Back Home: The Final Post

I hope you can forgive me, dear readers, for how long it has taken to let you all know that I am back in the States safe and sound. When I arrived back in the US on July 12, my family met me at the airport then immediately spirited me away to our family vacation in upstate New York. I had hoped to offer my final post then, but there was very little internet connection to be had, so I was forced to wait this long.

So, with apologies, here is my final post on Tennant Across the Pond.

My eight weeks in Formby flew by faster than I ever expected that they would--they were the fastest but densest weeks I have ever experienced in my life. When I look back at all the ministry events we were responsible for, how many sermons I preached, how many Bible studies I led, I am honestly amazed that I was able to do it. The Spirit of God was so heavily involved in every moment of my internship, and I am so thankful that He counted me worthy and put me into that ministry for those eight weeks.

I could have stayed much longer than I did. As I told Formby Baptist the last evening we were together, I fell head over heels for those people, and I really didn't want to leave. As I walked out the door for the last time until Lord-knows-when, I did weep. God is at work in Formby Baptist Church, and I have very little to do with it. The young people are rising up as a righteous generation, there are men and women of prayer in that church whose requests are answered mightily, and there are faithful Gospel laborers there who want to see more people reached for Christ.

Over this summer, I learned the value of connecting my heart with those whom I serve. I wept for these people, rejoiced for these people, became angry for these people, and was filled with wonder for these people. I connected my heart with theirs, I think, and that bond will not be easily loosened. I already miss so many of them.

God richly used these eight weeks to show me, beyond any shadow of a doubt, exactly what it is that I am called to do, and I cannot believe that He would call me to be a part of such wonderful tasks. In His mercy, it has fallen to me to be an under-shepherd of God's flock, a pastor to the people of God. What manner of love is this that I, even I, would be called to this? The Gospel is truly folly.

At the beginning of my summer, I said I wanted to look back and shrug. I wanted to shrug because God had done things that I had no part in, or used me to do things that I had no idea He was doing in the first place. I look back at this summer and shrug, realizing that it really was God who worked in those people, and I got to be a participant in His acts of grace among them. God moved, friends, and I am eternally grateful.

If you supported me with your prayers, thank you so much. It was your prayers, I think, that really empowered me and strengthened me, and it was your prayers, when answered, that caused God to move so profoundly among His people. Prayer works, period. So keep doing it! Further, if you supported me financially, I am overwhelmingly grateful; going to Formby would quite literally have not been possible without you.

If I called you or emailed you (or both) and you listened to me and gave me wise counsel, I thank you, too, because your words helped me when I was discouraged and gave me insight on how to proceed when the path before me was not clear. Chiefest among these are: My parents: Cindy, Gary, Wayne and Becky; my friends: Joshua, Travis, Amy, Luke, Mike and Tony; my mentors: Stuart, Rick, Neal, Mark, and Professor Boyle.

My chiefest counselor, of course, was Christ Himself, who always came to me with His gentle and powerful presence to will and to work to His good pleasure. He was truly my Shepherd as I shepherded his people, and Christ's love for me has never been clearer as it has been these last 8 weeks. So again, I say, that I am grateful that He counted me worthy and put me into that ministry, and that He used His love to compel me to service.

The question I am asked is this: will you go back? And the answer is vague, and I think disappointing to some. Am I called to England for full-time service? Well, our Father has not been explicit about it, but I have told Him I am very willing. Will I go back to Formby soon? Well, yes and no: I will not return to Formby in March for a variety of reasons, but I have a family there, so of course I will visit them before too long.

Has my heart been planted in English soil? I don't think so, but it was planted amongst a very specific portion of God's people, and I am sure that God will use that connection far more abundantly than I could ask or think. But I do not know what the future holds, so I will repeat my final blessing to them here. I sang it then; it was an old song I sang in my choir days, but you'll just have to read it.

My friends, we now must leave thee;

We go our way, though grieved be.

A strange land soon we'll greet.

We pray that come the morrow,

Our joy may grow from sorrow.

'Till we again, again shall meet.

So who knows where I will next be a tenant? Only God Himself. Until then, I look forward to greeting another strange land.

The End. (For Now.)

Our Partnership in the Gospel

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

Philippians 1:3-5

On May 16, I met Josiah and Lauren in the plaza--a common meeting area on the campus of MBI--where we struck out for Chicago O'Hare International Airport and, ultimately, for Formby. That was nearly eight weeks ago. Then, we were not the closest of friends; we got along quite well, and I knew we would have fun together, but little did I know how important my friendship with each of them would become over the course of my summer.

We have spent very nearly every day together for almost two months, working side-by-side to serve Formby Baptist Church. We've laughed together, prayed together, eaten together, traveled together, and served together for the glory of Jesus, and now our partnership is drawing to a close.

In light of this, I want to take a moment to say how humbled and honored I have been to work side-by-side with my friends and partners--they are both incredibly talented and gifted people and most importantly, they are both passionate about Jesus and the Gospel. Working with Lauren and Josiah has shown me how God makes his manifold grace so obvious as we each use the gifts God has given to minister differently, but with the same goal.

Lauren is a gifted counselor, a fiercely faithful friend, and has an incredible ability to discern what others are feeling and thinking and always knows the right thing to say in any situation. Josiah has incredible confidence, is an unbelievably talented preacher, is not easily swayed by circumstances and has very thick skin. Their qualities and gifting have balanced out my weaknesses and amplified my strengths, and helped me do what I needed to do well.

I can say with complete confidence that, had I not been working with these two, I don't think I would be able to see this summer as a time of effective ministry and treasured spiritual growth. I am incredibly thankful and even proud to have served alongside them, and will always have fond memories of our summer spent together on this side of the pond.

A Promise I'll Do My Best to Keep

Being in England for eight weeks has been a blast and introduced me to a number of really great cultural and social quirks that we just don't have in the States.

Like what, you say?

Well, butter is used on nearly every sandwich, and many sandwiches are called 'butty's.' Most people eat by mixing their food all together: every bite becomes a flavor combo of everything on the plate. You can walk into any grocery store and pick up ready-made meals that you can eat on the go. England does not use High Fructose Corn Syrup in any of its products.

