net news

In this issue:
  1. Tim's mini-ramblings (introducing Jolyon Barker & "social justice" opportunity)
  2. SOCIAL JUSTICE OPPORTUNITY---20th November
  3. Leaders' Net news (sessions on 12th Nov-Jeff Lucas/11th Dec-Martin Scott)
  4. GENnet news update---weekend away/Christmas party
  5. Prayer net November session
  6. BLACK COUNTRY TRANSFORMATION INVESTMENT--amazing!
  7. LAUNCH of Stourbridge Food Bank
  8. Dudley Churches Together--news from DOSTI
  9. John Archer at Zion/Halesowen on 24th November
  10. World Prayer Centre- News Update - November 2007
  11. SHAKE, RATTLE & SOUL
  12. News from Christian Lawyers' Association
  13. We will not forget!
  14. Thanks from LOAVES N FISHES
  15. JOBS
 
Dear Black Countryites, Hello all. Hope you're doing well. Just a handful of weeks to go til Christmas, and then we're into the year of HOPE........'08! We trust that you are all aware of what HOPE '08 is all about, and we will shortly be distributing loads of publicity regarding our Black Country plans for those who choose to engage with us in it.......more on that very soon. KEY OPENING EVENT DATE----- "OPEN HOPE" ON FRIDAY 18TH JANUARY AT WOLVERHAMPTON CIVIC HALL WITH ANDY HAWTHORNE (Hope National Team) The idea of this is to gather as many people as possible from the four boroughs of The Black Country to catch the vision, get inspired and stand and celebrate together.                                         ------------------------------------------ Last time, we introduced Kevin Davis who shared about the growing SOCIAL JUSTICE vibes that are resounding around the area, and we are so excited at the prospects of what Jesus is clearly unfolding before us. Again, Hope '08 will open so many doors and create many, many opportunities for The Body of Christ to work together in a co-ordinated way, and to tackle many angles of social injustice which we are called to deal with (Isaiah 61), especially providing welfare for the poor and marginalized. Well, here below is another friend, Jolyon Barker, to tell you about one of the most exciting opportunities we may have been faced with in recent years, and something that every single on of us can engage with in one way or another. KEY DATE IN NOVEMBER----"Green Pastures---so what about The Black Country?"Tuesday 20th November--1930hrs---The Quality Hotel, Dudley. Imagine the opportunity and Kingdom potential in banishing HOMELESSNESS in your town/area??  Come and find out how, and how YOU can be part of a SOCIAL JUSTICE REVOLUTION in your area and in your generation! 
                                   
-------------------------------------------------
Do You Believe in Jesus? Calling all of you who have a heart for seeing action in our community, the Gospel at work.

Amos 5:21-24
I hate, I despise your religious feasts;?I cannot stand your assemblies.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,?I will not accept them.?Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,?I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs!?I will not listen to the music of your harps.?But let justice roll on like a river,?righteousness like a never-failing stream!

I'm not referencing the above scripture as a comment about anything that we collectively do or don't do - but rather to strongly underscore how vital it is to our Lord and God to see Social Justice. Below you will read about two different events which can be part of the 'never-failing stream' - its up to us. They are part of the move for Social Justice we must see if we want to see the Lord in our communities.


GREEN PASTURES

Pete Cunningham. Quality Hotel, Dudley. November 20th 7.30pm - 10pm (doors open 7pm).

On November 20th, we in the Black Country have a special opportunity to strengthen the flow of the river of justice, read on:

Can you see the broken and crushed being loved and rehabilitated?

Can you see ALL the street-homeless of the Black Country being given a place to call a home?

Can you see these people being nourished and redefined through the active and actual love of Jesus in action?

Can you see the real love of Jesus actually at work in your community??There is a lovely, humble man who can - and his name is Pastor Pete.

 
There are?no street-homeless people at all in Southport, Merseyside. Officially, unofficially, by any measure you care to use, homelessness has become history. Pete Cunningham is Pastor of Shoreline Church and founder of Green Pastures which now owns over 200 properties dedicated to housing the homeless.?It is successfully operated as a kingdom investment opportunity, working through local pastoral partnerships.

