THE FRITH FLYER… Spring 2009
Dear Friends
‘Spring Cleaning'
Easter is nearly here! If you've given up chocolate or alcohol it probably seems like a long time since Shrove Tuesday! You're probably even wondering exactly why you've done it. Was it the challenge to break an addiction (strong words needed when chocolate is concerned)? Or was it something deeper like wanting to prove to yourself that you have the discipline to resist the temptation. For whatever reason, there are lessons to be learnt from that place of weakness and temptation. God is there, but He's sometimes covered up by all the other things we fill our lives with. When they're stripped away, He is often revealed. I've been reminded about this through some of the difficult times over the years ... but it's also featured in my worship leading these last few weeks. Easter has all the more impact on us when we've spent time 'Spring cleaning' and making space for Him in our lives. I hope and pray that Easter will be a special time for you this year.
OSCAR
It's been a busy start to the year for OSCAR. On January 1st we launched our new content management system on the website for organisations and vacancies. We've had nearly 100 organisations sign up to the new system which means that they maintain their own information and can add their own vacancies to the OSCAR website. This has increased and improved the information that we process, as well as saving me quite a bit of time!
Finance is the tough thing for this year. Over the last 3 months I've sent over 100 applications to various grant making trusts but the situation is difficult with the recession and poor interest rates. Many of them have had to either reduce or stop their funding which has meant I've had to try harder to raise those funds. OSCAR will survive, no problem, but it's not easy trying to grow when resources are so limited.
On March 1st we launched a new mission focussed social network, called OSCARactive. It's a sort of 'Facebook' for mission workers and supporters. We have over 100 users already and it looks like it will be a very unique and vibrant online community. The main idea of this is to allow mission workers and supporters to give each other advice, encouragement and support, to and from anywhere in the world. Go take a look at www.oscaractive.net
Other OSCAR related news
New Wine have a new Marketing Manager. This will be the 5th year that I've been involved in running the central mission advice area at New Wine summer conferences, but it feels like starting from scratch when a new person is in charge. Please pray with me that everything will come together for the summer and that this year will be even better than last year.
Redcliffe
Things are still a bit up in the air as they haven't yet appointed a new Principal and Cheryl's new boss, who was covering for maternity leave, has just left. It's not sure whether her old boss will return or whether Redcliffe will be recruiting another ... so Cheryl is still a bit uncertain about what the future holds.
Church
Just a few weeks ago our vicar announced that he was leaving. He's got a job with Faithworks and will have his last service with us on April 26th. This means that we'll be heading into an interregnum (as the Anglicans call it). There's quite a process of clarifying the aims of the church and what sort of leader we want, before we go through the selection process for a new vicar.
Kids Korner
Joanna has enjoyed being involved in this term's dance and music productions at school. We went to see both. Standards were high ... I'm amazed that they got so many of the boys dancing too! Not something that I was interested in when I was a secondary school!! Next term she's in the school drama production ... though I've never doubted her acting skills!
William isn't interested in any of the above ... though he did particpate in a recent assembly drama that his class did. This term he's been on his first trip away with the school. Two nights at the 'Wilderness Centre'. It's only a few miles up the road in the Forest of Dean, so I guess 'wilderness' is relative. He wasn't sure about going but when he saw the programme they were doing lots of things he likes ... and I think he enjoyed it.
We're ready for a break so we're heading up to Nantwich for a few days before Easter. Then we're back for the summer term which is usually busy but fun.
Thanks for all your support, encouragement and prayers
Happy Easter
from
Mike, Cheryl,
Joanna and William Frith
Forthcoming events include:
Apr 10th - Leading worship at the Good Friday service
Apr 19th - Leading morning worship at St. Philip & St. James, Hucclecote
Apr 27th - OSCAR Trustees Meeting, HinckleyMay 3rd - Leading morning worship at St. Philip & St. James, Hucclecote
May 10th - Leading Family Church at St. Philip & St. James, Hucclecote
May 17th - Preaching at The Square, Chiltern Downs Methodist Circuit
May 21st - Lecturing on 'Personal Crises' at Redcliffe
May 31st - Leading evening celebration service at St. Philip & St. James, HucclecoteJun 2nd - Global Connections AGM, London
Jun 6th - Leading worship at Redcliffe Graduation Service
Jun 7th - Preaching at St. Philip & St. James, Hucclecote
Jun 8th - Joanna becomes a teenager!
Jun 11th - Xenos trustees meeting, Oxford
Jun 21st - Leading morning worship at St. Philip & St. James, HucclecoteJul 5th - Leading morning worship at St. Philip & St. James, Hucclecote
Jul 19th - Leading morning worship at St. Philip & St. James, Hucclecote
Jul 24th - Aug 9th - New Wine Summer Conferences, Shepton Mallet
Your prayers for all that we do, as always, are greatly appreciated. Thanks.