“Esther wanted to make this

commitment in her faith but was

frightened of the water. So to hear that

she had overcome her fear was good

news,” said mission partner Laura

Walton. Laura works with Esther at the

Nuru Workshop in Dar Es Salaam,

which offers craft-making training for

people with disabilities.

“Esther lives in the hostel and manages a

lot of the day to day communication. She is

my ‘right hand woman’ and often I am hers,”

said Laura.

Esther first came to Nuru five years ago,

when she was 20 years old. When she was

two, an illness left her paralysed from the

neck down. Gradually, she regained the use

of her arms

and she

manages well

in her

wheelchair.

“Esther would say she had faith [in

Christ] but she was not ready to put her

trust fully in him,” said Laura. Esther’s

reservations were compounded by the fact

that she was treated harshly by some

Christians when she became pregnant

while unmarried. She ended up leaving

the church she was attending.

“I feel like the devil repeatedly used cruel

words to belittle Esther and her abilities,”

said Laura, adding, “Sabina, another woman

at Nuru, approached her gently, very much

like a mother figure [Esther never knew her

own mother]. Esther started attending a

different church, where she heard how God

loves her and died for her and her sins.”

Eventually Esther responded to an invitation

to be baptised. Despite her fear of water,

Esther was baptised in the Indian Ocean in

Autumn 2015.

“She has a renewed strength and

certainty now. She carries her Bible with her

in her wheelchair and is positive and

hopeful,” said Laura.

“Esther’s reservations were

compounded by the fact that she was

treated harshly by some Christians...“

A young Tanzanian woman with a

physical disability has overcome

hardship, cruel words and her fear

of water in order to be baptised.

missionupdateFEBRUARY – MARCH 2016

Thanks to a generous donation from a

supporter a couple of years ago, CMS has had

the opportunity to carry out a review of our “brand” — that is,

our identity, our trademark, how other people perceive CMS

and how we perceive ourselves.

How have we been doing this? We’ve been consulting with

various members of the CMS family and working with an external

branding agency.

Why have we been doing this? We want to uncover a truthful

and compelling way of looking, speaking and being that will help CMS

stand out and connect with a new generation.

When will changes take place? The plan is for the new look

and feel, including the new logo, to be unveiled in June 2016. Those

who have been part of the CMS family for a long time will be relieved

to know that we aren’t changing our name or altering our values.

What does this mean for you? Part of the process has involved

taking a look at how we can make the most of our publications. As a

result of that review, we will be combining some CMS publications,

including Mission Update and our regional magazines Africa News

and Share (Latin America), into one new publication – a quarterly

Continued page 2

2016NEWS

“BRAND” NEW: A MISSION UPDATE UPDATE

By Naomi Rose Steinberg, CMS communications manager for publications

Baptism in Tanzania:

faith conquers fear

Esther being held

by her friend Sabina

after baptism

Mission partner Laura Walton (centre, in

brown shirt) with Nuru workshop staff

February – March 2016

With great power the apostles ontinued to testify to the resurrection of he Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there was no needy person among them...Acts 4:33-34

Connect with the CMS community online at www.cms-uk.org

SHARINGJESUSCHANGING

LIVES connectWINTER 2016

Thanks to a generous donation from a supporter a couple of years ago, CMS has had the opportunity to carry out a review of our “brand” – that is, our identity, our trademark, how other people perceive CMS and how we perceive ourselves. In fact, some of you responded to an email survey last summer which kicked this whole process off – thank you so much for your help!

Why review our brand? Our aim was to try to uncover a truthful and compelling way of looking, speaking and being that will help CMS stand out and connect with a new generation.

So what’s happening? Here are a few highlights of the concept presented to us by ASHA, the creative branding agency we have been working with:

Reclaim the name“Your name has heritage and equity...”

began the presentation from ASHA. So, the first, straightforward recommendation is that rather than use CMS, we state our name in full: Church Mission Society.

