Being Family

 

“Is it ok to come up to see you guys tomorrow?”

 

The house was a mess, the friend asking was allergic to our two cats, we were both tired from the week. So, of course we replied, “Sure!”

 

This surprise visit was a great capstone to August.

 

Normally, August is our birth month/summer in the UK. This combination usually would lead to a month where we would have one big event surrounded by many quiet days. But this year was different. I (Shelbey) increased my hours at FLTR to cover for vacationing colleagues. We celebrated numerous birthday events (apparently everyone's born in August!). Rachel even helped paint our friend’s kitchen!

 

So, when our friend popped by, it seemed like a natural way to end the month. But it quickly became something entirely new.

 

After chatting the night he arrived, the next day the three of us hung out in Oxford. I had to slip away early to go back to FLTR for several hours. Originally, he planned to leave in the afternoon. Then the afternoon became the evening as our conversations turned deep and invested. We were hearing many heavy hearted events pour out from our brother.

 

And as the layers of what had happened to him and his wife over the last year peeled back one by one, our hearts broke. To keep it simple and to honour their privacy, they have had a rough time. There was a clear need though: community.

That was something we could help with.

 

And so, we have now committed to meeting virtually (and hopefully in person every so often) once a week. A tiny digital Micro Church if you will.

Which shows the beauty of what the body of Christ can be.

 

Because the simple truth is that we are all part of the same church, the same family. We all have the same head, the same God, the same spirit. While we may meet with a local gathering, that does not mean we can’t also be in relationship with those who may attend a different one. Instead, when we find that someone in the family is hurting, we should be more than willing to love them no matter how great a distance there is between us physically.

 

As we move past the summer and into the autumn, it can be really easy to fall back into routine. Let’s make sure that those routines are not walls that separate, but opportunities for us to grow closer and be reflectors of our Father’s heart for his people.

 

Bible in Bicester

In August, we enjoyed meeting back at FLTR in the mornings. Each week someone in the community will bring something to share. We then hear how each other is doing. This gives us time to share and contemplate how awesome our God is. We are still figuring out what the next season will look like, but I am thankful for our small group of people. They truly have become our church family.

 

A great example of how our church has become our community happened on the Sunday after our Birthdays. One of the families from church, the Stoddart’s, invited us out for a walk and pizza. This was special for us as it was a designated “family day” for them but they were more than happy to include us. Little things like this helps us see how God has blessed us by placing us in the community we are in.

 

I have also begun to meet with two other people as a small discipleship group. One practice we believe in heavily over here is mutual discipleship. We encourage everyone to be meeting with a group (usually 3-4) that can be a place of encouragement, accountability, and growth. One of the people, Ross, has been a guy that I have wanted to get closer to so this is great chance to deepen that relationship.

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

Every month, we are reminded of how blessed we are to have people like y’all who believe in what God is doing here. Join us as we praise God for his provision and generosity.

 

If you would like to partner with us, or if you feel God is calling you to increase in your support, you can do that using the buttons below.

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Monthly Highlights

 

Of course, the two big events that happen each year in August is our birthdays! Each year we celebrate them a little differently. This year, Rachel planned a BBQ for mine. Our friends hosted (as they have a much bigger house) and Rachel prepared food, drinks, and even a bunch of water balloons! It was a great time being surrounded by people who have become close friends over the last three years. Rachel ended the night with a little quiz, 38 questions for my 38th birthday.

 

For Rachel, I planned a trip into Oxford. First we went by a small book store where we each bought a book for the other person. Afterwards, we had dinner at a tiny little Japanese restaurant. What made this one special was its authenticity. There is a Japanese organisation who creates lists of authentic Japanese restaurants outside of Japan. This little hole in the wall had made the list. After that we walked for a bit before meeting up with a few friends for karaoke.

 

Like I mentioned earlier, August seems to be quite a popular month to have a birthday! We celebrated quite a few friends over the month. One of them invited us to an escape room for her birthday. It was Wallace and Gromit themed.

 

The busiest weekend in the busiest month to do any kind of tourist thing in the UK is the August Bank Holiday weekend. Not only is August the one summer month that all the schools have off, this is also the weekend where the Monday is a national holiday as well. Which of course was the weekend we went camping with our friends Oli and Geneve and their two boys. It was a great time as we camped at the Cotswold Farm Park. Rachel especially loved being able to feed all the animals. We enjoyed games, food, and fun.

Praise and Prayer Requests:

 

- Praise for our birthdays and the community we have. We are truly blessed.

 

- Praise for our friend being able to visit. Pray for us as we start our “virtual church” with them.

 

- Praise God for his continued provisions and abundance.

 

- Pray for our church as we move into the Autumn and figure out what the next season looks like.

 

- Praise that Rachel’s sabbatical is going well, continue to pray for her as she works through several things.

 

- Pray for one of the ladies in our church who just found out her land lord is going to make her have to move out of the house she rents.

 

- Pray for our missionary partners, the Caton’s, who also are having to move to a new home after being in their current one for many years.

 

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