Second to Last Week in Wales

          I almost cannot believe that I have just finished my second to last week in Wales.  In a little over a week I will be back on a plane headed to for the United States.  I'm not particularly looking forward to the trip itself as it is quite wearisome and stressful (the trip back will be a few hours longer than the one over).  But I know that God will go with me in it and probably bless it in some ways that I do not expect.  It is certainly a good time of reflection, prayer, and reading.
           The weather this past week has been really nice.  It reached around 75 degrees Monday (hot for the UK), and the weekend was sunny and like a warm spring day back in North Carolina (they would call them summer days here).  It has been so sunny and warm that I commented to Ruth on our trip to London (more on that later), that England just doesn't feel like England in the sunshine.
           It has certainly been good weather for a number of trips around town this week.  Wednesday before our midweek gathering I took an hour or so to explore the neighborhoods and "lands" surrounding the church building.  The church building is located in a fairly unique place, with great access to the city center and neighborhoods.  It is about 10 minutes walk from the main business district on the other side of the river and in an area packed with homes.  From the main road you turn left and pass under the railroad to enter a "secluded" neighborhood of over 300 houses crammed together around a small park and bordered by the river.  The Church is right in the middle of all this and is in a great place for outreach and ministry.  After I explored this area I followed a path along the river which led me up to a fairly new primary school.  From there I explored some large parks (mostly soccer pitches) that stretch under the M4 motorway to the north.  It was a really neat area to explore and has given me a great idea of where to go running in town near the church building.
           Along with this trip I visited Mike over at Cardiff University on Friday.  He gave me a tour of the

buildings he is in most often, which are primarily bio-medical science buildings.  Unfortunately there was pretty restricted access to a lot of these buildings on the weekend, so I didn't get to see as much as Mike wanted to show me.  Still it was pretty interesting.  Cardiff University has over 27,000 students scattered around the center of Cardiff and is well known as a research university with a medical school, law school, and a number of other degrees.
           I mentioned I went to London, but this is probably a stretch.  I went with Ruth on Sunday when she went to pick up Heather (her daughter) at Heathrow airport.  She was returning from a month in China.  This is probably as close to London as I will get while I'm here, which is alright.  London is such a huge city and I'd rather explore areas around Wales and West England instead.
           Sunday was also the day we had a congregational meeting after Sunday morning service.  It was a bit nerve-racking to try and direct this meeting for the congregation, but I think it went well.  We spent time talking about where Newport CofC is at currently and where they would like to be "going."  There is a great desire to grow, to be more organized, and to do a better job of reaching out to their community.  I was pleased to hear this and believe that God has given me abilities that can help us in reaching out to young

people, families, and college students in the community.  However, there is a lot of growth in discipleship/fellowship that is needed at the same time and we will need to be seeking growth for the right reasons.  Growth simply for the sake of growth, or because we think this will make us a better church are the wrong reasons for growth and outreach.  Our outreach and growth need to be driven by a deep understanding of the Gospel and a desire to share the love, grace, and truth that we have come to know in Jesus Christ.  I also took some time to share my thoughts and ideas with the congregation so they could see what I'm thinking.  I shared with them that I think a possible process towards good growth and outreach would be as follows: 1)Growth in discipleship/fellowship/worship; 2) Increasing involvement and ministry of each member; 3)Prayerful study of our culture/city to see how we need to adjust to be more relevant and counter-cultural; 4) Begin sustainable outreach to young people, families, and college students in our community.  Obviously some of this will need to happen simultaneously and will probably not be all lined up in order (I wish things worked that way...).  But I hope this process will give us direction and better understanding of what is needed and where we are headed.
               Please continue to pray for me and for the Newport congregation in this time of transition and preparation.  Please also be praying about an attempt we're making at outreach this Wednesday.  We've invited some of the kids from the youth club to dinner and Bible study on Wednesday night and I hope this will be a good opportunity for me to meet some of the teens as well as connect them with the Church.  So please pray that God would bring the right people together and help us make connections that He can use over the long term.  Thanks!

Sincerely in Christ,
Chris

Fifth Week in Wales

This past week has been a little less eventful.  Actually, it depends on which part of the week you're talking about.  The first half of the week was pretty slow (which was really pretty good).  I took some time to listenCheck out this link for more about the book.

to several more lectures from ACU's 2013 Summit Bible Lectureship.  One particularly interesting lecture was a review/reflection of Tim Keller's recent book entitled "Center Church."  Keller is the lead minister of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC and I think the subtitle gives a great summary of what the book is about: "Doing balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City."  I've been thinking a lot this week about the principles that the book brings up and what it means for work with the Church here in Newport.  I'd love to get a copy and  read through the book myself (like I need another book to read!).
            The rest of the week got progressively busier and more full of activity.  Friday night I went out with Ruth Winstanley and another young adult from Newport (Mike) to a Lebanese restaurant in Cardiff.  It was certainly authentic (not that I really know much about Lebanese food) and is located in a part of Cardiff (City Road) that is home to hundreds of different ethnic restaurants and shops (from Iranian and Lebanese to