So, the most obvious thing for me to do was to tell all of you this until you can't take it anymore. It was, in fact, my plan until I ran across this piece of art from an artist called Alex Noriega. Though some of his posts can be, well, off-color, they are always funny. His blog, Stuff No One Told Me, is where I got this piece of art. I promise I will heed the advice given to me.

Or will do, as best I can.

Twelve Days

Twelve days. Only twelve more days left in Formby before Lauren, Josiah and I fight our way through airports, fly across the Atlantic, and then part ways as we each travel to our final destination.

On Sunday evening, the three of us, along with my host sister Hannah, took a drive down to London and spent all day Monday and Tuesday in one of the most historic cities in the world. And, I am proud to say, we saw nearly everything there was to see. Not, perhaps, in the greatest detail (to enter the various historical sights, such as Westminster Abbey, cost about fifteen pounds; this is far out of the realm of a poor college student's budget) but we saw what we went there to see.

I woke up this morning, my legs sore from two days of endless walking, realizing that my time here is coming to a close. I have only two more sermons to preach; I will not be teaching any further weekly Bible studies because Josiah will be taking the last two. In other words, our official duties--those that we are highly visible for--will be drawing to a close. Our less visible responsibilities, however, will remain the same and even increase.

We will be each having a lot of one-on-one chats with people here over the next twelve days; in addition, we've been invited over a number of peoples' homes for dinner. There will be many, many informal times of counseling, pastoring, and caring for the people here.

This is, I think, because our time here has gone incredibly fast. I honestly cannot believe that the calendar is about to roll over into July, and that my last year of studies looms greater and greater on the horizon with each passing day. And the temptation is to fall away from being fully present, as a dear, dear friend of mine recently pointed out to me.

Indeed, the temptation is to allow my mind to drift to what is coming next, instead of staying put here, in the present. This is a particularly important battle, because the people I have been called to serve are not in the future--they are here in the present. And, because the grass is always greener on the other side, though I long for foods laced with high-fructose corn syrup and my parents' cooking, when I arrive back in the US, I will surely miss Coke that tastes of actual sugar and the crepes that have graced each week.

Indeed, though there is a part of me that longs to be with my family, I know that when I am with my family, there will be a part of me that longs to be with my family here. We always seem caught between these two--a longing to be somewhere else. Perhaps it is because, in our deepest hearts, we know that we are exiles and strangers in a foreign land, and so we always want to dust off this mortal coil and go to where we truly belong.

Or maybe it is that, when we love someone--that is, when we selflessly and sacrificially give ourselves away with no expectation of return--those people and places to whom we've given ourselves always call us back with the softest of whispers and the deepest of longings. Perhaps it's because when we give ourselves away, part of us remains with the person to whom we gave ourselves away.

Twelve days. Twelve days to give a little more of Kyle to people here, and then I am back with those who were given parts of me so long ago. But before that saddened departure and that glorious reunion, there is work to do while I remain a tenant across the pond.

Layers to Our Suffering

Here is a segment from a sermon I recently preached on Luke 19:41-44. In this passage, Jesus weeps over the city of Jerusalem as He predicts the city's destruction in 70 AD because they didn't recognize God's coming to them:

Even though Jesus knew the future of the city, it did not protect Him from present suffering, or for that matter neutralize it. This is because knowledge of the future is not meant to curtail or rid us of present suffering.

This is hard for us to think about, because the first thing we tend to offer a suffering person when they come to us is knowledge of the future. "It's going to be OK," we say, "because Romans 8:28 says that God works out all things for the good of those who love Him." Then, when that person walks away still suffering, we doubt the authenticity of their faith. But knowledge of the future is not supposed to neutralize or shield us from suffering.

So what is knowledge of the future for? What do we do with great passages like Romans 8:28, or Romans 5:3-5 or James 1:2-3? Well, what we don't do is offer them to people like they are an ibuprofen or antacid. They do not eliminate the headaches and stomachaches brought on by our suffering--this is not their intention.

Instead, these passages, and our knowledge of the future in general, add layers of meaning to our suffering. Think of them not as ibuprofen but as a bandage. They are placed on top of the wound, which aids the slow process of recovery, protecting our wounds from further harm.

In the same way, these passages and our knowledge of the future aid the slow process of recovering from a traumatic event by adding meaning to a slow process of recovery, and they protect us from further doubt and further pain brought on by thinking suffering is meaningless--because these verses declare to us loudly that our suffering has a purpose.

Thus, when we shepherd the suffering, it would be a grave mistake to give them the advice of "take two verses and call me in the morning." We cannot offer those who are suffering a verse and then walk away. Instead we offer them these verses as instruments to add layers to their suffering. We are patient with them and we journey with them through it.

So, when you shepherd someone who is suffering, don't offer them a verse, or even worse a Christian truism, expecting it to cure them of their pain. Offer a the Word to them as something which gives them life and helps them persevere as meaning is added to their suffering. Because Christ could weep while knowing the future, so can we.

I owe the core of these insights--especially the exegesis of Luke 19:41-44--to Dr. Gerald Peterman, who co-taught a course I recently took on suffering. His lecture on this passage opened the door for this sermon, and so I owe him a debt of gratitude for his excellent scholarship and pastoral heart.

A Weekend in Sheffield

This is a long-overdue post--so I am sorry to my readers who have been holding their breath for me to write another post about what has been happening in Formby. It has taken me a good solid week to process my weekend in Sheffield and really think through the ramifications of what I learned on my 72-hour foray into Gospel Community.

But hang on a second; I'm getting ahead of myself. The first questions to answer are: why Sheffield? Why The Crowded House? Well, that's the easy part. Back in October I was handed a copy of Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. It was required reading to be on the launch team for church plant called The Painted Door, now my home church in the Central Time Zone. After reading the book, I was incredibly compelled by what I read and wanted to know more. The model of ministry presented in that book was one I committed to without ever seeing it in action, though we were in the beginning stages of making it happen at The Painted Door. So, in April, I shot an email out to Steve Timmis asking if I could visit the church where Gospel Communities started, The Crowded House.

I must say that I was surprised by how quickly the weekend fell into place--I received a nearly immediate invitation to join them for a weekend, June 11-13. I hopped on a train that Friday with some clothes in my back pack and plans to meet a man named Michael at the train station. Michael, an elder at TCH, crafted for me a busy schedule that would have me visiting the majority of the seven Gospel Communities all over Sheffield throughout the weekend.

