“Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6
We’re at the tail end of Autumn as the frost tinges the air with promises of winter. We were fortunate to get some light snowfall for a few days, which was a pleasant surprise for the kids as we transitioned from Thanksgiving to the Advent season. Shilo was especially intrigued by the white icy substance that was falling from the sky as his two older siblings yelped with gleeful excitement.
These days, my hands are constantly full of tasks, revolving duties, and multivariable responsibilities, all of which require constant attention as if balancing multiple plates spinning on numerous sticks. Although a couple of plates may fall to the ground and shatter after losing gyroscopic effect, the others continue to spin, but not without Holy Spirit-empowered focus.
I feel my strength waning and my soul longing for the quietness that the Advent season ushers in, a respite from all of this endless toil. In this verse from Ecclesiastes, Solomon reminds us of the value and wisdom in contentment when you have very little or, in my case, when you have been stretched so thin that you wonder if you’ll fall through the proverbial cracks as if you were reduced to grains of sand.
Nevertheless, we are reminded that this maxed-out bandwidth of striving is neither for ourselves nor for any naive sense of self-aggrandizement. We’re not doing this so that people speak well of us or to prove anything to anyone. This whole mission and ministry in the UK was beckoned and compelled by the Lord, and our efforts reflect His glory. We count the cost and ask ourselves regularly the sobering question, ‘How much are you prepared to put your confidence and trust entirely in Him in this, as in every season of life?’
Our contentment does not slip by the wayside when we recall the great and sturdy bedrock of truly knowing Christ. Even in the overwhelming circumstances we find ourselves in, we seek Him, and the handful of quietness still comes. We cling to the Truth that even if all of this is for just one person to encounter Christ, come to a genuine saving faith, find healing and hope, and be redeemed and restored—then all of this is worth it.
Multiple Hats
The spinning plates metaphor is a helpful image that communicates how these last 8 months have been, but there’s also the concept of wearing multiple hats to add to the spectacle. From one day to the next or one week to the next, never mind one moment to the next, I have gotten accustomed to cycling through a myriad of different “hats” that cover various aspects of the ministry.
Administration
One day, there will be meetings to attend where tasks are designated and executed. There are always emails to reply to, events to help plan, and other meetings to coordinate.
Theological Study and Research
Several days will be designated for research and development of an upcoming sermon series, which requires ample time to diligently study a whole book of the Bible, creating a master outline, followed by a deep dive into many commentaries and other Biblical resources to mine the richness and depth of the text and write 1-3 points for each sermon.
Spiritual Disciplines
From moment to moment or day to day, we pray without ceasing. Whether it’s for personal growth and spiritual intimacy with the Lord or time intentionally interceding for others or to ask God to meet a particular need in the community, abiding in prayer is vastly important! Take, for instance, the amount of time one devotes to prayer when preparing to preach from God’s word.
Reading and writing have also been beneficial disciplines to maintain and hone. During our initial stint in Oxford, I was part of a reading group consisting of local ministers in the area. We would read one book per month and schedule a monthly meeting to discuss its contents, while one person would be scheduled to write a formal review and give a short presentation on the day. I can’t tell you how many times the resources we would cover would appear in Sunday sermons.
Preaching
As a minister, this labor of love is what I am most passionate about, so carving out the right amount of time while not going overboard on the extent devoted to the task is essential. I have found that spending too much time writing a sermon could actually be a detriment to the message the Lord wants to communicate to the church and becomes a disservice to other aspects of the ministry. The message can lose its heart and grit and become something stale or wooden.
It’s incredible to see how the Lord has worked in and through me ever since the gift was first acknowledged and affirmed. I think of many of my mentors and big brothers in the faith, as well as my peers and co-laborers in the ministry of the Word. I think of Pastor Arthur from Love of Christ Fellowship, Pastor Wayne from The Walk Church, Pastor Danny from Restored Church South Bay, Pastor Alex from Revival Church (Bozeman, MT), and many others who have all in some way been a constant encouragement to me with regard to prayerful due diligence in rightly dividing the Word, bringing forth God-given creativity, and maintaining a high urgency in proclaiming the Gospel.
I also want to thank Pastor Jake from Coastlands Community Church and Pastor Lee Brown from New Life Church (Marquette, MI) for our recent check-ins and conversations. I thank you for your prayers and for your boldness in preaching the uncompromising Truths of Scripture, while others may concede or capitulate to our surrounding culture. Your encouragement to bring forth more of the prophetic nature of my preaching gift to bear in my context as an influence to other ministers is humbling.
It’s staggering to note that anything I’ve done accounts for anything in Jesus’ Kingdom. All of this is from Him and it is a gracious gift to serve Him and His church.
Graphic and Web Design
For weeks, I’ll be teaching myself how to design images on Canva to produce slide packs and other graphics for the church while troubleshooting through formatting and incorporating design elements to a UK-based web platform I know very little about and have zero experience using.
Lead photo for Christmas 2024
Lead photo for 1 Corinthians
Lead photo for Spiritual Disciplines mini-series
*Check out our Birmingham and Beyond website that will introduce you to the church planting movement we’re part of which has led to churches planted in various parts of Birmingham, Sandwell, and Walsall.