City Road, Cardiff (Not My Picture)

 Nigerian).  I found myself considering Friday night that I have had so many experiences here in Wales that I certainly would not have categorized as "British."  But these experiences reflect the rapidly changing ethnic landscape of Britain.  Even though Newport is still over 85% White, this is in comparison to it being around 95% White 10 years ago (a huge difference in 10 years time!).  The current statistics for Cardiff are quite similar, with over 90 foreign languages being spoken in the city (Urdu, Somali, Bengali, and Arabic being some of the most common).  I know now that along with learning to serve God in the traditional Welsh culture, I will increasingly need to learn to serve him in a very diverse culture.
             Saturday we had a church building "work day."  This was to mainly focus on cleaning up/out the teen room upstairs.  When the Church bought a new boiler over the winter they had to move a lot of stuff into the teen room and it had not been cleaned up since.  Much of the stuff was put up into the loft (aka. attic for Americans), which gave me an interesting opportunity to learn more about the congregations past (by looking around the loft).  There were all sorts of things up in the loft and it brought up good conversations about when those things were used and why.  There was a lot more that I'd like to have done on the work day (and many ideas popped into my head for the future), but it was probably good we only spent the morning on this task as it could be an overwhelming task.
              After worshiping with the congregation Sunday morning, I headed out for Bristol again to preach at

Roman Baths and Bath Abbey (Not My Picture)

their evening service (yes this is my third trip to Bristol since I arrived).  The evening service allowed me to get to know more people from the congregation there and I think the sermon went fairly well.  Afterwards, Jason's family and some of the young adults took me with them to get dinner in Bath.  For those who don't know, Bath is famous for a lot of things, most especially from Jane Austen's books and for the ancient Roman baths.  It is a really beautiful Georgian town which apparently is only about 20 minutes drive from Bristol (or 1 hour 10 minutes from Newport).  I might have to see if I can visit again some time.
             Real quickly before I finish, I want to encourage you to be praying about a meeting that's being planned for this Sunday after service.  I'm hoping to talk with the Newport congregation more about their expectations and desire for my work with them.  This is not easy as many times expectations are not conscious, but subconscious.  Also, I think the Newport congregation have not had a lot of time to consider "what's next" over the last few years (for numerous reasons).  Please pray that this will be a good time of discussion, consideration, reflection, and vision for the future.  I'm going to encourage the congregation to be thinking and praying about it beforehand as well.  I want to make sure that I'm moving and working in conjunction with them for the sake of God's Kingdom and glory.  I hope all of you are well and thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers!

Sincerely in Christ,
Chris

Fourth Week In Wales

              It has been another eventful week here across the sea.  Probably the most important note about this week is that I have now passed the halfway point of my time in Wales.  I can't believe that I've been here for just under a month now.  By the end of the month I will be back in the States.  While I will have a lot to reflect on from my time here (and already am reflecting on), I realized recently that in some ways this time is like a sabbatical for me.  Not that I've really been working long enough to have a sabbatical.  But many of the things I've been focusing on while here (prayer, journaling/reflection, "visioning," etc.) are sabbatical type activities.  This time is so important (as I've probably said before) as I prepare to enter a very different, long-term type of ministry and context in Newport.

Bristol Ship Building (Not My Picture)

 An important conversation I had this past week towards this preparation was with the preacher/evangelist of the Bristol Church of Christ (Jason Snethen) just down the road in England.  This was actually one of two trips I made to Bristol this past week, the other being a Friday night trip for their evening youth group.  Along with attending their "coffee morning" (a more-or-less social gathering in which they drink tea :)), I spent the day getting to know Jason, talking with him about my experiences in Newport, and his 10+ year work with the Bristol Church.  Among other things, the Church in Bristol has grown from 30 to about 90 in the last 10 years and has broadened their ministry leadership base (Jason worked with another evangelist named Trevor Williams until fairly recently).  It was really good to talk with Jason and hear how Bristol has grown and how that same growth could be possible in Newport.  That being said, I know Newport is not quite the same thing and I am sensing more and more that my role there will be different than Jason's in Bristol.  Still it was good to talk with a fellow American ministering in the UK (I forgot to mention that Jason is from Oklahoma).
              Thank you, by the way, for your prayers on behalf of my preaching this past Sunday.  I think it

