Issue 51 Winter 2015

www.cmsireland.org

Christmas Presence: The importance of being there

Inside this edition

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The power of presence Shining as stars

Being there Making money count

Global Partners (by country)Burundi Dioceses of Gitega & Matana

DR Congo Dioceses of Bukavu, Kindu & N. Kivu

Egypt Diocese of Egypt

Kenya Diocese of Kajiado; Urban Development Programme, Nairobi

Nepal Human Development Community Services; SD Church

Rwanda Dioceses of Kibungo & Shyogwe

South Sudan Dioceses of Ibba, Kajokeji, Maridi & Yei

Uganda Dioceses of Luwero & Madi West Nile

Zambia Diocese of Northern Zambia

Mission PartnersRory & Denise Wilson, with Gideon Luwero Diocese, Uganda

Paul & Tania Baker, with Lana Luwero Diocese, Uganda

Ronnie & Maggie Briggs Kajiado Diocese, Kenya

Mission AssociatesIsabelle Prondzynski UDP, Kenya

Deirdre & Mark Zimmerman, with

Zachary & Benjamin Nepal

Alison Gill Province of Burundi

contents

ContentsinmissionWinter 2015

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Short-Term Experience PlacementsNigel and Carol Weallans Ibba Diocese South Sudan (January-August 2016)

Jade Irwin Kiwoko Hospital, Uganda (January-March 2016)

StaffLinda Abwa Partnership Coordinator

Rachel Brittain Mission Resource Coordinator

Anne Buckley Finance Assistant

Jenny Christie Administration Coordinator

Roger Cooke Mission Resource Manager

Brian Lavery Finance Manager

Gillian Maganda Personnel Coordinator

Jenny Smyth Mission Director

Roger Thompson Partnership Coordinator

Kelly Yates Partnership Coordinator

Board of TrusteesRev Adrian Dorrian (Chair)

Robbie Syme (Vice Chair)

Trevor Buchanan

Rev Caroline Casserly-Farrar

Dr Elaine Elborn

Shane Fitzpatrick

Canon Brian Harper

Norman Jackson

Rev Dr Paddy McGlinchey

Philip McKinley

Niall Manogue

David Reynolds

David Shepherd

our peopleEditorial God’s presence for all

The power of presenceJenny Smyth shares some personal reflections on our theme

Being thereFour short stories to help show the potential of presence

HarrietA story by Tania Baker

Shining as starsRachel Brittain offers some thoughts about the CMSI family

Standing with CMSIA call to join us as we renew our membership focus

Making money countShining a light on CMSI’s General Fund

SnippetsNews from CMSI

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Published by CMS Ireland www.cmsireland.org

Issue 51 Winter 2015

www.cmsireland.org

Christmas Presence: The importance of being thereInside this edition

4

136

16

The power of presenceShining as stars

Being there

Making money count

facebook.com/cmsireland@cmsireland

Cover image: Magi – part of a range of Christmas cards, produced by Arua Home Crafts in Uganda and available from CMSI’s Marketplace.

Larger print versions of the magazine pages are available by contacting CMSI’s Belfast Office.

with us, with others

Various offerings ensued, some more serious than others. The visit of the Magi was a touch ambitious. The opening 14 verses of John’s gospel seemed a little long. The slogan ‘God is for life, not just for Christmas’ (you’re welcome) was more positively received than the bumper sticker classic, ‘Carpenter from Nazareth seeks joiners.’

Personally, at this time of year, I would always opt for ‘God with us’. To me, that’s the central message of the Christmas story and it’s one I keep coming back to. It’s a message full of hope and brimming with possibility. It resonates just as much for us today as it did for those shepherds and kings, centuries ago, who visited the stables in the City of David.

The Sovereign God, the Holy One, the Eternal King, Yahweh… this God is with us. He meets us where we are. He stands with us in the midst of suffering, He rejoices with us in times of celebration, He enters into our pain and brokenness. He comes close. He is present. We see that not just in Bethlehem, but throughout the whole biblical story.

