Another exciting year only recently ended but we are already busy getting ready for a new crew of apprentices starting in just a weeks time.
As I get things in place for the new teams training, organising accommodation, food, schedules, seminar notes, transportation, and lots more I am becoming increasingly aware our horizon is on the move. In a week we have 18 full time volunteers landing from Brazil, America, Germany and Northern Ireland to be part of 5 teams this year sharing hope, healing, joy and freedom with young people throughout communities like Coleraine, Ballymoney, Limavady, Belfast, Dungannon and Bangor.
In the past, at times I have been reluctant to pursue a particularly active/assertive strategy in one specific area. There is quite literally hundreds of wonderfully worthy causes out there and I have never wanted to become a burden or another voice competing with so many others. However, as we strategise for the opportunities God has opened up in front of us I find there is an increasing importance and necessity for me to talk about funding more actively and openly.
We are incredibly grateful for all of you who have been so generous during the adventure so far (I type this on a computer donated incredibly generously by a great friend and local businessman). But over the past three and a half years while Beccy and I have led Pais here in Northern Ireland there have not been funds available to pay us a wage, instead so far we have self funded the adventure (that in itself is another story, for another time). Although Pais Ireland is part of the wider Pais Movement, all Pais national teams exist as autonomous organisations and are responsible for our own funding. Since we took on the responsibility of leading Pais we have spent the majority of our time creating and replicating a healthy working model for our teams. Full time we have recruited, trained, administrated and guided teams of apprentices who have been catalysts for hundreds discovering Jesus, inviting Him to be part of their lives, finding healing, transformation and connecting with vibrant church communities.
But as a husband and father I am increasingly aware as we move forward we need to develop a healthy sustainable support base that as well as making it possible to resource our teams better makes it possible to pay full time staff and develop future opportunities.
Similarly as our administrative team grows with people like Ray (left, an award winning journalist) and Thami (right, a law graduate) I am increasingly aware we also need to develop healthy and sustainable funding to ensure we can effectively support our teams.
So as we approach the start of another apprenticeship year for Pais Ireland I would like to offer you the opportunity to partner with us to help us fund the recruitment, training, administration and support of apprentice missionaries who will be sharing Jesus’ life giving message of hope, healing, joy and freedom in communities throughout Northern Ireland or further afield like Ramel (below) who will be traveling to join Pais in Australia.
The most simple ways you can do this is through regular giving or a one of donation. If you would like to become one of Pais Ireland’s regular supporters please drop us an email via paisireland@paismovement.com alternatively please feel free to get in touch if you would like to send us a one off donation, we will be more than happy to let you know where you an send your donation to or if you have a paypal account you can very simply use the link below for the Pais Ireland paypal account. I am also more than happy to make myself available for any conversations about further information of Pais Ireland’s needs or funding ideas. Every penny is hugely appreciated!