Functional English News - November 2005

The Bible is the story of change – of new things. New wine, new lives, new songs; new commandments, a new covenant; new heavens, new earth – a new and living way.

 As we walk in Christ’s footsteps, we are continually asked to take new paths and make new choices – to pack up our tents and follow the pillar of fire or the pillar of cloud. Of course we feel an attachment to the place we are, especially if we have been there a long time. But we must move on – if we refuse to move on then we will pay the price. Only God does not change, and we rest in Him.
 

Changes for 2006 . . .  

Many things have changed in the world since Functional English was started in 1977 - national economies and currencies have gone up and down, air travel has become more and more easy, and the internet has changed the way that we buy and pay for things.

Things have changed for us too, and people looking for language courses want different things. In response to this we have to change - in the future we want to offer:

• a wider choice of locations to study
• flexibility in starting dates and study programmes
• more personal service
• higher standards of accommodation.
• a wider variety of courses

We will inform you about our plans as they develop over the next year. However, we have decided that we cannot do this in our present building, so in 2006 we will:

• sell the school building  - we hope this can happen by the middle of 2006.
• continue to offer English courses - offices, classrooms and public rooms in the school will remain open until arrangements are made to move to a new building.
• organise homestay accommodation for all students with hosts in Whitby, where they will find a comfortable room, meals and a warm welcome.
• stop providing residential accommodation and meals in this building from the end of December 2005.
• buy another building for the school.
• start to set up a network of teachers and hosts all over the UK.
  
  We hope to be able to mark the closure of this building with a celebration service, probably sometime next Spring – any ideas or contributions for this would be gratefully received. We hope to be able to invite people who have had a connection with the school.
  
  This will be a new beginning for Functional English - a transition from one way of working to another, which will allow us to continue to do the work that we are called to. I would therefore be grateful to you for your continuing prayers for us, and that you would help us to get the message out that we are continuing to operate, because our future depends on this.

Neil McKelvie, Principal

We are quite often sent mission newsletters from former students, and we would like to encourage you to pray for them. Here are some people to remember:-

• Marianne Marti (032), working with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Tchad.

• Margreet Oskam and Marja Top (034, 041), working with the Dutch Reformed Church serving handicapped children in the Arab world.

• Berhard and Luzenir Ramseyer (994) working with Arab World Ministries.

• Hideki Ui and Yumi (984) working with NLF in Vietnam.

Please pray for everyone affected by the changes to the school over the next year, in particular that God will guide all staff to what they should do in the future.

50 Plus programme

In October 2005 we ran another 50 Plus course, our two-week programme for students over 50. This included many students from the Normisjon in Norway. We had the following message from Odd Kjeldsen:-

"Thank you for good words! We had all a good journey home, and no suitcases were lost! Today I rang Tor, and he was so grateful for the 50 + course. He told me he had got some new friends and should like to come back to Whitby and Functional English next Autumn. With my love and best wishes to you, Derryck and the whole staff."

For more details, click on our 50 Plus webpage on: - www.funenglish.co.uk/courses/page9.html

School news

This summer we welcomed Jurgita Kederyte from Lithuania on a 50% scholarship. She was recommended to us by Alberto Melo, a missionary in Lithuania. She is a secretary at Vilnius University and has helped a couple of missionaries to get language skills. After she returned, Alberto wrote to us to say:

"We were very blessed seeing Jurgita back from Whitby. God really has used the school and the Christians to impact her life. Today I went to the University for the semester open ceremony as I will be teaching Portuguese, and there on the board was a big sign about Functional English! That blessed my heart. I really do not know how to say thanks to you all. Just keep in prayer because God has something for this University."

Alberto Melo (972)

Whitby Leisure Centre

Students can take advantage of a special membership arrangement with the Whitby Leisure Centre, which offers good value for money. The centre includes:-

• 25m Main Pool
• 12.5m Learner Pool
• 4 court Sports Hall
• Fitness Suite
• Hard Court Area
• Tennis Courts
• Multi-use Room
• Swimming Lessons
• Sunbeds
• Exercise Classes

News from former students

"I am working in a hotel. I really like this job but sometime it is very hard. I work five days a week and also the week-ends. I work in the reception. I welcome the customers. I take charge of invoices and especially I form the new trainees. I often use English and sometimes I have to telephone England or in the United States. When my boss is not here it is me who take care of the hotel. So I have a lot of responsibility. ... These days I often think of Whitby and I would return maybe one day. Can you give also this e-mail to my teacher of last year Nicola?"

Noémie Gerber (044)

"I am a former student of F. E. and am very grateful for my stay at your school. As I am currently considering going to bible school so that I can serve the Lord full-time, I am looking for addresses of bible schools in the UK and beyond. I remember that at F. E. you had quite some information available in the library. I was therefore wondering whether it would be possible for you or someone in the office to give me the names of some good bible schools in England or Scotland? I remember some students of my class went to a bible college in Edinburgh but I do not remember the name of the school. It would be really kind of you to email me some names if you do have some ideas. Thank you very much for your help. I hope everything is all right at F. E.
and many students come to study English. God bless you all!"

Melanie Reichert (991)

"Hello. Hope you are fine and the weather in Whitby is as warm as in Köln. Wish I could be in Whitby at the moment..
I would like to mention a few things: First I want to say another big, big “Thank you” to you and all the people in 'funenglish'
for these wonderful 2 weeks, for the warm welcome and the very careful atmosphere. And !! for improving my English. Sometimes I'm searching for the right German words because I felt so familiar with the English words. I'm thinking about coming back to Whitby next summer to visit your “Homestay Tuition” It’s a really good idea and I'm sure it can improve the language in a very effective way. Hope to see you soon again,"

Heike Schmitz-Beuting (053)

"I have got the beautiful diploma from Cambridge. It came to me some weeks ago. Thank you so much. I often think of you and for me the special school building. I can often practice my English and I have been reading some books in English. One of them is 'About a Boy' by Nick Hornby and now I have another one to look forward to reading. I even listen to the BBC World Service and I can understand much of it - Thanks to FE."

Ragnheidur Sverrisdottir (052)

Website update

• Updates to the website

Changes to Functional English will gradually appear on our website. Please check the site regularly.

• Video clips of Functional English

Video clips of the school are now available on our website. They are taken from our video which was filmed a few years ago - so you might be in some of the pictures! The pages were set up by Andrew McKelvie, and use Microsoft Media Player. If you have a fast internet connection then why not have a look at them on www.funenglish.co.uk/video/videopage.htm

The Enrolments Secretary,
Functional English,  5 Chubb Hill,  Whitby,  North Yorkshire  YO21 1JU,  UK
Tel: +44 1947 603933                 Fax: +44 1947 820703
Email: office@funenglish.co.uk    Website: www.funenglish.co.uk