Corsham

Town Center

Mark at the local Red Cross Charity Shop

Steph and the kids checked out some local charity shops, where we regularly find deals on seasonal kids’ clothing. On her first visit, while Steph was at the front till, she sensed that the shop assistant was having a rough day. Judging by his pointed replies during a brief chat, he seemed forlorn. He had watched Steph console our son, Enzo, as she embraced him and reassured him that everything would be okay. As Steph was checking out, he remarked that he wished someone would tell him everything would be okay, and that he wished he and his mother still shared a hug.

As they made their way out, Steph felt the Lord prompt her to go back in, share her faith, and offer to pray for him. He then opened up that he has been attending the local Baptist Church on and off. He applauded Steph’s boldness and contrasted it with the lack of openness in British people to speak about their faith. He said, “We definitely need more of that here.”

Ciara, Irish or Northern Irish Bookstore Owner 🇮🇪

The first time Steph took the kids into the bookstore, the owner was very sweet and welcoming. She could tell Steph was having a rough time with a couple of the kids having meltdowns due to the heat, so she took the opportunity to introduce herself to the kids and offer to read a book. They happily obliged. We’ve been in a few times since and have had lovely interactions.

Gulliver & Sophie at the local Health Food Shop

We’ve become regulars at a local health food shop, mainly because they have clean-ingredient snack bars for the kids. Sophie, the shopkeeper, excels at small talk and often recalls details from the last conversation. We’re hoping to build a bridge for conversations about faith and to learn about the community’s local needs.

Ope & Reuben 🇳🇬 🇬🇧

I took the kids out for a bike ride in the town center and stopped at a local coffee shop, where we met a father and son. I introduced myself, and after a brief chat, we exchanged contact details to set up a walk. After a few follow-ups, we picked up the conversation and agreed to schedule a time to hang out and watch NFL games when the new season picks up.

Jane

During a brief intermission in a meeting with my line manager, I met a lovely lady named Jane, who was sitting at an adjacent table. We exchanged pleasantries and talked about how lovely the city and area are. Once she learned what I do for work, she opened up about her faith and how she needs to go back to church. She mentioned that a good friend of hers is a strong Christian and regularly encourages her to come to church.

Family-run Fish & Chip shop 🇭🇰🇨🇳

On my way back from working out in the town center, I happened upon a fish and chip shop tucked away on a side street next to a sit-down Chinese restaurant. The two businesses looked connected, so I asked if they ran both shops, and the lady shared that she’d recently sold the restaurant after running it for many years and had done the same with other restaurants over the years. I gathered that she was from Hong Kong and had moved to the UK as an entrepreneur.

Our Neighborhood

Sue & Mary (& Son)

Sue and Mary, two sweet older women, came by to welcome us to the neighborhood. They brought a couple of small bags of sweets (candy) for the children, which was wonderfully hospitable. Sue noticed two pine dining chairs with armrests lying off to the side, one of which needed some attention, and expressed interest in the pair. I had been clearing out the garage to organize items and furniture to give to a local charity and offered to mend the chairs and bring them over to her home across the street.

Sue had also given us a card, with a short welcome, signed off with “God bless you.” Later that day, I went over to bring the two dining chairs and noticed that Sue had 1 Timothy 1:15 framed on her windowsill. She came by later that evening to thank me for the chairs, and I shared that I am not only a Christian but also a minister.

Mary was interested in Steph’s walker, which she had used for the past two years during the tumultuous path toward recovery. She asked how much we wanted for it, so I reluctantly gave her an amount. When she came by a few days later to pay for it and pick it up, I felt compelled to give it to her for free, especially because the walker was intended for her son, who currently struggles with disabilities and is trying to get out of the house more often. Mary was surprised at the gesture, and decided to settle the matter by allowing us to keep half the amount while giving the other half as a donation to a local charity.

In later conversations, Sue asked about Newfrontiers and Relational Mission, and about plans to plant a church in Corsham. I couldn’t give a definitive answer about such a venture. Instead, I shared that our church is open to giving us space to establish our ministry, develop initiatives, and trust the Lord for grace and wisdom along the way.

Richard

Sue introduced me to Richard, a caretaker who does some garden work for her. She has been witnessing to him for a little while and shared that he hasn’t fully wrapped his mind around the faith but is open. When he shook my hand, it was apparent he had his guard up, saying very little, but just enough to trade pleasantries. I found out he’s originally from Swindon and is somewhat new to the area. We’ve begun praying for him and are looking forward to more opportunities to chat about life and faith.

Michael

Living next door to us is an older man called Michael. We’ve noticed he always wears dapper attire—dressed to the nines. A callback to when most men wore ties every day, whether for work or leisure. He welcomed us to the neighborhood and told us when to put bins (garbage cans) out each week. I shared the horrible experience of the bin strike in Birmingham, which lasted over 2 years, when piles of garbage bags were everywhere, and recyclables were never picked up. He was kind enough to offer to run our excess cardboard from the move down to the tip (recycling center).

Vimal, Bhawish, & Hiral | Convenience Store Owners from India 🇮🇳

In the center of town, there’s a newsagent/convenience store that sells all sorts of knick-knacks and essential household goods. It’s owned by an Indian family—a married couple and their brother. In a brief chat with Vimal, the brother, I learned that he has some family in Pennsylvania but has had very few opportunities to visit them. We’ve come back on other occasions for refreshments during a hot day, birthday balloons, and a newspaper for an attempt at creating paper mache decorations.

Jill

I went over to introduce myself on a day when the kids were out playing in the front garden. So far, I had only seen her and waved to her during the initial viewing of the property back in May. She welcomed me to the neighborhood and made a self-deprecating comment about being hard of hearing, assuring me that the kids being their usual noisy selves is no worry at all.

Mohammed | Family from Bangladesh 🇧🇩

We live near a path that has a lot of footfall, so we constantly see people walking down our street. I’ve encouraged the kids to say short prayers for passersby—primarily for revelation and transformative encounters with Christ. Setting up the occasion, I brought out my guitar to fill the air with sounds of worship.

A Bangladeshi family stopped by to say hello. They have a son and daughter around the same age as our two younger children. We noticed their daughter was very social and friendly toward our youngest, Shilo. I later saw Mohammed at the local food bank during my first day observing and shadowing staff and volunteers.

Dave & Steve at Corsham Churches Foodbank

I was pleased to find that the local food bank was within walking distance from our home. After brunch with some new friends from Relational Mission, I turned up on a Saturday morning to inquire about working with them as a continuation of my work at the Christ Church Food Pantry in Aston, Birmingham. They invited me to be on their rota for the upcoming Autumn term.

Johannes 🇩🇪 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

During my first shift at the food bank, I was paired with a young half-German, half-English lad called Johannes. We worked together to pack food in bags for people who turned up. The greeter walked through the packing slip and available vouchers for the nearby Co-op Supermarket and local Greengrocer.

During some downtime, I spoke with Johannes about the church and applauded his desire to contribute his time to charitable work. You don’t see very many youth or young adults eager to do things like this in the UK. We talked about our families and what life was like growing up in Corsham, then shifted to church and faith. He shared that he was raised Catholic, and whereas his mother is very devout, his father is an atheist. He grew up in a state-funded Catholic school that didn’t permit any skepticism—he felt there was no safe place to ask questions or air grievances. I expressed how disheartening it was to hear about his experience and how it contributed to his turning away from the faith entirely.

I prodded a bit more by asking what sort of hang-ups he had about Christianity. He looked surprised at the question, because he wasn’t used to anyone caring to ask. As he fumbled for words, the first doctrine he said he had trouble reconciling was the Trinity.

Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, & Somer Valley

Ivana from the Genesis Trust | Bath

After surveying a few social action charities in the area, I came across The Genesis Trust (GT). GT focuses on helping the homeless, hungry, and vulnerable in Bath/North East Somerset. They provide immediate relief such as food, clothing, and furniture, as well as long-term support through skills workshops and mentoring to help people move from crisis to independence.1

David from Fusion UK | Bristol

I met David back in 2023 at a Fresher’s Fair at the University of Wolverhampton, Walsall campus. We exchanged contact details, and I told him I’d reach back out because our family felt led to the South West. We recently reconnected in June, with the move to Bath on the horizon, and planned a time to meet to discuss best practices in student ministry in the South West.

In a forthcoming article, I will share a brief transcription of an interview I conducted with David. His heart for University students, combined with his years of experience on staff and in the missions world, gave us a lot of common ground for inquiry.

Go West Leaders | Cardiff & Bath 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

It was great to get together with the Go West (GW) Leaders at a recent BBQ. GW currently consists of nine married couples; two were away at the time, and one other family from Wales, along with our own, had young children present. River Church Bath (RCB) leaders present represented Wiltshire, Bath, and the Somer Valley.

It was a fun-filled time of learning names, hearing and telling stories about life and ministry, sharing a meal, and getting more acquainted. Steph baked some dark chocolate chip cookies for the occasion, which were very well received.

Local Leaders Gatherings

Once a month, I’ll be attending meetings with other local leaders in Bath and Cardiff to build bridges, foster fellowship, and promote unity. Leaders from Cornerstone Church, River Church, and Emmanuel Church round out the lineup, and we’re hoping others will join us to pray, worship, and share from the Scriptures.

Ongoing Connections

Dr. Il Joo Kong, Korean researcher, minister, and missionary 🇰🇷

The month before we prepared to move, I had the honor of meeting a wonderfully gifted and distinguished academic, researcher, minister, and missionary named Dr. Il Joo Kong. He and his wife were visiting the UK to teach at various churches and to conduct interviews for his research. I was grateful to be counted among those he interviewed regarding my experiences with believers from Muslim backgrounds.

Dr. Kong is fluent in Arabic, and his primary work revolves around Muslim engagement—Qur’anic/Islamic studies, Christian-Muslim engagement, missiology, and ministry among Muslims. I learned that he and his lovely wife have served as missionaries in the Middle East, engaging in ministry in Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon. He is currently serving as the Director of the Middle East & Africa Research Institute.

I’m happy to report that Dr. Kong has asked me to develop a forthcoming article/journal submission, which he will publish as a contribution in his research institute’s journal.

Sid, an American Missionary 🇺🇸 to the UAE 🇦🇪

The missionary I have been coaching in ministry partnership development (MPD) has officially launched to the mission field in the UAE. In the lead-up, we had time to catch up, exchange updates, and pray for a seamless transition to the field, even as the ache of missing family began to surface. It was also a good time to share a bit of our own journey to the mission field as an expression of empathy and encouragement.

I’m proud of all the Lord has accomplished through her in building a Sending Team, and I pray her gifts and experience will advance His Kingdom and proclaim the Good News in the Arab world.

Simon, an asylum seeker from Eritrea 🇪🇷

Ever since we met and built a friendship in Birmingham, I have stayed in contact with Simon, a young aspiring worship leader. The last time we saw one another in person was when he took a surprise trip back to Birmingham for church service after a class he was attending in London. He currently lives in Peterborough, where the Home Office placed him, and is still awaiting approval of his asylum status.

We’ve done a couple of video-call guitar lessons and plan to resume now that our family has settled into the new city and church.

Olu, an ordained Nigerian minister 🇳🇬

One of our Nigerian contacts and close friends from Birmingham phoned me to ask about ministry opportunities for a good friend of hers, called Olumide. He’s an ordained minister from Nigeria who has recently completed a graduate degree and is looking for a church to partner with in the UK. After some deliberation about mutual interest and checking with my line manager, we invited Olu to come to the More Together Festival in Ipswich at the end of August. This will be the best way forward to begin forging a relationship with Relational Mission.

Family Visit

My parents came out for a couple of weeks at the tail end of a holiday in Europe, starting in London, England, and encompassing Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France. We had a wonderful time together, and it was lovely to have them around to celebrate our two sons’ birthdays, Enzo and Shilo.

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It recently dawned on us that our family has moved 6 times in a span of 6 years. That frequency alone, in such a short period, would send shockwaves through any household, disrupting all normal rhythms. We can’t help but expect that our mission comes with the signals and signposts of our spiritual sojourning. How we define home has been utterly transformed into a core conviction that is mindful of the temporal nature of our lives but onward-looking to the eternal.

I often hold onto the Truth of our sending, which has shaped our lives to such an extent that we view Jesus’ Commission as of the utmost importance, laying aside other would-be priorities which have all become cruciformed and enveloped by it. As ambassadors of Jesus’ Kingdom, we are like envelopes containing the Gospel with people’s names and addresses written upon us.

1 – August 2020

San Diego, CA ➡️ Danville, CA

Our first step of faith toward launching to the UK mission field was our move from San Diego to the Bay Area (northern California). I worked various odd jobs, such as safety rail/line installation in Los Angeles, roofing/general contracting gigs, moving (removals), and a restoration company based in San Diego, while raising support for the mission after leaving full-time gainful employment. For me, this meant going all in on raising support full-time while Steph maintained remote admin work with a stellar San Diego-based commercial real estate company we’re still connected to today.

We hired a small POD unit, which gave us ample time to carefully load our belongings while we listed bigger furniture for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Grateful for my parents, who welcomed our then family of three into their home—the house I grew up in. Steph grew quite fond of Danville as well as Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco during our few months there.

2 – December 2020

Danville, CA ➡️ Bicester, England

As a family of three, with baby #2 on the way, we took our first of many 10-11 hour flights to London Heathrow in early December. As part of the Visa application, we had to inform the Home Office where we would reside upon arrival. There were other protocols to mind while the pandemic was in full swing, and although the airline had misplaced some of our luggage, we breathed a sigh of relief once we arrived at a small Airbnb in Bicester, England.

One of our area managers lived close by, so our mission leadership recommended a month-long stay to allow our family to acclimate slowly to the English climate. I remember celebrating a quiet Christmas, as things tend to come to a grinding halt at schools, local businesses, and council services at the end of the year, as many speculated about when the COVID restrictions would be lifted. There was a playground and a small grocery nearby, which allowed us to get into a day-to-day routine while we touched base with the UK field team via Zoom calls. Cooking our own meals and taking regular walks, sometimes with Oxford church leaders, helped us feel welcomed and used to life in a new country.

Bicester is situated just 12 miles from Oxford, which meant relatively straightforward public transport, giving us a helpful proximity for searching for long-term rental properties. Our church met in a cinema in the heart of the city, so we prayerfully searched for a house that gave us easy access.

3 – January 2021

Bicester, England ➡️ Oxford, England

We took multiple bus trips from Bicester into Oxford to find a rental property. So much so that our son, Enzo, became fond of buses and always looked forward to journeying into the city. I remember how empty Oxford was during the pandemic, at the height of restrictions, when we were always masked, under strict curfew, and socially distanced. It was like a ghost town and an urban/landscape photographer’s dream.

The Lord led us to a 2-bedroom cottage in an area called Botley, less than 3 miles west of the city center. On the day of the viewing, we stopped by the local post office to pick up our Biometrics Residence Permits and made our way to the house. We arrived earlier than the estate agent, which gave us a chance to meet the landlord, who just so happened to be unlocking the property. That first impression was enough to persuade the landlord to select us among an array of other applicants interested in the property. 

Once approved, a fellow leader from our Oxford church helped us relocate to the new house. All we had to move was the luggage that flew with us on the plane, as all of our stuff was still in transit across the Atlantic via a modular shipping container. When our shipping container finally arrived a few months later, we were only permitted one person from another household to come and help unload due to COVID lockdown measures.

4 – April 2023

Oxford, England ➡️ Birmingham, England

Before the end of 2021, we sensed that our mission org and path would need to shift due to a lack of long-term fit. This kicked off a prayerful search for a new mission org and church sponsor to trust the Lord with the path forward to continue the UK assignment.

In early 2022, we eagerly flew home to attend my youngest brother’s wedding. I was given the honor of officiating, which also allowed me to share the Gospel with our extended family. It was a momentous occasion because it was the first time our daughter, AJ, was introduced to grandparents, my brothers, and the rest of the family.

The next 6 months in the US became a discernment period, filled with networking with US and UK contacts, vetting mission orgs, weighing alternative pathways, and eventually finding the way forward. We chose to partner with a church-planting org called Gateway Leadership Initiative, where one of my long-time mentors, Rick, serves as the Executive Director. After receiving some advice from an immigration solicitor, we planned a return to the UK to meet with local leaders and prayerfully consider opportunities.

We spent another 6 months in the UK traveling from Oxford to various areas and cities (Birmingham, Bournemouth, Exeter, Reading, and Sheffield). During this period, we got acquainted with Coral Cook and his family, who in turn introduced us to Steve and the leaders at Christ Church Birmingham (CCB). Christ Church went through the licensing process and, once approved, sponsored both Coral and me (along with our families) to join in what the Lord was doing in Birmingham.

A brief turnaround trip to San Diego in early 2023 resulted in our visas being approved, enabling us to relocate from Oxford to Birmingham. As Christ Church Birmingham is based in Aston, just north of the city center, we were encouraged to look for housing in nearby areas such as Handsworth, Perry Barr, Erdington, Oscott, and Sutton, where many members of the congregation lived. We were grateful that the Lord led us to a home close to Steve, my line manager, which helped us settle into the area well.

5 – July 2024

Birmingham, England ➡️ Birmingham, England

Toward the beginning of 2024, our family was hit with a rent increase, and then a 60-day notice to vacate due to the landlord’s desire to put the property on the market for sale. We weren’t expecting to have to move after only a little over a year of the tenancy. Our son, Shilo, had just been born and Steph had just injured her knee (severe impingement and chronic inflammation).

We recall reaching out to a Christian estate agent to inquire about our rights as renters in the UK. There was no way around the notice, given the landlord’s insistence on selling the property. A couple of weeks into searching, we came across a property at the edge of Oscott and Sutton, about 4 miles away, which actually put us closer to Steve. The curious thing was it was only listed on one of the four popular real estate property portal (search sites).

After receiving no return calls or emails, I decided to drive out to the estate agent’s office to ask about the house. They were surprised I turned up at the office at a time they wouldn’t normally have been around, and they were interested in our application because of our persistence. In a quick turnaround and with a recommendation from our previous estate agent, our application was accepted and swiftly approved.

The only easy thing about this move was the short distance of travel between properties. It was nothing like the Oxford to Birmingham move, but it was one of the most difficult because Steph was injured and was unable to contribute her usual brand of planning and packing expertise.

6 – June 2026

Birmingham, England ➡️ Corsham, England

After our new visa was approved, we prepared to embark on our sixth move in six years. Bath, England is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. At just 11 square miles and a population of just under 100,000, its stature does little to diminish its historic appeal or significance. Known especially for its ancient Roman heritage and distinct architecture, the city remains one of the most sought-after places to live in the UK, as reflected in the cost of housing. For example, current 3-4 bedroom houses and flats within the city are listed from £1,600 to £8,000 per month (approximately $2,157 to $10,787 per month).

We considered several areas recommended by my line manager, including Southdown near the church building, the Somer Valley (Peasedown St. John, Radstock, and Midsomer Norton), South East Bristol (around Keynsham), and communities near Colerne (Corsham/Marshfield/Chippenham). Properties outside Bath generally offered a wider range of housing types and more affordable rent.

The Lord led us to Corsham, a quaint market town just east of Bath, where we found an affordable single-story house. The property attracted considerable interest, with three separate rounds of viewings held over three weeks, so we put our best foot forward by including a personal cover letter with our application. We prayed and entrusted the outcome to the Lord.

Moving from a four-bedroom, two-story linked-detached house into a small three-bedroom bungalow required us to downsize. This meant offloading furniture and other household items. We were grateful that the Lord prompted us to find new homes for many of these belongings among people within the Birmingham & Beyond family of churches who had need of them.

In our forthcoming article, we’ll share some new and diverse interactions with people in and around Corsham and Bath.

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*All charitable donations given to our ministry are tax-deductible.

We’re praying for the Lord to provide 15 new ministry partners to stand with us in faith and support for our ministry in Bath, UK.

*The chart above provides examples of how others have prayerfully partnered with us over the years.

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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.

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.

Prayer Requests

By all accounts, my journey as a musician has always followed a pattern of late blooming. My parents tried to introduce me to different instruments when I was a child, but I was more interested in sports like basketball and American football, as well as outdoor activities like biking and exploring with my friends. Even still, music was undoubtedly a primary marker of my milieu. In a forthcoming article in my music and worship series, I will interview my pops to review 10 songs from the 70s, uncover the origins of his eclectic musical taste, and discuss how he has left an indelible mark and influence on my musical journey.

I had this naive notion that everyone could carry a tune or hear pitch, only to find that it was more about the high standard deviation of musicality in Filipino culture than a common trait among the population at large. There was always an encouragement to participate, and I was always within earshot of someone singing along to a favorite song. To use a Filipino term, music was my sonic kapaligiran.

Kapaligiran – a deep, holistic connection between humanity, nature, and God, serving as a vital “home,” rather than merely one’s surroundings or environment.

When I did pick up an instrument, I focused solely on guitar, cutting my teeth on a steel-string acoustic (my first love and my pops’ instrument of choice). I also dabbled with nylon string on occasion and really got immersed once I laid my hands on an electric guitar. I was forever hooked. For about 5 years or so, there was never a day I didn’t have a guitar in my hands—whether I was letting off some steam studying for Finals (exams) or just happening upon a jam session while hanging out with some buddies. In college, I habitually hung out in the campus quad, which was always teeming with people, and played and sang songs between classes. It was a great icebreaker and crowd-drawer, and I can’t tell you how many friends I made through a shared interest in music. I’d turn up at open mics to play covers and flourished in varying-sized garages to write music with friends, some of whom were part of up-and-coming bands in the Bay Area music scene.

Little did I know that many years later, the Lord would call me into ministry. My focus had long since shifted away from musicality and musicianship into a hunger to learn more about Christ. Although I still enjoyed discovering new music as an avid listener (especially with my two younger brothers), I very rarely picked up a guitar, and many knew me more for my pastoral leadership, rigorous study habits, and prayerful, prophetic preaching. Playing and singing on guitar had become secret talents no one really knew about. A campfire staple or party trick I would wander into if there happened to be a guitar present. What was once inseparable became a relic of disuse, a remnant of the old Gino. There is a tendency among artists to identify too deeply with their artistic work to the point where the gift becomes the self, and their vocation can displace everything else. Truly, during this time, the Lord was reshaping my identity to be first and foremost in Him.

There were soft shades of foreshadowing in the mid-2010s that gave me a glimpse of the capacity the Lord would later permit me to serve. Even whilst I was involved in the core leadership of a ministry focused on engaging digitally native audiences at the edges of traditional church engagement, staffed by creatives, artists, and musicians, not many knew I had this ace up my sleeve. It wasn’t until I arrived in Birmingham, England, that this broadened scope of ministering started to come into focus.

In 1 Chronicles 15, just as David instructed the Levites to appoint their brethren as musicians to usher the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, God had been orchestrating my background and development for such a time as to leverage all of my gifts and talents for His purposes and to usher His presence for His people. The following verses list Levites appointed as musicians and worship leaders, tasked with bringing the Ark into the city in the prescribed manner (Exodus 25:14-15 and Numbers 4:15, 7:9). Most notable are:

• Heman, the “musical prophet,” who wrote Psalm 88. He was the son of Joel and the grandson of the prophet Samuel, representing a restoration of faithfulness after his father, Joel’s, corruption. He was also among the sons of Korah, who produced some of Israel’s most beautiful contributions to the Psalter, such as the well-known Psalm 42.

• Asaph and Ethan, the Psalmist who authored Psalms 50, 73-83, and Psalm 89, respectively.

• Chenaniah (aka Kenaniah), the chief singer and music director, was in charge of “pitching the tune”—determining key and time for all musicians and singers.

I have been fashioned and formed by the Lord as some kind of precentor in the vein of these men. Serving as one who leads a congregation in singing and helps guide them on a journey of communion with God.

Future Worship Artists, Leaders, & Singers

For those who are considering learning how to play an instrument or sing for the first time in a worship setting, at whatever age, allow my story/testimony to exhort you. As a Filipino born-again follower of Christ, my default posture is to invite all to participate, regardless of skill level, natural ability, or supernatural gifting.

Musical learning and worship have been thoroughly incorporated and integrated into our family’s daily and weekly rhythms. We see it as a vital part of discipleship and faith formation—nurturing our families’ growth in Christ.

Steph

I’ve always noticed that Steph can hear pitch and carry a tune when singing along to a favorite song. She has the capability, but the only things she has lacked are confidence and the desire to practice.

My affirmations over the years have encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone and deepen her understanding of melody and harmony. She has expressed interest in joining me when I lead worship.

Here’s a fun video of Steph indulging me with an a cappella version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” for our 12 Days of Christmas, circa Winter 2020. (Click on photo to view).

*Steph’s timbre and tone remind me a lot of Norah Jones, a well-known singer I have referred to as her vocal twin.

Shilo

The first time I noticed my youngest’s interest in drums was at my friend Ruth’s baptismal service last August. During the luncheon after the service, I caught this wonderful moment of him grabbing a drumstick. Notice how he has to try every drum and cymbal within reach.

Every time we’re at church service, Shilo is always eyeing the drums. A few days before Easter (+ baptism) Sunday, this year, I was part of the setup team. We put the kit together first, and as we moved on to position mics, monitors, and the rest, we caught Roo doing this:

AJ

My daughter has always loved singing along with me whenever I play guitar. Steph and I have found that giving each of our kids their own ukulele has furthered their enthusiasm for music.

AJ, in particular, is very expressive with her voice and has expressed interest in learning bass guitar, so we’re looking for a good deal on a used ukulele bass (aka U-bass) somewhere.

Enzo

As far back as I can remember, Zo has always been enamored of singing and music in general. Whenever I would play, he would not only pause and watch me, but he’d also try to work out what was going on and where the sounds were coming from.

As a toddler, one of his favorite questions was, “What’s that sound?” Whether it was the wind trickling through wooden chimes or a sports car zooming by on the road, Zo was always trying to figure out where particular sounds came from.

Can I actually play drums?

For decades, I have never even thought of attempting to play drums. I was always intimidated by a full kit, as it required both gross and fine motor skills. Instead, I preferred to focus on specializing in singing and honing my craft on guitar.

But as each of our kids’ musical interests broadened, that naturally meant encompassing instruments beyond the purview of guitar. It all started with relearning how to play chords on a small keyboard to show Enzo a few songs, and he’s gotten really interested in playing piano more so than his ukulele.

When the junior drum kit arrived, I gave it a go to help Shilo learn how to practice. To my surprise, I had no idea drums came naturally to me until just recently.

It just goes to show you that it’s never too late to learn something new and to discover skills you never knew you had or ever thought were within your capabilities.

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Long Winter

As the stillness of Winter gave way to the budding and blooming of Spring, these last two months of March and April taught our family the hardest of lessons. From the pangs of grief doubled in strength to a brush with death, this is not how anyone would want to start a newsletter.

Even so, we know the value of vulnerability and the virtue of transparency that accompany the timely sharing of lowlights and losses, even when what’s expected is an explanation of delay in sending out this newsletter or more of the same—reporting from the mission field and real-time updates. After all, this is part of what it means to live authentically Christian lives.

Unlike our native California coast, the UK offers our family real seasonal change, which creates opportunities to build character. The subtle shift from Winter to Spring in the UK brings with it a repertoire of various weather conditions, not the least of which is rain. Over the years, we’ve taught the kids to consider how essential rain is for local flora and vegetation. Think of how they are nourished by the rain just as they are by the sun. Around us, there may be the warmth of life bustling in abundance, but sadly, within our household, we still feel cold, barren, and frail.

Two-Fold Grieving

At the beginning of March, after witnessing the Lord provide for our family in a remarkable way, He saw fit to take our surviving Holland Lop rabbit, Hugh. After 8 long years, which represented an era of Steph’s and my married life together, that part of our lives came to an abrupt end. Hugh had been with us through thick and thin, and even braved the journey across the pond with us to start a new life on mission.

Losing Hugh spurred on conversations with each of the kids; each had their own special relationship with him. We could tell that each was grieving in their own unique ways and asking lots of questions about death and where Hugh is now. When we lost Bristol 3 years ago, the grieving was bound up with the fact that we were out of the country and could not say proper good-byes. This time around, we all got to honor Hugh in a way that gave us closure.

Just before this loss, Steph and I found out we were pregnant with a fourth child. This added a wistful element to the grief—a longing for simpler times as newlyweds living in a small end-of-terrace cottage back in our native sunny San Diego.

The week leading up to Easter, we were about 7-8 weeks along, so we decided to have a private scan to confirm the pregnancy, which was at a similar timing to the scan we did for our son, Shilo (the NHS doesn’t do dating scans until 12 weeks). There we were, all huddled together in a dark room, Steph lying on the bed slightly reclined forward, our eyes transfixed by the secondary display mounted on the wall as the tech moved the transducer around her belly to show us our first glimpse of the baby. We saw slight twitches and heard a strong heartbeat, as we were told to expect a due date in mid-November. We left the facility with an ultrasound photo in hand and hearts filled with so much joy and hope, especially after all we’ve withstood the last 2 years. Steph and I had always envisioned raising four children and felt that someone was missing. On Easter Sunday, we eagerly shared the news with our immediate family, much to their excitement and glee.

A little over a week later, about midway through the week, Steph started to have some spotting/bleeding—a dreaded sight no mother ever wants to see, especially this far along into gestation. Her worst fear began to close in on her as anxiety waited in the wings to outflank any attempt at escape. Steph immediately got in touch with a midwife, and she was able to bypass the need for us to go to the A&E (ER). Instead, she pulled some strings and arranged an appointment for us at the Gynecology Assessment Unit (GAU) at the nearby hospital. We stormed heaven in prayer en route, even while anxiety began taking hold, and with each passing moment, its grip felt all the more constricting.

Upon our arrival, it took some time to find a parking spot—one of the most irritating features we have found commonplace in British hospitals. The situation was hardly helped by a broken ticket dispenser at the entrance and a lack of signage on what to do in lieu of a ticket. On the lengthy walk over, I surmised I would have to go to the ticket booth at the other end of the lot, so I split off from the family. Many in the queue remarked, in classic British fashion, that the hospital was just fine with handing out £60 penalties to people without a ticket, and that the best the parking clerk would do was quietly shrug his shoulders at everyone who complained.

I caught up with the family at the entrance to the Maternity Ward, then we took the elevator up to the GAU. We checked in and waited for what seemed like a lifetime before the staff nurse called Steph in. I recall leaning against the wall, staring down the long corridor lined with rooms and medical equipment into the distance. Tears welled up as I pleaded with the Lord to save our baby. Steph began to bleed heavily in the waiting room and had to rush into the bathroom. There she was met by one of the nurses who proceeded to provide individual care highlighted by a warm, empathic hug, as Steph wept in agony.

We were there most of the day, only to hear the devastating news that we lost the baby (just shy of 10 weeks, though a scan showed that its life had ended earlier, and her body took time to show any signs of this). 😢

This is the third time our family has traversed this dark valley of the shadow of miscarriage. We’ve had to endure much loss throughout the course of our marriage, so we’re no strangers to this depth of pain, but this one came with such a physical toll. Approximately 1% of women have experienced 3 or more miscarriages, whether recurrent or overall. Our firm belief that children are both a grace and a gift from the Lord has only been further substantiated. It doesn’t make it easier, especially when we’re traipsing through the thick fog of grief, where time seems to be stuck in the standstill of disbelief, while the rest of the world carries on.

Our souls feel marooned, left frayed from 2 devastating back-to-back losses, and ready to splinter. Steph shared how hollow she feels each time she would instinctively reach down to her belly, only to be pricked yet again by the painful reminder that our baby is gone. All of those first-trimester symptoms, those unique cravings (like always wanting matcha tea), have all ceased.

How can we even take one step into the future from here?

How do we look forward to anything in the aftermath?

How could we articulate words or even utter sounds that are cogent enough to express any meaning within the clutches of this pain?

How can we be cognizant of anything else?

How will we not be crushed by doubts and anxieties if we ever get pregnant again?

SUPPORT

• Christ Church Birmingham (CCB) has shown us so much love and support during this time. Steve and Jo popped by to see us, pray for us, and ensure we were aware of local bereavement resources. Our fellow leaders personally reached out to express their condolences, and many have participated in a meal train, which has taken a lot of the weight off me so I can be there for Steph.

• River Church Bath has also expressed their support for our family, leveraging the prayers of many, and looking forward to welcoming us to Bath, UK.

• Restored Family of Churches has connected us with their affiliate care and counseling firm to offer support to Steph and me during this difficult time of grief and transition.

• Dear friends and family from across the pond have sent loving messages and funds for meals.

Brush with death

We opted to come home because Steph (a) hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since breakfast, and if she had stayed and the bleeding continued, they would not have allowed her to eat anything before any potential surgical intervention, (b) we’ve gone through this before, and (c) we’re sensible enough to know when we would need to come back. We were told to expect small contractions and advised to monitor how much blood Steph was losing as we awaited the placenta, gestational sac, etc., to pass through.

When we got back home from the hospital, the flow was growing in intensity for a couple of hours, then it lessened a few hours later, and with it a sigh of relief. I proceeded to do bedtime routines after a quick dinner and tidy. Suddenly, things went south, and the bleeding was very heavy, and at around 9:30 pm, just as the last child had fallen asleep, Steph messaged me that she was going to pass out. I quickly sprinted downstairs and found her unconscious, slumped down from the couch, and hunched forward. The lights were out, and I knelt down to grab hold of her firmly, shook her shoulders, and was able to rouse her. She slurred her words but acknowledged me. I flipped on a light and saw that she was pale white, particularly her lips. She was losing way too much blood!

The thought of losing her crossed my mind as I picked her up and rushed her to the car. I subsequently collected each child from their slumber and put them in the car one by one. Steph later recounts her body seizing up while in the bathroom as if lactic acid had built up all over and contracted all at once. She remembers staggering back to the living room, drenched with sweat, her vision blurred as things began to swirl all around her. Before passing out, she remembers a sudden loss of all other senses and sliding off the couch onto the floor.

Thankfully, we had a bag of essentials ready to go in case we needed to rush back to the hospital, which included some spare clothes, a blanket, and snacks for the kids. We arrived at a near-empty parking lot, which we had never seen before. I pulled up to the entrance, sat Steph on her walker, and rolled her up to the Ward. The doctor saw her almost immediately, and much of the clots and pregnancy tissue were being passed, one of the most traumatic moments for Steph. She was admitted for monitoring and fluids overnight, and I took the kids home at around 11:30 pm. The kids and I decided to camp out downstairs together for the night in anticipation of hearing back from her or the hospital the next morning.

The next day, Steph was cleared, so we were able to take her home, and she has been resting, recovering, and grieving ever since.

I have described death in the past as a growing, inescapable shadow that looms over our lives, creeping ever closer with each passing day. We try not to think of it, and by all accounts, resolve to avoid any mention in favor of escaping all thought or trace of it. The truth is, death is both unpredictable and inevitable.

Death had struck two swift blows to our household. With this miscarriage, it has lurched closer and lingered longer. Steph has expressed that death has never been so near to her, not only inside her womb but with her own condition. In our youth, we think ourselves invincible or impervious to such morbid concerns, but when it comes for you in such a sober manner, you have two choices to make. You can choose to descend into further distress and perilous anger, or you can retreat to the solace of gratitude over the gift that life is and the precious time we have left. It’s hard to articulate the feeling of death leaving a mother’s body, but that’s exactly what’s happening during a miscarriage.

Helpful Songs

Here are a few songs we have returned to that have aided us in processing through bereavement. We pray it helps others express and loosen some of those inarticulate feelings that tend to calcify in the heart.

Shoutout to my cousin, Brian, in Japan 🇯🇵 , who shared some of his experiences of loss over the years and pointed me back to“Lightning Crashes” by Live. Their album Throwing Copper was one of many albums that were in rotation for me in my brothers growing up.

Steph is an inspiration. She has persevered through so much adversity over the last 2 years. I see a durability in her soul that puts her in rare company. For the past month, I’ve been covering songs again to cultivate my children’s interest in music and have shared short clips on social media.

In the midst of this ordeal, I wanted to highlight and honor Steph’s character with an arrangement of Bobby Caldwell’s classic “What You Won’t Do For Love.”

“Lael.”

As with our 2 prior losses, we decided to name our child. Amid our anguish, Steph had come across the Hebrew name, Lael, which appears only once in the Bible in the fourth book of the Pentateuch. It means “belonging to God,” and although our hearts were shattered, the name landed immediately to help mend. We had cried out in desperation for the life of our child, making our appeal for the baby to stay and be part of our family this side of heaven, only to find deafening silence. This was a true test of our confidence in the Lord, which we like to think was unwavering until suddenly jolted by tragedy.

Lael, we had hoped you would be our Autumn baby, something your mum has always desired. We were preparing the way for you, but alas, the Lord saw to it to bring you home to Him, where you belong. You remind me of a quote that stirs our faith and fills us with hope:

We have 3 children who have come face to face with the final enemy called death, and by the richness of God’s mercy and abounding grace, this movement from a clay tenement into an immortal existence gives us pause.

Yes, we desperately wanted our child to be with us here, but in Truth, he or she is more alive than we are now!

From death to Life

I recently preached my last message for CCB as part of their staff. The topic I was assigned was Authentic Christianity based on the last section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel according to Matthew. Needless to say, it was interesting to give the congregation a final word from Jesus’ final words on the Mount. Toward the end of the message, I spoke about the relentless, unflinching way Jesus confronted our last enemy, death. To summarize the points throughout, I told a story about a hospital chaplain and a patient who haphazardly inquired about Christianity, only to receive the Gospel in a remarkable way. The story brought to the fore the brevity of life, our wrestling with mortality, and the One to whom we place our ultimate hope.

We implore everyone, regardless of worldview, to examine the historical evidence surrounding Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. What you will find is thought-provoking if not utterly compelling. The person and work of Christ is where my wife and I have placed our faith and full confidence. In Him there is hope for eternal life, but this doesn’t just happen when we draw our last breath. Our very testimonies demonstrate what it looks like to live in a new life after the death of our old one (2 Corinthians 5:17).

As blood-bought born-again followers of Christ, how will we live after the death of our child? How will Steph cope with what comes next? Her womb was like a tomb—but an empty tomb. Just as our Savior conquered death in a way that flipped the whole world upside down, we rest in the Truth that our child was taken up into His victory.

When confronted by pain, suffering, or death, what will you do? Strain to keep on a brave face and strive to think positively? When your loved ones have fallen asleep by your bedside, and your only company is dread, who will you turn to? Will a nameless, impersonal, vacuous universe listen to your cries? Or...

Will you call out to God—by Name?

Many are inclined to fashion any form of suffering or pain into a wedge between them and a holy and loving God, as a means of disbelief amid dejection or the stacking of drums filled with fuel for doubt. To them, it’s just another reason to reject Biblical Christianity in favor of their own satirical version of inauthentic faith, which is to say merely an alleged faith in name alone. The same sin which finds its origins in the Garden of Genesis tempts us—namely, the fancying of oneself as god—doing what thy will, and deciding for oneself what is true, right, and good. In other words, a posture of pride and thinking we somehow know better than the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent God.

People who are averse may spend all of their resources to escape hardship and even the inevitability of death. A knee-jerk reaction would be to question why such a God permits this hardship, pain, and suffering at all. As followers of Christ, we’re not exempt from backlashes when the pain is all that can be seen or felt. A pain so sharp and strong it causes one to recoil. And yet it cannot separate bones and sinew, soul and spirit, but it is a force strong enough to drive down a wedge that seems to reverse gravity and push us out of His orbit.

Why does this occur in the lives of those who wholeheartedly and holistically follow Him? Why didn’t He intervene? What do you do when you are so sure God’s hand is in something, only to find you have been grasping at straws, wishing you didn’t draw the short end?

I take one look at our Savior and deduce that there is purpose in pain, suffering, and even death. God has a plan and purpose for it all. We may not be able to perceive the larger canvas upon which He works, but surely He paints with nail-pierced hands, the many countless brushstrokes in the shape of His scars and ours.

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Ingredients:

Dough

▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour in the UK)

▢ ½ cup whole milk (warm, 105°F / 40°C )

▢ 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

▢ 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar (1 Tbsp for yeast + 3 Tbsp for dough)

▢ 3 Tablespoons salted butter (melted)

▢ 1 egg

▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt

▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling & Coating

▢ 8 large marshmallows

▢ 2 Tablespoons salted butter (melted)

▢ 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Recipe:

1. In a stand mixer bowl (or large bowl), combine milk, 1 Tbsp sugar, and yeast. Stir and let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.

2. Add butter, remaining sugar, egg, and vanilla; mix on low.

3. Add salt, cinnamon, and flour; mix until a slightly tacky dough forms.

4. Remove and knead by hand until smooth. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour (or until doubled).

5. Meanwhile, mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.

6. Once risen, roll the dough into a 14-inch circle (about ¼ inch thick) and cut into 8 triangles.

   

7. Dip each marshmallow in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar.

8. Place one marshmallow in the center of each triangle, wrap the dough around it, and seal completely (no cracks).

   

   

9. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pieces.

10. Cover and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C / Gas Mark 4).

11. Bake 18–20 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly, then enjoy the surprise inside!

Notes

• If the dough isn’t quite coming together and seems too wet, slowly add flour until it forms a firmer ball.

• For the crosses on top, make a simple glaze starting with 1 cup powdered sugar (icing sugar) and 1 Tbsp milk, adding more sugar as needed to thicken. Drizzle across rolls after taking them out of the oven.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31

What are your go-to Easter baked goods and treats each year?
We’d love to hear. Leave your answers in the comments!

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This article is the third installment in the series on music and worship + bonus content on Preaching my last message at Christ Church Birmingham. (Check out Part I and Part II)

Part IV will discuss how to introduce different musical genres into our Worship Sets. Also be on the look out for our forthcoming Spring Newsletter called Goodbye Birmingham. 🥲

I’ve picked up many helpful practices during my 3 years of ministry with Christ Church Birmingham (CCB) and serving within Birmingham and Beyond (B&B). Not the least of which is the rhythm of weekly staff meetings. Coral (the other American minister) and I gleaned extensive wisdom and gained invaluable experience under the leadership of Steve Whittington, a seasoned church planter and apostolic leader.

We often met in Steve’s home over coffee and breakfast, at a local Pub, or at one of the multiple sites utilized by the B&B family of churches:

• Redemption Hill, and the building at Chuckery, Walsall

• Living Hope Church, West Bromwich

• Christ Church Birmingham, Sount Aston

A typical staff meeting would consist of weekly check-ins, a bit of ministry housekeeping, side-by-side admin work, prayer, and feedback from Sunday services.

We would usually discuss how each service team was getting on, recall contributions made by the congregation as led by the Spirit, how people received the sermon, and any highlights from the worship set.

On occasion, we conducted brainstorming sessions for outreach and local initiatives at specific sites, working out associated logistics and coordinating the involvement of key individuals.

Our prayers were often for the Lord’s guidance, provision, and supernatural work in our midst as we saw new guests attend services and newcomers turn up at our outreach events. We devoted intentional time to bring our church’s concerns before the Lord, often interceding for individuals and families.

Last Sunday leading Worship

As a practitioner of the guitar, I’ve always had a predisposition toward guitar instrumental music, whether it was blues, jazz, rock, fusion, or some other genre. One of my heroes growing up is a guitarist called Joe Satriani (aka “Satch”). I recall watching one of his long-form interviews in which he discussed some of his practices while touring. One of his pre-show rituals, especially as a tour was well underway, was to sit down with his guitar and warm up by thinking through each song he had played in the previous night’s 1-hour set. He didn’t review footage (or audio clips) of the set like a professional athlete would after a competition. Instead, he mentally worked through each song: mapping out what worked and what didn’t, recounting any mistakes he made, and noting adjustments to implement for the next live set.

Preparation for the Last Worship Set

I finished compiling songs for the set earlier in the week, which involved developing transitions and sorting key signatures to create an uninterrupted communion with the Lord. Since it was my last time leading, I invited all willing and able to join the band, so some of my song choices reflected the personnel available.

My sets typically include international elements, such as singing part of a song in a different language or incorporating a reggae breakdown to end a song and transition to the next. I found a French version of “Firm Foundation” by Cody Carnes and began learning to read the lyrics with the proper pronunciation and how to sing the melody correctly over the chords.

I had also been working on a contemporary arrangement of the classic hymn “How Great Thou Art,” appropriating a chord progression from a song by The Police, and decided to add it to the set, along with an optional transition into “How Great Is Our God” by Chris Tomlin.

Sunday Review

1. The set started with the uptempo song “Swing Wide,” though there were some AV tech issues with projecting the lyrics, which caused a slight distraction and made me fumble a few chord changes at the onset. I got back into the mix fairly quickly. In hindsight, I could have stopped the set and waited until the words were up to restart the song.

2. The transition to “Praise” worked well, with Alex in the pocket as usual, ready for us to invite the congregation to clap along to the drumming and sing, “Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.” We did that again after the second chorus to introduce the bridge. Toward the end of the bridge, I paused before jumping back into the lyrics over reggae-style guitar and drums. Rhea and I held the melody and harmony well throughout, though I could have started the melody over the reggae music more smoothly. On the second pass through the chorus, as the congregation bounced along with the reggae groove, I shifted to the lyrics and chords of Bob Marley’s “Satisfy My Soul,” adding another layer to the set’s thematic elements. We had a little trouble coming back to the end of the song, particularly in navigating back to the tonic chord. I’ll be making a few revisions on the chord chart to map that out for a future set.

3. Before the third song, Dave played a pad in the key of G as I prayed and ministered. He then modulated to the key of E at the start of “All In,” which has become something of a signature song in my worship sets. The band was very much in the pocket throughout, and many responded to the weightiness of the lyrics and the intensity of the chorus and bridge. I muddled through one line in the lyrics, but apart from that, we executed the song well.

4. The host led us in a time of prayer and reflection before we moved on to the fourth song, “Firm Foundation.” The number of times we sing the chorus depends on how the Spirit leads in the moment, so I typically rotate the headstock of my guitar in a circular motion to signal to everyone that we’re repeating the section. After making a quick eye contact with Dave, I signal to the rest of the band that we are on the bridge by playing the lead and rhythm together once through before singing the words.

5. We didn’t get to the fifth song before the sermon because we started the set a bit later than usual. We ended up playing “How Great Thou Art” in the background after the service ended.

6. After the sermon, I started by singing the bridge of “Great Things” slowly and quietly a few times, steadily building to a crescendo, then moved into the lead/rhythm part to introduce the song. We then played the rest of the song through the end of the second chorus before the host got up to minister and close the service.

Last Message on “Authentic Christianity”

If I’m being honest, I started to feel a bit sentimental in the week leading up to preaching my last message at CCB. It’s been a wonderful blessing to take part in the ministry of the Word these last 3 years, architecting series topics from the ground up, designing slidepacks, strengthening my grasp of contextualizing the Gospel in the UK, and mentoring others along the way—helping them to find their voice and the unique way the Lord speaks through them.

Preaching in the UK’s post-Christian, secular, and multicultural society as an American presented some new challenges. It ranged from knowing when to use higher-level vocabulary and when to simplify, learning which illustrations to employ and which don’t quite land, and, perhaps most difficult for me, keeping a sermon to 25-30 minutes. You see, I come from a church background that puts a premium on strong biblical teaching and regards 30-minute messages as sermonettes rather than robust sermons. At the same time, there is something to be said about how heavy media consumption overwhelms us and affects our ability to focus.

My last topic was on “Authentic Christianity” based on the final section of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:13-27).

Sunday Review

My prayers leading up to the pulpit usually revolve around asking the Lord to speak. I may have spent many hours studying and compiled numerous pages of notes, but my desire is for the Lord to say precisely what He wants to say to His church through me. To put it another way, I have meticulously prepared the altar, and trust the Lord will bring the fire.

My first reflective critique is that the delivery wasn’t my best, which was largely due to the difficulty I find in keeping the message within the allotted time. I sometimes skip through portions of my notes during parts of elaboration and in spaces where I can riff.

Here are a few I left on the page:

• The imagery of bringing receipts before Jesus to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Augustine quote: “All our best virtues are but splendid vices.”

• Nothing more pastoral than tending, feeding, and leading the flock, as well as protecting them from wolves. Leaders will give an account to the Lord for everyone under their teaching and leadership.

• Skipped the narrative introduction and devoted a bit more time to the hospital story at the end.

• Sin is active resistance, rebellion, and hostility between people and God. Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to confront death and make a way for true peace.

• All other world religions are based on some form of works-righteousness, which may yield fruit that appears healthy and ripe but is rotten to the core. The most rotten fruit is Pride, which is often produced by works-righteousness.

• Face ID/Touch ID imagery should be more closely linked to being in Christ and appearing like Him, because our faith and confidence are in Him. He unlocks it and grants us access to the Kingdom of Heaven.

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Living For God & Authentic Christianity

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After a 4-month campaign, the Lord has proven once again that He hears our prayers and is faithful to supply all that we need to continue this mission!

His provision also serves as a confirmation that He is, in fact, leading us and making a way for us to co-participate in His activity in the Southwest of England. Steph and I are eager to take part in Relational Mission’s Go West Initiative and to leverage all that we have cultivated and honed during our time in Birmingham in Bath.

Many conversations over the last few months have left me speechless, with tears of joy welling up. My heart outstretched in prayers that echoed upward in exclamation to the Lord. Like a Psalmist, I wondered to myself, who are we that you are mindful of me and care for our family? These musings have generated something within, which I have always referred to for many years as His creative vigour. So much so that He inspired me to renew my excavations of the quarry of words within the English language to engage in the alchemic crafting of prose to poetry.

Here’s a sonnet I wrote called The Lord, Our Provider:

Throughout and especially in the eleventh hour of the campaign, the Lord brought together a special group of ministry partners whose generosity mirrored the lavish grace the Lord pours out upon us in abundance.

Even in the midst of spiritual attack, when our boiler curiously went out during the last week (and it took 6 days to resolve the issue), there was an overwhelming sense of unexplainable peace. We could see our breath indoors, in what felt like arctic conditions, daily bundling the kids in beanies, scarves, and winter coats.

*THANK YOU to Emmanuel and Jimmy from Living Hope Church, who came in during crunch time and provided space heaters while our family awaited repairs. You beat our landlord to the punch before he could come around to provide a few more heaters later that same day.

I had every reason to be anxious and distracted by everything that was transpiring, but I sensed the Lord was speaking to me, “Gino, I’ve been with you through all of this. I’ve watched you pour your heart out, sharing what I am accomplishing here in the UK. All of your prayers and determination, burning the candle on both ends. Now you can’t apply maximum effort. Now I want you to be still and remember, these are my resources to provide and I’m going to show you who I AM once again.” 🙌🏽

SPECIAL THANKS to…

Gloria & Mario Espineli

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New Vision Church

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Pacific Theological Seminary

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Relational Mission

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Restored Church Southbay

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Restored Family of Churches

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Robert Hawkes

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“Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.” Philippians 4:17

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HEARTFELT GRATITUDE to…

Amanda Torre Counseling & Associates
The Catedral Collective
Coastlands Community Church
LB Charitable Foundation
Love of Christ Fellowship
Moser Family Foundation
Northern Borders Church
Revival Church
Rodriguez Family
Saints Church
Wayne Kinde
Yu Group Real Estate

Our friends & family who have continued to stand with us in faith & are actively involved in advancing Jesus’ Kingdom through their generosity. We pray the Lord credits all that we have accomplished in the UK to you!

Our paid subscribers on Substack who utilize this platform as another way to support our ministry & charitable/humanitarian work in the UK!

Food Pantry Impact Report

Sometimes it’s baffling to consider the scope of the Lord’s work through our imperfect yet bold actions to make Him known to the hurting world around us. May all of these metrics reflect that very knowledge of Him that animates us to serve His bride, the Church, and to love people through charitable/humanitarian work in our local community.

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We’re well into the new year and steeped in planning and preparation for our impending transition to the south-west of England. As we look forward to all that the Lord has in store for our family, we’d like to share another installment of our Preview Series.

Check out our past installments from 2025, 2024, and 2023.

Along The Way, as a publication, has further matured and developed by narrowing its content to what most piques our avid readers’ interest. Our goal for this year is to expand our publication’s reach and grow our readership through a variety of life-giving and enriching content.

We will continue to provide commentary and reflections on current events, offer practical/measured theological meditations, share updates on our ongoing cultural learning, highlight our niche interests (music, the arts, and creative craft), and invite you on our journey to pioneering new ministry engagement in the UK (through church planting and charitable/humanitarian work).

To kick off the new year, let’s pause and revisit the content that resonated the most in the last. Before we get into our Top 10 articles of 2025, here are a few honorable mentions:

Fresh data released by the Bible Society was cited regularly in sermons, articles, and other content, as we witnessed a tide turn, particularly among Gen Z men and women.

What’s the difference between a multi-cultural church and an intercultural church? Many have never heard of the second term and take the first term for granted.

Technically, this Preview article made it into the Top 10, which was surprising. However, we decided to narrow the 2025 list to series installments, standalone articles, and quarterly newsletters.

This newsletter explored the common question of “tentmaking,” also known as bi-vocational ministry in mission work abroad, offering a nuanced, cross-cultural answer.

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The last entry of 2025 made it into the Top 10! As we prepare for the transition to a new ministry assignment, I muse about the experience of going into the unknown with nothing more than my hand in the Lord’s. The article also features a number of our family’s Christmas traditions and activities that may be worth exploring.

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How do you figure out God’s calling in your life? Where do you start? How do you know it’s Him calling and not your self-absorbed desires and self-defining purpose? Here, I present the timeline from when Steph and I first heard from the Lord to His recent confirmations and current directing of our family. I also share some helpful and practical ways to discern God’s calling.

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What’s involved in building a worship set for a Sunday service? How do you go about selecting songs for a setlist with the proper theological care and caution? Worship and music have been ever-growing passions during our stint in Birmingham. I outlined 3 approaches Christ Church Birmingham uses, provided a song example that offers helpful questions (taking you into the process of arrangement), and elaborated on the difference between being a vocalist and a vocalist with an instrument in hand.

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What is discipleship, and why do so many people who claim to be Christians not engage in it? As they stood atop a mountain in Galilee, they could see the very sites where Jesus taught and performed miracles. It was there that He gave His disciples an explicit command to “go and make disciples,” and that is why I became a Christian! Many down the line followed the faithful pattern of those before them, like an unbroken chain of evangelism and discipleship.

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Over the years, we’ve been asked the same series of questions by individuals, families, and churches alike, so I thought it best to devote a whole newsletter to addressing them and offering additional details and clarifications. You’ll learn about different aspects of our ministry and who we regularly interact with in cross-cultural outreach, charitable/humanitarian work, and discipleship.

5

In this essay, Steph unpacks the theology of suffering and how to suffer well—something that is completely lost on our modern Western culture. She candidly shares her testimony and experiences of suffering over the years, offering a biblical understanding of the character of authentic faith and how we can persevere through trials, all of which are ultimately empowered and founded on the person and work of Christ.

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Have you ever wondered what the first Christians in the early Church would have done with today's technology? How did they use the advancements and innovations of their day? Interesting food for thought and surely the makings of lively table talk. This article encourages our readers to ponder the question and consider some of the technology the Church has utilized over the course of human history.

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This was the third article to break into the All-Time Top 10 last year, sitting at #9 all-time! Steph skillfully articulates the events leading up to a chance encounter with a stranger and his wife, who turned out to be our brother and sister in Christ. Many who meet my wife will begin to think more of me. She is a woman of valor—a fighter. And it’s been an honor to see how the Lord grew her exponentially in heart, mind, strength, and soul this past year.

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The first article of 2025 to break into the All-Time Top 10, sitting at #7 all-time! There are very few weeks that pass without me thinking about my brother, Abel, or praying for his loving family in Milwaukee, WI, and other parts of the US. I’ve told my kids funny stories about him and recall priceless memories with my wife. You will forever be loved and sorely missed!

1

The third article to break into the All-Time Top 10, along with my tribute to Abel and Steph’s miracle moment, sits at #6 all-time. If you are currently or have ever undertaken a project, pioneered a ministry, established a church, or started a business, you’ll find an invaluable resource in the Tuckman Model. There are five phases in the model that present themselves in linear, overlapping, or fluid patterns. What phase do you find yourself in?

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What was your favorite article from 2025?

Leave your answers in our comments section below. 😁

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Introduction

As a long-awaited follow-up to my previous articles on worship, Building a Worship Set, and Music & Ministering, consider this the first installment of a series of monthly articles on the topic.

By the grace of God, I have grown as a worship leader, vocalist, and guitarist during these 3-years in Birmingham. There were past seasons in life where one or two of those things were a focal point, but never all three.

As many have noted, singing in Filipino culture is just as resonant a trait as exceptional hospitality or strong family ties, which are widely known as prominent expressions of its deep heritage. I started as a vocalist who could hold my own across an array of musical genres, then became a late-blooming gun-slinger guitarist, and later a worship leader. The Lord wove it all together.

My aim in chronicling my experiences as a worship leader is to contribute to the grand corpus of ministration through music. I will set course to meticulously chart out the musical journey ahead (pun intended), detailing what I hope will help others grow in their appreciation, understanding, and passion for worship from a variety of vantage points.

What to expect?

• Shepherding in Worship

• Technical Guitar Work & Musicianship

• Vocal Dynamics

• My Creative Process

• Building Arrangements & Transitions

Worship Training

It doesn’t take long scrolling around on YouTube before being bombarded by a mosaic of provocative video titles and thumbnails. As I was doing some due diligence in worship prep, which involves checking out different arrangements or translations of popular contemporary songs into various foreign languages, I happened across a video entitled “4 Mistakes that are KILLING your worship sets” produced by a channel called Worship Ministry Training. Intriguing; no doubt recommended by the algorithm.

As any mildly curious or naturally inquisitive person would, I clicked on it, wondering if I had been making any of these blunders while building and leading a worship set. Au contraire. Would I disagree with any of the mistakes covered in the video, or would I parry the critique in some way with a slash of nuance? (Again, pun intended) Touche.

If you lead worship regularly or are generally interested in learning a bit about worship leading, the video is worth checking out. He starts the analysis with the most common mistake and ends with the least obvious.

Why do I use YouTube?

As a brief aside, I’d like to make a case for YouTube as a useful platform for worship prep. Don’t get me wrong, I do most of my prep with my ears, often listening to songs I’m not very familiar with over and over again to get a proper grasp of the melody, arrangement, style, transitions, chord voicings, vocal ad-lib ideas, etc.

Researching worship songs on YouTube goes beyond the officially released material from certain artists or churches you’ll find on platforms like Spotify. Not only do you get access to different recordings by the aforementioned, but you can also garner a variety of live versions performed by a multitude of churches and worship bands. You’ll be privy to stylistic choices in sound, tone, time signature, ad-libs, etc., usually limited by the presence of certain instruments or relative size of the band.

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Reviewing the 4 Mistakes Worship Leaders Make

Mistake 1: Not using related Keys

The easiest way to build seamless worship sets is to pay close attention to the keys of each song and use related keys throughout (depending on how you want to approach vocals) to create a natural flow from start to finish. During a transition between songs, he recommends using the I, IV, or V chord of the current key you are playing in as the first chord of the next song.

My Experience

This is a very useful and helpful way of thinking through the setlist. We want the experience to feel like an uninterrupted conversation with the Lord. When I got back into leading worship in May of 2023, I wasn’t as mindful of the gaps between songs as I am now, and I focused more on each song’s key in terms of melody and vocal dynamics. One thing he did not mention in the video is the use of a capo on the fretboard. As a guitarist, I use a capo quite a bit to explore varying chord shapes and to transpose a song to a higher or lower pitch, depending on whether I want to push my vocals a bit more or restrain them in certain segments.

As an example, if I plan to put a capo on the second fret of the guitar, I will then chart most, if not all, of the songs in the set with this in mind and to ensure I don’t move or remove it. From there, I can choose different voicings and intonations to add more pad notes to chords that drone and ring out with each strum, or explore arrangement options for the progression itself, such as adding chords to support voice-leading.

Mistake 2: Playing songs exactly like the Album

You may like the way a song is arranged in the original or live recording, but as worship leaders, we are not meant to drag-and-drop songs into our set as is. Here he talks about cutting out intros and outros, starting with the chorus, etc to bridge songs thematically. He also brings up the flow or tone throughout the set, such as playing an uptempo song that features drums, bass, keys, and guitar, and flowing to the next song, and allowing each instrument in the band to slowly back out during the intro and verse 1 until the keyboard is the only instrument playing in verse 2, leading to a more intimate and reflective time of worship.

My Experience

The creative process in building a set at our church involves a few guidelines and approaches. As I described in a previous article, we typically utilize three approaches:

1. Taking people on a journey, by the Spirit, to commune with God

2. Presenting the Gospel within the setlist

3. Doubling up on &/or reinforcing the message being preached

Within these approaches, I tend to link different songs (and parts of songs) thematically and lyrically along with the relative keys. A couple of examples of this are putting together parts of I Speak Jesus with What A Beautiful Name and Trust In God with Firm Foundation.

I do understand the concern about dragging and dropping songs into a set, which will disrupt the tone and overall flow and come off as disjointed to the congregation. However, there is a bit of nuance to this rule of thumb. I find that the first song will commonly retain its shape and original arrangement, depending on the instruments being used and the size of the band. As a guitarist/vocalist who usually plays with a keyboardist and drummer, I like to include lead or melody parts into my rhythm playing. An example of this is when I start songs like Lion and the Lamb or signal to the band that I am entering the bridge of Firm Foundation.

After this initial song, it’s fair game whether any other arrangement elements in any of the original recordings are utilized. If it doesn’t pull apart seams during the set and it adds to different colors or textures to the arrangement, why not play it?

Mistake 3: Not ending with Vertical Songs

Vertical songs focus our attention entirely on the Lord. The Triune God is front and center as the main focus in our singing, and as a hint, there are usually no first-person pronouns or very few present in the lyrics. Singing “I-centered” songs all throughout will cause our sets to fall flat and miss the mark. These types of songs can appear in the first half of the set or towards the front, but you want to end the set with a vertical focus.

My Experience

All eyes on the Lord is the end goal of the uninterrupted journey of worship. My aim when building a set, from charting out songs to crafting arrangements and mapping out transitions, is to showcase Him. He is why we gather together in the first place. Thankfully, this particular element has been more instinctive in our British context, rather than a rigid rule to always be mindful of on Sundays. I would say that you can intersperse “God-centered” songs throughout the set from start to finish, mixing them in with “I-centered” songs. But I am in full agreement that you always want to end with an upward gaze upon Him.

Mistake 4: Only singing Songs

We are not called to merely sing songs, although that is certainly part of the work. By the Spirit, we are called by the Lord to pastor or shepherd the room. There are other elements to consider integrating into your worship sets:

• Scripture

• Prayers

• Quotes

• Prompts

• Silent Times of Reflection

• Corporate Confession

• Corporate Reading

• Extemporaneous Singing

• Ad-lib phrasing

• Communion

My Experience

I still remember when I first joined the Young Adult Ministry worship band at the Rock Church in San Diego. We played multiple times during the month, with 150-200 young adults gathered together each night to encounter and explore the person and work of Christ. After the first few sets we played, some of the feedback we received from leadership focused on the pastoral side of worship, noting that we’re not just up there to wow people or sing the right notes and play our instruments flawlessly. They were very gracious and loved the creative flair we brought, blending (appropriate) secular lyrics and familiar music with contemporary worship songs. Looking back at those early lessons, I am so thankful that others saw our faith and the potential in each of us—something fully realized today.

Thinking through worship songs and sets pastorally is something I am continually working on with each opportunity to lead. I don’t always feel like I have succeeded, but there is always room to grow, and so many ways to incorporate shepherding throughout the set from start to finish. I have read quotes in between songs, invited the congregation to reflect or contribute in prayer, and partnered with service hosts to have certain Scriptures read aloud. Although I’ve gotten more comfortable with it in recent years, I find praying and playing guitar (in time and with the proper chord shapes) unnatural. Every once in a while, I give it a try instead of relying solely on a pad played by the keyboardist. I’m also wading through the uncharted waters of singing my own song extemporaneously (aka freestyling), alongside the sprinkling of familiar melodies and lyrics from well-known secular songs here and there.

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NEW YEAR KICK-OFF!

If you’ve been following our updates and other content, please consider setting up (a) recurring support or (b) giving a one-time gift to help with our upcoming visa renewal and transition. 🙏🏽🙏🏻

*A small monthly contribution can go a long way in helping us sustain our ministry.
All charitable donations given to our ministry are tax-deductible.

GIVE to our Church Planting FUND

Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI) oversees our general ministry, charitable work, and church-planting fund.

GIVE to our church-to-church FUND

Coastlands Community Church has graciously allowed us to use their giving platform to cover our UK church’s expenses to have me as part of their staff.

The Gate

We approach the gate of the year.

Far from being lukewarm in their faith, our Sending Team has formed a collective of like-minded people. Though our family can tend to feel isolated from all that is familiar on these lonely British Isles, we are the mutually impassioned coming to the end of the corridor together. The body of Christ—spanning thousands of miles, leaping continents and wading oceans, thwarting those who would stand in the way of our progress and success.

Hands and feet seeking and reaching out to grab hold of Him. Perhaps you recall those priceless moments when your children were still very small, gripping your finger with those tiny, precious paws.

Our confidence is outstretched. At first, tapping a toe, then placing the soles of our feet into the firm footing of His well-worn sandals. And at long last, the warmth of His mighty hand tenderly clasping onto us.

Annual Christmas Toy Drive at the Food Pantry!

This year, we didn’t get as many toys or other bits and bobs as in previous years, but the turnout was just the same. Many filed in to take advantage of the double-shop, and there were plenty of interactions in the warm-welcome area where we serve our members biscuits and warm drinks.

Our local Fareshare provided double the normal amount of food for our Christmas outreach this year. I stocked loads of refrigerated items and produce all ready for the day. It was a wonderful way to cap off a great year in which we helped reach the remarkable milestone of 1,000,000 visitors to pantries across the UK!

Christmas & Advent Activities

Thankfully, this year our family persevered through illness earlier in the month of December, which gave us enough time to get back to full health by Christmas. We’ve been intentional throughout this season, and it’s been wonderful to behold the sprouts of faith in our children’s hearts.

Tree & Family Devotion

We started out, as most families do, by getting our Christmas Tree right around Thanksgiving, which kicked off household decorations. The kids enjoyed putting up ornaments and baubles, many of which held invaluable memories and stories of their own about our family history.

Discipleship starts at home, so on the first day of December, we began Advent reading and devotions as a family. Steph and I have long prayed and worked to cultivate a fun-filled environment where the reason for the season is front and center. Everything revolves around Christ—anticipating and looking for ways He has been active or has interjected into our lives, just as at the first Advent, when Christ was born.

Books

We’ve been collecting Christmas and winter-themed books ever since the kids were much younger. Many have been gifts over the years, and others we’ve found used in local or online bookstores.

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Baking & Crafts

Steph has an immense love for baking, ever since childhood when she used to bake chocolate crinkle cookies with her Grams. She and the kids baked gingerbread men, blondies, and those beloved classic chocolate crinkles.

We made snowflakes while listening to Marvin Gaye’s Purple Snowflakes, garlands, and tapestries out of paper. Steph and the kids made salt-dough gingerbread men, an orange garland, and clover orange pomanders.

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Gingerbread House

The kids thoroughly enjoyed building their annual gingerbread house! This year, we tried some homemade icing. After a bit of troubleshooting, the icing firmed up and held together nicely.

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Music

Each day, our home is flooded with the sounds of music: carols, hymns, orchestral (ballet), and Christmas classics. And we’ll keep the music rockin’ all the way ‘til the Epiphany on January 6th.

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Pyjamas & Hot Cocoa

We bring out the kids’ Christmas and winter-themed pyjamas, which have become a source of comfort and joy. Steph’s parents even got the entire family matching highland cow pyjamas!

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Outings

We weren’t able to make it out to a Christmas Market this year, but did get to see the decorations in Covent Garden, London, when we did a passport renewal for one of the kids at the Embassy. We also made our way to one of our favorite spots a couple of times when we got over seasonal illness.

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Movies & TV Shows

The kids loved watching the Grinch (original and 2018 film) this year, along with an assortment of shows:

• Charlie Brown (Peanuts)

• Guess How Much I Love You

• If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

• Snowy Day

• The Boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse

• The Snowman

• The Snowman and the Snowdog

Steph and I got to see a few films from our Top 10 List, albeit watching shorter segments over several evenings per film.

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Breakfasts & Pudding

I try to get creative for breakfasts, and come winter, I usually make snowman pancakes for the kids. We also managed to get a batch of mince pies and discovered something called a Sugar Plum Danish.

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Lights

Unlike American neighborhoods lined with houses displaying something akin to Clark Griswold’s masterful exterior illumination, the UK is pretty sparse when it comes to Christmas lights. I put up a few lights in our front window, spelling out the word “Joy” for onlookers.

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Our Holiday Card

Here’s our digital Christmas card for our SENDING TEAM.

THANK YOU again for partnering with us in PRAYER and FINANCIAL SUPPORT!

Last day of the Year GIFT!

If you’ve been following our updates and want to reduce your tax liability for the year, please consider setting up (a) recurring support or (b) giving a one-time gift to our mission. 🙏🏽🙏🏻

*All charitable donations given to our ministry are tax-deductible.

The chart below provides examples of how others have prayerfully partnered with us over the years:

Click on the button(s) below:

GIVE to our Church Planting FUND

Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI) oversees our general ministry, charitable work, and church-planting fund.

GIVE to our church-to-church FUND

Coastlands Community Church has graciously allowed us to use their giving platform to cover our UK church’s expenses to have me as part of their staff.

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Autumn

We’ve come to the end of the season and find ourselves arriving at the doorstep of Christmas. There is much to share regarding ministry updates and noteworthy Gospel interactions over the last few months. Just in time for another wondrous Advent season, where, in recent weeks, our family rhythms have hunkered down to a crawl while simultaneously our campaigning for the impending visa renewal has ramped up and grown in momentum.

We look to Bath, England, with expectation—a world heritage site rich in history, architecture, literature, and culture for sure, yet dwarfed by the scale and influence of megacities like London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. A small, unassuming city, much like Bethlehem Ephrathah.

If Bethlehem means “House of Bread” and Jesus is the Bread of Life, what do we make of the word Ephrathah? To distinguish it from the other city called Bethlehem in the northern tribal allocation of Zebulun, the people of Judah added this second name, which meant “fruitfulness” or “abundance.”

Bath, the Lord is doing a life-giving work in your streets, avenues, and boulevards through the fruitfulness of His Church. Consider the life-giving blood that circulates through the network of arteries, veins, and capillaries, pumped from the heart. Jesus’ heart is for you and your people, and we’re here to co-participate in His redemptive and restorative work.

As we anticipate the day we celebrate the arrival of the Saviour of the world—the gracious Provision for salvation and the Answer to all our questions and grievances—we want to take the opportunity to provide answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about our mission in the UK.

Q - Why engage in ministry and charitable/humanitarian work in England and not stay in the US? Isn’t there a need here, too?

The truth is, there is a need everywhere, but this is a matter of specificity regarding God’s calling on each of our lives. As the Church, we find our identity in the person and work of Christ, and who He is informs who we are and how we are to reorient our lives around Him. Jesus was on a mission, so we, too, are on a mission, whether that’s local, regional, national, or abroad.

See Paul’s example in Galatians 2 and how the Apostles, who stayed and continued ministry in Jerusalem, affirmed his ministry to the Gentiles throughout his journeys across the Mediterranean world. So it’s not a matter of which calling is a “better” or “more appropriate” ministry, or even which addresses a greater need. If you are a genuine follower of Christ, He will call you to a particular location and people group to engage in ministry. For many, the workplace or your local neighborhood can be the mission field. In the years before mission work abroad, I focused on engaging my coworkers during my time as an Academic Advisor at Ashford University. Mind you, this was a corporate America setting—a high-rise office building with cubicles and conference rooms. By the grace of God, I successfully established a Christian community there with weekly meetings and a formal presence recognized by my peers and line managers.

Q - Hasn’t the UK already heard the Gospel, and isn’t Christianity big there?

England is so post-Christian it’s pre-Christian. Recent statistics have shown that Christianity is in decline, biblical illiteracy is rampant, ministry burnout in local leadership is common, and church buildings in every city/town center are either empty or congregations are dwindling. Only a remnant remains.

We’ve also learned of a shortage of clergy in the UK. A few years ago, the Home Office changed the rules for the Minister of Religion visa. Before the change, a church needed to advertise a job for 30 days before attempting to outsource and hire outside the UK. A church also had to demonstrate due diligence by interviewing and vetting settled workers first (citizens/residents) and by presenting an air-tight rationale for hiring a foreign national to fill the post. Very few are becoming ministers in the UK, so they removed the advert rule to allow for candidates from other countries to apply immediately.

The UK needs more ministers who boldly proclaim the Gospel with courage, clarity, and strong, uncompromising biblical conviction! If you are discerning a call to short or long-term mission work in the UK, please get in contact with me. I’d love to pray with you and help you discern the path forward.

Q - How did you know you were called to England?

Our pursuit of God’s calling to England has been marked with extensive prayer, due diligence in research, and patient discernment. We’ve experienced countless occurrences of providence (through random coincidences that are hard to explain), scriptural confirmations, and divine appointments. After our initial trip to England in 2017, we took an exploratory trip a year later to further learn about the mission field from the first-hand experiences of local ministers and leaders, which has led to friendships and acquaintanceships being cultivated over time and a more in-depth understanding of the spiritual climate and needs in the UK. God has also revealed how our backgrounds, spiritual gifts, and experiences have uniquely molded us for this mission. We’ve received numerous affirmations and confirmations along the way from an abundance of counsel: leaders, mentors, coaches, and peers alike. God has confirmed this in our minds and hearts over and over again, and we know without a shadow of a doubt that this is where He has called us to take part in His Commission.

Q - What are the opportunities for ministry in the UK?

Apart from the scarcity of ministers and the stark statistics of unreached people in the UK, here are some unique opportunities to engage in ministry and charitable/humanitarian work:

International Students - the UK is 2/3 the size of California, yet there are nearly as many international students who study in the UK (1,092,802) each year, as there are who study in the whole of the US (1,126,690). Many of these students come from countries that are hard to access, so they have never heard the Gospel and never been to a church! These students will go on to be world leaders, entrepreneurs, and pioneers in various industries—having a massive influence on countless people.

Refugees/Asylum Seekers - a significant number of refugees seek asylum in the UK. Last year, 108,138 claimed asylum, which is an 18% increase from 2023. The work-in-progress asylum caseload, including initial decisions and appeals, was over 220,000 cases in mid-2024. As of the fourth quarter of 2025, roughly 80,000 people are awaiting an initial decision, and over 70,000 are awaiting outcomes of appeals after receiving initial refusals.

Church Planting - taking part in a church planting movement that engages in urban and rural areas to reach working-class families—a demographic largely overlooked and forgotten. The UK has one of the highest rates of family instability in the entire developed world, so reaching youth, young adults, and young families in these communities is a high priority.

• Children born to cohabiting parents in the UK experience parental separation by age 12 (around 62%), compared to lower rates in other countries such as the US (45%) or Spain (6%). These children are significantly more likely (94%) to see their parents split by age 12 than those born to married parents.

• A breakdown in the family is linked to negative outcomes for children, including behavioral issues, poor mental health, and underachievement at school. Organizations like the Marriage Foundation identify family breakdown as the “number one predictor” of teenage mental health problems in the UK.

Homeless Outreach - a major component of our ministry is the Food Pantry, where we help people of all walks of life and ethnicities who are homeless, living in temporary housing, or residing in social housing, such as HMOs (house in multiple occupancy). Charities like Nacro provide supported living arrangements for ex-offenders and recovering addicts (who often reside in HMOs).

Q - Why are you transitioning from Birmingham to Bath?

There may be an assumption that we’re headed to Bath because it’s a beautiful city, but there are many aesthetically pleasing cities across the UK. What does beauty have to do with it anyway? As I outlined in the timeline of my recent article, we explored and prayed over many opportunities in multiple cities over the years: Bath, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Exeter, Oxford, Reading, Sheffield, and Wadebridge. We couldn’t shake the notion that Bath (and the Southwest) is where the Lord was ultimately leading us.

Worth noting that our new church is situated in Southdown, a ward in the southwest of Bath. The area consists of council estate housing and a diverse community made up of students, young professionals, working-class families, the elderly, and some migrant residents.

Q - Who does your ministry impact?

By the grace of God, our ministry impacts asylum seekers/refugees (Pakistan, Ukraine, Ethiopia, etc.), the homeless, working-class families/individuals, Muslims, and University students. It also inspires and encourages mutual growth with our British counterparts—fellow church planters, leaders, and pioneers.

Here are a few recent interactions:

*Note: names have been changed to protect people’s identities.

Reja

An older woman originally from India who comes to the Food Pantry each week. She suffers from breathing issues that require her to get around with a walker and an oxygen tank. This condition was a late-developing infirmity that originated from her having pneumonia as a little girl. After a number of interactions, she shared that she was a victim of severe domestic violence that resulted in the conviction and imprisonment of her ex-husband.

Avi

A Muslim man who is secretly investigating Christianity. On one occasion, when I was ministering to him, he quietly shared that he was having dreams about Jesus Christ, which he could not explain. What further confirmed that Jesus was pursuing him was when he had gotten into a serious accident, which totaled his motorcycle, but miraculously, he was left unscathed!

Jan

Our family met up with the Atamas, a Nigerian family from Christ Church, at a local park. It was a fun day of interaction and deep conversations. Steph and Anne began talking to a woman called Jan, who overheard them discussing church and ministry. They shared the Gospel with her and invited her to the church. A couple of weeks back, she came out to a Sunday service and began opening up to me about her current situation. She made mention of the grooming gang issue (Channel 4 Documentary and GB News Documentary) in the UK, and disclosed that she had recently spoken to local authorities because she was sexually assaulted 14 years ago.

Sam & Brooks

Two Ethiopian lads who crossed the English Channel from France on a 70-person dinghy to seek asylum in the UK. They are currently awaiting a decision from the Home Office on their asylum application and interview. Sam and Brooks regularly attend Sunday services, and the former also serves alongside me at the Food Pantry. They are both musically talented and have joined the worship team at Christ Church. As they build their confidence with English-language songs, I intend to gradually involve them in the rotation as worship leaders.

• Similar to the political climate in the US, immigration is a hotly debated issue here in the UK. We’ve experienced the rising costs of legal immigration routes due to massive cultural backlash and a lack of parliamentary representation. Say what you will about the illegal boat crossings, but we’ve personally been able to minister to migrants who have come to Birmingham who otherwise would have never heard the Gospel.

Kiran

A single mom, originally from India, who comes to the Food Pantry with her infant daughter. She was recently hospitalized due to a mild stroke—a hereditary condition from her maternal side. Thankfully, she has fully recovered and seems to be in good health. When offering prayer, she divulged details about her younger brother seeking asylum status and having spent tens of thousands of British pounds (£££) on a dodgy solicitor who took advantage of them and has not followed through on the service he said he would provide.

Sayed

A young muslim man who resides in an HMO (house in multiple occupancy). After months of hearing his story and learning about his background, he spoke of the hardships of bringing his family over to the UK and finding work. In one instance, I pressed him on his views about Jesus and asked whether he’d thoroughly investigated Christianity enough to make an informed decision about whether to reject it. He agreed to start investigating the faith more seriously and to come out on Sunday.

Q - What has been the most rewarding aspect of your ministry in England thus far?

There are a variety of things that come to mind, making it difficult to choose a particular aspect. But if I had to choose just one, it would be the charitable/humanitarian work we engage in at the Food Pantry.

Our Pantry was chosen as the site to celebrate the incredible milestone of one million visitors to Food Pantries all across the UK!

Q - What has been your favorite aspect of ministry in England?

My passion for leading worship and playing music has definitely grown throughout our term in Birmingham. I’ve also become a seasoned writer through Substack and other platforms, serving up regular updates and maintaining a deep connection between the work we do on the mission field and those with a vested interest in our success. Still, I would have to say crafting and preaching sermons will always be my favorite part of ministry. That’s not to say that it is the easiest, because there will always be an ongoing battle against the principalities and authorities that be whenever I have the honor of gracing the pulpit, which necessitates deeply cultivated prayer and study.

Q - What has been your least favorite aspect of your ministry in England?

Although I have grown in my knowledge of web design and site management, it’s by no means a strong suit. I find Squarespace and Wix much easier to craft and implement design elements than platforms like hubb.church. However, I will say that hubb.church’s tech support has been stellar in answering all my queries and partnering with me whenever I need to fine-tune or make extensive adjustments to the site.

Q - When do you start your new ministry assignment in Bath? How long will you be on mission?

Our last Sunday at Christ Church is scheduled for April 26th. Upon receiving approval for our new visa, we will begin traveling back and forth between Birmingham and Bath to find a rental property and plan our move. We’re praying the Lord provides funds for a 2-year term to get us to 5 years of consecutive residency (Indefinite Leave to Remain Clock), which will make us eligible to finally get out of the visa system.

The UK government is attempting to pass laws that will increase the ILR clock to 10 years, but thankfully, our charitable/humanitarian work with the Food Pantry (which we intend to continue in Bath), along with demonstrated English proficiency, can reduce the time back to 5 years. Once we attain this goal, we will keep an open hand about the Lord’s leading.

Q - What’s in it for a Ministry Partner/Donor?

We’ve come to realize that support raising is a way God spreads His provision around and gets people involved in His activity. If all we were doing were raising funds, it would be different. Our ministry isn’t gainful employment to live out some life of luxury or leisure. There is no working a few extra hours of overtime this week, or counting on that annual bonus to afford this or that dream. This is about mobilizing others to take part in Jesus’ Commission. It’s an invitation to get off the sidelines and participate in what God is doing in our broken world. We often say that some give by going and some go by giving. We all get to share in the blessings that come with doing His work!

God honors people’s giving as an act of worship. This generosity is deeply transformative for those sent and those who send. Paul really unpacks this idea in Philippians 4. He first tells the church at Philippi (who stuck with him through thick and thin) that their gifts are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. Paul goes on to say that his goal all along was not simply to receive financial support, but to help them grow in faith, receive heavenly rewards, and experience the blessings of taking part in His work. Furthermore, anything that Paul accomplished was credited to them as if they were doing the work—an exchange of financial capital for ministry capital. So when you invest in our ministry, we believe that God honors that investment.

It’s been an absolute honor to be boots-on-the-ground for our ministry partners!

Q - Who handles/manages the funding you raise?

Coastlands Community Church has graciously allowed us to use their giving platform to host our Church-to-Church fund, which covers our UK church’s expenses related to my role as part of their staff. Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI) oversees our general ministry, charitable work, and church-planting fund.

Q - Is living off support biblical?

Back in 2019, when we joined our former mission orgs’ staff, we completed over 10 hours of Bible study modules and dug deep into Scripture to understand what it says about support raising. We learned that the biblical roots of people supporting full-time ministers date back to various parts of the Old Testament (such as the Tabernacle and Temple worship systems) and to the New Testament, with the ministry of Jesus (in Luke 8). Furthermore, the New Testament records only three (possibly four) cities where Paul made tents, and he usually did so to remove any obstacles to the people receiving the Gospel there. But most of the time, Paul had other Christians supporting his work so he could minister full-time.

Check out my article, Funding Ministry & Charitable Work for an extended conversation about the topic of funding full-time vocational ministry and bi-vocational “tentmaking.” It also covers some key differences between the US and the UK, including visa restrictions and economic factors.

We know the Lord will provide the support we need to do what He’s called us to, and if you haven’t joined our team, we’d be honored if you’d consider coming alongside us in faith!

Q - How have people responded to the news from your original launch to the present transition to your new ministry assignment?

Most have responded with understanding and respect, as well as heaps of affirmation and excitement; mixed, of course, with the sentiments that come with living far away from home. Those who (a) know who Jesus is, (b) allow who He is to inform who we are as Christians (we carry His name), and (c) take His Great Commission in Matthew 28 seriously are especially overjoyed to witness God move in this way and have been encouraged by God through our pursuit of His call.

When considering the multiple biblical accounts, and surveying the countless examples of missional work all throughout church history, here are a few of the things about Jesus that inform who we are: (1) Jesus is Lord/Master with all authority and no equal, (2) Jesus is The cross-cultural and incarnational missionary, holy and set apart for the Father’s purposes, (3) Jesus is the child of God and the eternally existing Son in the Family of God, and (4) Jesus is the Word became flesh yet also the prayerful and faithful learned student of the Scriptures.

Q - How is Steph doing with her recovery?

My wife is a woman of valor. She is a fierce fighter who has battled her way to increase her strength and capacity each day since that incredible moment at Winterbourne Garden in early August, when we witnessed the Holy Spirit move.

The condition Steph was diagnosed with is called Hoffa’s Syndrome, an acute or chronic inflammation of the infrapatellar fat pad in the knee. Since March 2024, she has seen a private practice rheumatologist, done multiple sessions of hydrotherapy, received ongoing care from an NHS doctor, and worked with 5 physiotherapists, including Claire Robertson, a widely recognized expert and a consultant physiotherapist specializing in patellofemoral pain and Hoffa’s (fat pad) Syndrome, who has treated over 10,000 patients in her clinical career.

Check out this amazing reel that tracks Steph’s journey so far:

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END-OF-YEAR GIVING!

If you’ve been following our updates and other content, please consider setting up (a) recurring support or (b) giving a one-time gift to our mission. 🙏🏽🙏🏻

*A monthly contribution can go a long way in helping us sustain our ministry.
All charitable donations given to our ministry are tax-deductible.

We’re praying for the Lord to provide 20-30 new ministry partners to stand with us in faith and support for this upcoming ministry assignment. 🤝

*The chart above provides examples of how others have prayerfully partnered with us over the years.

Click on the button(s) below:

GIVE to our Church Planting FUND

Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI) oversees our general ministry, charitable work, and church-planting fund.

GIVE to our church-to-church FUND

Coastlands Community Church has graciously allowed us to use their giving platform to cover our UK church’s expenses to have me as part of their staff.

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TIMELINE

September 2017 

Our first time in England was during our Honeymoon. Steph and I crafted our own itinerary, which involved renting a car and braving the inverted world of UK driving. Having a car enabled us to explore small market towns on the outskirts of cities and lesser-known villages recommended by locals, along with common tourist attractions. Everywhere we went, we noticed a church at the center of a city or town, and many were abandoned or preserved as heritage sites. No service time was listed, and it often felt more like a museum than a place of worship. Bath, Bristol, and Oxford were the cities that sparked the most spiritual curiosity, where the burden in our hearts began to form, and we wondered what God was up to in the UK.

November 2018

We took an exploratory trip to the Southwest of England, landing in Bristol and traveling down to Plymouth. We met with charity leaders and church planters in Exeter, Plymouth, and Cornwall who answered all of our questions and spoke about some of what we had learned about British culture, including the complexities of the UK visa system. Thankfully, one of our contacts was the primary advisor to a Bible College in York that had obtained its sponsorship license. They also introduced us to an American pastor in Bath who remains a contact to this day.

May 2022

We met Steve Whittington for the first time. He is a well-known and highly respected leader in Regions Beyond and oversees the Birmingham & Beyond family of churches. We corresponded quite a bit about what it would take to obtain visa sponsorship and whether there was alignment in terms of vision and mission. We discussed the prospect of linking up in the UK upon our return, as we prayerfully lined up other opportunities to explore and discern.

July 2022

After an extended period of discernment in the US, during which we transitioned from our former Mission Organization to our current church-planting organization (Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI)), we were back in Oxford. For the next 6 months, we networked extensively, exploring and prayerfully considering various ministry opportunities in Birmingham, Bournemouth, Exeter, Reading, and Sheffield. During this time, I met an assortment of church and charity leaders, one of whom happened to be a pastor from another church in Bath, which is part of Newfrontiers, a large network of churches in the UK that includes the spheres of Regions Beyond and Relational Mission. The Lord directed us to serve alongside Steve and the other leaders in Birmingham, which set in motion the process to obtain visa sponsorship through Christ Church.

October 2022

Steph began attending a women’s group in Oxford led by a well-known Christian author, Sally Clarkson. During the first meeting, she happened to sit next to the wife of the American pastor from Bath, whom I had met back in late 2018! Providentially, it was the same day that I happened to reach out to him to inquire about opportunities to engage in ministry and other work in the city. He replied back at nearly the exact same time Steph had met his wife!

March 2023

After our visa turnaround back in San Diego, we got approval to return to the UK. From there, I took repeated trips from Oxford to Birmingham to attend Sunday service and look for a property to rent. Shortly thereafter, I began working formally with Christ Church Birmingham (CCB) and at the Food Pantry in South Aston.

CCB was a soft place for us to land as we re-entered ministry, especially after the challenges we faced in Oxford (during COVID). It’s been an amazing context for us to continue learning and growing in UK-specific ministry and contextualization. Steve and the leadership team have been so gracious and supportive of our family throughout our term and are standing with us in faith as we prepare to transition to Bath.

November 2023

During a weekly staff meeting, the Lord prompted me to share with Steve that my family and I are called to plant a church in Bath. I initially suggested a 5-year timeline, and he replied with, “Why not in 2 years?” I was surprised as Bath is not in the purview of the family of churches in the West Midlands. We ended the meeting with prayer, surrendering any plans and endeavors to the Lord. A week later, Steve runs into Jon Beardon, a prominent leader from Relational Mission (RM). Long story short, Jon mentions the Go West Initiative. All RM’s churches are in the East, and they were led to start planting churches and pioneering new ministries in the West. The city they are basing their movement from is Bath!

Jon later told Steve and me that a prophetic word was spoken over the Go West Initiative, revealing that there would be a partnership or relationship between British, West African, and American leaders.

November 2023 — Present

Over time, we’ve gotten more acquainted with Jon, Relational Mission, and the team in Bath through in-person Team Weekends and continued correspondence. We wanted to transition sooner, but sensed and saw that the Lord was slowing us down for a season. During this time, Steph has steadily recovered from a severe knee injury sustained in March of 2024 and has been relearning how to stand and walk. The Lord has provided immense healing and growth, and Steph has regained considerable strength and endurance in recent months.

Steve referred Jon to the immigration solicitor who helped CCB obtain its sponsorship license. She has provided guidance throughout the application process, and as of early November (2025), the Home Office approved all three visa routes!

HOW TO DISCERN GOD’S CALLING

Many have leveraged various iterations of the following alliteration over the years. While some will argue that discerning God’s calling can get muddled in subjectivity, thereby leading to errors in judgment, we would advocate a view of God’s will more akin to a wide-open field than a tightrope. Since Steph and I are a conscientious pair, we find that a careful, prayerful process (tested by Scripture) is helpful in discerning God’s calling.

• Consider - Surveying the journey ahead—gathering information, compiling data, and accounting for as many factors as possible. In other words, doing due diligence in researching pertinent details such as statistics, history, economic factors, etc.

• Clarity - Engaging in extensive prayer and fasting. Take all of the information you have compiled and form a list of pros/cons. What is a real effect or factor, and what isn’t? Visiting the location on an exploratory trip is highly recommended. Go meet and interview people currently engaged in life, ministry, and work in that location.

• Conscience - In a word: introspection. Is there anything weighing this decision down? Unforgiveness in your life, matters of convenience, financial debts, available resources, escapism, and/or many other reasons to examine.

• Courage - It would be strange if you didn’t experience doubts or fears about God’s calling. After all, many sacrifices are involved, and you will take certain risks. Courage is the prerequisite to taking part in the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

• Contentment - Our Western culture is not great at staying content and/or being patient. More likely than not, things will take shape differently while you’re engaged in work and ministry in that location, and something may pan out in ways you didn’t anticipate. When this occurs, remember that there is a time for patience, perseverance, and contentment in the Lord.

There have been various people in the US and the UK who have expressed interest in learning more about our transition to Bath.

If you want to learn more about the next chapter of our ministry and our continued venture in church planting and charitable/humanitarian work in the UK, leave a comment 💬 or reply 📧 to this article.

We would love to pray with you and help you discern whether God is calling you to take part in what He is doing in Bath through Relational Mission’s Go West Initiative.

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GIVING TUESDAY!

If you’ve been following our updates and other content, please consider setting up recurring support or giving a one-time gift to our mission. 🙏🏽🙏🏻

*A monthly contribution can go a long way in helping us sustain our ministry.
All charitable donations given to our ministry are tax-deductible.

FUNDING GOAL & HOW TO GIVE

We’re praying for the Lord to provide 20-30 new ministry partners to stand with us in faith and support for this upcoming ministry assignment. 🤝

*The chart below provides examples of how others have partnered with us over the years.

Click on the button(s) below:

GIVE to our Church Planting FUND

Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI) handles our general ministry, charitable work, and church planting fund.

GIVE to our church-to-church FUND

Coastlands Community Church has graciously allowed us to use their giving platform to cover our UK church’s expenses to have me as part of their staff.

Subscribe now

Share

Summer

What is Truth? Do we even care about what is true? Are we willing to seek it out and follow it wherever it leads, or do we deny it due diligence out of fear of having to change the direction of our lives? Perhaps, we don’t want there to be such a thing as objective (timeless and universal) Truth. Just as these words are formulated, ready to cross teeth and jump lips as utterance, a dividing line shoots up from the seeded soil like a vine with a multitude of binary branches. If there is Truth, then there must be such a thing as a Lie. If Truth exists, then so does its polar opposite: Falsehood. If there is a right, then there must be a wrong, and if there is good, then there must exist evil.

Jesus made an exclusive claim to being the Truth, the Way, and the Life, and that no one can come to God except through Him. He is the only path and door to God, the Father. These Greek people in Jesus’ day departed from their homegrown beliefs and ideological frameworks, desiring to see Him because they were seeking the Truth where it led them. Jesus’ words are evermore poignant as he spoke of the death of a kernel of wheat, which will in turn produce many seeds.

Are we living the Truth or a lie? Notice, I did not say “a truth” because that would mean that it can change like volatile torrents of wind exposing the ground beneath those with such a maleable belief as sifting sand.

Where do we stand with regard to this dividing line and its various subdivisions?

Truth matters. We must give an answer about our relationship to the Truth. As the dividing line inevitably emerges in our interactions with people who hold different worldviews, live different lifestyles, and express disagreements about political issues, I have seen too many across the spectrum make unequivocal theological statements about “Jesus’ side” being compartmentalized from sociopolitical concerns and movements or completely insulated from what some would characterize as the battleground of ideas. What a silly and out-of-touch notion! As if someone’s core beliefs, regardless of their religious or irreligious affiliations, only occupy the space behind their eyes and between their ears, never to see the light of day or come to bear in the real world in what they say, how they behave, how they treat others, how they govern, or what they advocate. Tell that to the...

• Abolitionists, such as William Wilberforce (a British politician) and Frederick Douglass (a former slave in America), both expressed their Christian convictions and connected Biblical principles to freedom and justice.

• Healthcare Reformers, such as Florence Nightingale, whose faith inspired her to revolutionize modern nursing and healthcare systems.

• Civil and Social Activists, such as Josephine Butler (Anglican reformer), William and Catherine Booth (founders of the Salvation Army), and Martin Luther King Jr. (a widely celebrated Civil Rights Leader), all of whom connected their deeply held faith to help the marginalized and persecuted.

• Missionaries who have pioneered ministries, established charities, and founded schools, universities, and hospitals all over the world.

• Martyrs, such as Thomas More, who became a symbol of integrity in the face of state overreach, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who opposed Hitler and participated in the resistance against the Third Reich.

Do people making such a careless judgment not recall the innumerable examples of Christian faith yielding tangible societal good and incalculably positive impact on contemporary sociopolitical issues? Do they merely want to be hyper-critical of all those of conservative ilk, who view their engagement in politics as responsible citizenship in a democratic society, defending religious liberty and morality, and fighting for those who are forgotten and do not have a voice?

At the Regions Beyond Advance Conference, esteemed missiologist, church planter, and professor, Dr. Martin Robinson, shared with us the state of church planting in the UK, including a historical overview, current trends, and personal observations. He shared a powerful story about an encounter with a gentleman from a working-class background. He admitted that the Church has failed the working class, leaving a massive gap and an opportunity for the Gospel to be sown. I understand if there are church leaders who want to focus more locally on their outreach to specific demographics and serve as a beacon of hope and light in their respective communities. However, I also understand when church leaders want to expand their efforts beyond local relief work into the realm of social development and civil reform.

