Post Furlough Wrap Up

A thousand apologies for my post furlough blog occurring so long after returning from furlough.  I feel as if I sort of hit the Sheffield ground running.  Part of me had forgotten how full our Autumn schedule typically is, and I think I've settled back into the routine now.  Thank you for the prayers that I'm sure you sent heavenward on my behalf.  Also, many thanks for sharing your lives with me, your time with me whilst I was back in the States, your support, your prayers, and your friendship.  These are things that I don't take lightly. 

An electric kettle in America!

First time climbing outdoors, thanks to my new friends!

Looking back on furlough from this point, it seems like a million miles away.  The last part of August was a blessing.  I got to visit Christ Fellowship and all my lovely friends there.  It was a joy to worship with old friends and share what God has done so far in Sheffield.  The following day, my housemate Sarah came to visit for the first part of her sabbatical.  We visited TCU, the Stockyards, and some of my favourite American restaurants.  When I visited some of the Christ Fellowship small groups, Sarah tagged along as well.  She was my real life British connection.  Thank you all for making her feel welcome, for welcoming me back, and for your earnest support of God's work through me in England.
I am truly blessed :).

England meets America in Waco, TX (Sarah's on the right)

The 'mother ship' as one of our Sheffield church members refers to Antioch Community Church Waco, also welcomed me for one Sunday.  I was privileged to be able to visit their Children's ministry.  It's always good to see how other people are teaching their children.  I loved meeting with their children's ministry team as well as with the children's pastor from Christ Fellowship.  When I was in graduate school, one of my clinical supervisors told me that it's good to ask questions, even necessary.  You can probably figure most things out on your own, but how much faster  you can learn if you glean from the wisdom that others before you have obtained.  Now for the wisdom to apply what's learned.  Only by the grace of God, only by God's grace.

Fajita making and Games Night for the new Uni students

God's grace is enabling me to wait patiently for my new visa to come through all of the bureaucratic hoops.  Application, check; fingerprints, check; final approval, in process.  I'm hoping to hear that all has been approved sometime this week, so that I can purchase a plane ticket for my older sister's wedding on New Year's Eve.  God brought all my financial provision in whilst I was on furlough, and He is not daunted by immigration policy and procedure.

My Gram looks good for a woman in her 80s! Happy Birthday!

My time back in Sheffield thus far has been full but fun.  We've been meeting in our new building for three months now and the work still continues.  The sanctuary is carpeted and our heater has been installed.  Our multipurpose youth and kid's room is coming together slowly but surely.  The colder weather has left the building a little chilly, but liveable, and the gatherings have seen many visitors, much joy, and a sense of belonging.  We even have a couple of new team members joining us.  One is returning from the States after working in Waco for several years to start a disaster relief and social justice charity here in Sheffield.  He's called Tim and he has asked Lara, one of our long-term and faithful church members and leaders to help pioneer the ministry.

Balloon Makers Extraordinaire

Additionally, we had several new lifegroup leaders at our Autumn lifegroup leader training.  We are excited about what God is doing!  The Sheffield City Council even let us come and do jewellery making and balloon modelling for the city's Halloween extravaganza for younger children.  We had a queue (line) of 10 children for balloons all afternoon long. Our training school students are another constant source of inspiration and also a source of learning how to pastor people well.  Sometimes what they need is not what I naturally give.  Praise Jesus that He is my strength where I am weak.  :)

I want to get some news out to all of you even though much has occurred even as wrote this blog.  Over Christmas I'll tell you about our Re:fresh 'staycation', the Carol service, puppies visiting Launch Pad, my older sister's wedding, and India.  I hope that all of you had a lovely Thanksgiving and are eagerly awaiting the celebration of Jesus' birthday.

Furlough Edition #1

Happy Birthday to ME!

Hello my fabulous blog followers!

I'm writing to you from Fort Worth, TX on the third and final leg of my furlough.  I have been so blessed by my time in the States.  I have been able to visit friends, family, and supporters, rest a bit, drive a lot, hike, hear what God is doing in the US, help my sister buy her wedding dress, see my nieces and nephew, and observe some fireworks.  And, things seem to be running smoothly in Sheffield in my absence.  Where do I even begin?

