Not another newsletter! Well, yes and no. Sharing news between like-minded people is healthy and enjoyable. But Forum aims for more than that. First, it has been born out of a need. Second, it has a purpose. Third, it seeks to achieve results.

The need

You have received Forum because you have links with SEAN and you live in the UK. The chances are, therefore, that you already appreciate the value of TEE (Theological Education by Extension) as a model for spiritual growth, and in particular the effectiveness of SEAN’s material. You probably realise, too, that TEE, as a model for discipleship and growth, has never matured in the UK in the way it has elsewhere in the world. Therein lies the need.

The purpose

The apostle Paul uses the analogy of the body to underline the importance of working together. This comng together as a body ‘embodies’ the purpose of Forum within the context of TEE in the UK - to pray together, to provide opportunities for discussion and action together, and to achieve countrywide growth together.

Achieving results

Keep reading Forum! Ultimately, of course, it is God who does the achieving - but it’s up to each one of us to play our part in working out his purposes. We believe that the core of TEE users in the UK is central to those purposes. Ask God now to confirm this in your own heart. And let’s go for it!

Rob and Jacqui Brown, whose vision for growth of TEE in the UK is grounded in their role at the Axminster TASK Centre (at Weycroft Hall), have identified five ‘starters’ to help achieve this growth:

>>> To build relationships amongst SEAN users
>>> To develop prayer across UK as foundation for promotion
>>> To identify and establish regional groups that have a vision for TEE in the UK
>>> To establish Weycroft Hall as a centre for workshops, retreats, and tutor training
>>> To raise the profile of SEAN in the UK

What follows is a small step towards all this. The focus in this first issue of Forum is on Axminster - how TEE and SEAN has been central to the spiritual growth of Axminster Christian Fellowship, and how Weycroft Hall will be playing a central role in the spread of TEE in the UK. Moreover, please join this ‘forum’ yourself. In an age of easy communication, there are few excuses for not being able keeping in touch. Contact us and share your TEE/SEAN news, views and experiences - now!

Many of you may have read the article in the Spread newsletter about Weycroft Hall, but for those who missed it here is a brief explanation of the vision and purpose for Weycroft both in the local community and SEAN.

The Vision

Axminster TASK Centre has its roots in Axminster Christian Fellowship which was established eight years ago under the leadership of Rob and Jacqui Brown through evangelism. As part of the overall vision of the Church and after seven years of prayer the lease of Weycroft Hall was given over to them in August 1999.

The essence of TASK is in training and service (Training and Service in the Kingdom) but its vision is three fold:

1 The local Community

Firstly as a centre reaching out to the local community and surrounding areas through school work, music and the arts, special day visits for the elderly and those with learning disabilities and day events for all to enjoy. The local community work has developed with links being forged with local schools who have brought children both for day visits and residential visits. Part of its commitment to the local schools has been in offering curriculum-based programmes, craft workshops and conservation work in the surrounding countryside. Other aspects of this work has included the founding of the Weycroft Music Society holding regular concerts in the baronial hall with the aim of promoting music and the arts. Other special events include master classes, young musicians recitals, educational music making days, supper concerts and grand opera galas.

2 Youth Training

In partnership with South West Youth Ministries Weycroft is the home to over 30 students for three days each month who come during a two year biblical and strategic training course in youth work, preparing them for full time youth work both in the UK and overseas. SWYM is a confederation of local youth and school groups, owned by Church partnerships across the South West.

Also, as part of its commitment to young people, Weycroft offers the facility for youth groups to enjoy weekend breaks or day visits, with organised programmes if desired.

3 SEAN

In co-operation with SEAN International UK, Weycroft was officially established as a SEAN Centre during the prayer day that was held in June last year.

Our hope for SEAN at Weycroft is not only to provide a place where users of the material can meet and share experiences, but also where weekend and day seminars for training group leaders can be held. It will be able to offer structured training programmes from the basics of setting up a SEAN programme to individual discussion groups and workshops on the use of the material in the local Church. It is our experience that once a church has a properly set up SEAN programme the enthusiasm for learning grows rapidly, but very often the church may feel isolated and has no contact with other users.

It is hoped that Weycroft can provide a place of contact, a place to meet and exchange views and, most importantly, a place for training group leaders.

Spread newsletter writes: ‘Weycroft offers a unique opportunity for SEAN as a centre for bringing together church leaders for TEE training days or weekend seminars and workshops. The appointment of Weycroft as an official SEAN centre where Leaders and church workers from around the country and from overseas can meet with others who have experience of running SEAN programmes is a significant step forward.’

As we have already shared, our first aim is to have a foundation of prayer, then establish relationships and links with other SEAN groups/churches through the newsletter and progress to workshops, training days, and regionalised events.

Weycroft offers a unique opportunity for S.E.A.N. as a centre for bringing together church leaders for TEE training days or weekend seminars and workshops.

Weycroft Hall - the building itself

Weycroft itself can be traced back to 1050 and in the sixteenth century dissenters who were forbidden the use of consecrated churches or chapels continued to practise their own form of worship at Weycroft. More recently it has been placed in trust for the furtherance of Christian work. The building lies in three acres of formal grounds and is surrounded by some 80 acres of arable land and woodland. The main building boasts a large baronial hall - an ideal setting for concerts, conferences and banquets. It also has a large lounge suitable for discussion groups. For national and international guests the Hall provides seven large bedrooms and has a spacious purpose built kitchen for catering purposes.

In the grounds there is a cottage and a lodge that house staff and a converted barn that accommodates 28 people - with toilets, showers and separate leaders room. A large separate room is available to serve the barn for day and evening meals, games and an additional meeting room to the main house.