Near Bristol University (Not My Picture)

went pretty well and I got generally positive feedback.  I've been invited to preach again this Sunday night in Bristol.  Please continue to pray for me as I try to decide what to preach there and what God wants to do with that.  I've decided that preaching is not an easy thing and is best done when God has placed something before  you to consider and then preach (which doesn't normally happen every week).  "What is the Gospel" is something God has had me considering since the time I got here, and so I felt pretty clearly from the outset that this is what I ought to preach.
             One more thing I've been reflecting on the last couple days.  I spent some time listening to a two part lecture from ACU's Summit lectures done by a preacher named Grady King entitled "When the Church Comes Between You and God" (dealing with disillusionment in Church).  While the title is intended to be provocative and it is addressed mainly towards ministers, it would certainly be worth a listen for anyone in a ministry leadership position (you can download it for free from iTunes U).  I don't feel like I'm in a place of disillusionment right now, but I know it is a real problem in ministry and something I will probably face at some point because of the unique challenges present in Newport.  Grady King makes the point that we need to focus on our own spiritual witness and growth, rather than be discouraged by the position a Church is in (1st Timothy 4).  He reminds ministers that they cannot change the Church on their own, but rather recognize that we serve Jesus as He works in His Church.  Finally, it is important that ministers don't blame themselves for the "failure" they may see in the Churches they serve, especially when you consider that so much is expected of ministers now (CEO, CFO, Vision Leader, Organizer, etc.).  Just some interesting food for thought.  Hope you are well and thank you for your prayers!

Sincerely in Christ,
Chris

Third Week in Wales

          It is strange to say that my third week in Wales has now passed, because it feels like I have been here a good bit longer.  I really feel like I am starting to adjust to the culture and people here, and have begun to find a good day-to-day rhythm.  Let me share a few things that have been happening this past week, and then some thoughts from my upcoming sermon at Newport Church of Christ this Sunday.
          This past week has been filled with visitors.  Last Wednesday (4/23) the Sharoon siblings came and stayed the night with us again which was great fun.  The next day we had lunch with them and then went with

Ken and Annette to visit Newport's own "country estate" called Tredegar House (pronounced Tre-deee-gar).  It is an old and unique mansion built for what was once the most powerful family in Monmouthshire (Newport area), the Morgan family (Baron and Baroness Tredegar).  It is now run by the National Trust and some of it's old lands have been turned into a city park.  Then on Friday through Sunday we had another family come stay with us.  This family is from El Salvador and has been living in the UK for 3-4 months seeking asylum.  They were worshiping with the Church in Newport up until recently (even though they speak little English) when the "powers that be" moved them to Plymouth as they await immigration hearings.  It was good to meet them and their 7 year old son.  It also gave me a chance to practice my neglected Spanish.  Then this past Sunday there was a great gathering of people from Church at the Winstanley's house for an afternoon meal (this was only after my impromptu song leading at church that morning).  We had 15 people in all I believe, including a couple from the Bristol Church of Christ who were visiting (Robert and Leanne Daniel).  We literally spent the entire day eating, talking, playing games, eating some more, and talking some

more.  I had some really great conversations and learned a lot from the people who were there.  It was a very good weekend.
         I've posted more pictures recently on my Facebook and the Facebook group "Serving Jesus In Newport, Wales" if you'd like to see more of what is going on.  There are pictures of Tredegar House, a Saturday trip into Cardiff City Centre, and some pictures of the Wales Coast Path which I have been enjoying since I got here.
         Now about this sermon on Sunday.  As many of you know, I have not preached much in my life and still have a lot to learn (including better presentation and how to keep my sermons concise).  However, the sermon this week is not just important so that I can learn how to preach better, but because of the topic I'm preaching on: "What is the Gospel?"  While this feels like it ought to be a "no brainer" for Christians, I'm not so sure.  I know for myself that even though I have grown up in church and understand the theoretical principles of the Gospel, I know I still have a lot to learn about the reality of it.  At the same time, many within the Church may "understand" the Gospel, but they may not comprehend the Gospel's place in who we are (i.e. the Gospel's centrality to our salvation, identity, life, and mission/purpose, both individually and collectively).  Still further, sometimes it is just good to be reminded of what you think you already know.  Paul said in 1st Corinthians 1:17: "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel---not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be

emptied of its power."
         So what is the Gospel?  There's an awful lot that could be said about the Gospel, but there are three main things I hoping to share this Sunday: 1)The Reality of Our Rebellion; 2)The Response of the Father (God); and 3)The Redemption through the Messiah.  I am planning to draw these thoughts from two main passages: Luke 15:11-32 (The Prodigal Sons) and Isaiah 53:1-6 (The Suffering Servant).  The Gospel is woven throughout Scripture, but I think these two passages will help me stay focused and communicate clearly and succinctly.  The Gospel is good news for all, especially because it meets us in the midst of the bad news of "things as they are".  It says that God's heart for us is love, not judgment.  It says that salvation and that real justification is found in Jesus, not in ourselves or anything our society says.  Finally, it says that Jesus takes our iniquities and our wickedness on Himself, giving us new, resurrection life in Him.  There is so much more I'd like to explore with the Church in Newport about the Gospel (and continue to explore myself about it), but I hope this will be a good starting place.  Please pray for me as I share this Sunday that God would be able to speak through me and speak to the hearts of those who are present by His Spirit.  And please continue to pray for me as I seek God's will and work while I'm here.  Thanks!