Keep The Faith issue 104

Britain’s leading Black and multi-ethnic community-focused publication promoting

ISSUE 104

and supporting unity, faith and family values

THE

MISOGYNIST WITHIN

Do Christians

GRIEVE

differently?

SPRING CLEAN YOUR BODY

Answering the

SINGLES QUESTION TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

DEBUTS IN LONDON

Celebrating Windrush 70 years on: Church and Music

UK ARTISTS SCORE BIG ON ULTIMATE GOSPEL COMPILATION

£3.95 £2.95

MATT REDMAN

CROWDER

MARTIN SMITH

1 EVENT 40,000 PEOPLE Join thousands of others in 2018 for the UK’s largest united gathering of the church, coming together to worship and celebrate all that is good.

HOUSEFIRES

KARI JOBE

26 - 27 MAY

FOR KING AND COUNTRY

WISTON HOUSE, WEST SUSSEX

01 - 02 JUNE CAPESTHORNE HALL, CHESHIRE

TRAVIS GREENE Tickets sale now tickets on sale nowon bigchurchdayout.com

bigchurchdayout.com Charity Number - 1127987

Charity Number - 1127987

CONTENTS

Welcome to our first issue of 2018!

ISSUE 104 news

As we enter our 13th year of publishing Keep The Faith magazine (yes, 13th!), we are making many improvements which I am sure will be of interest to you. I hope our continued dedication to bringing you news, information, inspiration and great articles from within our community will encourage you to support us, so we can continue publishing for (at least) another 13 years.

First, you can support us by subscribing to Keep The Faith and have your copy delivered direct to your door. You can subscribe for a single issue, four or six issues (See P27). Your subscription ensures you won’t miss out – with the added benefit of helping to support our work.

You can also assist by advertising with us.

We offer e-marketing and print advertising to suit all budgets and pockets. We reach a vast audience nationwide, and continue to be the only publication of its kind in print in the UK!

Are you looking for something to do at the weekend? Is there an event you want to share with others? Keep The Faith wants to ensure that our supporters and readers have access to our vast network, so take advantage of our newly created FREE events calendar, by visiting www.keepthefaith.co.uk/events.

Better still, why not register in our relaunched Keep The Faith Directory? Our Directory aims to continue to be the largest resource for networking with the BAME and faith community. From large businesses to one-man bands and solopreneurs, we want everyone to have access to the most comprehensive networking tool! For more information, visit www.keepthefaithdirectory.co.uk.

Is there anyone you’d like to see featured in Keep The Faith? We are always looking for inspiring people to include, so please get in touch with us!

gospel news 06 Celebrating Windrush, 70 years on: Church and Music part 1 by Juliet Fletcher 10 UK artists score big on Ultimate Gospel compilation by Milton B Allen

12 The misogynist within

by Dionne Gravesande 14 A peculiar people by Gary Clayton 16 Answering the singles question

by Marcia Dixon 18 Supporting the sisterhood by Esther Kuku 20 Who, me? Yes, you! by Funke Oham 21 You will wear purple, but you won’t spit

by Louise Morse

comment 22 Food 4 Thought by Marcia Dixon 24 Do Christians grieve differently?

by Rev Stephen Brooks

R

16

lifestyle 25 Spring clean your body

by Joy Roxborough 26 Portion sizes by Shola Oladipo 28 Single, sane and sassy

by Grace Gladys Famoriyo 29 Essentials for Entrepreneurs

by Keno Ogbo 30 Is writing a business or a ministry?

by Vanessa Grossett

mission 31 Tayo Funtoons at Child of Promise School, Lagos by Tayo Fatunla 32 Why one Oxford man’s retirement is keeping him busier than ever

by Ann Baden

Keep The Faith Ltd keepthefaithteam Suite 48 @keepthefaithmag 88-90 Hatton Garden keepthefaithmagazine London EC1N 8PN www.keepthefaith.co.uk T: 0845 193 4433 www.keepthefaithdirectory.co.uk

14

feature

Every blessing Shirley McGreal

KEEP THE FAITH MAGAZINE

06

04 In the news

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Chief Executive Officer: Sub-Editor: Design: Advertising:

Marketing: Admin & Finance:

Shirley McGreal FCMI Dr Daniel Tulloch Jackie Raymond Becky Wybrow Diverse Media Group Limited advertising@diversemediagroup.co.uk T: 0203 868 0664 Josie McFarlane Nicola Hammond

The Publisher would like to thank Rev Stephen Brooks, Marcia Dixon, Esther Kuku, Juliet Fletcher, Milton B Allen, Dionne Gravesande, Gary Clayton, Funke Oham, Louise Morse, Shola Oladipo, Joy Roxborough, Grace Gladys Famoriyo, Vanessa Grossett, Keno Ogbo, Tayo Fatunla, Ann Baden, Sandra Godley, our supporters and all our advertisers.

The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Publisher.

28 32

04 NEWS

Overcoming challenges with Godley Gosp-Ability

A

ward-winning gospel singer, Sandra Godley, is celebrating after a successful launch of her choir project, which aims to give people - who have faced mental anxiety or physical disabilities - a chance to perform ahead of the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19 - a ‘Gosp-Ability’ choir.

The project was launched live on air, 5th December, at BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, and was inspired by the work Prince Harry has accomplished in recent years - in particular, the world-wide attention that both he and other Royal Family members have achieved, highlighting the courageous, brave and heart-warming actions of athletes and members of our diverse community.

Sandra stated: “. . . I had no idea how much this was going to mean to so many people. One stand-out moment for me was when a young disabled man was given the opportunity to sing on stage. He could only walk with great difficulty; his loving mum had to help him all the way to the microphone. He looked up, composed himself, and summoned up the courage to start singing.

He pierced the atmosphere with a song that left

us all speechless. It was just electric – magnificent – for a lot of people, it brought a tear to their eyes.

It was like an X-Factor moment!”

The campaign is supported by Coventry, City of Culture 2021, and is a partnership with experienced charities that provide frontline mental health support to people who may need it, whilst raising awareness and tackling stigma.

Chaplain to the Queen, Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, said: “How exciting! It would be such a memorable experience for the couple and the world looking on. It would be bringing together people and places as part of their

special moment of joy, ie. people with challenges who do not give up.”

Online submissions to audition are open until midnight, March 2nd 2018. Final auditions for the choir are to take place at the end of March, at Coventry Cathedral, and Sandra is hoping to enlist between 15 and 20 singers from across the UK. Applicants must be aged 18 and over.

“Singing breaks the outer shell that keeps us fearful of each other. My quest to find my Gosp-Ability choir has begun,” said Sandra.

For more information, visit www.sing4sandra.com

60:40 Youth Project: Empowering Young People in the Heart of Lambeth

T

he Ascension Trust is seeking individuals to invest a year of their lives at one of our new initiatives: the 60/40 Youth Project. The project is focused on empowering young people in Lambeth to see, reach and achieve their full potential throughout the various stages of their lives.

The gap year programme is designed to provide individuals with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills; utilise their individual gifts, and gain experience working with inner city young people in a ministry environment.

The 60/40 Project is an initiative of the Ascension Trust in partnership with the Methodist Church and London City Mission. It has been established to care for, equip and Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

empower young people in Lambeth.

The 60/40 Project is focused on the wellbeing of young people and their families.

In Lambeth there is great culture, entertainment and history to be discovered. However, many young people who reside in the area are living in emotionally, spiritually and psychologically deprived environments. Serious youth violence has increased since 2014; child sexual exploitation is also at an unexpected high within Lambeth.

The Ascension Trust, the Methodist Church and London City Mission have recognised the need in this area, and believe the issue requires collaborative input from significant organisations to bring about change.

The gap year is for those eager to gain practical ministry experience,

who are teachable, willing to learn and be stretched; individuals, who are committed Christians, and are passionate about seeing churches influence the societies they reside in.

The successful candidates will receive experience and exposure working with young people in a variety of settings, and the following: • Excellent training in practical evangelism, from the skilled team at London City Mission • Scope to dream, design and develop initiatives for young people • Leadership training from seasoned individuals with a breadth of expertise • Accommodation • Mentoring from the experienced Ascension Trust team

The cost of the gap year is £4,000 and includes accommodation for the duration of the gap year, training in evangelism and leadership, and the cost of materials and events.

If you would like to gain practical experience working with young people in the heart of London, contact the Ascension Trust for an application pack by emailing: 60_40@ascensiontrust.org.uk, by calling 020 7737 6852, or visit www.ascensiontrust.org.uk.

Can you give a child a new start with adoption?

Adoption Information Event Wednesday 7 March 6.30pm - 8.30pm Call us now on (020) 8871 7184

(020) 8871 7184 wandsworth.gov.uk/adoption adoptionservices@wandsworth.gov.uk

a new start

AD.1198 KTF (1.18)

To find out more:

06 GOSPEL NEWS

Celebrating Windrush, 70 years on: church and music - part one JULIET FLETCHER

is a former BBC Producer and funding Executive of the GMIA

R

ecognition or being recognised is important in life. Anyone who says otherwise is not being truthful. It isn’t even a case of false humility. When Jesus asked the question: “Who do men say that I am?”, Peter spoke up with the right interpretation of His identity and, as a result, we forever have a succinct statement of recognising the Founder of our faith: “You are THE CHRIST, the Son of the living God!” It may be tenuous (to say the least) to link recognition of the sovereign Person of JESUS to hearing that the 2018 Queen’s Honours List included an MBE for Bazil Meade, co-founder of the illustrious and industrious London Community Gospel Choir. However, my main aim is to point out the principle importance of making a statement recognising a person, place or thing for its worth and value. My good brother-friend’s Royal acknowledgment could not have come with better timing, as it sets a precedent for celebrating British Gospel in a special way, since this year represents a very special anniversary.

WINDRUSH, 70 YEARS ON 1948 to 2018!

For over thirty-five years, Bazil and LCGC have given British Gospel a definitive visible face and voice within the mainstream. Bazil has led the Choir into places others wouldn’t dare to tread.

However, it’s because of their trailblazing footprints that others have been able to follow and enjoy unprecedented opportunities for themselves, and to share the sound of British Gospel in Europe and other parts of the world.

In his excellent autobiography, A Boy, A Dream, A Journey, we get a good picture of his life and musical experience. Yet we know it reflects just the beginning of his story, and a snapshot of the LCGC story as a whole.

There is an imperative for us to recognise who we are and what we have done. Seventy years means many of us, as first-generation kids of Windrush, are half-a-century and older. Gulp!

We have to have visual, as well as “It-is-written” evidence, and give legitimate and credible witness to a future generation who will stand in our place. This year is a massive opportunity to ‘Big Up’ ourselves, because nobody is better positioned than ourselves to tell the story and to stage events around our stories.

Bazil Meade MBE Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

WINDRUSH FOUNDATION First, we have to give thanks and a BIG UP to The Windrush Foundation, which was founded in 1995 by the late Sam King MBE (February 1926 to June 2016) - a former Mayor of Southwark, and by Arthur Torrington CBE, who is behind the current official Windrush, 70 Years On initiative.

Both these men are from a strong church and faith-based background. [Torrington actually formed the first organisation for British Gospel - the Black Gospel Association (BGA), which operated from 1983 to 1991].

Sam King MBE

They established the Windrush Foundation and the Equiano Society - both registered charities rooted within the community and dedicated to (commemorate and celebrate) telling the truth about people of African descent, who came to Britain before and after World War II. Visit www.windrushfoundation.org and www.equiano.net for further information. You’ll find the resources truly eye-opening: for instance, stories and memorabilia of individuals who have been ‘discovered’ from the past to present, and the short and long films and audio recordings that are part of a unique growing archive - all these resources make

GOSPEL NEWS 07

BIG & SIGNIFICANT EVENTS THAT TELL OUR STORY

Arthur Torrington CBE

fascinating reading, viewing and listening.

This groundbreaking work has greatly contributed to being formally recognised by agencies of all types: legacy and heritage foundations, and museums of arts culture, for example. It also highlights that much remains untold, and so my hope is that there will be a concerted effort to use this landmark year as a springboard to empower and improve the quality and value of our community – not only to express where we have come from, but also who we are now.

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS ON This is particularly true regarding the story of British gospel music, which has, in an incredibly subservient way, undergirded many of the social, political and cultural advances of Black people in the faith community.

It’s with this in mind that the Gospel Music Industry Alliance (GMIA) has exchanged communication with The Windrush Foundation, and this has helped us to set some projects into motion. First, the GMIA has commissioned a series of special insignias to be used in association with the official Windrush, 70 Years On logo, to focus people’s minds on this significant milestone.

We need these emblems to be used and seen by as many people as possible, right throughout this year - even though Windrush Day itself is June 22nd. You can help, by requesting a copy of the emblem to display - whether it’s on your website, social media sharing or (and most importantly) on printed material.

The special insignias are available for any promoters and event coordinators and, of course, church organisers who are staging a project and creating some excitement about it all. Write to the GMIA at info@gmia.org.uk, describing the activity you are planning, and you will be sent the logos. In fact, the GMIA - in association with special events company, GreenTree Productions - will be contacting various church denominations, organisations, groups and individuals to encourage and find out what people will be doing as we progress into the year.

We need BIG and SIGNIFICANT events - not only in terms of audience, but also because they are potential game-changers to the way in which British Gospel is perceived and appreciated.

SIGNIFICANT is more important than BIG, but if we can have both, then of course that’s better.

As a two-part article, here in Part One I list a series of events (two of which will already have taken place by the time this KTF issue is out) that I consider are big and significant on our calendar in the first six months of this year: 1. FESTIVAL OF PRAISE [FOP] Friday 12th January The first major music event for 2018 is Festival of Praise. This annual event in the North West can truly boast itself in the Lord. It has now completed its eighth consecutive year; has had audiences of between 7,000 to 9,000 per event – that’s between 56,000 to 72,000 over the time.

This event involves the widest joint effort across local Christendom, achieving unprecedented cooperation; it’s an avenue for bringing together people of diverse backgrounds and cultures from across the UK, to celebrate our faith in Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world, and also to encourage community cohesion; it has featured over 50 national and international music ministers, including Madeleine Kerzner, Muyiwa, Noel Robinson, LZ7, Philippa Hanna, Don Moen, CeCe Winans, Donnie McClurkin and Sinach.

Donnie McClurkin

CeCe Winans

It’s a HUGE example of what we can do within a region (in this case, Manchester), when we remain committed to a cause together.

Wouldn’t it be marvellous if we had just ONE of these events in every region of the country?

Venue: Manchester Arena, Victoria Station, Hunts Bank, Manchester M3 1AR www.festivalofpraisemanchester.org

2. KINGDOM WORSHIP MOVEMENT [KWM] RENEWAL February 2nd and 3rd Here is another solid event, celebrating 10 YEARS! Three cheers! Hurrah! Ten solid years of engagement for this highly regarded worship conference that has given a platform to over 100 UK-based worship ministers; over 60,000 attendees, and an average of 1,000 individuals per night.

Jake Isaac

PJ Putnam

Our most noted Praise & Worship minister, Noel Robinson – who started Kingdom Worship Movement - is the longest serving person in this genre to come out of the African and Caribbean churches. In fact, he is recognised as bringing the style of worship teams to the Black Church community, at a time when the term was almost discounted as too foreign. The KWM website describes itself as “a non-denominational ministry, committed to multicultural, multi-ethnic values, and which recognises the multiplicity of the many global worship forms”. This year, the theme REVIVE featured the usual breadth and depth of music ministers and teachers, including Jake Isaac, PJ Putnam, Hillsong London, Evans Ogboi, Lou Fellingham, Dave Daniel - just to name a few. It was totally inspirational.

