Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention

We welcome in a new year and pray God’s blessings will be upon us as we prepare to host our 78th Convention in August. Remember to put the dates in your new diary - Friday 21st through to Saturday 29th August.

Looking Forward

The Year Ahead

2015 is a significant year for two of our mission partners – OMF and Open Doors. OMF are celebrating 150 years having been established in 1865 as the CIM (China Inland Mission) by Hudson Taylor.

Open Doors originated in 1955, when a young Dutchman known as ‘Brother Andrew’ started smuggling Bibles across the Iron Curtain to the persecuted church.

We will be recognising both milestones in our programme. Jamie Taylor, who is currently working in China and is a direct descendent of the founder Hudson Taylor, has already been confirmed as a speaker by OMF.

Event

Closing night at the Waterfront Hall

2015 will also be a significant year for Worldwide as we move to the Waterfront Hall, Belfast for our closing night on Saturday 29th August.

Following our step of faith in 2011 which God blessed in a most marvellous way with a full house, we have decided that the time is right for a return visit. The keynote speaker will be Professor John Lennox and we will be joined by the New Irish Choir and Orchestra for what promises to be a great night. Tickets, priced £12.50, are available from the Waterfront Website.

Agency Update

FEBA sends 1,000 radios to combat Ebola

Feba UK has, in partnership with FEBC Australia, purchased over one thousand radios for distribution in Sierra Leone to deliver vital health messages to stop the spread of Ebola.

Feba’s Director of Partnerships, Stephanie Murray hopes that sending radios will not only help curb the spread of Ebola, but also benefit affected communities in other ways too.

Video

Biblica's Community Bible Experiment

From faraway lands, back to Bangor. Biblica’s Community Bible Experiment is changing people’s lives as families and communities get together for 8 weeks to read the books of the New Testament stripped away of chapters, verses and formatting. Jim, a member of Bangor Elim Church has shared his amazing story of how he came to faith through reading The Books of the Bible.

Prayer

Grateful for generous giving

Give thanks for the encouraging level of financial support which Bangor Worldwide received in 2015. Although the total of c £150,000 was slightly down on last year, it is still a considerable sum which we have the pleasure of distributing to over 140 mission agencies. Pray that this money will be an encouragement to these agencies and assist them in their work for the Lord.

Church Alive

Due to a difficulty in getting suitable venues for the appropriate dates in May, this year we, together with our partners Open Doors and Christianity Explored, have had to abandon plans to run the Church Alive event. This is a major disappointment and deprives us of an opportunity to publicise our programme for August.

Please pray for wisdom as we plan our publicity for the Convention – as we engage with our design consultants regarding our publications and that we will be guided to choose the appropriate media outlets. All this involves necessary expenditure and we need prayer for help in spending the money effectively.

Give thanks for a generous offer from Open Doors to distribute our literature during their 60th anniversary tour during February and March.

Youth Event

Please pray for a Worldwide sponsored youth event to be held in Hamilton Road Baptist Church on Friday 27th February. Remember Keith McIlwaine and the other organisers as they plan for the night and that it will be used to open young hearts and minds to mission.

Convention Committee

Continue to pray for the committee as we finalise the programme for 2015. Most aspects are now in place but we are looking at one or two new initiatives to complete the programme and as ever need guidance to make the right decisions on these.

UFM

Finally, give thanks for the safe return from a successful trip to Irian Jaya, filming for UFM, by our committee member Jonathan Sanlon. God answered many prayers as trip went very smoothly and we look forward to seeing the results in due course.

Highlights

Welcome