www.bridgebuilderstrust.org.uk
email: enquiries@bridgebuilderstrust.org.uk

Cornerstone

Cornerstone exists to give young people the opportunity to know and follow Jesus. It works in schools, with young people on the streets, and with young people who attend its arts project in the Old Town; runs football teams and a non-alcoholic mobile bar; and is setting up a new youthwork forum for church youthworkers in Stevenage.

Cornerstone link: www.konnected.org.uk

Baptist Home Mission Fund

The church supports the work of Home Mission Fund, which provides support to smaller Baptist churches, community programmes and Baptist ministers. It also funds evangelists, chaplains, youth workers, regional ministry teams and adult education officers, all to enable the Christian message to be spread throughout the UK.

Home Mission Fund link: www.baptist.org.uk

Habitat For Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is a non-denominational Christian charity working in 100 countries around the world to eliminate poverty housing. Volunteers from all backgrounds, races and religions work to build homes together with the families who need them. One of our members, Yvonne Coleman, has recently served as a fundraiser with Habitat for Humanity in Maputo, Mozambique.

Habitat for Humanity link: www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk