We Care Ministry in Action in Ireland.

 

The Mission of MFM-IRELAND, WE C.A.R.E. MINISTRY

 

More than ever before, there is a need for personal care to members and their families. Throughout the Body of Christ there is an unparalleled epidemic of ministerial drop-out, "burn-out," domestic pressures, temptation and other personal problems.

 

A service entitled "C.A.R.E. - Compassion, Affirmation, Restoration, and Encouragement," was established as an immediate point of contact to help credentialed MFM-IRELAND members and their families.

Through this service, additional referrals and resources will be available, offering this most vital and valuable help in times of concern.

Three action points you can expect from C.A.R.E. are: Consultation - opportunity to talk through to the core of the problem; Assessment - Identification of the problem and the development of a plan of action to deal with it; Referral - if necessary, a capable and concerned care-giver will be recommended to you.

We Know How It Feels...

There are times when ministers and their families hesitate to ask for assistance, because they feel their lives are trapped inside a "fish bowl," where every personal action is on display for all to see. That's why C.A.R.E. has committed itself to the importance and priority of strict confidentiality within legal and ethical guidelines. Being able to share your pressures and problems without fear is vital to the healing process. It is also the reason we are here!

C.A.R.E. is limited to matters which are relational, sexual, financial, and emotional or of a spiritual nature which are producing personal problems and building stress within the home environment.

Beyond the scope of C.A.R.E. are questions relating to the MFM-IRELAND denomination, general church complaints, personal training, or skill acquisition subjects, legal or medical advice.

This Service is Provided for:

§   Credentialed MFM-IRELAND members and their families.

§   Spouses of MFM-IRELAND Ministers

§   Children of MFM-IRELAND Ministers

§   Irish nation

§   Our telephone number can be called anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. You will talk with a qualified counsellor who will offer practical pastoral help.

On occasion, there may be a need for consultation beyond what is practical for discussion over the phone. C.A.R.E. has access to a network of MFM-IRELAND counsellors & pastors across the nation. If our outside service is needed, some cost should be expected. Our desire is to see that individuals needing additional consultation are put in touch with trustworthy care-givers near their home.

 

Act 2005 was an initiative within the Ireland during the year 2005 to stimulate about 20 church-based projects, such as Working with Refugees, Debt Counselling, the Homeless. This resulted in a number of guides being written to share best practice in these areas.

One result of Act 2005 has been the production of a number of
'Act 2005 Introductory Guides'. This series aims to help Irish churches to consider some of the key issues involved when engaging in various areas of social concern. Each outlines the need, suggests options for involvement, and then offers some possible steps to action.

A list of contacts or resources are included for those who may wish to pursue things further:

 

Our Mission

MFM is a worldwide family of churches together on a mission, currently approaching over 500 churches worldwide. With a passionate commitment to build the church according to New Testament principles, we believe that the most effective form of evangelism is worked out from strong local churches. Churches where each member participates, the gifts of the Spirit are outworked, where there is joy in caring one for the other, where there is a desire to make a difference in society and to reach those in need. We aim to achieve this by restoring the church, making disciples, training leaders, planting churches and reaching the nations.

 

Restoring the Church

The so-called 'Charismatic Renewal', which began in the 1960s, transformed many people's experience of God. People from many diverse backgrounds were baptised in the Holy Spirit and found themselves speaking in tongues and prophesying. They longed to express their newfound love for God with fresh enthusiasm and intimacy in worship.

This new wine required a new wineskin. Many existing church structures could not contain this new life and so radical changes were needed, changes that would entail a work of restoration.

Rebuild the ruins
Restoration is a biblical principle. Throughout scripture we read of God's dealings with his people to restore them to himself, both individually, and corporately. The book of Nehemiah graphically illustrates this process. Jerusalem, which had been glorious in Solomon's day with its temple filled with God's glory, had fallen into decline. It was time to return to rebuild the ruins of the city and the house of God. 

Similarly, in the New Testament, the early church in Jerusalem was flooded with God's presence and the new temple, made up of living stones, was being built together. Tragically, over the centuries the church has suffered decline and confusion. There have been waves of recovery, including such major breakthroughs as the 16th century Reformation, with its recovery of justification by faith. Believer's baptism and the Pentecostal Awakening of the last century have also been restored.