The ‘generative idea’Next, ASHA wanted to uncover what

they call our ‘generative idea’ – the idea that drives everything we say and do. Going right back to our roots in the campaign against the slave trade, and back even further to Jesus’ Nazareth manifesto in Luke 4, which has inspired so many of us into mission, ASHA became convinced that we have always

had the same dream – to set people free. This means both in the sense of

wanting to see all people – and all creation – find true freedom in Jesus, and setting people free to fulfil their mission calling.

PositioningHere’s another technical term to

describe where we place ourselves in the vast charity ‘marketplace’. CMS is about people – none of us doubt that – people in mission. What we fundamentally do is select, train, send and support people. So we’re putting those people front and centre.

However, we are not going back to the days of ‘putting the missionary on a pedestal’. We want to celebrate all the people in our mission community and each calling – whether to pray, give, offer hospitality, fundraise, volunteer – or to be sent in cross-cultural mission.

If we’re about seeing people set free to fulfil their mission calling, then whenever you encounter CMS, or Church Mission Society rather, in print or on the web, you’ll be seeing “the call in action”.

This part of the concept is what begins to shape our photographic style and storytelling. And you’ll be able to see this for the first time in our brand new publication...

Read all about itAs from 1 June 2016, our flagship

publication will be a quarterly newspaper. This newspaper will combine content

from Connect, Mission Update and our regional publications Africa News and Share (Latin America) and will give us the opportunity to go more in-depth on some important mission topics, as well as give us freedom to try out new things.

As we go to press, the newspaper is still to be named – and we wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise anyway! Prayerlines will continue to be sent out every two months, but please note, this is the last issue of Connect. There will be one more edition of Mission Update (for April-May).

So just to reiterate, you can expect your first edition of a new look newspaper and the June/July issue of Prayerlines to come through your letterbox by 1 June. From that point on you’ll start seeing our new look on all our publications and on our website.

Church Mission Society: “brand” new?A special update for CMS members from the communications team

• Our name – but we will start

spelling it out!• Our values

• Prayerlines every two months

• New logo• New ‘look and feel’• New quarterly newspaper com-

bining content from Connect, Mission Update and our regional publications

• New website

What’s NOT changing

What IS changing

CMS through the years

Like last year, it will be an opportunity to spend the day with members of the CMS leadership, sharing news and looking together at the vision for the year ahead.

We spent the year 2015 “living dangerously” (see Philip’s article on page 3), asking deep questions about who we are and what we do as a community. As you know, we have re-focussed the CMS community around what we know we do best: praying for mission together, learning from mission together and participating in mission together. As a result, we have welcomed many people back into the community and seen new people join.

But there is, as always, more to do. At this year’s Community Vision Day we would like to share some of what is planned for 2016 and give you an opportunity to help shape the way forward. Philip Mounstephen will be opening the day, followed by opportunities to hear from the international mission team and the fundraising for mission team. In the afternoon, the communications team will be sharing with us some of the changes we can expect this year and leading us in a conversation about the future of our publications and online presence.

Tea and coffee will be provided.A two course hot lunch is available for £10 per person but booking is essential by 7 March. Pay on the day by cash or cheque. You are also welcome to bring your own lunch.

If you have any dietary requirements please let us know at the time of booking.

Bookings and enquiries to: Linda Sammons, tel: 01865 787482 or email: linda.sammons@cms-uk.org

On Saturday 19 March 2016 we are hosting the second annual CMS Community Vision Day at CMS House in Oxford.

“Why do this, why not just give money to a well known charity? The answer to us is simple; we want to say welcome to these people – they’re just people like us looking for a home, coming from homes they had to leave under duress. It’s very easy to blame politicians. Instead, we believe if communities do not take responsibility we will never see the change that we are looking for.”

