Cpistlc from Cnglanb

... A report from ministries challenging a post-Christian nation with the claims of Christ.

VX. 13, NO. 3

FEB. 1986 W

New Life for the "Old, Old Stony

In its multicolored history/ the Christian church/ which was founded on Jesus Christ/ has found expression in a variety of ways. From small groups
always expressed its life in a plethora of ways. I believe this is how it should be. Every age and every culture finds its ways to exress the truth of the gospel without doing injustice to either the message or the grom of believers who live in that particular culture. Surely the gospel must be both relevant and at the same time true. As a minister in a new church/ it is often tempting to ignore the past history of the church and the various traditicxis which are represented to move into a "new work of God." Many such groups exist today who are attemptira to

meeting in homes or catacombes to large ornate cathedrals/ the church has

express the Christian life in new forms/ but often ignore the past. But I am convinced that is to one's peril. The gospel must alwa^ remain faithful to
the history of God's work/ but equally must be expressed in new forms for the
Some of our churches in Britain are very new. They find a lot of freedom in
new life to flourish.

how they axiduct their services and life as a church. In our particular case/ we have been cautious to always remind ourselves of our past and what God has done/ so that we don't miss the reality of the gospel just for the sake of
relevance.

God/ surely He isn't bound by the church.

TiTe general British population seems to have a very strcng dislike or indif ference to the church for it is seen as a relic of the past. If there is a

making the gospel relate to the people of the 80's/ to enable them to see and experience that the God of the past is also the God of the present and the future. The church mast be willing to follow its Lord now and in the future if it is to have any^ing to say to me people of today. Our church in Redditch does not have a building. This has both positive and negative results. Itie most positive is tiiat we meet in a oommunity center for once again.

has any relevance in the lives of pec^le. Some of this is prctoably due to the role or the church in the history of Enq^nd. But surely some is due to not

And so neither God nor the church

our morning worship.

people.

is alive and His gospel is indeed good news." We are not indicating that church fcxiildin^ are irrelevant/ but we are trying to express two truths. One is found en the lips of Steven in Acts 7:48ff. He indicates that God is too large to be held in caie building car one view. He is God and not to have a clear or large enough view of him is seen as resisting the Holy Spirit. The
other truth is from Jesus in Luke 5:37-38: new wine demands new wine skins.

In this way we are hxping to say to our neighbors/ '\3od is real.

For too Icxng the church and its Lord have been removed from the

We see this as a way to relate the church

to the people

He

is with these two truths we are attempting to explore new ways t express the "old/ old story" for the pecple of today. ^ Dm YWWBLL
OTEY INIRODUCE THEMSELVES ON

It

WE WELOOME TO OUR PAGES DIOC AND YVCNNE STITT. AN INSIDE PAGE.

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

agree/ and I've enjoyed it. It's been interesting." It might have been a summary about a game of
Trivial Pursuit. The other conversation was on

Christmas Sunday night.

nan

A young

came into the hall at the old

people's hcMne where a group of us were carolling. He stood next to David Campbell and me. I'd never

:M

seen

him before/

and his

breath

Melissa and Jim Dahlman Sarah

TWO CCNVERSATICNS

smelled of liquor.

We shared our

carol sheet. When we finished/ David introduced me to James, whom I had heard about/ and who lived across the street from David.

The

last few months gave me

couple of unusual opportunities to talk about 'deep things'. One came as I perched on my bicycle
alongside the road. The other began at an old folks' home. They

syntoolize to me the fundamental differences in how people respond to the message of Christ. The first was with a friendly
man in his sixties. I had first met him at a friend's funeral. At

"Could we talktonight?"/ he asked. We had the teen group coming over to our house/ so we set a time later that night at David's house. James was waiting when I got there. James had been in prison for burglary; he had been addicted to

drugs; since prison he had re turned to drinking; his home life

was a mess. He was a man in trou ble and he knew it. He is a

the gathering afterwards, we talked a long time. On this day# when I stopped to greet him, we picked it up again. His basic opinion about Jesus was the clas sic "good man, fine teacher" line/
and if someone wanted to follow

lapsed Roman Catholic/

words/ he

and in his
me

wanted me to "help

find my faith again." He started pouring out his story before I got my coat off. We talked for two
hours without a break/
to talk more.

and agreed
know from

I've not seen him

the Bible down the line/ that is fine. But (I knew there was a

for three weeks,

and I

'but* coming)/ there's no need to get beyond Christianity being a good code of conduct in society. He wasn't for 'messing it up' with
salvation and all that. It was

David that he has been struggling. I don't know what will happen. But I do remember the desperation in
his voice and his manner that

night.

knew we haven't talked

the battle is

for the last time;

After I gave my side of the

those now familiar words:

one

of many equal ways to

truth.

story
dis

not over. One thing he didn't say was/ "It's k>een interesting.

(the biblical side/ I believe)/ he summed up our con\ jrsation in

"Well/

God

One man said,

but the point.

is not for the

"The kingdom

well-meaning/
Case

of

it

looks

like we agree

to

desperate."

in JIM

TAMWORTH REPORT
INTROTUCtNG . . .

time of writing this in

. Jt
\

early January, we, the newcomers to the England mission front, are
preparing for a second church assignment after fifteen months

serving a young-in-Christ fellowBecause we are even newer to

vA

I !(

^
^
=

readers of the Epistle from

ii \fcs iM I 1-

ourselves and perhaps remind faithful followers of the work

here of some of the more striking

shall

introduce

Dick and Yvonne Stitt

differences in everyday Christianity between England and the US. We are Dick and Yvonne Stitt, at fifty-three and forty-six respec

tively, older than most of the mission families within the Churches of
Christ here. We are, at the same time, perhaps the youngest in ministry.

We were sent primarily by the people of First Christian Church,

Phoenix, Arizona, a congregation of some 2,500 membersroughly one

hundred times larger than the churches in which we have worshipped and
preached in Britain.

Still building their own lives in America are our eight children and,
with the arrival in December of Marie Nichole Stitt and Jonathan Hartshorn, eleven grandchildren.

We were led to mission through the incredibly beautiful experiences of

sharing in a home Bible study, some courses, conviction, exciting Bible

teaching from inside and outside our church and . . . could anyone be surprised? . . . Dr. Bob Wetzel and the exciting challenge of work at
Springdale College,

Some of the things we may have been told about, but had to experience to comprehend were: The isolation of the Christian . . . and almost a compulsion to linger when in the company of others with whom it is possible to "talk Christian."Families in which both parents are Chris tians are the exception, which makes active profession of the faith a problem in the face of hostility or yawning indifference.The hunger

many young Christians have to hear and understand the Word is greater
here than we have encountered anywhere.Opposition, even open hostility, to Christianity is better than the overwhelming apathy which seems the lot of nine out of ten Britons; opposition at least provides a basis for discussion.The reported survey results which allege that fewer than five per cent of all the fifty-five million people here claim any reli

gious affiliation at all make the United Kingdom a fertile mission field
indeed; the sense of being different and a minority which is often
DICK scorned is new toour American experiences.

WEST BROMWICH REPORT

Moving Ahead
Just before Christmas we put on a Community Carol Service at the local community center. This was attended by about sixty people/ including some whom we have not seen at any of our meetings before.
I have had contact with some of

the leaders at the community

ter for some time.

cen

As a church we

have long felt it would be a good place to reach people in the area who would not come to a "religious building," Some time ago we tried to see if we could hold Sunday meetings there, but that was not acceptable. The recent meeting at the center was a good one for the first time there. The response from those at the center was positive. God is urging us on in our outreach and we are praying towards another approach to use
Jan and Pete Bowen Gareth and David

the building for meetings on a weekday evening. All around we are excited at what God is doing and we are expecting to see more and more doors open for witness this year.
PETE
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Jpistle from
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Jim S Melissa Danimtui 4 RusMin Cnscent
Bob i Sue Hartman 46 AsfiOOume ROM

PERMIT NO. 61 WASHINGTON. IL 61571

Ahram. W/gan
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Wigsion, Leicester
LEB IFE Janet Barnes

Rogar Earingion 144 Oravallr Lane Srdington, Bifminghan:

B23 6LT

26 Spencer Slieel Hinckley. Le<cs.

LE10 tRB

Pela i

Jan Bewen

Curt S Linda Nordhietn}

13 Si. James Paili

41 HaraOeU

Amington, Tamii/oflh
SUffs. B77 4NA

Tunoridge Vifells

Mission Services

Kent TNI 2LG

Gail Burns S Pila Ida 20 Culneiaon Patk Road

Resource Dept
P 0 Box 2427

Dan A Amy Varnatt

)0I Redstone Close Chuiefi HiU North RaMilcn. Worcs. esesAF

TunOridge Wells
Keni TH4 90r

KnoKville TN 37901

AMERICAN CORRESPONDENTS

Mr S Mrs. B. C NonShielm
200 E. Jellerson

Wasmngmn, IL 61571
USA

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WIGSTON REPORT
A CHRISTMAS GIFT

usually ready to collapse by the

time Christmas Day arrives. In the past/ December has been so
crammed full of activities that

jtjjf

V- --tW

season. I determined that would

I've hardly had time to enjoy the

ftt

<^U

grace, it didn't. For He managed to provide us with plenty of

special events, yet in such a way
that the pressure was off me.

happen this year and, by God's

Bob and Sue Hartman

kicked off the season with

People

Karl and Christopher

special Christmas "Harvest"

services on December 8th.

brought along their own ornaments and flower arrangements on the Saturday and helped to decorate the building. Then/ on the Sunday, they brought
our church Christmas tree.
and getting" of Christmas.

toys for needy children and gifts for pensioners and laid these around
teens, Robert Dunkley, was baptized into Christ,
for them as well.

We sang carols and reflected on the "giving

On the 15th, we had a special Christmas celebrationone of our olcfer

Members of his family

came to the service wliere they saw that God's gifts to Robert was meant

carolling. Each of the three groups was given a list of people to visit
and we finished the evening with mince pies and hot chocolate.
Ralcm and I ferried guests into town to see the Christmas lights.