He’s there at the beginning, walking in the garden, seeking out His people. He appears to Abraham

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During a recent lunchtime discussion in CMSI’s Belfast office, Jenny asked for suggestions for a Christmas display on the front wall of the Smyth’s home in Moira. It seems there’s a large area of bare wall, which is clearly visible from the main road into the town: a perfect opportunity for an illuminated feature or message.

in the form of three mysterious visitors. He speaks to Moses ‘face-to-face’ and reveals Himself to Elijah in a gentle whisper. For God, presence is important. And in Jesus, we see this truth take flesh.

In John’s Revelation of the final times, we read:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Rev 21:3)

Presence is fundamental to the working of God’s Kingdom, which means you and I have a part to play. We’re called to be there, to draw near and allow God to work though us, as our presence touches on others.

This Advent edition of inMission is packed full of stories of presence. There’s also some suggestions of how you can continue to ‘be there’ with CMSI. We hope that you are encouraged, inspired and enriched as you read!

Roger CookeEditor

inmissionWinter 2015 The power of presence

Page 4 Photo: Esse

the powerof presence

A reflection by Jenny SmythCMSI Mission Director

Thinking back over the years I spent as a Mission Partner – first young and single, going out to Uganda as it began to painfully emerge from many years of civil war and chaos, then 15 years later moving as a family, with two young children, into Sudan, another country struggling to lay down the weapons of war – I am left wondering: what diamonds have been forged; what precious memories glint with ‘God light’?

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Firstly, Esse comes to mind: an elderly, destitute, Jesus-filled woman, who sensed my need of friendship. She would come sporadically to visit, to share a cup of tea, to pray, to sleep on the sofa, to simply be there for me. She named me ‘Kirabo’ – Luganda for ‘gift’. In reality, she was God’s gift to me. Through her, I sensed the importance of simply ‘being with’. Human being. The power of presence.

Then, I think of Nightingale, a larger than life, colourful and enormously warm person, radiating God’s love, a passion for people with disabilities. Nightingale took me to visit a friend one day. We squeezed into the cab of a tiny, battered pickup with a driver who had aspirations.

We set off at a tremendous pace, scattering gravel, chickens and clouds of dust in our wake. Three hours later, the road dwindled to a footpath and we arrived. Whoops of joy rang out from the tiny mud home and Peace came staggering out to meet us, rank and buzzing with flies, incontinent, saliva down the rag of her dress. Nightingale stretched her arms wide as Peace threw herself forward, enveloping her. Acceptance. Love. The power of presence.

God calls us to be present with one another, for one another, just as He was present for us in the manger: God incarnate.

Later, married and living in Arua, northwest Uganda, we had a wonderful neighbour, Bishop Seme of Yei, Sudan. Living in exile, recovering from a severe stroke, he was always there at home, door open, a stream of refugee people passing through, a kind word, time to pray and then they were sent on their way with small gifts of food.

Bishop Seme would always remind us of his desire to see a vocational training college established in Yei, and that he had asked CMSI to send us there. In due course, following a sabbatical year in Ireland, we arrived back in Uganda, en route to setting-up home in Yei. We went to visit Bishop Seme, now very frail. He took one look at us, lifted two-year-old Abigail, hugged her tight, and with tears in his eyes simply said “You Came.” The power of presence.

One night in Yei, a drunk soldier was on the rampage. He had tried to kill our neighbour, but his gun jammed. He drove furiously off, threatening to come back to wreak revenge. The neighbour fled to our home, needing sanctuary. She hid in the back bedroom and we barricaded the window. I was scared. There was a knock on the door. Our watchman stood on the step, bare-chested, gripping an AK47. “I am here; I will stay here all night.” The power of presence.

Earlier this year the Bible Society of Egypt produced a video in response to the beheading of the Egyptian Coptic Christians by IS. On the video, Anne Emile Zaki, of the Evangelical Theological Seminary, Cairo, speaks about the absolute importance of a Christian presence in the Middle East.

‘In this region, between a religion that says between two great religions: one that preaches ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’, and the other that says ‘kill all you hate’, it’s the voice of Christianity that must remain…to speak of true forgiveness. Because we have received true grace, we have received true forgiveness, we have received unconditional love. Because we get this by grace, we have to stay here…and we need you to help us stay here.’

