Local Area Mission Partners

KBC has for many years had overseas ‘mission partners’. These are Christians serving the purposes of God in places around the world with whom we have a relational connection and a strong sense of kinship in mission. We pray for them, keep up to speed with their news, receive occasional visits from them, and support them financially either through our ongoing BMS giving or via our 10% Fund. A designated team - Mission Focus - meets several times a year to pray for, and explore how to better support our mission partners, as well as identify ways to promote overseas mission more generally within the church.

More recently, the question has arisen: why shouldn’t we also more formally partner with similar people and projects that are closer to home - important Kingdom work that is going on on our doorstep? KBC is already informally involved in supporting several local initiatives, and seems well placed to play a resourcing role within the wider Baptist cluster and local area, ensuring God’s light reaches into our community and region.

That is where the Local Area Mission Partner (LAMP) programme has come from!

We commit to:

1. Prayer & Care: We commit to regularly pray for the work as individuals and a church, and ask the LAMP to remember us in prayer too. Where appropriate additional forms of pastoral support are offered;

2. Champion: Each LAMP has a rep / champion who stays in touch with them, and keeps the church up to speed about any news or developments in the ongoing work - in time these champions could meet once a year to liaise and pray, and once a year with the wider Mission Focus group for coordination and prayer;

3. Receiving Input: LAMPs visit us occasionally for services or special events to update us on the work, encourage and inspire us with stories of what God is doing, and share insight and expertise. We would hope this might lead to fruitful cross-fertilisation in mission;

4. Staying Informed: Information about our LAMPS are included on our church website and noticeboard in much the same way as it is for our overseas mission partners;

5. Financial Support: We our LAMPs are aware of our 10% Fund and, in consultation with their rep/champion, encouraged to apply for financial support for specific expenses related to their work ;

6. Practical Help: Where appropriate, requests for attendance at certain events / volunteers for specific activities can be sought and circulated via our church bulletin or at CMMs

7. Provision of Space: Subject to agreement and where other booking commitments allow, if a LAMP has need of a room / space for a gathering / function related to its work, we could make rooms in our building available without charge, or make other resources or expertise we have available to them .