KWM has a very special mandate; it is a game-changer. We’ve got so much more to look forward to with this event in the UK in the body of Christ.

Venue: City Gates, 25-29 Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1BH www.kingdomworshipmovement.com 3. TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT [TWS] March 8th-10th This dovetails beautifully into what I consider could be another game-changing event, specifically in the relationship between UK and US gospel music. (I’m marking my words.)

TWS is the inaugural of what is intended to be an annual event that draws worshippers to British shores - another potential game-changer moment. The significance is all the leaders, facilitators and performers are 100% rooted in Black Gospel. I use that phrase intentionally.

Kirk Franklin, Israel Houghton, Marvin Sapp,

www.keepthefaith.co.uk

08 GOSPEL NEWS

Kim Burrell

British Gospel Arts - brought an excited group of students together and staged their first competitive event. Now, eight years on, a total of 6,000 students have entered, and this year, as in previous, around 350-400 will compete to be crowned University Gospel Choir of the Year. The atmosphere on the UGCY night is absolutely electric - charged with so much JOY. This is one of the annual events (like John Fisher’s WeSingUSing) that is nurturing the millennials into the hard-core sound of gospel, which is one of the reasons I love it!

Kim Burrell, Kiki Sheard and Donald Lawrence will be appearing, alongside Muyiwa, Noel Robinson, Bazil Meade, Mark Beswick, Karen Gibson, Lurine Cato and other top UK talent across the three days. They are ALL WORLD CLASS! The schedule consists of a Choir Day, evening celebrations, and a series of musicians and vocal workshops. On top of that, there will be special industry panels for those keen to understand more about the industry, and how to sharpen their ability to develop a career in the field.

There is a 24-page supplementary magazine – a guide detailing the programme right from the start and culminating in the True Worship Summit Artist Showcase and Celebration event. The Showcase will give one person the recording deal of a lifetime (valued at “a whopping £50,000”): a chance to be produced by Fred Hammond and vocally coached by Kim Burrell, and promotional performances and other opportunities in the US. True Worship Summit - if you haven’t heard about it yet, you better get!!! If you’ve missed it - all’s well, see you next year!!!

Conference Venue: Dominion Centre, 9 High Road, Wood Green, London N22 6DS Concert Venue: Gaumont State Theatre, 197-199 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7HY www.trueworshipsummit.com 4. University Gospel Choir of the Year (UGCY) March 28th This event typifies what I mean by SIGNIFICANT. I have watched UGCY from its inception, when Lorraine Wright - supported by the one and only inspirational genius that is Andrea Encinas of

UGCY 2016 winners DeMonfort University (DMU) Gospel Choir

Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

Venue: Dominion Centre, 9 High Road, N22 6DS London www.ugcy.co.uk 5. TAKE ME BACK April 2nd-14th Four sold-out events already! That’s what happened when this play was first staged last year.

The multi award-winning Angie Le Mar, best known as Britain’s leading comedienne -also known for her hit plays: The Brothers, Funny Black Women on the Edge, Do You Know Where Your Daughter Is? and Forty - has done it again with this original stage play. The promotional wording speaks truthfully that this play is an emotional rollercoaster. The promotional write-up was NOT a giveaway for sure: ‘Sunday School is where the friendship between Andrea and Patricia started, but when it came to an end, life took over. Dreams were broken and heartaches grew. Even through the brokenness and disappointments, they never forgot who they were and whose they were.’

Angie Le Mar

When I went to the December sold-out show, to be honest I was shocked as the story unfolded; I just didn’t expect the raw truth to be acted out in front of me. But this was truth in church life, as it should be - REDEMPTIVE! Just like the Lord of my life experience. You have 14 days to choose from, so book for you and a friend.

Great storyline. Great music. And we’ll have that Great Discussion!

Take Me Back will take you back in time.

The songs, the joy and the laughter will take you back down memory lane. That was in the promo, too - and it’s absolutely true. This play can only grow in stature.

Venue: 208 Wandsworth Road, London SW8 2JU www.angielemar.com 6. PIA (Poets In Autumn) Tour April 28th-29th This sensational spoken word outfit returns to the UK, and the anticipation is another series of sold-out shows hosted by the enterprising AStepFwd organisation. There is a continual synergy between gospel singing, rap and spoken word. Not that this is new, but it’s becoming more of a transparent phenomenon within the setting of the contemporary generation. It’s all good, because this is just stretching the landscape in which gospel music can move.

PIA are amazing in and of themselves, and this makes it a date... and I can’t wait!

Venue: City Gates, 25-29 Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1BH www.astepfwd.com All the above are a fine representation of events you need to look out for, but there are others, and if you’ve got something planned, let us know.

In Part Two of Windrush, 70 Years On, I will share more on the key events and activities happening this year.

You can now keep up with the GMIA via the new GMIA app. Download it now on your smartphone; it’s totally FREE! Go to http://m. appbuild.io/wedb4.

Connect.Explore.Network.Rewards.

Share the app link to gain rewards.

GOSPEL NEWS 09

www.keepthefaith.co.uk

10 GOSPEL NEWS

UK ARTISTS SCORE BIG ON ULTIMATE GOSPEL COMPILATION

by Milton B. Allen, Global Music Link

(London) Four extraordinary UK Gospel artists are watching their international fan base grow, while scoring coveted spots on the premium international gospel compilation, ‘Ultimate Gospel Volume 1’. This is the story of how four UK artists - Sarah Téibo, Fiona Yorke, Tneek and Myoa - found their way to one of the top gospel compilations distributed worldwide.

Ultimate Gospel Vol 1 is a premium collection of the best in gospel music. This speciallypriced deluxe CD/DVD set includes Grammy Award-winning and gold and platinum gospel stars: Hezekiah Walker, Erica Campbell, Martha Munizzi, Michelle Williams, Shirley Caesar, Don Moen and Nicole C Mullen. This set also features the next generation of praise and worship gospel artists, whose collective artistry and individual messages resonate deep into the soul: Todd Dulaney, Deitrick Haddon, Jonathan McReynolds and William McDowell.

The A&R staff of Red Revolution (South Africa) and Global Music Link UK have carefully assembled a cadre of up-and-coming new talent selected from amongst hundreds in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Ghana and the United States - each worthy of being featured in this esteemed first edition.

The new direction of Ultimate Gospel Vol 1 is a bold one, forging a path through a world of artistic and spiritual possibilities that is rooted in a deep desire to expose the Gospel to hearts, minds and souls through music. UK artists - Sarah Téibo, Fiona Yorke, Tneek and Myoa - are walking that path.

Ultimate Gospel Volume 1 Red and Ultimate Gospel Volume 1 Blue are available through digital outlets everywhere!

Ultimate Gospel Volume 1 is available in London through Psalms Distribution. www.psalmsdistribution.com

Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

Sarah Téibo An incomparable songwriter, Sarah Téibo was selected for her versatile style of singing, and her innate ability to fuse her uniquely soulful yet contemporary style with powerful lyrics to produce a new and exciting sound, which some music critics have described as “fresh, urban and classic”.

When asked her thoughts about being included in this project, Sarah said: “It’s profoundly exhilarating to see my name and have my music played alongside some of the absolute legends I grew up listening to, and have been phenomenally influenced by. I have the greatest confidence in gospel music from the UK being at par with global standards, and I think being on Ultimate Gospel with my fellow friends and sisters is proof of that.

For me to be in this compilation is both humbling, as well as a sign that the UK gospel scene has a lot to offer - this is only scratching the surface!”

Sarah Téibo recently released ‘Like A Child’ - the lead single from her highly anticipated sophomore album, ‘Keep Walking’, which is slated for release this summer. Recorded in London and written

by Sarah with super producer Luke ‘GKID’ Grant, ‘Like A Child’ is an up-tempo Motown-inspired, urban soul track, poised to follow the same path as some of her previous hits, like chart-topping ‘Steal My Joy’.

GOSPEL NEWS 11

Tneek Tneek was a natural selection for this international A&R team. Her hardhitting, no-holds-barred lyrics - over fierce beats - addresses real issues that challenge the status quo. She delivers on this impressive eight-track EP with profound lyrics, musical diversity, and catchy hooks that will have you listening again and again.

In Tneek’s words: “Ultimate Gospel Vol 1 means a lot to me, because I have seen many of these mainstream gospel artists, such as CeCe Winans and Erica Campbell (from Mary Mary) release music on a global scale from a young age. I am blessed with having this opportunity, and I’m so glad that my music can have a broader reach on such a reputable worldwide project. This enables my music to connect with people I wouldn’t have reached without being featured on this first edition compilation series.

For that I am truly grateful. God is good!”

Tneek’s new EP release, ‘R.I.C.H’, is eclectic, and will take the listener through Tneek’s journey - from life’s disappointments, rage and brokenness, to an enriched life with Christ. As Tneek’s production team says: “She’s rollin’ like a queen!”, hence the title R.I.C.H - Restored from Iniquities, Clothed in Honour! Her recently released music video, ‘For That Money’, produced

by KO Productions with cinematography

by Jax Luther Films, complements the trap-sounding beat with an aggressive flow. It questions the extreme lives some of us lead for the love of money.

Fiona Yorke Fiona Yorke was chosen for her consistent passion for worship, and her selfless support of the London gospel music scene; being chosen for backing vocals for outstanding gospel artists, and her work supporting gospel events. Her recent single and video, ‘Love For Me’, was recorded in her native Ghana. It features stunning aerial shots of Jamestown from the historic Jamestown Lighthouse and Black Star Independence Square in Accra.

“I am extremely excited about the project, because this is a great compilation of quality music that will continue to bless, uplift and minister to listeners all around the world,” says Fiona. “So many of the artists on the compilation have inspired me with their ministry and musical content over the years, so for my song to be on this project is truly a blessing. Being associated with this project reminds me of how limitless God is!!!”

In August 2016, Fiona Yorke cemented her place in chart history by becoming the fifth female to make it to Number 1 in 28(!) consecutive months on the UK Christian Charts for her release, ‘Glory Cloud’. The thought-provoking ‘Glory Cloud’ video was critically acclaimed from as far away as South Africa, Australia, Trinidad and the United States.

Myoa Myoa is a singer/songwriter, whose musical journey has catapulted her from the beautiful coast of West Africa to the Queen’s country in England, and finally to the rich musical soil of the USA. In the words of Myoa, which means ‘God brings Joy’: “I was created to inspire and impact certain truths, and to give joy to people who listen to my music. It was while studying at the University of Plymouth in south-west England that I honed in on my songwriting and keyboard skills, and discovered my individuality and purpose.”

It was her dynamic, substantive writing style that spoke to matters of the heart, and her sultry, yet versatile voice that brought Myoa to the attention of the Ultimate Gospel creative team.

“To be associated with these groundbreaking, highly esteemed and amazing artists is very humbling for me, and gives me hope and peace that I am on the right track,” says Myoa. “I am very excited to be a part of this project, as my songs can reach a global audience that I could only have imagined achieving myself. To have my music distributed worldwide is more than an amazing feeling, and I am more determined to keep pushing forward, inspiring others who I meet along my ‘Beautiful Journey’.”

Myoa’s debut release, ‘Beautiful Journey’, will be released in March.

www.keepthefaith.co.uk

12 FEATURE

Me, too! - Let’s talk about the misogy DIONNE GRAVESANDE

Global Ecumenical Relations at Christian Aid

I

t has been said that we’re living through a reckoning with sexual harassment - both at work, community and in wider society. We have witnessed one powerful man after another become outed as predators across professional and charity sectors. This reckoning, with sex as a tool of male power, has also generated questions about complicity: Who watched and did nothing, and who enabled such bold behaviour?

But, if we’re honest, the complicity is broader; such men are physically acting out the power structure in which they know they live, maybe the brothers should ask themselves what role do they play in creating that structure? A truth to remember is that we still live in a male-coded society, and you can’t easily fit women into a structure that is already coded as male. Maybe it’s time to change the structure or, at the very least, draw attention to such an unjust structure.

Let’s pause for a moment to ask the question: How do you recognise female leadership, and how have we learned to look at the women who exercise power - or at least try to? What are the cultural underpinnings of the misogyny in your workplace or the church? Put another way, what are the words and images we associate with women who have authority? Are the terms loaded with subjective or sexual reference?

I’ve spent my life in a society that, by various measures, devalues and dismisses women. Of course there are a few institutions that buck the trend but, in the main, our collective history is full of examples where women have been marginalised and silenced. Alas, much of the world’s regions are rooted in misogynist views.

Masculinity can operate like other power dynamics. At times, it can plant itself into the centre, and shoves anything coded as ‘feminine’ to the edges. In order

Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

for the power imbalances between women and men to be redressed, the underlying structures - and dynamics that produce them - must be comprehensively addressed. Hidden and invisible power structures (unseen social norms that favour one gender over another) need to be identified and challenged if we want things to change.

Around the world, there are many values, beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and practices that support male dominance, weaken women’s sense of self-worth, and validate violence against women and girls. Such damaging social norms are perhaps the most insidious barriers, because they shape what we believe to be ‘normal’.

Church structures and, at times, religious texts have often been a key factor in replicating damaging gendered social norms at local, national and global levels. They are the source of many of our values and beliefs that, in turn, give rise to attitudes and behaviours, which are then formalised and condoned in our laws and policies. To date, the breadth and depth of their interventions need more vision, visibility and action. We want and need more in church leadership to speak to this area of life; it’s for leaders to consider the many ways in which we’ve organised ourselves around misogyny - particularly in our churches, in our families and as individuals. Maybe then we can mount a Christian response that is shaped by our experience and witness of Christ Jesus.

This is no doubt hard to imagine but, having read the experience of women in church who have been systematically abused, it is an

uncomfortable reality. In this context, I find myself asking the question: How do our cultural traditions influence our religious practices and behaviour?

‘In the main, our collective history is full of examples where women have been marginalised and silenced.’

In Genesis, the creation stories are an evocative narration of creation, in which all that exists is utterly dependent on God. The story of creation in Genesis 2 is often used to argue not only that humanity exists in opposites, but also that one form of humanity (males) is superior to another (females). However, the creation story in Genesis may also be understood as expressing the idea that the most important difference exists between God and creation, not between male and female. Creation depends on God, and this is the primary theological relationship concerning creation. Another starting point for reflections can be the position of equality (Genesis 1:27), in that God created everyone equally. God also calls humanity equally in a shared vocation of stewardship to care for God’s ongoing creation.

The communion is called to live and work in Christ, to address injustices and oppression, and to create transformed realities and communities of good life, with gender relations that nurture and lead to the flourishing of all human beings. Being in communion entails sharing a spiritual journey, nurtured by the Gospel of God’s grace. To be in Christ implies that, although our differences remain, they have diverse meanings: our differences are gifts - one is not better than the other. Difference does not have to lead to inequality.

Given that women make up the majority of church congregations, these things should concern the churches. Now is the time for people of faith and their leaders to offer a

FEATURE 13

gynist within! prophetic voice and pastoral commitment to the women and young girls in our churches, as well as a willingness to counter the violence and misogyny in our society.

This is could be our Matthew 25 moment, the Gospel text where Jesus says: “How you treat the most vulnerable is how you treat Me”. It’s a moment where we can re-examine our policy and practices concerning women.