– Johnny Sertin, CMS pioneering mission advisor and leader of the Earlsfied Friary, on why he and the friary decided to collect and deliver supplies to refugees in Calais (photos right)

Community Vision Day 2015

Welcoming the Stranger

Meet the new CMS

TRUSTEES

By Philip Mounstephen, CMS Executive Leader

Sometime around the end of 2014 I began to think that as a staff team we should set ourselves some serious challenges in prayer. From this, my mind jumped to the name of a 1992 film starring Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver: The Year of Living Dangerously. The year 2015, I felt, ought to be CMS’s “year of living dangerously” – a year in which we would step out in risky faith, trusting our God for what we need, so we might grow. To that end I asked all five of our directorates to come up with a set of four or five prayer targets each, targets we would commit ourselves to pray for throughout the financial year, from the start of February 2015 to the end of January 2016.

So how did we do? In some ways the results were spectacular. We prayed for 200 new members of the CMS Community and after our re-invitation letter and new community leaflet were sent out in May, more than 300 people re-joined. We asked to be able to connect with 100 people at summer festivals; in fact we had nearly 900 people engage with us at our “Mission Experiment” stand. The number of people joining us to train on our Pioneer course or being accepted as mission partners has risen gently. One year on, we have much to thank God for.

Of course not all of the results were quite so encouraging. While in some cases our targets were easily exceeded, others proved more resistant. Our income did not grow as much as we would have liked. That said, year after year, the Lord has met our financial needs, even if not necessarily in the way we expected or planned – but it is not for us to question how he provides. Rather, we must thank him that he does.

So what are the lessons for us? I think we are learning two things. One is that through an exercise like this, we learn better what to pray for; it sharpens our sense of the Lord’s leading. Second, it shows us that we really can trust and depend upon our God. So this will not be a one-off exercise! We’ve already thought of fresh targets to set for 2016. Who knows just what God will do among us in this coming year? Thankfully, he does!

3

Lessons learned from “living dangerously”

As you may have seen, three of our current trustees were due for re-election and we had three places open on our trustee body. As we had six places available and six people offering to serve, those candidates have been deemed to have been elected unopposed. Craig Hampton, Ian Jones and Ian Wallace have been re-elected to our board and CMS has three new trustees: Anthony Bargioni, Beauman Chong and Lonah Hebditch. You can read bios of all CMS trustees at www.cms-uk.org

LONAH HEBDITCHLonah Hebditch is of Kenyan descent. In 1982, a youth event helped her know and accept Christ. She spent 10 years in Christian-led community development

work with people of all faiths. Moving to the UK, she studied applied theology and

worked in the public and charity sectors with children and adults in advocacy, foster care, mediation, pastoral care for international students and advice in social care related services. During last five years Lonah has volunteered with Citizens Advice Bureau, Diaspora Radio, a food bank, pastoral prayer ministry, as a trustee for Home Start and with the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.

BEAUMAN CHONGBeauman Chong is a recently retired IT company director. He is currently a church warden of his local parish church in Winchester, a volunteer at the county

hospital and Winchester Churches Night Shelter and mentor to several young IT project

managers. He has over 20 years of experience in managing IT end-to-end programme and project delivery for the NHS, financial, retail, insurance and banking sectors, with responsibilities in contract negotiation, recruitment, resource planning, project planning, implementing and supporting operations.

ANTHONY BARGIONIAnthony Bargioni started with IBM in marketing. Then he built a career as a director leading worldwide operational change in Procter & Gamble and

GlaxoSmithKline. He became a Christian at 45, helped by a Campus Crusade (Agape in

UK) missionary in Gerrards Cross. He became passionate about evangelising in the business community. During retirement he has had a mixture of roles, including leading the start-up of the FamilyLife marriage support organisation in the UK and being part of the leadership of a Bangladeshi healthcare charity.

Why CMS?I chose to work for CMS to gain an insight into the mechanics of mission: the process, the sort of people involved and the variation in approach taken by different organisations. The underlying reason is that I myself feel called to mission and how better to get involved than to work for an organisation whose lifeblood is missionary activity?