On Tuesday the 17th, our Growth Groups gathered for an evening of

Friday the 20th saw an evening for pensioners at the home of Ralph and
Mary Jebbett.
un ciie

We talked together over coffee and mince pies and then

UL ipuiiuay

put on a program of songs and plays.

tryinq hard to reach. ,

IIIULIIAIIM

this evencincluding a few of the non-Christian husbands we have been

_ , , ,

Parents were very supportive of

nv-i-i-j-

In the evening we responded to the invitation of a local_ house fellowship and joined with them for a carol service they had organized at one of Wigston's Community Centers. The service included drama, special music, interpretive dance, plentiy of carols and an evangelistic message followed, once again, by those mince pies._ ^ j-*.i Finally we welcomed in Christmas with our traditional midnight

welcominq in three transfer members on the first Sunday in January. We were still busy, as you can see, but because I was responsible tor

candlelight service and then rounded off the holiday.celebrations by

only a few of these events and received the help of so. many others, pis turned out to be the most relaxed and en:)oyaDle Christmas 1 ve had in manv years. If the Lord was trying to teach me that I shouldn t feel resTOi4ible for doing everything, then he taught me well. Maybe that s the best Christmas present i could have received.

TUNBRiDGE WELLS REPORT

Seasonal
Christmas program presentation
Mary was in tears star got shy and refused to
twinkle

The props mistress missed her cue

The wisemen did not feel like

loading their pretend camels

The entire cast (including me)

forgot a song which was suppose to. be sung the play Christmas program presentation

#2 (at a pensioners' complex):

The donkey lost its ear
"Ben sit down." Ben, don't hit." are you?" "Ben, don't." "BEN!" "Ben, come back here." "Ben, where

Too many children in one room Mass chaos in the echo-y hallway General consensus about both presentations: Lovely! Weren't they sweet! Didn't they all do well! They sang lovely!

Which all goes to prove that adoring adults are blind and tone-deaf during the Christmas seasonbless 'em.
Over and above these programs we:

Sang carols in the town center to raise money for the Save the Children
Fund (collected about $280.) Went to the rest home of ninety-three year old, house-bound Mr. Turner

to bring the hope Christmas gives to him through readings, singing and
visiting with him and some of the other residents. About burnt the church down during our well-attended carol service.
Some of the candles on the window sills burnt down to the s i l l wood.

(The carol service itself/ led by Curt, was unusual and very good.)
Had neny parties and ate.

Cpisitit from Cnglantt

... A report from ministries challenging a

post-Christian nation with the claims of Christ.

VOL. 13, NO. 4 MARCH 1986

Travelling Along
of road in the world. After nearly eight years of experiencing British roads, I tend to believe the statement. This is not due to the prosperity of the

I have been told that Great Britain has the highest number of cars Mr mile

British worker, but to the relatively dense population. At times, travelling by road in this country can be the most infuriating and frustrating experience know. I see two reasons for this: ^ c 4-,^, Firstly, the lack of good roads. If you come from the north of the country into London there is only one major road (an expressway). This motopay, called the Ml, was opened in tiie late 60's and was at full capacity within a year ot its opening. Since then, more people have cars and this motorway takes the

brunt of the traffic going north and south. Because there are over three times as many cars and truc^ using the motorway than the road was built ror, there seems to be constant repairs to the road. Even though the ntorwy is three

lanes wide (in each direction), huge traffic jams occur at these repairs, i have sat in one for over an hour as three lanes of traffic are funnelled down into one. There are constant appeals on radio for drivers to avoid certain

^^Secondly, ^ntil'the last six months there w^ no

If you were travelling from south of London to the north of the co^J^ry you M to either go straight through I^ndon or go on what is know as the Circular route which is merely a series of roads wliich happen to connect together and takes you around the city. In either case, there are c^ntless stops stop lights, pedestrians and the unavoidable road works. T^e drive ^ro^ is only eleven miles, but on one trip, bec^se of congestion, took ^ ninety
eleven miles.

route around London.

minutes. Even without heavy congestion, I must pl^ an hour to trav^ those Now that the new orbital route around London has been opened it should help relieve this problem (though once again the road has already

''^Thl'^on:S^eS*^alternative to the roads is the train systetn. Thoueh the

British complain about the level of service (it is greatly reduced fjom what it

was), I find it efficient, reasonably inexpensive and restful. ^ have to travel to Birmingham (a journey of 165 miles) almost al^yg travel by train. I can leave my house in Tunbridge Wells and be at a meeting In Just under four hours. For the best part of that journey, I cm sit at a
table aid read, prepare a sermon or plan a program. When I arrive, 1 am rested wasted.

cost for the same trip (including we^ and tear) would be $70. In T way is this an attempt to discourage anyone from visiting ^d driving for a travelfing culture shock.

(L I did The not\Ze^to fight the traffic) and satisfied that ny time w^ not cost for the round trip can be as low as $28. If I drive, the

in this beautiful country. There are certain parts of the country "^^h trai^ do not serve, thus a car is a necessity. But, if you do come, c^ prep^d

COTT NOKWUeUI

Roger Edrineton is now in the San Josfe, California area checking on the

polslbility of ministry. He would very much appreciate your

seeks the Lord's direction to use the gifts he has been given in the best way.

^ he

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

message of Christ as possible. We are not ashamed to be American,
but neither do we make it a sell

ing point. In many areas of life, we actually prefer the British way of life to the American. Living in another culture has helped us see, in many areas, what is authentical

ly
Melissa and Jim Dahlman Sarah

Christian

and what

is

simply

American or British. If that is the case between cultures so

close, what it must be to mis sionaries in more distant so

FEELING AMERICAN

cieties! All this is a priceless adventure of discovery. There have been times (Lord, forgive)
than two

I crew

write

this

less

when I bism' liked

have felt a 'reverse snobtowards Americans who seemed

weeks after the Challenger and

was vapourised in that

its
fire

condescending to other cultures.

to think that I was

I
now

ball over the Atlantic Ocean.

The

BBC began replaying

news broadcasts

live

American

above all that, that I have left my American parochialism behind and
now stand free as a sclous Christian. If world-contheir at

almost immediate

ly, and Britain also repeatedly watched the slow-motion replays.

Reports described the shock and

grief

in the States as being com

of As

titude was wrong, then so was mine towards them. Then the Challenger blew up and I felt very sick and
very far away from the homeland.

parable only with the aftermath John Kennedy's death in 1963.

Melissa and I watched, we wept. A week later, we were talking with

Bob Hartman and Janet Baines about

Like

many others,

I grew up

with

the space cination.

fascination.

age. It was A distinctly

So when

a fas American
fire

it, comparing our reactions. And we, with over 25 years in England between us, all nodded when one of us said, "I realized just how
American I still am."

that

ball filled the sky, twisted and my eyes

like
what to

my Insides filledjust

many American's. I'm not sure

think about that. When our

It's switch
inhibit

exciting to voluntarily cultures and intentionally

some instincts and reac

church prayed for the American nation after Challenger, I remember

tions

which are built up

through

thinking, "They're praying for us." It was a strange feeling. The

ambiguous feelings are hard to ex plain, but that is what it feels like to one American Christian
overseas.

growing up in a certain place in a certain time. It seems part of the missionary's calling to allow

as little of our 'cultural bag gage' to get in the way of the

JIM

TAMWORTH REPORT
A CHANGE OF SCENE

There is something special about

new-falling snow. It is fresh, clean, pure . . . a winter reminder

that there can be 'newness' of

opportunity for us at any time.

Like a glorious sunrise after a cleansing shower, or the sudden ar rival of spring, falling snow can signal new beginnings. It seems appropriate to us that
we are surrounded by one more evi

dence of God's cycles of change and

Dick and Yvonne Stitt
joy.

newness at the time we choose to

share with you the exciting new call we have received and accepted with
Kirkby-in-Fumess, Cumbria, have invited us to come there to minister to and with them. Kirkby (pronounced Kirby) is a collection of eight hamlets stretched alongside a beautiful moor just south of the Lake District. There are about 1,200 people, with other villages and towns with smaller
and larger population nearby.

The elders and lovely people of the Wall End Church of Christ in

eighty to one hundred comfortably; it is packed on special occasions and clearly the area has potential to fill it every week. Moreover, the elders and congregation are committed to scriptural outreach. We visited
there in December, when not one soul knew us from any other stranger, and then again just recently. An open dinner brought forty-five adults, most
of them not members of the church.

There are thirty-eight members at present; the sanctuary probably holds

preached the next morning.

dir0

There is structure, vitality and commitment

Many were at the service at which Dick

and love in abundance at Kirkby.

The Spirit is clearly at work in the

The lovely church building, which stands atop a hill alongside the road through the village, is visible from a long distance. Built in 1876, it

is nevertheless open and bright inside, without any of the heaviness and closed-in feeling some older cathedrals have. Exactly twelve miles west colorful sunset on Christmas Sunday. About twen:y riles northeast is Lake
Windermere and the whole of the glorious Lake District lies before you.

of the building are the beaches of the Irish Sea, from which we enjoyed a
We shall not leave Tamworth until mid-June, but our move to Kirkby will not be made until August. In the April-July time period we have an moment we are in the States enjoying the regenerating work of the Spirit through his people in our home church, First Christian Church of

exciting opportunity. We have accepted an invitation from the congregation at Wigston (reported elsewhere in this edition.) At the
DICK AND YVOHHE

B_
^ ^

8
^

several ladies taking an Acts

extension course from Springdale.
Harold Merritt faithfully drives over every Wednesday evening to teachand often to be put on the *hot seat' as we take advantage of his knowledge and wisdom to sort out problems and questions which
we've come across in the week!

these last few months.

We have been keeping very busy

We have

GROtfING PAINS

Many of our ladies come to a weekly study we have which preceeds our weekly prayer meeting. This prayer group, started by a couple of the women, has grown and been such a positive time for us as we look back and see how God has been, and is, working.

We are conscious, also, of trying to keep in touch with the Sewell's during their internship in Mesa, AZ. We pray for them and eagerly await
their return so that we can benefit from working with them!

As we grow as a church we become conscious of areas that need work or rebuilding or dropping altogether. Those aren't always easy areas to deal with, yet we find that as we study, pray and seek, God can work in and
through us to sort out those changes. They have sometimes been painful, yet necessary, but we are learning that it is far better to follow a difficult path than to stagnate and die. JB

epistle from
zoo E Jellfson. wasninglon. IL 6I57I
Jim s Mei'sss DaMman

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Mission

Services

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WIGSTON REPORT

SHOT AND OPEN

One door shuts.

opens.