Here are three things you can do to ensure women are equally valued in your church: 1. Support the empowerment of women as a key strategy toward ending sexual harassment and gender-based violence 2. Actively promote the involvement of Men’s ministries, reflecting on models of transformed masculinities 3. Address systemic and structural practices in church that create barriers to the full participation of women in leadership and at levels of decision- making

www.keepthefaith.co.uk

14 FEATURE

GARY CLAYTON

Is a copywriter and editor at Christian aviation organisation, MAF UK

O

n the first day of the second Christian job I ever had, I learnt three slightly worrying things. First, the company was only now in a position to actually pay me. (It turned out that the interview question about ‘living by faith’ wasn’t entirely theoretical!)

Second, shortly before I joined, one of the trustees had suggested closing the magazine down because it was losing so much money.

Third, I would be one of the few salaried members of staff and that, if I wanted any help running our Christian bi-monthly magazine, I needed to work my way through a list of potential volunteers, find out what they could do, and encourage them to assist me.

Regarding all this as a tremendous adventure (I was young and foolish at the time), I made my way through the list I’d been given, phoning each person and inviting anyone remotely suitable to visit me at the office.

By the end of the month, I’d spoken to everyone and seen a number of them. By the end of two months, I had my workforce.

But not all of them had worked in an office before. One had never used a photocopier in her life, and didn’t know which end of the stapler to use. But they were wonderful people.

My volunteer staff, to save us money, brought in paper that had only been used on one side as a way of saving us from having to buy paper for internal photocopying. The only problem was that many of the sheets – unknown to me – still had staples in.

So what we saved on paper, we lost on frequent call-outs to the photocopier repairman, who couldn’t understand why our fairly new machine kept breaking down – until he inspected the rollers and the paper tray!

On another occasion, one of the staff dutifully wrote the names of people, who’d ordered magazines, directly onto the polythene envelope – saving the cost of sticky labels.

She then stacked the magazines one on top of the other to avoid taking up room. This would have been fine if she’d used a biro rather than a felt-tip pen! Unfortunately, it soon became clear that the only readable address was the one on top. The lower down you got, the more smeared and illegible the addresses became…

There was also the time I needed a load of letters folded, inserted into envelopes and posted.

To save time, I’d bought self-sealing envelopes.

At the end of the day, I came over to my colleague’s desk. “All done!” she said proudly, “but they tasted horrible.”

“Horrible?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

You didn’t give me a sponge, so I used my initiative, and licked the lot of them. Mind you, apart from tasting terrible, they don’t seem to stick very well!”

When I went to look at the 100-plus envelopes, I realised she’d licked all the glue off.

Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

A PEC ULIAR PEOPL E

by Gar y Clayto n

No wonder the self-sealing envelopes wouldn’t stick! So we waited till they’d dried, then stuck them all down again with sticky tape.

But – and here’s the thing – in time, my over-keen volunteers all learnt from their mistakes and never made them again.

By the time the year was up - and before I’d lost my mind, my patience or my sense of humour - they could staple, collate, photocopy, address, package and address envelopes with the best of them.

But aren’t we, as believers, a bit like that?

‘Brothers and sisters,’ 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 tells us, ‘think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

‘Are there times when we... are more like Dad’s Army than Gideon’s?’

‘But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.’

Aren’t we, God’s people, rather like that?

Are there times when we men (or women) are more like Dad’s Army than Gideon’s?

And what about the disciples Jesus called?

How much promise did they show initially?

Thomas, the disciple famous for his tendency to doubt (John 11:16, 20:24-27); Peter, impetuous, insubordinate and unreliable (Matthew 14:28-29, 16:22-23, 26:31-75, John 13:8-9, 18:10); James and John, competitive and ambitious siblings who sometimes lacked grace (Mark

3:17, 10:35-41, Luke 9:51-54) and – later – Saul/Paul, the violent vigilante and accessory to murder (Acts 7:57-8:3, 1 Timothy 1:13-16).

Aren’t we all, at times, as apparently unpromising as these marvellous men of God? And what about some of the Old Testament kings, prophets or heroes of the faith?

There’s Jacob, a liar and trickster (Genesis 25:29-33, 27:1-36); David, a murderer and adulterer (2 Samuel 11), and Solomon, the wise man whose folly made him an idolater (1 Kings 11:1-8).

Then there’s Jonah, the disobedient death-desiring shirker with anger management issues (Jonah 1:3, 4:1-3); the defeatist and depressed Elijah (1 Kings 19:3-4); the unwise Jephthah (Judges 11:30-39); the powerful and headstrong Samson, who possessed spectacularly bad judgment when it came to women (Judges 16:1-21), and the disobedient Moses, a former murderer who was afraid of public speaking (Exodus 2:11-12, 4:10, Numbers 20:8-12).

‘Do not be deceived,’ 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 tells us., ‘Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.’ Whatever we may once have been – if we are truly born again – we are now ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession’. Why? ‘That you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light’ (1 Peter 2:9).

We may originally have lacked promise, but we are now, in the words of Galatians 4:28, the ‘children of promise’ – God’s ‘chosen people’ or, as the Authorised Version archaically translates 1 Peter 2:9, God’s ‘peculiar people’.

MAF uses planes to transform the lives of the world’s most isolated people, bringing help and hope to those in need.

RedTribe who are based in a remote Maasai community in southwest Kenya, now have better access to support after the rehabilitation of the old airstrip.

For over 70 years MAF has supplied a solution for the problem of poverty in isolation, delivering a lifeline for isolated communities in over 25 countries across the developing world.

To arrange a speaker and hear more about MAF’s exciting work, please phone 01303 851955 or visit our website

www.maf-uk.org/speaker MAF UK Castle House, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2TQ Scotland Office 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD T 01303 852819 E supporter.relations@maf-uk.org

www.maf-uk.org

MAF UK

@flying4life

@MAFUK

Registered charity in England and Wales (1064598) and in Scotland (SC039107) ® Registered trademark 3026860, 3026908, 3026915

MAFUKFILM

16 FEATURE

ANSWERING THE SIN

Marcia Dixon speaks to three Christians, who have made it their mission to sup Longstanding Christian Evangelists, Vivien Rose and Rose Sunday, founded The Day I Get Married - a ministry initiative to help Christian women find husbands. Evangelist Vivien runs her own publishing company, and carries out missions work in Uganda. Minister Rose is an event organiser by profession, and runs a foundation for vulnerable children.

KEEP THE FAITH (KTF): When and what inspired Rose and yourself to set up The Day I Get married?

EVANGELIST VIVIEN ROSE (EVR): The name @TheDayIGetMarried was given by the Lord for social media, to attract singles and minister to them about marriage. It was birthed out of a time of prayer and fasting, when God instructed me to dig deeper to find the solution for what was causing delays in my sister’s marriage. During that fast, my eyes were opened, and I learnt why

so many single women were in church and how to change things.

KTF: You held your first The Day I Get Married event last August. What kind of response did you get?

EVR: We had a fantastic response. Women, who were reluctant to voice their disappointment and pain about not being married, began to call, and women from different cultures and backgrounds attended the first prayer meeting. Single men also messaged us, and still support live broadcasts where we share the Word of the Lord for singles.

KTF: There are lots of single Christian women, complaining that they can’t find partners. What do you think are the reasons for this state of affairs?

EVR: There are practical and spiritual reasons.

Practically, there are more males in the world than females, but fewer godly men in church than women.

This is because, spiritually, there is an assassination agenda against the faith of men; they carry the seed of posterity for family and society. However, the Church was not focused on raising godly men, but more on the women.

So now women, who have been raised, must in turn, free the men through intercession.

KTF: How is your ministry helping women to find partners?

EVR: We do not physically find partners for women - LOL! What we do, is prepare men and women to catch the vision of what God is saying

and expecting, so God can supernaturally release them into marriage within a 12-month window. We are not a matchmaking agency, BUT we are an intercessory and teaching agency, anointed to release the purposes of God for singles to marry into manifestation. This is a prerequisite for revival!

KTF: How do you plan to help Christian women in their quest to find partners during 2018?

EVR: He has commissioned us to conduct a Singles Tour UK 2018, declaring the Word of the Lord - “It is time to be married” - and praying for men and women to be released into their destined marriages supernaturally for the GLORY OF GOD! We will be partnering with male ministers to accomplish this task. Plus we’ll be having regular prayer meetings and a Bride-To-Be Banquet in London.

KTF: And what three things do you think a Christian woman should do to position herself for marriage in 2018?

EVR: (i) Believe in the prophetic word for marriage within a 12-month window. (ii) Prophetic prayer and positioning herself, by walking in obedience to what the Lord requires, which is to come to the place of prayer and intercession for men and marriage. (iii) Be open to change – location, job, church, etc - as directed by the Holy Spirit, because He is going to give specific instructions to individuals to expedite their marriages.

For more information about this ministry, follow @thedayIgetmarried on Instagram.

Val Bernard-Allan is a Sociology lecturer at Dauphine University, London and Bracknell and Wokingham College, Berkshire, and also works as a motivational sociologist. Val explored the lives of single women for her PhD thesis, entitled ‘It’s Not Good to Be Alone - Singleness and the Black Seventh-day Adventist Woman’. She shares the reason behind her research, its findings and her future plans.

KEEP THE FAITH (KTF): What inspired you to carry out research looking into the lives of single women in the Seventh-day Adventist church?

VAL BERNARD-ALLAN (VBA): It was when I began making plans to get married to my first husband. I distinctly remember conversations with some of my Christian Black Caribbean girlfriends, who were happy for me but also lamenting the fact that they were still waiting for their ‘Mr Right’.

I then had personal experience of singleness, when this marriage broke down. So my concerns and interest intensified, and eventually found direction in my research on single women, and my interest has continued to grow.

KTF: What were the key findings in your PhD research?

VBA: The research focused on the experiences of singleness for Black Seventh-day Adventist women, and some of the findings were: Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

FEATURE 17

NGLE QUESTION

pport believers in their quest to enjoy single life or find partners For the past six years, Minister Abraham Jones has been running Kingdom Relationships, and part of his ministry activities entails organising conferences for singles across the UK, which are attended by Christians from all over the UK. He shared how Kingdom Relationship conferences are helping singles.

KEEP THE FAITH (KTF): What inspired you to launch your singles event across the country?

MINISTER ABRAHAM JONES (MAJ): After our conference in London, back in 2015, the Lord spoke to me to take the ‘Connect’ conferences to various cities in the United Kingdom, and we did. Prior to that, we noticed that people were coming from Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester - and even as far as Scotland - just to attend our conferences in London. We were elated by this, but didn’t make a move until we got the leading to do so.

KTF: What kind of activities take place at your events?

MAJ: During our conferences, attendees participate in worship sessions, networking sessions, teaching, testimonies, talk shows, prayer sessions, etc. We have other events that are mainly social in nature, and attendees come and have a great time mingling with other singles in God’s presence, whilst having fun.

KTF: Why do you think it’s important for singles to attend gatherings such as yours?

MAJ: There is a limit to what a pastor can preach,

to and about singles, during church services, due to the mixed nature of their congregations.

At singles events, however, singles can talk freely about issues that concern them, without holding back. We always get positive feedback from attendees of our conferences, telling us how glad they were to hear us talk freely about real issues on the minds of singles.

for Christians, which will be aimed at empowering singles with the skills and knowledge they need to be in a successful relationship/marriage. More info coming soon.

Visit www.kingdomrelationships.com for more information.

KTF: Do you have testimonies of couples who have met and gotten married at your events or who, after attending your conferences, met the man/woman of their dreams?

MAJ: We have myriads of testimonies of people meeting their dream men and women at our events, alongside other amazing testimonies.

But, for me, some of the testimonies that stay in my heart are the ones from people who said they were on the verge of suicide, but saw life differently, with a ray of hope, after attending our events. Others have people saying they thought they were ready for marriage before attending our event, but afterwards knew they weren’t ready. We also have people making their peace with God at our events.

KTF: What do you have planned for Kingdom Relationships in 2018?

MAJ: We are looking at going on a world tour with our ‘Connect’ Singles conference. We are kicking off with London this summer. We also have social events, spiritual enhancement events, and lots more coming up this year.

Lastly, we will be hosting a pre-marital class

(i) Black women believe that productive adulthood is expressed in marriage (ii) The idea that marriage is ordained by God problematises their relationship with God (iii) Maintaining the celibate life is extremely difficult but very important, because it becomes one way in which they demonstrate their spiritual pedigree (iv) Post-slavery narratives, such as ‘strong Black woman’, complicate their quest to marry, and (v) Black single Christian women are our heroines KTF: What aspects of your findings do you think relate to Black single women in other sectors of the church?

VBA: The findings are relevant for Black women with post-enslaved, post-colonial backgrounds - this includes African women – and shows how singleness as an ethnic identity within a religious community is expressed. By highlighting the racialised aspects of singleness, the findings make an important contribution to illuminating British Black women’s singleness as a marginalised identity within the Church and within wider society.

KTF: How would you like women and the Church to act on your findings?

VBA: To take the high rates of involuntary singleness of Black Caribbean

women seriously, and to recognise their contribution to the Church, despite a profound sense of emotional deprivation, and to include singleness in the curriculum in their training centres, colleges and universities.

KTF: What advice do you have to offer women who would like to get married, but feel it’s impossible?

VBA: The ultimate way to exist is to seek intimacy with God. It is also the best way to see the destruction of strongholds, so that we can really embrace the truth that ‘with God all things are possible’, and so we can boldly embrace the good things that life has to offer.

KTF: Where is your research available, and how do you plan to share your findings and empower women during 2018?

VBA: My research is available at www.valbernardallan.com. I will be hosting a seminar at Balham SDA on May 20th, using my research findings to case study the singleness epidemic within the Black community as a whole. I will also be looking into the solution to involuntary singleness, by combining a sociological analysis of the production of singleness with a biblical interpretation of resurrection.

For more information, visit www.valbernadallan.com

www.keepthefaith.co.uk

18 FEATURE

Supporting the sisterhood ESTHER KUKU

is a Registered Public Health Nutritionist. Love God, love life, love people Twitter: @mew36

I

t’s important as women that we’re powerful allies for one another. If we pray for one another, work together, and take time away from the noise and just have fun, we can achieve great things.

The older I get, the more passionate I become about the importance of women collaborating and helping each other.

I have been presenting my radio show for four years this year. I speak to women on a regular basis who relay their stories of going through the different seasons of life: some are married and frustrated – conversely, others are single and lonely; the married women feel the pressure to pretend that everything is rosy, and the unmarried folk are under pressure to pretend that they’re on top of the world and enjoying life till that special brother comes along.

So many amazing daughters of Zion, discouraged and pretending not to be. Women unhappy, because their husbands don’t understand them, or unfulfilled in their careers.

Or, let’s be honest, they’re just plain tired. In celebrating who we are as women, we need

Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

to be comfortable saying “No, actually I’m not OK right now.” Marriage can be tough. Being a mum can be exhausting. And just being a woman can sometimes feel like you drew the short straw.

Except… we didn’t! When we collaborate, talk and open up - which is something women are very good at - we realise that we’re all on a journey to greatness. None of us have it all together; we’re just trying to figure out life in Christ, one day at a time.

As women of God, our self-esteem lies in the immense value our Creator has placed upon and within us. Self-esteem isn’t derived from our relationship with a man. It isn’t found in raising children successfully, neither is it the by-product of an amazing career. As Kingdom women, we can tap into something supernatural that is much bigger than ourselves: a heavenly Father who gives us unlimited power and hope for the future.

