MCC Daily Devotion, Missions Update UK and VBS!

Missions Update from Brian Wade

Brian Wade is currently serving as an MCC supported missionary in the UK but many of you know him from the time he spent at MCC! He recently sent us an update from Croydon, England. The following is an excerpt from his letter.

"As you can imagine, things changed for us as COVID-19 made its way to the UK in late March. The incredibly high population density of the UK, as well as it’s cool, wet climate, has led to an extremely severe outbreak across the country. Naturally, London has been hit the hardest. Early on in the pandemic Redeemer (the church Brian serves at) decided to suspend holding meetings as it was not safe to do so without unnecessarily risking the health and lives of its oldest members. The decision to suspend services was soon reinforced by the British Government’s ban on any gatherings, public or private, and the ban is expected to stay in place possibly as late as the end of the year. This has not stopped our ministry though, and what has blossomed as a result is definitely a testament to God’s faithfulness in this time. When the pandemic hit and services were put on hold, it became obvious to me that in order to best serve our congregation and the surrounding area, Redeemer would need to move entirely online. Sure enough, two weeks later it was decided that I would be put in charge of creating and running our online service. To be honest, the idea of compiling a service and finding the right platform to run it on for a church that I was just getting to know in a culture that I was entirely new to, was quite daunting. My background is not necessarily in tech.

Whenever I have computer problems, I always call the person whose job it is to solve those problems. I quickly realized that in this situation, I was that person. If you have ever heard the cliché “God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called”, that would accurately describe what God has done in my life and in Redeemer Croydon over the last three months. We haven’t missed a Sunday since the lockdown, and by the grace of God we have been able to produce quality services by simply using our phones, computers, and even a camera or two from members of the church. God has blessed our church in ways we couldn’t have imagined possible and as a result of running the service online, we have even been able to add some really helpful long-term structures and practices that were not previously used. A weekend planning meeting was started where we can plan weeks ahead to help ease the load of staff and congregation members alike as we look to prepare our services. We have also been able to better identify how we can reach out to people online and via social media, and we have even looked deeper into identifying how things such as music and language can help us reach people in Croydon through these platforms. God has really used this difficult time to sharpen Redeemer as a church and better equip the us as we seek to evangelize the city of Croydon for the Gospel of Jesus. This is the most important thing to Redeemer; we do this because Jesus continues to be everything to the staff and church of Redeemer, and it has been amazing to be able to walk alongside this church as we learn what it looks like to serve in these dynamic times in and around Croydon and Greater London.

What I have described is really just a snapshot of what has been going on over the past 5 months, but it is my hope that you will be encouraged by the news that God is doing amazing things in Croydon and as a result of our partnership. It has been incredibly humbling to hear the stories of thankfulness and encouragement as people have been encouraged by what we are doing by putting church online weekly, and for me it has been an incredible, if not challenging, process of serving cross-culturally in this capacity.

I would ask that you pray for us as we continue to find effective and creative ways to support our church in this time. Please pray that we as a staff team continue to have healthy relationships, and that we can continue to build the trust that acts as the solid foundation of our effectiveness as a team. Please pray for me as I learn more about leading in Christian ministry and serving cross-culturally. Pray for London, and the UK as a whole, as COVID-19 has continued to ravage this nation. Lastly, please pray that Jesus would be known- in our hearts, in our church, and in our City.

I miss you all, but I am perfectly at peace knowing that I am resting in the hands of God, and am serving exactly where he desires me to serve.

Blessings,
Brian Wade"

Click here to read Brian's complete letter.