Features for 2019

In this, OSCAR's 20th year and leading up to OSCAR's 20th birthday we will be featuring various people and ministries helped by OSCAR. We start with the role OSCAR played in helping recruit for a significant role in a small charity with a very noble purpose, to bring an end to FGM.

Did you know that April is stress awareness month? So it's a good time to feature a book entitled Resilience in Life and Faith by former OSCAR trustee Tony Horsfall and Debbie Hawker. We like practical, helpful books tailored for those in challenging mission or ministry situations, and this book seems to measure up. It's reviewed by Phil Jolley.

We have added a new Trafficking and Slavery section to our Ministry Resources area. Previously we undertook some research to define various Christian organisations involved in these areas of ministry and produced a special resource sheet. Now we have put all of these online so you can access them.

We are steadily pulling together and building up our various resources for ‘Exploring Vocation’. We’ve added links to related articles, book reviews and specific organisations or individuals who can help. It’s a good place to start if you’re trying to work out how and where God is leading you.

Our article this month is just one story. We have over 650 opportunity listings, 130 UK opportunity listings (more than any other Christian jobs website) and over 80 organisations advertising with us at this point in time. Contact us if we can help you advertise or send you email updates about jobs.

Do you keep a journal or diary? If not, you might consider doing it during short-term trips or transition times so you can capture what God is saying and teaching you through your new experiences. This month's article by Shawna Levet helps us get started with what to include in a basic journal.

How do we go about mobilising our churches to reach the nations? This book by Mike Frisby takes us through the various steps that can unlock the potential and help our members into their God given calling.

Is there a lent activity that helps you impact the world around you? Yes, it's called 40acts, it's produced by Stewardship and it's free to participate. Each day has a reflection and a challenge, based around activities of  generosity to others.

Kingdom Bank have launched a new range of savings products for individuals, churches and charities These not only have very competitive interest rates but also enable Kingdom Bank to provide its other products, like mortgages for missionaries and churches. It's a great way to build the kingdom with your savings.

OSCAR will be in Kenya in early May 2019 to lead a week of one day stand-alone training courses for the mission community in the region. If you're within reach of Nairobi, don’t miss this unique opportunity to undertake some practical development training taking place in your area. We would love to meet you.

What are the strangest gifts that missionaries have received from their supporters? This was a question asked of a number of missionaries and you might be surprised or shocked at the answers. Fiona Mearns from Stewardship helps us think through what missionaries really need and how we can best support them.

This book is a fascinating insight into one woman's courage and perseverance in a land traumatized by war and poverty. Jill Kinsey brings to life the people who live in a small town in Mozambique in the 1990's. It is reviewed by Annette Samsom.

International Training Partners SYIS course has come highly recommended over the years. Now you can take this course online. It's great development training for anyone in mission or ministry who wants to develop healthy relationships.

If you're entering the UK from overseas, whether for the first time or after a long period away, this great 'guide to life in the UK' from Friends International will help you understand British culture and settle into life in the UK.  It's designed for students but has plenty of useful info for anyone.

We have changed our main menu selections, losing the title Directory and spliting this into Organisations and Resources. You'll also see that we have introduced content tables into the Resources area to help you see and navigate through the sub-sections. Let us know what you think. Your views are valued.

'How many people use OSCAR?' is one of the most common questions we get. So, we've put together some stats for you that we hope might answer this question from a range of different angles.

Find out how God is changing the lives of families everywhere through prayer - from the frozen Arctic to the hottest desert, on the highest mountains and in crowded cities. This new book "Window on the World" brings alive the culture, history, and traditions of all sorts of different people that adults and young people alike can pray for.

Whether you're looking for a career in Christian or mission work, or looking to change roles within the Christian work sector, OSCAR has it all. We list more opportunities and organisations than any other Christian website in the UK. That's why OSCAR should be your starting place for your search. You can also subscribe to our weekly email for the latest job adverts, called the 'Opportunities Update'. 

Now is a good time to plan your holidays, breaks and retreat time for 2019. This will stop them getting squeezed out by other priorities as the year progresses. We have lots of good suggestions for holidays geared for those in mission and ministry.

On 26th Jan OSCAR is running a re-entry course, called 'All Change', for those recently returned from the field and those who care for them. It will be based at OSCAR's offices in Gloucester. The cost for the day is £45 which includes lunch, refreshments and all materials.