A God who can place us within a sisterhood of other women, with whom we can be transparent. A girlfriend we can open our hearts to and say: “I am struggling. I am a beautiful jar of clay that feels like it’s been broken one too many times. Please pray for me.” Or, “ I have this brilliant business idea, but no capacity.

Could I share it with you?”

Women collaborating is not a new concept.

Paul the Apostle sent a letter to a young pastor named Titus, whose remit was to help the young church grow in maturity.

Titus 2:1-7 says: “You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God.” Paul’s advice to Titus is as relevant today as it was then.

No matter where life has taken you, you have been through joy and pain, which means, whether young or old, you have something to share, and there’s always another sister in the faith who needs you. In spite of what you have been through, you still love Jesus. You haven’t become bitter and turned your back on the faith. That means, no matter who you are or where you are right now, you have been called to minister to someone who may need your help.

Be bold and reach out. Greatness resides on the inside of you.

SAM AND OLIVIA COME TO RACE WEEK ONE

WEEK TWO

28 July-3 August 2018

5-11 August 2018

SPEAKERS Darren Rouanzoin Robby Dawkins Alan Hirsch

Jo Saxton Robby Dawkins Alan Hirsch

BOOK NOW

new-wine.org/united18 UNITED18 AD_135x188mm.indd 1

EQUIPPING CHURCHES TO TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES

11/12/2017 10:18

Here at Cinnamon we make it as easy as possible for local churches to respond to social needs in their local area. One way that we do is by helping outstanding church based community projects to grow through other churches across the country.

All great local church social action projects have to start somewhere. So, if your church is already running a life-changing project that has the potential to be replicated in other locations, we’d love you to consider entering Project Lab 2018.

Project Lab will provide world class teaching and coaching, access to a learning community, as well as the opportunity for two projects to receive grant funding of £30k.

WIN £30K TO REPLICATE YOUR CHURCH SOCIAL ACTION PROJECT VISIT: WWW.CINNAMONNETWORK.CO.UK/PROJECT-LAB/

30871 Cinnamon Network Keep the Faith Ad 188x135 FINAL AW.indd 1

09/02/2018 14:37

www.keepthefaith.co.uk

20 FEATURE

Who, me? Yes, you!

FUNKE OHAM

is a speaker, qualified life and performance coach and founder of Women Mentoring Women’ and Inspirational Women Awards

T

he 2011 London riots caught my attention. I was moved, and purposed in my heart to do something about it.

I even wrote an article on Facebook back then, stressing the importance of everyone (including myself) playing a part in this issue “but things have gone too far for me to fold my hands and continue to be a spectator.”

I looked for an opportunity to do something, to help and to influence young people positively.

Once, I considered speaking to young people in front of shopping malls. What do I say to them? Will they listen to me? So this notion remained on the back burner.

Another idea was joining the Street Pastors team in my area. But that never materialised either. The yearning to do something still remained.

An episode with my son and one of his teachers helped me realise what I could do to help. Shortly after starting in his new class, my son would come home each day, complaining about his teacher, and it escalated to the point of him asking to change schools. I had conversations with the teacher and we tried to address his concerns. But this continued.

In the meantime, I encouraged him to overlook the minor episodes, monitored the situation, and prayed about it.

It’s my usual custom to get teachers a gift during Christmas. That year, I wanted to get something relevant, and decided to get my son’s teacher ‘Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul’.

I flipped through the book to ensure I had got the right gift. I read the first story and couldn’t put it down until I finished reading it. I cried,

Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

laughed and was inspired as I read it. I bought the book hoping it would change the teacher, but the book changed me. Did it change her?

I don’t have an answer to that. The interesting thing was, at the end of the school year, my son chose a gift for her with the inscription ‘Best Teacher’ on it.

What I learnt In trying to change others, we should ask ‘In what areas do I need to change too?’ At that time, I taught a group of pre-teens in church.

I did it because no one else was keen, and I wanted them to be engaged. But it seemed like a chore; I felt I was missing out on the adult service, my other ministries and the fun. But Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul changed my mind. I realised the influence, importance and impact a teacher has in the lives of children.

My whole outlook of Children’s Ministry has changed. It is now something I look forward to and undertake with great joy. I have come to realise my time, ability to listen, encourage, praise the children and be a role model makes a huge difference in their lives.

Children’s Ministry is not just for Sunday school teachers. I always wondered why people run away from this ministry. For those who don’t, we appreciate your love, commitment and sacrifice. Just like in our biological families, extended family members all play a part in raising, influencing and supporting children.

Hence, in the Church, everyone should play a part in the spiritual development of children.

When we spend time with children, it’s a chance to know them better, listen and respond to their questions on life, our faith and their worries.

The young people I need to reach are already around me. I didn’t have to go far to reach young people. The pre-teens in my

church became my starting point. I also realised my son’s friends were another group I could reach out to. In November last year, I supported the children to organise a Children’s Day themed ‘All United’. It was an opportunity for them to get involved in running the whole church service, grow their faith and invite their friends to church. One of the children said it was his best day ever.

Seven years on from the London riots, knife and gun crime is on the increase. My heart bleeds each time I hear another young person has gone too soon. The issue still remains, but we can and must do something.

In late 2017, I attended an event by Ascension Trust to contribute to the conversation around gun and knife crime and the way forward. Following a presentation by Teen Challenge at my church, I volunteered to support their outreach work.

In the words of John F Kennedy: “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try!” Together we can make a difference in the lives of one, two, hundred, a thousand and more young lives.

Let’s do it!

FEATURE 21

YES, YOU’LL WEAR PURPLE, BUT YOU WON’T SPIT LOUISE MORSE

is Media & Communications Manager for the Pilgrims’ Friend Society

I

n her famous poem, ‘Warning’, Jenny Joseph, then 29, saw old age as a time of non-conformity when she could behave outrageously: she would wear purple with a clashing red hat, and learn to spit. Now she’s 85, I wonder if she’s done all those things, and if so, did anyone notice?

Because today’s older generation is unlike any other before it. It’s full of non-conformist Baby Boomers for a start. It’s also the largest in history - engaged, outspoken and supportive of others. Grandparents are helping the young with their mortgages and child-care, and - in their 90s and 100s! - older people are abseiling, running races and organising events for charity.

A survey by Age UK in 2014 showed they contributed £61bn to the economy through employment, informal caring and volunteering.

A similar study by the RVS (formerly the WRVs) concluded: ‘They are the glue that holds society together’.

Last year, the United Nations designated 1st October as the‘International Day of Older Persons’, with the title, ‘Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society’. It would be good to see such a title in a Christian publication.

Because, while secular organisations are pointing up the value of older people, many Christians don’t see it. A friend was describing how his church ran outreaches for the young, and I asked how it reached older people. “What would be the point,” he replied. “What would they bring?”

When I pointed out that this was an ageist attitude, he was amazed. Because, like most of us, he had been drip-fed ageism through so many channels all his life that he had absorbed it unconsciously, until it had become part of his mindset.

I wrote What’s Age Got To Do With It? to encourage older people to recognise their God-given roles and live out the purpose God

designed for them. When He created the universe, God set in motion times and seasons and the ageing process. Old age was part of His plan from the beginning - that people should ripen to maturity, developing wisdom through a lifetime of experience and relationship with Him, eventually enriching others with the attributes that have been honed over their lifetimes.

Dr William H Thomas, a gerontologist and professor at the University of Maryland, wrote an award-winning book that’s hailed as a seminal work and a call to arms: What are old people for? – How elders will save the world. At one point, his publisher advised him not to use the words ‘old people’ in the title, because it would ‘put people off’.

Thomas argues that although ageism has always existed, today’s virulent variety has been fired by the very generation that is now entering old age: the Baby Boomers - those born after 1945. The Boomers were the largest generation in history, and their sheer weight of numbers meant they changed the culture of each decade they occupied. Their student revolts in the 1960s and 1970s saw the rejection of traditional cultural values.

They created a ‘malignant enlargement of adulthood’, which saw old age as hurtling down a cliff into terrible and inevitable decline; a time of uselessness and becoming a burden, almost

a state of non-being. And, amazingly, although the biblical view of old age is clear (Leviticus 19:31 is an example), many Christians have absorbed Boomers’ ageist attitudes.

Does this ring any bells? I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve heard an older person say, “I don’t want to be a burden.” And a typical remark, after a session on God’s purpose for old age, came from a retired teacher who said that, at 70, she had assumed that her useful days were over. I pointed out that there is no end-point in Ephesians 2:10 - the ‘good works’ it mentions are for life.

So, if you think that being old is to do with a rocking chair and an easy lifestyle, think again!

You’re looking through the binoculars backwards.

What’s Age Got To Do With It? turns the lenses the right way around to give a clear view of God’s purpose for His seniors. It helps identify ageist thinking that holds back so many, and shows how to dismantle it in yourself and in your church. God has a very high view of older people and, if purple is the colour of bravery, royalty and value, then in His eyes, they are already wearing it.

Louise Morse is Media & Communications Manager for the Pilgrims’ Friend Society, a 210-year-old charity supporting older people. She is also a cognitive behavioural therapist and author of books on issues of old age, including dementia.

22 COMMENT

FOOD 4

THOUGHT marciadixonpr.co.uk

marciadixonpr

BY

MARCIA DIXON

A leading PR specialist and journalist

Marcia-Dixon-Public-Relations

Putting fathers back into the picture

The kind of preaching for reaching the lost

W

hilst reading Luke 15:1 recently, I sat up, astounded by what I had just read: “Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that He was associating with such sinful people - even eating with them.”

I’ve read this chapter many times, but this time round, it got me asking myself: “What were the subjects that Jesus covered in His teachings that made tax collectors and notorious sinners want to go and hear Him regularly?”

They obviously didn’t feel condemned by what Jesus had to say. No doubt they may have felt a little uncomfortable, but they must have also felt they needed to hear whatever Jesus had to say.

I’d like to think He set out the vision of a God who loves those whom society and the religious order of the day felt were unlovable, and made them feel there was a place for them in God’s Kingdom if they repented.

Have you noticed that individuals, who describe themselves as really ‘bad’ sinners, act very respectfully towards those they

perceive to be sincere Christian people? It’s as if they recognise on a deeper level that some Christians possess what they don’t often peace of mind and freedom from guilt.

Coupled with that, some ‘notorious sinners’ live lives so out of line with Scripture that they look on with envy at those who are living right, wondering if they will ever have the strength to resist the temptation to sin. And you know that notorious sinners sin notoriously, right?

It’s no wonder, then, that notorious sinners flocked to hear Jesus.

I found it telling that Luke 15 also contains Jesus’ Parables of the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep and the Prodigal Son - all parables signifying God’s desire to reach out to sinners.

Those who have been called by God to preach should aspire to be like Jesus, so that even people who aren’t Christians want to hear them. To do so, one needs to focus on God’s core quality, which is love.

Who wouldn’t want to hear sermons challenging ungodly social norms, alongside stories illustrating God’s love and mercy, and that His arms are wide open, waiting for sinners - even those who are notorious - to return home?

Remembering Edwin Hawkins It’s amazing how just one song can touch the world. This fact is evidenced by the tributes being paid to gospel legend, Edwin Hawkins, who died in January, aged 74, following his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Whilst not everyone might know his name, most music lovers will know the song he created, Oh Happy Day, one of the world’s most well known and most sung gospel song.

Edwin created an up-tempo version of the gospel hymn, Oh Happy Day, and recorded it on an album.

The song caught the ear of the local DJ, who played it on his show. A record label pressed copies and sold it, and it became a hit in the national charts and, in the process, became the flagship song for gospel music.

Oftentimes, like Edwin, many people may know us for just one thing. If that is the case, make sure you do that one thing well. It could be a life changer and history maker. Just like the song, Oh Happy Day. Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

I have become very perturbed and disturbed at the knife crime and violence amongst our youth.

Ever since this problem hit the national consciousness in 2003, I’ve always been concerned about it, but it always seems to be at fever pitch now and, at the time of writing, six young people - young adults - have been murdered since the start of 2018.

There were four stabbings on New Year’s Day. The question I keep asking myself is: What can we do as a church to quell the tide? and the answer that keeps coming back to me is we need to restore God’s order in our homes and relationships.

God has ordained that men are heads of their families and, too often - but not in all cases - those who kill and are killed come from fatherless homes, or are part of gangs, which are gatherings of those who are fatherless or feel unloved and misunderstood.

I’m always struck when I watch TV interviews of parents who’ve lost children to knife crime, because it is almost always a lone mother. Fathers are rarely seen. We have to put an end to this picture.

Amidst the many prayers we offer up, asking God to intervene and end youth violence and knife crime, let’s also start praying that men take their rightful place in their homes, the community, society and the nation.

So, the next time those of us gather to pray, let’s remember the men. We need them as fathers and leaders, to exert much-needed godly influence in these troubling and disturbing times.

COMMENT 23

GOD’S PURPOSES In Later Life The Bible makes it clear that when God created all living things, part of His life design for human beings was that we would grow old and experience old age. So why does our view of old age differ so widely from His, even amongst Christians who know the Scriptures?

Join us to hear all about God’s purposes for older age, including tips on how to share the gospel with older people. Benefit too from practical and spiritual support for those affected by Dementia.

When?

Saturday, 12 May 2018

Where?

All Nations Church Frog Island, Leicester, LE3 5AG

Time?

10.00am – 4.00pm

Keynote bible talk by Roger Carswell (Evangelist & Author).

Do you want to reach new customers?

At Diverse Media Group, we specialise in advertising to the Black and minority ethnic (BME) community by working alongside Britain’s leading BME publications.

REACH - We can help you reach the BME demographic by placing your advert within the community’s leading print and digital media outlets TARGET - BME readers are more likely to notice your adverts in our publications compared to alternative media outlets.

This is because they know your company is targeting them specifically, making them more likely to respond GROW - We can help you to expand your client base, stand out from your competitors, and grow your business through well-targeted advertising

Selected client’s magazines:

Other speakers include: Rev Ian Knox (Evangelist & Theologian), Dr Jennifer Bute (founder of www.gloriousopportunity.org), Rev Roger Hitchings (Speaker & Theologian), Louise Morse (Author and Commentator) and others.

Cost: £5.00, including Lunch and car parking Free to registered supporters of the PFS Family and subscribers Book online at: www.pilgrimsfriend.org.uk or call us to reserve your place on 0300 303 8431

Black History Month magazine

Keep The Faith magazine

The Diversity Digest magazine

To take advantage of this great opportunity, or to find out how else we can help you, call 0203 868 0664 or visit www.diversemediagroup.co.uk

www.keepthefaith.co.uk

24 COMMENT

DO CHRISTIANS GRIEVE DIFFERENTLY FROM OTHERS? easy to understand why the word ‘despair’ is also used to describe this period.

Grief and belief are not mutually exclusive.

Grief is an appropriate response to death, even for the believer. There is ‘a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance’ (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

REV STEPHEN BROOKS New Jerusalem Church, Birmingham

R

ecently I suffered the death of a loved one - a terrible, painful and traumatic experience. It’s one that changes one’s life forever, making clear why the Bible called Death the last enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26).

The path from bereavement to recovery could certainly be called, in the words of the psalmist, “the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4).

The closer you are to the deceased, the greater the suffering is likely to be.

