The 2012 Lenten Appeal was great, lets work together to make 2013 even better! We have some amazing projects this year - growing the church in Iran and Polynesia, technology education for kids in Palestine, and a Transit House in Papua New Guinea to help the Diocese fund projects for women, illiteracy, and the disabled.

This year we've made a little info pack/how to guide to help you get started advertising the Lenten Appeal in your Parish. Download it now for project information, photos, and children's activities (or activities for the young at heart).

Establish a Global Missions Team
(GMT) for your Parish

If you are a lone Missions voice in your Parish and feel like the Missions effort is floundering try establishing a Global Missions Team for your Parish. There are many advantages to having a GMT, not the least of which is the possibility of sharing the workload.

Here are 7 more advantages:

1. A GMT can pray together for the Global Mission of the Church at all levels, whether local, provincial or across the communion.
2. A GMT can dream mission dreams together, to catch a glimpse of what Mission God is calling the Parish to participate in.
3. A GMT can lobby the Parish vestry more effectively for missions support.
4. A GMT can study together what the Bible has to say about Mission and apply this to the life of the Parish.
5. A GMT can more effectively organize Mission events for the Parish, and participate collectively in diocesan and provincial mission events.
6. A GMT can organize Mission support more effectively for Mission projects, partnerships and people.
7. A GMT can organize Mission trips to encourage mission support and establish partnerships overseas, either as a Parish or with others from the diocese or province.

Here are some suggestions on how to get started.

1. Start with a Global Missions prayer group, and pray for specific mission projects, partnerships and/or missionaries as well as the establishment of a new GMT!
2. Organise a Missions event for the Parish, perhaps a Missions fundraiser dinner with a guest speaker, and ask others to help.
3. Try to interest the Parish in a diocesan or provincial missions event and go as a team.
4. Establish a Lenten prayer/study group focusing on the church’s annual Lenten Appeal in support of specific mission projects.
5. Excite the Parish with a bold new vision for Mission in the Parish.
6. Explore the Anglican Missions website for specific projects you can pray for - and make sure to get a physical or digital copy of our prayer diary, Partners in Prayer.

Once you have established your GMT, meet regularly to pray, study and organize mission events and mission support on behalf of the parish. Keep all your members encouraged and enthused with the stories of Mission happening all around us, and hopefully within the Parish itself.
I pray God will establish a Global Missions Team in every Parish in our Province, and will bless each GMT with a Passion for God’s Mission and Compassion for God’s world.

Canon Robert Kereopa
Executive Officer, Anglican Missions