We are called to be present with our Global Partners, to stand with them and help them to be a source of true grace, true forgiveness and unconditional love. We do this through relationships of prayer, of learning, of sharing. We do this through visits to and from our Global Partners and through our Mission Personnel.

Presence is a powerful thing. God calls us to be present with one another, for one another, just as He was present for us in the manger: God incarnate.

As you celebrate this Christmas, give thanks for the signs of God incarnate and look for opportunities to be present for others. Thank you for enabling us to be present with our Global Partners and in parishes throughout Ireland over this past year.

Being thereinmissionWinter 2015

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When God’s people share God’s presence, when we make ourselves available for others, when we are ‘there’ for people in need...we see His Kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven. Here are some short stories to encourage and inspire us about the potential of presence.

being therestories of presence

Neema and the gift that keeps giving

Neema Farida was born in a Sudanese refugee camp in Madi West Nile, Uganda in the 1980s. As a baby, she was handed over to the local church and was raised by the pastor and his family.

Neema struggled at school and the family found it hard to get the fees for her education, but when she was a bit older, the pastor approached the Vocational Training Centre in Arua – a programme of the Diocese of Madi West Nile, which has been well supported by CMSI over many years. The courses at the VTC were full, but given how few opportunities girls get for vocational study, they managed to find a place for

Photo: Neema

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Neema. She started to study building technology and soon, she was working hard and thriving.

When Neema qualified, she was able to return to her home country. For the last 12 years, she has been earning a living as a builder in what is now South Sudan. She’s helped build 23 schools all over the country and is now developing a new concrete filter that will provide villages with clean water. Neema is married with two children, who she’s looking forward to sending to school, so they can become community builders.

The pastor and his family were there for Neema when no-one else was. But their investment in Neema has had huge, positive repercussions, not just for her, but for many thousands of people in South Sudan. With God, presence is a gift that keeps on giving.

Amen

By Jenny Smyth

God’s presence through His people is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. That’s certainly been the case with ‘Amen’ – a girl I met in 2014, when she sat on my lap in Mama Mbambu’s home in Butembo, DR Congo.

Amen is one of 48 children who have found their way to the local pastor’s home, having been separated from their families by the ongoing civil unrest in eastern DR Congo. Many of these children have been left as orphans in the chaos of raiding and looting. Amen is eight years old, and was abandoned by her community following terrible abuse by the rebel soldiers.

When I met her, Amen was shy and nervous, but had found a place of loving acceptance in Pastor and Mama Mbambu’s home. She was in desperate need of specialised surgery to repair the damage she had suffered at the hands of the soldiers. The operation would help prevent constant infections, and help Amen to live a normal life again.

When I got back to Ireland, I contacted a very skilled surgeon friend, who has spent a lifetime travelling to some of the most war-ravaged parts of the world to carry out reconstructive surgery.

My friend said that she was due to go on a ‘surgery safari’ to Butembo in two months’ time. That was God’s timing! Mama Mbambu arranged to take Amen to the clinic where the operation could be carried out. Amen is a brave girl and she has made a good recovery – her hope has been renewed. A few months after the sugery, we heard that her mother, who had been searching for all her six lost children, had been contacted and she was able to come and collect Amen. What a wonderful reunion! What an amazing God!

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By Kelly Yates and Eileen Givans

There are moments that capture you more than you can capture them; times when you’re aware that you’re witnessing something so powerful or profound that words and actions cease and you must simply be present and take it all in. The CMSI team that was recently in Shyogwe Diocese, Rwanda, had such a moment during their visit to a to a Widow Support Group. Instinctively, they each knew that this was too significant for a ‘photo op’. On this particular day, around 20 women of varied ages met together at their modest local parish, some having walked quite a distance. They were reviewing the balance of their joint savings and credits account. This fund, made up of equal contributions from each member, offers small loans to members as needs arise - a few chickens to help start a small home business or new shoes for a child at the beginning of the school year.