Fabulous Fourth Fireworks

At the Met with my Sis-in-law

I landed in New York on 30 June.  When my sister-in-law picked me up from the airport, I tried to get into the wrong side of the car and had to remind myself a time or two that she was in fact driving on the correct side of the road for this country.  From the Metropolitan Museum to Highline to Coney Island Beach, I saw a lot of NYC with my niece and sis-in-law.  A definite highlight was watching the 4th of July fireworks from the roof of a building close to the Empire State Building.  To top it all off, I met a guy in the building where my brother's church meets from Liverpool of all places.  He was a recovering alcoholic, and I hope my sis-in-law's and my words about Christ's love will ring in his heart through the coming months.

My lovely niece

After I left NYC, I flew into Colorado for a few days to see my grandmothers and to collect my mother for our road trip to Austin, Memphis, and Mobile.  Whilst I was in Colorado, I had the privilege of appearing on a local Bible study television program.  I was the first woman to appear on the show, and I got to share about Sheffield and the amazing things that God is doing in the UK.  What an adventure we embark on with God!  You can check it out if you like.  Grassroots Television Aspen, Serving God, John Chapter 11. 

This is the gigging boat (that's spearing fish)

I caught the little one in the middle

That week was a bit of a whirlwind week that ended with a road trip to Austin, TX for my friend Vicki's wedding.  Vicki and I used to lead lifegroup together when I was at Christ Fellowship.  It was a beautiful ceremony, and God even brought rain just before to cool off the air from 104 degrees to 86.  Praise the Lord! 


The next day we travelled to Memphis where I got to see my sister, brother-in-law and niece and nephew.  They're getting so big!  My niece and nephew that is, not my sister and brother-in-law.  We even went to the zoo and had some famous Memphis barbecue, before heading down to Mobile to see my older sister.  It was my first time in Alabama, and I went shrimping and gigging with my sister and her fiance.  The kids loved the beach, and I got to see my sister purchase her wedding dress and experience some of Betty Mullek's famous trail mix. 

On the shrimping boat with Evie and Grandma

'I like this sand stuff!'

Independence Pass, Colorado

At the end of the trip, my mother, grandmother, and I crawled into the car for one last long road trip back to Colorado.  It crawled up to 116 degrees in Tulsa, rained and thundered in Kansas, until we finally alighted on Denver where I got to check in with one of my supporters at REI.  It was lovely to be back in Colorado and to see some of the church members that I've known since I was a little girl.  Coincidentally, it was their week for Vacation Bible School and Thursday night was Mission's Night.  When I offered to help, they asked if I would speak, so I was able to share with the kids about Sheffield and God's heart for them and for their lives.  The theme was, "Pandamania: God is Wild About You."  It was a great experience and reminds me why I love to work with kids. 

Meanwhile in Sheffield...our training school students and staff went on an outreach trip to Musselburgh (pronounced musselboro), Scotland.  They spent three days sharing Jesus on the streets and praying for healing.  What a great class and we are excited to have 8 students joining our current 4 during the Autumn term.  We've also had a construction team over from Antioch Waco.  The team took their holiday time to install our kitchen, stage, sound desk, and disabled toilet in the new building.  We even had our first service in the new building on 21 August!  I'm quite excited to see what God will do in this building in Sheffield.  Taking new ground for the Kingdom!  Please continue to keep Sheffield in your prayers this summer. :)

Our new building for our first service

My friend Zeida and her handsome sons

I would heartily appreciate your prayers as well.  God has blessed my with a place to stay and an automobile for at least the first two weeks of my time in Fort Worth.  I've had the opportunity to meet with some of you, to say thanks for touching the lives of people in Sheffield through me and for partnering with me in this venture, and to update you.  Thank you all!  If any of you know of a car available for the first few weeks of September, let me know.

Please continue to pray as I'm looking for some new partners to add to my prayer/support team both on a monthly basis and from special gifts.  I'm needing $400 a month and am looking to cover visa costs and a car to the tune of $6,000.  If you know of anyone who might like to hear about Sheffield or if you would like to hear more, please let me know.  I believe that God has people in mind that can touch the people of Sheffield through me.  Please help me believe for those connections!  I hope to spend some quality time with some more of you soon.  Thank you for reading my blog, for caring for me, and for your prayers.  I feel them every day.  HUGS!!

Look, Sheffield isn't the only place they do cutlery art

Wowsers, The Pre Furlough Edition

Holiday Club Win!