Another door

Over the past few months, our

congregation has been soncidering

the possibility of inviting a
British minister to work with us.

An invitation was extended which we

hoped would be accepted. But we were too late. He had already accepted another position. One
door shut.

Bob and Sue Hartman

Karl and Christopher

look in another direction.

Dick and Yvonne Stitt, an enthu siastic American couple who have been ministering with the Tamworth Church of Christ, decided that it was time to leave that ministry and They had visited our services a time or two

and we had spent other times together. Would they be interested in spend ing some time working along with us? Yes, they would. Another door open. So, here is what's happening: Dick and Yvonne are currently in the States. When they return in mid-April, they will start working with us on Sundays and participating in our Growth Group program. In mid-June we plan to return to the States to visit our supporting churches and also to attend my sister's wedding. While we are gone (from mid-June to the end of July), Dick and Yvonne will stay in our house and be our short-term replacements. When we return, they will then move on to another ministry in Britain. I look forward not only to consistent preaching and teaching for the church while I am gone, but also to the time that Dick and I will

spend working together in April and May.

By opening this door, the Lord

has turned our disappointment into joyful anticipation.

A practical aote: would those supporting churches who would like us to come and present our work, please send possible dates to us at our British address* Ve will do our best to fit you all in and so need these dates as soon as possible* BOB Our growth groups have grown again, but this time it's in variety. The Monday group is now studying I Corinthians under Harold Merritt of Springdale College. The Wednesday group is using a lecture format, with Bob explaining the various aspects of worship. The Thursday group is still using the original format of a lot of discussion and sharing time,
all related to a particular Bible passage or subject.

In the near future we will begin two new groups. One is a men's fellowship which will meet on Tuesday evenings. The other is an alterna tive teen group. We currently have sixteen regularly attending a teen group, but they range from thirteen to twenty-one. SUE

REDDITCH REPORT

T ransitions
Since we have
returned from a

just recently
month fur

three

lough to the States, our attention has been brought to the fact that the church is always one in transi tion. Hence our congregation has been changing in both very positive and negative ways while we were
away.

The positive transitions have focused primarily on the maturing

of various individuals who have

really

moved

ahead

in

their

Dan and Amy Yarnell

David

relationship with Christ. The core leadership of the church is now functioning more closely and personally than ever

before.

Added to this is the fact that in our absence other individuals

have found it necessary to take on new tasks within the life and work of the church. This has brought much needed variety in ministry, as well as a relief from our needing to do all of the little items which others could
easily do themselves.

Two of our couples have also moved ahead in their commitment to Christ, and one of the men, Colin Seymour, is now being considered for a leadership position in the work (nost probably that of deacon). But the transition has equally moved in another directionthat of a
more negative tone.

This is characterized by two couples who are now contemplating divorce, since an adulterous relationship exists between them. There is limited hope in our counselling efforts, but they do need your prayers.
We also faced two deaths in our absence. One was an elderly man who,

along with his wife, were joining with us in worship and ministry, especially among our large number of very young Christians.
The other death was the three-month old infant son of Dave and Denise

Wolfe. She had just made her commitment to Christ a few weeks previously. They are one of the two couples in the adulterous relationship. And one of our members, Arthur Rutter, was also pulled in by the power of sin, and through an adulterous relationship has now left the church and
the area.

Every church will face the ups and downs of everyday life.
pressure of a sinful world.

Some will

learn to bend with the movement of God, while others will break under the

We ask for your prayerful support so that we

DAN

can stand up under the the strains of change, hear the voice of God, and
move forward under the Lordship of Christ.

:2/dd

Cpisitlc from Cnglanb

. . . A report from ministrtes challenging a post-Christian nation with the claims of Christ.

VOL, 13, NO. 5

APRIL 1986

THE BAD SIDE

What negative ideas come to people's minds when you mention the church? In various conversations and in the media, you will hear such things as: out-of-date, cold, scary, removed, upper or middle class, hypocritical, a crutch for the weak, for the religious-type, formal, for women and children, encourages a dislike or hatred of those with differ ent beliefs, boring, always having its hands out for cotributions for better buildings, and so on. Where have these ideas come from and why are they believed? Well, unfortunately it's because many congregations or their places of worship reinforce such stereotypes. Let's examine these negative ideas under four categories: buildings, services, the attitudes of contented non-believers and religious sectarianism. BUILDINGSA lot of church buildings reinforce negative feelings.

Many of them are big, dark and cold and remind a casual visitor of centuries gone by. We've known quite a few people who were afraid to enter a church building because of those feelings. (They paced back and forth or circled the building until they worked up the courage to enter,

or left and tried again with a friend.)

SERVICESImagine a person who, due to curiosity or need, overcomes his fearful feelings and goes into a church building. He then finds
that inside it's totally silent except for slow, mournful music. Then a man in robes and a white collar gets up. He and the congregation exchange obviously rehearsed phrases from a book or pamphlet. Somewhere in the service he gives an address on some part of the Bible, using an unfamiliar vocabulary. (How often does the average person hear such

words as Holy Ghost, redemption and ascension?) Interspersed throughout joyless songs are sung to the same kind of mournful music heard before,
and again, many of the words are archaic or are unknown and so meaning less to the visitor. Then there is the tinkling of bells and this dressed-up fellow swings around something smelly. Then in small groups people file up to the front to drink and eat something. No small children are in the service. The congregation is mainly made up of well-dressed, middle class older folk and some middle-aged women. The visitor is grateful for the end and vows not to return, sure that his needs can be better met elsewhere. On his way out, he notices a box Continued on the Wigston page inside

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

steps of faith
Over the last few months, we have

begun to see some of

our

folk

making steps in their faith and in their lives. We'd like to tell you
about a few of them and ask for

your prayers for them. John Parkinson, who was baptized a few years ago, is now an eighteen year-old young manand has just joined the army. He will be train Melissa and Jim Dahlman ing as a Russian interpreter. We Sarah are hoping this will be a good maturing experience for him, but we are concerned that his faith will be sorely tried. He had been off-and-on in his church attendance, but was very faithful in the weeks before he went away, perhaps because of the coming career move. Pray not only that John's faith will endure, but will grow so that he will be a valuable witness for Christ In the forces. Our teen group is well attended, drawing ten to fourteen each Sunday night. We have quite a mix of young people, most of whom need to make a

firm decision about Jesus. Annette and Lorraine are from a broken home, living with their mother. They have come to Sunday school in the
past, and are regulars now. Denise, Lynda and Tracey are all related to church members and have been coming to church and Sunday school virtually all their lives. They know the facts, as it were, but will soon be at the point of making some choices about them. Please pray that these teens will make their stands for the Lord as soon as possible. Also pray for Sharon, who was baptized last autumn, and Jill and Claire, two girls from the Hindley church who were baptized last June and come to the teen group.
Their faith and knowledge is growing,
continue.

and that,

of course,

needs to

We've written about Janet before, who just showed up one Sunday last year and has been coming ever since. She is not sure in what ways, but she realizes she is somehow moving closer to Christ, especially in her attitudes about life and other people. Please pray that she will soon be

led to a decision for Jesus so she can keep growing closer to the Lord.
Finally, please pray for Gill, a good friend of ours ever arrived. She has been working in a bank since she left school ago, but now is considering a major moveboth in what she does she lives. Pray that the Lord guides her choices over the
months.

since we six years and where next few

JIM, MELISSA & SABAH

TUNBRiDGE WELLS REPORT

Meeting A Need
Because of Brownies, Cubs, Guides, Scouts, dance lessons, homework, living a distance from the church building, karate lessons and other community clubs, etc., it just was not possible to have a weekly activity for those children we have contact with over the age of eleven. In fact, we have finally had to scrap our Saturday Morning Club due to non-attendance. But we knew there was still a very

Curt Nordheilm
Gail Burns

definite need for a club for those

over the age of eleven. So, what could we do?

We have hit upon an idea which meets the need:

(Guess how often it meets?!)

the Once-a-Month Club!

It is open to all children who do not come

to any of our other clubs.

Being only once a month, we can plan more

unusual activities and make the club hours more flexible, as well as the meeting days. The first two clubs were on Saturdays. The first was a progressive

lunch on a beautifully clear day where the kids walked miles (very liter ally) for their bits of lunch at five different homes. (Dessert in one home, a drink in anotherand none in the correct order.) The second club found the group at the church building painting scenery backdrops for the Easter program. The April Club will be on a Tuesday during the Easter
holidays and we are going to a local beauty spot--a mile or so out of Tunbridge Wells . . . walking, of course. In the planning works is a trip to Gatwick Airport, a tour through a

local chocolate factory (mmmmm), a trip on the Thames and various other
jaunts around town.
The kids are enthusiastic and have had fun at the f i r s t two. But most

importantly, we have maintained and re-established contact with over fifteen children of ages where, traditionally, they start to drift away from the churchespecially if their parents are not Christian (and in this case, none are). We saw a need and developed a program to meet that need. So, we are thrilled God gave us an idea that answers the question
of how we can serve the children of this area to our Lord's honor and
GAIL

glory.

CHAIN OF EVENTS

WEST BROMWICH REPORT

LINK CMIEFirst Sunday, New Year

and we draw names of church members

and promise to pray especially for that person for a month. Tim has
drawn Julie and he returns to

college within a couple of days. Annis, Julie's mother, is to pray

for Tim.

LINK TWOAnnis sends a note of

encouragement to Tim towards the

end of the month.

LINK THREETim is in a prayer Jan and Pete Bowen Bareth and David

group at college. On receiving Annis' note, he spends the next week in earnest prayer for Julie and her husband, Los.
LINK FOURLos meets an old

schoolmate who is a Christian. He invites Los to a gospel service. LINK FIVELos and Julie attend the service and Los is convicted.
makes it know he wants to follow Jesus.
be a Christian. HALLELDJAH!

He He wants to know what it means to

This is a quick look at five of many links that had a part in being used by God to bring Los to this point. Prayer has always been vital and
will be even more so as we study with Los leading to and after his

baptism!

We are so joyfulespecially to have another man in the church!

J.B.
BULK RATE

Please pr^!

Icpistle frmit tnglanb

zoo E Js"9fs0n. Wast/ngion IL 5I57I
Jim S Melissa Duniman

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Tiinly Lane. Hinckley. LeiCS
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Dan a Amy Yarnell

101 Pedslong Close Chufch Hitl Nonn BeOOitcn. Worcs B9BaAF

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WIGSTON REPORT
(CON'T. FROM FRONT PAGE)
THE BAD SIDE

marked "Contributions received here

for a new steeple" and the date of the next rummage sale whose pro ceeds go toward the same thing. (Most denominations would have some
churches whose services resemble
NONare

this example.)
ATTITUDES OF CONTENTED BELEIVERS--Non-believers who

content

with

their

existence

often

think that the church is made up of those who are weak, hypocritical, Karl and Christopher or the religious type. They see themselves as moral people who can cope with life and who would not purposely hurt others. They have met some "Christians" who freely gossip, never seem to laugh, often criticize denominations different from the one they belong to and who cheat or lie. They realize that some nice, normal
Bob and Sue Hartman

people do go to church and they are known as the "religious-type".

They

also know that churches attract people with personality problems, as they are often quite vocal about the fact that they attend. Sometimes these nice, contented non-believers will teach in Sunday School or lead organi zations such as Cubs or Girl Guides. By so doing, they feel they have then fulfilled their religious obligations, even though they rarely attend
a service.

RELIGIOUS SECTARIANISMThe violence of Ireland is often associated

with the church even when it's been obviously more political in nature. Many people have either been directly affected by that fear and violence

or have had relatives who were, or are being, upset by it. The media regularly brings us updates of the problems and violence in Ireland and
often feature the vocal churchman Ian Paisley. These so-called Christian
actions and attitudes create a real barrier to even casual conversation

about the faith. They also prevent some people from considering seriously God's love through Jesus as that seems the opposite of what they have experienced or heard in connection with the church. I'm sorry that so many negative hurdles exist and must be leaped for the gospel to even get a hearingbut they do exist. And unfortunatley as
we have seen, the criticisms are often just or contain at least some

truth.

So, why should anyone attend a church service?

Read next month's

Epistle to find out! Meantime, please keep praying for the ministry teams here who regularly confront these kinds of problems.
SUE HARTMAN

REDDITCH REPORT

A WAY AHEAD?

Recently our congregation in Redditch has faced some very difficult struggles and problems. Aside from the very common difficulites faced during the winter months (of which illness and depression are the most frequent),
we have faced some other issues.

One of these is a problem in marital breakdowns. During the past two to three months, two marriages have fallen apart and are on the road to divorce. Perhaps
divorce is much more common in the

the world, but for our very small and few congregations here, even one such marital breakup is a tremendous sign of discouragement for the church and the Christian community as a whole.
David

Dan and Amy Yarnell

church in America or elsewhere in

Even with some good teaching on Christian principles of marriage and with some counseling, these two relationships showed little hope. This particular problem is only highlighted by the fact that it is by far the
most common experience of those who live on the Church Hill housing
estate.

Another problem which also affects the entire church family is that our
congregation seems to be finding ourselves in a rut at the moment. It is difficult to assess how much of this is due to the harsh winter weather

which keeps people from traveling out, and how much of it is due to a need for a fresh vision. T think the latter is the most necessary and the most
important.

Therefore, though we are attempting as a church community to be lead by

the Holy Spirit in our life together, we need, or seem to need, a fresh

picture of the way ahead--a path out of the struggles of the moment, a highway leading from the depths of despair to the horizon of heaven, a road from ruin to renewal. In other words, we need to see clearly the way ahead for our church so we can mature and grow. It is to this visionthis picturethat we request the readers to be
in prayer. Our confidence lies in the Lord of the church and the Lord of

history. But we also need to see and experience some of the fruit of the harvest now to sustain us for the goal of sharing the gospel and seeing the church grow as the Lord of the harvest desires. Please pray with us for the right way aheadfor growth in maturity, for growth in more being added, and for growth in our calling as God's people.
DAN

pi(tle from Cnslanti

. . . A report from ministries ctiallenging a

post-Christian nation with the ciaims of Christ.

VOL 13, NO. 6 MUr 1986

IV 1 lllil POSITlVli: SIDE

While it is perfectly true that the church in Britain has been in decline for many years, it is also the case that there are signs of real vitality. Last
month we focused on those factors which seem to have been responsible, at least in part, for the decline. This month we would like to look at those signs of life and new hope that are also the experience of Christians in Britain.

The first sign is related, in fact, to the decline. It is the nature of organizations to become more self-sufficient as they grow, and thereby more insular. Decline sometimes brings dx>ut the opposite effect. It certainly has in Britain! Christians from mar^ denominations are now in much closer contact with caie another than they were, say, a generation ago. While it is true that

there are some very real doctrin^ differences between these denominations, there
is a willingness to emphasize the similarities and work together to find the support and strength necessary for all churches to grow. The decline, coupled with closer inter-communion, has caused many Christians to rethink their faith, their traditions, and their doctrines. In many cases, it has brought many Chris
tians back to the Bible itself as a sourcebook for church reform and renewal.

This questioning of tradition and return to the scriptures has had another effect on the church here. Coupled with a renewed interest in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, it has been used by God to breath new life into many a dead congregation. Over the past ten to fifteen years, thousands of Christians have rediscovered basic New Testament Christianity and have become excited about putting that into practice. Some groups, totally dissatisfied with formalism, traditionalism, and lifeless religion, have developed outside the traditional churches, so that the House Church Movement (or, as it prefers to be called, the Restoration Movement!) is currently a rapidly growing and vital element in the
life of the church here. Other Christians have felt called to Remain within

their congregations and be used by God to transform the traditional churches. It is therefore not unusual to find Anglican and Methodist believers seeking to be immersed. Worship, in particular, has been revitalized by this development. New choruses are constantly being written, dance and drama are becoming accepted forms, and worship services are increasingly characterized by freedom and wide congregational participation. No one could walk into one of these services and
conclude that the church is dead. There are other results: Christians are being

encouraged to read their Bibles, to give significant proportions of their in come, to witness to those around them, and to take the Lordship of Christ seriously. Of course there has been problems: clashes with more traditional
CONTINUED CN THE WIGSTCN PAGE

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

way,

dishonest

or unfair.

Just

i.!i

like the prodigal son, it seemed. She was in the right frame of -mind
to come to God: humble and feeling

undeserving of any favors he might

give. And so she came to church

Melissa and Jim Dahlman Sarah

TWO DOWN
ONE TO GO

and her prayer life intensified. The whole church prayed for her healing. And in early March came the word from the specialist: as far as he could tell, she was healed. She goes back for regular check-ups for five years, but she is also going back to work. The shadow

One of the church's most faith

had passed, and we all praised God with her and her family. A couple of nights later. Gill came over
and announced that her mom wanted
I called on her the next

ful workers, and one of our best friends since we have been here, is a young lady named Gill Collier. She's twenty-two now.

to be baptized.
When

She was baptised 8 years ago, after attending the Platt Bridge Sunday School for several years.
Her parents, Bill and Margaret, were both Anglican and neither
could see the need for their

day to make arrangements, Bill, Margaret's husband, was there. He wasn't planning to come to see his
wife baptized: he didn't have anything against religion, he said, implying that he just didn't have anything FOR it either. But, Margaret pointed out, that was how she felt when Gill was baptized. 'He'll come*, she assured me. 'Like Gill and I said, two down and one to go.' On Palm Sunday marning, as
Margaret Collier was immersed into

youngest daughter's decision. Both refused to go to the baptism. Over the years. Gill's parents

'mellowed' busy,

to

the in

point

where a

Margaret came to the occasional worship service. She was usually

however,

her job as

nurse in a hospital psychiatric ward. Then last year, Margaret was diagnosed with breast cancer. She stopped workingand a shadow
fell.

her Lord and we rejoiced. Bill Collier was watching. Just maybe that was his own first step.
When I asked Margaret what made her finally decide to be baptized, after a long consideration she sin?)ly said, 'God gave me my life, so I thought I'd give it back to him.' Who could put it
better? JIM

She felt awkward, unworthy, about praying and coming to church: she had never paid God
much attention before and to ask

him

for help now would be,

in

REDDITCH REPORT

What A Change
In last month's Epistle, Bob Hartman wrote of some of the negative factors which influence our attempt to bring the
Good News of Jesus Christ to those

caught In the slavery of sin.

One of

the factors he mentioned was the large,

cold, *heavy' buildings in which many of

our churches meet. If you are a faith

ful reader of these pages (and surely you are!) you will remember that we have been in the process of renovating our rather large, cold and Tieavy* Victorian building. Gone Is the extremely dark

Dan andp. Amy Yarnell .'

Stained doors. In their place are warm,

panelling on the walls and the very dark

soft colors which look Inviting. Gone are the very ineffective electric heating bars which, since they were suspended from the ceiling, burnt the top of your head while your feet froze. In their place Is an effective heating system. Gone is the ancient lighting. In its place is a suspended ceiling with modem recessed lighting. Gone is the bare, well-worn floor which was Impossible to get clean. In its place is carpet which makes it nuch quieter and warmer.
Have we noticed a difference in the reaction of nonChrlstlans? Without a

doubt! Two events stand out in my mind which confirm this fact. Our Easter services were well attended by nonChrlstlans. In the middle of the service we had a bredc for some coffee and tea and because the building was physclally warm aid inviting, we had trouble getting people to sit down to continue the service. They wanted to move about and talk.

The second e\^nt happened on the day of writing this. I was talking to two nonChristian parents who have attended a number of our services and they com mented that it was no longer a struggle to come. Since the building was warm and attractive, they said, it was much like sitting in their living room. We had, according to them, brought the building into the twentieth century. Since the completion of the major portion of the building, we have had far
more contact with unbelievers. I am no longer embarrassed by the interior. We

do not have chandeliers or expensive wallpaperbut we do have a building which declares in unmistak^le language: "7oa are welcoae!" I mention this for the simple fact that many in Brltlan see Christianity as a relic with church buildings being the museums which house the relic. By making our building more attractive, we have Increased people's awareness that Chris tianity Is alive in the twentieth century. Of course, I would never say that the building alone makes the church. But often the building is the nonChrlstlans' first impression of the church and Christianity. At no time have we regretted the work we have done. Rather we have seen it as the quiet moving of God to bring people to a better understanding of himself. CUET

WEST BROMWiCH REPORT

V //!%
-^;'.T S
. wA*

Gpaveclothes As sin takes its toll on our society

here in Britain, we are seeing an increasing number of lives that are broken

wounded.