For definition's sake, what is a Gospel Community? It is a small group on steroids. People in GC's don't just meet once a week, they meet all week. They do life together all the time. They are, in essence, true families of people from all sorts of different backgrounds and all ages. They eat together, study the Bible together, pray together, confront one another, disciple one another, and do evangelism together. And that, my friends, is about as poor a definition as anyone could ask for.

So, my weekend consisted of participating in various GC's weekend activities, asking loads of questions, and receiving a whole lot of love and kindness to boot. I have never met a more welcoming, loving, gracious group of people in my life; by the end of the weekend I felt like I could stay for the rest of my life. I made about three dozen new friends and had some much-needed refueling time in the presence of energizing people.

What I saw, at the end of the weekend, is that the Gospel can be radically and authentically lived out in genuine, jaw-dropping community and we don't need to grow dreads, quit our jobs and grow an all-organic garden and protest dairy farming on the weekends. Instead, we can live our lives normally, mundanely, and simply join one another in it. What I saw is a vision for the Gospel going outward that every person in TCH was passionate about and wanted to see move forward. I saw discipleship happening as naturally as breathing, and soul care coming from a twenty-five year old guy to an eighty year old woman. What I saw was biblical, exciting, visionary.

There are very few times in my life when words fail me--but this is one of them. I'm not sure how you describe watching what you've always hoped the church could be happening right in front of you. I'm not sure how you describe your dreams for the church becoming real life in a real place among real people.

Truly, there is only one word for it that I know: beautiful.

Ode to My Mentors

In terms of ideas and ministry practices that I am head over heels in love with, it's hard to beat mentoring. I absolutely love being mentored and mentoring others--nothing "fills my tank" and keeps my heart in the game like mentoring.

It can certainly be frustrating, yes. No one likes being asked hard questions. "How is your heart this semester?" "What is the question you wanted me to ask you but I didn't?" "What are you reading and gleaning from the Word?" "Who do you pray for?" "What are you afraid of?"

I'm pretty good at talking, so I generally always have something to say. As a friend recently pointed out to me, "When does Kyle Hamilton Tennant ever speak concisely?" I've been known to say, "That which has to be said quickly isn't worth saying at all." (As a preacher, this terrifies those coerced into listening to me.)

Because I'm a good talker, I know when I have been asked a good question: when I cannot answer quickly. I know that I have been challenged when I have to stop and think about my answer. Those people who ask me those questions, especially those men who ask me those questions, are those with whom I seek to cultivate meaningful relationships.

During my time here at Formby, my mentor and shepherd is a pastor from a town not too far away. His name is Stuart Harding. I wrote about our first meeting in March, and will surely have much more to write about in the future. We've met once a week since I arrived in Formby, where he has asked me hard questions that made me think.

(The question that stumped me this week and has kept me thinking is, "How do you measure work?")

Stuart joins the ranks of great men who have shared their lives with me and helped Jesus form me into the man I am today. They have taught me ministry skills, but more importantly they have taught me how to be godly and live a life of holiness. Without men like Stuart in my life, I would rarely--if ever--stop to think about what God is doing in my life and in my ministry. Without men like Stuart, I would not know those areas in which I fall short of the glory of God and in which I am in desperate need of growth in Christ.

So, today, I write an ode to my mentors. All those to whom I minister will owe these men a great debt. Their loving hand in my life and their godly example have taught me to do what I do well. That is, because of their obedient service to Christ, I have learned to do likewise.

So, I'd like to thank: Josh Garber, Paul Armitage, Alan Kropp, Harry Britt, Rick Oaks, Mike Boyle, Neal Anderson, and Stuart Harding. You have loved me with the very love of Christ, and for this I am eternally grateful.

Son Rock Kids' Camp: The UK Tour

This week was Holiday Club, the English equivalent of Vacation Bible School. Our theme this year was Son Rock Kids' Camp, which was the same theme we used for VBS last summer at First Church.

It's a weird feeling to do the same VBS twice in a row at two different venues. Doing it here certainly makes me miss my family at First United Methodist Church in Warren, Ohio. The blessing is that I love this curriculum and what it teaches kids, so I can watch God use it twice!

Throughout the , I discovered that VBS songs are much cuter when sung with an English accent--"Son Rock Kids' Camp" has a way cooler ring to it. Definitely, the more shallow thing we learned this week, but still something we learned.

Throughout the week, we connected with about 15 kids, but only had about 9 each day. This was nice, because we had about 9 helpers, so a 1:1 ratio was really helpful when managing behavior and crafts and snacks. These kids really latched on to our Bible stories and truly enjoyed themselves during the week, which made doing everything worth it.

The most important lesson this week, though, was just how exhausting ministry is. I have never been so worn out in my entire life by doing any kind of ministry. This was the case because not only did we have to do 2 hours of Holiday Club each day (plus at least an hour and a half prep each day), we also had to write sermons and Bible studies and do other ministry throughout the week.

So it was challenging--I'm thankful to the Spirit for giving me physical strength to make it through the week without a nervous breakdown or mono. This week, I found myself praying Psalm 81:10, "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it," in combination with 81:16, "But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

God is into giving His kids good things, feeding us wheat and honey and satisfying us so we can do that which He has called us to do. Thursday night I hit the pillow with a simple prayer, "Please, please let me sleep really well tonight, Papa." I woke up Friday with more energy than I'd had all week.

I'm thankful that He gives us the little things (like cheeseburgers for dinner on Thursday) and the big things (a chance to teach kids about Jesus).

And now the UK tour of Son Rock Kids Camp has ended, except for the few songs we're going to sing tomorrow morning in front of the whole church during the Children's Sermon. I get the idea that they enjoy watching us make fools out of ourselves more than they enjoy the children having a part in the sermon.

But I'm OK with that.

I'm keeping my eyes on Jesus

When I start to fall,

He helps me to stand.

I'm keeping my eyes on Jesus,

And He's keeping me in His Hands.

--Holiday Club Favorite

Hoping to Shrug

Though it seems like I've been here for ages already, it has only been nine days. Time flies when you are having fun, and it's been a blast being here and serving with Josiah and Lauren. We laugh a lot--my English friends would say "we get on like a house on fire." Or something like that.