We all have a right to openly dialogue and, at times, critique political views such as progressivism, liberalism, and conservatism. To engage in such critical thinking and necessary conversations is to grapple with the complexities of the real world. You can be earnestly involved in political issues and raise questions about the validity of legislation based on your Christian convictions, while at the same time not being swept up by the strong current of the culture war, rapidly heading up the creek without a paddle. However, there is something to be said about making a case for political conservatism as a force for pre-evangelism. In the UK, we see it in the form of devout religious adherents, such as those in Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism, where the overlap in shared moral values creates inlets and builds bridges for the Gospel to be shared. These are not nominal or cultural Muslims, Hindus, or Sikhs—but deeply religious and responsible citizens and migrants in the UK who interact with the dividing line just the same.

Neutral & Bad Faith Interactions

Unfortunately, truth has been hijacked for political leverage and advancing particular agendas, leaving it hollowed out and discarded as a husk. It has been devalued to the point of mindless parroting and delusional parody, stitched together into a convenient costume for one’s personal subjective opinion to parade around in, no matter how wrong or compromised it may be. Lies and falsehoods masquerade in public squares and, yes, even at pulpits—dictating to others, and galvanizing influence as if it had unquestionable authority.

Some don’t quite have a finger on the pulse of society because they refuse to think conscientiously, and in order to appear winsome, neutral, or tolerant to others, they do nothing, especially if it means avoiding the possibility of stirring up controversy. Ironically, these are the same people who carelessly reuse the labels derived from disingenuous party-affiliated pundits, which are intended to dehumanize, silence, and censor opposing views. To be fair, I don’t blame people who are attempting to be cautious, but I will challenge them to take action, firm up their understanding of the issues at hand, and remain steadfast in their faith. And there are others still, who, in their hardened hearts, willfully suppress the Truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18), in favor of pedaling partial or half-truths in the form of talking points—those who fancy keeping the status quo bleached in white lies, and all the other malformations of information. This is when bad-faith argumentation is used by provocateurs to stir up hatred among their base and wind up those in the opposition, aka the other side. Think of the religious elite in Jesus’ day who were appalled by Jesus’ words about destroying and raising this temple (John 2:19).

How to Determine if Someone Is Speaking in Bad Faith.

1. They have an agenda and are not genuinely interested in open dialogue

2. They use an insulting or aggressive tone

3. They misrepresent your position (ie, strawman tactics, etc.)

4. They move the goalpost

5. They refuse to respond to your points, counterarguments, or pushback

6. They don’t accept facts

7. They resort to ad hominem attacks when unable to deal with an argument

As many have rushed to give a response to the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, Steph and I have slowed down, mourned, and taken some time to process his death, which has revealed so much about the state of people’s hearts as it has the polarizing nature of our world. Friendships dissolved with immediate action, patience wearing thin as people recoiled at the sight of some of their friends jeering when his death was confirmed. It’s felt like we’ve been underwater, holding our breath as a flood of divisive rhetoric fills every digital space we tread. It’s hard to avoid the “almighty” algorithm’s littering and splintering effect on news broadcasts, articles, podcasts, social media posts, reels, and all the rest.

How do you cut through all the cacaphony of vitriol, sensitivity, shameless accusations, political tribalism, and compromised theology?

We have friends who honor him as a martyr of the faith, and friends who have sought to distance themselves from those who, in their view, are controversial sociopolitical figures in general, particularly in the UK. We’ve seen people blinded by their loyalties to a political tribe, viewing this incident through bias-tinted glasses and stopping short of thinking deeply and critically. Many are too quick to consume and regurgitate bold print and repeat labels (adult name-calling) such as “far-right” or “fascist,” which are engineered to discredit and smear the image of the accused as well as silence and censor dissent, concocted by those wholly steeped in their political ideologies. Why is it so venomous, and why does it hit at the deepest level? Simply put, if faith is not the center of who you are and fundamental to your identity, politics is an all too easy substitute.

Thankfully, I have been following Charlie’s work for the better part of a decade, so I would not be misled by footage or sound bites taken out of context. What I have learned about this man over the years is that his deeply held beliefs and core convictions framed his worldview and influenced his political advocacy and desire to facilitate open dialogue. Don’t believe me? Take some time to explore his body of work, which includes long-form interviews, debates, podcasts, and campus Q&As. That will, at the very least, help to dampen the aforementioned cacophony enough to hear the truth spoken clearly.

My contribution to this ongoing conversation is an encouragement to, in light of this horrifying tragedy, not to stand idly by and to seize this opportunity to boldly proclaim the Good News to those who seek to blur the lines of truth and falsehood, and to the many who have seen the ugliness of inverted morality and the brewing bitterness of a godless lifestyle, who are now disenfranchised and disillusioned by vile reactions to his death.

*As a missionary in the UK, I have an opportunity to recalibrate my convictions and re-examine my duties as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have learned a great deal from my British counterparts in Oxford and Birmingham, especially in cultural learning and contextualization of the Gospel.

I believe that my presence here in the UK is part of a growing movement that reinforces the Lord’s prophetic words to His people and to the culture at large. If you’re reading this and want to hear more about how to partner with us and be part of our Sending Team, please reach out!

📱 +44 7385 902588
📧 mginoespineli@gmail.com

SPOTLIGHT: River Church Bath

It’s with great excitement to officially share the news that we are transitioning to River Church Bath (RCB) in 2026—the first church in Relational Mission’s Go West Initiative, a church planting movement led by Jon and Nicky Beardon.

RCB is situated in an area called Southdown, which consists of council estate housing and a diverse community made up of students, young professionals, working class families, elderly, and some migrant residents.

Over the course of our 3-year term in Birmingham we’ve had the honor of serving alongside a group of annointed leaders at CCB and Birmingham & Beyond, and we are grateful to join a team of annointed leaders, church planters, and pioneers in Bath, Cardiff, and Belfast.

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MAJOR PRAYER REQUEST!

🙏 → PRAY that the Lord continues to provide for our ongoing ministry and charitable work in the UK. 🇬🇧

FUNDING GOAL & HOW TO GIVE

*We’re praying for the Lord to provide 20-30 new ministry partners to stand with us in faith and support for this upcoming ministry assignment. 🤝

*If you’ve been following our updates and other content, please consider setting up recurring support or giving a one-time gift to our mission. The giving chart below will give you exampes of how others have partnered with us over the years.

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→ Coastlands Community Church has graciously allowed us to use their giving platform to cover our UK church’s expenses to have me as part of their staff.

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→ Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI) handles our general ministry, charitable work, and church planting fund.

Sheepish Shepherds & Queued Theology

As church leaders on either side of the pond, we cannot concede ground on what is true, right, and good, especially concerning the cultural redefinition of terms such as love and disagreement. Today, love has become a paper-thin counterfeit circulating among the populace, and disagreement is often seen as a declaration of war. When did words become so loaded and inflammatory?

For example, we recently had a guest speaker deliver a sermon at a joint service over the summer. I heard some feedback that people had an issue with the use of the word, patriarchy. In my view, he challenged the secular definition of the term as a contrast, while elaborating on the criteria of Servant Leadership and the ultimate example of sacrificial Christ-like love that ought to be synonymous with biblical patriarchy. And to be charitable to those who did take issue with the use of the term as a trigger word, perhaps it could have been used more minimally, along with a clear and gracious cautionary statement.

Fear of disagreement will prevent us from having open and honest dialogue, and we must all together refuse to be dictated by it. We can still be loving and charitable to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, while also being a gracious example and light to the world when we disagree about open-handed issues, such as those in political discourse (John 13:34-35).

The longer we share the Gospel, the more disagreements we will inevitably encounter, and the more we will meet individuals with strong feelings and opinions, just as with any other issue in the broader realm of Christian Apologetics and Polemics. You cannot be a preacher worth your salt if you are a constant people pleaser, unwilling to broach subjects that many in our culture find jarring, difficult, or even bigoted and archaic when biblical revelation is prescribed and applied to our lives.

As a pastor (aka shepherd), the challenge when dealing with loaded words, challenging questions, and hot-button issues is resisting becoming sheepish—that is, being hesitant, timid, embarrassed, or lacking confidence. Whether you are a church leader, seasoned layperson, or brand-new Christian, here’s a series of questions to ask yourself regularly:

• Am I being courageous or cowardly in proclaiming and embodying Truth?

• Will I be vocal or cautiously silent on certain issues in fear of disagreement?

• Am I being active or passive in my reasoning and critical thinking?

• Will I be full of faith in what the Lord can redeem and restore, or gripped by fear as I navigate the strong feelings and opinions of others?

• Is this the time to be prophetic or timid?

• Will Truth be uncompromised or compromised?

• Am I being apostolic and looking for ways to move forward, or am I being more administrative and looking for ways to maintain the status quo?

• Is it a question of practicing wisdom or being pragmatic?

• Will I be strident or soft spoken?

• Am I thinking critically and asking questions, or am I thinking superficially and making assumptions?

We all have a theology and make theological statements whenever we simply talk about God. The question is, are we thinking for ourselves? Are we applying our bubble filter instead of thinking deeply, praying often, and following the Truth wherever it leads? No matter the perception, loss of approval, effects on our influence, or the risk of people questioning our credibility. Or will you queue up and fall in line without questioning or reasoning?

Let’s refuse to parrot talking points and use labels that dehumanize others
Let’s step outside of silos and echo chambers, and aim to truly understand the other side
Let’s be quick to listen and slow to speak in our interactions
Let’s normalize empathy and encourage people to think critically
Let’s meet as leaders, staff, and co-laborers to discuss controversial issues openly
Let’s practice forgiveness in the same way that Christ has forgiven us

I have a few examples from my time serving at the pulpit, where, by God’s grace, I have faithfully and boldly brought His word at Christ Church Birmingham (CCB). It’s worth noting that many of my mentors have observed a prophetic teaching gift in my preaching over the years. There is often a Holy Spirit-enabled sensitivity toward sin and repentance, as well as a discernment in handling topics that are deemed sensitive or contentious in our culture.

I’ve learned a great deal about contextualization, particularly in our diverse demographic, which encompasses second-language English speakers, working-class and middle-class individuals, and families. Add to that time constraints (they allot 25-30 minutes), which I am still working on maximizing, and it makes for crafting very succinct messages.

The topic of inward healing was most prominent in this sermon, especially as it relates to trauma, unforgiveness, and bitterness. The week leading up to the message was the week of the assassination. Before going up, I was asked if I would be mentioning Charlie Kirk, and was encouraged to be delicate in our context because not many know much about him, and the stuff they do know has been soaked in left-leaning political spin and taken from haphazard quotations based on clips taken out of context.

Unfortunately, the ending was cut, which tied a few threads and motifs together. During the response, there was a conversational segment, where I spoke as Jesus and asked the question He asked of the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-15), “Do you want to be healed?” in response to the excuses we often make.

I crafted a 30-page PowerPoint presentation to add visuals to the verse-by-verse exposition, incorporating a diagram of the developing points and supplemental quotes.

As I expounded on the first chapter of Jonah, I discussed the prophetic gift as expressed in the Church and to the culture at large, as well as the temptation to edit Jesus’ words out of fear of offending people. We also looked at a series of questions that collectively formed a thought experiment. Among those were resistance to state-sanctioned persecution and discerning propaganda and censorship relating to the grooming gangs in the UK.

Some feedback I received from those I trust and highly respect about the message was to be sensitive when mentioning the Holocaust or Nazi Germany in our British context.

Probably one of the best sermons I have preached at CCB. Sex and sexual ethics as designed and defined by the Lord are wildly unpopular in our Western culture. A culture that paradoxically speaks from both ends of its mouth. On one end, a battle cry for so-called “sexual liberation” (sex as merely physical and recreational) and on the other, mourning the often severe effects of sexual trauma and abuse (sex as far more than physical and recreational).

PRAISE REPORT

• We praise God for the divine appointment at Winterbourne Garden, which showcased the Lord’s supernatural care and healing! 🙌🏽

  

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• We praise God for the Griffiths’ continued support and partnership. You stuck with us through some of the most challenging times in our ministry, and we are so grateful to God for you! May the Lord honor your beautiful faith as we co-participate together in the Lord’s activity here in the UK. 🙌🏽

  

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• We praise God for the Catedrals for forming a new partnership with us and believing in the Lord’s work in and through our ministry. May the Lord bless and multiply your generosity as you impact a multitude in the UK! 🙌🏽

  

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• We praise God for another year of life for our two sons, Enzo (Zo) & Shilo (Roo). Happy birthday, fellas! 🙌🏽

  

• We praise God that Relational Mission’s visa license has been approved by the Home Office ahead of schedule! 🙌🏽

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Have you ever pondered what it will be like to enter into Heaven and be enveloped by the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? It would be reasonable to surmise that, beyond the dimensional and spatial aspects, I submit to you that the more potent and tangible reality of Heaven is more a Person than it is a place.

We write songs about it and try to exhaust our human language to capture just what it will be like. Many who have had near-death experiences (NDEs) have recounted the feeling of being saturated by light and an overwhelming sense of unconditional love. Think of it, to be so utterly and indescribably fulfilled in ways our earthly romances and pursuits could never compare. While all other things age, lose their luster, fade away, and are subject to entropy—the triune God remains. He is the superlative of superlatives and the true center of all reality and existence, of whom all things revolve, reflect, and draw their meaning.

Of course, apart from this majestic, robust, and grandiose Truth, the other thought that comes to mind is seeing loved ones who had fought the good fight, run the race, and persevered to the end with an authentic faith and relationship with Jesus. I don’t know who will be there and who I will see among my family and friends, but I know there will be immense joy and peace. Imagine running into your heroes of the faith, Biblical figures, church fathers, and others down the line of Church history.

Perhaps, I can finally ask some of those lingering questions of the first disciples, such as what it was like to be with Jesus before, during, and after the Cross and Resurrection. What they thought and felt as the Holy Spirit empowered the Church to take this glorious message to the ends of the earth–neither by the sword nor any other form of coercion, but rather by the reality-shaping, inwardly and outwardly transformative love of God. I have so many questions.

Would they be just as eager to speak to us, less notable in the Kingdom of God—their spiritual progeny? Their kith and kin—simple, everyday folk proclaiming the Gospel and doing His work during the advent and ongoing development of the digital age?

What would Paul, Peter, and the rest of the Apostles do with the technology we have today?

During the 1st century, ink, papyrus, and parchment were cutting-edge innovations that significantly impacted the way the Church recorded and communicated the Gospel to believers and unbelievers alike. Letters were written to relay messages to a particular church or churches, and carriers would be entrusted to travel to their destination by way of the interconnected network of Roman roads—infrastructure paved with the modern engineering of the day.

Consider all of the inventions and innovations throughout human history:

• Printing Press (1450s)

• Telegraph (1830s–40s)

• Telephone (1876)

• Radio (1890s–1900s)

• Electricity (late 19th–early 20th)

• Television (1920s–30s)

• Computers (1940s–50s; personal computers from 1970s–80s)

• Mobile Phones (1973 first handheld call; mass adoption in 1980s–90s)

• Internet (1960s origins; public adoption 1990s)

• Email (1970s; mainstream in 1990s)

• Smartphones (2007 iPhone marks the tipping point)

• Social Media Platforms (2000s: Facebook 2004, YouTube 2005, Twitter 2006; 2010s: Instagram, TikTok)

• Video Communication & Conferencing Software (Skype 2003, Zoom 2011, which became essential during the 2020 pandemic)

How were each of these leveraged to spread the Good News, teach, encourage, and uplift others to follow Christ in their daily life, never mind during times of hardship and persecution?

How were they used to be relational and intentional in our local, regional, and global communities?

Technological advancements have affected the way we...

In Part II, we’ll look at some examples of Software, Applications, and Online Platforms that I’ve utilized over the years. I’ll highlight some of my favorites and walk through some of the features, while elaborating on the benefits and drawbacks.

Before becoming missionaries, Steph and I were part of the core leadership of an amazing ministry called Synced Culture (SC). We were stunned to discover that the estimated number of social media users is comparable to the population of many countries.

• Millennials = 1.25 billion users worldwide

  • USA = 70 million

  • UK = 14 million

• Gen Z = 2.1 billion users worldwide

  • USA = 65 million

  • UK = 12.2 million

SC aimed to captivate this mass of people and utilized social media as a way to engage with culture shapers, such as creatives, artists, entrepreneurs, and innovators, while also practicing wisdom in drawing people away from mobile devices and screens and inviting them to develop real, intentional, in-person communities. I recall a time when we led an extensive ministry-wide fast from all social media to engage more purposefully with the Lord.

Honest Questions for the Church

1. In what ways are we utilizing technology to spread the Good News about Christ?

2. Are we in any way allowing technology to compromise the Gospel message?

3. What kinds of habits does this technology cultivate in people?

4. Does our digital presence as a church invite people into Christ-centered community or into content consumption in the guise of community?

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On Saturday, August 2nd, I took my first unassisted steps in over a year since my knee injury. That is enough to praise God for, but what He did that day was so astounding, it will be passed down through the generations of our family. He gave us a miracle in a place where we experienced heaven on earth, and our children witnessed the power of God in front of their very own eyes.

The deeper I’ve grown in my relationship with the Lord, the more I’ve recognized and witnessed the work of His hands, so evident once one’s eyes are opened, you can just about see the lingering fingerprints. But as a fickle and forgetful human being too often pulled in by the distractions of this world, my eyes easily blur, unable to see those fingerprints, wondering where God is yet again. Our emotions can sway with the wind, with us suddenly finding ourselves alone on a raft, surrounded by stormy seas, wondering how we arrived there. We question every step we’ve taken, every thought we believed to be true, and wonder how we will make it back to the safety of the shore. If only we would just look up… and see Him crossing the space of endless water and waves, straight to us, holding His hand out and asking if we trust Him enough to walk off that raft and into His arms.

Back in Autumn, I felt the Lord pressing upon me to not focus solely on praying for physical healing, but healing within. I felt there was more that was hurting and hindering me beyond my knee injury. I will continue more of this in my series, but so much was revealed about the connections between our heart/mind and body and the way the Lord cares about our heart more and why that is. Once I surrendered everything to the Lord, the heavy weight that seemed to press down on me day after day was lifted. Though I was still in the thick of it with my injury, I finally felt His joy again. I was able to praise Him right there in the middle of the storm, and almost in an instant, there was peace. Every day since, I have pressed into His strength to get me out of bed each day and help me be completely present. As He worked in my heart, healed some broken areas, reminded me Who He is, I finally began to see changes in my body as well as it seemed to bring safety to my system. Though I did not think I would get the instant miracle I desired, I trusted Him with what He was doing, and Gino and I continued to seek Him and pray for the miracles. Gino encouraged me to pray without ceasing, to not become discouraged, and to believe that the Lord will do something.

This past Saturday morning, though I wasn’t feeling 100%, I told Gino that I wanted us to go somewhere as a family. We couldn’t decide where to go as we wanted to stay local, preferably outdoors, where I could more easily manage my walker while in nature, so we could bask in and explore God’s beautiful creation. Outings as a family look different since my injury, as they come with many challenges, and it takes a great deal of of effort, patience, and perseverance to push through those challenges. But since we lived for so long unable to even attempt these outings as a family, we appreciate them much more. When I could barely move from the sofa, I wondered if and when I’d ever be out with my family again, as I watched life pass through the window. We have been gifted with a deeper appreciation for every moment and experience we have, which includes the acceptance that every outing will not go perfectly or “to plan.”

