The 2013 FIEC Leaders’ Conference was held at Hemsby, on the East Norfolk Coast, from November 4 –7.
Numbers this year (477 delegates) were up by over a third and the whole conference was happy, deeply encouraging and God-honouring. The conference title was ‘The Power of God’, and by Bible ministry, prayer, praise, and sharing joys and burdens we all left feeling strengthened to do the work of the gospel in our churches.
Invest your suffering
John Stevens, Bobby Warrenberg, Jonty Allcock and Paul Mallard brought excellent preaching to the main sessions. Paul and his wife Edrie spoke movingly about how much the Lord has taught them through Edrie’s long illness. Many bought Paul’s excellent Invest new book, your Suffering, which explores suffering from the Mallards’ personal perspective, and which would provide real help for both believers and unbelievers.
The seminars covered a range of pastoral and church leadership issues. The largest attended was led by Andrew Heard, who heads up the Australian FIEC. His church, EV Church on the Central Coast in New South Wales, has achieved great impact in its community and beyond. The biblical lessons he shared on leading for gospel growth were seasoned through experience and much appreciated. Andrew challenged leaders to embrace a ministry which is principled, structured and ambitious. His ministry wasn’t always comfortable, but was widely appreciated for making us examine our hearts and ministries. Amongst the good selection of other seminars Richard Borgonon led a session on his new The Word: One to One material, written with William Taylor of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate. These short books are designed to help us read John’s Gospel one to one with non-Christian friends who have had no exposure at all to Christianity.
All in all this was an excellent conference, purposeful yet relaxed, refreshing and very friendly. FIEC is a great place to be in at this time, and the conference proved again that it is the natural place for gospel churches to find like hearts and ministries — and plenty of encouragement! Next year’s conference is from November 3–6.
IPNA: don’t annoy me!
A new campaign group was launched in late November to address the problems around the new anti-social behaviour Bill currently progressing through Parliament, and the introduction of the ‘IPNA’.
Called ‘Injunctions Preventing Nuisance or Annoyance’, IPNAs are designed to replace two sanctions. Firstly, ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders), orders which for some young recipients had become a badge. Secondly, a less well known but similar order for dealing with anti-social tenants.
Unlikely grouping
It is the combination of these two under the IPNA banner and the weak drafting of the legislation that has brought together groups like The Peter Tatchel Foundation, The National Secular Society and The Christian Institute. They are campaigning together against the IPNA as concern over it is so widespread.
No criminal record will result from being given an IPNA. However, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, Lord MacDonald, says that the lack of safeguards could lead to many ordinary people facing court action as almost anything is capable of causing a nuisance. Even a police association have called for the test to apply an IPNA to be narrowed.
With the ‘Insult me’ clause most likely to be removed from law in February, this new, and perhaps larger threat in the form of an IPNA has had very little publicity. However, the group: ‘Reform Clause 1: Feel Free To Annoy Me’, a joint initiative of The Christian Institute with support from those other groups listed and other civil liberty groups, aims to highlight the huge gaps in its construction which could result in ‘open season’ to those hostile to evangelism.