Could you tell us a bit about your background? Before CMS, I’ve been in full-time education since I was four years old. Having completed my undergraduate degree at Lampeter, I moved on to an MA in Biblical Studies (loads of Greek and Hebrew) at King’s College, London. I was still putting the finishing touches on my dissertation when I began this internship.

My mother is (or at least was raised) Roman Catholic and my father belongs to the Church of Christ, a Restorationist denomination. I dashed gleefully into atheism at age 16 through doing A-Level philosophy. After my first year as an undergraduate, I became a Christian, having reflected and eventually prayed, and through prayer having gained understanding. I asked my

father to baptise me on the Friday that I decided to become a Christian and on the Sunday we went down to the river, my mother witnessing, and I was baptised. Since then my church attendance has been a mixed bag of Anglican, Roman Catholic and the Elim Church. I share much of my personal theology with Eastern Orthodoxy, unlike many of my contemporaries who are more Reformed.

Have you joined in any of the CMS pioneer course modules?I’m currently doing the MA version of the mission and ecclesiology module led by Cathy Ross. It is an excellent introduction to the world of pioneering, which I had never even heard of until I started working for CMS. I’m also doing some of the training modules run specifically for CMS mission partners (not on the pioneer course). The first was Reading the Bible in Global Perspective and the other is Bible and Mission, which centres on the landmark book The Mission of God by Christopher Wright.

What do you hope to learn?I hope to see mission from a less traditional perspective.... Reaching out

to people is a struggle for me as I never know what to say, how to say it or how not to be “Christianese” without losing authenticity. I seek to understand how God comes alive everywhere, not just

within the believer and the traditional vocabulary.

Plans for the future?I hope to go on to do a PhD, although I think another MA might be in the stars. As for mission, India has always been in my mind. I do not want to go there, as the stories from my parents who travelled there were [off-putting]. Despite this, India has continued to nag at my mind, especially the incredible poverty and the mistreatment of those seemingly inferior, which I wish to engage with. I won’t change the world, but I may make some lives better.

For more information about the pioneer course: pioneer.cms-uk.org

“I dashed gleefully into atheism at age 16.”

4

“I won’t change the world, but...”

Helen Harwood interviews CMS intern Isaac Frisby

“Our sponsored walk and cake sales for CMS have been happening annually for at least the last 20 years. We usually have good weather but, on occasion, a hailstorm! On Saturday 26 September 2015, nine supporters walked over the South Downs from Lancing to Coombes and

back (five miles). It was a beautiful sunny day and the views out to sea towards Brighton, of the rolling Downs with Lancing College Chapel and fields of cattle and sheep, were magnificent.”

This year this wonderful group raised £727 for God’s mission from

their cake sale and walk. We can’t thank this church enough for their faithful support. If you, your group or your church would like to bake, walk or do any other activity to support mission, contact me: hannah.caroe@cms-uk.org

Desire of Nations: the Magi, their Journey and the Child By Andrew WheelerSeismos Press

Desire of Nations endeavours to immerse us in the extraordinary and dangerous journey, physical and spiritual, that the Magi undertake. It is a journey to the King which they discover to be a place of reverence, worship and self-offering. And of transformation as they return home by another way. Illustrations and poetry help us explore the themes of each chapter. Andrew Wheeler, with his wife Susan, served as CMS mission partners in Sudan, Egypt and Kenya for more than 20 years. Andrew is currently mission pastor at St Saviour’s Church in Guildford.

5

Pioneering Spirituality: Resources for Reflection and PracticeEdited by Cathy Ross and Jonny Baker Canterbury Press

Pioneering ministry sounds like something you do, something active, even something driven. However, prayer and contemplation are at its heart. In this collection, a range of practitioners explore the inner and outer dimensions of pioneering spirituality. Offering many proven and innovative ideas, they explore what resources, fuels and sustains a life of pioneering mission.