Since my last post, I've been waist-deep in ministry preparing for Holiday Club (English VBS) as well as various talks and messages. Just last night, I taught the weekly Bible Study on the suffering of God. Tonight we taught little ones about the temptation of Jesus and how memorizing Scripture can help us learn to do right and please God. This weekend, I will be giving a message at a nearby church--Kew Church, in Southport--as a guest speaker in their evening service.

It's been a full week. A week in which I realize my deep need for Christ to control my life and be my center, a week I realize that it is how absolutely necessary it is for me to abide in Him. This is because I have, of myself, nothing to offer these people whom I dearly love.

I do not have Words of Life--I have only halted speech.

I do not dispense the Water of Life--the water I keep is that which does not truly quench thirst.

Indeed, I do not have much to say. And when I do speak, I most often mis-speak, saying something I wish I had not, something false, something wrong.

It is by the sheer, overwhelming grace of God that what I have to say is of any benefit to others. It is the scandalous folly of the Gospel which unleashes the Holy Spirit's power through such a vessel as I. It is because of God's bounty and riches that I have even been permitted to open my mouth to His people.

And I am humbled. I have developed already a clear sense of the fact that I am not needed, but God chooses to use me so that His power can be wondrously demonstrated, first and foremost to me. It is God's gift to me--prone to pride and a high estimation of my abilities--that the parts of my ministry that have had the greatest effect on people were parts that I did not intend or seek to do. It is God's gift to me that I can look back on my ministry and shrug, not seeing how what I did had any affect on people, but seeing that God has used me in some way to advance the Gospel.

My hope for this summer is that I will walk away and shrug, unable to say that what I did affected people. I want to shrug and say, I don't know why that person was so greatly encouraged--it must have been Christ. This is why I must abide with constancy and steadfastness, fighting to remain in His presence.

And the funny thing is, He gives me the strength to stay with Him in the first place. After all, it is He who holds my right hand, not the other way around.

"If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us."

--2 Corinthians 4:7 (MSG)

Studying Suffering for the Glory of God

Today is Saturday, which means the first week of the internship is down with seven more to go. Time has moved so quickly, but each day has been packed full of activity and ministry. It's been a blast.

This summer, the lion's share of ministry will be devoted to the study of suffering. It is a topic I am supremely passionate about--over the past six months I have come to a very clear recognition that my ministry is to be devoted to suffering people and seeking ways to specifically address the issues they are facing.

Suffering is a worthy topic of study, because wimpy theology makes wimpy Christians. So, Christians who have a weak theology of suffering, a poor understanding of how God works in and uses suffering to His glory, will make for a wimpy Christian.

Thus, when suffering befalls the Christian, their faith crumbles because they do not understand God's purposes for their suffering. Thus, when they speak to other suffering Christians, they causes those believers emotional harm because they only offer trite platitudes and disregard their emotional pain. Thus, when they speak to the lost, they cannot articulate the Gospel's interpretation and understanding of evil.

Thus, my goal in teaching and studying suffering with Formby Baptist Church is to offer them lenses with which they can perceive and process their own suffering, so they in turn can shepherd the suffering well.

This Sunday, I will be preaching through the life of Joseph and what his sufferings and his perceptions of God teach us about how we can suffer. We will find that the story of Joseph offers emotional freedom and emotional protection to those who are suffering. We will also develop a basic understanding of God's interaction with evil. I'll post more on this later. Future sermons and talks will discuss the sufferings of Christ and Paul and evil's effect on the world.

God is for the suffering--He is with the suffering--and He comforts the suffering. Someone told me recently that, even though they may not know it, the children of God love the deep things of God. Suffering is profound and deep and great; but God is by far more profound, He is deeper and infinitely greater.

This summer, my prayer is that God would be glorified as we move from being overwhelmed by suffering and pain and evil, to being even more overwhelmed by God's greatness and glory.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

---2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Finally A Post

I've finally had a moment to blog since arriving here in Formby. We arrived a day later than expected, which is explained below. Last night was the first of many ministry opportunities, where I taught my first Bible study. Today, we had a meeting in the morning, I wrote my sermon for Sunday, and tonight is King's Kids. It's going to be a blast.

Here is a little post I wrote while sitting in the airport on Monday. It's a blast from the past, but since I wrote it, I'd still like to post it. Enjoy:

Current time: 11:24 a.m. Departure time: 7:30 p.m.

Right now, I’m sitting in the airport at Atlanta, underneath a dinosaur skeleton in a large glass-roofed sitting area. It looks a lot like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, except it’s way too small and has three fingers instead of two. All around me are comfortable couches and lounge chairs, so I’m sitting on a stone bench in the middle of them, waiting for some sorry sap to stand up and leave his chair to go to the bathroom or something so I can steal it from him.

I figure if I’m going to be here for eight hours, I should do so comfortably, right?

Yes, I am supposed to be in Formby right now. After a series of travel complications (Lauren was separated from her passport, which of course caused us a minor panic, not to mention the ominous ash cloud which was hovering over Manchester airport at the time), we decided to volunteer to take tonight’s flight and arrive on Tuesday instead of Monday. In exchange, we received $600 of travel voucher.

So, maybe it’s not all that bad. I mean $600 in free flights and a hotel room and free food in exchange for leaving a day late is not at all a bad deal. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to let the family picking us up at the airport know we wouldn’t be on our scheduled flight, so they waited for us at the airport for Lord-knows-how-long.

Hang on, somebody just left a couch and a chair with a nice big table in the middle. Have to walk across the way to grab it. Perfect for Bananagrams. Score.

Anyway, last night, Josiah, Lauren and I took a shuttle bus to the Days Inn on Phoenix Boulevard to stay the night. We watched a movie, ate vending machine popcorn and drank cans of soda. The hotel was nice—our rooms had the obligatory multi-colored comforters and we were given toiletries courtesy Delta airlines. We slept in and returned to the airport about eight hours early because the shuttle doesn’t run all day—we took the last one we could.

Because our flight doesn’t leave until 7:30 p.m. tonight, we have to wait until at least 1 p.m. local time to check in. With fountain Coke in one hand (one of my last sodas with high fructose corn syrup until July; the UK doesn’t use it in the products) and trashy action novel purchased in a nearby bookstore in the other (if I didn’t have something to read I would be miserable), I sit on my red, fake-leather throne, awaiting my coach to fly me across the heavenlies.

