Moved to St. Ann’s
We (the Farmer Family) have just moved house and are renting in St. Ann’s, Nottingham (moved 1st Nov 08)
We have moved specifically to be a Family (community) on Mission. The Spirit sent us here to be church in the area and to see communities of Freedom multiplied throughout the inner-city that:
‘Restores Broken People+Places’
Latest Notts Statistics
Latest Nottingham population figures* (November 2007)
Ward Population (2005):
Arboretum 12,310
Clifton South 13,600
Aspley 16,540
Dales 15,020
Basford 15,430
Dunkirk and Lenton 11,900
Berridge 17,530
Leen Valley 9,780
Bestwood 15,900
Mapperley 14,040
Bilborough 16,240
Radford and Park 17,660
Bridge 10,780
St. Anns 15,180
Bulwell 15,990
Sherwood 14,650
Bulwell Forest 13,640
Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey 10,260
Wollaton West 14,050
Mapperley and Wells Road 5,130
Beechdale 5,540
Meadows 7,870
Bell’s Lane Estate 2,960
Moor Green 660
Bestwood Estate 3,340
New Basford 5,860
Bestwood Park 7,210
Nobel Road 1,240
Bilborough 9,430
Old Basford 7,680
Broxtowe 4,860
Park 2,270
Bulwell 22,020
Radford 6,670
Bulwell Hall 2,180
St. Ann’s 14,420
Carrington 3,130
St. Ann’s Phase 10 860
City Centre 3,240
Sherwood 11,680
Clifton Estate 19,070
Snape Wood 2,930
Clifton 22,320
Sneinton 10,100
Crabtree Farm 2,080
Strelley 2,560
Dunkirk and Old Lenton 3,630
Top Valley 6,840
Edward’s Lane 1,830
Whitemoor 4,450
Forest Fields 6,580
Wilford and Silverdale 4,150
Highbury Vale 4,520
Hyson Green 6,500
Wollaton Park Estate 2,410
Lenton Abbey 2,050Lenton 11,220
‘Freedom’ Gathering (Oct 08)
Hey Freedom People and Friends and Family,
The whole Freedom Community will be gathering on:
Date: Sun 5th Oct 08
Time: 11:45-2:00pm
Place: Riverway Pub, Arkwright Walk, Meadows, Nottingham
This is an opportunity to hear about what Jesus is doing through us in the local simple churches networked throughout Nottingham City.
It’s also a chance to meet up with others from Freedom’s Extended Family
Look forward to seeing you there,
The Farmers
How Can We Reach People?
Identify your Networks:
1. Home
2. Work
3. Leisure
Write down the names of those you know who do not yet know Jesus.
Where are they in their Journey towards Jesus? (check out post entitled ‘Process Evangelism’)
Consider the following:
1. Friendship/Relational Evangelism (Matt 9:9-13)
Do you have relationship with people from your neighbourhood, work, leisure or other that are pre-Christian?
The ‘Good News’ spreads most effectively from person-to-person, in others words, through relationships!
This means establishing real relationships with others
Do you spend time with non-christian friends?
Are you a ‘Friend of Sinners’ (as Jesus was described?)
2. Prayer Evangelism (1 Cor 10:3-5)
Do you pray for your non-Christian friends and family, neighbours and work colleagues?
Are there thought patterns or life-styles you know are blocking them from receiving Jesus?
Try prayer walking your area (specifically praying into issues you see and releasing Gods blessing)
3. Lifestyle Evangelism (1 Peter 2:12)
Does your life represent Jesus?
Are you Passionate about Jesus,
Authentic in your relationship with Him and others
Compassionate to the lost and poor?
4. Kindness Evangelism (Matt 5:16, Rom 2:4)
It’s the Kindness of God that leads people to repentance
What can you do to show kindness, generosity and creativity to those around you?
5. Prophecy and Power Evangelism (1 Cor 14:24, 1 Cor 4:20)
Do you take opportunities to pray for those around you?
Do you depend on the Holy Spirit in your witnessing?
Who can we Reach?
As approx 80% of Christians say they came to faith as a process through friends and family, start with being a witness to the people you know. There are 3 areas/mission fields that can immediately be considered:
1. Home (your pre-christian family members, your neighbours)
2. Work (your pre-christian colleagues at work, college, school etc)
3. Play (where you go to relax, leisure etc)
Process Evangelism (How do People Find Faith?)
How do people find faith?
Statistics in the Uk have shown the following, approx:
1% come to faith through ‘crusade/city-wide evangelism’
1% through door2door
1% through personal crisis/trauma
3% through ‘cold contact’ with a church (through weddings, funerals, blessings etc)
3% through local ‘evangelistic events’ (such as healing meetings, concerts etc)
5% through ‘childrens ministries’
7% through a ‘church leader’
80% through ‘friendship evangelism’ (came to Jesus through friend or family)
What’s more, approx 70% said coming to faith was a gradual process
compared to approx 30% having a sudden crisis-conversion experience
Many have discussed a tool that views evangelism as a process: the ‘Engle-Scale’
If you were to think of a scale from 0-10
(0=those who have no understanding or desire for Jesus and 9 being those who have understanding, have thought through the implications and are ready to commit to following Jesus as the Way)
Roughly where is the person or people groups at along the scale that you are seeking to be witnesses to?
0-4?
4-7?
7-10? on the Engle Scale?
A Strategy could comprise the following:
0-4 Build Friendship with the person and sow seeds of kindness
4-7 Begin to share basics of the Good News of Jesus
7-10 Offer to pray for and invite your friend to ‘reaping events’ such as Alpha Weekends, Healing Meetings, Housechurch etc
House of Prayer (Sept 08)
We are gathering another ‘House of Prayer’ in September 08 for the church in Nottingham
Place: Brigdway Methodist Church (‘life@thecentre’), Meadows Precinct, Meadows, Nottingham
Date: Saturday 6th Sept 08
Time: 12-4pm
Purpose: To be a ‘House of Prayer for all Nations’
We will gather to:
1. Pray for the City
2. Pray for the Region
3. Pray for the Nation
4. Pray for Revival
Who Evangelises?
Is evangelism the domain of Evangelists?
What I mean is, are they the only ones who are called to evangelism?
Why do some people say things like; ‘I am not called to evangelize, or do evangelism?’
It would seem clear that an evangelist does evangelism
But isn’t the evangelists job to ‘equip the saints to do the work’ (Eph 4:11-12)?
What would an evangelist train/equip the people to do other than evangelize?
Are all people Evangelists?
Clearly not, as it says that Jesus sends some people as Evangelists (Eph 4)
So what does all this mean?
There are the few that are Evangelists (the word evangelist is only mentioned 3 times in New Testament)
Then there are all the Saints (all those who follow Jesus as Lord), these people are all witnesses
The Evangelists responsibility is to evangelise and to train the saints to witness effectively
So all are witnesses (Acts 1:8) but some witnesses are called to be Evangelists
Who evangelises?
We do!
‘Freedom’ Gathering (Sept08)
Hey Freedom People and Friends and Family,
The whole Freedom Community will be gathering on:
Date: Sun 7th Sept 08
Time: 11:45-2:00pm
Place: Riverway Pub, Arkwright Walk, Meadows, Nottingham
This is an opportunity to hear about what Jesus is doing through us in the local simple churches networked throughout Nottingham City.
It’s also a chance to meet up with others from Freedom’s Extended Family
Look forward to seeing you there,
The Farmers