Wowsers.  I say that because so much has happened in the last month or so and because I will soon be in the States for my first furlough.  When last we spoke, I mentioned that we were putting on our first ever Holiday Club.  Even though we didn't have the 20 kids that I was hoping for, we did have five children from outside our church come to the club (10 total).  We had great conversations with the children and a lot of fun.  One of my favourite parts was probably the family service that we invited everyone to on the following Sunday.  God is definitely moving in the hearts of the children in England, one of our girls even preached the gospel, in a sense, on the street corner.  "Jesus loves you!" It has been a really good learning experience, and we look forward to running one again next summer. 

Everybody love icebreakers

Story Time Thespians

Straight after the holiday club, the church staff and other church planters in Europe and the UK met together in Slaithwaite (pronounced 'slauwit') at a Christian retreat centre for AMI Europe.  It was our first ever regional conference and a great time to connect with other church planters.  The weather was lovely, and we all had a great time praying for each other and encouraging each other.  One relationship that was formed there was with a couple leading a church in Musselburgh, Scotland, and our School of Transformation students are going up there for their first outreach this weekend.

AMI Europe kids

Fun in Slaithwaite

I'm sad not to be able to join the staff and students of the School of Transformation as they venture northward to Scotland (did you try to say it with the accent?).  The school is going amazingly well, and we even have 10 people interested in signing up for the next term!  We've been busy building relationships and hearing awesome teaching, which has been challenging for me as I hear some things for the second time.  On our last Saturday, the students went around a local park talking with people about Jesus and asking if they'd want prayer, then we surprised them with a fun afternoon at a local lake. 

School of Transformation FUN BOMB!

God has brought many such encouraging times into my life over the past months.  Yancy Smith, one half of my pastoral support from the U.S., came to see me on his way back to Texas from Israel.  He encouraged me, asked me the questions that I needed to hear at the time, and was a brilliant speaker at our training school.  I'm so grateful that Jesus hasn't made us to live our lives in solitude.

Yancy arrived at the beginning of a three week stretch of outreach with 17 training school students from Elevate in Waco, Texas.  The students came to encourage, to assist, to tell people about Jesus, to pray for the sick, and to connect new people with the church.  Whilst they were here, they completely cleaned our new building and helped with some of the beginning construction projects, they met and began to form relationships with over 30 people, and they saw 21 people give their lives to Jesus!  We were immensly blessed and refreshed by their time here. 

Elevate Team

Some lovely ladies from Elevate

You may have noticed that I mentioned that construction has started in our new building!  In fact, we moved into the offices portion of the building last Monday.  Various members of the church have gotten really involved in the process.  We have three or four people that have a lot of skills and expertise in the area of construction.  Plus, one of the men from the Elevate team, a bulider, will be returning at the beginning of July to stay for a month, and a team of experienced builders, plumbers, and electricians are coming over for a week at the beginning of August to help out as well.  It's so exciting!  My colleague Kate and I also applied for a grant of £3000 from the Sheffield City Council.  We had to present for 3 minutes and win enough votes to be awarded the money.  Eight groups received money, and we received the 8th highest number of votes.  Praise Jesus!

The New Offices

Sarah showing just how big our new sanctuary is

Brilliant helpers in our new foyer

I know what you're thinking, there couldn't possibly be more good news.  But there is.  Three church members have volunteered to cover the Children's Ministry responsibilities while I'm in the States on my furlough and two others are covering the hospitality.  Please be praying for Will, Bex, and Emma as they step into a new level of leadership in the Launch Pad.  And please being praying for our application to sponsor foreign workers.  I recently travelled up to Leeds to visit Mosaic Church; they currently sponsor me to work in country.  Thanks to all of you who prayed for my interview with the UK Border Agency!  It went really well as far as I can tell. 

Grant Presentation Winners

Furlough Update

As I type, I'm realising this will be my last blog from Sheffield in a few months.  I'll be in the States from 30 June through 20 September.  It's a time to reconnect with family, friends, and supporters, to raise any additional support needed, to get some rest, to reconnect with my sending church, and to meet with other children's pastors to glean from their wisdom.  As I come, I'm looking forward to seeing as many of you as I can!  I do have some needs that with which you may be able to help.