Lauren is trying to nap on the couch. Josiah is listening to music. I am writing. Waiting, waiting until we land on that distant shore and can have ourselves a good cup of tea and a good meal and a nice bed and clean clothes.

Until then, we wait. Don’t worry Formby; we’ll be there soon.

__________________________________________

In my next post, I'll explain what I'll be teaching through this summer and why I'm teaching it. So stay posted. Until then, I need to go hang out with some friends who are under the age of 10.

Meet the Team

After yet another long hiatus from blogging, I'm back, and this is the first of a long stream of posts that are sure to come over the next eight weeks.

I leave this Sunday (!) from Chicago O'Hare international airport. I can hardly believe it's here. It's hard to believe that it's been eight weeks since I was last in Formby, but it has sure been a sprint to get here. I just finished a paper and took a final exam this afternoon; today has been full of good-bye's and then it's off to the UK.

This summer, I will have the great honor of working with two good friends, Josiah and Lauren. Josiah is a graduating senior, studying Biblical Exposition in the Pastoral Studies department. He and I will be splitting preaching and teaching, along with co-leading every other activity with Lauren. Lauren is a senior Women's Ministry major. She will be leading a number of women's Bible studies, as well as doing pretty much everything else with Josiah and I.

I couldn't have asked for a better team to work with--I love these two and I am humbled to serve alongside such talented and gifted people. We laugh a lot together, and our gifts really complement one another's, so I am greatly looking forward to how God is going to use us in tandem to serve Formby.

Here are a few prayer requests:

---Safe travels. They are predicting that another ash cloud from the volcano in Iceland may cover Britain this weekend; if that's the case, we may be delayed from leaving on Monday.

---The first week of ministry. We're each moving from a hectic week of final exams and papers and moving out of our dorms--Josiah walks on Saturday, too. We're going to be tired from a long semester, but we'll need to dive right in. Pray that we have some time to close this chapter and begin the new one well before the ministry really takes off.

If all goes well, the next time I write, I will be across the pond. Thanks for your prayers and your support!

Living In-Between

Today is the day. Today is the day I break this 23-day silence and bring all of you a status update as to where we are in preparation for our return for Formby.

Since I last wrote, we booked our tickets--this was probably the most exciting event in relation to this trip, since it means that we are really, really going. We'll be departing on May 16 and arriving back in the States on July 12.

Also, just this past week, I made contact with The Crowded House, a church planting network in Sheffield, about 2 or 3 hours away from Formby. As part of my internship, I'm going to go out there for a weekend to see how they do church. The pastors of the church wrote a book, Total Church, which presents a radical way to live in community around the Gospel. It is in the top three books I've read on church ministry for sure. During my time there, I'll shadow them in community, visit the Sunday service, and stay with a community member in their home for the weekend. I am really quite excited about this.

Beyond that, I must admit, there has not been too much preparation. Each member of our summer team is engaged in the end of the semester spring, turning in papers and projects, preaching final sermons, and trying to breathe on top of it all. While we are all very excited to see everyone and start ministry again, we are still trying to finish our studies well.

One need that you can pray for: the budget for living expenses has gotten a little tight. The plane tickets ended up ringing in over $900--this took money from the overall expenses I was hoping to get for living this summer. So, while I am not completely broke, I will need a bit more in the bank for when we arrive for eight weeks. Please pray that God would send the support my way. If you feel lead to give to this, please contact me, or send the funds to the address on the right. I really appreciate your support.

So for now, I live in-between. On one side I have my studies, on the other, a summer in England. I am filled with holy curiosity over what God will do this summer. Until then, I should probably get back to this book review...

Preaching the Word

This expresses well a difficulty I will face during my two weeks in England. I'll be preaching a total of six times, as well as teaching a number of Bible studies and other lessons, and this, surely, is something that must be ever before me.

"I believe the great task of any Christian–from early believer to seasoned theologian or pastor–is to take the unique language of Scripture and theology and make it accessible to those who have not been exposed to any of it without losing the essence of what God is communicating in His Word."

--Andrew Lisi, The Gospel Coalition Blog

"Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us."

--2 Timothy 3:16 (MSG)

So What Now?

So I'm back, safe and sound, in Chicago. To welcome me home is a pile of homework, and as I write this I am in a coffee shop trying to make some headway into a book and some writing. The lengthy to-do list lets me know that I am back, but not for long.

Exactly 8 weeks from today, Josiah, Lauren and I will arrive in the Manchester airport ready to start our internships and serve Formby Baptist Church in a greater capacity at a greater length. It's going to be an incredible summer, and I am looking forward to it with great anticipation.

But the question becomes: so, what now?

These next eight weeks are going to be spent in a lot of prayerful preparation for service this summer. I have to plan sermons and Bible studies, organize Holiday Club information, plan youth ministry programming and direction, and so much more. In short, these next eight weeks will not find me idle in preparing for this trip.

I said earlier that the next eight weeks will be spent in prayerful preparation. Over these last two weeks I realized how my prayer life can and does affect ministry in a profound way, and so I want to spend a lot of time in focused prayer for direction and instruction.

I don't want to cross the pond again and see it go awry because I was not attuned to the Spirit's leading, and so prayer is the key objective for the next eight weeks. So, what now? Prayer, and lots of it.

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored...

---2 Thessalonians 3:1

So Long, For Now

Well, our time here is done.

It's been two incredible weeks of ministry. We've seen God move, and I think it's safe to say that Jesus was glorified by what we did over these two weeks.

Over the course of sermons, teaching times, Bible studies, events, and simple conversations, we lived out the Gospel. We encouraged one another, spurred one another on toward good works, and served one another zealously.

There have been times in my life when doing ministry hurt--and not in a good way. But there have also been times when doing ministry was sheer joy and downright fun. And I think these two weeks were filled with both joy and fun.

Plans have been set into motion for this summer's internship, and there is plenty to accomplish between now and May 17, but before I know it, I will be back. That is the only thing making it easy to leave right now, the knowledge I will be back in only 2 months.

Leaving this summer will be hard--and it isn't all that easy now, but I will be back, Lord willing. After seeing God work here in these two brief weeks, I am eagerly anticipating what the 8 weeks this summer hold.