We know that in Jesus

Christ there is forgiveness and healing. This is the message that those around us
need. But how is it to ^t to them? God has chosen that it be e"}q>ressed

through the church, the body of Christ.

*/a'ca l l e d not only to tell the message, but also to express it through our
I*
^

^ 6 o f life.
Jan and Pete Bowen Raroth anH David Hav/iH Ddieui Bareth and diiu udviu

out in the church amidst the struggles

reality of the cross needs to be worked

forgiveness and acceptance from God.

together.

For that to happen the

At the cross we find love,

As

God has dealt with us, so we are called "ithfree eachto Other, so that we set Qjjg another grow and mature.

clothes. One w^ in which we do this is when we share God's love, acceptance and
forgivness with each other. To fail to do this is to keep ourselves and one another bound up in the clothes of death. As we think of the church in British society, we see in lots of vays it has failed to have an impact. If we claim to have new life, but still have the ^pearance of death, it is hardly surprising that few take any notice. Britain

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, but he told the disciples to take off the graveclothes. When we believe in Jesus, we are raised from the dead but we are still in graveclothes. We are still weak, wounded, sin torn, unlovely people. The church is God's place for us to be setting one another free from our grave

us do not need to see perfection, but they do need to see new life emerging something of the love, forgiveness and acceptance of God 'fleshed out' amongst us

is tired of empty religion, but it does have a hunger for reality.

People around

so that they can believe that God loves them and can do something for them in

their need and pain. Why am I saying this? Because this is where we are at as a church right now and it is hard! However, we rejoice because God is at work with us to create the right environment for wowthan environment where his love, acceptance and forgiveness are known and shared. PETE

Epistle from Snglanb

200 Je"eon. iVssftingWn. IL fitSTi
9o6 i Sue Harrmen

46 AsfJboufne AoMf

Wigsiofi. Ltiettler
LB IFC

DicK a Wonna Suit

41 Ha/oMI

Amngion, Tamwonn
sum. BT7 M

Curt i

LlnOa Nortlfiitim

Mission Services Resource Dept

P 0 Box 2427

13 Si. James Park

Tunbriage WHls
Kam TNI ILO

KnoKville TN 37901

Oan i Amy Yarneli

tot Rtdsiont Close

Call Burnt i Una MM 20 CutuVon Park RoMi

Church HiW Nonh

PeMilcfi. Worn. B98 9AF

Tunbnage Wells
Kenl TN4 MV

AMERICAN CORRESPONDENTS' Mr, S Mrs. 9. C. Nordnieim

200 E Jefferscn

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WIGSTON REPORT

P
w

r k

t^/yi
WM . A '

(CONTINUED FUOM JRONT PAGE) Christians, accusations of sheep

authoritarian and sectarian.

stealing, and the development of

By

jt*;

some groups which are extremely

jJM
11^

positive experience, God's saving grace exercized In the midst of a spiritual desert, and a sign of

l^rge, however, this renewal amongst British Churches has been a

Hfij

real hope for the future. To this

^

point, the greatest effect of this

Itself. But In the last few years.

development has been the church

IL'^uaTii
Bob and Sue Hartman

particularly with Billy Graham's

Karl and Christopher

Mission England and Luis' Palau's Mission London, it has spilled over

into a renewed interest in evangelisnv Churches are asking, "How do we grow?", "How do we mature our members?", "How do we equip them for ministry?" Mdce no mistake. The church in Britain has been through some hard times. But it is
far from dead. The Lord has seen to that. Blessed be tiie name of the Lord! BOB H&BTM&N

A MUSICAL

iFT

Easter came early this year and althougih the weather wasn't much to cele brate, the services were. Our Wednesday Growth Group provided the special music for the day. The group worked hard preparing this music which was a very welcome addition to our worship. In fact, it looks as if this Growth Group is going to develop into our choir cum worship leading group. All of those who come along have a musical interest. Four play the guitar, one plays the flute and the rest have nice voices. Indeed, Fred Jennings and his daugjiter Sonja were involved with a music group in their previous congregation. What we plan to do is spend part of each Wednesday in prayer and Bible study and part learning new worship songs which we will first sing and then teach to the congregation. The Wednesday group took a long time ^tting off the ground. There was a time when we even thou^t of cancelling it. But God has taken it and used it to provide something new for our congregation, and at the same time taught me that groups take time to develop and need the flexibility to find
their purpose.

Spewing of groups, there is one more to report on. Following a successful series of talks on I Corinthians, Harold Merritt, lecturer at Springdale College, will be doing a second series onyou guessed itII Corinthians. The

exciting thing is that this group will meet in the home of Dawn and Wally Kind
(a new group venue)! BOB

TAMWORTH REPORT

On To Wigston
This Is being written in early

PH | ^
1f\

April on the eve of our departure from America, where we have enjoyed family and church reunions and a
,! ;^|k ry y

'r

warm-weather furlough.

, i i; .jpflL 'l \ ^ f J# 1M S VifeA

weeks before we were due to leave

least a couple of

that Yvonne and I both noted a strong feeling of 'homesickness' for England. At flight time from
however,
from

Dick and Yvonne Stitt

Phoenix,
prayer

bolstered
minister

by
Steve

Richardson and the entire staff of our First Christian Church, it was very difficult to say goodbye to parents, children and grandchildren, plus much
loved fellow Christians.

We do not plan to return for at least two years; we also Informed family and friends that if It is God's will, we are prepared to spend the rest of our working lives in England . . . one day at a time! We are excited about two future directions: the prospect of working with Bob and Sue Hartman at Wigston and then standing in for them with their vitality-full congregation whilst the Hartman's are on furlough reporting to their sponsoring congregations. When they return on August 1st, we will happily begin what we hope is

God's plan for a long association with the lovely people of the Wall End Church of Christ, Kirkby-ln-Furness. We pray as well that he will provide space so that our home near the Lake District can be a regular R & R
center for other ministers and families.

We
Yvonne

had

been announced at our home church as having come for

defined that term at the end of our visit as

R
"Run

&

R.
and

correctly

Run". We were busy; we were quite tired at departure time. But we were uplifted far beyond our expectations by the love and interest and active concern of a large congregation. Our forwarding agents, David and Geneva Stone, were tireless in their giving (as I suspect all forwarding agents
tend to be). But we came away with a new appreciation for our Christian brothers and sisters in England in a way we simply hadn't noticed before. Some Ameri

can Christians seem committed to a "sociable gospel",

that is,

church is

the socially acceptable thing to do. In the U.K., Christianity is clearly not the thing to do, so those who

bear the name of Christian and witness to their faith may very well have a deeper committment to Christ than some of their American brethren. Something to ponder! DICK & TVMNE

S.foo

Cpistlt from Cnglanb

... A report from ministries challenging a
post-Christian nation with the claims of Christ.

rill
JOfS 1986

m . 13 NO. 7

A Change of Fashion
Many of the stereotypes which are usually conjured up in the minds of

travellers to Britain are now being replaced.

to fashion.

This is especially so in regard Tod^, however, the

In the past men's, women's, and children's clothing styles were

usually associated with the weatherdrab, grey and cold.

climate, at least in the fashion world, is bright and colorful. Much of the influence of this change can be seen by the incorporation of new ideas, especially by the w^ of TV, advertisements and fashion trends of Europe and America. But equally influential has been the the very diverse nationali ties which have come to make their home in England. For exacple, the Indian
women have retained their colorful wrap-around dresses and the men their tur

bans, while seeing their children in school uniforms or contemporary fashion

styles. Each world is being influenced by the other.

Women's fashions are now very bright and colorful. Many items which Americans wore in the past few years would have been loud and bright and would cause one to stand out in the crowd. But the shops and the women who shop

there are adorned with these new colorful changes.

trend is changing).

Most young women can be

seen wearing dresses or skirts as oppossed to trousers or jeans (though this

These young mothers and wives even wear their skirts while

cleaning the house. When trousers are worn, they are often rolled up above the ankles aid worn with bright colored high heels or ankle boots. Men's fashions, though still by and large conservative, are also experienc ing some radical changes. Color coordination has not always been a large motivation factor for men to look well-dressed. Often tweed trousers, printed
shirts and a striped tie would be seen together which would make one take a second look. But current apparel seems to be matched with some sense of coordination of colors and designs.

Teens, of course, are on the forefront of the fashion scene. "Trendy" is the appearance and desire of all young people, which seems to be generally anything which is bold, bright, and loose fitting. Earrings are also common
among both men and womenusually more than one set at a time.

Even the young children are more fashion conscious aid know how they want to dress. Therefore, children's clothing is also fashionable and very much in
keeping with present trends. One would not do justice to the fashion scene without a mention of the world

of punk rockers. Of course their fashion involves much more than clothing. Hair colors and styles, makeup aid jewelry are all important to the image being

girls can spend up to two hours each day putting on a large amount of makeup
which radically alters their appearance.
AND THEY WOUID LOVE TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO MEET YOU. 8A5/847. PLEASE COME AROUND AND SAY HELLO.

portr^ed.

The h^r style typically has various colors and spikes, and the
AMY YABHEIX
WE WILL BE AT BOOTH NUMBER

SOME OF US WHO WORK HERE IN ENGLAND WILL BE AT THE COMBINED NACC/NMC IN JULY

Just as Important, we wanted to

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

avoid as much confusion possible and to have time

as to

help the church adjust and grow through the transition. (For
various reasons, the current
British situation seems to need longer advance notice than for

American ministries.)
We have three main reasons

for moving on. Firstly, has been a groundbreaking

istry, and while we have

ours min
not

Melissa and Jim Dahlman

Sarah

How Do We Say This?