All of us will lose a loved one at some point in life, and we will grieve that loss. Grief is actually the work of undoing the bonds that built the relationship. Loss and grieving are a natural part of life, but more often than not we are ill-prepared for it. The process requires time, work, and the facing of much pain. Some forms of bereavement can be particularly devastating, such as the loss of a spouse, a child, a parent (when one is still a child) and a loss to suicide.

In my family’s case, the loved one was terminally ill, and family members experienced anticipatory grief - the process of coming to terms with the potential or impending loss.

When a loved one dies, the bereaved person usually goes through three phases:

1. Shock and denial Often the initial reaction to a loss, shock protects the bereaved person from being too suddenly overwhelmed by the loss. Shock may last minutes, hours or days.

2. Suffering and yearning This is the long period of grief during which the bereaved person gradually comes to terms with the loss. It is characterised by feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety and despair. These feelings may erupt suddenly and without warning, even after a period of relative calm. Even though one knows intellectually for some time that the loved one will not be coming back, it has taken much longer for that fact to become emotionally real.

Research points to an increased risk of illness and even death after bereavement, especially for elderly persons who have lost a spouse or partner.

3. Recovery The goal of grieving is not to eliminate all the pain or memories of a loss, but rather to reorganise one’s life, so that the loss is one albeit important part, rather than the focus of life. It is a time in which life slowly comes back into focus; in which a purpose for living is slowly reborn; Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

‘We need support when we are grieving - even if we don’t know it. It’s fundamentally human to seek comfort at a time of loss.’

when one may begin to make some kind of sense out of what occurred. There is no single, predictable timetable for grieving. It may take months - or years - for the pain to subside.

We need support when we are grieving - even if we don’t know it. It’s fundamentally human to seek comfort at a time of loss. Most of us turn to family and friends, who provide us with the bulk of our support, but they may not always know how to support us when we’re grieving, especially if they too are grieving.

Responding to death can be awkward, uncomfortable and even frightening. As such, friends and family may avoid the subject, avoid the bereaved person, or try to ‘fix’ how the bereaved person feels. Statements such as, “You must be strong” or “It’s good that she didn’t suffer”, while well meaning, can actually hinder the grieving process. Additionally, many people have the misconception that bereaved people should completely recover within months, often quoting Bible verses like “Rejoice always”, “All things work together for good”, “In everything give thanks”.

The most crucial item at this point is a bereaved person’s belief system. What a person has always believed about God, life and the world has just received the greatest possible challenge in the face of the death of this loved one. Suddenly, life no longer seems safe, secure or understandable. Where was God? Why didn’t He prevent this? Doesn’t He care? The person may say: “I always believed He would protect my family and me from such things. What happened?” Since the belief system is undergoing such an assault, it’s

Writing to the believers at Thessalonica, Paul urges them to consider the promise of the Lord’s return and the resurrection which will then take place: “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Notice that Paul doesn’t use the hope of the coming of the Lord as a reason to avoid grief.

Rather, he points out that a believer need not grieve as though there is no hope. In other words, Christian grief has a definite end. Its end is in the hope of the appearing of Christ.

It seems clear that people in Scripture sorrowed, mourned and grieved at times of loss.

Should less be expected of contemporary Christians in their times of bereavement?

LIFESTYLE 25

Spring clean your body – not just your house!

6. Periodic fasting: Aside from being a spiritual discipline, fasting allows the body to rest and recover from the daily grind of digesting food and eliminating the waste. There are many options for doing a cleansing fast, with all-juice fasts or all-fruit fasts for one to three days being among the most popular and effective. Of course, if you have any medical conditions, it’s best to consult your doctor before embarking on any type of prolonged fast.

JOY ROXBOROUGH

is a creative industries professional, writer and entrepreneur. Email joyroxborough@yahoo.com

Thinking of spring cleaning this year? Your bricks-and-mortar house isn’t the only thing that could benefit. Your body, which the Bible describes as your earthly temple, could benefit also. Here are some tips you may want to keep handy during 2018.

1: Flushing with fresh air: First thing in the morning, open all the windows in your home to allow fresh air to filter throughout. It’s amazing how stuffy locked buildings can become. Opening all the windows is like allowing your bricks and mortar house to breathe deeply and, when you then breathe within it, it’s a blast of fresh, cleansing air for your earthly temple.

2: Exercise: You may not be able to go to the gym, but you can take five minutes to exercise at home and kick-start your metabolism. It is generally agreed that morning exercise helps your body to burn calories more efficiently during the day, especially if you have a desk-bound or other sedentary job. It actually helps your body to produce more energy by way of the mitochondria in your cells, and aids mental focus and clarity. An energised and active body functions more efficiently - including on the level of detoxing itself - than one that is sluggish and fatigued.

3. Drink filtered water: This may seem like stating the obvious, but how many times do we fail to do the good that we know to do? Drink at least eight glasses of water per day - yes, even in winter - to help flush toxins from the body. Start with warm water in the morning, with a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar.

One sure way to tell if you are drinking enough is to check the colour of your urine, which should be clear or almost clear. Beer-coloured urine is a no-no.

4. Clean soap: Your skin is your body’s largest organ. Therefore, you need to pay attention to what you feed it with. It is best to avoid soaps that are heavily perfumed and that contain chemicals. Instead, go for natural soaps that are infused with herbs and essential oils. It is best

TOP 10 TIPS

to go for uncomplicated soaps and cleansers, and one that is a favourite of mine is African black soap - the authentic variety that has variegated shades of brown throughout the bar, as opposed to the less natural ones that tend to have just one homogenous colour. Similarly, use clean, natural body lotions: shea and cocoa butters; coconut and olive oils, and other natural products.

5. Eat organic when possible: Organic food is tastier and more nutritious than much of the fare that is commonly available these days. It may not be possible to go completely organic, but there are certain products that should be avoided if not produced organically. Soft berries and soft-leaved salads - such as spinach, strawberries, grapes and nectarines - tend to have higher residues of pesticides when grown inorganically. Even apples, that are not exactly soft berries, appear on the list of dirty dozen fruits – so do cucumbers and sweet peppers.

Check also the clean dozen list of fruits and vegetables. Of course, before consumption, remember to thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables, preferably in a solution of vinegar and salt, even if they are organic. Fuelling the body with food that has as little toxic overload as possible eases the strain that it has to go through to eliminate those poisons.

7. Cut down on meat: Many people are experiencing the benefits of reducing animal products in their diets. Meat tends to put the body in a more acidic state, which is a conducive environment for mucous and disease to thrive in. Include several meat-free days in your week, and go for plant-based sources of protein to reduce the level of accumulated mucous and to lean your body more towards the alkaline state, which is a much better state for optimum functioning.

8. Food combining: Eating proteins and carbohydrates at separate meals is a good way of easing the strain on the digestive system. This makes energy available for other metabolic functions, such as internal cleansing. Try it for at least a week.

9. Supplement: It is important to use good quality, natural supplements to replenish your body’s nutritional reserves and to boost all its functions, not least its ability to cleanse itself naturally.

10. How you prepare what you consume is just as important as what you consume.

Aluminium and Teflon cookware are among the most notorious materials that react with and contaminate the food cooked in them. Go for 316Ti steel, which is a combination of stainless steel and titanium, and is the purest cookware material that is available. For a free meal demonstration of how this works, telephone 07440 379144 and ask for an appointment.

Happy spring cleaning, and here’s to a healthy and prosperous 2018! www.keepthefaith.co.uk

26 LIFESTYLE

PORTION CONTROL THE KEY TO LOSING WEIGHT?

SHOLA OLADIPO is a registered dietitian and CEO of Food for Purpose Ltd

F

or many of us, the New Year is a time when we make resolutions, especially about our health. Losing weight for many of us, even as Christians, can be a real struggle. We wish it, we will it, and even pray about it, but getting results is dependent upon us doing things right - and doing the right things consistently. As a dietician, I have seen over 15,000 patients throughout my career and one area, which sticks out for those desiring to lose weight, is portion control.

Controlling your portions doesn’t mean you need to eat miniscule amounts, or measure out precisely the number of peas on your plate. Let’s face it, many of us are simply eating too much. Even eating too much of the so-called ‘right things’ can be counterproductive. When I speak to patients/ clients about portion control, I’m often asked: “How will I remain full?” This is because no one functions well on the ‘feeling of emptiness’.

Retraining of the mind If you want to improve your health by regulating your food intake in 2018, it’s likely you will need to retrain your brain. Our thoughts will need to change, so that seeing a ‘smaller than usual portion’ becomes acceptable.

Romans 12:2 reminds us to “let God transform us into a new person by changing the way we think”.

There are many tips on portion control, which involve changing how we eat. I believe it begins with our thoughts and perceptions about food.

Why go large?

Have you ever wondered what makes people ‘go large’ with their portions? Past research on the drivers of portion selection for foods showed that larger portions are selected for foods delivering low expected satiation.

Basically, people choose larger portions of those foods they feel or think won’t fill them up. In our minds, we have a set idea that a certain food won’t fill us up or satisfy us.

The need for satisfaction is powerful. People generally want to eat their fill.

This prompts a few questions: • “What if we are looking for satisfaction in the wrong place?”

• “Are we confusing our perceived hunger for food with a craving for something deeper?”

• “Could it be a hunger in our spirit, or even a hungry soul?”

Fuel, fullness and function Food is compulsory as fuel for our bodies.

Consider this for a moment: Have you ever overfilled your car with petrol? It’s literally impossible, right? Even with engine oil there is a limit to the amount that can be added to Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

the engine. If we exceed this limit, the filter fails, and the exhaust begins to smoke!

We are often ‘overfilling’ our plates for reasons other than physical hunger.

When we make food choices for reasons other than hunger, we run the risk of misusing food. It often seems easier to ‘settle’ with a box of chocolates or a tasty meal, than to make the time to assess the content of our spirit and soul.

This year, before you eat your next meal - even before serving it - ask yourself: • How do I really feel and what am I thinking?

• What am I trying to feed or satisfy?

• Am I eating out of emotional emptiness, frustration or something else?

• Is this portion size an accurate reflection of my need?

The Bible tells us, in the book of Genesis, that in the Garden of Eden, Eve was beguiled by the serpent to eat a piece of fruit, on the premise that it would boost her knowledge and ‘status’. Interestingly, Eve wasn’t hungry when she ate that fruit! She was surrounded by everything she needed, but received a ‘faulty’ signal to eat the fruit. She was surrounded

by God’s fullness, yet found herself eating.

This year we can be in control of portion sizes, being aware of ‘faulty signals’ to eat more. Other tips for controlling portions include: 1. Eat from a smaller plate 2. Slow down, and pay attention to yourself when eating – avoid watching television during meals 3. Drink enough fluid; often we eat when we are actually in need of a drink, so try water or herbal tea 4. Eat balanced meals - high-fibre foods, moderate protein and low fat – include generous amounts of vegetables (this doesn’t include starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, yam or sweet potato) 5. Low calorie soups and salads can help to fill you up and make you eat smaller portions 6. Get enough sleep; studies also indicate that fatigue stimulates the production of the hunger-inducing hormone, ghrelin.

www.foodforpurpose.org Twitter @foodforpurpose Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ foodforpurpose/

Remember, it’s about eating, living and serving purposefully.

Enjoy reading Keep The Faith? Why not gift a copy to a friend, church or community group?

KTF is reaching out from the pages to the community Our goals for 2018 are to have an additional 5,000 subscribers, which will enable us to expand our print run, so that more people can benefit from having access to Britain’s leading Black and minority ethnic community-focused publication.

Within three years, we plan to be printing 100,000 copies per issue in the UK. We are also looking at offers to publish Keep The Faith in the USA, South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana!

little help from our friends. How can you help?

Help us to help you It’s simple: please subscribe and have your Broadening our national network means we copy of Keep The Faith magazine delivered to will be able to bridge the gap between the faith your door. and secular communities, by profiling projects You can fill in the subscription form below and enterprises that will be for all our benefit. or subscribe online if you prefer by visiting Promoting and supporting unity will help build www.keepthefaith.co.uk/subscribe on some of the amazing work and progress Of course, you can always donate to Keep that is being made within our community in the The Faith by visiting our website and hitting the UK and beyond… but on a much larger scale.

‘Donate’ button or, if you’d rather, post is great!

Can you help us to continue to inspire,

educate, entertain and promote the positivity that is within the burgeoning community that Keep The Faith magazine serves? Because we are dependent on advertising revenue, we Telephone: 0845 193 4433 need to encourage subscriptions; we want to Subscriptions and donations: remain independent and stay rooted within the Keep The Faith Accounts Dept, community we serve. A subscription also 10 Northgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, ensures that you receive a copy of Keep The IP33 1HQ Faith and avoids the disappointment of not Email: accounts@keepthefaith.co.uk being able to pick up a copy from our outlets.

Thankfully, for 12 years our income has been entirely derived from advertising revenue - from our very valued customers, who have benefitted greatly from advertising in Keep The Faith.

Our clients advise that they AND OUR receive thousands of pounds a TURBULENT year in support and sponsorship BEYOND ESCAPE TH TIMES THE BLADE from Keep The Faith readers.

BUSYNESS OF LIFE He came...

Many of our loyal clients What is an d gain a new Regardless wrong with continue to do so, year in and year pe rspective Prosperity out, but our clients’ budgets are CHRISTIAN Theology?

A N AR NIAN BUSINES being continually cut. We recognise WINTER A model forSES YOU WANT GARDEN community this and we have supported the TO DO transformatio WHAT!? n community by keeping our rates Your vote The Birth equitable and fair. counts of a Nation Now we need to ask for need a ol

www.keepthefaith.co.uk/subscribe

GET IN TOUCH

ISSUE 99

ISSUE 102

I am... Scho of Excellence

#

For over 12 years Keep The Faith - Britain’s leading Black and minority ethnic communityfocused publication that promotes and supports unity, faith and family values - has been providing this community with a voice, highlighting the need for unity, providing inspirational and aspirational news from within the BME church community, and creating a better understanding in an ever-changing environment.

We are the ONLY publication of its kind in the UK, and continue to be independently published - without the assistance of government grants, business loans or subsidies.

Our high quality publication has been produced and distributed FREE OF CHARGE nationwide. It has been made available to MILLIONS of readers over the 12 years, in print and electronically.

It has been distributed nationwide to churches, para-church organisations, businesses, bookshops, leading supermarkets, local authorities, charities, NGOs, prisons, government authorities, Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, and even to two Prime Ministers!

Yes, I would like to support Keep The Faith magazine Subscription

1 issue = £4.95

Title: (Rev/Dr/Mr/Mrs/Miss/other)

4 issues £17.95 (Only 4.49 per issue)

Britain’s leading Black and multi-ethn community-focusi publication

GOD

Britain’s leading Black and multi-ethnic community-focusedg publication promotin unity,

supporting unity, faith and family

and supporting faith and family values

values

Inte : isho rview: Michelle JohnB p Paul The Voice S Interview with

IE PASTOR DONN McCLURKIN:

ATION MAS SIVE EXPECT

REV DR CALV IN when sold £2.95 £2.95

Morton

SAMUEL NEW PRINCIPA SCHOOL OF THL OF LONDON EOLOGY

£2.95 £2.95 when sold

6 issues £23.95 (Only 3.99 per issue)

First name:

Surname:

Postcode:

Email:

Mobile:

Signature: Date:

Address:

International subscriptions and Bulk issues are available. Please contact subscriptions@keepthefaith.co.uk for more information.

