Bishop launches the ‘plant forHim’ appeal
Bishop Harold has launched an important new church planting appeal at the first night of the Bishop’s Bible Week in Shankill Church Lurgan.
‘plant forHim’ seeks to raise an immediate one hundred thousand pounds during the Bible Week and a total of one million pounds over the next few years.
This seed funding will be used to train church planters, diocesan evangelists and to enable new church plants to be set up in the areas that the diocese has already identified. There are immediate plans for The Braniel and Moneyreagh and other locations will unfold in the future.
Why now?
We realise that as a church we have lost touch with many working class areas and the problems they face. The tragic riots in our diocese at the turn of the year have been a powerful reminder of our calling in some of these areas, and our calling is to engage with and serve a new generation, not least of the people who used to own the title ‘Church of Ireland’.
We are also aware of new housing springing up which has no Christian witness in its midst. Our response to the fledgling community in the Titanic Quarter is one example of what can be done with faith, imagination and determination.
Our church planting must be intentional and long–term as we commit to the role of the church in the transformation of our society. We need your help.
Please give
We are encouraged that the people and the training are coming into place but funds are urgently needed to get things moving. Please prayerfully consider what you will give and especially to giving regularly by standing order. If you have not been able to attend the Bishop’s Bible Week, we will be making appeal envelopes available in the parishes and at other diocesan events. Alternatively, please contact the office by emailing dco@down.anglican.org.
Please pray
We will endeavour to keep you abreast of developments so that all our efforts are undergirded with prayer.