Mission

Christianity is not a Western religion, despite attempts by some to paint it as such. It originated in the Middle East, and although it's founder was a Jew (an historic faith which was, and still largely is, nationalistic), the church refused from day one to accept any distinction based on race. Its early spread to other cultures was helped by the migration caused by early persecution of Christians in the Roman province of Judea, and the later sacking of Jerusalem by Rome in 70 AD. But it was the dominance of the Roman Empire that also enabled Paul, a Roman citizen, to play such a significant part in the spread of the faith throughout Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and later to Rome.

The pattern of the spread of the church via persecution and following trade and travel, has continued throughout its history. The Pilgrim Fathers who left the UK in the 17th century for America did so to escape persecution for their faith and in so doing joined with similar groups from mainland Europe, thus ensuring a strong Christian influence in the founding of the fledgling USA. But it was Britain's role as a dominant trading nation in the 18th & 19th centuries that released Livingstone to Africa and Carey to India, and thousands in their footsteps.

The 3 superpowers of the 20th century have all played their part, wittingly or not. The profit motives that put Coca Cola into the language of every country in the world were paralleled by non-profit motives that put US Christians in schools and hospitals in those same countries. For Russia and China, the church has grown and spread against a background of persecution. Stalin banished millions to Siberia and death, but many found life along the way. Chairman Mao thought that by throwing out Western missionaries from China in 1949, he could capture the thoughts of the Chinese people. But 50 years on over 100 million Chinese Christians put the lie to any idea that the church is linked to a Western mind-set.

At Cairns Road we are pleased to regard ourselves as merely a small part of a global body. We have many links across the globe and locally, and seek to develop particular lines of support and partnership, including the following:

BISC (Bristol International Student Centre) 45 Woodland Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1UT www.bisc.org.uk

Bristol International Student Centre (BISC) is a Christian organisation linking the international students at Bristol's universities and colleges with local people and each other. It is a registered charity supported largely by local churches and offers friendship and events to students of all faiths and no faith.

The Feather family.
HOPAC, PO Box 70027, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania Website: www.aimeurope.net and www.hopac.net
Name: Richard and Nicola Feather Children: Thomas b. 20/11/90, Lucy b. 9/5/92, Anna b. 2/5/96
Mission: Africa Inland Mission UK
Location: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania since July 2003
Richard is Deputy Director at the Haven Peace Academy (HOPAC) in Dar Es Salaam. This is a day school which educates the children of missionary families in Dar Es Salaam, enabling tham to keep their children with them, but which has a wider emit to expat and Tanzanian familes. Nicola is teaching English as an Academic language at the school. The children attend the Academy.

Carol Green
Recta da Pena Bloco 1 2D, 4880-259, Mondim de Basto, Portugal.
Mission: Independent
Location: Mondim da Basto, Portugal since January 2005
Job: Now teaching English as a Foreign Language to aid church planting in the Basto region.
Previous Missions: 1997-2001, independent missionary in Portugal teaching English. February 2002-2004 taught English as a foreign language with WEC International at the Missionary Training College in Montes Claros, Brazil.

Tim & Bianca Hopcraft (working with Campus Crusade in Germany)
AGAPE mission web site: www.agapeeurope.org.org
Name: Tim Hopcraft
Mission: Campus for Christ
Job: Tim is working with Campus for Christ in Liepzig, Germany. He is part of an international team of young people who work among German students, evangelising and establishing discipleship groups. He has recently married Bianca, another member of the team.

Maki and Ruth Mico
CEF ALBANIA, Kutia Postare 249, Durres, Albania Mission web site: www.cefbritain.org
Name: Maki and Ruth Mico (nee Myerscough)
Mission: Child evangelism Fellowship, Albania
Location: Durres, Albania since 2002 (Ruth)
Job: Ruth is the daughter of David and Elaine Myerscough of Cairns Road. In 2002 she went to Albania with Operation Mobilisation to work with the Disciples Church in Durres, sent by Sawyers Church, Essex. She met Maki and they were married in December 2005 in Durres. Maki and Ruth work for the Child Evangelism Fellowship, Albania. They run Good News clubs to tell Albanian teenagers about Jesus; summer camps, and most recently have started Junior Youth Challange Clubs (for post Good news clubs students). Maki is also an elder at their church, 'Kisha e Dishepujve'.