Some were requesting loans to be withdrawn, while others made repayments. With the funds balanced, business continued as bags of fruit and vegetables appeared. Members shared tips with each other for enhanced crop production and divided out the various items, so they each had some to take home for cooking. The remainder of the produce was set aside to sell at the market, the profits to be added to the group fund. In this very practical way, the Church in Shyogwe is supporting some of the most vulnerable women in their community in the aftermath of bereavement, as they work hard to provide for themselves and their families. Meeting together also provides the opportunity to share about the struggles and joys they have faced recently, giving space to listen to one another, celebrate and sometimes cry together.

The meeting ended with a time of singing, during which the women’s faces lit up, as infectious praise filled the room and their focus turned to Jesus. In those moments, it seemed as though a little bit of heaven touched earth. In the caring, in the sharing, in the worship… God was present, and no photo could ever do it justice.

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“In the caring, in the sharing, in the worship… God was present, and no photo could ever do it justice”.

Being thereinmission

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On the move

For many of the pastors and church leaders that work with our Global Partners, being physically present – meeting people face-to-face – isn’t always easy. Vast distances, poor roads and lack of transport can all make pastoral visits problematic. It’s not unusual, for example, to hear of pastors taking a few days to make a visit, by foot, to one of their parishes. That’s why CMSI came up with The Wheels’ Appeal.

As part of our Children’s Resource in 2014, God’s Big Family, we asked Sunday Schools to raise money to buy wheels for our partners: bicycles, motorcycles and wheelchairs - things to help people move around, shorten the distances and make more connections. Over €25000 was raised by 43 parishes. We’ve recently been transferring more of these funds to our Global Partners and as they make use of them, we’ve received some photos and stories.

“We are very grateful for the donation we received from CMSI to buy bicycles for pastors. Here is the photo taken during the distribution for those bicycles to the pastors standing in front of our cathedral. We gave also one bible to each pastor because they

will use bicycles for the spreading of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”Bishop Isesomo(North Kivu Diocese, DR Congo)

In Kibungo Diocese, Rwanda, ten parishes each received a bicycle for their pastors. When they met together with Bishop Emmanuel, they were full of thanks and excitement. This is what one of them had to say:

“These bicycles are going to be a blessing to us and to all Christians in our parishes. We each have between five and eight congregations in our parishes and they are three to four kilometres apart. Walking to all congregations was a big problem, but now with the bicycles, we are planning to visit each congregation at least once a week. Thanks be to God!”

Our Global Partners want to be there for their people. Through the Children’s Resource and The Wheels’ Appeal initiative, many hundreds of children have been able to be there with our partners, helping them to get on the move and make a difference.

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harrietwhen presence works both ways

By Tania BakerCMSI Mission Partner

Harrietinmission

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When we first arrived we scoffed at the idea of having a housekeeper - hadn’t I ‘kept house’ quite ably by myself for many years now? But reality soon sets in as you begin to realise that: all of your clothes need washed by hand; everything, even your socks, has to be ironed, as the mango fly attaches itself to wet clothes; all your meals must be cooked from scratch; your floors need cleaned everyday as the dust from the roads keeps creeping in; water needs boiled before use; and much more. We quickly realised that in order to have time to do any of the work we had been invited for, we were going to need some help around the house.

Harriet came to us straight out of school. She was only 17 years old and very shy. She shared with us that she wanted this job to save money so she could do some further education. We liked this plan as she seemed too bright to spend the rest of her life washing clothes. We became good friends.

In Uganda, trusting people can sometimes be a difficult part of life, as corruption and theft aren’t uncommon. To invite someone to work in your home, when you are not there, requires a great amount of trust, but it also makes that person part of your family. Our first Christmas here, Harriet made us a wall hanging that read ‘Dear God, Make this family the happiest in the whole world’. We were really touched by the

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For those who work as Mission Partners in Africa or Asia, the person that they get closest to is often their housekeeper. After all, this is the person who spends as much time in your home as you do and shares more experiences with your family than anyone else. Of all the relationships that you form, this one will often have the biggest impact – in both directions. This is certainly true of our relationship with Harriet, our housekeeper here in Kiwoko for the last four years. We hope that our presence has had an impact on her life, just as I know that she’s had an impact on ours.

sentiment, especially when her prayers were answered and we began fostering Lana.