And now following a successful series of meetings over the past year, Pastor Pete is ?willing to journey with us here in the Black Country and is offering us the opportunity to draw together all those interested in Social Justice to start our own 'green pasture', meeting the needs of the poorest and the most oppressed in the region.

This is a very significant opportunity and if you are at all interested in how you, your organisation or your church could be knitting TOGETHER across the Black Country to catch the next move of Social Justice - then please be there - AND, most importantly, remember to invite all whom you think this applies to.

What to expect:

After a recap about the work of Green Pastures and the journey towards Social Justice and Entrepreneurialism we are embarked on here in the Black Country, Pastor Pete will present an idea as to how we can move forward with Green Pastures. This will be a local initiative that we will have ownership and responsibility for. Amongst other types it will need:

Pray-ers
Carers
Givers
Managers
Partners
Pastors
Investors
Savers
Trustees
Directors

There will be ample opportunity to ask questions and besides which there will some nibbles and an open bar too. Who could refuse? And we reckon we'll be wrapped by 10pm.

We already have around 50 booked in for this evening meeting so please let us know by 5pm 16th November by e-mail to?jolyon@businessnet.org.uk or SMS to 07711413800 whether you wish to attend as we will need to allocate space on a first come first served basis...

PLEASE READ THIS: I met a homeless person the other day in Wolverhampton and told him about Green Pastures. "Wow!" he said, "How can I get to Southport?".

But the real question is not how he can get to Southport, but how WE can reach out to him - now!

Don't miss this one please.
                                        ------------------------------------------------ So, there you go guys. You can never say that you weren't given opportunity to get involved at a grass roots level in this, so please come and see, and please tell others, especially those who carry a burden for social injustice---tell your friends, your leaders, your employers, whoever! This is very exciting, and only the first of many doors that The Lord will open for us AS WE DEMONSTRATE our obedience in following Him into the areas of society and community that He wowuld head for were He here in bodily form. Well, He is here in the form of A BODY, and we are hoping to act like Him more and more in the days ahead, but how wonderful would it be guys if that BODY worked, acted and followed Him TOGETHER???? TOGETHER 4 THE BLACK COUNTRY....this is your network......please help us see it work better. We continue to hope and pray that more and more of us catch the vision. Much love, Tim. 
SOCIAL JUSTICE OPPORTUNITY
GREEN PASTURES MEETING--20TH NOVEMBER, 7.30pm, QUALITY HOTEL, DUDLEY
Things are becoming clearer with regard to how we could possibly move forward as a group across the Black Country with Green Pastures. Pastor Pete has been in touch and has a clear suggestion to put forward. If you are at all interested in reaching out to the homeless or investing in a kingdom project from any of the following angles:

1) individually

2) together

3) corporately

then I would strongly suggest that you come along to attend this evening meeting, which will include details of a joint venture with Green Pastures.

We have some great momentum here in the Black Country amongst our various Community, Social Entrepreneurial and Voluntary networks - which are beginning to link well with business and the public sector. The general consensus is that this is an exciting and timely opportunity. All we need to do now is decide how we do it.

It would be great to see this somehow under the wider Social Entrepreneurial group umbrella - don't know how that happens yet.

Many of you have booked in already (but for the 21st) so please get in touch if:

a) you are booked in for the 21st but cannot make the 20th

b) you are not yet booked in and wish to do so.

I will send round a list of known attendees next week. We're looking for big numbers at this one guys and would encourage any of you who attended the breakfast 3rd October to invite any friends and associates who you think need to hear about this calling and opportunity.

together...

jolyon - 07711 413800
 
Leaders' Net news
 
---Next "extra" session on Monday 12th November from 1030-1300hrs with Jeff Lucas (DETAILS ALREADY SENT OUT AND AVAILABLE ON REQUEST IF NEEDED)
 
---December session on Tuesday 11th with Martin Scott at St Philip's C of E in Pennfields, Wolverhampton.....0930-1200hrs (lunch til 1pm)
 
BOOKING REQUIRED FOR BOTH via John at admin@thenet.org.uk or 01384 370365
GENnet news

gennet

Hi Guys,

  -Weekend Away

Great news, the weekend is now fully booked with 106 men, women, children & babies gathering together for an amazing time of fellowship, sharing, teaching, worship, prayer and of cause curry!!!

