October 2018

A Day in the Life of…

Alongside the work I’m doing on redesigning Agapé’s website I also assist our different ministry teams at the HQ and in the field with their technology needs. No two days are the same.

At the end of August one of my colleagues left his current IT role, and in mid-September my other colleague went on paternity leave. I would appreciate prayer for wisdom as I tackle technology problems alongside my development work.

A Day Together

FamilyLife has a full line-up of A Day Together events beginning this month in London at a church specifically for South Africans, heading over to Germany in early November, and then back to the UK to complete the month.

Lisa and I are speaking at the 17th November event in Worthing which is on England’s south coast.

Here’s the full schedule. Please pray for those attending:

  • 7th October: London
  • 13th October: Manchester
  • 3rd November: Cambridge
  • 10th November: Du?sseldorf, Germany
  • 17th November: Worthing

Conferences

I had the privilege to attend the Agapé Europe conference in Switzerland this Summer. We heard several motivating speakers from around the world underscore a clear direction by Agapé’s leadership of making Jesus known in all of the cities in which we work.

     

It was also a good chance to connect with other IT staff from different countries across Europe and how we might better collaborate and share our technologies in order to be more efficient and effective in our work.

A few weeks after the wider Agapé conference, Agapé UK held a smaller gathering for just UK staff in rural Leicestershire.

Both of these conferences have given me the opportunity to refocus, as well as motivate and energize me, especially in light of the extra care my father is needing right now.

A Weekend in Bremen

In 2005, while still in South Dakota, we hosted Tanja, a foreign exchange student from Bremen, Germany. She was with us the whole school year.

Fast forward 12 years to a few weekends ago when Lisa, Ethan and I drove the short 1,100-mile round trip to attend her wedding in Bremen.

Lisa presented a 5-minute talk at the ceremony, in German no less, based on the principles we share at our A Day Together events. Many, including the couple, commented on how helpful it was.

Ministry Focus: Agapé Student Life

One of the teams I’m proud to support in my technical role is Agapé Student Life. Agapé Student Life want to take the initiative to explain the gospel in a clear and understandable way to university students who have never been given the opportunity to hear or respond to Jesus.

This can happen through face-to-face conversations on campus, Student Life community gatherings (where faith is a topic of discussion for Christian and non- Christians alike), and evangelical Bible Study groups, as well as the simple method of ongoing friendships.

There is a desire for our staff to be active in sharing their faith, but more importantly that key students are coached and helped to live a lifestyle of audacious faith-sharing, whatever the context, following Agapé’s Win-Build-Send model.

Please be praying for the reach and impact of the Student Life teams.

A Weekend to Remember

In 2006, for our 10th Wedding anniversary, Lisa and attended A Weekend to Remember event in Sioux Falls. It was this event where we began the journey to join staff with Campus Crusade for Christ (FamilyLife) to where we’re now serving in the UK.

Now we’re not saying our path is for everyone, but we can highly recommend attending the upcoming event in Sioux Falls on 2nd-4th November. Please let us know if you’d like more information on this or other events, either in the US or UK.

Lisa’s Updates

Hey! Lisa here. I wanted to take a chance to thank you for your prayers and support for the work God has called each of us to and to give a small update on my work at The Bread House.

The team has been working hard to improve the service we offer our community and has released a new menu this week in order to appeal to a wider audience and to truly help people, “eat, drink, and thrive” as our tag line says.

We have also met some folks who might partner with us to expand our service to the community with nutrition and training tips. I am very excited at this possibility and ask you would pray that I listen to God’s lead rather than run off in my own direction. I trust God laid this desire on my heart and I want to ensure I do it His way, so it can truly bless everyone involved.

Thank you for helping us serve in the unique opportunities God has given us. Do drop us a line. We would love to hear from you too!

Prayer and Praise

Thank you for continuing to pray for us and your support. Please pray for…

  • the health and care of our parents: Lisa’s mom was recently in hospital in Sioux Falls, SD, and Chris’ dad is struggling with his walking and general independence.
  • Ethan as he begins taking driving lessons. Please pray for his safety and success in this endeavor.
  • a fruitful gap year for Ethan as he seeks to determine his career path and develop new skills.

And give praise for…

  • God’s Words to share at Tanja’s wedding and for His safety in our long drive to/from Germany.
  • lives that are being impacted directly or indirectly through our work.