A Great Door for Effective Work
Individual Stories from the Mission Field, Thank Yous, & End-of-Year Giving
“But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” 1 Corinthians 16:8-9
We continue to marvel at the tremendous work of God, the Holy Spirit, amid the various facets of our involvement in ministry and charitable/ humanitarian work. The Door remains open, and the Gospel invitation has become all the more explicit to wandering souls—caught up in disillusionment and seeking answers—interacting with us on the mission field.
Below is a collection of stories and testimonies of the Lord’s activity in and through our efforts to make His person and work known to people in the UK. My work encompasses serving on staff at Christ Church Birmingham in South Aston and serving on the core team at Redemption Hill, a church plant in Walsall.
Stories & Interactions
*Note: names have been changed to protect people’s identities.
Ayesha & Lara
I regularly interact with a Muslim mother and daughter who frequent the South Aston food pantry. Little Lara has begun a bit of a friendship with our two older kids, Zo and AJ, who are similar in age. It is a bit difficult to communicate with Ayesha due to English not being her native tongue, but through gesturing and exchanging pleasantries over time, we have gotten familiar with one another. On one occasion, my son, Zo, brought his ukulele guitar to play and sing in the war welcome area. Ayesha and Lara arrived towards the end of the shift, and as soon as Lara saw the guitar, she wanted to have a try. Without hesitation, Zo handed the guitar over, and AJ brought over a biscuit for her to have as well (the kids have really grown in their social awareness and hospitality). A volunteer took Ayesha through her shop for the day, and when she returned, she was delighted to see Lara getting on well with my children.
Dana & Nancy
Another mother and daughter who come to the South Aston food pantry live at the Barry Jackson Tower—a temporary accommodation center across the street from the church. One day, Dana approached me seeking prayer and counsel about a decision she needed to make regarding housing. She had been linked with a building company through the City Council that proposed building a one-bedroom flat on a new development for her and her daughter. After over 6 months of waiting, through some error, the company did not follow through with the build, so she was back at square one. She was approached again for a new build but did not know if this was the Lord’s will. Dana confessed that she had been distraught about her extended stay at the Tower and wanted something more stable for her and Nancy. She spoke about her residence near a local University and looking for work.
It was clear that she would not decide to go ahead if it was not the Lord’s will. I asked about her intimacy with the Lord and how she has heard from Him via Scriptural and natural revelation. The Lord could be placing this on her heart, especially if He is preeminent in her life—He shapes our thoughts and desires in conformity to the image of Christ. I also recommended that she engage in fasting prior to making a decision and find a quiet place without distraction to surrender the situation and her desires to the Lord in prayer. A couple of weeks went by, and she was happy to report that she was going ahead with the plans and trusting the Lord with her future.
Ellie
We met her at a local coffee shop in Walsall. Formerly of south Birmingham, she relocated to Walsall to start a local charity that provides debt advice and support, local wellbeing referrals, foodbank and fuel referrals, etc. When she asked about my accent and where I was from, I talked briefly about being a minister hired to work in South Aston and Walsall. She was interested in our Walsall church plant, so I informed her about the once-a-month preview services we’d be scheduling before the official launch in March.
She said she’s a Christian and has been looking for a good church in the area since moving into town. I asked a bit more about her story, and she spoke about how her husband isn’t a believer and that she’d want to find a good church community to bring him along to in hopes that he would begin to engage with the Christian faith on a more existential level.
Jemma & Doris
These two elderly ladies from Barbados and Jamaica are amiable and full of life. Each time I see them at the food pantry, they’re eager to ask to see new photos and inquire about how my family is getting on with the new baby. Jemma has come to our church in South Aston several times and has professed Christ as her Lord and Savior. They know I’m a minister, so I’ve had some significant interactions with them revolving around questions about the afterlife, how one is saved, and God’s intended design for marriage and family.—over and against what society or Western culture dictates.
I offered to buy a book called Case for Heaven for them to read and discuss in lieu of a digital or audio option that’s readily available or user-friendly. Jemma also opened up about her brother back home in Barbados who is terminally ill. Through some encouragement, I was able to give her the idea to hop on a video call to see and speak with him, given how difficult it is to travel at her age.
Jor-el
He occasionally comes around to the food pantry and gets into some light conversation about life and how he is looking for work. One day, I asked if I could pray for him, but he declined the offer—which led to intriguing conversations about his estrangement from his immediate family. I spoke about how Jesus calls God His Father, which struck a nerve because he felt he shouldn’t ask God for things that he ought to take care of himself. I told him I’d still be praying for him, particularly to reconcile with his family after the most recent falling out.
Martha
She had been going through some difficult times, having just lost her job after being mistreated—when she turned up at the food pantry. She began to open up to me as I walked her through check-in at the front and was looking for help finding the proper resources via the City Council. Our team was able to point her in the right direction, and as she was on her way out, I felt compelled by God to run after her to ask if I could pray.
At first, she was a bit hesitant at the sound of prayer. I could tell that she just needed someone to talk to, and as she carried on, she began to weep as if she had been holding it all in for months. I pressed again to pray for her, and with tears in her eyes, she acquiesced—so I began asking God for peace, comfort through the trials, and, most importantly, His presence to be known and acknowledged by her.
A couple of weeks passed, and she returned to the pantry looking for me. It turns out things weren’t entirely falling into place, but she had this overwhelming sense of peace through it all. Shortly after that, over a couple of months, she began attending our church’s Alpha Course on Thursday nights and services on Sunday mornings. A couple of weeks ago, Martha came up front during a call to respond and decided to follow Christ!
Sendi
A native of England with a Muslim Ugandan background, Sendi has come around to engage in several aspects of the church’s life in South Aston. He’s volunteered at the food pantry, attended BBQs and men’s gatherings, and has formed some friendships with various people from church. He’s even gone out of his way to leverage his experience as an auto mechanic by helping me with some nagging car issues that recently sidelined our family for several weeks.
In the UK, we’ve learned that people often belong before they believe, whereas in the US, it’s usually the opposite. It’s crucial for people to feel welcome and experience a sense of familial level belonging in the Church.
THANK YOUS!
LB Charitable Foundation
We’re so grateful for your partnership in ministry and investment in our ongoing efforts to address gaps in local charitable/ humanitarian work in South Aston and Walsall. We were brought to tears when we saw your grant approval, and it has encouraged us to press on with courage in what we believe is incredibly vital work.
This provision is stretching across the world and making a real impact in our communities. Seeing how the Lord has utilized such support in transformative ways has been an honor. Your generosity has been monumental, cascading into the lives of diverse groups of people.
Moser Family Foundation
You have stuck with us since this calling to ministry began. I still remember when we sat across from you in that conference room a few years back, exchanging stories of faith and testimony of God’s faithfulness through the years. You are an integral part of our Sending Team, and we take pride in being your boots on the ground here in England.
We seek to honor your heart for Jesus’ Commission and feel the weight of your support and prayers each time we have Gospel interactions and conversations with people on the mission field. There is an ever-present urgency and vicarious nature in our ministry partnership—what we accomplish, you accomplish!
END-OF-YEAR GIVING
If you would like to make an end-of-year gift or set up a recurring donation to our mission, you can click on the button(s) below:
*Coastlands Community Church is in direct partnership with Redemption Hill (Walsall church plant).