When Melissa and I landed in

accomplished everything hoped we might, we think have helped set the church

we we on

its way. we
our

By the same token, we

England
knew

in February
would not

1982,
be

this

permanent home. We always planned to spend between five and ten years 'working our selves out of a job'. We
agreed with the church leaders

are not sure that our particu lar gifts are the ones needed by the church for the future. Please pray for the church as it struggles to push into this
new phase. The second reason also has to

do with gifts.
posts
ments from

Various
other

sign

to evaluate after four years, to determine whether to stay after another year. That eval
uation has come, and based on several factors, Melissa and I

and assorted

encourage
Christians

seem to confirm a growing sense of needing to be involved in

another kind of 'mission*. We

will be leaving Platt Bridge by

June 1, 1987.

do

not

yet know what it

so there are no

will
de

The church here has responded

as all good friends do they know a separation is when com

involve,

ing. They say they understand, and in a sense they do, but their eyes tell another story.
And each time someone tells us

tails to give. We do ask for your prayers for God's leading. Finally, there is a personal

need

to

be closer

to

family

because of their health. This is especially for Sarah's sake. We know you will understand

how sorry they are to see us go, we ask ourselves again: are we doing the right thing? Each
time, the answer seems to be yes, but with costs. We decided to make the decis

this
the

decision (and
fact that we

appreciate
will still

need to be supported in all the usual ways until we leave next

ion and announcement early so the church leaders could begin

looking for another minister.

year). Thank you for all your help and encouragement given over the years, and will give into this last year of ministry
at Platt Bridge. JIM

REDDITCH REPORT

ft\vO %vV
The lives of many people in our church and in our community can be
described in one word: broken. From the demise of a divorce to the

loneliness of living alone and

raising children, the effects of
sin and a lost world surround us
here.

The church, of course, is not

exempt from the destructive nature

of sin's power. We are counseling a large number of people at the

Dan and Amy Yarnell despair.

moment who are broken by their

For the gospel message is concerned with hope and healing. And
They both had initially
Each one had

choices and their past experiences. But all is not gloom and

nuch of this can be experienced here aid row.

Two young families have been hurt by sin.

decided to give up their marriages and throw in the towel.

been so bruised and destroyed by their past that there was little hope of going ahead. But now, thanks to the healing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, those young lives are beginning the process towards healing of their lives and their relationships. They need, however, the prayer
support of brothers and sisters in Christ in order to make it.
pray for Les aid Carol and Dave and Denise.

Will you

Some, however, have already moved past the st^e where the relationship can be helped. This is especially true of another member. Sue. Her hurts are very deep and go beyond the breakup of her marriage and her present circumstances. Her past, like all of ours, colors the w^ she responds to the hope of the gospel and the healing of brokenness. She also needs your
prayer support for herself and her three children.

Perfect healing will never be found this side of glory.

in each day; including our own self-esteem.

But we are

convinced that the good news of Jesus Christ is about reconciliationnot

only between ourselves and God, but also the broken relationships we live
Our desires point us beyond this world to the d^ when fullness and

maturity will become a reality: the day when God will "wipe away every tear from our eyes." The day of hope will be the d^ of victory for these
struggling saints, as well as every me of us.
DAN

WEST BROMWICH REPORT

New

Door

Opens

In the article "Moving Ahead" (Feb. 1986), I mentioned that we were moving towards another ap proach to a local community center to rent the building for meetings. The vision for using this building goes back several years. It has now become a reality.
With reflections on how Paul

left the synagogue in Ephesus to

Jan and Pete Bowen

Bareth and David

j i- A i-i

share God's word using the lecture

Tyrannus (Acts 19), we left

St. Stephen's church hall to begin

meetings on Thursdsy evenings at the center. On Sundays we now have house meetings in both the morning and evening. These are mainly geared for believers and are for worship, teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and
prayers. Thursdays are aimed more for outreach.

A children's hourthe 'sT (for Jesus) Teambegins the evening. In the first four weeks at the center we have seen our regular little group of eight or nine children grow to seventeen. During those same weeks our adult meetings, held later in the evening, has seen five non-Christians attending. Only one of these had ever attended any of our meetings before
at St. Stephen's.
We believe that this trickle is the first fruits of a flood that God

wants to draw in as time goes on. Meanwhile God is preparing the church for the growth that will come. Please continue in prayer for us. roiE

Upistle frum tu^Ianb

W^srf'nQton IL SIS'J
J>m S Mel'ss^ Daffman 4 Cf9SC9n' BoO S Sue Hariman 4S Asnoowne ftoaO

BULK RATE

US POSTAGE
PAID PERMIT NO 61

WASHINGTON. IL 61571

Aoram. Wigafi
i fine5 WN2 5PX

Wigsan. tftcesfc
LEB IFE

O'Ck i

Yvonne Suti

Janet 6aines

46 As'iCKHi'oc Ro3<1

W'gston Le'cos'e'
Le fF
Pete S Jan Bowen 41 Hs'eb9ll

Cuft S linaa Norahieim 13 Si James Part

Mi ssi on P 0 Box

Servi ces 2427

Ammgion, 7amwoitf>
Slitf/s B7r 4HA

TunOnage Wells
Henl TNI 2LG Gait Burns & AjfJ Ide 20 Culveraon Park Poaa

Resource Dept

Oan I Amy \ainc\l

101 Redslons Clo$o Cnurcn HiU Na'in Roooticrt. Worcs

KnoKville TN 37901

Tunbf'Oge Wells
Kent rN4 gOY

B9$9Ar

AMERICAN COflPESPONDEHTS Mr S Mrs B C NoratMelm 200

VSA

Jeuetson

Wasningion. IL BW

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

WIGSTON REPORT

Don't They
Grow Fast?
Don't they grow fast? Four
years ago we were inundated with a

crowd of teenage boys.

Full of

adolescent energy and fully exposed to adolescent problems, they formed the core of our original teen group. Now they are in their early
twentiesyoung men with jobs, girl friends, responsibilities. Don't they grow fast?
Bob and Sue Hartman
Mike Bennett is one of these

Karl and Christopher

lads-turned-young men. He was baptized in the spring of 1983 and,

shortly thereafter, sensed that the Lord was calling him into full time ministry. At die time he was seventeen, employed at a local supermarket and enrolled in their managerial training program. His parents, who are not Christians, were not keen on the idea of Mike going off to study for
the ministry at Spingdale College. They felt that he should stick with

his job and finish the training program. After much prayer, that is what Mike did. In the next three years, a lot happened. Mike completed the course and is now Assistant Manager of a small shop just outside Wigston.
Springdale College purchased a building and for the first time ever is

able to offer its own accommodation to young, single students.

Mike

matured in his faith and went through some ups and downs with the Lord.

And the Lord's response? Apparently he just kept calling. And so, earlier this year, Mike decided that the right time had come to answer that call. He prayed, talked with our church leaders, visited the Springdale staff, spent a week of his holidey living at the college and
attending lectures, and decided at the end of it to enroll in the full

time training program.

decision.

Mike's parents were most unhappy at first.

But a

lot of prayer cracked that wall in late April and they accepted his
We would like you to pray for Mike. This is a big step for him. He is leaving a good job with a promising future. Pr^ that he receives the financial support he needs to attend college. Pray that he has the confidence to do well in his course work. Pray that his parents will not just accept his decision, but see his reason for making it. And, along with us, offer a prayer of thanks to the Lord, because the goal of providing British ministry for British churches is now one step closer to
being achieved.
BOB

TAMWORTH REPORT

Itinerant Insights
As we begin new ministries, some Itinerant, pending our August move to Kirkby-in-Furness, we are gath ering optimism for the future of
the church in this beautiful
country.

Most

striking

was

our

first

^ v.
Dick and Yvonne Stitt

visit for a full day at Wigston, where we will serve during Bob and
Sue Hart man's absence from mid-June

to early August.

Our greatest

'lift' came from a Sunday evening teen meeting which we had forgotten about and weren't too keen on attending on that particular night! More than a dozen young people from fourteen to twenty years old meet weekly in the Hart man's home for fellowship and serious study of biblical teachings
and how to apply them in their lives today. There was all the natural vivacity of youth combined with a sense of realism about the world they live in. And they desire a sound Christian response to the problems of daily living. There was nothing superficial about their discussion. If these young people, and countless others like

them, keep growing in the faith and come along through the years into leadership positions, there is hope indeed. The wide range of ages in the Wigston congregation and mid-week growth groups is encouraging as well.

Kirkby-in-Fumess
Curt Nordhielm was the speaker for the 160th anniversary of the Wall End Church of Christ, which we will join as ministers in August. And apt
the choice of speaker was: Curt had been on student mission teams in the
early 1970's in that area. We attended the Saturday service before heading to Burnley,

where we preached for their Sunday services on their 97th anniversary. Kirkby, too, provides grounds for optimism. The elders are ready for outreach. Two teen lads are taking instruction from one of the elders for

baptism and memebership, and a youth program is high on their priority

list. There are plans for a coffee-and-chat group for ladies of the village, as well as ideas for extending the friendship and love of the
church to those who are lonely. We expect to find our ministry there both

demanding and fulfilling. (We have spent three days in Kirkby looking for a house. Few are available and they are expensive. Please pray for an
answer to our housing needs.) We are grateful for the size and strength and vitality of the Wigston church and hopeful for Kirkby and the church in England. DICK & YVWniE

Cptsftle from Cnglanb

... A report from ministries challenging a post-Christian nation with the claims of Christ.

VOL. 13, NO. 8

JULY 1986

Bonnes Vacances!
The great British pastime . . . that which they have developed to an art form . . . that which goes on twelve months a year (peaking during Christmas, Easter and the summer) is "holiday-ing". There are no greater savorers of holidays than the British. They are willing to go anywhere and do an thingall in the cause of having a good vacation. Now it is true that the average Briton who goes abroad seeks out the sun; therefore, sunny places like Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Greece and Yugoslavia (not to mention Cyprus, Malta, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka and the Canary Islands) are rife with British tourists. But Britons also like sightseeing and souvenir collecting (Elgin brought part of the
Parthenon back with him from Greece in the 1800's) and are game for the more exotic places in the world. Those who stay in this country will still

gravitate to the seaside,

or go

mountain

climbing in the Scottish Cairngorms, or hire a

self-catering cottage somewhere in the wilds

of Wales or Cornwall, or hike, or go camping,

or hang-glide or go to a holiday camp where the whole family is inexpensively catered for with rides, contests, shows and scads of
activities.

The average Briton gets anywhere from three to six weeks of vacation per year. And that time is often split between a Christmas holi

day (somewhere warm and sunny preferably), an Easter holiday (somewhere warm and sunny preferably) and a summer holi day (somewhere warm and sunny preferably). It is very seldom that
vacation time is spent at home sitting in the back yard!

