Impact report 2021

Accelerating Kingdom Initiatives

Impact Offering 2021

GOD SAID LIVE

Our Impact Offering enables us to get behind Kingdom initiatives locally and globally. We’re able to invest into both new and existing churches, support a number of outreach projects and partner with ministries and organisations that are reaching the poor, oppressed, vulnerable and sick.

ACCELERATING KINGDOM INITIATIVES AS OPPORTUNITY ARISES

The team in Equippers Kolkata, distributing Covid-19 Relief kits.

CONTENTS Hello Church

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Impact Through

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Impact Through

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Impact Through

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A Story Of Giving

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Church Development

Supporting Education & Training

Supporting Charities, Ministries & NGOs

Where We Have Given

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Playing Your Part

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“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!”

Ezekiel 37:5 (NLT)

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​​H i Church, Well, what a year it’s been! Lockdowns, Church at Home, work at home and even school at home! By whatever metric you judge the last 12 months, it’s been a major challenge to us all.

We want to say a massive thank you to each one of you. Despite all the ups and downs, our Equippers family has continued to be so generous and consistent in the area of giving. In fact, over the last year, we received our largest Impact Offering to date. This brochure reports on some of the many projects we have supported in 2020/21.

We continue to champion our church theme for this year, God Said Live!

It’s prophetic in nature, and yet practical too. Your sacrificial giving has enabled the outworking of this prophetic statement in so many ways. It’s been a privilege that we continue to play our part and see God reviving His children all over the world.

We’ve been part of seeing new churches being planted in Budapest and Fiji; the building of churches and schools in Ghana, Cyprus and Tonga; new shoes being made and given away in Ethiopia for those with Podoconiosis; men, women and children experiencing a new life following rescue from all types of slavery by IJM (International Justice Mission); feeding families in crisis in Kolkata and many other projects too.

Closer to home, we have been pursuing a permanent building in Weybridge Business Park, and have been able to ring-fence a significant sum of money to help us secure what God has for us in the near future.

Once again, a huge thank you for your incredible giving! God bless you as you prayerfully consider how you can give to Impact Offering on Sunday 14th November, so we are well positioned to continue to accelerate Kingdom initiatives!

Much love,

Mark and Monica Collard Senior Pastors Equippers Church

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Impact through

CHURCH DEVELOPMENT We will primarily change the world through the local church and by planting significant new churches.

Impact Offering allows us to continue investing into emerging church plants, as well as many established churches both in the UK and around the world. It enables us to resource the many practical needs churches have, as well as funding outreach programmes, sowing into the vision of reaching people for Jesus.

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The launch of Equippers Church in Budapest.

Equippers Church, Budapest Equippers Budapest is run by Pastors Miro and Marta Toth, who have been in ministry since the early nineties, planting churches, pastoring, and raising leaders. Our Impact Offering helped to fund the church’s new city centre venue for their Sunday gatherings.

In September 2021, Equippers Budapest officially launched, with a celebration in their venue at a cafe in the city, right next to the Budapest Eye. In the last four months they have seen more than 130 first time visitors, have started 6 Connect Groups, gained 8 interns, had baptisms, seen physical healing and lives being transformed!

“Up until now we could say that we are planting a church in Budapest — now we can say that we have planted.” - Ps Miro Toth

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Praying for Pastors Miro and Marta at the launch of Equippers Budapest.

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The Equippers Fiji Easter gathering in a local park.

Equippers Church, Fiji Run by Ps Tiko and Shelley Toganivalu, Equippers Fiji launched in 2021! They held their first ‘Meet the Family’ night in March this year, have gathered and trained new youth leaders, launched two thriving Connect Groups and hosted a fantastic Easter gathering with 60 people in a local park.

Soon after Easter, the people of Fiji went into a hard lockdown, forcing the church to pause all in-person events. As many churches have done, they’ve gone digital! Their Sunday services, Connect Groups and meetings have been hosted online and they have continued to offer practical and pastoral support to local families. During lockdown, they started a local initiative, where they filled tote bags with goodies to help their students’ mental and emotional well-being. To date, they have reached over 300 students in the area!

Our Impact Offering will help Equippers Fiji find a more permanent venue to meet in when they are able to meet together in-person again.

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Toshiba Court, located in Weybridge, Surrey.

Toshiba A building we would like to call ‘home’ This time last year we made a special Impact Offering appeal to provide funds to secure a new building that we could use as our home base as a church. In early 2020 both Pastors Mark and Monica were led separately through promptings of the Holy Spirit to a building in Weybridge Business Park, known as Toshiba Court. We saw this as an amazing central position and home for Equippers Church, both for our local community and as a building to resource Equippers Churches in the UK and Europe. Together with the Elders, Trustees and Pastors, we believed God was in it and leading the way.

We progressed through to having an offer accepted to lease the building for 5 years, but this offer was retracted by the owners after contracts had been written, literally days before the lease was due to be signed. We’d had architects draw up plans and worked closely with the local council and many expert agencies. We have also had a mortgage agreement in principle. Our challenge at point of print is that the owners are unclear on what they are asking for in terms of a sale price and their overall plans for the future of the site. However, we still feel it’s right to pursue the purchase of this building.