20 years of baking and walking for mission

New Books from the CMS Community

This is from a letter I received recently, from St James the Less Church, in Lancing, West Sussex:

Both books can be purchased from www.cms-shop.org.uk

By Hannah Caroe

St James the Less, Lancing, sponsored walk 2015

6

What do you imagine CMS groups are like? Maybe you picture CMS members meeting monthly to listen to stories from people in mission in various parts of the world and pray for them? Perhaps followed by tea or coffee?

If that is what you picture when you think of CMS groups then you are right – but belonging to a CMS group can mean much more! Here in Shropshire eight of us meet bi-monthly; realistically we are too busy to meet more often, but we want to make our meetings a priority. All of us are passionate about mission, not just about praying for the work of CMS in other countries (although that’s very important) but

also about our own involvement in mission. We use the CMS Audiomission podcast resource, which has recorded interviews, stories of mission and a reflection to listen to. Once we’ve listened, we stop and discuss how all of these things might be relevant for us in Shropshire today. Recently we focused on the world of medicine, thinking about the differences in facilities and attitudes in different cultures. So as well as praying

for mission partners in other countries, we also prayed for Christians working in the NHS. We always come away more determined and encouraged to get involved in mission where we are.

So, do you know a few other people who are passionate about global and local mission? If so why not start a CMS group in your area? You can get hold of a copy of Audiomission on CD or from the CMS website and meet together, perhaps around a teapot like the CMS founders, to pray and encourage one another. Alternatively ask the community mission team at CMS to put you in touch with other CMS members in your area so that you can meet together. Just email mark.berry@cms-uk.org

I haven’t been at CMS for long, but one thing that has struck me is the generosity of our donors. It’s been a privilege to see the passion our supporters have to serve the poor, to reach out with the good news across the world, to respond to the call on their lives through giving. It certainly inspires me to ensure CMS continues to be an outstanding steward of our funds. Although the financial year has not ended at the time of writing, we do know our legacy income will be over £2 million this year. The last time it reached that level was in 2003. So total income at the end of December 2015 has reached £7.4 million, which is encouraging. As a result, we are not expecting to draw on our free reserves in 2015-16. So there is much to thank God for.

Once you delve beneath the

surface of the headline figures, however, CMS is facing significant challenges: uncertainty in the current economic climate, pressure on church and individual income, a defined benefit pension scheme with a deficit that needs serving. So there is still much to do. This year has highlighted for me the wonderful gift of unrestricted income for CMS and those who give it. As we look forward to 2016-17, and having completed my first planning cycle, I am excited to see how much the work of mission continues to be at the core of our plans. Please continue to pray with me that we will find people from all over the world to carry out the mission of Jesus.

Please also do get in contact with me if you have any questions or issues regarding the finances of CMS: charlie.walker@cms-uk.org

CMS Events 201620 February Lecture: Christian presence in the Middle East - London: Time: 11am-2.30pm. Venue: John Keble Church, Deans Lane, Mill Hill, HA8 9NT. Theme: ‘No Abiding City: Christian presence, problems and possibilities in the Middle East’. For more information, email: revrana@hotmail.com

4-6 March CMS Southern conference: Residential conference for CMS friends and supporters. Time: 5pm Friday to 2pm Sunday. Venue: High Leigh Conference Centre, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 8SG. Theme: Together in Mission - Participate, Learn and Pray. Tel: 01189 695039 Email: jane.fulford@btinternet.com

7 March Prayer lunch in York: Prayers for the world church. Time: 11am Venue: Spurriergate Centre, York. Enjoy an hour of prayer, fellowship and optional lunch. Tel: 01904 633705 Email: eileen.wishart@tiscali.co.uk

19 March Short term mission leaders’ training day, Oxford: Are you or your church leading a mission team overseas this year? Learn from 200+ years of cross-cultural experience at CMS. The cost is £35 per person (includes lunch). Email: helen.brook@cms-uk.org or call 01865 787493.

