This section lists OSCAR's press releases and articles in reverse chronological order:
17th February 2006
Join in the Virtual Party as OSCAR launches new website
On 1st March 2006, OSCAR, the web-based UK Information Service for World Mission, will relaunch it's website with a virtual party on the Internet.
Party goers will be able to play virtual hide & seek, virtual pass the parcel, and mingle with other virtual party goers during activities and discussions.
"We wanted an event that would potentially involve everyone who uses the OSCAR website, wherever they are," says Mike Frith, OSCAR's Founding Director. The re-launch also co-incides with the organisation's sixth birthday, so the idea of a virtual party came about.
Mike adds "Like any six year old, OSCAR is growing up, and the website re-design and re-launch marks the beginning of the next phase of OSCAR's life. I'm thrilled with all that OSCAR has achieved over the last six years, but even more excited about what lies ahead."
Everyone is invited to join in the party on 1st March at www.oscar.org.uk
17th September 2003
Mr OSCAR goes to Gloucester
OSCAR, the web-based UK Information Service for World Mission, has
moved office from its base of the last four years in the East Midlands
to the premises of Redcliffe College in Gloucester.
"This is a strategic move" says Mike Frith, OSCAR's Founding Director.
"During discussions with Redcliffe College earlier in the year, God
seemed to impress on us the various benefits of co-location. From then
on, the doors just opened!"
"OSCAR is one of the outstanding resources in the contemporary mission scene"
Mike adds "This is just a physical move for OSCAR ... 'virtually' the service can still be found at www.oscar.org.uk and our email and phone details remain the same. It does mean, however, that anyone visiting, working or studying at Redcliffe College will have the added benefit of OSCAR's services on hand."
1st April 2003
New OSCAR Sponsorship Scheme
OSCAR, the UK Information Service for World Mission, is offering a
unique opportunity for you to help mission work overseas by sponsoring a
section of the OSCAR website.
OSCAR provides information, advice and resources for those involved in
mission work around the world. For a small donation you can help keep a
section of the OSCAR website online so that mission workers and those
who support them can continue to benefit from this free web-based
resource.
Mike Frith, OSCAR's Founding Director, says, 'It's a tough time not just
for the mission organisations who are struggling in the current economic
climate but also for overseas Christian workers who are under increasing
pressure and risk because of the current political climate. OSCAR is
there to help and resource them in their work.' Mike continues, 'I feel
that it's important for organisations, companies, churches and
individuals to be able to do something that will directly affect mission
work across the world. OSCAR's new Website Sponsorship Scheme is one way
through which they can be involved.'
If you are interested in supporting the scheme, go to www.oscar.org.uk/sitesponsor.htm
or contact OSCAR for more information (Email: , Tel:
0870 765 6722).
14th September 2002, Christian Herald Article
Online mission support
JOY PIPER introduces a new website which aims to build support for
missionaries worldwide
Mike Frith was taking a shower one morning in Uganda when he finally
decided on a name for his new 'baby': "One Stop - OS - OSCAR One Stop
Centre for Advice and Resources."
Conversations with missionary passengers while he was an MAF pilot in
Africa convinced Mike that relevant, committed support for individuals
was a significant 'weak link' in world mission. He wanted to change
this.
The internet seemed the ideal way to equip people worldwide with
information, advice and resources. Mike and his wife, Cheryl, decided to
leave their work with MAF to return to the UK and work for the support
side of mission instead.
In September 1999, Mike began to research what computer resources were
available for missions and the possibility of establishing an
internet-based resource centre. Responses to his enquiries indicated
considerable interest in the idea. He interpreted this as Godıs
confirmation that he was on the right track.
Mike asked Wyre Compute to help design the initial templates of the new
website. "I received these early in 2000 and began to build the site
around them. The website was launched on 1 March 2000 with about 100
pages and 700 links to external sites and services. Two and a half years
later the site has over 230 pages and 4,000 external links. The number
of website visitors has also increased during this time from around 30 a
day at the beginning to an average of 260 a day now (roughly 50,000 hits
a month).'
The mission-resourcing site aims to provide a comprehensive, independent
and interactive information service for anyone involved in or interested
in the subject. It includes message and discussion boards; country
profiles; advice on travel, shipping, home-leave planning; details of
opportunities for training, orientation and development; pastoral
support; supporter resources; the 'Who Wants to be a Missionary?' online
quiz and lots more.