We are opening up a Sat only option (Limited spaces), if you want to come and join us for the Sat the costs are £12 for lunch only or £20 for Lunch and evening meal + of cause all that we are doing as a group!! If you are interested in this please let me know ASAP as I need to inform the centre of numbers

Date – 1st Dec 2007  Venue - Pioneer Centre, Cleobury Guest speaker - Martin Scott

Contact me on Cookie at cookie@thenet.org.uk if need be and please send the money to Cookie at The Net, c/o Amblecote Christian Centre, 102-103 Brettell Lane, Amblecote, Stourbridge, DY8 4BS.  Cheques made payable to The Net

  -GENnet Gathering

GENnet Christmas Quiz Night
Where: Himley Cricket Club, Dudley
When: Monday December 10th 2007
Time: 7:30pm
How much: £2 per person
 
Join the GENnet community for a good old fashioned quiz night.  Prizes will be awarded to the winning team and nibbles will be provided. Many a laugh is guaranteed so come along and show off your brains (or just hijack someone else’s!!)
 
NB: No more than 6 people in a team please!

Hope to see you at the weekend and/or the gathering!!

Love Cookie

On behalf of the GENnet Team

PRAYER NET - Please join us for our next Prayer Meeting on Wednesday November 21st  at 7.30 p.m. Dudley Christian Fellowship36 Salop StreetDudley    DY1  3AT  

BLACK COUNTRY TRANSFORMATION INVESTMENT

Some people might read this below and believe that it is just a co-incidence......others will read it, catch the prophetic stream behind it, and just believe that this might be an answer to many, many prayers.....read on.....what do you see????

A Million People: The Black Country as an Urban Park, the Black Country bid into the BIG Lottery Fund's 'The People's £50 million Contest' has been selected as one of four projects to go through to final stage of the BIG Lottery Contest to be decided by the people in a public VOTE on ITV in early December 2007.

www.blackcountryUP.co.uk

http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk/forum/people.php

£50 million, four competitors and only one winner

Find out about the projects looking for your vote in The People’s £50 Million Lottery Giveaway.

Online voting for The People’s £50 Million Lottery Giveaway will open at 9.00am on Monday 26 November 2007.

Until then, take a look at each of the projects competing for the People’s Millions to find out what each one will do with the money if they’re crowned the winner in December.

Black Country Urban Park

Project summary

pic1

A Million People: Black Country as an Urban Park is about the one million people who live there and their brave ambition to radically change the environment in which they live to enrich their lives and that of future generations.

The Black Country has a radical agenda for change over the next 30 years, aimed at making it a dynamic and desirable place in which to live, work, invest and visit. Focused on sweeping environmental transformation, it integrates natural and urban environments and will realise the potential of the area’s natural, built and historic assets. Community involvement will be integral to our success.

Workshop of the world

Investment in the Black Country will transform places and people, bring prosperity, and provide employment and learning opportunities: a better quality of life and lifestyle.

Our canals provide the backbone of our communities, interlinked by our network of natural green space borne from former pits, quarries and furnaces of the industrial revolution. Vast underground man-made limestone caverns and canals, which are potentially lost forever, will be opened up to create an amazing new visitor experience where you will travel by boat and rise to the surface by a funicular train. A new interpretation centre will explain how 400 million years of geology led to the Black Country becoming the ‘workshop of the world’.

Access for all

A ‘green bridge park’ will bring the countryside into our town centres – comprising of a 12-mile pedestrian, cycleway and bridleway with a visitor centre at the RSPB Reserve in the middle, linked by a new landmark bridge over the A41 and a low carbon footprint visitor centre at Barr Beacon offering fantastic views across the Midlands to Wales.

A Million People are ready to lead the way on opening up these hidden assets for everyone to enjoy and learn from and create the Black Country as an urban park.

FOOD BANK OFFICIAL LAUNCH

Chawn Hill Church, Chawn Hill, Stourbridge. November 16th 10am to 1pm. Address by Lynda Waltho MP.