• When I'm in Texas, from about 14 August til 20 Sept, I need a place to lay my head (doesn't have to be for the whole time, doesn't have to be a bed, I'm happy to housesit)
• Also in Texas, I'm in need of an automobile.  If you are away on holiday, or have a car that would be free for a few days, it would significantly bless me.  I am a very safe driver and will put gas in your car ;-).
• I want to see you, let me know when you are free, preferrably via e-mail.  
• I'm needing to raise about 5-10% extra in support a month just to come back to my budget.  If you know of people who might be interested in hearing about an opportunity to reach the children in England for the Kingdom, I would love to meet them.
• Please pray for a time of peace, rest, and hearing God anew

I love you all, am so blessed by your support in my prayers and can't wait to see you!

Saints Alive!

Hi friends! The saints alive is in reference to Valentines and St. Patricks, which have both passed since last we spoke. My blog has been on the to do list for far too long, almost embarassingly long. At first it seems I was looking for inspiration in a 'slow' time then for space to write in a busy one. Either way, I'm sorry you've not heard from me. Thankfully, I'll get to see most if not all of you this summer as I'm back for my furlough! I'll let you know more information as the time approaches, but I'll be Stateside 30 June - 19 September. If you or anyone you know may have a car that I could borrow, especially in August when I'm in Texas, please let me know!

Swan I saw on my first rambling adventure

And now back to Valentine's Day. I think our church body is finally getting the hang of 'pot luck'! We try to eat together as a community once a month or so. This month we even took communion together at the meal. It was really fun to remember Jesus somewhat like I imagine the early church did. I sometimes struggle to converse with people while wondering if there's anything that needs to be done, but it's probably good for me.  Training of a sort. :)

In February, we had a training for our lifegroup leaders and for anyone interested in leading a group. We spent a Saturday morning and early afternoon teaching about prayer, vision, and ways to work in a team. After breaking for lunch, we had a question and answer session and finished praying for our different lifegroups. Three new people even came to learn about lifegroup. That was exciting considering we didn't know if there were any new people that were interested in leading when we discussed the topic the week before. God is faithful to raise up new leaders!

I suppose there should be a photo of me

Have I told you about the Holiday Club that I've been planning? A holiday club is the equivalent of a Vacation Bible School. Ours is the first week of Easter break. It's called Xpedition Force. We sent out letters to the nearby schools, and I have a great team of volunteers! We're going on an expedition, climbing a mountain with the children, as well as taking the kids on a journey through the book of Matthew through the last supper, Jesus' death on the cross, and the resurrection. We had our first assembly at the school across the street from the church. Now we just need more kids! I'll let you know how it went in the next update.

Awesome Volunteers!

Speaking of kids, I recently had the opportunity to take the girls in the older class to see the film, "Tangled." I've wanted a chance to spend some time with the girlies and their mums for a while. Maddie actually suggested it in a way. I was saying how much I wanted to see the film and Maddie said she wanted to see it too. Thus the plan was hatched. Two of our regular church going girls brought some friends and their mums came too! It was a lot of fun, and the film was good as well. I hope to get to spend more time with these girls. They're so precious to their Heavenly Father. Little princesses.

One of the younger girls is called Darby. She loves princesses and everything pretty, always asking if I'm wearing earrings and commenting on necklaces. We've starting singing a new song at the Gathering called, "Blow, Mighty Breath of God." Darby's mom reported that she was singing that song the morning after in a loud clear voice. Same song, just more creative lyrics. "Blow, Mighty Breakfast God, Blow, Mighty Breakfast God." God is the God of breakfast, so I suppose her lyrics fit as well.  I'm sure there's I can learn a thing or two from Darby's simple song.

School of Transformation games

Antioch School of Transformation has four students that have applied to learn a thing or two about church planting and to help develop Godly character and grow deeper in relationship with God.  Our school started with a Saturday orientation and teaching.  I'm excited to see God work in the lives of our students and myself and the other staff members through the school.  I know God has spoken to the students through the teachings we've had so far.  Please be praying for our students!

Baby Dedication

Let's see, a few little updates to finish up.  We're about a week away from signing a lease on a new building!  And, I sat in as a second on my first sozo. Also, we welcomed five new babies into the church with our very first dedication!  We dedicated the babies on British Mother's Day and finished with a community meal.  Exciting things are afoot in Sheffield and the UK.  We're expecting a team from Antioch in Waco; seventeen Elevate students for twenty-one days.  I'll keep you posted.  I love you all my friends!  Many thanks for your support on this adventure, and I can't wait to see you this summer, although I'm not looking forward to the Texas summer heat.  Thank God for air condition!