That day, I was dealing with a randomly injured toe that meant I couldn’t wear proper trainers—a silly, yet frustrating thing to add to my walking difficulties. When trying to figure out where to go that morning, I had an idea of a place, but Gino wasn’t keen, so I went back to the archives of places I’d bookmarked and randomly chose another to send to him. That place was Winterbourne House and Garden, a 20th-century heritage site. Upon arrival, not once, but twice, we had a parking spot taken right from us as we attempted to park in the very small lot. Gino had to drop me off and drive down the street to park, then get all the kids out of the car and over to the house. Once inside, we couldn’t find a table on the patio to sit and eat so the meal was quite challenging for a number of reasons. Things were forgotten in the car and had to be retrieved. I told Gino that it seemed everything was a bit against us that day, and I wondered if anything would go smoothly. I spent some moments in prayer, asking mostly for patience. We finally made our way out to the gardens, which were flourishing with life. We allowed the kids to run through the paths and squeal with excitement as they took it all in. The sun was shining and I felt its warmth on my skin. We took a moment to sit on a bench, and a very kind gentleman walked up and asked if we wanted a family photo, which truly blessed us.

As we continued, I was about to go to the path on the left, but Gino had gone ahead to the other one, where the kids had followed after. I made my way on the stones and gravel, not easy to traverse with a walker, but the beauty of it all, including the looks on the faces of our children while my husband led the way, helped keep me going. As I turned to go to the more challenging uphill path, I found myself wondering if that initial path would have been better as it looked easier, but I just kept going, knowing the challenge would strengthen me. I had no idea what was to come once I got to the top of that path.

I heard a man say “excuse me” as he spoke to Gino first. He asked if I had a problem with my leg, and Gino answered briefly about my condition. I then got closer and started talking to this man, who shared that his name was John, and his wife’s name was Beth. I started to have this feeling in my spirit that something was happening much deeper than a conversation. He then said that they are Christians, to which we told them we are as well, and he said he was stopped in his tracks by the Holy Spirit telling him to go pray for me. He asked if he could, and I welcomed it, so we sat there in the middle of this garden as he prayed very specifically and intentionally for the healing of my knee, the restoration of my strength, and the comfort of the Lord’s hand in my life. The air shifted as the Spirit of the Lord was felt. When he finished, he asked if I wanted to stand and see if anything felt different. I was still on the stone path, so I stood with the help of my walker and started moving back and forth a bit on each leg. I noticed that the pain I’ve been experiencing in the more recent months (including that day) on the front outside right of my knee was gone. I felt so grateful for that and praised God for what He was doing. We thanked them profusely for their obedience to the Spirit’s prompting and the care and compassion that was shown. We said goodbye and started walking towards the next garden area, and as we did, I felt that this was not over.

As we stepped into this next space, I noticed there was a long, grassy path laid beautifully in front of the house between rows of flowers that seemed to glow when the sun shone upon them. I went straight to that path. I took some photos of our children running up and down it. All the while, I could not shake how overcome I felt in the Spirit. Everything suddenly felt different; it is such an indescribable feeling. I kept looking over to Gino, knowing he felt the same way. I suddenly had the urge, as I was sitting on my walker as I usually do to take a break, to kick my leg out straight. I have not been able to do a straight leg extension yet, though I have worked hard week after week, trying. But as I kicked out, it went straight up. My leg felt so light, so strong, and seemed to fly up with ease. I sat in shock and just stared at Gino as we fumbled around for words about what was happening. He then asked if I wanted to try to stand and walk.

What is so important to understand is that the first thing this injury took from me was my ability to stand, and then to walk. The pain was so intense for so many months that I could not stand on the leg, was rendered immobile, and after many months, had to relearn just how to stand again. This particular injury also prohibited the leg from going straight into extension, which gave me a bent knee for months, with a severe limp, and then a need for crutches or a walker for over a year as I had to literally relearn how to walk and gain the strength again to do so. This was the most difficult injury I could have imagined, as it seemed to take away every bit of functioning in my body with no simple fix or complete answers. Everything seemed to wither, my muscles turned off, my neurological connections were disrupted, and I would have to relearn how the leg moves in order to stand and walk again. I have fought for my life, only with God’s strength, to come back from the depths of where this took me. I have wanted to give up so many times, but I have pleaded with the Lord to keep me going, and He has. I have felt His supernatural strength to endure, both in the Spirit and the body. However, the fear that gripped me at the beginning, which made every moment seem completely terrifying due to the pain, lingered in my worries about how to take a step again on my own without assistance. I have tried holding Gino’s arms and was still too afraid to bear so much weight on that knee to push through. I had started to pray very specifically for courage. I knew this was the final element I was missing to begin trying to walk on my own again, as the muscles started to work and the connections started to fire again. I honestly had no idea how I’d be brave enough to attempt this again. So when I stood up in that beautiful garden, I was still a bit afraid, but I heard a gentle whisper within: “trust Me, and walk,” and I took Gino’s hand.

I realized then that the Lord was answering my prayer and providing that miracle. I walked a few steps down the path while holding Gino’s hand and felt strengthened. We paused and turned around, and he stepped away. I stood there on my own, and though a bit wobbly and shaky, I could feel courage radiating through me. And I stepped… for the first time in over a year, I stepped. As my children, who have seen their mommy go through the worst time of her life, losing the ability to look after them in the same way or follow them as they ran, praying with every ounce of breath to be healed, saw me finally walk. Giving children beautiful things and lovely experiences is wonderful, but there’s nothing more important than a faith-filled life and witnessing the work of God. I looked up and met the eyes of my husband, who has loved me so well, has lifted me when I had no strength, has selflessly taken on all this trial has brought to our family, doing the role of both parents, pouring everything out to the point of sheer exhaustion every single day… and we both just wept. I looked up to the sky, the sun shining down, and I praised God with my whole heart. As this happened, John and Beth came back around and witnessed this. I turned to them and, with tears in everyone’s eyes, we just marveled at the work of the Lord, in sheer awe of His glory. After basking in this moment, we exchanged numbers with them and then heard a bit about their own testimony of this day. They had just recently moved house, and money was quite tight. They had been overcharged recently by the dentist, and because of this, decided against going out and spending money until the issue was resolved. They were then told the day prior that the overcharge had been refunded to them, and decided at the last minute to go out. Beth told us she felt they “needed” to be at Winterbourne, and so they decided and went. God had ordained this day, this encounter, this moment. Nothing was by chance or “coincidence.” That is God’s hand at work, and He deserves all the glory for it.

I noticed the seemingly small, but beautiful ways the Lord showed His kindness in this moment. I absolutely love gardens, and this was one of the most beautiful ones we’ve been in. I was given a beautiful, straight grassy path to walk upon as well. I was not allowed to walk barefoot for a very long time with this injury because it put my knee into full extension when I had to avoid it. I’ve only recently started to walk without shoes again around the house, but I had longed and pleaded for the day I’d be able to walk along the grass again. I had forgotten this desire of my heart to walk on the grass and how I had envisioned it with heartbreak as I sat inside. That day, because of the annoying toe injury, I had sandals on when I’d typically have trainers on, so I slipped them off to walk barefoot in the grass as if it was the most natural, normal thing when, for so long, it absolutely was not. In one of the most beautiful, treasured places, the Lord showed me the tender, loving care of a Father. And as I took those wobbly steps, I felt like a child learning to walk again, being led by her Father’s hand.

Sunday Joint Service at Redemption Hill

The following day, a few Birmingham and Beyond churches gathered together at Redemption Hill in Walsall for a joint Sunday service. There’s always quite a buzz in the air at these gatherings as many of us outpour with the mutual affections often characterizing family reunions. An eagerness in our collective anticipation as the presence of the Holy Spirit became palpable in the room. It was a time to share the many incredible things the Lord is accomplishing through our respective communities within the church planting movement. It was also a time for the Lord to speak, cast new vision, and forge solidarity among our churches. We worshipped together and thanked God for His unfailing love and faithfulness.

Walter from King’s Arms Community Church in Lydney, which is part of the extended family of churches within Regions Beyond, was our guest speaker. Redemption Hill is currently teaching through the book of Genesis, so Walter prepared a message from chapter 20, where he expounded on the situation between Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelek, while teasing out various themes, most notably the massive contrast between secular conceptions and experiences of patriarchy vs biblical patriarchy—ultimately epitomized and embodied in Christ.

I was asked to lead the time of response after the sermon, so I chose to lead the congregation with the song Firm Foundation by Cody Carnes. A powerful reminder of how the Lord is the foundation we build our entire lives upon, which can withstand the hardships and weather the raging storms of life. Whether we have faltered and made mistakes, have owned too much responsibility for things we cannot control, or felt targeted by trials and tribulations coming at us with such force that it exposes where our lives are truly built upon.

Before I went up, Steph had whispered to me that the Lord was prompting her to share her testimony from the previous day. As I made my way to the bridge of the song, I played through the chord progression a few times and ministered briefly before inviting Steph to come up to share testimony. She slowly made her way up to the front and situated herself on her walker facing our family of churches. As she began to share what occurred a day prior, I started to add the melody notes to the chords as a complementary instrumental.

Eyes were welling up with tears all around the room, especially in those who knew just how lengthy and arduous this journey of recovery has been for our family. At one instant, she reached over to me to grab my arm, referring us back to the message Walter preached about godly men being an example to the church and a counter-cultural witness to the world. Suddenly, moments later, to everyone’s amazement, she stood up and, like a child staring deeply into the eyes of her Heavenly Father, she took four steps forward, holding her hands up in praise! Our dear friend Mary got up and met her at the front with tears streaming down her eyes, filled with such joy at the sight of Steph’s boldness.

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*Coastlands Community Church has graciously allowed us to use their giving platform to cover Christ Church Birmingham, UK expenses to have me as part of their diverse staff.

GIVE to our Church Planting FUND

*Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI) handles our general ministry, charitable work, and church planting fund.

Share Along The Way

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NIV

Discipleship can be summed up in one sentence: Knowing what we believe, living out what we believe, and passing on what we believe.

Christianity is not a singular faith, in which you keep your beliefs to yourself in fear of what people may think of you, being called names, inciting controversy, or being unpopular, which may lead to ostracization. It’s one of the most critical aspects of being a follower of Christ, and, if you’re familiar with the advent of the Church by the spread of the Good News, it is not only baked into our worldview and integrated into our lives as believers—it is our way of life.

Steph and I are approaching six years as parents and 4 years (in total) on the UK 🇬🇧 mission field. Our desire to raise our children in the ways of the Lord has become an increasingly strong conviction. As our family continues to navigate the many distinctions between American and British culture, our children are growing up with a third culture. A blending of both American and British cultures, and more importantly, a constant learning and living out of the transcendent culture of God’s Kingdom. In other words, we are living as citizens of a nation set apart—one with a Christoformed culture where we resemble Jesus more and more with each passing day, while simultaneously facilitating and nurturing the faith of our children.

One day, each of our children will be faced with the decision to place their own faith in Christ and choose to follow Him with their whole life.

When it comes to the discipleship and nurturing of children in the ways of the Lord, understandably, work and other time-consuming duties and responsibilities can get in the way or sap you of energy, preventing many from being more hands-on. But discipleship is not a segment of a day or a particular day of the week. It’s an ongoing moment-by-moment way of life. Our encouragement to other parents is to be intentional and more actively involved in your children’s learning and spiritual guidance in a way that functions within daily life through rhythms and structure that are both natural and come to be expected by them. Resist the temptation of abdicating the responsibility of faith formation and discipleship to Sunday school or catechism programs.

If you have uttered the words that you “believe in God,” there should be evidence of this belief in your life. What does that statement of belief mean? Is it just lip service or a convenient label to claim in certain circumstances and remove in others?

Those who know me well will know that the Lord's work in and through me has always been to foster deeper devotion in others and to cultivate holistic worship of our Lord. Before you can pass on the faith to your children and to others, you must know what you believe and live out what you believe. Let's look at a few analogies or aspects of discipleship that will test whether your belief is active in your life.

Passion

Have you ever noticed that what you love, what you are passionate about, and invest time in—your children, too, will come to inherit, love, and become equally if not all the more passionate about?

Consider your favorite Sports teams, clubs, and franchises. All that time you spent in that hallowed stadium or sitting in front of a TV with friends and family, watching closely and cheering loudly for your team. Moping about when your team suffered a huge loss or catastrophically folded during the closing seconds of a crucial moment. Think of all the money you invested in season tickets, traveling to meaningful away games, and willing your team into the post-season (playoffs) to eventually hoist the trophy or come up short. Recall the effort you put into planning your kids’ first trip to a ballgame and the lengths you went to for that autographed keepsake.

It’s not fair weather fandom—it’s a way of life. It’s a flag you wave, a mascot or logo with a set of colors on a jersey you wear regularly, a treasure trove of paraphernalia adorning your home, and all the rest. It can’t be reduced to a simple set of rules and restrictions (who to love, and who to loathe), or time honored family traditions, rituals, rhythms, and habits centered around your team along with associated sports superstitions. When you are cut open, you bleed the colors of your team.

To be clear, there’s nothing innately wrong with being a sports enthusiast. It only becomes wrong when it crosses the threshold of idolatry, which is to take a good thing and make it a god thing/an ultimate thing that supersedes and is prioritized over Christ. How many people do this unwittingly? I grew up in the Bay Area learning to love playing and watching sports, supporting the Oakland Raiders, the San Francisco Giants, and Golden State Warriors (although I will confess that as a child growing up in the 80s and 90s, I always wanted to watch MJ’s Chicago Bulls whenever it was televised). When my Pops moved to the US from the Philippines, he engrossed himself in sports and tended to root for Bay Area teams in both conferences of various leagues. It was what we wore, who we watched, who we talked about around a dinner table. It was a way of life. It wasn’t until a bit later that I made a decision to narrow down the teams I supported—and I still harbor no ill will toward the other storied Bay Area franchises.

As we were preparing to move to England, I chose to support Chelsea FC, who at the time was going through a major transition having lost their manager, their best player, and were subject to a transfer ban, forcing them to play homegrown Academy players. One other major reason for supporting them was that one of their players, Christian Pulisic, was the lone American footballer in the entire Premier League. It was the perfect time to start supporting them which happened to be in line with our preparation and arrival.

Questions

Are you passionate about your faith? Is your identity truly in Christ? Does your growing love for Him animate you to do things you would not otherwise do? Does your faith lead you outside of your comfort zone? Does it order your daily and weekly schedules and determine your rhythms and routines?

Hypocrisy

Steph and I have done our due diligence in grasping why people, particularly children of church leaders, fall away or deconstruct their faith. One of the most prominent reasons is hypocrisy. Authentic faith is not only taught—it is also caught and wrought. There are things that our kids are catching from our day-to-day beliefs that are most clearly seen in our behaviors. If we don’t live out what we teach, or to put it another way, walk the talk, then our kids will get wise to it. If who we are in public is vastly different than who we are in private, they will see right through our professed Christian faith.

We’ve been blessed with the priceless opportunity to come to England to serve the Lord and co-participate in His activity here. And the kids are catching it and growing in their understanding of our unfolding story of faith as a family. In our nightly prayers, I hear my children thanking Jesus for sending us here and asking Him to help us share His love with others who are hurting, who don’t have much, and have lost hope.

Questions

Do you take your children to church services, conferences, and service projects in your local community? Have they witnessed you get slighted by someone and saw that you did not retaliate when you could have easily done so? Have they seen and heard your honest repentance when you’ve done something wrong? Did you ask for their forgiveness when you lose your temper and shared your remorse over the fact that hurting them is hurting Christ? When did you last turn away from sin? Have they seen deep inward transformation and not merely a change of behavior? Have you regularly invited them to pray out loud with you, cultivated times in Bible reading and study, initiated service to the disadvantaged and invited them to serve alongside you? Did they see an authentic faith where your actions did not stop at what you professed to believe? In other words, did they see hypocrisy in your life, where your actions and lifestyle that did not match what you say you believe, whether in public or in private?

Converts

It would be one thing to consider what you would say on a witness stand in a court of law, if asked why you put your faith in Christ and not in Buddha or one of the millions of Hindu gods, or Zeus and the pantheon, Allah, or any other number of deities. Your answer will give you everything you need to know about whether the statement, “I believe in God,” reflects a faith that is earnest and authentic. What you share will reveal if you know Him, and I don’t mean just knowing canned factoids about Him.

Let’s extend and elaborate on the framing of this imagery slightly. Imagine that 2 new converts who were formerly Muslim came to you wanting to learn more about Christianity and proceeded to ask you question after question. There’s nothing like encounters with eager inquisitive minds that will quicken you and help to firm up the knowledge of your own faith. It will give you a sobering look at where you truly are as a disciple (student) of Christ, who is called to know what you believe, live out what you believe, and pass on what you believe. This is not to say that everyone must understand every single theological concept and, in humility, it is certainly okay to not know the answers to every question, which in turn will leave room for follow-up or create space for a deeper dive into a vast array of topics. However, there are some basic tenets of the faith, that one should understand as a follower of Christ such as:

• Who is Jesus Christ?

• Did Jesus claim to be God? If so, when and where did He make these claims?

• What is the Trinity, and how would you explain it?

• How does prayer work?

• What is the church and why do we need to gather on Sundays?

• What is sin and who determines what sin is and isn’t?

• What does Christ’s death on the Cross mean? What did it accomplish?

• Who gets into heaven and who doesn’t?

• What does Christ’s Resurrection mean? Why is it significant?

• How should I live my life as a Christian?

Now, if anyone is falsely taking the name of Christ by calling themself a “Christian” who “believes in God,” but is really agnostic in their worldview or at best, aloof from the faith, they will struggle to answer these questions even in their own words. They may peddle a common moralistic view that Christianity is about following a set of ancient rules and doing more good than bad which will get you into heaven at the end of your life.

Unfortunately, this view is false and has more in common with all other world religions than it does any semblance of the Good News Jesus and the disciples first proclaimed in the first century. If that is your view of Christianity, it’s no wonder you think all religions are the same. In Truth, these other religious (and irreligious) views have superficial similarities and fundamental differences. Many have never had such an experience of being asked such questions, being subject to a firming up of their beliefs and views. Some will even avoid these questions at all costs, which ironically negates the two millennia of church history which saw the spread of Christianity by those answering questions and taking every opportunity to proclaim the Good News.

Paul saw himself as a spiritual father when he wrote to the church in Corinth and called people who had no blood relation to him his dear children:

“I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 4:14-15 NIV

Questions

Are you made in the image of God, or did you make a god in your own image? Is there just one Truth (objective) or several truths (subjective) that can be lived out? Are you part of a local community of believers (a church)? If so, are you encouraging one another, just as the disciples did, to grow in your faith and continually turn away from sin? Or are you redefining sin? Are you active in Jesus’ Commission? Are you discipling and mentoring anyone in the faith? Are you sharing the Gospel with people in your family, your friends, your neighborhood, or your workplace? Are you serving the Lord in any way? Have you grown in generosity with regard to financial stewardship?

Short-Term Missionaries’ Perspective

As I shared in my previous article/our Spring Newsletter, I had the opportunity to serve alongside a short term missions team from Greater Europe Mission's Ten2 Project. These young ladies were on fire for the Lord and were bringing forth their unique gifts and perspectives to bear in our local context in Birmingham. They helped serve at multiple churches in the city along with charitable work and outreach such as the Food Pantry or the Oikos Cafe.

On their last day at the Food Pantry I asked them a few questions which culminated in the question below, and wanted to share some of their answers and insights.

