New Interactions & Updates
Glorify God. Love People.
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
Diverse Interactions
*Note: names have been changed to protect people’s identities.
Chance
Chance is a former North Londoner of Nigerian descent, an outspoken Arsenal supporter, and a Roman Catholic. I’ve spent several months learning his story. Our chats often range between soccer updates, especially how Arsenal will top Chelsea (my team) this year in the Premier League, and bonding over Christian Apologetics, specifically on engagement with Muslims. We’ve also had fruitful conversations about the distinctive and shared views of Evangelicalism and Catholicism.
Cherrie
Cherrie is a Jamaican woman who lives in West Bromwich. We usually bond over chats about family and what it’s like having many siblings. She often tells stories about her children and grandchildren while observing Enzo and AJ at the Food Pantry, serving alongside their daddy. She recently shared that she once was part of the Jehovah’s Witnesses for some time but found it too rigid and dogmatic. I concurred and shared about the nature of Grace, which distinguishes Christianity from all other world religions and faith systems. Then I told her about the new church plant in West Brom called Living Hope Church, which is currently holding monthly preview services with a plan to launch weekly Sunday services at the start of the New Year. She was open to the idea of checking out the new church and wanted to hear more.
David
David is a local working-class Brummie of African descent and has been in between jobs for some time. He has openly expressed frustration over the hardship in finding employment, and when I offered to pray for him, he initially rejected it, stating, “What is that going to do? I have to be the one to go out there and find it.” I respectfully reiterated the offer with a brief quote often attributed to St Augustine: “Pray as if everything depends on God. Work as if everything depends on you.” He looked at me contemplatively, and I could tell the gears were moving, and his heart was softening. He responded reluctantly with, “Well, now you’ve just made a point.” I left it there and assured him I would be in prayer over his search for a job.
Jemma
Jemma is an older woman originally from Barbados. Since starting work at the Food Pantry, Jemma has been very kind and easy to connect with. We often prayed together and discussed big faith questions like what happens when we die. After she was recently diagnosed with cancer, I’ve been checking in with her and praying for her more regularly. She’s had several appointments to confirm it through biopsy, and we’re glad to see her family beginning to get more involved in her care. Unfortunately, she also spent many months worrying about her husband Lionel, who was showing signs of dementia, such as frequently leaving the stove on—filling the kitchen with carbon monoxide. I suggested she have her son install a detector nearby to ensure someone immediately turns off the stove. Jemma would often share her concerns about his health, and sadly, I just found out that Lionel passed away a few days ago.
Sheilah
Sheilah is a migrant from Iran who found herself in a terrible domestic situation with her now ex-husband. After getting acquainted and having various opportunities to minister to her along with our other leaders at the Food Pantry, she began exploring Christianity by attending Friday English classes and Sunday services at Christ Church Birmingham (CCB). She also began taking college courses in Accounting and English and was recently moved by the City Council to Harborne in the south of Birmingham. In a recent conversation, I mentioned getting her connected with the leaders of our church plant in the South (Moseley/King’s Heath).
Updates
Week of Prayer
Christ Church Birmingham (CCB) facilitated a week of prayer—scheduling a mixture of in-person interactive and online Zoom prayer meetings. There were also opportunities to connect with the broader network of Regions Beyond churches in the UK and worldwide.
It’s fantastic to see all the ways the Lord is leading and doing new redemptive work through His people in countries like:
China
Liberia
Nepal
Netherlands
Philippines
Sierra Leone
South Africa
United States
Preaching from 1 Corinthians
I was assigned the heavy task of preaching on sexual immorality from 1 Corinthians, chapters 5 and 6. I was only given 30 minutes to unpack this vast topic, but I did my best to expound the text and distill the issue of sexual integrity and misconduct.
To be honest, in order to do justice to the topic, it would take its own extensive sermon series to properly cover all the nuances and details related to sexual ethics and the sexualization of our modern Western culture.
A companion article that will help expand on the sermon is in the works and will be published soon!
You can check out the sermon here:
Worship Team Meeting
Last week, we had a round-up of all the Worship Leaders from CCB to discuss A/V logistics and best practices, coordination with other parts of the Sunday team, scheduling rehearsals, and building a worship setlist.
The conversation surrounding building a worship setlist included varying views on the purpose of worship at CCB:
By the power of the Holy Spirit—ushering the congregation into worship and bringing them on a journey toward God’s presence.
Doubling up on the message for that particular Sunday—reinforcing the themes and points, especially the song played after the sermon.
*In addition to these approaches, there’s the intentional flow of sharing the Gospel within the setlist.
Worship at Redemption Hill
Worship Band consisted of:
Joseph on Lead Guitar
Noble on Keyboard
Treasure on Drums
Debbie on Backup Vocals
Me on Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
With only a single rehearsal session in the morning before the start of Sunday service and an ambitious plan to incorporate various elements into the set, I was impressed with how the team gelled together. 🙌🏽