This post has seemed especially difficult to write. I sometimes feel the pressure to tell you only the good things that are happening here in Sheffield. To mine out all that God is doing so that you can see that your prayers and financial support are accomplishing something. And they are. God is moving in our city, in our church, in this nation. But the past several months have also been difficult. Learning how to grieve well, helping to pastor others through their grief, dealing with difficult questions, choosing to say that God is good even when you don't understand and holding on to the promises that Scripture say accompany suffering. Sometimes I achieve my goal and sometimes I fail. Some things can't truly be understood until you go through them yourself. I cling to the only Hope and Anchor for my soul when truly all around seems like shifting sand.
First I'd like to say that I am so thankful for all of your kind words and prayers. Since the deaths of Stephen and Mandy and little baby Josiah, we have all been trying to figure out when life looks like. It's a new normal. But not one that we really ever wanted to experience. It's the time in between the tragedy and things settling into a new normal that is the most challenging.
When last I wrote, we were preparing for a team from the Glasgow Prophetic Centre to come for a weekend of teaching and prophecy. What an amazing time with the Holy Spirit. Such encouraging words about the new season for the church and for the city! And then I got a phone call at 7am on Sunday morning with the news. I'm not sure I'll trust early morning phone calls for a while. I'm so grateful for the community God has given me here. We were able to come together and offer solace and comfort, a word from the Lord, and good memories.
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| Izzy, my children's team helper, got married |
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| Saying bye to a friend at the zoo |
God was gracious to us. We had a team from The Harbour in Boston that had come to do mission in Sheffield and a couple from Antioch Dallas. They helped us to staff the Gathering as we made ourselves available to comfort and grieve with the congregation. I felt a new kind of closeness to God during that worship set. Sarah, Emma and I opened up our flat for worship and as a place for people to gather. Families that might not normally socialise, grieved side-by-side. A friend of Steve's came and later shared that the way that we turned to God caused him to take his faith more seriously even affecting his family and friends.
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| Michael Joseph |
The weekend following the deaths, we said goodbye to Kate, our youth pastor. She is following God's calling to marriage and Texas. I had already planned to visit the States for my friend Colleen's wedding and to meet my new nephew Michael Joseph and my other nephew Ian. It was a good time to see family, but also a little surreal. Grieving for my friends whilst celebrating my nephew's baptism and my friend's wedding seemed incongruent. But perhaps suffering enlarges the soul, enabling one to feel joy and pain at the same time. Some new context for the verse, rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.
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| Wedding Reflections |
Sadly, I was not able to mourn and rejoice at Mandy's memorial, but one man gave his life to Jesus at the event. He has been attending a LifeGroup here, and his life has been changed. Beauty for ashes. I did get to attend Steve's service. It was a beautiful time of celebrating his life and a gathering of friends from afar.
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| Ian |
Steve's loss necessitated staff re-planning. Our church planting team has decided to stay in Sheffield until the church is stronger. We have a new plan for upcoming term, but that meeting wasn't easy. We mourned what was to be even as we tried to determine what was to come. It's led me to start dreaming with God, to ask myself again, 'What am I passionate about?' As I look to my five year mark, I think it's an important part of the process. I plan to apply for residency in October and to continue to serve the children here as I figure out my next steps. Residency costs £1051, that's about $1600. Would you pray with me for favour and consider helping out financially to cover that cost? You can give online at www.christfellowship.org/engage/missons.
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| Park Outreach |
Thanks for considering giving :). I was a bit surprised when I looked at the cost. There are a few other things that are causing me to be pleasantly surprised. Instead of a week long holiday club, we decided to do a month of weekly outreach. Every Thursday, we have taken some children to the local park to play and to start conversations with parents and children. We've met several families that we hope to make greater connections with in September, two Chinese families, an Egyptian family, and a family from Mexico. Pray for God's Kingdom to break into their lives and for families to be added to our church.
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| More Park Outreach |
God is at work in Sheffield, in Antioch Sheffield. He has a plan to reach the lost and hurting people in our city, and He is inviting us to be a part of it. As we grieve and process and heal, we also dream and listen for God's strategies and reach for the evidence of God's ways that are present hoping to see His way govern this city. Romans 8v18 (my birthday reference) says that, 'I consider our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will revealed in us.' Let it be.