One day, Harriet asked me if I could teach her to sew. I was happy to and together we made her a new outfit for church. Soon she decided this was the further education she wanted and together we researched the nearest college offering a Saturday class in Fashion design. We found one in Luwero (10 miles away) that cost 2 million shillings (at that time about £500) which was a lot more than Harriet had saved. Adding to that, no materials or equipment would be provided so the costs would increase. It was also clear that the standard of the course would not be high.

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“...you discover the gifts that God has already given you to share, not the ones you had assumed you would need.”

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This event, coupled with many other Ugandan friends asking me to teach them to sew, was how the idea for the Kiwoko Fashion School was born. I never dreamt that when I came to Uganda this would be the major project I would get involved with. In fact, when I started working in the charity sector years ago, I believed I had left the fashion world behind. But I guess that is one of the great benefits of long-term work overseas. You discover what the people you are working with actually need and desire, not what you assume from the comfort of your western lifestyle. And you discover the gifts that God has already given you to share, not the ones you had assumed you would need.

Harriet excelled at the Fashion School and graduated top of the class at the end of its first year. She now has her own sewing machine at home that she continues to practice on and do small jobs for friends at the weekends. Her future plan is set up her own business but in the meantime, she continues to be a part of our family.

When I am teaching at the school, Harriet looks after Lana, who adores her. When Lana went through a ‘clingy’ phase, Harriet was the only person we could leave her with without her crying. I guess Harriet’s constant presence in our lives helped Lana to trust her.

Our relationship with Harriet has also been the cornerstone of our growth in understanding

Ugandan culture, village life, and African Christianity. It’s taken the daily contact that we have with her to properly come to know her and appreciate where she’s coming from.

A constant presence that helps us to trust. Regular contact to really get to know someone. Our relationship with Harriet is a reminder, to all of us, of some important lessons for our spiritual lives and for the most important relationship of all.

Tania and Paul Baker are CMSI Mission Partners working at Kiwoko Hospital in Luwero Diocese, Uganda, where they live with Lana, who will be two in March.

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I’ve worked with CMSI for 12 years and by far my favourite thing about the organisation is getting to meet ‘our people’. Whether it’s a Children’s Resource launch in Enniskillen, a supporters’ event in Dublin or a Christmas gathering in Belfast, it’s a real privilege to meet and spend time with individuals who are passionate about God and about mission. They are like wee stars, radiating light in their own communities and further afield.

Deep in the CMSI archives, there are lists and lists of people just like them – those who signed up over the years to be members of the CMSI family. Some will have been more prominent in the society and better known, shining brightly for all to see. Many of them clustered together in local or regional members’ groups. Others glimmered in their own way, in their own place. Each one had a part to play. It’s because of the vision and support of these faithful individuals, and those who have followed them, that CMSI has been able to continue helping God’s people engage in God’s mission.

shining as stars building the CMSI community (part 2)

CMSI is a member organisation. The society is governed and supported by members from all over Ireland and beyond. In order to comply with charity legislation, we are required to regularly update our membership list – a task that is long overdue. Over the coming months, we’re hoping to address this issue but, on this occasion we want to do more than a simple update.

We want to renew our commitment to membership and draw the CMSI family closer together as a constellation of little stars. When we shine together, we shine more brightly, so please do read the following pages and consider whether you’re ready to stand up and keep shining.

“Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Phil 2:15-16

My commute home from work is a special time. I savour the peaceful 45 minutes and my excitement builds as I get closer to collecting the kids. The evenings are getting darker and while sitting in traffic, surrounded by headlights and taillights, I slowly begin to see the night sky. The further out of the city I get, the darker the sky becomes and the brighter the stars seem to shine. The longer I stare, the more stars I see.

By Rachel BrittainMission Resource Co-ordinator

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inmissionWinter 2015 Standing with CMSI

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Why does membership matter?

