Lesson

Pursuing excellence – Principles of good practice when working with people experiencing poverty and marginalisation

In this session, Nigel Ring shares some general principles of good practice when reaching out to those who are poor and marginalised. For well over 30 years, Nigel was fulltime Administrator to Terry Virgo and the UK Newfrontiers Apostolic Team. He is passionate about helping those who are poor and mobilising churches to engage with those who are marginalised and living in poverty.  

At 3.15am on March 23rd 2000, Nigel was in Conakry, the capital of the Republic of Guinea in West Africa. He was there to visit a church that had been planted with Sierra Leonean refugees a few years earlier. Suddenly, he was awoken with the words ‘Dream big dreams’ ringing in his ears. God clearly said to Nigel that he was to help Newfrontiers churches outside the UK to increase their engagement with the poor in their communities and that he was to help them to do this to a high standard. This calling was confirmed by Terry Virgo and then the UK apostolic team and an international team, and Nigel was commissioned to launch Act Together with others. 

In this video, Nigel shares stories from his experience of encouraging churches in nations across the world to respond to those who are poor in their communities, and some general principles of good practice ranging from listening well to God; listening with humility to those who are poor and learning from them; knowing what we are called to do and not to do and the dignity of working in partnership with those we are seeking to reach.

As we watch this video, let us be asking God to speak to us through it and to give us insight into how we can apply what we learn.

Recommended Resources:

Nigel’s Blog Feeding 5,000 is No Picnic…: http://www.nigelring.org/

 

Embracing The Poor: Releasing, Resourcing and Equipping the Poor for World Mission

Editor: David Adams

Publisher: RoperPenberthy Publishing Ltd (July 2011)