Tithing my time in MPD
MPD stands for “Ministry Partnership Development,” a term that has now become common parlance in ministry circles and the world of mission work, not to mention the non-profit sector in general. Since His earthly ministry and the advent of the Church, Jesus’ mission has always advanced forward through the generosity of His people. (Luke 8:1-3)
Each week, I take at least 10-15 hours, mainly into the wee hours of the night due to the time difference—sending emails, making calls, conducting Zoom meetings, etc. This time is devoted to maintaining relationships with our current Sending Team and, in faith, making appeals to others to prayerfully consider forming a ministry partnership.
Recently, I’ve also had the opportunity to advise some of the other leaders in Birmingham and Beyond who are raising funds for their ministries.
Music and Worship Leading
How long does it take to learn a new song? To have the lyrics and melody down, along with the chord progressions, tempo, and arrangement, besides selecting the right key for one’s vocal range.
How long does it take to learn to pronounce words in a foreign language, much less to sing these words? As aforementioned in a previous article, we are required to have one foreign language song in every setlist (of 6-7 songs).
Pre-Chorus can be sung in Italian
How much rehearsal does a worship band need prior to a Sunday service? That all depends on the amount of people in the band and how the various instruments and vocals are arranged during the set, while also considering the amount of songs to practice.
*I’ve challenged myself to incorporate more musical elements into the arrangements, such as different strumming styles or fingerpicking patterns, rests, acapella, scat singing, modulation, and mashups.
Song modulates from the key of A to B before the last chorus
Discipleship and Charitable Work
One of the great joys of the Christian faith is to come alongside others as they continue on in the journey of following Christ. As a father of three children, the many ways I sacrificially love and care for them while providing leadership and guidance also come into play in God's family, the church. Our culture tends to teach us to be inwardly focused when it comes to family—to make it the ultimate thing in this world where the currency of loyalty and pride are emphasized over and against treating others (who offer zero benefits to you, not continuing your lineage or becoming heirs to your self-absorbed legacy) as family.
A shared meal, coffee meeting, or Zoom call, a chance encounter leading to a powerful moment of ministering and prayer, may seem like insignificant temporal blips in life. However, in Jesus' Kingdom, these are investments into eternity. It's been an honor to spend time with people at CCB and RH, leaders from other Regions Beyond churches, and pioneers from other spheres like Relational Mission.
It is also an immense joy to interact with people at the Food Pantry. Recently, I've focused my efforts on:
Providing care for an older woman called Jenny, who is grieving the loss of her husband.
Engaging with a group of guys who come to the Food Pantry with a social worker called Mohommed. It's my goal to make them smile or laugh, especially after witnessing some of them coming in with tears in their eyes (and not ready to open up). From what I have learned, these men have either struggled with addiction or have criminal backgrounds or both.
Growing in my relationships with the regulars, many of which are homeless and/or have fled their native countries to seek asylum in the UK.
Dialoging with Muslims who have shared some of their grievances with me about their own faith, such as extremist or radical views and the unwillingness to assimilate to British culture.
*This coming week we are doing a Christmas toy drive for the families who come to the Food Pantry. It’s an excellent opportunity for them to invite others who are also less fortunate and to create awareness about Christmas in our local area.
Prayer Requests
Pray that the Lord will provide for our ministry through His people, covering any deficits and making our funding whole. We believe the Lord will cover any gap, and we trust He is sovereign over all aspects of our funding. We pray the Lord honors each and every financial sacrifice made in resourcing His mission through our ministry.
Pray for Jenny, who lost her husband and is now in a period of bereavement during the holidays. We connected her with some local resources and support groups provided by the city and other charities/parachurch organizations.
Pray for Bibarg, a student from Pakistan who recently became a follower of Christ. He comes from a devout Muslim family, and as a result of his new faith, his parents have cut him off financially. He has put a pause on his studies at the University of Bristol and is now looking for a job. He was traveling back and forth between Birmingham and Bristol and is currently staying with his Muslim sister, who, at this point, is not speaking to him but is still allowing him to live there. He has found a home at CCB, and we are coming alongside him in love, prayer, and support, as well as helping him find work.
Pray for Angela, a student from Pakistan who is friends with Bibarg. I was introduced to her by a Muslim “Auntie” who said she is interested in exploring Christianity. She is also studying at the University of Bristol and has come back to Birmingham from time to time to attend CCB and come to the Food Pantry.
Pray for my ongoing efforts to mentor and disciple people in the church who are interested in leveraging their musical abilities (from beginner to advanced skill levels) for the Kingdom of God. Apart from the music, it provides an excellent opportunity to engage in general discipleship and discuss spiritual matters in our daily lives.
Pray for our interactions with people at the Food Pantry, which ranges from Social Workers who bring in a group of guys from a local HMO (House in Multiple Occupation), Muslims, Asylum Seekers/Refugees, and the homeless (residing in temporary accommodation).
Praise Report
Praise God for the news that Lorraine’s brain tumor has shrunk down! I still stop by our old neighborhood to check in with Ray and Lorraine perchance to offer prayer and support.
Praise God for Bibarg’s story of redemption!
Praise God for the immense spiritual growth that Steph has experienced in recent months as she continues to fight each day to recover! There have been some key revelations regarding her past and things she was unknowingly harboring that have produced in her a faith more valuable than gold.
Praise God for a few students and several young adults who have begun calling CCB their home church! It’s been an honor to minister to them and learn each of their stories.
Praise God for Coral’s eldest son, Joseph, who has joined me on a few occasions to play lead guitar in the worship band. He has shown some great development and musical instincts while adding fills and lead parts to each setlist.
END-OF-YEAR GIVING
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