The Body of Christ
God's ultimate purpose is that the church should become a 'mature man' (Eph. 4:13), a body with all it's members functioning. In Ephesians 4 Paul describes how God has purposed for this to be accomplished through the gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers.  

Our desire is to see churches that are built on New Testament principles through receiving these Ephesians 4 ministries, where the word of God is honoured, and there is openness to the work of the Holy Spirit.  We believe in a restored church and embrace Haggai's promise that 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former.' (Hag 2:9).

Making Disciples

Jesus calls us to 'go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything he has commanded' (Matt. 28:19-20). Our response to this great commission must therefore be reflected at the very heart of church life.

Churches work this out in a number of ways, often through small groups, whose aim is to grow through reaching out to unbelievers. Having believed, people need to be baptised in water and in the Holy Spirit, in order to live by the power of the Spirit.

Maturity in Christ
Making disciples also means bringing individuals to maturity in Christ in order that each one can fulfil God's plan for their lives. Our desire is that believers enjoy the grace of God, understanding that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned.

We want people to know that God has forgiven and accepted them solely because of what Jesus has done for them on the cross. People who are certain of eternal life, getting to know Jesus better every day, experiencing His guidance, living for His glory, enjoying their involvement in His church and keen to reach out to others with the good news of the Gospel.

Training Leaders.

Jesus wants His church to function effectively, so leadership is a top priority. God-given leadership provides security, motivation and direction. Leaders who know that they are genuinely anointed, called and loved by God bring peace and security to a local church.

Ephesians 4 ministries
Paul tells us that when Jesus ascended He 'gave gifts to men' (Eph. 4:8). The leadership gifts are people: apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers (Eph. 4:11) and their function is to 'prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up' (Eph. 4:12). These gifts, described in Ephesians 4, are given by God to stand alongside and assist local church leaders in fulfilling their commission to present every believer mature in Christ.

Within the MFM family we recognise these gifts as vital for fulfilling our mission. We are working with teams of gifted men serving existing churches as well as emerging church plants. Whilst these teams are predominantly working with churches in their locality, they are not only geographical but also built upon relationships. As a result some of these teams are also serving nations other than their own.

Strong foundations
Working alongside those involved day to day in church leadership, they are pioneering into new areas and helping churches fulfil their calling. In this way they help to ensure churches are started on strong foundations and that all the ministries identified in Ephesians 4 are playing their part in helping to make these churches strong.

Training new leaders and seeing these gifts multiplied forms a central part of our mission in order to equip the body of Christ.

Church Planting

We believe the most effective way of evangelising a new area is to plant a church. The Gospel not only needs to be proclaimed, but also to be demonstrated in tangible ways, and the best way is through Christians living out the Gospel together in a locality.
In this way new communities are established, often in places that have not seen authentic Christianity outworked through the church.

Different methods 
Philip, the evangelist, gathered a community in Samaria and the apostle Paul founded churches in many towns. He recognized leaders weren't the only people involved in church planting. The scattered, persecuted believers went everywhere preaching the gospel. Even the influential Antioch church was started by believers that the book of Acts does not name.

There are many different ways that may result in a church being planted. However, whatever the method, we believe that Ephesians 4 Teams are central to help plant churches, ensuring that they are established on apostolic and prophetic foundations. Whether in major cities and towns, or small rural communities, we long to help evangelise the nations through planting churches across the world.

Reaching the Nations.

In Acts 1:8 we are told that Jesus promised his disciples that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses not only in Jerusalem, but also in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The call to be Jesus' witnesses is local, regional, national and international. In his revelation John saw a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne of God. (Rev. 7:9). We take these promises seriously.

Nations on our doorstep
Churches often find that the nations are right at their doorstep, with many cities of the world being host to people from across the nations. Our passion is to build churches representative of such communities. But there is also a passion to fulfil the great commission to go to the nations and restore and start other churches, which will also reflect New Testament church life.

MFM is working in many nations starting new churches as well as establishing relationships with existing churches that share the same heart and vision. Ephesians 4 Teams are pioneering into these new situations and helping churches fulfil their calling in God. Alongside these pioneering activities MFM is also committed to helping churches serve the poor and needy. Thus, as a family of churches on a mission together, we are seeking to reach the nations of the world.