Hunger is not just a 3rd world problem, from the street homeless above to those who cannot pay their mortgages in the 4 bedroomed detached - the need is everywhere. Working successfully with a network of referral agencies, Food Bank has fed over 200 people from across the Dudley Borough already this year.

This is the official launch of Food Bank and all are warmly invited.

How can you as an individual, agency or church connect with Food Bank and help it to grow so we can FEED THE BLACK COUNTRY with THE WORD, LOVE and the SPIRIT as well as FOOD?

RSVP to Wendy Fryatt by Monday 12th November on 01384 441519 or to?stourbridgefoodbank@chawnhillchurch.org.uk

Guys, may God continue to bless us. Something exciting is stirring in our region. As we are repositioned and reshaped, we believe there is a new outpouring of God's love in our communities and with it will come a move of God.

Dudley Borough Churches Forum---news from DOSTI

Dear Colleagues

The Dosti General Meeting will be held at the Savoy Centre, Northfield Road, Netherton DY2 9ES between 6.30 and 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday 14 November 2007.

There will be an opportunity for member networks to share their experiences including those involved in using the Axis of Influence. If we have issues and ideas we want to raise these need to be registered in advance - please let me know if you have anything you would like raised and I will pass it on.

There will also be a chance to chat informally over coffee with Dosti representatives on the Dudley Community Partnership about the latter’s activities. Finally there will be an opportunity to contribute to the development of Dosti’s action plan for 2008/9.

The meeting is open and so you will be very welcome. However, it is a condition of the Dudley Borough Churches Forum’s membership of Dosti that we are represented at its General Meeting. Please let me know if you plan to attend so that we can ensure that the Forum is represented.

If you have any queries or would like further information about Dosti or DCP, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Mike Mason.

jarcher

World Prayer Centre- News Update - November 2007

For leaders in the movement for prayer across British Isles and Ireland

Conference dates:

For England – Together: Our next gathering for leaders across England will be at Swanwick on 16-18th July 2008. Invitations will be sent out by email by end of November 2007. We will want to pray about the issues to do with the coastlands and gateways, and together seek God for the next few years up to 2012 etc.

His Isles 2: Our next gathering for leaders across British Isles and Ireland will be at Swanwick on 4-6th February 2009

Fire from the Isles:  This is an international conference being held on the Island of Jersey in the Channel Islands on 17th-23rd August 2008. Our aim is to draw people together to pray and seek God for an outpouring of His Holy Spirit in Jersey and on outwards into the UK and Europe.www.ruachministries.org/firefromtheisles. 

International Prayer Council and United Nations Prayer Initiative:

Representatives from Australia, S Pacific, SE Asia, Indonesia, India, Middle East, Russia, Eastern and Western Europe, Africa South and North America met together for 6 days in New York in Sept 07 to hear reports concerning the movement for prayer within each region. For example: Indonesia has over 5 million registered pray-ers; In India it is estimated that despite severe persecution 12,000 people become Christians every day with over 11 million baptised in the past 10 years. Government figures now put the number of Christians in China as 130 million. In Africa, the prayer movement across the continent has developed and 24-7 prayer watches are being set up in many nations.  At the 2 day United Nations Prayer Initiative, 500 gathered representing over 50 nations uniting in prayer for the UN, which included time when we were joined by 20 ambassadors.

Around our nations:  Scotland: Connecting Scotland took place from Easter to Pentecost for 50 days - ‘5,000 miles was covered, 18 ferry journeys, 251 locations at which we met and prayed for people, 45 evening rallies… all in all connecting with 8000 people and we handed out almost 250,000 Father’s Love Letters’…’I believe we have left behind a ‘connectedness’ in the body of Christ that is continuing to bring God’s people together in unity to make Scotland a place of commanded blessing’.  Full report: www.connectingscotland.com.

Jersey Prayer Network: continues to serve the Jersey Prayer Canopy and the Jersey Evangelical Alliance have now organised Trumpet Call Jersey prayer nights focussing on topics of major concern – December 2007 will focus on the work of the police force.