Reese

She noticed a lot of diversity in Birmingham—people from many countries, and that with such a melting pot, there are so many religious views and backgrounds to engage with. She sensed that there is spiritual confusion among these various people groups, especially regarding misconceptions of Christianity. Apart from language barriers, people seemed very closed off, so ministries such as street evangelism may not be effective. She sees relationship building as the most efficacious way of bringing the Gospel to these people groups.

Raegan

She spent a lot of time observing, interacting, and offering to pray for people. She spoke of meeting a college professor at Oikos Cafe, who shared that he thinks British natives like him already know all there is to know about Christianity—thus they are closed off. Her response centered around opportunities to facilitate encounters with Christ and addressing the absence of felt experiences beyond head knowledge.

Sonny

She discerned a lot of spiritual darkness, particularly related to loneliness. She witnessed many people content with going into a coffee shop, ordering a drink, and not speaking to anyone except to place their order. She also noticed this disposition in a fellow barista, a guy who kept to himself and only spoke sparingly. She began to spark conversation and genuinely wanted to learn about his life and story. What followed was a night and day difference in his temperament—he felt valued because someone saw him and took time to listen.

Cheynece

Cheynece permitted me to share a bit of her story:

She grew up in a missionary family living in Honduras. Her parents were leaders in a ministry called Casa De Luz. I asked her how she came to faith in Christ and about her thoughts on those who deconstruct their faith and or fall away. She spoke of the busyness of ministry and seeing the love her parents had for other children/families, and feeling like she and her brothers were a second priority. It took the efforts of well-equipped support, particularly a family counselor, to help remedy the situation and reconcile their family dynamics.

Over the years, she experienced difficult times but found it hard to open up because of the platform and notoriety of her parents. She recounted a time when she was pretty young (around 7 years old) and she was having a lot of hardship. She remembers being in denial, often harboring a fear of being seen by others as someone struggling. It wasn't until she was able to admit her struggle that real healing took place. She also shared that she battled through depression during COVID, and it rocked her, but by God's grace, she came through the fire with a refined faith.

She now lives back in the US, in the State of Illinois. Her brothers Wesley and Adam also live there, but she was saddened to share that they both have fallen away from the faith. Having gone through a similar upbringing and perhaps the same hardships many third culture kids go through, she persevered, while her brothers went in the opposite direction, away from Christ.

*Please pray for Wesley and Adam to rediscover their faith in Christ.

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GIVING

If you’ve been following our updates and other content, please consider setting up recurring support or giving a one-time gift to our mission. 🙏🏽🙏🏻

A monthly contribution can go a long way in helping us sustain our mission. All charitable donations given to our ministry are tax-deductible.

*Click on the button(s) below:

GIVE to our church-to-church FUND

*Coastlands Community Church has graciously allowed us to use their giving platform to cover Christ Church Birmingham, UK expenses to have me as part of their diverse staff.

GIVE to our Church Planting FUND

*Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI) handles our general ministry, charitable work, and church planting fund.

Share Along The Way

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¹⁰ For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know every bird on the mountains,
and all the animals of the field are mine.
Psalm 50:10-11 NLT

Spring

Full-time vocational ministry, with all its various components and integrant parts, has fostered our faith in many ways. Among these interconnected areas, the aspect that has produced the most tactile, battle-tested, and durable faith has been the establishment and maintenance of active ministry partnerships and financial support. Before our commissioning back in December 2019 and our launch to the mission field in December 2020, both Steph and I were gainfully employed, pioneered and led numerous ministries, served in the church, and volunteered in our local community.

In faith, we left all that we knew, all that we found comfort and security in, to answer the call to go on mission. We’ve grown to believe, both biblically and practically, that we are merely stewards of God’s finances, not people who hustle to hoard all money only to spend it for our own self-interest. In other words, it’s our money to manage, not own, and He invites us to live by faith in seeking and asking what we ought to do with His money and resources. What a novel idea in our Western individualistic world—giving our first and best of our income, whether that’s a seasonal yield of crops, livestock, assets, monthly salary + commission, and the like.

Since becoming born-again, we’ve grown leaps and bounds in generosity through hardship, recession, and other economic turmoil. We’ve seen countless people impacted by sacrificial stewardship and giving—and we do it not for ourselves or any recognition from people who’ll think we’re pious or wonderful—but for the Lord. All of our time, talent, and treasure are leveraged for His kingdom and the spread of the Gospel. A message of redemption marked by transformative love and pervasive hope for those lost, hurting, and held captive by their sin.

We have learned a great deal about British culture while active in cross-cultural ministry, from the use of different vocabulary, idioms, and spelling (separated by a common language) to the distinct approaches and philosophies of ministry in the UK context. From what I have gathered thus far, one aspect of church life that has been different is the seldom emphasized discipling of people to be stewards of their finances. That’s not to say that all churches here are missing the mark on this vital part of holistic discipleship; however, in cases where it’s not discussed at all and people have never been led to adopt such principles, this presents an opportunity for the British church to grow in its faith. We like to quote from Psalm 50 with fervor and pizazz, that the Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills—yet, we all have one such hill under our watchful management and fail to grow in generosity.

As new redeemed creations reconciled to our Heavenly Father by the person and work of Jesus Christ, we are now adopted children in God’s family, citizens and ambassadors of His kingdom, students of His word, executors of His commands, and stewards of His finances and other resources.

A Common Objection

It’s often interjected that Paul was a tentmaker during his missionary journeys. Many conclude that he was bi-vocational, meaning he performed manual labor for the majority of the week, which permitted him to preach the Gospel in the evenings or on weekends. Unfortunately, this is merely a dismissive oversimplification, never mind its lack of warrant or historical veracity. The New Testament only records three (possibly four) cities where Paul made tents: Corinth (Acts 18:4-5), Philippi, Thessalonica (2 Thess 3:8-9), and Ephesus (mention of manual labor).

How many areas did Paul cover and how many cities did he travel to as a missionary?

• 1st Journey - Antioch, Seleucia, Salamis, Paphos, Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and Attalia.

• 2nd Journey - Jerusalem, Antioch, Cilicia (Tarsus), Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch, Troas, Neapolis, Philippi, Amphipolis, Appolonia, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Cenchrae, Epehesus, and Caesarea.

• 3rd Journey - Antioch, (Galatia and Phyrgia), Tarsus, Iconium, Ephesus, Troas, Neapolis, Philippi, Amphipolis, Appolonia, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Assos, Mitylene, Kios, Miletus, Cos, Rhodes, Patara, Tyre, Ptolemais, Caesarea, Jerusalem.
  

  *Other cities - Damascus, Sidon, Myra, Cnidus, Fair Havens, Malta, Syracuse, Rhegium, and Puteoli.
  *Other travels - Rome and maybe Spain

On the one hand, Paul used tentmaking as another opportunity to minister to those who were far from God or worshiping other gods. This work was just as much a mission field as the local synagogue or marketplace, so it wasn’t just a day job or a means to an end. And on the other hand, he would often have co-laborers relieve him of his tentmaking so that he could devote himself exclusively to ministering. (Corinth, for example, in Acts 18:4-5).

Moreover, consider the time it takes to prepare a sermon or the 24/7 work of pastoring a congregation of 100 people. How can you do any of that well as a worker worth their wage (1 Timothy 5:18) if 40+ hours of the week are taken up? Now, add a marriage to cultivate and children to raise in the way of the Lord. There are exceptions to the rule, as well as trade-offs for particular situations, and different socioeconomic and cultural barriers that necessitate a specific balance.

UK Economic Factors

There is more to explore when it comes to this opportunity to grow in biblical stewardship. Discussing money is often awkward and uncomfortable, especially in a country like the UK, which, by and large, has limited resources. Beyond the social or cultural factor, one might be tempted to inquire whether something more systemic was at play that would cause people to adopt a mindset of scarcity.

Have you ever wondered if there was a difference in salary range between the US and the UK? In other words, are there pay gaps between the US and the UK when comparing various sectors or segments of employment?

Across the board, people make upwards of 1.5 to 3 times the salary in the US for the same jobs in the UK. Keep in mind, these are the average salaries from all 50 states! Comparing the UK to the state of California would accentuate the gap even more.

Giving joyfully without being compromised by the limitations of salary or resources in the UK could be a blind spot. As I’m sure many of our British counterparts who are sent to America as missionaries or ministers would discover, there are also blind spots in the American church culture.

Legal Barrier

I’ve been asked a number of times about any additional work I can take on while continuing to serve as a minister and church planter. As long as I am in the UK’s visa system, I am very much restricted to the work we do for our church sponsor.

Immigration Laws - Minister of Religion visa holders:

• Cannot start a business and are restricted from self-employment or owning more than 10% of shares in a company.

• Cannot work at a coffee shop, warehouse, or any other low-skilled job as a supplement.

• Can only work 20 hours a week part-time within the charitable/faith sector, as long as the job is (a) within the scope of their religious duties and (b) is permitted by their sponsor.

What does it take to fund the work that we do in the UK?

¹After this, Jesus traveled from one city and village to another. He spread the Good News about God’s kingdom. The twelve apostles were with him. ² Also, some women were with him. They had been cured from evil spirits and various illnesses. These women were Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; ³ Joanna, whose husband Chusa was Herod’s administrator; Susanna; and many other women. They provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples.
Luke 8:1-3 NIV

There’s an assumption that large churches, networks, and denominations fund 100% of ministry and missions locally, regionally, and internationally. This idea has only emerged within the last couple of centuries, whereas the majority of church history has been marked by the significant impact of ordinary individuals and families. What best defines Christianity as a movement is:

Short-Term Mission Teams

As an example of what it takes to fund ministry here in the UK, let’s take a look at short-term missions.

In my recent article, I extended an open invitation to ALL our ministry partners, affiliated networks, charitable foundations, and entrepreneurs about the prospect of (a) establishing para-church organizations or agencies in the UK and (b) sending short-term teams here to gain valuable cross-cultural ministry experience, perchance the Lord is calling certain individuals, couples, or families to long-term missions.

Christ Church Birmingham had the honor of hosting an assortment of short-term missions teams from:

1. Greater Europe Mission (GEM UK’s Ten2 Project)

   

2. Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church (Birmingham, AL)

   

3. Antioch Church (London, England & Waco, TX)

   

   

*Ten2 Project participants had to raise $5,800 each for an 8-week mission trip (not including round-trip flights).

*The Antioch Church team had to raise, $6,000 each for a 6-week mission trip.

The amount covers food, housing/accommodation, in-country transportation, and all the corresponding outreach, training, and activities.

Long-Term Missions

Here’s an example of our Monthly Funding, also known as a Support Schedule, from when we were with Greater Europe Mission (GEM). The funding parameters were set according to the currency exchange rate (🇬🇧) and the size of our family at the time (a family of 3). Notice the assessment percentage, which meant that 12% of all gross funding raised (before SECA taxes) was sown back into the mission organization.

We are now a family of 5, and the current currency exchange rate is $1.37 = £1.00

We give 10% of our gross funding to Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI) in support of their efforts to plant churches, pioneer ministries, and develop leaders.

Our new monthly funding goal is $8,400.

Our work encompasses a variety of different roles, as described in our Autumn Newsletter (Multiple Hats & Spinning Plates) and Active Cross-Cultural Ministry. To help understand what it takes to fund the work of full-vocational ministry, here’s a sample list of the average salary range of some corresponding jobs in the UK that fit within the larger scope of our work:

Even if you took the starting amounts of each of the part-time roles listed above, we’re already at the level of our total funding goal.

The list doesn’t include administration, marketing/communications, ministry partnership development (MPD), MPD coaching, graphic design/photography/videography (which I’ve done for other church planters), and miscellaneous jobs such as transporting people and groceries, which are expressions of the gift of helps.

FUNDING GOAL & HOW TO GIVE

If you’ve been following our updates and other content, please consider setting up recurring support or giving a one-time gift to our mission.

A monthly contribution can go a long way in helping us sustain our mission. All charitable donations given to our ministry are tax-deductible.

*Click on the button(s) below:

GIVE to our church-to-church FUND

*Coastlands Community Church has graciously allowed us to use their giving platform to cover Christ Church Birmingham, UK expenses to have me as part of their diverse staff.

GIVE to our Church Planting FUND

*Gateway Leadership Initiative (GLI) handles our general ministry, charitable work, and church planting fund.

Prayer Request

• Pray that the message we proclaim from the pulpit to 1-on-1 encounters with people would be accompanied by the supernatural work of God to heal infirmities, open storehouses, break addictions, and cut to the heart, causing people to turn to Jesus.

• Pray for God to continue to provide for our ministry and charitable work. We have visa renewals coming up in February, which will require a substantial amount to cover Visa Application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge (mandatory upfront payment into the NHS).

• Pray for a close family member who recently reached out to us about a cancer diagnosis. They sought a second opinion and are awaiting treatment.

Praise Report

• We praise God for the Rodriguez Family and New Life Church in Michigan. We’re so grateful for your family! 🙌🏽 May our partnership continue to be steeped in love and prayer. Our success is your success! What we accomplish on the mission field, you accomplish!

  

• We praise God for the LB Charitable Foundation's continued support and partnership. It’s been an honor being your boots on the ground in the UK. May the Lord honor the mingling of our faith as we co-participate in His redemptive and charitable work in the UK! 🙌🏽

  

• We praise God for every opportunity to minister God’s word to His people and help train up others who are new to preaching. 🙌🏽
  
  → Here are 2 recent messages: “The Runaway,” which opened the Jonah series, and “The Cross of Christ,” from our lead-up to Easter.

  

• We praise God for another year of life for our beautiful princess, Adaline Junia (AJ)! Happy birthday, little sprout!

  

• We praise God for my parents who have been in town for a few weeks to spend some time with us, help around the house, stock up our fridge and pantry, look after the kids for a bit of respite, and most importantly, to celebrate AJ’s 4th birthday.

• I praise God that I was able to celebrate Father’s Day with my pops this year!

  

• I praise God for cultivating my passion and growth as a Worship Leader and Music Director. It’s been amazing to play alongside the latest iteration of the band: Dave Wade, Alex Terry, and Dave Terry.
  
  → I’ve been incorporating signals with the guitar during the set to let the band know where we’re going in each song, along with other elements in the arrangement to blend songs together. Here’s an example of a set:

  

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The Bible Society recently published a report, which included some remarkable findings and exciting news indicating a “Quiet Revival” in the UK. There seems to be an unexpected change in spiritual climate—a shift in trends and temperature amid tidal movements toward receptiveness in Britain.

Key Stats

• 50% increase in church attendance over the last 6 years!
  → Over 2 million more people go to church than what was reported in 2018
  → More men (13%) than women (10%) are going to church
  → 1 in 5 people (19%) are from an ethnic minority
  

• 67% of churchgoing Christians read the Bible at least weekly outside of Sundays!
  → Churchgoers are more likely to actively participate in giving and volunteering
  *Charity work, food bank/pantry, and other things that benefit the local community
  

• 4x increase of 18-24 year-olds are attending church (from 4% to 16%)! 🤯

A Quiet Revival

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It’s often said that we’re living in a post-Christian age, a prominent feature of UK society in recent decades. Yet, we’ve met many who have begun to see the pitfalls of secularism—a worldview that has left countless individuals disillusioned, hollowed out, and discontented.

These new findings suggest that a cultural and societal shift is now occurring towards post-secularism. Perhaps it’s time for these new generations, heavily burdened by a godless gravity and yoked to ideas with no transcendent grounding—leaving any semblance of genuine faith shrouded in obscurity, to turn back to faith in Christ.

We believe the Lord goes where He is welcome, and our prayers are for a continued movement, particularly in places of influence and with people of influence. After all, cross-cultural ministry has always been about winning the hearts of key people who have tasted and seen the goodness of the person and work of Christ and have been eternally animated to spread this Good News to the unreached—locally, regionally, or globally.

1. Large Metropolitan Areas that have historically set the tone for cultural and societal shifts—which can fan the flames of revival.
   
   Apart from Birmingham & Beyond and Go West, another example of the Lord moving within church planting is through the efforts of City to City UK. Their vision is to continue working and establishing new churches in 6 key cities: Birmingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London, Manchester, and Oxford. Five of the six focus cities are large, diverse metropolitan areas, with one exception: Oxford, a relatively smaller university city.
   
   *Oxford is roughly 18 square miles, which is comparable to American cities like:
   – Bozeman, Montana
   – Berkeley, California
   – Marquette, Michigan
   
   Apart from Oxford, other key university cities to add to the list include Bath, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Leeds, and Sheffield.

   

2. Prestigious University Cities and towns where international students can encounter the love of God in Christ—and bring revival to hard to access countries with little to no Christian presence once they return home.
   
   While large metropolitan areas in the UK are most visible to the outside world as cultural epicenters, it would be unwise to dismiss the immense scope and impact of working in university cities. If large cities represent places of influence, university students who graduate from the world's most prestigious institutions represent future influencers, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and ambassadors of nations, shaping global industries, diplomacy, science, and research.
   
   *The UK is 2/3 the size of California, yet there are nearly as many international students who study in the UK (1,092,802) as there are who study in the whole of the US (1,126,690)! 🤯
   → University of Bath - 38% of students are international from 152 countries
   → University of Birmingham - 15.3% of students are international from 131 countries
   → Aston University - 30% of students are international from 120 countries
   → University of Bristol - 35% of students are international from 150 countries
   → University of Cambridge - 31.8% of students are international from 142 countries
   → Imperial College London - 50.8% of students are international from 140 countries
   → University of Oxford - 46% of students are international from 160 countries
   
   *There are churches in these cities that have effective campus ministries, but you may be wondering whether they are reaching all of these students, much less discipling all of them. No, they aren’t. The question remains: How many churches need to be planted, and how many ministries need to be pioneered to facilitate more encounters and equip these students to reach their peers?
   
   Churches and mission organizations often partner with UK charities, such as Fusion, Friends International, and the UCCF, which focus on student engagement and outreach. In order to have a presence on campus we’ve found that your church must be in close proximity to a campus (or have easy and accessible public transit) and you will need at least four students from your congregation willing to start a “society” (ministry) on campus, otherwise you are prohibited from doing anything on campus, save for Church fairs and the annual Fresher’s Fair.
   

3. Discipleship Making Movements (DMM) where being missional as a way of life takes on variable forms with a variety of people across class, culture, and creeds. I recently got acquainted with Todd Morr, a passionate proponent of missional communities and the Discipleship Making Movement (DMM). He was a founding leader of the Soma Family of Churches, which started in the Pacific Northwest. He also helped start Josiah Venture, which has engaged in youth ministry training and evangelism for 25 years in 14 different Eastern European countries.

   When we connected over a video call, Todd spoke about some incredible movements emerging in the UK, ranging from conventional church planting to those centered around missional communities. One standout example of the latter is the Garden Church (GC) in Norfolk, which is part of the Church of England. GC is a movement that believes that smaller gatherings in homes are creative pockets of hope where people can experience Jesus. Moreover, when compared to a Sunday-oriented expression of church, these outward/outreach-focused pocket communities are low-cost, sustainable, and easy to replicate, which makes them “revival-ready.”
   
   You may be tempted to pigeonhole such a movement as a one-off, whose traction is driven primarily by young adults in a university city that happens to have a vibrant high street and trendy music scene, but that would be false. As their name suggests, “gardens” require area-specific tilling and cultivation. What may have worked decades ago may need some shaking up and revamping. Meanwhile, certain neglected areas of the UK, such as working-class-oriented ministry, which are less trendy and fail to meet a certain curated aesthetic, may be precisely where the Lord is working the most.