Equip4Good is a group of very ordinary, entirely unimpressive people who have been brought together by God's big and brilliant plans. Our passion is to help and encourage those who are doing good things for people who really need it in the name of Jesus Christ. Some are helping those children who have no parents or loving home to have a family and know love, the security of a home not just a house. Some are helping folk in their older years or with special needs to be cared for when no-one else does. Some are starting churches in the middle of a war regions, bakeries where there is no food, training centres where there is no education or life help, and some are just trying to encourage those who are doing good stuff to not get weary in doing it, (pastors, cooks, cleaners, counsellors, parents, church-planters, missionaries, seminary lecturers, medics, and those who faithfully keep doing the small jobs which make the big difference.)
This is where we come in...
We don't have much to offer other than ourselves, and many folks maybe would rightly turn their nose up at that. But one of our greatest discoveries together, is that when we have prayerfully offered love and encouragement to others... it's made a huge difference to people in our messed up world. WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHICH RARELY EXPRESSES KINDNESS, GRATITUDE, AND ENCOURAGEMENT. It is always appropriate to show love, compassion and care. Don't listen to those who tell you otherwise. If folk around tell you not to bother with encouragement - or that expressing heartfelt appreciation is inappropriate, irrelevant, or wasted, it is merely because they can't see how much a broken, selfish world, has shaped them and their thinking. Because we are a group of people who have been shown more love than we can comprehend in Jesus Christ, we have readily offered to get stuck in on small jobs which we hope will communicate that BIG love of Christ and make a transformational difference to the trajectory of people's lives as they come to know him.
- We "travel light" knowing that this world is not all that there is. We hold on to our savings and belongings lightly and look to use them for good purposes where we can.
- We know that whatever we amass in this life will not be transferrable to the next, and so we're happy to "accidentally on purpose" leave some of our belongings behind on each trip.
- We are up for getting on a plane and getting stuck in, and not just sending a cheque to relieve our consciences.
We are entirely indebted to God that he can do such a thing. He takes our small offerings (seemingly insignificant "fish and loaves" (Matthew 14:20-21)) and enables them to be the means to help many. We really are unimpressive. Our talents are "scratchy" at best, our resources at times are non existent, but God seems to delight in using such things, such people. We know for sure that he deserves all the credit and honour for anything useful at all that has been achieved. He also seems to miraculously provide what we need after we've committed to getting stuck in.
Over the next few months we will be sharing with you some of the projects and people we are trying to encourage this year. Our immediate concern is to make a small but strategic contribution to the national spiritual encouragement and wellbeing of Ukraine, which is where our journey starts today.
Ukraine is a special, beautiful country, full of resourceful, kind and ingenious people. Today, with two significant regions in the grip of war and hostility, it is despised by some who only see it as a means to boost their economic and energy resources. A place they can "asset strip", as they seize on people in their vulnerability. Thankfully this is not how God sees people in Ukraine. He sees each individual as uniquely created and eternally loved. This is why the good news of Jesus Christ is thriving like never before in Ukraine. Churches are being born, people's lives are being turned around. Where aid and bread is despirately needed the church is at the spearhead of practical help and compassion.
Our small project which we hope will have a big effect.
- Imagine a place where foster families could experience a beautiful holiday by the sea, maybe the first they've ever experienced. Imagine a place where foster parents of 7-12 children could go with their families and find help, encouragement, care, and training. A place where they met other parents and children in the same situation.
- Imagine a place where thousands of young people could get together for a youth camp to be encouraged to set down good roots in life, and make wise friendships that will pay dividends for the rest of their lives. Imagine a place where thousands of young people came to know the certainty of unconditional love in Christ and how transformational that would be in their uncertain world.
- Imagine a country where the church grows so fast that it needs many new pastors and church leaders to keep up with growth. Imagine that it had such a place where present and prospective leaders could go for help, encouragement, training and networking. This doesn't need imagination, this is where Ukraine is and exactly what it desperately needs. Our prayer is that we can be an encouragement in all these things.
The "Black Sea Camp" is such a project.
- We plan to build a small 8 dormitory, 7 bathroom "family block" to encourage the Ukrainian church in all the good things it is doing. This will immensely enhance the facilities available at this site which already so well used by God's good purposes.
We plan to do all we can to complete as much of the project in April. We have a long way to go. At this point we have completed the internal shell of the building, and look to fit out the rooms and bathrooms in such a way that it will be a haven of rest and encouragement to many folks for many years.
To do it we need 4 things.
1) We would love you to pray that our little offering would have a hugely beneficial effect. That God would do more than we can think or imagine for the country of Ukraine. That our little efforts would produce a harvest of good things in God's economy.
2) We need a team of folks to pray for the team of 5 who are on the trip. I'm so grateful for the best of teams ready and willing to step on a plane this Saturday and come with us to encourage the Ukrainian Church. However we need our faithful army to keep praying for us - we don't want to do this in our strength because it would be feeble and failure all around. The reason God has blessed so much this far is because our dependence is on him, and we need that to be all the more as the ministry steps through the gears.
3) We would love to gift the Ukraine church with materials to complete the project.
We have a budget in mind that would kit out bathrooms and floors. At present God has miraculously gifted what we need for this new project but we are also dependent on him to provide for October and an altogether new project for us. We are less than a quarter way towards that target. Maybe you would be willing to give a small gift financially that would make a big difference. We trust God, but also rely on the compassion and generosity of people in the UK.
4) We would love to take gifts of encouragement to many who are in need in this country. To those children who have very little, maybe you could buy some small toys, clothes or essentials on your next supermarket trip that would help them know that others care. For those pastors and care workers doing such a great job in difficult circumstance, maybe you could help encourage them to not grow weary in doing good.
Whatever you can do to help would be hugely appreciated by us and the recipients. God sees and knows our hearts. The size of the gift is not relevant, the attitude of a thankful heart is priceless.
- On top of the practical help and boost we hope to provide in April, we also look to encourage a number of individuals, churches, foster homes, and mission centres with help from the bible and words of encouragement / pastoral care.
I hope you are able to be with us and come with us... in spirit at least.
Do get in touch with the equip4good@gmail.com if you would like to chat anything through or know more.
Thank you for your faithful partnership. It is a cherished and priceless thing in a "throw away" culture which is so obsessed with the temporary and immediate.
Please keep your eye on the blog as we will regularly update on the progress both on this trip and the new projects as they kick off.
With appreciation,
Your friend and brother,
Blogski.
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