N Ireland:  There are so many prayer initiatives e.g. Hungry We Come days of prayer on lst Saturday of the month hosted by Christian Renewal Centre and Irish Prayer Association; Connect a quarterly weekend of continual prayer and worship enabling young adults to connect with God, with each other and with God’s heart for the land; 24-7 is moving forward; Transformations Ireland host bimonthly meetings in Stormont and Engage a weekly worship prayer event takes place in Coleraine. www.transformations-ireland.org

England: Devon held its first County Prayer Day in early October; the Cornwall Prayer Initiative continues to encourage prayer – there are some wonderful stories coming out of the South West. Leaders across Norfolk are building on the foundation of many years of prayer by asking churches to ‘adopt a week of prayer’ through 2008; London and Manchester continue to pray 24-7 for their communities and the nations.

More news from other nations next time.

Coastlands and Gateways

‘There was a great sense at the meeting of this being a very strategic prayer initiative birthed by the Holy Spirit, with people attending from all over the British Isles and Ireland.  It was an exciting day starting with a time of repentance, the sharing of how God had given the vision to raise up a prayer shield around the nations, prophetic input, and finishing with a time of powerful commissioning.  It was wonderful to hear how so many people felt they had been placed strategically in their coastal or gateway places as Watchmen. Sue Sinclair’.  Email sue.sinclair@blueyonder.co.uk or val.baskerville@tesco.net if you want to get involved.

Hope 08 update: 

As the 2007 Year of Prayer draws to a conclusion, it is awesome to see how God has continued to mobilise and spread the movement of prayer! We give him the thanks and the praise. The take up by churches and groups of churches engaging the Hope08 vision is remarkable - 910 locations which represents 1000s of churches, Hope Revolution with young people 18,000+ linked by mobile phone and Facebook. Prayer events will be taking place not only on 31st December but in many communities as Hope08 is launched in prayer in January 2008.  Hope Prayer Declaration has been produced for both large and small prayer events – access through www.worldprayer.org.uk or www.hope08.com

The 4th Global Day of Prayer – 11th May 2008:  We trust many will be able to link in where they are as we stop in the middle of May ‘Hope on the Streets’ to pray for our communities and our world. London has booked Millwall Stadium. To purchase the new resource DVD or to register your event, go to UK website: www.globaldayofprayer.co.uk.  For London details: www.gdoplondon.com.

Trumpet Call VII – 21 June 2008: Sounding the Trumpets of Hope

The publicity is out now!  Join us on the longest day of the year, for the largest prayer journey to raise a banner and make the biggest declaration during Hope2008.  For more info and to buy tickets:  www.worldprayer.org.uk.

Beijing to London:  A vision that aims to mobilise a movement of prayer, love and action in key cities all along the silk routes, through Europe, and back into London, within the next five years between and during the next two Olympic games (in Beijing 2008, and London 2012). To pray for, or get involved, email B2L: ilovesilk@oval.com.

Resources:

Friday Focus will be available to pray every Friday throughout 2008.  Download advance order form from Year of Prayer page at www.worldprayer.org.uk.

The Evangelical Alliance Advent prayer guide is now available to download if you would like to join in with daily prayer during Advent, from Year of Prayer resource page: www.worldprayer.org.uk.  

I’ll be back in touch in January 2008 with another Prayer News Update.

Thanks!

Jane Holloway

World Prayer Centre, 5 Ethel Street, Birmingham B2 4BG  Tel 0120 633 7393

E: prayer@worldprayer.org.uk   W: www.worldprayer.org.uk     

SHAKE, RATTLE & SOUL

At Amblecote Christian Centre, Brettel Lane, Amblecote -?An Evening of Soul, Motown and RnB.

On Saturday the 17th of November at 7.30 p.m we are having an evening? with the group Shake Rattle & Soul.. This is?a fantastic group of singers and musicians most of?whom are Christians who will entertain us with the?best in Soul, Motown and RnB.

Tickets are available at a cost of ?7.50 each with all?profits going to the Caminul Felix Orphanage in Romania.?A light finger buffet will be provided.

This will be a great night to bring friends to. This is?an evening of music only, no preaching!?Just a great relaxed environment.

PLEASE CONTACT CHURCH OFFICE ON 01384 370365?TO ORDER YOUR TICKETS...