Please make payment to Keep The Faith, and post to Keep The Faith Accounts, 10 Northgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1HQ (Tel: 0845 193 4433) Data Protection We respect your privacy, and do not share your information. Keep The Faith Ltd from time to time may wish to send you information on our other products and services that might interest you.

Please tick if your prefer NOT to receive such information by post phone email

28 LIFESTYLE

GRACE GLADYS FAMORIYO www.gladysf.com

Single, Sane and Sassy How mature single ladies can wait well and have fun, too

W

aiting a long time for a life partner can be hard. After many years of working with women, I have seen many (including myself) become resentful towards God. At times, resentment can also be directed at those who seem to have been in the ‘single queue’ for only five minutes before announcing they are getting married (sigh…I’m being real), when others have been in the queue for a decade or two (one lady, nearly 30 years)!

One such lady I spoke to responded: “I can’t be bothered anymore.” There was a time when I could relate to hope being deferred and the heart being sick (Proverbs 13:12).

So, how can one remain sane and confident whilst waiting?

No lectures or sermons, please!

Now, before you give me the ‘Just-trust-God’ speech, the ‘Sarah-waited-for-25-years’ sermon, or the ‘You’re-being-too-picky’ advice (Lord, have mercy!), take a moment to consider what life looks like for someone waiting, preparing and trusting for so long. I think I speak for many by saying what would be appreciated is a huge dollop of sensitivity, compassion and support.

We don’t need the well-meaning sermons and lectures, but rather a simple: “I am standing/ praying with you. I’m here if you need me.” Selah!

Now that is out of my system, let me dive into some tips for my mature, single sisters, which have kept me sane, sanctified and sassy.

Live intentionally and maximise every moment After taking a well-deserved, get-my-grooveback sabbatical a while ago, I came up with some new rules for my life: to continue, joyfully, with my life journey and purpose, and live it to

Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

the max – regardless of whether ‘Mr Grace’ (that’s what I call my man) was on the scene or not.

At some point, he would catch up with me. But for now, I’m living my promised John 10:10 life.

In my year off, I learnt new hobbies, travelled, ate well and took care of myself. I read and wrote books, and started avidly cycling. I discovered more about myself and learnt to be myself.

There was no moping around or loneliness, as I widened my circle of friends (including my cycling buddies). For the first time in decades, I was enjoying my life; it was no longer just about work, church, etc. I even shed weight - physically (size 14 to 10!) and emotionally.

I tell you, that year off saved my life. While taking a year off may not be an option for you, I highly recommend creating new rules for a John 10:10 life.

‘Why should brides-to-be be the only ones to have fun? After all, aren’t we all brides-to-be?’

Prepare, but NOT ‘just as you know it’ Marriage preparation takes many forms, but there was one I’d overlooked over the years.

One day, during prayer, I felt Father nudge me to consider preparing for the wedding day itself, rather than just focusing on married life.

Now, if I’m honest, I’d roll my eyes at single sisters who were trying on dresses; had a wedding Pinterest account; knew exactly the kind of day they wanted... To me, that was taking it too far. Or so I thought.

I finally agreed to my first Bridal Show.

OMG! It was somewhat overwhelming, but

exciting too. The advancement in wedding trends was astounding. Plus, I had to lean on the Holy Spirit to guide my responses as eager vendors asked: “So when are you getting married?” or “How did you meet?” I wasn’t going to lie.

Overall, the whole experience stirred up excitement and hope. Plus, it was fun. And yes, I got myself a Pinterest account, some brochures, and have some ideas now.

On reflection, I thought: ‘Why should brides-to-be be the only ones to have fun?

After all, aren’t we all brides-to-be?’ The only difference is, I don’t have a specific date in my diary (thankfully, God does) and, of course, ‘Mr Grace’ is yet to show up too. But isn’t faith the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen? (Hebrews 11:1). So nothing keeps me from preparing too, right?

In closing: Wise or foolish virgin?

You choose!

Like in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), we are waiting for our bridegroom.

But waiting doesn’t mean you do nothing.

Furthermore, I believe the oil, in the parable, is symbolic. It is representative of what keeps our fires burning, strengthened and uplifted while we wait.

So you need to get some ‘oil’ in your life to help you wait well, prepare yourself, and keep you going through those tough times. And, by all means, give yourself permission to add a dollop of fun while waiting. Every little bit helps!

Written by Grace Gladys Famoriyo – Speaker and Author of: One Minute Tonic for the Heart; Bounce Back!; Quit Hiding, Start Living!; Healing A Discouraged Heart; and Overcoming Emotional Baggage. www.gladysf.com

LIFESTYLE 29

ESSENTIALS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Designing a successful entrepreneurial process

O

ne of the many things I have learnt in life is that everything that will ever be achieved is based on a process. Some people stumble upon the process - this is called ‘luck’. Others have to create the process, while some others simply walk into a process that has been created by others. For most people, it’s a combination of all three. Regardless of how you find the process, the key thing is to recognise that every achievement in life is based on a process.

DISCOVERY CORNER

Xero (www.xero.com) Know your figures. This was one of the best tips I received from my business mentor. Once I knew my figures, then I learnt to understand what they represented and, as such, I was able to control and direct my business in the direction I wanted.

Xero is an online accounting platform that puts all your figures at your fingertips - and much more.

“Are there really shortcuts to success?”

“Can success be an overnight phenomenon?”

So what is the process?

So, we identify that an entrepreneur must trust the process and commit to the process in order to achieve success. So what is the process? A process is defined as a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end. The

is a Digital Consultant, Writer and Entrepreneur www.iamkeno.co.uk

A resource to help budding entrepreneurs, start-ups and established businesses.

I’d like to ask my readers a couple of questions:

We hear of people achieving success overnight, but is that how it really happens? I know two people who are now well-known successful entrepreneurs in the digital space. But I also know for a fact, that it wasn’t an overnight success for either of them. One of them had built several mobile apps that had failed or received relatively minor success, and the other had a business behind him, within which he had spent many years.

I challenge you to read the stories behind the successful entrepreneurs you hear about, and I’m sure you’ll find that not one of these men or women was an ‘overnight success’. In fact, when I think of an ‘overnight success’, I think of a person who has been working diligently and consistently, under the radar, and then, suddenly, his commitment to the process catapults him into visible success, which appears as though he was ‘made’ overnight.

But no, not really - there had been an ongoing process of personal development, risk, foresight, creativity and growth. There was trust in the process.

KENO OGBO

specific actions or steps differ from person to person, and will also differ with each industry area, or with the particular idea or project the entrepreneur wants to take. But the principle remains the same: keep with the process and trust the process.

Do not give up.

This article will be exploring the two indispensable elements you need, in order to trust the process you have created.

Resolve your belief system You cannot grow beyond your beliefs. This is one of the most difficult things I learnt as an entrepreneur. Before you conquer the world, you have to conquer those limiting beliefs. You will not commit to the process, if you don’t believe you can achieve the expected outcome. If you don’t believe you have the potential and capacity to turn over a million dollars, you will never turn over a million dollars. This is a principle of life.

Your planning and your commitment to the actions will only take you as far as what you truly believe about yourself. Starting the entrepreneurial process has to begin with knowing what you believe, and resolving those limiting beliefs that hold you back.

Develop the right mindset Your mindset is the posture of your mind, or the inclination of your thoughts. Mindset is defined as the ‘established set of attitudes held by someone’.

It isn’t what you believe, but the attitudes you have developed over time. This may be from your childhood, past experiences, or things you’ve been exposed to but, fundamentally, it means you have developed an attitude that governs how to act or react to events within the process.

Having the wrong mindset with cause you to react or act in the wrong manner; this has a knock-on effect of the process causing you to lose faith in the process. But it isn’t the process at fault; it’s your mindset. You have to develop the right mindset before embarking on the process.

SOCIAL CORNER Keeping abreast of social media strategies, events and resources for business growth.

How many social media platforms are you on? Have you every stopped to consider if the social media platforms you use are working for you? I’m of the opinion that, as a solo entrepreneur, you should manage your own social media. However, it’s a time-consuming task - even if you use social media tools such as Hootsuite. So perhaps early this year is the time to take stock of your social media accounts, and review which ones are critical to your business.

Where are you having the most conversations and enquiries? That is where to focus your attentions in 2018.

Did you find this useful?

Be part of a growing community of entrepreneurs by connecting with Keno: @spiralwebs @keno_ogbo www.keepthefaith.co.uk

30 LIFESTYLE

“Dear Vanessa I have been reading your articles, and they have really been helping me with a profession I want to go into, and that’s writing.

I have a question that hopefully you’ll be able to answer. People around me keep saying that writing is my ministry, but I view it as my business. Shall I view writing as a business or a ministry?

Your help will be appreciated, thanks.”

This is a really good question I received recently - one I’ve often been asked, and that can confuse some aspiring writers.

So I’ve decided to address this issue: whether writers should see their God-given talent as a ministry or as a business.

To answer this question, let’s look at the definitions of a ministry and a business. Taken from Google’s online dictionary, a ministry is ‘the spiritual work or service of a Christian or a group of Christians, especially evangelism’.

“A ministry of Christian healing” synonyms: teaching, preaching, evangelism “the life and ministry of Jesus” The definition of a business is ‘a person’s regular occupation, profession or trade’. synonyms: work, line of work, line, occupation, profession, career, employment, job, day job, position, pursuit, vocation, calling, field, sphere, walk of life, trade, craft

VANESSA GROSSETT

www.theauthorscare.co.uk

Is writing a business or a ministry?

Very often I see a lot of Christians disputing whether ministries should be making money. If you are in ministry, based on the definition above and on the life of Jesus, a minister shouldn’t be making a profit. The only acceptable thing would be to receive an offering/tithe to help pay for the church building, or when someone comes to speak, for example, to give a love offering. However, when you are running a ministry, with staff, buildings or events that need to be paid for, the Minister or Pastor also sees this as a profession, which is one definition of a business. This is why many church leaders write books, or use their other talents (like music) for profit, and why, a lot of the time, ministry and business co-exist.

If you want to write professionally, and you view your God-given writing gift as a profession, then you need to operate this gift as a business and not a ministry, as it will be your living. Many times I will tell people that The Authors Care Services Ltd is not a ministry; it is a business. It is even set up as business. Yes, I go by biblical principles; yes, I am passionate about my God-given talent, but this is my career.

If you view your writing as a business, then you need to get your entrepreneurial skills on, and run it as a business, as well as producing manuscripts that people want to read.

As an aspiring writer, if you want to write without making any profit from it, then you need to see your writing as a ministry. In this case, it would be better for you to self-publish your books, as publishers and literary agents - Christian or not - are in this industry to make a profit.

I have read a lot of aspiring authors tell me, in their query letters, ‘they are not looking to make money’; this is something God gave them to do. Agents and publishers don’t want to read this, so it would be better not to approach them with these kinds of queries. This is why many aspiring authors can get turned down. The truth is: this industry wants the business-minded, entrepreneurial authors - not the author, who doesn’t want to make a profit, nor sees this as their chosen career.

To conclude, it is down to you how far you want to take your writing gift. I pray that the definition and distinction between whether to view writing as a ministry or as a business is clear, and that it will help you make an informed decision whether this is a career path you want to follow or not.

Happy writing With love, Vanessa

MISSION 31

TAYO’s Funtoons at Child of Promise School, Lagos

C

hild of Promise School, situated on the outskirts of Lagos, is a school of high standard and sound education, providing a good atmosphere for the development of a child throughout his or her educational years at the school.

Child of Promise School is situated on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Ajah, Lagos, and comes under the wings of the Redeemed Christian Church of God’s Christ the Redeemer’s Schools Management (CRSM), which oversees 120 nurseries, primary and secondary schools all around Nigeria, and internationally as well.

The school is made up of a crèche, Montessori pre-school, nursery and primary school, and focuses on the child’s unique abilities, growth and potential. It provides activities that foster growth socially, emotionally, cognitively and physically. It also engages quality staff with a caring, nurturing and supportive attitude, who impart Christian values and leadership. It is a known fact that RCCG’s ministers and its members hold important positions in Nigeria’s government, nationally and locally.

The Board of Governors of the school is made up of pastors and a deaconess. Pastor-in-Charge,

Pastor Femi Obaweya, has made Child of Promise School part of the Church project, in helping to develop the human resources of the nation of Nigeria, and to raise great ambassadors for the nation and the Kingdom of God. The bright, colourful premises remind me of the children’s animal book, Elmer the Elephant, made up of many colours. Colours and animals are great stimulants for children, hence the vibrant and never-a-dull-moment atmosphere all around. It is very well thought out.

This is why I was invited to hold cartoon workshop and storytelling sessions at the Child of Promise School: to further enhance the school’s set-up with creative skills geared towards a godly future, to inspire, to excel, to educate, to inform, to believe and to lead in the future.

The head teacher, Mrs Toyin Ebor, was full of excitement about my all-day visit, during which she showed me beautiful artwork the children had produced at the school.

She has always made it a point of duty to encourage the children to develop their talent and skills, with an art exhibition last March at Terra Kulture, in Victoria Island, Lagos.

At Child of Promise, the children were introduced to a wider artistic horizon, using styles and techniques to draw cartoons. It was a first-of-its-kind cartoon workshop at the school, and the children were excited to have been part of the workshop programme for the day, using cartoons, comic images and picture books to tell and retell stories. Some children are keen to draw comics, paint, design and illustrate, so this was an opportunity to be part of the session.

I also had a session with the school’s teachers, showing other ways of engaging mainstream schoolchildren, as well as children with special needs, and how to identify and meet their needs. There are many talented children at the school, and it’s no surprise that they have developed their skills with the school’s wonderful educational structure. Child of Promise School aims to raise a godly generation, and believes that a character built mainly on its six pillars - namely Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship - counts, because every child matters. The school uses the British curriculum for language development, and has come a long way since its inception in 2004.

For more information about the Child of Promise School in Lagos, visit www.childofpromiseschool.com.

TAYO Fatunla - tfatunla@hotmail.com www.keepthefaith.co.uk

32 MISSION

Friends of Capital City Baptist Church man’s retirement is keeping him bus

A

ndrew Kingston retired from his career as a chartered accountant in 2013, and lives in a quiet Oxfordshire village with his wife, Rosemary. Yet, for this man, retirement is a busy season in life, thanks to his love for the people of Malawi, and a bond of faith and friendship that has endured across the waters for over three decades.

In 1974, Andrew was engaged to Rosemary, a young teacher from a missionary family background in Northern Ireland, who had taken up a teaching post in Livingstonia, Malawi. On a visit there in the 1970s, Andrew was significantly impacted by the abject poverty he witnessed and, upon his return to England, began exploring opportunities to use his accountancy training for Christian advancement in East Africa.

By 1976, the Kingstons, now married, were living and working in Kampala, at a time when President Idi Amin’s policies were undermining Uganda’s stability and inciting global outrage. Already challenged with food shortages and a fuel embargo and, in the aftermath of an Israeli-led counter-terrorist mission to free 102 hostages from an Air France plane held by President Amin at Entebbe Airport, the couple were forced to dramatically flee Uganda with their one-week-old baby son - just as the UK severed links with the country.

By the early 1980s, now settled back in Buckinghamshire, the young family took up God’s call to return to East Africa, where Andrew joined a Malawi-based firm to open their regional office in Lilongwe. Each Sunday,

the couple and their friends would listen to tape recordings of sermons posted from their home church in England. As these informal front room gatherings grew, a challenge emerged to open the meetings up, in particular to local Malawians seeking English-speaking Bible teaching and worship.