So I do not say "Goodbye," but "See you later." Because it won't be long, Formby, until I'm back.

Family. Yes, Even Here.

I've always thought that if the family of God is really the family of God, I should be able to go anywhere, and have family.

Today, I discovered this was, indeed, true.

This summer, I will be completing a required internship for my degree; one of the many requirements for this internship is that I have a mentor to discuss various ministry topics and happenings with.

Through a friend, I was introduced to Stuart, a pastor from Southport, a town only about 20 minutes away from Formby. Stuart was my friend's pastor, with whom she's quite close, so she matched us up and after a series of emails, we planned to meet today.

So there I was, standing in the Southport train station under the M&S sign, where Stuart said he'd meet me. An hour later, I've just shared life with someone who was previously only a few characters on my computer screen.

Stuart and I grabbed a cup of coffee at a shop near the train station; we talked about my experience at Moody, my family, my time here in Formby, about his life and his ministry and his family. He took me for a quick tour of the church he pastors, as well as introduced me to his co-pastor Adam; a huge blessing is that they offered me their libraries over the summer, which saves me a lot of work (and luggage space) from carting books over this summer.

Our time together was quite brief-we were together for just about an hour. It was, however, one of the most encouraging hours I've ever experienced, and I looking forward with great anticipation to this summer.

So, today, I met a brother from across the pond. We talk often of six-degrees of separation; but I am beginning to think that in the Kingdom, there is truly only One, Christ Himself. Without Christ, Stuart and I would never have had an opportunity to meet--which would be truly sad.

So I am thankful for today, for the simple blessing of meeting another one of God's people in another one of God's places. I am thankful for the blessing that even here, across the pond, I have family.

"Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers..."

---Hebrews 13:1-2a

Using His Strength to Do His Work

Thanks for your continued prayers and support. As some of you know, I was slightly under the weather this weekend--I ended up skipping the men's breakfast to sleep in so I could be up to snuff for the Gala on Saturday night and preaching Sunday morning.

God was good, and Sunday morning I woke up feeling great. That was an additional blessing to the success we saw during the Gala on Sunday night. It was the largest crowd to ever come out for the Gala, and the Gospel was presented clearly and God was glorified by what we accomplished with His power.

This Sunday's sermon was probably my most favorite message I've given--I was so excited to preach it on Sunday morning, and a handful of people came to me and told me that the Spirit really used it. It was probably the most evangelistic sermon I've ever preached: I verbally and explicit called for those present to repent and turn to the Lord if they had not already.

Sunday led into a busy couple of days. Here's a brief recap:

Monday: We put on a Gospel-centered assembly at a Church of England primary school two towns away from Formby. After singing and doing skits and giving a talk (all to share the Gospel), 5th year students gave us a tour of the school. Ethan and Andrew (my tour guides) spent a lot of their time explaining the playground outside than they did the school building--so we know what's important to them! Then we came back, and the three returning interns had a meeting with Janice, a deacon's wife and ministry powerhouse, to plan the internship. Then it was off to the Senior's Tea and Chat, where the team led a devotional on mentoring, and then we ended the day at John and Nancy's house for dinner.

Tuesday: Free day in the Lake District, which I am convinced is God's country. It's the most beautiful place I've ever been. We spent the day there, did some hiking, and ended the day with some Fish and Chips.

Wednesday: Breakfast with the men of team and some of the youth, then a team meeting to set up for King's Kids tomorrow. Tonight I will be leading the all-church Bible study.

As you can imagine, it has been a busy few days, but we have seen God move through significant conversations. With the Gala over with, and with no sermon to prepare, I've had a lot more time for good conversations and times of encouraging folks. It's been a blast--there is nothing better than seeing God work in a person's life.

Thanks for your prayers. For the next couple days, please pray for endurance, because I want to finish strong. Prayers for strength would be helpful, too, because on Tuesday morning, it's back to the classroom grind.

Time flies when you're having fun!

Progress

It seems hard to believe that Week 1 is almost complete. We certainly hit the ground running this weekend, and after our short break on Monday, we have continued to work hard in preparation for the Gala this Saturday (more on that below) and I have been hard at work on preparing my sermon for this Sunday morning.

Here's the last few days (and the next few) in review:

Tuesday: Up early at Cafe Nero, working on my sermon. After lunch, we had a team meeting practicing skits for the Gala and a puppet skit for King's Kids. Tuesday night we had an informal hang out with the men of the church, during which the Americans beat the British at "Articulate!" a a British trivia game.

Wednesday: Up early at Cafe Nero once more. This time, coffee with Andy a 3rd-year college student (that's like a Senior in High School in the States) who had a day off from classes. That was a great time of catching up and getting a pulse on each other's lives again. Continued working on my sermon after Andy left. Team meeting at the church: lunch together, then more Gala practice (we got the whole thing done that day). Finished the sermon after the meeting, went home for tea (or dinner as we say in the States) and then back to church for the all-church Bible study. When we got home, Robert and Mary and I chatted a bit before heading to bed (our evening ritual, really).

Thursday: Had a bit of a lie-in, then off to King George V College's Christian Union. I taught a lesson on the community as means for evangelism from 1 John 4:12. My basic point: Christian community exists to prove God to a world which needs Him desperately. Afterwards, two team members and I chatted and planned out some visitation with older members of the church and meetings for the summer internship. Then we set up for King's Kids, during which we ate dinner, played games, sang songs, taught a lesson and did a craft. The team and some youth came back to the Smitton's for a game of Buzz (another trivia game) and then off to bed after another chat with Robert and Mary.

Friday: Up early for sermon prep and line memorization, Gala practice, youth group in the evening.

Saturday: Men's Breakfast then the Gala in the evening. The Gala is an outreach event where we rent out a hall, eat dinner, and we put on a variety show. It's a ton of work, but a lot of fun. Lots of people not connected to the church or in a relationship with Jesus will be there. Pray for our team to get our stuff down, but also that the Gospel message would go well.

Sunday: Preach in the morning, on Luke 15:1-7. The Parable of the Lost Sheep teaches us that we pursue the lost because heaven won't be satisfied until every sheep is found. We'll be reflecting on this incredible passage together this Sunday, so perhaps I will put up a little bit of my manuscript sometime soon.