So keen is the holiday spirit that during a long weekend (Saturday, Sunday and what is known as Bank Holiday Monday), which occur four times between Easter and August, town streets are deserted, shops and stores are closed (with a few exceptions) and neighborhoods are quiet. Why? Because just about everyone is enjoying themselves on these brief vaca tions. Stately homes, zoos, amusement parks, beaches (even if only a hope of the sun coming out exists) and grandma's is descended upon. Ah, yes, the British not only like their tea, they truly like their holdiays! GAIL BUBNS

TUNBRIDGE WELLS REPORT

That

Awtul Age
always difficult to ex-

MfjL
I

plain why Sunday School In Brlprogram that Includes teens and

' ^^BeEElb

tain has never developed into a

But it hasn't and, most
never will. Therefore

adults.
probably^

we have the interesting dilemma of how to keep the children interested in the church when they
leaving the Sunday School (about twelve or

Curt Nordheilm

thirteen years old).

lO's and up Sunday School class

Gail Burns

Curt has been teaching the

and he has had a pretty good classthe attendance has been basically consistent. The discussions they have had have been encouraging and shows that the children are

frequently.
honest,

thinking.

But the oldest member, Gary, who is thirteen, is coming less

You see, he's reached "that age".

What can we do to bridge

Well, to be

that gap between Sunday School and church attendance?

we're not sure.

But try we do. Some teens will be our helpers in Little Kids' Camp
and Vacation Bible School. Some are involved

in the Once-a-Month Club, but there is still not much teaching/learning involved. Come this

autumn, Instead of telling the children a littie story at the start of our worship service

and then sending them out of the building to

waiting parents, we are going to endeavor to

work out a program where all the children particlpate in the opening of our worship service. We are also going to try to involve the older

children in a special service where they will participate in the morning worship. We are searching for a way to help these young teens keep an
interest in the God who loves them. Whatever it is, it must be inter esting, instructive, have real quality and be fun to attend. Whatever we do we must meet their needs, not just have another club to fill their

and our time. God knows what will work, so we pray for that vision to step out and offer these teens that which they need to keep them walking
down the path of discovering Christ.

REDDITCH REPORT

A Time To Pray
Prayer has often been described as the lifeblood of the church. Yet it seems that the church of

today has often forgotten this fundamental principle of the faith. One of the reasons for the ap parent demise of the life of prayer
in today'schurch seems to be the

tyranny of the urgent.

How ironic that

Everything
to do
would

seems to be pressuring us

more and moreexcept pray.

Jesus

often spend many long periods in

Amy and Dan Yarnell

Dan and David

prayer,

especially

prior

to

an

advancement of his ministry or in a

major decision. Yet so few Chris

tian believers today can find any time, or only a small fraction of time,
for the most important expression of our life in Christ.

Some of our members have faced the dilemma of not being able to pray as they likeusually due to some inhibition. Others struggle with the importance of prayer, regulating it to the occasional, "Lord, help me!" We have been attempting to spend more time in prayer with people.
Often I have found myself praying over the phone, on the
ever the need for prayer arose.

sidewalkwher

But the real issue of prayer is the fact that on a spiritual plane the Christian church is facing a very difficult battle with the enemy (Eph. 6). One British Christian leader has suggested that prayer does not lead
us to the battleit is the battle.

In the light of this, on June 21st, Christians all over Britain will be gathering together to pray for

this nation.

This day, the longest day of the year,

has traditionally been a day for witches and those in the occult to pray against the efforts of the church.

Christians are being called together to fight this

through the power of prayer.

Many of our members will be joining in this effort to help reverse the work of Satan and reestablish the Kingdom of God in this country. Will
you join with us in this battle for a real revivalone which will touch

the lives of every person who lives in this country and one which will bring victory over the work of the enemy. We rejoice in what God has done and is doing, often as the direct
result of prayer. Won't you join with us to further the cause of Christ

through your continued prayer support.

The time for prayer is NOW.

DAN

WESTBROMWICHREPORT
I

n^vvIN'OW!
am a NOW person. When there

^
^l

is something I want, I want it now.

I not good at waiting patiently
1 was the same as a for things.

Hp
vT

' f'

.'J

child.
^

Well, I am in a situation where

no choice! I am in the

I hate waiting!

have

1^ ff *y

process of buying a house and that calls for a lot of perseverance and
patience in this country. At pre-

Jan and Pete Bowen

Bareth and David

"

q^^j. (^I^ur^h, Janet, until things go

through.

sent I am staying with a member of

1 get impatient when we as a church have some growing pains. I want to hurry and get them over with and so I feel impatient with those who might be causing them. Yet, I know in ray heart that God is overseeing all. Thankfully he is patient and working out his purpose. I do know that when I feel the frustration building up, going to God with it is the best thing I can do. This is because I can then acknowledge that while I can't see his purpose in those events, I know he has one and that all concerned will benefit from trusting him through it all. So whether it is buying my house, growing pains in the church, relationships, or whatever, God is Lord over it all and seeking him through it all will bring blessing. JANET

lEpistle fram "Sn^laitb

200 E Jelle'SOn. ngshmgion IL OlbTI
Sou S Suo Hgfimsn

46 AshOoufne Roaa

Wigslon, Leicester
LEB IFE

Dick 8 Yvonne StiH

46 Ashbourne

Wigslon. Leicesler
LEB IFE

Cull i

Linaa NoraniBtm

Mission Services

13 SI James Park

nil ( >
Dan i Amy Yamell
tot fleOsione Cose Churen Hilt Nonn

Junonage Welts
en( TNI 2LG

Resource Dept
P 0 Bok 2427 KnoKville TN 37901

ReMilcn, Wares
B98 9AF

If
M/s B C Noiartielm Jellerson

Cail Burns S f^ila tOe

20 Culveroon Park Road

Tanonsge Wetis
Kent TN4 9QY

AMERICAN CORfESPONOENTS Mr i ZOO

Washington. IL 6l5n
USA

APDUESS COlUiECTION liKQUESTED

WIGSTON REPORT

Gift Day Joy

We were all feeling
little bit down.

just a

Attendances

hadn't been good.

vacation. And

Some of our
a

"key" members had been away on

we hadn't had

sunny day for eighteen months. GLOOM! Ahead loomed our first ever "Gift Day"a British church tradition that gives members a

chance to make a special offering

to the work of the church. Back

Bob and Sue Hartman

in

January,

the Diaconate

had

Kari and Christopher

decided that two Gift Days would

be held this year and that the

proceeds would go to paying off the remaining debt on our building. If the response was good enough, we hoped, we could "burn the mortgage" at
our sixth anniversary service in September.
event, we prayed and went ahead.

In the midst of the current

Fantastic! The

lethargy, however, we feared that the responseboth in numbers and poundswould be low and create even greater discouragement. In any
And the results?

weather was reasonable (i.e., it was mostly overcast, but never actually rained), the attendance was good (forty-six in all came and enjoyed the barbecue and games at a member's house) and the offering was great

($365). Next day, the sun actually shone and both morning and evening
I preached on "The Meaning of Commit
ment" and the great bulk of the congregation was there to hear and then

services were very well attended.

recommit themselves to Christ and his body. States.

especially for his sense of timing.
PRAYER REQUESTS

That weekend was just what

BOB

we and the congregation needed before leaving for six week visit to the

We praise the Lord for his kindness, for his encouragement and

Tony has had breathing problems all winter and was treated for chest

infections and asthma. They have know discovered a shadow on his lung and both he and Yvonne are quite concerned. Yvonne is trying to see the
whole experience as one way in which God may speak to Tony and call him
to his body on this earth.

Lewis and his girlfriend, Kerry, have become engaged after a dating period of about two months. Kerry is very nice and will be beginning a
one-on-one Bible study with Dawn while we are in the States. She has

also been attending the services and teen group for about a monthPlease pray that their relationship will grow according to God's will.

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

& i
.

Janet was a Christian, though inactive. Ian, for lack of a better

God At Wrh
in the church.

iVOTIClil:

description, was a good pagan. For

|B

sS

tried and failed to

ested

most of their marriage, Janet has

Ian

Even

when

Mshssa and Jim Dahlman Sarah

Janet recommitted her life in 1982,

lan was unmoved. Janet's return to regular church life faltered, and
frustrated.

she was

Just over a year ago, they moved into a small shop. They hoped that lan's income as a self-employed 'joiner' (carpenter) and the income from the shop would make them more financially secure. But things went from bad to worse. Ian had a lot of work, but his customers paid erratically. And the shop has caused more grief than gain, especially when their son either began to steal for himself or was extorted by some friends to steal for them. This in turn put a heavy strain on a once solid marriage. To top it

all off, the familyand particularly Ianwas plagued by a poltergeisttype presence in the shop-cum-house. At first, they did not know whether to think good or ill of it. (The level of superstition and misunder standing about the spiritual world here means that, inevitably, some of it

spills even into some Christians' thinkingignorance is a potent satanic tool.) After a few truly frightening experiences, however, they asked for help. One night in February, we read the Bible about the spiritual world
war, prayed for the Lord to remove the 'thing', and then told it to go.
The matter rested there for a few months.

In early May, Ian began to think seriously about God for the first

time. Almost immediately, the 'thing' made itself known againmore

strongly than before. (Remember Jesus' story in Luke 11.24-26?) Ian was
scared, but he was convinced he needed God in his life and he wanted to

know about the Bible and Christ. As his commitment grew, the thing's power
waned. Ian, Janet and the children began coming to church,

and Janet are now regulars at our Thursday home Bible

group. One week, at their request, they told the group their
story. Ian sang a song he wrote about it (he is a talented

musician),

and the whole group prayed for the Lord to remove

the thing once and for alland he has. Ian is quickly learning about the faith, and he will be baptized soon. What seemed impossible only six
months ago has suddenly been made real. The problems that hounded Ian and

his family have chased Ian right into God's arms.