Accepting an offer to use a local college for their Sunday meetings, the first public service was attended by 14 people in September 1983, with the formation service of Capital City Baptist Church (CCBC) held two months later. Attendance of local people grew apace and, by God’s grace, the new church was gifted a sizeable plot of land.

However, this was conditional upon CCBC paying for an access road, with funding needing to be in place within just six weeks. Despite limited means, and whilst still relatively small in numbers, the church prayerfully hit target with 48 hours to spare. Soon after, CCBC was conducting its first full immersion water baptism in a borrowed builders trough!

By 1986, CCBC had constructed a church building on the new site, with capacity for 250 people. Situated near Malawi’s parliament, the church subsequently built its Christian Heritage Primary School, now educating around 350 children (85 on scholarships). Then came Adziwa, a ministry initiated to support a community struggling with the spread of HIV. Initially, this was a social housing project accommodating AIDS orphans and their foster carers. A partnership with Church of the City in Nashville, led to the development of a second school, now educating over 700 primary and secondary school pupils, with HIV orphans being

MISSION 33

h - Why one Oxford sier than ever

BY A N N E BA DE N educated free of charge.

By 2000, the Kingstons had settled near Oxford, where Andrew worked at the University until retiring four years ago. Despite over 7,000 miles between them, Andrew has continued championing the work of his African church family and, in 2014, he and Rosemary returned to Lilongwe for the 30th anniversary church celebrations.

Now ministering to a congregation of over 800, CCBC has long since outgrown its building, and more than three decades on, it has implemented plans to expand its infrastructure. Faced with a growing urban youth population - over 50% aged under 26 - and the ongoing HIV problem, the church’s priority is to construct a modern youth centre and offices, with a new auditorium planned at a later stage, to expand its community and education work for the next generation.

Having spent further time in Malawi exploring the veracity of these plans, Andrew launched ‘Friends of CCBC’ in 2016 - a small band of volunteers committed to raising awareness and funding for the building project from outside Malawi. Andrew’s goal is undoubtedly ambitious.

Whilst the Lilongwe church membership has raised 50% of the building costs from its own resources and gifting, £400,000 is still needed. It is Andrew’s work on this appeal that keeps him busy and, with construction work well under way, ‘Friends’ aim to help CCBC realise this goal and further God’s work in Lilongwe for the next generation and beyond.

For more information, visit www.fccbc.faith

By Anne Baden, wife, mother of three young boys, Oxfordshire businesswoman and supporter of Capital City Baptist Church, Malawi

www.keepthefaith.co.uk

The UK’s Number 1 for Gospel Music Broadcasting 24 hours a day 7 days a week Gospel | R & B | Hip Hop | Reggae | New | Classics | Praise & Worship

£

● With over 25,000 listeners UK & Worldwide ● Established for 10 years ● UK & US presenters ● Regular Competitions To advertise call a member or our team: Tel: 07931 744896 or Studio/whatsapp 07961 437 629 or email: sales@ugnradio.com

TUNE IN TODAY

www.ugnjamz.com and ugnradio.com ugnjamz @ugnjamz

Listen online or via device download official app visit:

www.ugnjamz.com or www.ugnradio.com

Gospel | R & B | Hip Hop | Reggae | New | Classics | Praise & Worship

MAKE THIS SPACE WORK FOR YOU! Contact advertising@diversemediagroup.co.uk

B erean Designs

INSPIRATIONAL mugs & prints NEW RANGE OF FLAG MUGS

from Antigua to Zimbabwe Visit website for details

Available at www.bereandesigns.com Find us on Twitter and Facebook: @KeepTheFaithmag

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT CONFERENCE GUIDE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

KIRK FRANKLIN

and a host of UK & US gospel artists celebrate gospel music: ISRAEL HOUGHTON MARVIN SAPP DONALD LAWRENCE KIM BURRELL KIKI SHEARD L U R I N E C AT O SONNIE BADU NOEL ROBINSON BAZIL MEADE MBE + MORE

VISIT:

T RUE WORSHIPSUMMI T.COM

SAVE SOMEONE’S LIFE MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL

13:47

PATIENT BLOOD TYPE: Rh(D) Neg

WHILE GOING ABOUT YOURS HOXTON

13:47

BLOOD DONOR TYPE: Rh(D) Neg

Register at blood.co.uk 2

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

Keep The Faith 1718615

It is with great pleasure that we present to you this True Worship Summit ‘Special Edition’ of Keep The Faith.

O

ver recent years, we have seen pivotal developments within gospel music in the UK. A number of new prominent gospel media platforms have arisen: we are now represented in the Official UK Charts; new annual award shows, recognising achievements within the genre, have been launched, and there has consistently been an array of exciting, fresh talent on the horizon. As with everything, however, we welcome these new developments and embrace the new challenges that often accompany them.

The True Worship Summit aims to explore all of this and more, including the impact that gospel music has had globally.

Throughout this Special Edition, you will be able to gain more insight into what is taking place over this groundbreaking weekend. Juliet Fletcher also shares her thoughts on the Summit, and what it means for the wider British Gospel Music Industry.

From the Choir Day, to the Workshops and Worship Nights, to the stellar Celebration Concert and New Artist Showcase, we’ve got you covered on everything you need to know about this event and more.

Enjoy!

O’Neil Dennis TWS PR & Marketing

CONTENTS Table of Contents | Editor’s Notes .............................................................................................. 03 Conference Information ............................................................................................................... 04 Welcome by Leroy Miller & Michael Agyei .................................................................................. 05 TWS Musicians Masterclass ....................................................................................................... 06 TWS International Choir Day ....................................................................................................... 08 TWS Worship Nights .................................................................................................................... 09 TWS New Artist Showcase .......................................................................................................... 10 TWS Schedule (Thursday) .......................................................................................................... 12 TWS Schedule (Friday) ................................................................................................................ 13 TWS Schedule (Saturday) ........................................................................................................... 14 TWS Celebration Concert............................................................................................................ 15 Editorial | An Idea Whose Time Has Come by Juliet Fletcher ................................................... 17 TWS FAQs .................................................................................................................................... 18 Sponsors & Partners ................................................................................................................... 20

Keep The Faith

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

03

Conference Workshops Artist & Industry Panel Discussions

T

rue Worship Summit is the biggest international gospel conference of its kind that Europe has ever seen. The aim across all three days is to empower and educate all those who have an aspiration to excel within gospel music, by providing them with essential insight into the infrastructure needed to develop and share their gifts and ministries with an international marketplace.

Guests Include:

The vision by the TWS organisers - to inspire and empower - is also a response to Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”

Come hear from a host of successful ministers and professionals, live and face to face, as they share their story and give practical and insightful tips for modern-day ministry. Join in the ‘real talk’ conversations, and be sure to bring a notepad.

KIRK FRANKLIN

ISRAEL HOUGHTON

KIM BURRELL

KIKI SHEARD

DONALD LAWRENCE

LONDA LARMOND

L U R I N E C ATO

SONNIE BADU

Tickets & Packages £125 Conference Package - includes: • Choir Day (8th March) • Conference Registration • Celebration Concert Ticket (King’s row seating on balcony) • Conference Delegate Bag • 20% Discount on Conference Merchandise TICKETS: trueworshipsummit.com SCHEDULE: see pages 12-15

MARVIN SAPP

MUYIWA

NOEL ROBINSON

FOR THE FULL GUEST LIST SEE TRUEWORSHIPSUMMIT.COM BAZIL MEADE

04

MARK BESWICK

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

Keep The Faith

WELCOME

I want to thank the TWS Team, my wife, Colleen, and children for allowing me to travel back and forth across the pond to bring this God-given vision to pass. My heart is that you be educated, equipped and empowered to become all that God has designed, gifted and called you to be in this season.

Remember to maintain TRUE WORSHIP in all you do!

It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the first annual True Worship Summit here in the beautiful city of London. The aim of this conference is to celebrate the genre of Gospel Music, and to explore all the influence it has on society.

This event is the culmination of an enormous international collective effort, and so I am very grateful to the Summit Organising Committee, whose members have worked tirelessly for months on end to bring this vision to life.

I would really like to thank my beautiful wife, Melissa, and my two children, Nathan Josiah and Joel David, who have been so supportive and an absolute blessing over the last few months.

Psalm 96:9 says ’Worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.’ Therefore, it is my sincere prayer that over the next few days you will be reminded that True Worship isn’t where God is moved by the quality of your voice, but by the conditions of your heart.

Grace and peace

God bless you!

Leroy Miller, Sr Founder and CEO True Worship International

Michael Agyei Co-founder and President True Worship International

The Bible declares how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! So, it is with the joy of Jesus that I welcome you to the first annual True Worship Summit International. After much prayer and sacrifice, it is with a glad heart that I see this conference come to pass, and my earnest prayer is that you will receive all this conference has to offer.

“My heart is that you be educated, equipped and empowered...”

Keep The Faith

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

05

Musicians Masterclass With thousands of churches across the UK filled with talented keyboardists, drummers and guitarists, this unique addition to True Worship Summit will give practical tips and expertise to help individuals and teams take their skills to the next level.

Join renowned and established musicians, such as musical director Maurice Fitzgerald, whose Grammy-linked resumé includes the likes of Beyoncé Knowles, Destiny’s Child, Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond and John P Kee - to name a few, alongside Jason Tyson (keys), Tavarius ‘Varo’ Johnson (drums) and Joey Woolfolk (guitar), who will all be working directly with countless other musicians looking to excel in their craft.

06

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

Musician Masterclasses will cover areas such as: Keyboard Production Live Performance Band Arrangements Worship and Gospel Music Approaches Music and Piano Technique Drums Groove Training, Stick Technique, Drum Tuning Recording Technique, Live Performance Tips Live Performance Tips, Industry Advice Bass guitar Groove Training, Recording Bass Tone Live Performance, Bass Technique Industry Advice Guitar Chord Training, Guitar Technique Worship Music Approach on Acoustic Guitar Recording and Live Performance Tips Equipment Advice TICKETS: trueworshipsummit.com SCHEDULE: see pages 12-15

Keep The Faith

POVERTY

STOPS millions of children from going to school.

Going to school to learn how to read and write is the start of being able to break free of poverty.

Education, like food, water and healthcare, is a basic right that many children in poverty can’t access.

Sponsor a child today and you’ll change the world ONE CHILD at a time.

www.compassionuk.org/trueworship Keep The Faith

COMPASSION UK CHRISTIAN CHILD DEVELOPMENT Registered charity in England and Wales (1077216) and Scotland (SC045059).

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT 07 Registered in England No. 03719092.

International Choir Day

I

t is a well-known fact. Some of the best choirs in the world are gospel choirs and so, due to phenomenal demand from choirs across Europe, the organisers have added an extra day to this year’s True Worship Summit.

Thursday 8th March 2018 will see Donald Lawrence - multiple Grammy Award-winning artist, songwriter, choir director and producer for Hezekiah Walker, Karen Clark-Sheard and international choir maestro and cofounder of the renowned London Community Gospel Choir, Bazil Meade MBE, join other well known directors, leaders and singers

in celebrating gospel music and gospel ensembles across the world.

A special highlight of the day will be the forming of the International True Worship Mass Choir in what might very well be Europe’s biggest gospel singalong, led by Donald Lawrence at the evening concert.

This is the perfect day out for singers of all ages and at any level, and for worship teams and congregational members.

There will also be workshops on singing, song arrangements, harmonies, leading choirs and much more. For all those who love to sing and worship, this in an unmissable opportunity!

Tickets & Packages

Conference Package - £125 includes: • Choir Day (8th March) • Conference Registration • Celebration Concert Ticket (King’s row seating on balcony) • Conference Delegate Bag • 20% Discount on Conference Merchandise Choir Day Only - £50 includes Choir Day (8th March) only

•

TICKETS: trueworshipsummit.com SCHEDULE: see pages 12-15

UGCY

UNIVERSITY GOSPEL CHOIR OF THE YEAR 8th ANNUAL SHOW LIVE IN LONDON

SATURDAY 24TH MARCH 2018 Dominion Centre, London N22 6DG

TICKETS AND MORE INFO AT UGCY.CO.UK

08

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

Keep The Faith

Worship Nights Worship gets you through the hardest times in your life, because it shifts your focus from the problem to the Problem Solver. True Worship Summit is centred on worshipping “...the Father in Spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

The conference is proud to have this as the axis around which everything is built, and so our Worship Nights are significant in allowing us to come together to give God all the honour due to Him. With internationally well-known and loved worship leaders, such as Israel Houghton, Noel Robinson and Sonnie Badu, alongside Londa Larmond and some of Europe’s top choral ensembles, you are sure to be blessed.

We were created to worship God. Every person, of every age and of every tribe, come, let us stand together and experience God’s love for us as we worship Him.

Tickets & Packages Worship Nights Only - £30 includes: • Thursday Night (8th March) • Friday Night (9th March) TICKETS: trueworshipsummit.com SCHEDULE: see pages 12-15

THEOLOGY & WORSHIP Worship training that sets new standards.

An integrated Theology and Worship programme designed for students who have obvious gifts in music and worship and desire to take their level of musicianship to a higher level.

Join us on Tues 15 May 2018 to find out more lst.ac.uk/discover

THEOLOGY, MUSIC & WORSHIP An innovative higher education programme that that develops the skills, knowledge and understanding of today’s worship in churches along with a high level of musicianship.

Registered Charity No. 312778 | Email: music@lst.ac.uk | Tel: 01923 456 220 | Web: www.lst.ac.uk | Keep The Faith

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

09

True Worship New Artist Showcase The True Worship New Artist Showcase (TWNAS) is a very exciting and unique inclusion in True Worship Summit’s series of events and activities. The TWNAS provides an opportunity for both aspiring and established unsigned artists to win the music opportunity of a lifetime, with prizes worth up to £50,000.

“The True Worship New Artist Showcase allows us to kick-start something rather special in 2018. Not only does it allow us to showcase the best that the UK has to offer, but it allows giants in the gospel industry to pour into some of our very own, through their artistry and ministry,” says event organiser and artist, Michael Agyei.

He added, “Many doors have been opened thanks to this conference, and we are just excited to be able to extend the opportunity where it didn’t exist before.”

Prizes for the winner of the New Artist Showcase amount to a whopping

10

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

£50,000, and include: a recording contract; international distribution deal; album recorded in Toronto, Canada; lead single produced

by Fred Hammond; vocal coaching by Kim Burrell; album release concert; photoshoot; website, and music video for the lead single.

There are a total of five Stages to the competition, starting with artists being asked to create and submit two video entries of songs by any of the overseas guest artists for True Worship Summit 2018, namely Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Kierra Sheard, Kim Burrell, Donald Lawrence and Israel Houghton.

The Stages continue through to judging and shortlisting, with the top three finalists announced by 5th March. At the True Worship Summit, all three finalists will perform an original song after which the winner will be announced. The winner will also perform live at the celebration concert.

Keep The Faith

D ON ' T LE T Y OUR G IF T GO T O W AS TE .

Go d has gi ve n yo u a g if t it 's t im e t o sh ar e it !

Don't let the world go another year without hearing your music!

We specialise in creating music projects of the highest standard. We manage the entire process for you, allowing more time to be creativity and giving you less reasons to stress. Over 50+ project completed, many nominated and have won major music awards Now it's your turn!