Despite feeling blessed to have Cleves School as a great venue for our Surrey location, we still see part of our future as being located in Toshiba Court. So, as a church, we want to make some wise financial choices to prepare us and be ready for such a time that Toshiba Court or, an even better building, is available for us.

We have decided to ring-fence £250,000 from Surrey’s Impact Offering 2020 to use to fund a future building, as we know that much of this was given to enable us to lease or buy a more permanent home. This will prepare us for the season ahead, and the building that God has in store for us, whenever it may come.

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Impact through supporting

EDUCATION & TRAINING

As part of Impact Offering, we’re able to invest into the next generation through education and training. The projects we have supported are passionate about providing young people with world-class education, whilst also helping them to find hope and equipping them to thrive in life.

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NEW IMAGE NEEDED Revolution Tour schools programme.

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A class at ACTS Community School.

ACTS Community School, Tonga

‘Culture Night’ at ACTS Community School.

ACTS Community School started in 2010 and is part of the vision of Ps Mataele Fusitu’a and Equippers Church Tonga to raise a generation and reclaim a nation for Christ. The school already has an outstanding reputation in the country.

There are currently 320 students settled and learning in the school. This is thanks to the help of the staff, many of whom volunteer in exchange for an allowance and basic necessities, and others who are paid 55-70% of the local teacher salary. Even so, due to lack of classroom space and teaching staff, there is still a waiting list of over 200 applicants.

Our Impact Offering helped them to secure a 54 year lease on a much larger piece of land, where ACTS Community School can grow to accommodate many more students. The aim is to use this space to equip more students and lead them to Jesus by incorporating Christianity into school life, whilst also providing top-quality education.

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CHARITIES, MINISTRIES & NGOs

Impact through supporting

We’re able to partner with many charities, ministries and NGOs around the world to bring the hope of Jesus to the marginalised, poor and down-trodden. Through Impact Offering we have helped to meet people’s basic needs and in turn, awaken their hearts to dream of more for themselves, their family and their community.

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A woman affected by Podoconiosis, redeemed and proud, standing with her community, thanks to the work of APA (Action On Podoconiosis).

Covid-19 Relief:

Equippers Church, Kolkata The devastating blow in a surge of Covid-19 cases and imposed lockdowns affected thousands of people and led to an enormous humanitarian crisis across the nation of India, during 2021.

As a global church, Equippers partnered with Ps Binu Thampy from Equippers Church in Kolkata, India. As part of Impact Offering, we donated funds towards the purchase of 12,000 grocery kits that were distributed within the city. Each kit could sustain an average family of 4 people for one month.

These kits contained groceries, toiletries and other essential items and have already been distributed to 7,050 families, which translates to 634,500 meals!

A young mother and her child receiving a Covid-19 Relief Kit from The Equippers Kolkata Team.

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“It was a huge blessing to so many people.

There were hundreds of families on the verge of starvation. Without jobs and without any money people were so desperate for at least one meal a day. When we were able to go with the grocery packs it was like a miracle from heaven for people. Thank you so much for being such a huge blessing to the people who were the most needy.”

- Ps Binu Thampy

Covid-19 Relief:

Local Impact

Food hampers being assembled.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have spent £46,440 (£9,014 of this from Impact Offering) to support those in our community. This included the provision of food, financial grants, running errands and pastoral support.

We have been able to assist a number of Equippers Church members who have experienced hardship.

We did this by giving out over £22,500 worth in emergency grants, meeting their needs at a critical time.

We have also provided food to people in our local community by gifting food parcels, supermarket vouchers and running a food bank from the Hub. Since March 2020, we have given over 1600 food parcels to families and we help 20 families on an on-going basis through the food bank. In addition, we have distributed 367 Tesco vouchers in denominations of either £25 or £50. We have also donated £1,000 to the Runnymede Food Bank.

Over Christmas and Easter, we created and gave 465 Hampers to families and students at local schools and universities as well as staff at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey through East to West, and people we are connected with in the local community.

A very grateful student from Royal Holloway sent us this message: “I’m a student midwife and I have just received one of your hampers. I am having to selfisolate due to coming into contact with someone with Covid-19 at the hospital, so this has really made my week and Christmas! It’s so kind of you and I really appreciate it. Thank you very much.”

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East to West East to West is a local Christian charity that has the vision to bring hope to young lives across Surrey and Berkshire. Our contribution from our Impact fund has helped them further the work of supporting hundreds of local children, young people and their families who struggle with issues such as self-harming, bullying, broken family relationships, abuse and homelessness. It has enabled them to increase their Relational Support Work in schools and at St Peter’s Hospital.

Much of the work of East to West takes place in local schools where their team of passionate and dedicated Relational Support Workers & Counsellors provides emotional, relational and practical support to young people and families in need. Demand for mental health and practical support has increased due to the consequences of the pandemic, particularly with remote schooling, cancelled exams, dealing with abuse, neglect or relationship breakdown.