"The site covers topics on just about anything that an individual
involved in world mission might be interested in. If it doesnıt cover
something that someone thinks it should, we want to know as we will
research it and put it on."
Help is not only available online, however. Mike is a Methodist lay
preacher and available to take church services or lead world mission
weekends as well as being involved in training missionaries through
Equip (a training organisation based at Bawtry Hall) and running various
day courses around the country.
These include Serving As Senders, a course to help local churches
support and encourage overseas workers, and God on the Web, which looks
at the huge variety of Christian resources on the internet. "I also do
demonstrations of the OSCAR website and show how it can help folk
whether they're from local churches, mission organisations or whatever."
OSCAR is in the latter stages of registering as a charity and survives
on very little finance. Mike's salary comes from faithful personal
supporters who share the vision of what he's doing. For the last two
years, approximately half the project's funding has come from trust
funds and half from donations and sponsorship from various interested
organisations.
However, more funds are needed.
Mike's vision for the future is that this website will help equip
Christians worldwide to invest time, money and effort in mission
effectively. "If, as a result, missionaries stay on the field longer and
feel more supported and fulfilled in their work - then I'm doing what I
feel God wants me to do."
So next time you need help concerning mission or Christian work overseas
don't panic, just "ask OSCAR" the UK Information Service for World
Mission!
* Joy Piper is a freelance writer, a moderator for OSCAR's online
Supporters' Forum and author of Bringing the World to Your Church: The
Mission Promoter's 'How to' Guide.
MORE INFORMATION
Mike became a Christian while studying Mechanical Engineering at The
University of Salford. He married Cheryl in 1992. He served with MAF in
Africa for ten years, including three years training in the USA and two
terms in Africa (Madagascar and Uganda). They have two children, Joanna
and William, and now live in Earl Shilton, South Leicestershire.
For further information visit OSCAR UK Information Service for World
Mission: www.oscar.org.uk or
contact Mike Frith, email: tel: 0870 746 2132.
* Article reproduced courtesy of the Christian Herald
www.christianherald.org.uk
1st May 2002
OSCAR Launches Forum for Mission Mobilisers
OSCAR, the UK Information Service for World Mission, this month
launches a new online forum specifically for local church mission
mobilisers, secretaries and representatives.
'It can be pretty lonely as a local church missionary secretary or
missions rep.' says Mike Frith, OSCAR's director, 'It's not unlike being
in an isolated mission field of your own! This forum will help these
individuals discuss their helps and hindrances and generally have a
place where they can share their experience.' Overseeing the group, in
partnership with OSCAR, is Joy Piper, author of the book 'Bringing the
World to Your Church'.
The forum has been launched in response to a number of OSCAR website
users who have requested the facility. It is one stage in the ongoing
development of OSCAR to help and provide online resources for
individuals involved in mission work. To access the forum, log on to
www.oscar.org.uk, click on
'Forum' and then 'Mission Mobilisers'.
26th March 2001
Who Wants to Be a Missionary?
Ever fancied a go at 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' or the
opportunity to prove you're not 'The Weakest Link'?
OSCAR, the web based UK Information Service for World Mission, has
launched it's very own 'Who Wants to Be a Missionary?' quiz online.
Designed to test your knowledge as a world Christian and potential
missionary, the quiz comprises of 15 multiple choice questions on
various topics like geography, religion and the history of mission.
Anyone achieving a score of 10 or more will be entered in the bi-monthly
'High Scorers' prize draw.
Confident? Why not give it a try and see how globally minded you really
are? Go to www.oscar.org.uk
and click on the 'Who Wants to Be a Missionary?' link.
26th February 2001
OSCAR's First Birthday
March sees OSCAR (
www.oscar.org.uk ), the web-based UK Information Service for
World Mission, celebrate it's first year online.
The OSCAR website (an acronym of 'One Stop Centre for Advice and
Resources') began in March 2000 with roughly 400 links to external sites
and services, and attracted an average of 20 visitors a day. One year
later, the site has grown to include over 2000 links and now attracts an
average of 130 visitors a day.
Although primarily designed to resource missionaries and overseas
Christian workers before, during and after their time overseas, OSCAR
has developed into the UK's most comprehensive world mission web portal.
It truly is a 'One Stop Centre', providing links to virtually all UK
based missionary sending and support organisations, along with a wealth
of other information relevant to world mission goers and supporters.
The reaction from mission agencies and personnel has been very positive.
