Hunts in the UK
Being Bold
Did you know that it is March already?
As you may have noticed, we did not send out a prayer letter last month. That was not because nothing happened in January. In fact, it felt like February just slipped on in like a friend joining your group as if they were there all along.
Naturally, whenever January and February come around to enjoy our company for a little while, they bring about thoughts on what has been and what is to come. This idea of seeing where God has lead and where he is leading was the theme of our monthly Journey gathering in February (Journey is the name of the network of MicroChurches I help lead).
Last January, it seemed as if God was had laid a foundation and would be building a place for us to minister. This January, it seems as if God is now calling us to boldly welcome people into that place.
And so, I started to ponder how I could be more bold with Jesus to those around me?
Now, it doesn’t mean that I get asked questions every day, but it has started to open up conversations. For instance, I was able to help two ladies understand that there are other translations than the King James (which they lamented about being too difficult to read and being the reason why they do not read the Bible). I surprised a customer by explaining how I have read the entire Bible, and more than just once. I started to learn that some of our regulars are also Christians. One of our friends who comes in all the time talked to me about his frustrations he had with Christianity.
And it isn’t just the customers but some of our staff have also started to ask questions. One of our teenagers talked to me about how she had issues with the Apostle Paul, leading to a great discussion on what was written and how to understand it in its historical and cultural context.
I felt like the farmer in the parable as I scattered as many seeds as possible, hoping that some may fall onto fertile ground.
Now fully embracing the title of “Bible Nerd,” my goal is that these types of conversations become more and more normal. It has also opened up a great way to invite people to the second Diving Deeper Lecture Series, a series of talks I will be leading throughout March on the Bible.
As we enter another year, may you boldly follow where God is leading. Even if it means putting yourself out there as a Bible nerd.
Bible in Bicester
January marked a bit of a shift in our work schedules.
Rachel was asked by a regular and friend if she could help him as he had recently become the manager of the restaurant of our local garden center. After praying about it and feeling like God was asking her to take this on as a temporary position, she started working not only in the coffee shop but also as a supervisor over there. While it does give us a bit of extra cash for the short time that she will be there, it has also opened up several opportunities for Rachel to talk to her new coworkers about Jesus.
Because Rachel had to reduce her hours at FLTR, it meant that I got more hours! It also means that I have been able to get to know some of our regulars who I only saw every so often on a deeper level. It also means that I have been able to pour into some of my coworkers as well.
On our community wall, we asked what new rhythms people were going to try for this year. While we had a few funny ones (especially from the kids that come in), it was encouraging to see some people talk about Jesus in their resolution!
On the church side of things, I planned our monthly gathering in February. Rachel and I led worship, then we took time to reflect on where God showed up last year and where God was leading this year. It ended up being a sweet time where people shared and praised God together for the good things he has done.
Please keep praying for the friends we have made through FLTR. Over the last two months, there have been several times where we have ended up having deep conversations with several people who when we first met them wanted nothing to do with God or Christ. It is a slow process but we continue to show them the gospel in both our words and our deeds.
But wait, what is FLTR?
If you are new to our prayer letters or need a refresher on what is FLTR and how we are serving our community, lucky for you I recently made a video explaining exactly that! You can watch it here.
Financial Update
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First, I want to thank everyone who has ever partnered with us financially. We honestly could not be here if it wasn’t for each and every one of you. With that said, we will be needing to raise some more support, not only because SIM would like us to be at a much higher level, but also to offset how our support has declined slightly over the last couple of months.
If you are wondering how you could help out, there are two main ways. One is of course either partnering with us financially or increasing any current commitments. Another is helping us connect with people who may be interested in what God is doing here in the UK.
Please continue to pray for us as we depend on our great provider for all that we need.
Partner with Us - USA
Partner with Us - UK
Monthly Highlights
Over the last two months we have had several times to bless people with Rachel’s cooking! While we don’t have photos of all of them, we did want to highlight two of these occasions. First is Kat and Kyle who are a young couple we have gotten to know and have had over a couple of times. We always have a fun time but more importantly, we have had chances to share with them about Jesus.
The second photo is us with our friends and fellow coworkers through FLTR, the Reeves. This night was special as their oldest daughter had made friends with a Japanese girl who was here in Oxford studying. Rachel loved being able to make a Japanese meal. She was also blessed by Rachel being able to talk to her in Japanese. We hope to have a few more opportunities to bless her before the end of the school year.
January marked our 12 year anniversary! This year we decided to take a day trip into Oxford and check out their natural history museum. While we both enjoyed it, Rachel was like a kid at Disneyland as she got to see all the skeletons and animals they had on display.
Praise and Prayer Requests:
-Praise for God providing for us each month! We don’t want to take that for granted.
-Praise for the changes that open up opportunities for us at the coffee shop and in our lines of work.
-Pray for Deep Dive Discussions to go well and teach people how to go deeper in their faith.
-Praise for 12 years of marriage! Woohoo!
-Pray for the relationships God has given us with friends who do not know him yet. Pray for their hearts and minds to be curious about Jesus and who he is.
-Praise for the openness that being a Bible Nerd brings. Any question is good as it shows curiosity.
-Pray for more opportunities for boldness even outside of our ways of thinking.
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