All that to say, my time Across the Pond goes well, but I am ready for some sleep before hitting the ground again tomorrow. I am thankful for your prayers and your watchful eye on this little journal and thought-collector. Please pray for endurance, especially this Saturday, as we will be working hard for the Gala, and for a good night's rest on Saturday night, so I can be ready to bring the Word on Sunday.

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

---Colossians 1:28-29

A Day Out

Today, Monday, was our first of two days off during our stay. Before diving into an intense 6 days of ministry, we went to Castleton for some caving, a hike, and some great sightseeing. The photo below was taken from a ridge I climbed with another team member, which stood about a mile out from Castleton.

Thank you for your prayers yesterday. The Spirit came and did some work on my sermon, which made it a lot better than I thought it would be. The church was encouraged and it was a powerful kick-off for the next two weeks. I'll be preaching again this Sunday, and will be spending a few hours tomorrow morning writing it--prayers appreciated!

Many Meetings

And so I have arrived. Yesterday at 7 a.m. local time (about 1 a.m. central) I was re-united with Paul and Janice Lister, a lovely couple who really do a lot to help oversee and organize our time here, in the Manchester Airport.

That was the first of many happy moments of greetings, many happy meetings. From the minute I walked into my host family's door they have commenced with spoiling me, and it has been a true joy to be back together with them.

Last night (for many readers, yesterday afternoon) we had a sort of meet and greet at the church, where key families (mostly the host families and a few others) came for tea (a.k.a dinner) and for us to catch up. I discovered two very important factors:

First, potluck dinners in England are at least three times better than those I've had in the states. Curry? Yes please.

Second, that in the family of God, even when we are separated by an ocean and hundreds of miles, it is easy to pick up right where we left off.

It's currently about 5:30 a.m. local time; I woke up about 4 and haven't been able to return to sleep so I have decided to be productive and let everyone know that I am alive and well and very, very happy.

In just a few hours, I'll be preaching my first of two sermons, and I am quite looking forward to another opportunity to open the Word before God's people. Plans for tomorrow include going out for luncheon at a local restaurant to celebrate my host-mum's (Mary's) and host-sister's (Hannah's) birthdays which were just last week.

So, I am safely and happily across the pond, and ready to see what these two weeks have in store. Thanks for you prayers, which have gotten me this far, and I'd ask that you keep them coming.

Counting the Days on My Hands

I've spent a lot of the last week or so preparing sermons and talks that I will be giving over the next few weeks. In fact, most of the day today has been devoted to writing the sermon I give just one week from tomorrow, "Jesus Christ: The Pattern for Our Mission."

The sermon is on John 17:17-19, a little nugget within the High Priestly prayer Jesus offers shortly before the crucifixion. The theme for our trip is "Get Out, Speak Out: The Church Has Left the Building," and I am trying to start out our time in Formby with a Christ-centered understanding of mission.

'Mission' is a buzzword that is tossed around a lot these days, but I like it. It refers to the preaching and living of the gospel and the forward-motion the church should have in regard to preaching and teaching the gospel to the word.

So, I will be focusing a lot of my sermon on Christ's example and pattern for mission. As I study, here is what I am finding:

We become sanctified (set-apart for mission) by and with the word and truth (which is ultimately a Person, not a body of ideas). This means that we are increasingly set-apart for service as we become increasingly more like Jesus; our holiness should overflow into missional activity. A measure for Christ-likeness, then, is discerned by who you spend your time with (sinners) and what you do with that time (share the gospel through word and action). Jesus sent us out the same way he was sent out; so we do the mission he has already started and continues to do.

I am doing what Jesus did--because I am continuing what Jesus began to do and continues to do. I am part of the divine plan to reconcile all things back to God.

This has been a profound day of study (and I feel like the meager words I just wrote do not do the riches of this passage justice) but I will post more of the sermon after I preach it. It won't be a perfect manuscript, but it will be close.

I can count the days on my hands until we get on a plane and leave for Formby. Excitement nearly overwhelms me when I think about this, but there is still much to do. Please pray that I am disciplined with my time and that I am sensitive to His leading.

"Sanctify them with the truth; your word is the truth.

As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

And for their sake I am sanctifying myself,

in order that they also might be sanctified with truth."

--John 17:17-19

Expecting the Expected

Tonight, we shared a significant, heart-uniting time of prayer as a team--the Spirit of God showed up in a fresh way that was a great encouragement to all of us.

One of the new team members shared with us that God had been dealing with him a great deal regarding expecting the expected. Because we have a good grip on everything that will (read: is supposed to happen) this March, it's easy to feel pretty secure. It's easy to feel like we can do this on our own strength. It's easy to expect on the expected, and to shortchange God and His ability to do something fantastic this spring.

This resonated with me in a deep way, and I was forced to ask myself how much room I'm giving God to move in. Because we can, indeed, have our expectations so low that we forget what great things the Spirit could do when we show up bright and early on March 6.

So, tonight, I must confess and repent that my view of God is too safe, too clean, too bland. I've forced the God of the Rainbow to become the God of the Beige Drywall. I've decided to expect little, hope for less, and stay in control as much as I can.

How quickly we are to forget, to abandon, to go after half-gods, half-truths, and bold lies. How often I have reminded others that God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, and how often I forget the very words I speak to others!

I ask that you pray for not only my heart, but also the heart of every team member, that He would revive our hearts and prepare us for what is to come. We are, after all, less than 4 weeks away from adventure.

A Prayer:

My Father,

Give me eyes to see and ears to hear your spectacular plans for this trip.

Forgive me for a hard heart and a stiff neck that relegates you to impotent action and bland personality. Forgive me for seeing you like I see myself and other men, when your ways are not my ways and your thoughts above my thoughts.

I ask that you be your good, powerful, mighty self again. Bare your holy right arm and rob me of self-sufficiency; rip the scales from my eyes, and allow me to see my desperate need for your power in my service.

In the Name of Christ, the Strong and Victorious,

Amen.

That I Would Hold Them in My Heart

I recently had the great joy to read through the book of Philippians, for the first time in a long while. It may have been one of the most joyful and encouraging times of Bible study I've ever had. Philippians is a letter Paul wrote while under intense suffering, while imprisoned for proclaiming the Gospel. Despite his great adversity, Paul is just dripping with joy and love for the Philippian church.