George Verwer, founder and International Director of Operation
Mobilisation, remarks about OSCAR 'Your site ... is really great. This
kind of information and communication is greatly needed if we are to
reach our global goals!' The November edition of Christianity magazine
reviewed the OSCAR website and hailed it as 'a tremendous step forward
in missionary resourcing and equipping'. Mike Frith, who is founder and
manager of OSCAR comments, 'I'm very pleased at the response and take-up
of the service. It's been wonderful to watch the vision turn into
reality and see it make an impact on world mission. My hope is that this
service will continue to grow and increase the effect & efficiency of
mission work throughout the world.'
For the anniversary, several new facilities are being launched on the
OSCAR website including online forums, automated webpage-by-email
retrieval and free web pages for missionaries & overseas Christian
workers. For more information, see
www.oscar.org.uk or email
13th July 2000
Calling All Missionaries
The OSCAR UK Information Service for World Mission is calling all UK
missionaries, whether at home or overseas, to visit the OSCAR website (
www.oscar.org.uk ) and
discover for themselves numerous resources that will save them time,
energy and money.
The OSCAR (which stands for 'One Stop Centre for Advice and Resources)
web based service has been up and running for over 4 months and has
attracted much interest from the World Mission community in the UK and
around the world. Mike Frith, who runs the service, emphasises that the
site has been developed with missionaries and overseas Christian workers
in mind and therefore will likely prove most beneficial to them. 'I've
had many emails from missionaries based overseas who have wanted to
express their delight at finding the OSCAR website on the Internet' says
Mike, 'Now that such a resource is available, I wouldn't want anyone to
spend time, energy and money researching or looking for information that
can easily be found through OSCAR.' Over 3000 leaflets and countless
emails have been sent out to serving and prospective missionaries,
mostly through established mission organisations. However, Mike believes
that with roughly 8000 UK missionaries on the field, there are many more
who still do not know the service exists. Mission organisations and
sending churches are also realising the usefulness of OSCAR in providing
support for their overseas personnel. Where, before, a member of the
support team would have had to research and arrange many practical
details for personnel, OSCAR now provides the necessary links and
shortcuts, making it possible for even the overseas staff to sort out
their own arrangements. Likewise, for those who run mission support
services, there has never been such a 'one stop' facility like OSCAR for
making their services known to missionaries. OSCAR is also available for
those who just have email but no direct Internet connection. For more
information or if you would like some leaflets to pass on to
missionaries or overseas Christian workers, send an email to
.
8th February 2000
New information service for missionaries
March 1st sees the launch of a new Internet based service for
missionaries. Called OSCAR (an acronym of 'the One Stop Centre for
Advice and Resources'), the web-site is billed as 'The UK Information
Service for World Mission'.
OSCAR ( www.oscar.org.uk ) is part
of the Resource project that has been running since September 1999. The
project was set up in co-operation with Global Connections (formerly the
Evangelical Missionary Alliance) to look at new and different ways of
resourcing missionaries on the field using new technologies. Mike Frith,
who has spent the last 10 years working as a pilot overseas with Mission
Aviation Fellowship, manages the Resource project and is the person
behind 'OSCAR'. 'Whilst overseas, I came to realise how difficult it was
getting the right information from the UK on mission related issues',
says Mike. 'I was also in the unique position of meeting with other
missionaries on a daily basis and realised many of them had the same
problem.' Based on this need, Mike put together the Resource project and
is determined to see this 'information shortfall' improve for future
missionaries and overseas Christian workers.
OSCAR is a collection of links to information and resources that relate
to missions and missionaries, all brought together in one place (called
a 'portal' in Internet terms). There are two main sections: an
Opportunity zone and a Service zone. The Opportunity zone includes
information about mission organisations and where they work. The Service zone is categorised under the following sub-sections: logistics,
finance, medical, training/orientation/development, children,
communications, pastoral support, resource materials and supporter
resources. There is anything from 'where to buy cheap equipment for the
mission field' to 'where to take a holiday on home leave'. Comprehensive
links to mission support organisations are being included as well as
links to useful UK sites that provide services or information of
relevance to overseas workers.
Mike hopes that missionaries and mission organisations will start to use
OSCAR as a base for sharing information. 'We have so much to gain by
networking together' says Mike, 'what one person needs to know, another
person can help with. OSCAR is just a forum by which they can do it.'
In the coming months, Mike will be working on ways to distribute this
information by email as many missionaries do not have direct access to
the Internet.
Take a look at www.oscar.org.uk
and register your interest online or by sending an email to