Axminster TASK Centre is a Registered Charity No. 1080973 and a Charitable Company limited by guarantee.

I have had a severe dyslexia problem all my life which has caused a lot of problems and ridicule particularly as a child, even putting pen to paper was an impossible task.

I was known at school as the ‘thick one’ and my difficulties were not recognised or diagnosed during this time in the forties and fifties. The only exam I took was to get into the Navy to train to be a Chef, the recruitment officer helped me to do this. All my life I have had to live on my wits and hide this problem.

Reading was and still is a problem so I plucked up the courage with the help of the Lord to do the S.E.A.N. course. I could cope with the course work. When I was asked about the exam for Life of Christ Book 1 my thoughts were ‘Oh no, here we go again I will never do it.’ However, I decided to try the exam and someone volunteered to write my answers down as I verbally spoke them out.

I achieved 100% pass for Life of Christ book 1 and went on to achieve 99% for Life of Christ book 2.

I recommend the S.E.A.N. course to anyone who like me think they are hopeless and would never achieve anything. The way the course is set out has taught me so much more about the Bible and given me a greater understanding of the Life of Christ.

We have a walled vegetable garden at Weycroft and last year a couple in our church committed themselves to restoring and cultivating this plot of ground. All were excited as seed catalogues were pondered over to choose which vegetables to grow. As we looked again at the plot it seemed a daunting task but, before even ordering these seeds, it was very clear that nothing would grow unless there was a good foundation of soil for the seeds to take root in. This meant a further commitment of digging, clearing weeds and cultivating the soil until it was ready. At last the seeds were planted and we waited. As the sun began to shine on all the hard work we began to see the first signs of green shoots poking through the soil. And last summer we enjoyed the fruits of our labour.

In much the same way we believe that prayer is the key and foundation for the growth of SEAN in the UK.

Our first aim is to establish a network of individuals or groups that would be willing to pray specifically for the growth of SEAN both in their own region and in the UK.
We need to identify where these groups are on the map and hopefully more and more people will join us so that the whole of the UK is covered in prayer.

From this foundation of prayer and using this newsletter we would like to establish links with yourselves through group prayer needs, testimony, photographs of your groups, struggles that you may have had, humorous things that have happened, in fact anything that would give encouragement to other groups. We hope that you will want to join with us and will contact us through the post or on our email address. If you are sending photographs and would like them returned please enclose a stamped addressed envelope.

[that came with the printed version of this newsletter]

Some readers may have already seen the taster leaflets produced jointly by the Browns (Rob & Jacqui) and Longridges (John & Sue). The aim has been to make widely available a mini-taste of SEAN material, presented in such a way that the user is taken gently over the ‘hurdle’ of wrongly assuming that this type of material is ‘too simple’ - a common cause of frustration well known to all seasoned SEAN users who all too often feel the need to explain (even excuse!) the apparent simplicity of the learning method BEFORE allowing someone to try it. The intention is that these low cost taster leaflets can be picked up by anyone, anywhere - allowing the leaflets do the job of explaining the methodology AND giving a real taste of how effective and life-changing this way of learning is.

Handy format

Each set of leaflets, presented in an attractive packet, comprises six student’s leaflets and one leader’s leaflet, encompassing the full cycle of home study, group meeting and practical application - an ideal format, for example, for using in one-off house-group situations.

John Stott

Although SEAN itself did not directly initiate the project, Tony Barratt’s assistance in commenting on early drafts was invaluable. Subsequently a copy was sent to Dr John Stott, a SEAN patron, who very kindly wrote the following endorsement:

‘Having followed with increasing thankfulness the spread of SEAN materials round the world, I very much hope that more groups will use them in the UK. The introductory study of Luke 7:36-50 (‘Do you see this woman?’) gives an unusually penetrating insight into the meaning and application of this biblical text. I warmly commend them.’

From...

To be launched on March 1 2001, the Taster Packs will be widely available from Wesley Owen and other Christian bookshops. Meanwhile you can obtain them (£3.95 post free for the set of 6/student’s and 1/leader’s) from SEAN UK.

More details.

SEAN has been an invaluable tool in the growth and development of the Church, which was formed after a year of prayer and door knocking on a local housing estate in Axminster. Each household was offered a gospel of Luke and through this we began to see people give their lives to Christ. As the Church grew we took on the lease of an old Wesleyan Chapel that had been disused for 100 years. The owner restored the building for us and it has now been our home for eight years. Although not a large church in numbers we have grown in spiritual depth and maturity as we begun to use the SEAN material. We started our new Christians on Abundant Life and soon other mature Christians began to join us and came on the course. One of our members who is now an elder in the church came along initially to find out what we were teaching and after the third lesson began to get challenged himself on his own walk; he is now a tutor himself and, along with others, has completed the Compendium of Pastoral Theology, and Jeremiah.

Some of our new Christians, through committed study, are now in positions of leadership and we now have four SEAN Tutors taking their own groups. This has been achieved using the tool of SEAN to lead us through Bible study and then applying what we have learnt in our lives.

As the fellowship began to be established the Lord began to show us more of His plans for us as a body of people.

Weycroft Hall was part of this plan and in August 1999 we were entrusted with the building for the furtherance of the vision that had been placed on our hearts.
SEAN also has been very much a part of that plan as so many lives have been challenged and changed by God’s Word using this material. Because of all that we have gained from these studies we now have a longing to share our experiences with others so that they may also benefit and be encouraged to be committed to Bible Study.