Encouraged

Since we posted our blog with information about our desire to step out in faith and serve in the UK, we have received so many encouraging responses.  We are so thankful for all your encouragement and promises of prayer and support.

In our last post, we shared some of the spiritual condition and need in the UK and also a link on the side bar to a good article.  Bob and Jeanne have arrived in Exeter and have started pastoring the church there.  They gave us a short history of the church:

“The church was started back in the fall of 2008 as a home Bible study. They began to meet on Sundays in Feb of 2009. The founding pastor stayed two and a half more years then had to return to the states.

Pastor Phil Pechonis, the main coordinator of the CreationFest UK outreaches and roadshow events in the SW part of England, http://www.creationfest.org.uk ,stepped in over the next year and a half traveling almost two hours each way twice a week to take care of the church congregation. But there really has been no local pastor to minister to the congregation of about 50.

England, as a rule, is post-Christian and the soil of the hearts is very hard. Of those who attend a church (about 20%), the vast majority are women and in the retirement age bracket. There is not much spiritual national movement among the youth...yet. We believe there is going to be a breakthrough in the coming years and it will come through the young adults. They just need a solid diet of sound Biblical, relevant instruction and inspiration from the Holy Spirit.”

 

 

 

From our conversations with them, we have learned that there are a number of the university students coming to the church who have a real hunger for the Lord and the Word.  There is a women’s Bible study that is mostly made up of college students.

Since it is a university town, there is a wonderful opportunity to affect many more than just those in that town.  The students hear the gospel, are discipled, taught the Word and then go out from there when they graduate.  So the seeds are planted and nurtured and then multiplied over and over again…all over the world. 

It is truly exciting to think of the ways we might be used by the Lord in this setting.  We are looking forward to seeing what He will do and grateful to still be able to have in impact on the younger generation.  They are the future.

 

Thanks to all who have promised to be a part of our support team.  You are a vital part of what the Lord will do and we pray His abundant blessings on you.

"Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all."

(2 Corinthians 9:10-13)
Prayer requests:

~ Raising necessary financial support
~ Good price on plane tickets
~ Decisions on what to do with furniture and household stuff
~ Continued work for Steve while we are waiting