Jon and Nic White
UMN web site: www.umn.org.np Jon and Nic left for Nepal in January 2008 with BMS (Baptist Mission Society) to serve the people of Nepal for 2 years through UMN (United Mission to Nepal). Jon is working with 'children at risk' and those with long term mental and physical challenges. Nic is using her accounting skills to help with planning and training at UMN. Before leaving they completed 3 months of training with BMS in the UK, and on arrival in Nepal, they are embarking on learning the language.

Tracey Crofts
www.medair.org Follow the link to the Uganda programme
Tracey is working with Medair, based in Kaabong, Uganda. She is working amongst the Karamojong people. The Karamoja region is the most north-eastern region of Uganda, and it is also the country's most remote and underdeveloped region. Kaabong, the location of the Medair base, is in the far north of Karamoja. Medair are working to increase the capacity of the Karamojong people so that they can manage their water and sanitation needs and establish a rapid emergency response capacity for disease outbreaks. Tracey is overseeing the Water User Committee and Hygene and Sanitation training programs. This involves field trips to remote communities and liaising with the district water and development officers. She joined the team in June 2007.

Huw and Mary Morgan
UMN Website: www.umn.org.np
PRIME Website: www.prime-international.org.uk
EHA website: www.eha-health.org
Since 2002 Huw and Mary have been working with PRIME, building the UK charity base and making recurrent trips to a variety of places in South and Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. Huw has been teaching health care professionals and Mary has been doing HR related work and an MBA. Their focus has especially been in India with Emmanuel Hospital Association, a large Christian NGO providing health care for the poor. They are going to Nepal in February 2008 to work with United Mission to Nepal (UMN) as long-term mission partners. Mary will join the leadership team of UMN as their Human Resources Director and Huw will continue with medical education work there (and in India) that he has already been involved in. They will be based in Kathmandu, with Interserve as their sending agency. UMN's mission is: 'To minister to the needs of the people of Nepal in the Name and Spirit of Christ, and to make Christ known by word and life, thereby strengthening the universal Church in its total ministry.'

Teddy and Didi Oprenov
Pirin St 35, Sofia 1618, Bulgaria Bulgarian Partners Website: www.bulgarianpartners.org

Children: Ann-Marie b.1992, Sophie b.2000 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria Since: 1998 Job: Teddy is Pastor of Sofia Baptist Church and General Secretary of the Baptist Union in Bulgaria. He is also President of the Good Samaritan Foundation (a relief charity based in the church) and on the Committee of the Evangelical Alliance of Bulgaria. Didi is President of the Baptist Women's Organisation. The couple came to Bristol to study in 1996 and a partnership was formed between their church and Cairns Road which is renewable every 5 years. Recent partnership events have included a marriage weekend in Bulgaria, a visit here by the Bulgarian youth team and last summer a joint weekend conference in Bulgaria. In addition Sofia Baptist Church is in the process of building a new church and Social Centre and a trust has been set up in the UK for fundraising. Geoff Wallis of Cairns Road is the Honorary Secretary of this.

The Pratten Family
YWAM, Highfield Oval, Ambrose Lane, Harpenden, Herts. AL5 4BX Mission website: www.ywam.uk.com

Name: mark and Julia Pratten Children: Hannah b 1998, Abigail b 21.12.01 Mission: YWAM (Youth with a Mission) Location: Harpenden, UK Since: 2001 Job: In 1995 Mark and Julia were sent out by Cairns Road to work on the Mercy Ship, Annastasis. They returned to work at Mercy Ships uk Office based at YWAM HQ in Harpenden. In 2001 they joined YWAM to work on their Discipleship Training Seminars at HQ. In 2002 they became Personnel and Staff Care Co-ordinators. They still help in the background with the Discipleship Training School, supporting staff pastorally.

Claudia
Mutley Baptist Church, Plymouth
uccf website: www.uccf.org.uk
Mission: uccf:the christianunions
Claudia was a student in Bristol and after graduating, served with BISC (the Bristol International Student Centre). She is now the UCCF staff worker in Plymouth. She supports the Christian Unions at the university and Marjons College to encourage them to reach the many students in the city for Christ. The vision of the work is seeing students coming to faith, growing and graduating as disciple-makers in the world.

