Now What?

It is good to reflect back on the moment we chose to follow Christ. For some of us it may have been a gradual awakening, for others a dramatic conversion. It awoke in us the endless possibility of life and we may well have anticipated transformation in every direction. We linked into our local church and began the work of submitting every part of our lives to God. Each week we are prompted to be holy, to clean up our thoughts, pay our tithes, be hospitable to one another, attend church, run a home group – all important activities, but a question keeps arising “is that it – is there not more to the Christian life than this?”

Divine Restlessness: this questioning, this feeling of what next is I believe a special holy discontentment. God is creating in us his heart which longs for us to be engaged in his world. All the discipling and church activities are not an end to themselves, but rather they are a launch pad for us to be his hands, his feet, his love in our world. This divine restlessness is a critical moment in our lives and should lead us to a transition into understanding our purpose in the world.

The 'Now What?' becomes the 'For What?'

Our personal spiritual development is an ongoing life journey but it is for a purpose:

Light of the World: (Matt 5:14-16) We are told the we are the light of the world. This is a daunting calling. Light can only be effective when it is shone in darkness. That means we need to be where there is darkness: hurting, pain, brokenness, despair.
Some of the mega areas of darkness are: human trafficking, sexual exploitation, extreme poverty, violence and conflict, injustice and persecution.

Micah members are engaged in all of these areas of darkness, but in order for impact to be made we need to act in a united way.

Micah is a movement of learning, acting, (re)uniting and articulating together to transform mission so as to be light in our nations. Micah facilitates platforms of learning, sharing, and acting together so as to together address these issues – to be light and salt.

The national and regional meetings are essential as they wrestle through the theological foundations, the practical implications and spur one another to a united effort.

We invite all our members to invest in these platforms and help us to together to be the light our nations need. Get to know your national coordinator and explore ways to support the national conversations to happen. If you do not have a national coordinator, then come together as members and decide to act – take the initiative. Micah Global Secretariat is there to help and with the vast experience drawn from a global network, we can link to learning from around the world.

Together in Him
Sheryl Haw, International Director

Global Consultation Peru - Report

The final report, with outcomes and next step plans is now available online.

If you were there and want to listen again to all the plenary sessions, read through all the resources then we now have available the Global Consultation CD ROM or memory stick.

If you were unable to make this meeting, now is your chance to gain from all the recorded sessions, materials and resources.

To cover productions costs Micah Global is selling this important resource for £ 15 / $ 20. To order your copy follow instructions here. Order now.

Planning Aid From the Future

A new website dedicated to helping humanitarians prepare for an ever more complex and uncertain future has been developed. The Planning From the Future: Crisis, Challenge, Change in Humanitarian Action website provides resources that draw on lessons of the past, capture the rapidly changing landscape, and propose ways to prepare for a world in which the types, dimensions, and dynamics of threats that produce humanitarian needs will increase – in some instances, exponentially.

Facilitator of this new initiative is the Feinstein International Center, in cooperation with HPG (Humanitarian Policy Group) and Kings College London.

New Pack Helps Churches to Address Domestic Abuse

1 in 4 women experience domestic abuse - including women in churches. Restored aims to end domestic abuse by partnering with churches and Christian organisations.

Restored has released an updated and expanded version of their church pack (which explains what domestic abuse is, what it looks like and gives practical steps that churches can take to address it) to mark International Women's Day (Tuesday 8th March). This new 40-page edition also includes an expanded theological section which explores some of the issues specifically faced by Christians

You can download a Church Pack free of charge (the page also features endorsements from church leaders). Or get a printed copy by email your contact details to info@restoredrelationships.org (a modest donation will be requested to cover costs of print and postage).

Bible studies about (welcoming) refugees

Verre Naasten, membes of Micah Global, have shared a series of Bible studues they have developed that guides local churches, and staff through our concern for refugees.

Worldwide there are more than 60 million refugees today. This does not leave us unaffected. We are being confronted with refugees, not only via the media but also in our cities and villages. To download the Bible Studies series see here. One document is for the group facilitator.