In CMSI, much of our work in Ireland focuses on local churches: helping parishes engage with mission, promoting and facilitating partnerships with the global church. These are our core activities. But these things are only possible because of individuals – individuals who see the breadth of CMSI’s work and want to get behind the whole society; individuals who feel a sense of connection with CMSI; individuals who support the society and our partners in many ways. These people have been key to our past; they remain key to our future. Individuals matter to CMSI.

Membership is no longer in vogue: it’s not the done thing to ‘sign-up’. Younger generations are more likely to get behind a cause or campaign than join an organisation. But in CMSI, we want to keep making the case for commitment and presence. Our approach to global mission involves long-term relationships and partnership and we believe this approach can have much greater and lasting impact than many short-term campaigns. We want people to see the value of this approach and to join us on the journey. Individuals, who align themselves with us, matter to CMSI.

As has been highlighted, CMSI is a member organisation, so from a very practical point of view, we need members to ensure we are well guided, well governed and well led as we plan for the future and serve in the present. Membership matters to CMSI.

What is a CMSI member?

At its simplest, a CMSI member is someone who signs a membership form. But we’re looking for more than ‘paper members’; we want people who will stand up and be counted, people who will help CMSI to keep going and keep growing, people who will shine as CMSI Stars.

What does CMSI expect from its members?

While there’s no formal application process, we want membership of CMSI to involve a conscious commitment, an active choice to stand with the society. We therefore expect our members to:

• Support and uphold CMSI’s ethos and our work

• Pray regularly for CMSI and our partners• Engage with CMSI’s work (attend events,

read inMission magazine…)• Give regularly to CMSI’s General Fund

CMSI has many active supporters who aren’t signed up as members. CMSI has lots of listed members who aren’t actively engaged as supporters. As we update our list of members, we want to address both these things. We long to see individuals choosing to stand with CMSI as members, who actively support the society and who want to be present with us and with each other.

standing with CMSIa call to membership

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What can members expect from CMSI?

As a staff team, we’ve made a commitment to invest more time and energy in ‘our people’ – developing membership, encouraging and facilitating local members’ groups. Members can expect input and engagement from us. More specifically, from the end of November, everyone who signs up as a new member, or who refreshes their current membership, will be added to our updated members’ register and will receive the following:

• A CMSI Stars Welcome Pack• Members’ Updates at least twice per year• An invitation to Shine - our Annual

Members’ Day in Dublin – for which we’ll cover the cost of lunch and registration

• Invitations to other CMSI events and to occasional, local members’ gatherings

Signing-up

If you’re currently a CMSI member, we’d love you to renew your membership and become a CMSI Star. If you’ve never signed up, we’d love you to do so for the first time.

Thank you for ‘being there’ for CMSI. Please keep standing with us and making your presence count.

If you’ve been a member in the past, but don’t want to renew your membership, do please let us know so we can update our records.

You can begin, renew or cancel your CMSI membership, using the form that came with inMission. You can also use the enclosed Giving Form to sign-up for regular donations by Standing Order. Additional copies of these forms are available from the CMSI office and you can also complete the forms on our website.

We recognise that there will be those currently listed as members, who – whether intentionally or not – don’t respond to this request. Please be assured that we won’t cancel anyone’s membership of CMSI unless they ask us to do so. We’ll continue to send inMission and information about our Annual General Meeting to all current members. However, the additional resources and opportunities listed above will only be available to those who choose to renew their commitment.

Making money countinmissionWinter 2015

Page 16 Patrick Bamber with Bishop Masimango in a Kindu village

Money donated to CMSI falls into two

broad categories:

• Unrestricted Giving - to CMSI’s ‘General Fund’

• Designated Giving – to specific partners and projects

In the next edition of inMission, we’ll say more about Unrestricted Giving and share some stories about how our money is used for – and by – our partners. But this time, we want to say something about our 100% policy and our General Fund.

Our 100% Policy

For Designated support, CMSI operates a 100% Policy. Every pound or euro that we receive for a specific project or partner is donated, in its entirety, to that

‘pot’. No admin fee, no levee.

We believe this is something to celebrate, something that helps us to stand out from many similar charities and mission agencies. We want you to help us get this message out.

We want to be 100% clear about our 100% policy and ensure nothing is hidden in small print, so there are two things worth noting:

Let’s talk about money.