Erik and Joanna Stensland with Luke
508 St. Vrain Lane, Estes Park, CO 80517 Website: www.thestenslands.com

Name: Jo (Joanna) an Erik Stensland, Luke Benjamin born 15.08.04 Mission: Independant. (Was Bethany Fellowship Missions till 2006) Location: At present in USA. Since: 1992-2003 Balkans; 2004-2006 USA Job: Jo came to Cairns Road as a student in 1986. After their marriage in 1992 Jo and Erik (American) worked in the Balkans. Erik has just completed an MA in Organizational leadership in USA and is running a photography business to support the family. They are now exploring in what ways they could be serving God in the future. Jo assists in the rental business she started in Allenspark and also volunteers her administrative skills at their church. Previous mission: They first worked in Albania as administrators of the Albanian Evangelical Fellowship Alliance (VUSH), notably organising relief teams to work with international organisations during the Kosovo crisis. In Jan 2000 they moved to Pristina to organise the united effort of the evangelical community in Kosovo and to set up a coordination and network centre for relief, development and church-planting called AIM (Association of International Missions). This gives opportunities for cooperation and joint projects and offers services to the missionery community.

Fred and Jan Beam (Children's Ministries, AIM International)
5237 Deerfield Avenue, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA 17050 Fred and jan worked for many years in Kenya with AIM. Fred became International Director of AIM, based in Bristol and they worshipped at Cairns. In 2002 they moved back to USA where Fred became AIDS Coordinator for the mission. They now have a ministry in USA teaching children about mission, Africa and AIDS.

Short Term Opportunities.

Interested in GAP year opportunities or short term working teams? The Missions Team can give you addresses of organisations who take Gap year students and there are many individuals in the church with short term experience. Please see a member of the Working Group who can help you get started. In the past, members of Cairns Road have organised working teams in South Africa, India, France and Bulgaria. Watch out for new opportunities.

Urban Mission

Cairns Road is a supporter of re:Source - an exciting new urban ministry project.
It has three main components:
1. Building the capacity of urban churches in Bristol to carry out creative ministry in their own communities,
2. Providing ministry experience and training in diverse inner-city areas and large urban estates,
3. Promoting partnerships between resource poor churches in urban areas and resource rich churches
An important element of the re:Source vision is to provide a year of training and experience for Christians who are interested in living and working in urban areas or those who want to explore full or part time ministry in such areas.
re:Source Bristol is associated with, and sponsored by, a number of regional and national organisations.
The Baptist College: The location of Bristol Baptist College in North Bristol has lead to close links between the college and local churches. The College is partnering with re:Source Bristol to deliver a BA (hons)/Diploma in Mission on the Edge.
The West of England Baptist Association (WEBA): WEBA is the regional association representing about 120 Baptist churches. WEBA has partnered with the local cluster of churches in developing the initial idea of re:Source Bristol. The project has been established and developed as a sub-group of a WEBA committee which gives it regional accountability and ownership.
Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB): re:Source Bristol is part funded by BUGB (Home Mission) who have been very supportive in its development. The steering group for re:Source Bristol includes both Terry Jones (BU) and Nigel Coles (WEBA) giving a strong sense of national and regional ownership and accountability.
Mainstream: Mainstream is a national Baptist movement connecting leaders and churches for mission. It is working with re:Source Bristol to help develop the quality of networks needed for good development of the organisation.
To find out more, visit the re:Source web site: www.resourcebristol.org

Websites!! Interested in finding out more about individuals and organisations represented here? The check out their website!

AIM-UK: www.aimeurope.net
BISC: www.bisc.org.uk
Bulgarian Partners: www.bulgarianpartners.org
Stenslands: www.thestenslands.com
YWAM UK: www.ywam.uk.com
Agape: www.agapeeurope.org
Child Evangelism Fellowship: www.cefbritain.org
PRIME: www.prime-international.org.uk
EHA www.eha-health.org
re:Source www.resourcebristol.org

Interested in supporting a mission or overseas worker financially?

A proportion of Cairns Road's giving each year is allocated to mission work. From time to time the church feels led to give special gifts of money, either to those mentioned above, ot to others who have particular needs. Please speak to Mike or a Working Group member if you hear of needs concerning overseas workers.

We are passionate about justice and host regular events to promote Fair Trade and other causes that seek to reduce world poverty.

We also linked with other Baptist churches in Bristol. In particular, we partner with churches that are located in challenging areas of this city, or who are faced with difficult circumstances.

We are committed to the "re:source" project, a city wide scheme of partnership and training that provides increased support between the churches. (See www.resourcebristol.org)

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