Carl writes:

It’s been a long time coming (2 years to be precise) but CVM has now got the keys for a new HQ. We are calling it ‘The Hub’ because we see it as a central resource base for all you guys out there on the ground reaching men, week in week out. From ‘The Hub’ we will be producing resources, coordinating and liaising with our group leaders, interns, area coordinators, mission specialists, directors in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and basing our events and conference management team. We also want it to be a place where we can host meetings, run training and generally be a fun place for any of our supporters who want to pop in and say “hi!”. This is why we moved CVM to Derbyshire so that we could be much more centrally and strategically located. Two years with seven staff ‘hot-desking’ just two desks in a shared parish office hasn’t been easy but we wanted to focus all our donations into evangelism. We felt strongly however that in order to do what we are called to do with more impact, we needed a base.

I need your help to get ‘The Hub’ up and running and have a few needs!

Firstly, it goes without saying that we need to pay the rent. We have budgeted for this but of course it is an additional regular expense. Could you spare from £2 a month to help us? For any new standing order set up of at least £5 we will be sending you a copy of The Code book, a ‘Men’ DVD and a copy of Cinemania. Give us £10 a month (or more) and we will give you a subscription to the brilliant Sorted magazine as well. Believe me when I say that you probably don’t notice a fiver leaving your account (the cost of a two coffees) but we really notice it coming in.

In fact just 200 men giving us £5 a month would be a real help.

We have also had to purchase second-hand desks and heavy duty storage equipment. We want ‘The Hub’ to reflect our values, and having a smart and welcoming place with reasonable quality office furniture that matches was important to us! This has cost us £3,000. Is this something you could help contribute to?

Here is a short video (click on it to play) showing where we used to work and a short tour of ‘The Hub’ and some photos (below) of what it looks like now! I hope you catch a sense of the vision and growth of our work together.

I really do believe that CVM is a movement that is about all of us being in this together and I hope you will feel part of what we are establishing here in Derbyshire. Giving to this project is really easy, you can click on this link or just call the office.

Thanks for all your support. It really is an exciting time and I hope that many of you get to drop in and see the new base at some point in the future.

Your brother in Christ,

Carl Beech

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We recently launched our Christmas appeal, you can view that here.

I’m writing to ask if you would consider sending CVM a gift of say £10.00 or more towards the ongoing work we are all involved in, of seeing men come to faith in Jesus.

My aim is to provide you guys with the very best support, inspiration, encouragement and resources that I can give you, because that is what you deserve. I live with a constant sense of frustration that we are not able to reach more men with the gospel or provide you with more support and back up. CVM is a movement that we are all part of. Please hear me when I say that this appeal is not about a HQ team wanting funds, I have always felt and believed that we are in this together. What I want to be able to do is to give our blokes in Liverpool, Southend or Devon etc. (you get the idea) all that they need to get the job done.

Next year we will be launching some fantastic and groundbreaking new resources for the local church and men to use, but we do need funds to get the printing and development work done. It will only take a minute to give via JustGiving or by phone (01246 271713) but it will make such a huge difference. We need to raise £15000 to enable us to fulfill our plans in the early part of next year for resources and the grass roots work (which is exploding) in the next year. So far our appeal has generated about £2500.

There is no doubt that God is shining his light on this movement. Hundreds of men now gather at our events, hungry to be equipped for evangelism and we are hearing stories of many men coming to faith on a regular basis. Please could you support us to help us stand shoulder to shoulder with you?

Our aim is simple. We want to tell men about Jesus. Will you help us to do that? How much are we prepared to pay to see one of our mates or family members come to faith?

Thank you so much for being part of CVM and for making it what it is.

May you know the grace and peace of God this Christmas as we remember what this is all about. Immanuel, God with us!

Your brother and friend,

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As I said in an email to all our supporters this has been a moving and humbling time for me personally and for the CVM team. It’s tough asking for help. You wrestle to know if it is right or not. With so many deserving causes out there and with many people feeling financially under pressure you just don’t want to ask. I guess, being totally honest it also makes you vulnerable, not just to complaints from people, but vulnerable personally. I’ve learned a lot in this last couple of weeks.