19 March CMS Community Vision Day - Oxford: Time: 10am to 4pm Venue: CMS House, Oxford OX4 6BZ. Spend the day with members of CMS leadership, sharing news and looking to the future. A two course hot lunch is available (£10) per person booking is essential by 7 March. To book, call Linda on 01865 787482 or email: linda.sammons@cms-uk.org

14 April Mission talk, with fish and chip supper in Northamptonshire: Hear about mission life in the Philippines and returning to the UK. Time: 6.45pm for 7pm. Venue: St Peters Church, Irthlingborough, NN9 5TY. After supper, Rev Andrew Daunton-Fear and his wife Jenny will speak about their time in the Philippines. Cost £7. Contact: Margaret Walker Tel: 01933 223614 Email: pearlgate21@googlemail.com

15-17 April CMS North Spring Conference: Theme: Building Bridges with Muslims Today. Time: 2pm Friday to 2pm Sunday. Venue: Cliff College, Calver, Derbyshire, S32 3XG. Contact: Alan Nickless Tel: 01142 364517 Email: alan@nickless-online.co.uk

18 April Prayer and fellowship in Norwich: Prayer and fellowship meeting. Time: 10.45am. Venue: House of Prayer at St Edmund’s Church, Fishergate, Norwich, NR3 1SE. Contact: Louise Wright Tel: 01508 536940 Email: louisewri@yahoo.co.uk

7 May Mission Partners Fellowship Meeting in York: Gathering for former mission partners and friends of CMS. Time: 10am Venue: St Aidan’s Church, York.

FINANCE UPDATEBy Charlie Walker, director of finance and corporate services

By Barbara Oakley

Why join a CMS group? Why not?

connect

Bring your own lunch, drinks provided. Contact: Evelyn Wroe Tel: 01904 780852 Email: evelyn.wroe@btinternet.com

7 May Africa Day in Southampton: 12pm- 4pm. Venue: Shirley Parish Church of St James, Southampton. Speaker: Rt Rev David Williams. Picnic lunch from midday, main meeting 1pm. Contact: Charlotte Smith Tel: 02380 777810 Email: charlotte.plieth@doctors.org.uk

21 May Latin America Adelante Day Conference in Birmingham: Time: 10am. Venue: Christ Church, Selly Park, Birmingham. Hear latest mission news with a Latin American theme. Contact: Mary Rollin Tel: 01214 863332 Email: mary.rollin@cms-uk.org

16 June Cream tea in Irchester, Northamptonshire: Gather round

a teapot and hear the latest new from CMS. Time: 2.30pm. Venue: St Katherines Church, Irchester NN9 7AB. Katie Jenkinson, CMS church relations adviser, will share news and encouragements from CMS. Contact: Margaret Walker Tel: 01933 223614 Email: pearlgate21@googlemail.com

1-28 July Brazil Encounter 2016: Short term mission team visit. This summer the world will be travelling to Brazil to witness the 2016 Rio Olympics. CMS is inviting you to take part in a fun-filled and exciting adventure to this wonderful country. Deadline for registration is 12 March 2016. For more information, see www.cms-uk.org/Encounter or email Helen.Brook@cms-uk.org

15-16 July Residential gathering in mid-Wales: Bible teaching,

news from people in mission, with time for prayer and fellowship Time: 12 noon Venue: Broneiron Conference Centre, Llandinam, Powys, SY17 5DE. Contact: Chris Carey Tel: 01291 425010 Email: crcandkili@tiscali.co.uk

7-9 October Africa Conference 2016: Save the date! More details to follow. Venue: Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 1AU.

17-27 October Unique Holy Land Study Tour 2016: This will be our sixth trip to the Holy Land and our visits are constantly evolving based on information, advice and suggestions from participants. The tour will include places like the bustling city of Haifa as well as a settlement and a refugee camp. Deadline for registration is 30 June 2016. For

more information, email tanas.alqassis@cms-uk.org

Sponsored challenges7 May ‘Walk with Jesus’ in the beautiful Sussex Hills. Walk between 10km and 60km to raise funds for God’s mission through CMS. For more information, contact Hannah: 01865 787521 or go to challenges@cms-uk.org for more information.

