All about Home Mission
How does it work? Who benefits? WEBA's 2009 total
What is Home Mission?
Which WEBA churches benefit?
How are we doing this year?
WEBA New Churches Fund
What is Home Mission?
Most Baptist Churches raise all their own funding, paying for their own ministers and other staff, and looking after their own buildings.
Most Baptist Churches also give generously to a fund we call Home Mission – the Baptist Family purse. This allows grants to be given in situations where churches are doing important work but can’t afford to employ a minister or fund a specific mission project. Home Mission also funds the National Resource at Didcot and the 13 Regional Baptist Associations.
It can be hard to get a table at the community cafe at St. Mark's Baptist Church in Bristol - this project was facilitated by improvements partly funded by Home Mission
Which WEBA churches benefit?
There are two types of Home Mission grant:
Mission through Ministry grants help a church or project employ a minister.
Mission through Project grants help fund practical projects.
16 WEBA churches have been awarded Mission through Ministry Grants this year:
- Sam King at Calne in Wiltshire
- Steve Cochrane at City Road in Bristol
- Paul Spanring at Cheddar in Somerset
- Kevin Donaghy at Emersons Green in Bristol
- Nick Cooper at Frome in Somerset
- Jenni Entrican at Jacob's Well, Yate
- Mary Clark at Lawrence Weston, Bristol
- Sam Edwards at Lechlade in Gloucestershire
- Beth Jackson at Lydbrook in the Forest of Dean
- Andy Thomas at Patchway in Bristol
- Andrew Stammers at Radstock in Somerset
- Mike Pears of Re:source Bristol, working with Knowle West and St George Baptist Churches
- Rodbourne in Swindon, currently in pastoral vacancy
- Graham Dart at Shepton Mallet in Somerset
- Christine Powell at Stapleton in Bristol
- Ali Boulton at Wichelstowe in Swindon
Current Mission through Project grants in WEBA include the 'Your Space' community drop-in at Lawn Community Church, and BOOST, the Homework and Youth Club at Lawrence Weston.
What does it cost?
Churches are encouraged to give at least 5% of their income to fund all this, and each year the Regional Associations try to meet a Home Mission target so that grants which have been promised are securely funded for the next year.
How are we doing this year?
Figures for WEBA churches' giving during 2009 have now been released. Our total for the year was £239,742. Although we didn't manage to match our 2008 total of £247,000, we need to say a big thank you to all churches who gave generously and sacrificially during a year of considerable economic hardship for many.
Thank you certificates will be sent to church secretaries along with the WEBA newsletter towards the end of February. We are relying on you to display this on your church noticeboard as it is our only way of saying thank you to every individual who has contributed, either directly or through their general church giving.
How can my church help?
- Remember that all churches are encouraged to give at least 5% of church income to Home Mission.
- Some WEBA churches who are in pastoral vacancy have donated all or part of a month's stipend to Home Mission. This is a great help in meeting our regional target.
- To set up a standing order for your church, please contact the WEBA office. Cheques should be made payable to WEBA Home Mission and forwarded to the WEBA office at The Old Forge, Broom Hill, Stapleton, Bristol BS16 1DN.
WEBA has a dream of planting 10 new missional communities over the next 10 years. To help accomplish this dream, we have set up a special, local fund called the WEBA New Churches Fund.
Alison Boulton and her family have moved into a new housing development in Wichelstowe, just outside Swindon, with the aim of building God’s kingdom in that community. WEBA helped to get this work started and raised funds for the Wichelstowe project throughout 2009. Many churches gave generously to this appeal in one off gifts of £200, or £75 for smaller churches.
You can read more about The Stowe in our New Churches Fund feature.
You'll hear all about our focus for New Churches Fund giving in 2010 at this year's 3 in 1 Events in May.
For these projects to go ahead, however, we need longer term funding in place. Many of our churches already give generously to Home Mission on a regular basis, so we would like to give individuals the opportunity to help with this fund.
Do you have a heart for bringing the good news about Jesus to places where he is virtually unknown? Could you spare as little as £6 per month to enable the foundation of new worshipping communities in our region?
If so, please fill in the standing order form which can be downloaded below and send it to the WEBA office. Please remember to sign the gift aid declaration if you are a UK taxpayer. Cheques can also be sent to the WEBA office, written to WEBA, and marked ‘New Churches Fund’ on the back.
Standing order form