Goodbye, Birmingham
Spring Newsletter
Spring
“For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.”
Isaiah 61:11
For those somewhat familiar with the rhythms of our publication, you’ll discover that each of our quarterly newsletters is written as a retrospective of the prior 3 months. Each is published toward the end of one of the four seasons. The winter volume is released toward the end of March (or thereabouts), the Spring at the end of June, and so forth.
In this special edition Spring Newsletter, we will take a look back at the last 3 years. What better way to capture all the ways the Lord has moved in, through, and among us than to write a goodbye letter to our beloved Birmingham and the wonderful church community we’ve had the honor of taking part in?
We stood up front for the final time as part of Christ Church Birmingham to address our church family. After Steph shared some heartfelt words of appreciation and encouragement, I read the following letter during our commissioning Sunday.
Dear Birmingham,
Our beloved home away from home for the last 3 years. We will forever be tied to your grand stature and urban footprint. You are the city where our second son and third child, Shilo Ruah, was born. Where our son Enzo and daughter AJ continued to grow, develop, and mature. You are the resting place of our once surviving lop-eared rabbit, Hugh, who was with us through thick and thin for the last 8 years.
Christ Church Birmingham, the Lord’s beloved bride—you were the soft place for us to land, to acclimate and acculturate after our initial stint in Oxford during the pandemic. Our path and calling led us to take part in the Lord’s activity here among the nations that have arrived at the doorstep of these great British Isles. The soil of your field caused the roots of our faith to sink deeply, and its branches to grow forth and bear fruit.
I wanted to mention a few people who have helped shape our life and ministry here, and could spend the better part of an hour on affirmations and exhortations, much like the length of some of my sermons—but please know that we love and honor you all.
Steve, you are one of the best line managers I’ve ever had, whether in secular work or in ministry. You gave us the opportunity to grow in faith and in UK-specific ministry. If Oxford was about finding my footing and being kept on a short leash, you brought me here and unleashed my giftings. I have learned from your leadership, observed your character, and remain inquisitive. I will no doubt message you at random times in the near future to ask yet another cross-cultural question.
Jo, your friendship with Steph is invaluable. You and Steve were the Lord’s embrace when things got hard, and my capacity was maxed out, and my strength was waning. It was amazing to see your relationship with our kids blossom and grow; bringing them over during staff meetings and other occasions was yet another example of your love and hospitality. They always looked forward to playing with all the toys Steve often brought out for them. They will surely request a visit from their Uncle and Auntie soon.
The Terry Clan—it’s been an honor to know you and to serve with you as family. Dave and Alex, thank you for featuring me in what I have affectionately dubbed the “Terry Band + 1.” Thank you for entertaining all my out-of-the-box ideas for arrangements, transitions, and motifs from secular songs, and for incorporating different genres like bossa nova and reggae. Alex, perhaps one day we can form a band and write some music together.
Barbs and Falon, you have been exemplary in so many ways. From your wonderful gifts and talents that you have readily leveraged in service to the church, to your thoughtfulness, hospitality, and love that you have shown to me, Steph, and the kids. Thank you!
Dan, my brother in arms. I’ve always loved our chats about ministry, contextualization, and theology. Over these three years, I have seen your passion grow, and I know you will stop at nothing short of giving your whole life in pursuit of knowing Him and making Him known to the people of Aston, Handsworth, Lozells, and beyond. To use a couple of battlefield terms, let’s keep our supply lines open and our tactical communications going.
Tan, thank you for being there for Steph. You are a blessing to our children and to Jesus’ church—we see those maternal gifts expressed through Alpha and getting into fostering. We would love to take you with us, but we know your rightful place is to serve the Lord faithfully here in Birmingham at CCB. Your empathy is a wonderful thing to behold—keep being you!
Amy, we see you—your faith and background are a gift to us and to CCB. Your kindness and thoughtfulness are a blessing; keep bringing your creative ideas forward and giving the church opportunities to learn about the rich tapestry of our spiritual heritage. The Lord has much more to teach us through your ministry.
The Crowes and Turners, you are pillars of the church that many can lean on. You both are a powerful example of sturdy faith and wonderful grace lived out in our community. You are a blessing to CCB, and we have much, much more to learn from you.
Atamas and Obetos—you both told me and showed me the striking similarities between Nigerian and American culture. We have even greater respect and appreciation for your cultural and spiritual heritage. Your faithfulness, unique gifts, and strong presence are a much-needed contribution to the Lord’s work here in this family of churches. It’s also been lovely to see our kids play, interact, and grow in faith together.
Beth and the Hollands, your love and hospitality are immense. Your spiritual guidance and Sunday contributions have always spoken to our hearts, as I am certain they have to the rest of the church.
David and Winnie, thank you for your loving kindness and friendship. Dave, you’re one of the funniest guys I know. We pray your love for one another continues to grow and reflects the Love Christ has for His church.
Bibarg and Inam - thank you for your friendship and fellowship. You taught me more about Pakistani culture and the great cost of coming to faith and engaging in discipleship. I pray that you build bridges with others who share similar stories, come to faith in Christ, and become part of God’s diverse family.
Mary, we’re grateful that the Lord saw to it that our paths crossed. Keep sharing your testimony! It is beautiful and powerful. We’re so glad to be part of your journey of faith, and I’ve always loved our weekly chats and the time we spend together at the Food Pantry. The kids will miss you dearly.