In truth we had never asked directly for help in our history. Sure, we have standing order forms available and sometimes at events we ask for a donation but never so directly or bluntly.

I suspect that as a result people thought that we are well provided for financially. The truth is that since before I took over the helm of CVM we have had barely any reserves (only ever enough to wind up the charity) and sometimes none at all. And yet each month there are big demands on CVM for our time and resources. Much of this is because we are pioneering. The nature of pioneering means that you have to go out on a limb or as in the case of the Levite priests crossing the Jordan you have to put your foot in the water before the waters part (Joshua 3:14-17). You just have to trust that God is with you and that He has called you to step out.

Since I became the leader of CVM I’ve started every month not knowing if we will have cash enough in the bank at months end! Many people never realised CVM existed in that manner until we emailed for help. After 20 months I felt that we needed to shout; it was closer than ever before.

We basically have ongoing monthly overheads that need regular income, mostly to do with evangelism with some office costs. However, we have been trimming back many overheads to ensure that we keep the front line activity going. We are, as one example, moving into a church office for free initially and then on a greatly reduced rent. Currently I have three people working from my front room! We are also cutting back on some staff costs, meaning that some people are giving up their income and other people are picking up extra work.

Let me share with you the current activity require monthly funding:

• We part fund and resource the Cardiff Men’s Convention which is now the biggest single event in Wales.  We employ a worker in partnership to ensure that the churches who send men to it develop an effective work amongst men.  We do the same all over the UK via a network of regional staff.
• We produce high quality evangelistic resources such as “Scratch” and for the world cup a resource called “Scorchio!” that includes exclusive interviews (with Kaka for example).  Where churches have no money (such as in poor urban or rural areas), support means we can get these and other publications into men’s hands for free.  We provide these resources at very low cost with the aim of resourcing as many church and work groups as possible.
• We have a small and talented web and media team who are working on some high impact evangelistic websites that men can use with their mates and some innovative work tackling the porn industry head on.  When you see the output you will see that no one else is doing what we are doing in this area.  We have to step out to break new ground.  This team can also produce small projects for churches to help their outreach.
• We fund chaplaincy in places like boxing gyms and snooker halls; areas the churches really struggle to reach into.  We have funded an Anglican vicar to do this in one area who gave up his parish to get amongst men.   If we hadn’t provided money he wouldn’t be doing what he does and see men coming to faith on a regular basis.
• A number of us are funded to train and equip churches all over the UK.  Just last week I drove 1000 miles and spoke to over 150 leaders (including Bishops and denominational leaders) on the issues facing men and what can be done about it etc.   The same week also saw presentations to numerous churches.  We are booked up over a year in advance.
• We are developing outreach courses for men and DVD resources etc. that are very high quality such as a Fathers Day pack.
• We are the partner organisation to Sorted Magazine.
• We resource over 1000 partner churches (and growing).
• Maintain a national database of high quality speakers for men’s events.
• We consult leaders on gearing church up for men.

I guess that’s just the tip of the iceberg and it costs money.  To do it well isn’t cheap.  We are admin light and divert as much money as possible to evangelism.

These monthly commitments require monthly income.  If you are able to set up a standing order for £5.00 a month or more, that would make a tremendous difference.  In fact 1000 men giving £20.00 a month would mean that mission to men in the UK would thrive from here on.

CVM is a unique ministry.  We are about pointing men to Jesus.  Pure and simple.  We want to do it well and we aim to make a big impact.  That impact will come from a small team that stimulates a mass grass roots movement.  Thanks for standing with us.  Please continue to do so.

To set up a standing order and be CVM stakeholder click here.

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I have never asked you to help in this way before but I do face the very real prospect of Christian Vision for Men ceasing to exist.  We urgently need £20,000 by the end of this month.

CVM is involved in some of the biggest evangelistic initiatives in it’s history and yet at the same time we are facing insolvency.  We urgently need funds to continue reaching men with the Gospel.

Like many Christian Ministries in the UK our income has been severely hit by the recession.  In response we are reducing all of our expenses and overheads to the absolute minimum, whilst not reducing our front line activity of reaching men with the Gospel. In fact we receive weekly stories about men giving their lives to Jesus.

Please give some money to CVM now. Click here to donate.

With huge thanks and much appreciation.

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