Here are a few ways Paul describes his love for the Philippians:

"It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart..." (1:7)

"For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus..." (1:8)

"Therefore, my beloved..." (2:12)

"Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved." (4:1)

These verses are quick snapshots that show us Paul's deep love for the Philippian church, love that only a shepherd can have for his flock. This is a kind of love that comes from living for the benefit of others, living for the joy and honor of Christ.

What I would ask is that you would pray that my love and care for the church in Formby would grow to look like this kind of love. Would you pray with me that the Holy Spirit would work in my heart so that I would be filled with this kind of care and compassion for the saints there?

Some Exciting News

Just a few weeks ago, I went before friends and family to seek support for Crossing the Pond.

In letters and in a verbal presentation at First United Methodist Church, I called upon the family of God to send me to a people they have never met so that I could serve them.

And so far, that call has been answered clearly.

To date, people have given nearly $1,250 dollars for the trip--I need to raise a total of $2,000.

This number just blows me out of the water.

God is good--and He has worked through His people to show me (and by extension, Formby Baptist Church) His goodness.

So, allow this to be the first of a great many thank-you's to all of you who have so graciously given of your resources to make this trip possible. I quite literally couldn't do this without you.

Further, thank you for so willingly participating in the mission of God--to go as He went, and to send as He sent. Thank you for living the call with me.

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now."

--Philippians 1:3-5

Fools for Christ

We're closer than we've ever been,

and now we're even closer.

March 5 gets closer by the day, and I am still very excited, ready to go to return to Formby and be reunited with good friends and my family across the pond.

This week we accomplished a lot in our team meeting, brainstorming skits and numbers for the Gala. It occurs to me now that I have not explained the Gala to those unfamiliar with my trip, so maybe an explanation is due.

The Gala is the biggest event of the entire trip--it requires the most planning and preparation out of anything else we do. The Gala is a one-night even that takes place smack in the middle of the trip. We rent out a local hall and have an evangelistic outreach/talent/variety show in front of the whole church and their friends.

The Gala is one of the biggest evangelistic moments that Formby Baptist has--the skits make everyone laugh, and we make fools of ourselves for Christ (but probably in a much different way than Paul intended when he penned the phrase). At the end, one of the team members shares a testimony and presents the Gospel.

Oh, what we do for the Gospel and for those who do not believe. We over our faces with banana, memorize lines till our brains hurt, make ridiculous intro videos (this year might be a live performance of a hit from The Sound of Music) and spend hours practicing mimes and comedy sketches. This, of course, is nothing when compared to the great missionary feats of church history (after all, there is no threat of martyrdom), but is still a great effort on the team's part to put this together.

So, pray for us as we start practicing (or practising) skits and dramas and mimes. Pray that we would learn our lines, that we would work together well, that people would laugh. But please pray that the Gospel would go forth and make disciples.

"We are fools for Christ's sake..."
--1 Corinthians 4:10

Hitting the Ground Running

The new semester began on Monday with a fury; at 8 a.m. I had my first class of the semester, and from there things have kept on rolling. It's good to be back in Chicago among my friends and "family" here, and I think I have a vague notion of what needs to be accomplished over the next three months.

And then, there's England.

We hit the ground running this week: we had a meeting with veteran team members Monday afternoon, and then a meeting with the entire team on Tuesday night. We planned who will be preaching and teaching when, as well as got a good grasp of the schedule we'll have for the two weeks we will be there in March.

And still there is a lot to do--and I'm not talking about school, either. There are sermons to write, lessons to plan, outreaches to organize, people to encourage. It can seem just a little overwhelming (especially when you do add in classes).

But here is the good news. He is going to show up, and he is going to help.

"For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham."
--Hebrews 2:16

If you were present when I preached on this passage, or if you weren't, it's time you knew just how overwhelmingly compelling I find this verse. God is in the business of helping me--he gets a kick out of doing this. He doesn't show up half-hearted; he is not lackadaisical in his assistance to me.

No, he digs this sort of thing (especially when you think about the fact that the Holy Spirit is called "the Helper"). And he is more than willing to help us do what he has called us to do. This is good news.

In fact, this is great news.

It is, after all, the Gospel.

Two Months From Today

In just two months from today, I will be heading to Formby for part one of my ministry there.

And there is plenty to do.

Over the next two months, Formby 2010 team and I will be meeting weekly to plan events and other ministry activities. I will also be writing sermons and bible studies, and coming alongside the newer members of the team to encourage them and help them prepare for Formby.

Please pray for us as we start meeting regularly--we have not gotten together very often as a team, and so there is quite a lot of team building to happen yet. We need prayer for team unity, for true brotherhood and sisterhood, and for us to love one another as Christ has loved us.

Also, pray for vision, discernment, and ears that are able to hear Jesus' voice. There is a lot of planning to do, and a lot of moving parts to organize. Pray that we can do this with excellence, so that when we arrive on the ground in March, we can focus on people, not plans.

Our desire is to hear "the voice behind us" and accomplish God's will for His glory.

"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
"This is the way, walk in it,"
when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."
--Isaiah 30:21

Where is This Place Anyway?

Here's a map that shows the general location of Formby.

For those of you interested in some facts about Formby, here are a few, courtesy of Wikipedia.

Population: 24, 996
Size: 7 sq. miles (17 sq. km)

Formby is populated with red squirrels, a rare breed protected by the government, and is also home to the natterjack toad.

Formby is only 1.5 feet above sea level at its lowest point; it is in a coastal region near the Irish Sea. Tall sand dunes separate Formby from the sea.

Following Across the Pond

If you're reading this, it is probably because you received a letter in the mail or heard my presentation at First United Methodist Church in Warren at the end of December. Or, you may just be a friend or the friend of a friend.

That means that you took a few minutes and typed this address into your browser so you could stay up-to-date with what's going on. Before you read, go ahead and add it to your bookmarks, or if you are really teach-saavy, add it to your Google Reader or Email Feeds.

I'm going to be intentional and update this about once a week; but when I am on the ground in Formby, I'll try to update twice a week with photos, quotes, and reflections.

For now, thanks for following me, for your prayers, and for your financial support. I have already received some funds, and I am just so grateful to God for moving his people to action. God is good--all the time, and I'm trusting in His goodness to get me safely to England and back.

"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this:
that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised."
--2 Corinthians 5:14-15