There are more names to mention: Alvin, Benjamin & Gloria, Biruk, Clare, Daisy & Ruth, Genna, Genny, Hyab, Rhea, Liz, Mackda, Niall, Simon, Ryley & Elouise, Zahinesh, the Cooks, Jamals, Sidwells, and Whickings, and many more. Again, we love and honor you all. You have all been a gift from the Lord that we will forever cherish. We don’t know how our presence here has helped shape life and ministry in the community. We only pray that our courage to minister both boldly and graciously, speaking to the deeper questions and common assumptions of our Western culture, has contributed to the Lord’s work through all of us who make known the mystery of the Gospel with each of our God-given voices and spiritual gifts.
The Lord’s righteousness has sprung out from our collective ministry, and we continue to learn and grow in the Gospel across a variety of cultures and backgrounds. You showed us a vibrant picture of the intercultural church, something I aim to bring to the West Country.
The Lord had sought to cross our paths for mutually formative purposes, and we are forever grateful. Although we part ways to start new chapters in life and ministry, where the end is a new beginning, we remain co-laborers and partners in ministry, siblings in the larger family of Newfrontiers who share the same heart and DNA.
With tremendous love & gratitude,
The Espinelis
You never know how much a people and a place have left an indelible mark upon you that seems to reach to the depths of your soul until it’s time to say goodbye. We sometimes wonder what the Lord did while we were here and how much impact He had on others through our ministry, until we hear heartfelt words spoken through quivering lips. There was laughter, extended hugs, and an overflow of tears all around—we felt, as we have always felt since entering this luminous community of faith—welcomed and loved.
Our hearts ached but were full of gratitude, as we left with an assortment of Thank You cards, a bouquet of flowers, and special gifts for our three children and us.
Great Lessons
Intercultural Church
Our cross-cultural training and experience, along with our ongoing navigation of cross-cultural factors within a church dynamic over the years, have become among the most prominent and distinctive features of our ministry. Many believe that a multicultural church expression is the ideal modality, the final form, or the end goal of the Great Commission. However, this cultural mosaic does not move beyond mere coexistence or shared space into the realm of shared identity across cultures that are actively interdependent.
INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCY STAGES – CONGREGATION/TEAM ASSESSMENT
Birmingham has given us many opportunities to participate in intercultural training to equip us to engage with other cultures and worldviews (such as Islam). Leadership that thrives in such a context exhibits meekness, a quiet confidence, a willingness to disappoint some while striving to share leadership (which has historically been exclusive), and the patience to endure the tides of misunderstandings arising from cultural differences.
Contextualization
As a communicator of the Gospel, both in preaching and in leading worship, I have learned to pay close attention to the differences between American and British culture. These differences may appear trivial to the onlooker, but they often range from subtle to acute. Dovetailing with the intercultural component of church, I find myself asking the ongoing question: how best to contextualize the message of the Person and Work of Christ in our locale.
Will this cultural reference or illustration land?
What are some cultural icons I can quote from?
Are there any cultural assumptions present in my message?
Who is present in the congregation in terms of culture, class, and generation?
Where can I simplify my language to reach a broader audience?
Double Duty Ministering
Throughout my time in the West Midlands, I have grown as a worshipper of God. What was once shelved and collecting dust has found new life. Recalibrating my ministry to include worship leading and incorporating some of my own creativity and variety has added a new dimension to our ministry. I see the effect it has on our children, who are constantly observing our faith in terms of love in action, authentic service, and the persistent leveraging of all our gifts and talents.
Worshipping pairs well with preaching, and doing both proficiently is a way I can serve the Lord and His bride. I hope to return to CCB one day as a ministry partner giving a report and as a guest providing (a) training on a Saturday and (b) worship and preaching on a Sunday—to give each team a much-needed respite.
Web & Graphic Design
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: web design and management have not particularly been my strong suit. Even still, it was a great experience to grow in knowledge and to see some of my own ideas come to fruition. I have a much greater appreciation for those who manage church and ministry websites and understand just how much work is involved.
Graphic design was much more in my wheelhouse. It was fun to conceptualize and develop the lettering and logos for Birmingham and Beyond. Hubb.church’s tech support helped me understand how to work within certain limitations and provided guidance whenever I encountered issues with coding or revising templated themes.
Mercy Ministry | The Food Pantry
The melting pot of cultures Birmingham offers was most evident in our local food pantry, the charitable social action arm of Christ Church Birmingham. Each week we had wonderful interactions with pantry members, encountering many families who were homeless (living in temporary accommodation), men from HMOs (House in Multiple Occupation), refugees/asylum seekers from diverse ethnic backgrounds/cultures and religious affiliations, such as Ukrainians, Polish, Muslims, etc, as well as locals residing in the Aston area.
I was able to say my farewells to many of the regulars, who expressed both their sorrow at seeing our family leave Birmingham and their excitement for the new season of ministry in Bath.
The Food Pantry recently celebrated Refugee Week (June 15-21), featuring some amazing Ethiopian Food (and Samosas). A couple of videos (such as the one below) were shown on a loop during the event that help others understand the plight of a refugee.
Prayer Requests
Please pray for Steph, as she continues to navigate bereavement through ongoing counseling and utilizing other resources.
Please pray for our children, who are experiencing yet another big transition as we move from Birmingham to Bath. River Church Bath has been tremendous in offering the utmost hospitality to our family.
Please pray for River Church Bath & the Go West Initiative, as the Lord breaks ground and draws other ministry pioneers to join in His activity in the West Country.
Please pray for our family, as we trust the Lord to sustain our life and ministry in the UK. We believe the Lord will fill any gaps in our funding and both stabilize and strengthen our Sending Team!