'Everyone is a mission partner'
Edward Howard writes about the mission of St. Andrew's Church, Oxford
Having worked in an international charity 11 years in southern Africa, I came to Oxford and St Andrew's became our family's spiritual home in Oxford.
Rev Andrew Wingfield Digby, the vicar of St Andrew's, says, "Part of our vision statement at St Andrew's is entitled resourcing mission. Mission, especially overseas mission, is high on our agenda as a church and we support some 20 or more Mission Partners in varying degrees.
Various criteria govern our level of support and generally we require people to be church members for a least two years before they go or receive financial support. This means we have got to know them and can vouch for them but also they know us as more than just a money stream. Our missions support is channelled through individuals who have gone out from the church with our blessing. We generally do not make donations to mission agencies unless there is this personal contact. Each Mission Partner is supported by a house group of the church; we hold an annual mission week dedicating two Sundays to missions emphasis and having a gift day as part of it. We also support UK missions and there are working groups managing both areas of mission which report to the PCC.
But like many churches we try to teach that everyone is mission partner and we all have a mission of personal evangelism to fulfil."
One such mission is based at the Christian Community Church Mission in Sierra Leone.
Pastor Yatta Samura became a Christian in 1977 from a Muslim background. After pastoring for 12 years he was called to launch the Christian Community Church Mission, with emphasis on church planting, and leadership and community development, working with people of all faiths. The ministry has several churches, 15 trained leaders, community, sport and schools projects.
Pastor Yatta Samura writes “God is doing a new thing in this Nation and we are availing ourselves to be use of him. Our government published an agenda for change.
"Our sports ministry programme had the opportunity to do team building with our U23 Soccer Team before they play against Liberia in the Olympics elimination. We also did a holiday club for children; we planned for 150 children and had over 200."
The village of Maima and surrounding villages had no schools. The St Andrews School project was started with charitable funds on a "seed corn" basis in 2004. A school extension funded by the Sierra Leonean Government four years later was a real endorsement for both this school and the model of such schools being adopted by the Government once the school has established a track record of providing good education and meeting the needs of the local community.
Edward Howard is a member of St. Andrew's Church, Oxford, UK, who support him as a volunteer with Faith2Share working at our Oxford office.