Pioneer events 201611-16 April Missional Entrepreneurship week, Pickwell Manor, Devon.

20-22 May Southall ReSource weekend, Southall, London.

Contact: pioneer@cms-uk.org for more information or go to pioneer.cms-uk.org

Although this is the final edition of Connect,

keep sending your stories to naomi.steinberg@cms-uk.org

and look out for the first edition of the CMS newspaper in June!

connect

to events: www.cms-uk.org/events

to CMS people

Welcome and farewell: People in missionWelcome: David and Sara Longe, with their children Rex, Alexandra and Artie. They are serving in Jerusalem, where David is chaplain to the Archbishop of Jerusalem. Audrey and Colin Gibson have moved to Beirut, Lebanon. Audrey is teaching and supporting children with learning difficulties, while Colin is supporting the Lebanese Society for Education and Social Development in fundraising and developing new ministries. Kate Quarrell has gone to Kuluva in the Diocese of Madi-West Nile, Uganda, where she will serve as a midwife teacher at the hospital nursing school and a community outreach support worker at local health clinics. Meanwhile, Heather Johnstone will go to the Diocese of Mara, Tanzania; where she will manage the Rehema Project which helps vulnerable women and children living in crisis.New short-termers: Alan and Lexy Hamilton (Asia); Hannah Williams (Spain); Becky Reid (Brazil); Denise McKenzie (Paraguay); Wendy Fry (short-term accountancy work); David Martin (consultancies); Matt Roberts-Davies (USA, then Kenya) and Samantha Mullender (France).New mission associates: Richard Burningham (India) and Don and Evey Heckman (France).Farewell: Gillian and John Robinson, with Leah, Natalie and Joel, who have ended service after five years, but continue to work in Thailand. Adel and Clare Shokralla, with Emma and Andrew, have returned to Britain after two years in Egypt and Adel is now vicar of Old Windsor. Jean and Paul Dobbing, with Jennifer, served for nine years in Butwal and Kathmandu, Nepal, and have now returned to Britain. Paul is now working with a charity in Edinburgh. Andrew

and Kate Kennedy, with children Munro, Wilbur and Theo, have ended service after three years in Malaysia - helping to establish the AsiaCMS head office in Kuala Lumpur. Marcus and Tamara Throup, with Rebekah and Mateus, have served for 15 years in Recife, Brazil, where Marcus pastored a church and taught in a theological college. Wies Landheer has served as a doctor in Gahini Hospital, Rwanda, for three years and has returned to the Netherlands to continue her medical studies. Efraim and Ruth Vilella, with Max, have moved on after service in Brazil for nine years, where Ruth was family health director for a church social project, and latterly in Britain, where Efraim supported micro-finance projects in various parts of Africa.

Welcome and farewell: Oxford, UK staffIn November we were delighted to welcome Susann Haehnel as vocational recruitment manager. In January Ben Smith became finance and corporate services team administrator; Cecilia Pena-Vazquez joined as income and data processor, while Angela Trotman became personal assistant to international mission team and team administrator. In April, Nigel Rooms will join as UK leader of Partnership for Missional Church (PMC), a new venture which CMS has launched in partnership with Church Innovations, which developed the original concept, to deliver a three year process of spiritual reflection, transformation and engagement to clusters of UK congregations. We said farewell to Penny Stradling, who left her post as vocational recruitment officer in October. Finance and corporate services team administrator, Tom Leighton, left in December while Carol Frew, income and data processor, left in January. In October we bade farewell to Kathryn Smith who was covering as

discipleship advisor for Helen Brook. We also said goodbye to Claire Reynolds, administrator and research assistant for the mission theologian in the Anglican Communion.