In CMSI, we believe financial support is part of a much bigger picture, just one way of engaging in mission. When talking with parishes about working with the global church, we’re always keen to move the conversation beyond a mainly economic approach. As a result, we sometimes shy away from talking openly about money – how we deal with it, what we do with it, why we need it. But money matters to CMSI, it matters to our Global Partners and we know it matters to our members and supporters. So, we want to share some thoughts about financial support.

making money countpart 1 – the general fund

• Donations given via the CMSI website are administered by the Charities Aid Foundation, and they apply a small charge to every transaction. Our 100% policy is still applied to the funds we receive.

• Money that CMSI receives through Gift Aid (UK) or Tax Efficient Giving (Ireland), is given by the respective governments for the use of the charity here, in the UK or Ireland. So, while the 100% policy is applied to the money originally donated by the individual, the additional funds are directed towards the General Fund.

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Supporting Designated Funds

General Fund money is regularly used to ‘top-up’ shortfalls in support for Mission Partners or for Global Partner programmes. It also enables us to respond quickly and flexibly to emergencies.

Our General Fund Appeal

We’re hugely thankful to those parishes and individuals who support CMSI’s General Fund. We can only do what we do because of you. However, unrestricted giving from parishes and individuals is generally decreasing each year. In order for CMSI to keep fulfilling its calling to equip the church in mission, we need to see an increase in giving to the General Fund. We would therefore ask you to prayerfully consider supporting CMSI through regular giving. Help us sow seeds for the future.

Thank You.

2. What is the General Fund used for?The General Fund is about much more than just ‘running costs’. Here are just some of the ways in which General Fund money is used:

General Fund Income

(Nov 14-Oct 15)

Total €317,200

Interest & Dividends etc: 11%

Individuals & Groups:

18%

Miscellaneous (mostly Gift Aid)

20%

Parishes: 51%

Resources and Events

Unlike many mission agencies in Ireland, CMSI produces its own resources, including inMission, for which printing and postage is costly. The General Fund also covers most of the costs for our numerous events.

Making sense of the General Fund

1. Where does CMSI derive support for its General Fund?The bulk of the income for our General Fund comes from Church of Ireland parishes in their annual disbursements. Each October, we write to every parish rector and Treasurer, to share some highlights of the past year and to ask them to consider supporting CMSI financially.

We also receive support to the General Fund from individuals, either as one-off gifts or through regular giving. Some funds are claimed from the British and Irish Governments via the Gift Aid and Tax Efficient Giving schemes.

Staff Activities

CMSI has a staff team of 10 (three part-time, seven full-time). They perform essential administrative tasks to ensure the society continues to run successfully. But this is just a small part of the picture. As well as the day-to-day ‘running’ of CMSI, the staff team are involved in various activities that enable the society to equip the church in mission, including…

..working with parishes to develop partnership links, maintaining and developing strong

relationships with our Global Partners, visiting partners and hosting visits to Ireland, helping individuals explore specific callings to mission service, facilitating teams and placements, speaking, training, producing resources, organising events, sharing stories…

Considerable staff time is also spent managing and monitoring designated funds that have been donated to our Global Partners. This is something that CMSI does well, but it takes time and expertise.

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snippetsCMSI news in brief

Give to CMSI for free

As you work down your Christmas list, you could be supporting CMSI, at no extra cost to yourself.

CMSI recently registered with easyfundraising – a new scheme involving nearly 3000 popular retailers. As you shop online with these retailers, they make a donation to CMSI… and it costs you nothing!

Making your presents count for CMSI is as simple as 1, 2, 3:

1. Join – Head to easyfundraising.org.uk, search for Church Mission Society Ireland and sign-up.

2. Shop – From the easyfundraising website, pick the retailer you want and start shopping. The range of products and the prices are exactly the same as if you went directly to the retailer’s online store, and many of the most-commonly visited shops are available.

3. Raise – After you’ve made your purchase, the retailer will make a donation to CMSI at no extra cost.

Please help out when you check out this Christmas – and beyond!