Doing Church God's Way: rethinking faith & development

Christian Community Development Conference (CCDC) faciltated in cooperation between Micah, AEM and EEMA.

Dates: 30th May to 3rd June 2016

Location: Christian Conference Centre Schoenblick, Schwaebisch-Gmuend, Germany (near Stuttgart)

Changemaker track with simulation "Walk the Talk" especially for up and coming young leaders.

For more information and to register see here.

Refugees in Europe: EEMA Conference

Refugees in Europe: A Fence or a Bridge: EEMA Conference

Dates: 21st to 24th June 2016

Location: Bucharest, Romania

For more information and to register see here.

International Wholistic Missions Conference

IWMC host their annual cnference entitled: Engage: whole person, whole community, whole world.

Dates: 4th to 7th May 2016 (NB: pre conference training evens start on the 2nd May)

Location: Phoenix, USA

For more information and to register see here.

4/14 Window Movement Events

About 4/14 Window Movement:  God is calling us to radically change the way we view young people and to respond to their strategic importance and rightful place in His Kingdom. The 4/14 Window Movement sees children and youth as more than a mission field to be reached.  They are also a powerful missions force affecting change in our world today.

The programme of events and activities in 2016 can be found on their web site plus many important resources for working with children and young people. 

Sign up for their newsletter to get the full list if activities in your region.

 

21st International AIDS Conference

 

The International AIDS Conference is the main gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. It is a chance to assess where we are, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learnt, and collectively chart a course forward.

Dates: 18th to 22nd July 2016

Location: Durban, South Africa

For more information and to register see here.

International School of Reconciliation

Each year this important training is provided in Kigali, Rwanda for all who are seeking to be Sjalom bringers in their nation. This is facoliated by Le Rucher Ministries, a member of Micah. Micah Global sees this training as crucial for seeking reconciliation and restoration in each of our nations.

Dates: 9th to 26th August 2016

Location: Kigali, Rwanda

For more information see here. Flyers in French and English.

Micah National Events

Please also check with your national coordinator for activities planned in your country.

Intentionally Missional: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Dates: 17th to 19th March 2016

Location: Église ueeso cocody dans la cour de Fréquence vie

For more information see here.

 

Local Church Agent of Chanfe: Kathmandu, Nepal

Dates: 28th to 29th March 2016

Location: Coop Foodland, Lalitpur, Nepal

For more information see here

 

Integral Mission Conversation: Chișinău, Moldova

Dates: 8th to 9th April 2016

Location: tba - check Micah web site

For more information see here

 

Human Dignity : Faith - Lifestyle - Politics: Marburg, Germany

Dates: 22nd to 24th April 2016

Location: Marburg (see Micah Germany web site)

For more information see here.

 

Doing Church Gods Way: re thinking faith & development: Germany

Micah Europe Regional Conference in cooperation with AEM and EEMA

Date: 30th May to 3rd June 2016

Locaion: Christian Conference Centre Schoenblick, Schwaebisch-Gmuend, Germany (near Stuttgart)

For more information and to register see here

 

Integral Mission and Tribalism: Nairobi, Kenya

Dates: 29th to 20th June 2016

Location tba

More information to follow: see Micah Events

 

Integral Mission Conversation: Cameroon

Dates: 7th to 9th July 2016

Location: tba

For more information see here

 

Micah National Coordinators Workshop: UK

Dates: 8th August to 12th August 2016

Location: All Nations Christian College, Ware, United Kingdom

 

Integral Mission and Violence: Honduras

Micah Latin America Regional Consultation

Dates: 5th to 9th September 2016

More ifnromation to follow

 

Cities of Shalom: ISUM Summit, Quitto, Ecuador

Dates: 15th to 16th October 2016

Location: tba

More information to be made available soon

 

Micah Asia Regional Consultation: Thailand

Dates: 7th to 11th November 2016

More information to follow.