New Faces, New Places

(Yorkshire sunset)

Happy New Year! I'm so thankful for your partnership in prayer and support this year!! I realise that we are now twenty four days into the new year, but I believe this is the first time I've wished most of you the sentiment. Truly, I hope this finds you well and enjoying 2011. I've been enjoying the increasing length of the days. Every 21st of December, I celebrate inside because the shortest day of the year has passed. And we've had a lot of sunshine this January :). Sometimes I feel like the sun shines just for me.

(Angels visit the shepherds and sheep)

Of course, that's silly, but I take joy in it anyway. And there are a few things to update you on since Thanksgiving. We had a great Carol Service this year. The kids performed a live nativity. I call it the no gloss version of Jesus' birth, and they were adorable. The Carol Service always has an evangelistic tone, and this year was no exception. We had eighty people in attendance and one man decided to, as he put it, "Give this Jesus thing a go." All told, that's eight salvations this past year, and we're expecting an increase in the year to come. In fact, the following week, we had a celebration meal at a local pub, and we occupied three long tables.

This Christmas, I drove in London for the first time. I managed to navigate the one way streets 'almost' without incident. My brother and sister-in-law's plane was delayed, so I went to church with my good friend Pip. It was the first time I've ever done a pub quiz in church. (Pub quiz night is very popular here). All in all, with the jet lag, it was a nice quiet Christmas and Boxing Day with the exception of a little snafu with the rental car.

(Christmas cracker fun)

One of the highlights of the Christmas holidays (there were four days off this year), was a trip to Cambridge. My sister-in-law used to spend her summer holidays there, so we drove up to visit, stopping off in a village called Isleham (ice-lum) to visit her old pastor. He's called Paul Hedger, and he and his church are building the largest green oak timber church in the UK. He showed us the sawmill and shared about his church. The new building will have a sanctuary seating up to 600 people! It was faith-building for me to hear about other churches in the UK that are growing and seeing God move. Isleham isn't exactly a booming metropolis; it's a village really, but about 250 people are going to this church!

(Mr. Hedger's House)

After our visit with Mr. Hedger, we drove to Ely and visited the Ely Cathedral, the longest cathedral in the UK. One morning, the rector woke up to find the roof had caved in and a chap called Alan of Walsingham so liked the way the light flooded in, that he endeavored to build a ceiling that would allow the same to occur. It's definitely worth a google images search when you get a free minute.

(Ely Cathedral)

I had some free minutes over the Christmas to New Year's break, but there's also been some busyness. We moved out of our offices on Rockingham Street to save some money as we work on a deal for a new building. The whole church is going to visit the building on 6th February. Until then, we are functioning without offices. That has put Sarah and I in our flat more often. Our third flatmate is planning on moving out soon and we are praying for a new flatmate. So far we haven't had a lot of prospects. To top it off, we've discovered that we need to have the floor in our bathroom replaced. The shower has been leaking into the flat beneath ours. It's a good metaphor for not letting things in your life fester. The earlier you deal with it, the less rot can form. But I digress.

New Year's is a natural time to look at the past year and rejoice and look to the year to come and ask God what's coming. At our staff planning time in early January, we got some really good promises for the year to come. I've been working to run a holiday club during the Easter break. We've decided on the Xpedition Force theme, the gospel of Matthew with a military twist. I'm also working with a team of people to start our first church planting, discipleship school, the Antioch School of Transformation. Students spend a year learning how to disciple, building character, and applying the basic principles of church planting.

(Marble Slab in Sheffield!!)

God is doing new things all over the place. We've had new visitors at the Gathering, two couples getting married this year, lifegroups getting ready to multiply, and new building prospects. My housemate Sarah and I and a few friends popped down to Red Ruth, Cornwall for my former housemate Fliss' wedding. When I say popped down, I mean we drove six hours, an epically long car journey in UK terms. But the highlight of this past week is a tossup between a 3-year-old birthday party or one of our youth's recounting of her time ministering to a group of kids and the amazing way God used her story to speak into their lives. Good things are afoot this year. Climb onboard, hang on, and enjoy the ride!

(The beautiful bride)