South Sudan Visit

Rev. Cosmos Gwagwe is from Yei in South Sudan, but is presently studying at the Africa Renewal University in Uganda under the Bishops’ Appeal Harman Scholarship. Part of his scholarship includes a ‘Partner Parish Hosting Programme’ in Ireland. CMSI is presently putting plans in place to host Rev. Gwagwe for this part of his programme. He hopes to spend time with several parishes during Lent.

Christmas Stamp Appeal

Before you throw out the envelopes from your Christmas post this year – please collect the stamps and send them to us. CMSI can raise extra funds by selling your stamps - UK, Ireland, International stamps, or even unwanted stamp collections are all accepted. Just trim or carefully tear round the stamps to leave a bit of a margin and post them to our offices, or bring them along to one of our upcoming events and hand them to one of the staff team.

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New STEPs for New Year

In January, three individuals will begin Short-Term Experience Placements with CMSI’s Global Partners. Nigel and Carol Weallans, from Nottingham in England, will be spending eight months in Ibba Diocese, South Sudan, working alongside Bishop Wilson and the diocesan team in health promotion, English Teaching and administrative support.

As Nigel and Carol head to South Sudan, Jade Irwin will commence an eight-week STEP in Luwero Diocese, Uganda, where she’ll be supporting the Wilson family by home-schooling Gideon. Jade, who is the Youth Worker at Ballyholme Parish, recently led a parish team to Kiwoko Hospital with CMSI.

Please remember Nigel, Carol and Jade as they each prepare for this exciting chapter in their lives.

Upcoming events

In the next few months, the CMSI staff will be present in different parts of Ireland, hosting lots of gatherings and events to help bring folk together and to share stories and news. We’d love you to be there with us.

CMSI BrunchesThe CMSI staff love an excuse for some fine coffee and pastry treats. So much so, we’ve decided to host three brunch events in February:

CMSI Gathering, Dublin: Sat 6th Feb, 11am - Kill O’ The Grange ParishCMSI Gathering, Enniskillen: Sat 13th Feb, 11am – St Macartin’s HallsParish Reps’ Brunch, Belfast: Sat 20th Feb, 10.30am – CMSI Offices

Dublin, Bray Parish Wednesday 9th December 7.30 – 9.30pm

Belfast, CMSI Offices Wednesday 16th DecemberBetween 10.30am – 12.30pm (come at any time)

Shine – CMSI Members’ Day 2016Saturday 16th April, 11am-4pm The Emmaus Centre, Swords, Co. Dublin

Worship, stories and sharing together, including CMSI’s Annual General Meeting.

Christmas Gatherings

Church Mission Society Ireland is registered in Dublin, Ireland - Reg No. 26905 - as a Company Limited by Guarantee, with permission to omit the word ‘Limited’. Registered Charity Number (CRA No.): 20001476. Recognised in the UK as a Charity by the Inland Revenue - Ref No. XN 48809. CMS Ireland is a registered business name - Registered Office: Dublin Office, as above.

Belfast33 Dargan Road, Belfast, BT3 9JUTel +44 (0) 28 9077 5020 Email belfastoffice@cmsireland.org

DublinChurch of Ireland House, Church Ave, Rathmines, Dublin D06 CF67Tel +353 (0) 1497 0931 Email dublinoffice@cmsireland.org

www.cmsireland.org

facebook.com/cmsireland@cmsireland

CMSIs Children’s Resource 2016Four sessions of original material for 4-15-year-olds

DVD films, activity workbooks, leaders’ guidesBible stories with mission focus

Opportuntiy to support global mission

Children’s Resource 2016

Mon 1st Feb 7.30-8.30pm / Belfast Office

Wed 3rd Feb 7.30-8.30pm / Banbridge (Seapatrick)

Tue 9th Feb 7.30-8.30pm / Coleraine (St Patrick’s)

Date TBC 7.30-8.30pm / Dungannon (St Anne’s)

The Meeting Place material will also be available at the CMSI Gatherings in Dublin (6th Feb) and Enniskillen (13th Feb). See Page 19 for details.

Sunday 14th Feb 3 - 4pm / Ballymena (St Patrick’s)