October 21, 2009

Big journey of the month is Bethanie to Slavonski Brod - 1800 kilometres in all. We’re ‘delivering’ Hannah and Imo to Brod to be our year2bless people for the coming nine months. We stopped on the way in Strasbourg and visited the cathedral. They started to build this place in 1176 and didn’t finish until 1439… it truly is a wonder.

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July 15, 2009

liveforothers:

Bethanie: soon to be the Bless base. A very brief video glimpse of Bethanie taken during our recent training weeks.
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June 4, 2009
The Bless Network: at home at Bethanie? Bethanie is a Christian Centre in Normandy, France. Just 20 minutes from the pilgrimage centre of Lisieux, 40 minutes from ferries to the UK and 1 hour 45 from Paris, Bethanie is ideally placed to form a centre for training and prayer for mainland Europe. The complex has been run as a Christian Centre for some 15 years, offering a programme of retreats, seminars and prayer activities. During this time it has been developed significantly from its origins as a Normandy farm. Bethanie is known already in France and the UK as a place of prayer and has been used by the Bless Network a number of times for training and retreat activities.

The Bless Network: at home at Bethanie?

Bethanie is a Christian Centre in Normandy, France. Just 20 minutes from the pilgrimage centre of Lisieux, 40 minutes from ferries to the UK and 1 hour 45 from Paris, Bethanie is ideally placed to form a centre for training and prayer for mainland Europe. The complex has been run as a Christian Centre for some 15 years, offering a programme of retreats, seminars and prayer activities. During this time it has been developed significantly from its origins as a Normandy farm. Bethanie is known already in France and the UK as a place of prayer and has been used by the Bless Network a number of times for training and retreat activities.

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June 3, 2009
Bethanie Christian Centre The current owners of Bethanie are Bill and Jan Gordon, who will be moving on to pursue other ministry commitments in the summer of 2009. Determined to pass the centre on to a ministry that will both continue its work and develop its potential, Bill and Jan have offered Bethanie to The Bless Network at very attractive price. Our aim is to buy the property in the summer of 2009 to create a Missional Training Centre at the heart of Bless.

Bethanie Christian Centre

The current owners of Bethanie are Bill and Jan Gordon, who will be moving on to pursue other ministry commitments in the summer of 2009. Determined to pass the centre on to a ministry that will both continue its work and develop its potential, Bill and Jan have offered Bethanie to The Bless Network at very attractive price. Our aim is to buy the property in the summer of 2009 to create a Missional Training Centre at the heart of Bless.

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June 2, 2009
The Centre The property currently has accommodation for 20 people, and we believe that with a small investment we will be able quite quickly to extend this to 40. Additional work will eventually bring the capacity to between 50 and 60 beds. Much of the infrastructure for these changes is already in place. A missional community will be planted at the very heart of the project, so that training programmes, prayer events and other activities flow out of an established rhythm of life and prayer. We believe that personal renewal and passion for mission are closely intertwined and we want to offer all those associated with the Bless Network opportunities for growth in both directions.

The Centre

The property currently has accommodation for 20 people, and we believe that with a small investment we will be able quite quickly to extend this to 40. Additional work will eventually bring the capacity to between 50 and 60 beds. Much of the infrastructure for these changes is already in place. A missional community will be planted at the very heart of the project, so that training programmes, prayer events and other activities flow out of an established rhythm of life and prayer. We believe that personal renewal and passion for mission are closely intertwined and we want to offer all those associated with the Bless Network opportunities for growth in both directions.

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June 1, 2009
Prayer at the heart of mission and mission at the heart of prayer Once purchased, Bethanie will become the hub of Bless, offering regular training activities, an ongoing centre for prayer and opportunities to engage in local mission through La Source and other Normandy churches. By maintaining a regular rhythm of prayer built around the centre’s dedicated Prayer Room, the Bless team will offer all who visit the opportunity to engage in creative prayer for the continent of Europe.

Prayer at the heart of mission and mission at the heart of prayer

Once purchased, Bethanie will become the hub of Bless, offering regular training activities, an ongoing centre for prayer and opportunities to engage in local mission through La Source and other Normandy churches. By maintaining a regular rhythm of prayer built around the centre’s dedicated Prayer Room, the Bless team will offer all who visit the opportunity to engage in creative prayer for the continent of Europe.

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May 31, 2009
Mario, from Poszega, Croatia Founded in 1995, Bless has established a strong reputation as a European missions agency. Our goal is to transform the lives of people in Europe by empowering Christians through prayer, personal creativity and strategic partnerships to live for the service of others. We have long believed that a ‘channel bridge’ could be established between the UK and mainland Europe, offering young people the opportunity to engage with God’s mission amongst their near neighbours. The development of Bethanie as a centre of mission, training and prayer will allow us to take this vision further, benefitting young people and the churches and communities they serve.

Mario, from Poszega, Croatia

Founded in 1995, Bless has established a strong reputation as a European missions agency. Our goal is to transform the lives of people in Europe by empowering Christians through prayer, personal creativity and strategic partnerships to live for the service of others. We have long believed that a ‘channel bridge’ could be established between the UK and mainland Europe, offering young people the opportunity to engage with God’s mission amongst their near neighbours. The development of Bethanie as a centre of mission, training and prayer will allow us to take this vision further, benefitting young people and the churches and communities they serve.

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Year2bless training week, September 2008 A key strand in the Bless vision is our work with young European leaders, fostering faith and purpose through missional experience. With partner churches in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Croatia, the network is seeing a growing movement of young people commit to ‘live for others’ across the borders of country and culture. As the hub at the heart of this movement, we believe that the new centre at Bethanie will greatly increase our capacity to serve the rising generation.

Year2bless training week, September 2008

A key strand in the Bless vision is our work with young European leaders, fostering faith and purpose through missional experience. With partner churches in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Croatia, the network is seeing a growing movement of young people commit to ‘live for others’ across the borders of country and culture. As the hub at the heart of this movement, we believe that the new centre at Bethanie will greatly increase our capacity to serve the rising generation.

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May 30, 2009
Gerard and Chrissie Kelly, founders of Bless. We are looking for partners who are able to stand with us in the purchase and development of Bethanie. To date Euro 50,000 has been pledged towards our target of 450,000. If you would like to know more or are willing to join with us in this venture, please contact Gerard and Chrissie Kelly by e-mail. You can also: - visit us at the Bless website - view more images of Bethanie here - Download Digital Brochure here - click HERE to donate.

Gerard and Chrissie Kelly, founders of Bless.

We are looking for partners who are able to stand with us in the purchase and development of Bethanie. To date Euro 50,000 has been pledged towards our target of 450,000. If you would like to know more or are willing to join with us in this venture, please contact Gerard and Chrissie Kelly by e-mail.

You can also:

- visit us at the Bless website

- view more images of Bethanie here

- Download Digital Brochure here

- click HERE to donate.

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May 28, 2009
THANK YOU for reading this proposal. Please consider standing with us in the vital task of transforming Europe through a generation empowered to live for others.

THANK YOU for reading this proposal. Please consider standing with us in the vital task of transforming Europe through a generation empowered to live for others.

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