Trent Vineyard Church, Nottingham

The Making a Difference Overseas (MADO) networks exist to connect, support and mobilise people with a heart for seeing the Kingdom extended overseas. There are a number of networks focused on different geographical areas. For more information, please see the information below or email the contact for each network.

Several MADO networks meet once a month to pray for the different countries that they're connected with. If you'd like to get involved in any of our overseas work, just come along to the MADO meetings advertised in the bulletin or contact the MADO team.

MADO networks and contacts:

How do I get involved in a team?

We are very excited about the trips that are planned for the coming year. For further information on a particular trip, please click on the relevant network below.

Participation in a team will involve an application process and some teams will be by invitation only. Unless otherwise stated, everyone is welcome to apply to be on a team, however a place is not guaranteed. All trips are self-funded. In all cases a character reference will be required from your small group leader.

If you are interested in participating in a team, please email the MADO team. 

In 2007, paediatricians and Trent Vineyard members Cat and Mary moved to India to work with poor and orphaned children. In response to the needs of the poor, they set up a charity called Love The One, which aims to:

• provide a mobile community paediatric service
• be an advocate for the children
• train and equip others to continue this work

They have a small mobile clinic which travels into rural villages to bring health care to the poor and orphaned children, with an aim not just to treat their illnesses but to love, counsel and stand up on behalf of these children.

Even though the needs of India can be overwhelming, Cat and Mary refuse to be paralysed into inaction. The motto of the project sums it up:

“Making a difference… one child at a time.”

Three teams have now gone out from Trent to help Love The One host children’s camps and give parenting and healthcare courses to foster parents. A highlight of these trips was laying the foundation stone for a new part of the project, Kidz Haven – a place for abused, abandoned and orphaned children to get free medical care, play and have fun. There are also plans to open the very first baby home very soon. If you’d like to find out more, just head to www.lovetheone.org.

Many more opportunities are opening up for people to become involved and bless what God is doing in India through short and longer term trips. Each year Cat and Mary will be running children’s summer and Christmas camps, parenting and child health courses, community practical projects and much more.

Overall they have a passion to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to demonstrate the good news of Jesus through compassionate action to those in need.

For more information please contact Liz Gregson or Sue Borghisani.

Alternatively you can visit the Love The One website or email Mary and Cat on info@lovetheone.org.

Working with partners in the Middle East, our heart is to see the church grow among indigenous communities and to serve the needs of the people in any way we can. As well as sending people to live in the Middle East we have sent and continue to send teams to provide support and aid, to build relationships, and to pray for the region.

The Middle East MADO network meets every month to pray for our friends and their work. If you are interested in joining them, please email the contacts below:

Contact Tim & Sarah Raybould

Trent has developed a link with a charity in Zimbabwe called Family Impact through Lynne Knight, who was previously a member of Trent Vineyard.

Family Impact exists to work with and strengthen families in response to the threat of HIV/AIDS and to encourage the church to provide wholesome positive education and examples of strong family life that fulfill their mandate of caring for the sick, providing shelter to the homeless and love to the fatherless.

Teams from Trent have been to visit Lynne and serve the vision of Family Impact, through practical projects as well as training and equipping those working to transform communities in Africa. There will be opportunities to visit in the future. 

The Zimbabwe MADO network meets every month to pray for Lynne and the work of Family Impact.

If you are interested in joining them, please email the contacts below:

Contact Keren Long or Tracey & Graeme Guthrie

Over the last few years, several teams have gone out from Trent to Romania to serve Little John's House, a privately owned orphanage situated at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. During the year Little John's House is home to 6 orphans but during the summer it opens it's doors to children with special needs from local families, state-run orphanages and hospitals. Every morning at 9am two minibuses bring about 40 children to summer school, a place where they can enjoy all kinds of crafts and activities including jewellery making, face painting and sports.

In Romania children suffering with physical and mental disability are stigmatised, and although attitudes are beginning to change, many are still deprived of learning opportunities and social interaction. LJH breaks the mould and it was amazing to see the change in the children as they realised that they were the focus of our attention and our purpose in being there was to help them to learn through play and ultimately to enjoy themselves by being creative and having fun with other children.

The teams have really enjoyed their experiences and are keen to go back next summer to help with the summer school again. 

Over the last 3 years, a relationship with the Vineyard Church in Ghana has grown as teams have gone out each summer to support the leadership of the churches, their outreach, help with church plants and leadership training. Teams of mainly students have travelled to serve Pastor Thomas, his team and his vision and each member has returned changed for the better.

Here's what team members have said about previous trips:

“The trip to Ghana was definitely the best thing I could have possibly done with my summer last year... God became a whole lot bigger to me than I ever thought that He could be.”

“When I think back to my time in Ghana I think of smiley faces, laughing children, amazing tests of faith and incredible answers in return.”

“My time in Ghana brought me closer to God on a completely new level. I found myself in situations where I HAD to rely on him and not me, which taught me amazing lessons about trusting him and his strength, and reminded me of how much bigger than me he is, and of his undeniable power.”

“Ghana was one of the most challenging experiences of my life so far. The desperate need combined with my complete inability to do anything to help made me realise that all I have to offer is Jesus. And the people were so grateful to receive and give him, it was amazing!”

“My time in Ghana was incredible. I encountered God in a completely new way, met some amazing people, stepped way out of my comfort zones but grew in faith so much because of it and God was so faithful! I felt challenged, moved, inspired, and have so many wonderful memories that still make me smile today.”

Contact Rosie & Dave Jefferson

DCI is a charity that we partner with. DCI is a network of friends, partners, projects and supporters that began in England in 1985 and today serves "the lost, the last and the least" on all five continents. It focuses mainly upon the poor within developing nations, empowering them through leadership training, micro-loans, business development and community-building projects.

The DCI Network revolves around the central hub of its global internet site, which has recorded over 34 million hits by over three million unique visitors and is presented, at least partially, in 17 languages.

The DCI Network has relationships with churches and individuals all round the world. For more information on DCI, please email the contacts below:

Contact Les & Pilar Norman