Calling – part 2 – and an update

Around the time I knew that Fuel was established (see my previous post) I began to sense God put new things on my heart. What was this like for me?

One thing was I started to feel a pull to go and work with people in different cultures and with both the same and different sorts of needs than those I’ve worked with in the U.K. There are such huge challenges facing much of our world and I felt like I am in a position to do something – so I must take the opportunity. A friend had given me a word they felt God saying for me last summer – “God is going to give you an opportunity and you should seize it”. In the Autumn, when I began to consider doing an overseas trip, I looked to Tearfund, whose work I’d known about for years, and the trip that I was drawn to on their website was one to Bangladesh. The timings of it worked for me, and I resonated with the vision with the charity who Tearfund partner with out there. 

Another friend of mine prayed for me and saw a red dot appear on a white background. “Have you considered going to Japan?” he asked. My reply was pretty blank – this wasn’t a place that I had been thinking about at all. But then I started to wonder, ‘I know some other countries have a red dot on their flag too…’ I typed Bangladesh into my phone and predictive text suggested a flag with a green background and a red dot in the middle! This was amazing because I honestly had no idea what the flag of Bangladesh was.

But above all, I didn’t really mind too much where I went. The one goal that burned on my heart was simply I want to sit down with someone, look them in the eye and for them to feel they’re not alone. That’s really it. That’s really all I hope to achieve or do through a trip with Tearfund. 

Since I wrote most of this blog post, I’ve received the gutting news that the Tearfund trip to Bangladesh I was to be a part of has been cancelled. Tearfund have currently grounded all non-essential travel, prayerfully and considerately, to help protect their staff and volunteers, and prevent the spread of Coronavirus to vulnerable people living in poverty. The cancellation has come as a huge shock and disappointment to myself and the others who were to be on team with me.

Right now I’m left with questions – what happens with the things God put on my heart? What about the things I thought He had said? I don’t know if there’ll be easy answers to that anytime soon, but I’m looking for how Jesus is working in the ‘plan B’ situations out there… including this one. And so I’ll still be sharing my adventures with God on this blog in the weeks and months to come. I’m not sure what these adventures will look like, and there may not be colourful pictures of life in Bangladesh, but I’ll be looking to share with you some parts of my journeys with Him. And I will update you as and when I work out what He might be leading me to do next.

Adventure comes from two words meaning ‘more to come’. When we pray we partner with Father God for His more to come here on earth as in heaven, so please pray…

> for the work of Tearfund, seeking to go where the need is greatest, that God would supernaturally provide for projects and people who are now without the expected support

> for myself and my wonderful team (pictured) who are not sure if we will get to travel together in future, that Jesus would illuminate the next steps in front of each of us so we can journey with Him

Thank you so much for your support!

Calling – part 1

You might be wondering, ‘why Bangladesh?’ That’s a good question. Some people have been asking me ‘have you always wanted to do something like this?’ and the answer really, is no. So where’s this all come from? Why give up a great job with a church that has become home and family to me?

I have known since I was 16 years old that I was called to work in church. I was worshipping in a service one Sunday night and I felt God say to me ‘you’re always going to be doing this’. I knew what He meant was that I’d always work in and for the church. For the past 15 years the church has been my passion. For all the moments church is painful, I’ve also seen ways it is redemptive. At its best, church is the fullest expression of humans being together on earth. This is what reveals what God is like to a waiting and wondering world.

St Mary’s Church

My journey to St Mary’s (the church I’m about to leave) came about in a surprising way (a story for another time) but in truth, was the kind of church I’d longed to work for. As those from St Mary’s and Sale West know, the past few years have also been this crazy adventure into building a new congregation to reach and release young people to know Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit. My sense of call for this was that God has put on my heart to see our youth congregation, Fuel, established.

I had always wondered, ‘how will I know when this is established?’ I mean, where’s the line between something being established and not being established? Anyway, in June 2018 I felt God say to me ‘you’re at the beginning of the end of your time at St Mary’s’. What did that mean? How long was ‘the end’? I was pretty devastated because I didn’t want the end to be approaching!

It turned out God was kindly giving me some advanced notice. I think deeply about things and so I need time to process significant information… especially stuff like this. It wasn’t until January 2019 that I began to see what was happening… Fuel was established. I saw a team that flourished and brought their gifts of leadership in such a way that I knew the vision was inside of them, in the same way that it was inside of me. I saw Fuel flourishing whether or not I was there. (Holidays in my early days at St Mary’s used to be stressful to return from as I’d arrive back to tales of woe from the team: ‘there was a riot!’ ‘We couldn’t control them!’ Or worst of all ‘You need to call _’s parents.’) Now I was returning from holidays to testimonies and reports of how great it was when I was away!

Now before I inadvertently give the church permission to recall my salary from 2019, I obviously still have a lot of work to do during the week to prepare for Fuel – work that a volunteer team don’t have the time or resources needed to accomplish. But the point was, I saw Fuel was established because I saw the team was established. It was never about me but lately there was a shift – the leadership was now in the room whether I was there or not. And that’s an incredible gift to discover.

I didn’t need to ask any more.

The final bit of knowing Fuel was established came when Fuel did a ‘takeover’ of our 7pm congregation in April 2019. One of the prophets in our church came and gave me an entire page of things she felt God was saying about Fuel. The page started with ‘The foundations are established…’

I didn’t need to ask any more. Fuel was established. So what was I supposed to do next?

I met with Steve, our vicar, and told him. I cried because I didn’t want to finish. And then I began waiting for God to make clear how I was to move on.

I didn’t have to wait long for Him to give me some pointers as to what was next…

~ More next time ~

Each post I’ll be asking anyone who’s willing to, to pray for some things. Right now I’d appreciate prayer for the church as they appoint a new Youth Pastor, that God would guide the decision that is made, and for the final practical preparations for my trip to Bangladesh to be smooth and favoured by God.

What this is all about

Thanks for coming and checking out my blog! In the next post I’ll be saying a bit more about what I’m going to be doing next, and how I came to be where I am now. But for now, I want to introduce what this blog is about. A number of people have asked how they can be supporting me in the ministry journeys ahead of me, and so this will be a place where I want to share stories to inspire and encourage, and make requests for those of you who pray to pray for me and what I’m involved in.

There’s no real ministry without real prayer, so above all, please pray! It’s what really makes things of value happen. Jesus said He only did what He saw the Father doing. And so I’ve titled this blog ‘Adventures with God’ because whatever is ahead, I want to join in with what Father God is doing. By praying for me you will help to shape the atmosphere of my life, and for that I’m hugely grateful for you. Check back soon or subscribe, and over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing more about what I’m doing next and why. Thanks for reading!