DeathsMay Margaret (Margot) Robbins (nee Monrow) Nigeria 1953-68

JuneMolly Vass, Sudan 1947-63

JulyRev Dr Joyce Bennett, Hong Kong 1948-84

SeptemberRev Kathleen England, Chile1958-79 and SAMS home staff 1979-81

OctoberNeville Brooks, Burundi 1962-66 and home staff 1967-70Christopher Payne, Iran 1971-79Janet Gower, Nigeria 1967-78John Stephens, Nigeria 1982-83

NovemberElizabeth Gill, Uganda and Sudan 1950s and 60sJune Perrin, Pakistan 1967-79December Marjorie Oludhe-Macgoye (nee King), Kenya 1954-60

“But who do you say that I am?” remains one of the most powerful questions ever asked by Jesus. Our answer to it has huge implications. If our response is anything like that of the disciple Simon Peter – “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” – nothing will ever be the same again. It’s a question that calls us into joyful commitment, whatever the cost.

Each Lent is an opportunity to renew our commitment to living and sharing the way of Jesus together as the CMS community. This involves praying for mission together, learning from mission together and participating in mission together. In all this we aim to be pioneering, evangelistic, relational and faithful. All these themes come together in the words of the CMS community affirmation:

“I’m a member of the CMS mission community because I believe God is still working in our world and I want to be part of this. I want my life to be about mission and I know that mission isn’t someone else’s job – it’s mine. I want to live for Jesus daily and I realise I need fuel for this journey. As a member of the CMS mission community, I desire to help my local Christian community

keep mission a priority. I also wish to join other CMS members in regularly renewing my mind and spirit and my commitment to mission.”

We are a dispersed community, some of us gathering regularly with other community members, others in more remote or isolated settings. Wherever we are, how might we make our affirmation in 2016? A few ideas:

Set the affirmation in the context of Jesus’ question: “But who do you say that I am?” Read Matthew 16:13-20. Ask each other (or yourself) the same question. In stillness let your response take shape and speak, write, draw or sing your response. From our recognition of who Jesus is, will come the desire to live the demanding and joyful life that the affirmation describes.

You might like to use this phrase at the beginning and the end of the affirmation:

“With the help of God, and the prayers of the community, I make this

affirmation.”This phrase sets our promises in the

loving context of God’s strength, the prayers of the community and our own desire – all of which are vital if we are to live out what we are affirming.

Reflect further on the affirmation, taking a different phrase each day.

Ponder it, talk about it, pray with it. And consider what action you could take now to bring this affirmation to life in a real way in your context.

We respond to Jesus’ question. And we affirm our desire to follow him in the context of the

CMS community. We of course are not Simon Peter, and we are not the rock on which Christ’s church is built. But we are nevertheless, in Jesus’ name, privileged to play some small part in that wonderful ever-unfolding story.

Lent 2016: A time to renew and re-affirm our commitment to community membership

Community mission mobiliser: Mark Berry: mark.berry@cms-uk.org or 01865 787482Church relations advisors: link.enquiries@cms-uk.org Giving: give@cms-uk.org or 01865 787468Encounter trips: Helen Brook helen.brook@cms-uk.org or 01865 787493

Local groups and associations: Barbara Oakley: barbara.oakley@cms-uk.org or 01865 787487Community events, forums, networks, communities of practice: Mark Berry: mark.berry@cms-uk.orgChanges to personal details or mailings: Chrissie Bonnie: chrissie.bonnie@cms-uk.org or 01865 787519

CMS is a mission community acknowledged by the Church of England. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales, charity number 1131655, company number 6985330, registered office: CMS, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ

Church Mission Society Watlington Road, Oxford, OX4 6BZ Tel: 01865 787400 www.cms-uk.org | info@cms-uk.orgfacebook.com/churchmissionsocietytwitter: @cmsmission

Ways to connect to the CMS community

“Each Lent is an opportunity to renew our

commitment to living and sharing the way of Jesus together as the

CMS community”

By Ian Adams, CMS mission spirituality advisor

Ian can be contacted via email: ian.adams@cms-uk.org