East to West also works with Emerge Advocacy at Chertsey’s St Peter’s Hospital A&E department, providing volunteers to support and meet with young people who have been admitted as a result of self-harm or attempted suicide. The clinical teams work closely with the volunteers and have praised the positive difference that they make to young people at a desperate moment in their lives.

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A student who had been working with one

of East to West’s Relational Support workers.

The three boys being rescued on Lake Volta, Ghana.

International Justice Mission For the last 8 years, our Impact Offering has supported International Justice Mission (IJM).

Their mission is to protect people in poverty from exploitation and oppression by rescuing victims, bringing criminals to justice, restoring survivors to safety and strength, and helping local law enforcement build a safe future that lasts.

In June this year, IJM and local authorities brought three boys aged 10, 12 and 16 to safety from exploitation in the fishing industry on Lake Volta, Ghana. Forced to wake at dawn, they worked long hours fishing, mending nets, deep-diving to untangle nets caught beneath the water’s surface and hauling in a heavy day’s catch. Their lives were often at risk as they worked.

This rescue operation was the culmination of months of work between the IJM Ghana team, police and the country’s Department of Social Welfare. During the operation, members of the community threatened to attack the team.

Five suspects were arrested and one suspect sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.

The three boys were placed in a temporary care home, receiving proper medical care and education before the aim of safely reintegrating them back with their families.

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A STORY OF GIVING 21

Thom & Anna Yates In 2020 Anna and I were studying at Equippers College in New Zealand. Studying full-time meant we had just enough money to live on each week. We faithfully tithed on the small income we did have throughout the year but when it came to Impact Offering (or Miracle Offering as it’s known at Equippers in New Zealand) we were a little stumped. What do we do? What can we do? We knew that God was asking us to give into Miracle Offering, we just didn’t know how it could work.

One of our major prayer requests at the time was for the ability to repay the remainder of our student fees - we had $4000 to go (around £2000). One day I felt God say to me “give 10% of what you are believing for me to provide” - almost like a ‘prophetic tithe’. So we did. We gave $400 which was most of what was in our bank account at the time. It was tight for a few weeks but fastforward to the end of 2020 - we had paid all of our course fees, we had all we needed to live well, we paid the deposit and first month’s rent for a flat back in the UK, and we even had a little money in the bank.

I can’t explain how everything worked out but God provided everything we needed, and I believe it started with a small step of costly obedience. God is good and He always provides.

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Patients at the Wellbeing Centre at the Sam Beare & Woking Hospice.

Over the last 12 months you gave

£350,872 Thank you for your generous giving!

Impact Offering generates a resource for us to draw upon, enabling our church to respond to emerging opportunities or urgent needs as they arise.

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WHERE WE HAVE GIVEN IN 2020-21 Church Planting, Development & Pastoral Support

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Equippers Ghana Equippers Budapest Gateways Beyond, Cyprus Equippers Fiji Acts Churches UK C3 Philly, USA Equippers Mexico City Equippers UK - Church Online Supporting pastors in Europe MyChurch Windsor, UK Toshiba Court, Weybridge Reboot Ministry, UK

£20,000 £12,000 £10,000 £5,238 £5,000 £5,000 £4,500 £2,389 £2,000 £1,810 £1,250 £1,000

Total

£70,187

Supporting Education & Training ACTS Community School, Tonga Equippers College, New Zealand St Marcellin’s Children’s Village, Zimbabwe Revolution Tour, UK

£15,000 £5,238 £1,956 £522

Total

£22,716

Covid-19 Relief Equippers Kolkata Covid-19 Relief in the community, UK

£12,358 £9,014

Total

£21,372

Supporting Charities, Ministries & NGOs IJM (International Justice Mission) APA (Action on Podoconiosis) East to West, UK Nathan Bassaly, Egypt TML Ministries, South Africa Woking & Sam Beare Hospice, UK Glass Door Homeless Charity, UK

£10,000 £10,000 £5,000 £4,000 £1,055 £1,000 £750

Total

£31,805

Total 2020-21 Spend

£146,080

* The balance on Impact funds at the time of print is £319,120 (£281,022 Surrey and £38,098 Richmond).

This includes funds brought forward from previous years. £250,000 of Surrey’s balance has been designated to fund a future building.

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Playing Your Part Impact Offering is our annual commitment to go over and above our regular giving.

This year we will receive our Impact Offering pledges on:

Sunday 14 th November This is an annual pledge, meaning once you have pledged an amount you can fulfil this at any point over the course of the next 12 months. We offer the option of fulfilling your pledge in one lump sum or in monthly installments over the year.

Once you have pledged, you will receive details on how to give (by email), based on your location and your giving preference.

Pray Over the coming weeks, allow God to guide you as you prayerfully consider your contribution in what to give. If you are married or have a family, why not do this together and come into agreement on how much to pledge.

Plan Once you have agreed in your heart how much you would like to pledge, plan how you can fulfil it over the next 12 months.

Pledge Finally, submit your pledge by completing the enclosed form! We’ll receive our Impact Offering together, as a church family, on Sunday 14th November during our church services.

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A survivor of online sexual exploitation, rescued and restored by the International Justice Mission team in The Philippines.

Find out more information at equippers.co.uk/impact