News from Christian Lawyers' Association

News and Links to media coverage on Rally and March to commemorate 6.7 million aborted children on 40th Anniversary of Abortion Law

Headlines

We thank God for using The Rally so powerfully

Saturday 27th October, the 40th anniversary of the abortion law in the United Kingdom, was hailed as a success by the organisers, as an estimated 2000 people stood outside Parliament to listen to speakers including an MP, Pro life group leaders and a 17 year old girl who was nearly aborted.

The rain held off as many gathered to listen to opening speech by MP Jim Dobson. Jim Dobson, a member of the All Party Pro Life committee, recounted his view of how the Abortion bill initially became law in 1967. He ended by saying he felt the mood was changing in the nation, particularly by a new generation of doctors who are voting with their feet, and increasingly refusing to get involved in performing terminations for women.

Marion Bletchley a mother, gave a moving testimony of her choice to have an abortion many years ago which she has grown to regret ever since. Citing little opportunity to really discuss the options at the time, and peer pressure as a young working lady, she has latterly come to realise that she wishes she hadn’t made the choice she did. She later found herself pregnant again but this time chose to not abort and, despite difficulties, raised that child as a single mum.

Antoinette, a 17 year old - born to a disabled mum who was advised to terminate early in her pregnancy - took the microphone and proudly listed her artistic achievements and exam results. As she spoke she was a visual prophecy of what could have been many millions of times over for the children that have been lost to abortion since 1967. She pleaded that the government listen and realise that time had come to end abortion

March & Services

After further speeches from Pastor Ade Omooba, Julia Millington from Pro Life Party and Andrea Williams from Christian Concern for our Nation/Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship the crowd started a march towards Westminster Cathedral where the cathedral was packed for a service of commemoration. A powerful service also took at Westminster Chapel where the preacher Greg Haslem challenged the Church to stand for Truth in a society which had let go of biblical values.

Excellent Media Coverage

Throughout the day the event got excellent media coverage, with BBC News 24 and Sky News covering the story repeatedly over the day.

You can watch and read media reports of the event on our new CCFONtv Media Centre web page – including the reports from BBC & Sky, as well as links to the news paper articles from Sunday 28th’s editions at

http://www.ccfon.org/ccfontv.php

We have also uploaded an 11 minute video of the event showing many clips from the rally and march, including an interview from Andrea Williams. This is also on the CCFONtv Media Centre webpage above.

A selection of photos from the event can also be seen online on our website. http://www.ccfon.org/picturesoct7.php

If you do not want to receive anymore emails from Andrea Minichiello Williams please click on reply and put UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject field or Click here

If you need to contact Andrea please contact her on andrea@williamsa.force9.co.uk

Websites: http://www.ccfon.org and http://www.lawcf.org

Please consider financially supporting the work we do by making a donation: http://www.ccfon.org/home.php?id=145

LCF registered charity number 1017695

WE WILL NOT FORGET.....we cannot forget!

It is a matter of history that when Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight Eisenhower, found the victims of the death camps he order all possible photographs to be taken, and for the German people from surrounding villages to be ushered through the camps and even made to bury the dead.

He did this because he said in words to this effect: "Get it all on record now - get the films - get the witnesses - because somewhere down the track of history some ******* will get up and say that this never happened"

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke

In Memorial

This week, the UK removed The Holocaust from its school curriculum because

it "offended" that some of the Muslim population claims it never occurred.

This is a frightening portent of the fear that is gripping the world and how easily each country is giving into it.

It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended.
This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the
six million Jews,

20 million Russians,

10 million Christians

and 1,900 Catholic priests
who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated

while the German and Russia peoples looking the other way!

Now, more than ever, with many claiming the Holocaust to be "a myth,"

it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets.

This e-mail is intended to reach 40 million people worldwide!

Be a link in the memorial chain and help distribute this around the world.

Loaves 'n' Fishes (Rowley based project/mission)

Thanks to those of you who responded to the request on last netnews for help.....it is great to see the net-working. They now have a volunteer driver, as well as resources and ideas for Asian families who need help.


    vacancies