Keep The Faith TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT info@EMArtistServices.com | www.EMArtistServices.com

11

SCHEDULE

THURSDAY

8TH MARCH 2018

8:00AM...........................................................................................................................................................................................REGISTRATION 9:00AM – 10:00AM....................................................................................................................................................................................... START Main Auditorium..............................................................................................................................................Keynote Address – Donald Lawrence King’s Suite ............................. Keyboard Session – Big Jim Wright Keyboardist, Producer/Musical Director from Gospel show Sunday’s Best 10:15AM – 11:15AM.........................................................................................................................................................................WORKSHOP 1 Main Auditorium.......................................................................... Sing in Harmony with Dynamics & Developing your Vocals – Donald Lawrence King’s Suite.......................................................................................................................................... Keyboard Masterclass – Maulty C. Jewell IV 11:30AM – 12:30PM........................................................................................................................................................................WORKSHOP 2 Main Auditorium................................................................................................................ How to engage with your Audience – Donald Lawrence King’s Suite............................................................................................................................................................... Guitar Session - Joey Woolfolk 12:30PM – 2:00PM..................................................LUNCH BREAK

12:30PM – 1:15PM...................................................LUNCH BREAK

2:00PM – 3:15PM...........................................PANEL DISCUSSION Main Auditorium............Donald Lawrence, Ken Burton, Bazil Meade, ............................... Karen Gibson, Mark De-Lisser & Daniel Thomas

1:20PM – 2:30PM..................................................... WORKSHOP 3 King’s Suite............................Bass Guitar Class – Maurice Fitzgerald

3:30PM – 5:00PM.............................. MASS CHOIR REHEARSAL

2:45PM – 4:00PM..................................................... WORKSHOP 4 King’s Suite........................................Drum Clinic – Tavarius Johnson 4:00PM – 5:00PM...............COMBINED MASTERCLASS PANEL King’s Suite............................US & UK Panel hosted by Nicky Brown 5:00PM – 7:00PM.................................................. DINNER BREAK 7:00PM – 10:00PM............. CONFERENCE WORSHIP SERVICE 10:00PM – 12:00AM..........................................MUSICIANS SHED

12

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

Keep The Faith

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY

9TH MARCH 2018

8:00AM ..........................................................................................................................................................................................REGISTRATION 9:00AM – 10:00AM ...................................................................................................................................................................................... START Main Auditorium ....................................................................................................................................... The Reason Why We Sing – Kirk Franklin 10:30AM - 11:30AM ........................................................................................................................................................................WORKSHOP 1 Main Auditorium ................................................................................... How to Reach, Lead and Transform the Next Generation – Kierra Sheard 11:30AM – 12:30PM........................................................................................................................................................................WORKSHOP 2 Main Auditorium .........................................................................................................................................Role of a Worshipper – Londa Larmond King’s Suite ....................................................................................................................................................................Vocal Session – Kim Burrell 12:45PM – 2:00PM .......................................................................................................................................................................LUNCH BREAK 2:00PM – 3:30PM ...........................................................................................................................................................................WORKSHOP 3 Main Auditorium .............................................................................................................................................Build This House – Donald Lawrence King’s Suite ............................................................................................................................................................... Vocal Session – Kierra Sheard 3:45PM – 5:00PM ...........................................................................................................................................................................WORKSHOP 4 Main Auditorium ....................................................................................................................................................................Special Guest Speaker King’s Suite ........................................................................................................Industry Panel and Q&A – Jody Mainello, Ron Hill, Crystal Smith 5:15PM – 7:00PM ........................................................................................................................................................................ DINNER BREAK 7:00PM – 10:00PM .................................................................................................................................. CONFERENCE WORSHIP SERVICE

Keep The Faith

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

13

SCHEDULE

SATURDAY

10TH MARCH 2018

8:00AM ..........................................................................................................................................................................................REGISTRATION 9:00AM – 10:15AM ...................................................................................................................................................................................... START Main Auditorium ................................................................................................................................Worship In Spirit and In Truth – Mark Beswick 10:30AM - 11:30AM ........................................................................................................................................................................WORKSHOP 1 Main Auditorium .........................................................................................................................................................Gift vs Anointing – Kim Burrell 11:30AM – 1:00PM ..........................................................................................................................................................................WORKSHOP 2 Main Auditorium .............. Panel Discussion and Q&A Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Kierra Sheard, Noel Robinson, Bazil Meade, Muyiwa (host) 1:00PM – 1:30PM ................................................................................................................................................. CONFERENCE CLOSE 5:00PM – 11:00PM.................................................................................................................................................... CELEBRATION CONCERT

14

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

Keep The Faith

SCHEDULE

SATURDAY

10TH MARCH 2018

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMI T.COM

5:00PM – 11:00PM.................................................................................................................................................... CELEBRATION CONCERT

CELEBRATION CONCERT

This highly anticipated gospel concert will feature some of the most influential names in the history of gospel music worldwide - all under one roof. For the very first time, Europe will see the likes of Kirk Franklin, Israel Houghton, Marvin Sapp, Kim Burrell, Kiki Sheard and Donald Lawrence alongside top UK talent, including Lurine Cato and others, in a celebration sure to bring a little taste of heaven down to earth.

So, on Saturday 10th March 2018, come and witness the transforming power of gospel music - all in one epic event that is sure to be remembered for years to come!

11PM ...............................................................................................................................................................................................CLOSE

Tickets & Packages Platinum Concert Tickets - £150 includes: • VIP seating at Celebration Concert (rows 1-3) • Meet and Greet with artists • Celebration Concert Reception Guest • VIP access to artist sound check • Advance access to concert venue

Keep The Faith

VVIP Concert Tickets - £100 includes: • VIP seating at Celebration Concert (rows 6-10) • Celebration Concert Reception Guest • Advance access to concert venue VIP Concert Tickets - £80 includes: King’s Row seating on balcony

•

Balcony Concert Tickets - £65 Standing Concert Tickets - £50

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

15

16

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

Keep The Faith

An Idea Whose Time Has Come ABOUT THE WRITER: Juliet Fletcher, British Gospel pioneer, is Chief Executive of the Gospel Music Industry Alliance (GMIA).

Download the GMIA app FREE at Google Play and Apple Stores.

Visit www.gmia.org.uk Email: info@gmia.org.uk Follow on Twitter: GMIAUK Facebook: /GMIAUK

International choir maestro and co-founder of the renowned London Community Gospel Choir, Bazil Meade MBE, will be at the True Worship Summit choir day.

T

here is a saying that seems appropriate to use at this moment: ‘There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come’ (Victor Hugo).

The way I’ve written the title may sound as though I’m questioning the concept of TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT, and it isn’t too presumptuous to think so. However, I’m not so much questioning the specifics of the TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT event per se, but rather the wider significance and implications its arrival could and really should have upon us.

THE BACKDROP – OUR STORY First of all, we need the historical backdrop to give context. ‘Our Story’ begins in 1948, when a ship called Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks, carrying Caribbean island passengers, who were responding to the British government’s call to help rebuild the country after World War II. Thousands followed in their wake, and the records show that on every level of society, they contributed positively in achieving this effort.

Among that young generation of people (now our elders) stood strong, resilient men and women of faith in the socially adverse conditions of that time. They strove with vision to build something more long-lasting, hence the now thousands of church denominations, fellowships and groups that enfold tens of thousands of people who trust in God. One of the key outcomes of that era are the relationships forged with our US counterparts in nurturing ‘the sounds of gospel music’ within our various church streams. There’s no denying this. These bonds are permanent.

Keep The Faith

The Windrush Foundation - a national organisation set up to commemorate and celebrate the 1948 occurrence - has created ‘Windrush, 70 Years On’. Joining forces with the Foundation, the GMIA has commissioned a complementary tag: ‘Celebrating British Gospel, 70 Years On’. It is fortuitous that this year also marks 50 years since the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, a chief leader of the Civil Rights Movement that was undergirded by the Church.

As we commemorate the anniversaries of these two significant historical moments, we must consider the lingering issues that still prevail (from then until now), impacting this millennial generation. This is one reason why we desperately need to see TWS as more than a conference.

A SIGN – OUR CHANCE One clear advantage - widely acknowledged - is that gospel music is formally identified as a phenomenon that undergirds the sound(s) of popular music today. Taking place here in the UK, TWS presents a right set of circumstances for the public to experience the gospel genre in its own right, on its own merits – from its roots, emanating from the Black Church experience in Britain, to learning about our integral and complementary relationship with our US cousins, and becoming aware of our growing gospel music family throughout Europe.

TWS gives gospel music a ‘prime time’ window to show off all its glorious attributes – including its diversity and inclusivity – as well as demonstrate its unquestionable passionate ability to uplift, inspire, empathise

and engage with the deepest expressions and feelings of the human heart. This is a conference that embodies all the threads that comprise the sound: the vocals, the choirs, the musicianship, the extemporisation.

Speaking to the visionaries and leaders: TWS is a sign. This idea of TWS can be a driver, enabling us to review what our music is and, under God, to construct the way we perceive its future. This idea is also primed to empower a new era of gospel music success – if we act upon this opportunity.

COMMITMENT – OUR STRENGTH In the UK, we have every reason for optimism; our industry is growing exponentially. This is a trend set to be repeated throughout Europe and other territories. These really are exciting times (again). But we must continue to strive for the excellence demonstrated by our predecessors: be bold in expression of the art form, while holding firm and true to its spiritual roots, social concerns and moral/ philosophical tenets.

It is good timing. It is powerful. TWS could become a major force and influence on the global music and arts landscape – were we to commit to its long-term vision. It may be a struggle, but what great initiative isn’t?

All that counts is the One who draws us all together, the effect that has upon us individually and corporately, and how we will leave and affect each of ‘our worlds’, the communities we serve, and the people we love.

I pray we perceive, understand, and seize the day - Carpe Diem!

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

17

True Worship Summit 2018 FAQs When will the conference take place?

Where is it located? How do I get there?

True Worship Summit takes place from 8th to 10th March 2018. The conference will be held at Dominion Centre across the three days.

Transportation information can be found below: Dominion Centre 9 High Road, Wood Green, London N22 6DS Piccadilly Line - Wood Green (2-minute walk) We are located opposite the Hollywood Green Cinema Complex Alexandra Palace Station (7-minute walk) 29, 67, 121, 123, 141, 221, 232 & 243 TUBE BUS TRAIN How can I register? What are the ticket options?

You can register via our website at www.trueworshipsummit.com.

I only want to attend one session. Is that possible, without registering for a whole day or for the conference?

No. You must have either a day ticket or a conference ticket to attend a session.

I only want to attend one day of the conference, is that possible?

Yes. Full single day tickets are available.

Passes will be actively checked throughout the conference to ensure that participants have the correct registration.

Do I have to register at the start of each day of the conference?

You will be required to check-in with our registration team upon arrival at each session. Once you have registered, you will have access to the conference for the remainder of the Summit, depending on the type of ticket(s) you have purchased (see previous answer).

Is the conference schedule available?

Yes. A full conference schedule, including conference sessions, can be downloaded from our website.

18

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

Will there be any refreshments on sale at the conference?

Yes, refreshments will be on sale throughout the conference. There are also a number of restaurants and food courts around the conference venue(s).

What hotels are nearby?

There are a number of *hotels in and around the area. A few of them are listed below: Travelodge (Wood Green) 122 High Rd. Wood Green N22 6HE Satnav postcode: N22 6LN 3-minute walk from venue Ramada London (Finchley) 3 Leisure Way, London N12 0QZ T: 0208 446 6644 www.wyndhamhotels.com 12-minute drive from venue *Please note that True Worship Summit has no direct affiliation with these hotels. We will accept no liabilities for any bookings.

Is there wheelchair access on site?

Yes, there will be wheelchair access to both venues. Please email operations@ trueworshipsummit.com so that access can be arranged.

What day will the Artist ‘Meet & Greets’ take place?

The ‘Meet & Greet’ will take place at Dominion Centre, Wood Green from 14:30 to 16:00 on Saturday 10th March. This will be available only to those who have purchased Platinum Circle/Concert Tickets.

What day is the Celebration Concert?

The Celebration Concert is on Saturday 10th March 2018 at Dominion Centre. Doors will be open from 4:00pm but you are advised to queue from 3.30pm.

When is the New Artist Showcase final performance?

All three finalists for the True Worship New Artist Showcase will perform an original song at the True Worship Summit Conference before our judges. The winner will be announced on the Saturday, and will perform at the True Worship Summit Celebration Concert on Saturday 10th March.

Can my organisation become a conference sponsor?

Yes. However, please note sponsorship opportunities for our 2018 Summit are very limited, so we would advise you to act quickly to avoid disappointment.

Sponsorships for next year’s Conference will be processed in April through September for True Worship Summit in 2019. To become a sponsor and for more information, please contact sales@trueworshipsummit.com.

Can I advertise in the conference programme?

Yes. Advertising enquiries can now be made for the 2019 conference programme. Please contact sales@trueworshipsummit.com to make arrangements and for additional info.

What is the refund/cancellation policy for the conference?

Tickets are non-refundable, but transferable.

TWS is not liable for cancellations due to ‘Acts of God’ (i.e. circumstances beyond our control, such as - but not restricted to - extreme weather, natural diasters, transportation and issues, etc). No refunds will be given in these situations, if occurring after the 6th March.

I am an overseas participant and need a letter of invitation before I can receive my visa. What is the procedure?

TWS does not give any support to the visa application process. Obtaining a visa remains the sole responsibility of the participant.Regular cancellation deadlines apply, regardless of whether your visa was granted or not.

Don’t see your question listed here?

Please contact info@trueworshipsummit.com

Keep The Faith

AD.1196 KTF (1.18).qxp_Layout 1 31/01/2018 13:25 Page 1

CAN YOU FOSTER? Be there for a child in Wandsworth...

Come to one of three events taking place on the dates below

...and we’ll be there for you

To find out more: wandsworth.gov.uk/fostering

(10am - 12noon or 2pm - 4pm or 6pm - 8pm)

carerrecruitment@wandsworth.gov.uk

Thursday 15 March 2018 Thursday 17 May 2018 Thursday 24 May 2018

wandsworthfostering

Call us now on (020) 8871 6666 Designed and produced by Wandsworth Design & Print. wdp@wandsworth.gov.uk AD.1196 KTF (1.18)

Keep The Faith

Photos: istock, digitalvision, netnatives

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

19

Sponsors Media Partners Other Partners

20

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

Keep The Faith

“TRAINING WITH LONDON CITY MISSION HELPS ME REACH YOUNG PEOPLE IN LOCAL SCHOOLS WITH THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS.” Micheal Ayo

Get trained in youth work with our Practical Evangelism Training Day on May 5 lcm.org.uk | 020 7407 7585 | lcm.training@lcm.org.uk | @londoncm

SATURDAY 5TH MAY 2018

CITY GATES CHURCH

WORLD TOUR - LONDON UK JOSEPH SOLOMON | EZEKIEL | CHRIS WEBB | PRESTON PERRY | JANETTE...IKEZ

T I C K E T S N O W A VA I L A B L E W

Keep The Faith

W

W .

K

I

N

G

D

O

M

T

I

C

K

E

T S

.

C

O

M

TRUE WORSHIP SUMMIT

21

F R E D

H A M M O N D –2 0 1 9

2019 TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON www.trueworshipsummit.com