JIM

j)istlE from Cnglanb

... A report from ministries chailenging a

post-Christian nation with the claims of Christ.

g AUGUST 1986

The Sporting Life

In this morning's newspaper you could read reports about track and field (athletics), racing horses and cars, rowing, the Australian soccer league, boxing, sailing, hockey (field hockey; ice hockey is called that), squash (a little like racquetball, but the racquet has a long, skinny handle and a tiny head), swimming, baseball (usually American scores, but today the results are from an English league: the Crawley Giants took both games in a doubleheader with the Croydon Bluejays). On other days you see reports on badminton and 'real', indoor tennisas opposed to our more familiar 'lawn tennis'. There is snooker, that pool game played on 1:ables larger than some back lawns in England. You can watch televised darts tournaments, with highly skilled sportsmen downing several pints of beer during the match as the referee shouts "ONE HUNDRED AND AA-A-A-TEEEE" \rtien someone like Eric Bristow hits that highest of scores. There is rugby

league, the professional thirteen-a-side game, and its older, theoretically amateur and pure brother, rugby union, played fifteen-a-side. And don't forget that TV favorite,
'One Man and His Dog', which is a sheepdog competition. And every year the late June nights are filled with tennis: Wimbledon gets at least an hour a night for the duration. The British sports world h5is two other bonuses this summer. The quadrennial Comnxjn-wealth Games are in Edinburg this year. And there is the World Cup.

Every four sumiers conversations in most countries, other than the States, eventually get around to THE Cv^. Combine the buildup of the Super Bowl with the stretched out
excitement of the World Series and you have a taste of the World Ci4> atmosphere. The

world championship of the world's most popular game is no small thing. Remember tat 'football' has its roots in England and you will tinderstand vAiy you cannot go far here without seeing soccer balls on the move or goalposts standing guard over a field. England did well this year in the Cup, but lost to Argentina in the quarter-finals. Then t:here is cricket, considered by Americans to be 'the' English game even though the English say it's football. To the outsider, the forerunner of baseball seems too complicated to be popular, but no Cubs fan could rival the true cricketeer's ferocious loyality. International cricket 'test' matches literally go on for days, stopping only for rain, nighttime and meals. Watching the eleven-a-side game is a good way to catch up on sleep, but playing cricket can be--yes--exciting. It would take the rest of the Epistle to txy to explain the game, so I won't even t:ry. But vrtio can dislike a game with such field postions as 'silly mid off and 'fine leg'; with expressions like 'gone for a duck' (vrtien the batter doesn't even scorevery rare) and 'bowling a maiden over' (when the pitcher, or 'bowler', bowls six times (an 'over') and has no runs scored on
him), and which stops for tea?

The variety in sport seems endless and the menu keeps growing. Consider that one sport introduced only four years s^o to British TV is now the foiurlih most popular to watch and has two amateur leagues. What is this new sensation? American football!
JIM DAHUIAN

KIRBY REPORT

'Interm-ing'
There may be no such word in either
English OR American. But as a continous process perhaps it needs to come into our language. As July brings with it welcome dryness and warmth for more than a weekyes, there may be a British summer after allwe are in Wigston. Most of our clothing emd the household goods we did not sell in Tamworth are sharing Andrew Farrish's bam with the

Dick and Yvonne Stitt

swallows.

With no affordable house in

Kirkby-in-Fumess, our destination in mid-August is yet to be determined. Other boxes occi^y Kari and Christopher Hartman^s bedroom. Yvonne and I suspect we shall unpack the last box about the time that Bob and Sue rettim on August 2nd. Finding our way aroimd the house of someone else is one of the first lessons of 'interim-ing'. The second, and more important lesson, clearly teaches that it is very much a matter of 'something old,

something new'. As welcoming and genuinely helpful as the people of the Wigston Church of Christ are, they cannot help but compare the 'someone new' with Bob smd Sue, and more puicularly with the way we do things. Even youi^ traditions are highly valued. Surprisingly to Yvonne and me the ones here most tied by \rfiat they are used to are not the middle- or older-aged people, but the younger ones. We learned that straightaway at the very first Growth Groi^ (Bible study and sharing) we led. The teens were turned off. They were used to more activity with entertainment overtones. Happily the next two Growth Groups responded warmly to the challenge of Paul's life-changing principles in Romans 5-7. With better
presentation, so too will the first group. We are so grateful for the experience of this church, ^ere there is so

much vitality across all age levels. We are learning much to take with us to Kirkby. Some of it is re-affirmation of vrtiat we perhaps took for granted in our home church, first Christian of Phoenix, AZ: that people see Christ in other people who are sensitive to others and are meeting real needs. The Mums and Tots groiq) has lead families to Christ here; the teen group may be the key to the next upsurge in Wigston growth ^ich
seems to be building in preparation. For our move to Kirkby and its congregation, we eisk your prayers. We have invited Patt Hotiser, a gifted youth specialist (and nurses' aide) in Illinois to join the work there. She is raising support; please pray for
her. DICK

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

REJOICE
I usually find it hard to pin down significant events in our church's life to particular dates
and tijnes. The weekend of June 21-

22 was an exception.

On the Saturday we had our annual congregational meeting after a very

enjoyable 'faith tea' (potluck sum

mer), which gave the right atmos Melissa and Jim Dahlman phere of fellowship for the even Sarah ing. The church made three important decisions on that sunny Saturday. First, the church moved from a mere agreement in principle that we should have elders and deacons to actually appointing elders, with deacons to come in the future. After almost a year of study, the church elected
three 'church officers'. Bill and Keith Robinson and myself, as the church
moved towards a more scriptural model of oversight. Second, the church passed its first-ever church budget. Like many churches, we have been running a 'let's wait and see' policy with money. Now the church has essentially declared some goals for growing in the future. The third decision was included in the budget. The church has committed itself to directly supporting Jeff and Patty Greene, formerly of our living link church in Tarpon Springs, in their Brazilian mission works

which begins in 1987. This is something new to a church which, like many others, has usally supported missions through a committee which tended to
depersonalize the work. But the best was yet to come.

On Sunday morning we

witnessed

the

baptism of Ian Jones, whom we wrote about in an earlier Epistle. Ian was joined by two daughters of a new members, Wilfred Georgeson. Linda and Pauline had decided to be baptized, and after we had talked earlier in the week, they had decided to do it as soon as possible. So we had a glorious day with three baptisms. The icing on the cake came on Sunday night when Bob Wetzel from Springdale College preached and David and Lisa Runner of Milligan Collge accompanied the singing on organ and piano. David also gave a short organ concert to a fairly full chapel. We had a grand weekend of growth, fellowship, movement, commitment and worshipand we thank God for it.
JIM

WEST BROMWICH REPORT

Men Wanted
As Christians we see all people

as created by
need of

God and equally

However,

in
the

Christ.

reality of
. 3 t I ^

our

society

is

that is
in

people are divided into

different

groups and they are conscious that

the group to which they belong suspicious of other groups.
The area we are reaching out

is a working class culture and the

Jan and Pete Bowen Gareth and David
There are two other local churches.

men in particular are resistant to the gospelthough probably not so much the gospel itself as the church as they have understood it. One is the Church of England which,
for

generally speaking, is viewed as part of the middle class, and except

weddings and funerals having nothing to say to the everyday needs of real
men. The other church has few members living locally. At one time it would have been a working class church, but now its members tend to live
in the wealthier suburbs.

As a local church we

want to carry the gospel

to the men of the

area.

But we too have our

for none of us were

problems.

The few men we

area. We

have are not local

are very much

either
new
IS

raised in the

in the

church planting situation

and in need

of a breakthrough.

Once that

achieved the example of local men standing for Jesus will bear witness

to

others in their group.

stepped out for Christ.

We have our contacts, but none of them have

yet

Our God is greater than the obstacles; our God desires to save men i n PETE this area. Please join us in praying for this breakthrough.

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... A report from ministries challenging a post-Christian nation with the claims of Christ.

ViX. 13 !. 9

SEPT.

19B6

A British View of American Religion

For most readers of the Epistle, thinking about the British expression of the Christian
faith h^ come as a shock. Serious decline in church attendance and loss of nrmistors and

buildings have been ^d, but true, factors for religious life in Britain. And of course, that is precisely vtiy J^nsrican, Australian, Janmcan and other forri^ help has been at
work for so many years in this country. But nost readers are not familiar with the Brits think of the Christian expression

of faith in America. Therefore I offer one brief and particular understanding of what I ha\e learned and experienced from those with v^ion I wxk and associate. For most British Christians there is both an expression of wonder and ejcitanent. The American church is usually charactarized by large buildings (vMch are alveys full of

happy churchgoers), a well-paid ministry staff and large budgets, large fellowship gather ings of various sorts (concerts, teaching sessions, etc.) and much affluence.
For those outside the fellowship of Christ's church there is also a sense of vmder. Hit usually the wonder is not about the above mentioned characteristics, but the vronder of wiiy bother at all. Since despair and apathy are fluent expressions in many parts of Britain, as well as the rise of the secular spirit, there is confusion about the high
proportion of churchgoers at all.

Perhaps the largest area of confusion is that related to faith and involvement. Ibe American expression of the faith is usually seen and understood to be relevant for a personal relationdiip with Jesus, but the equally important relevance of faith in real lifeby v^iich I mean a faith which relates to the decision-braking, ethics, and social
involvmentseans to be lacking.

Of course all expressions of faith mist be culturally relevant. American religion is more independent and original, vMch relates to the American ethos. Church attaidance is very socially acceptable, the church is still a living institution, the Bible still
retains seme authralty.

But for the man on the street or the man in the pew, American practice of the Christian

faith is amaang.
be

It would be a false characterization to say that this is the British

view, or that th^ mentioned factors are not present in the British church. But it vould
false to think that viewing American religious belief and practice by British Chris
tians leaves no questions in the minds of the onlookers and observers.

There is one point vtee the church in American and Britain are similar: Jesus is the same Lord v^io loves the church and viio offers this love to all by his grace. Regardless of one's particular cultural expression, without Christ as Lord of the church, all expres sions of faith are pointless. This is the challenge for the church in Americaand
Britain as well. DAN YARNEIL

WIGSTON REPORT

Thank You
THANK YOU.
come back to

We really needed to
the States and we

appreciated the help everyone gave.

Thank you for giving. First, we

received
then

the money to

come.

And

we were treated to

excellent

Bob and Sue Hartman

Karl and Christopher

food and hospitality. And our travel expenses were met. We are being considered for inclusion in church budgets. And a special thanks to those of you who did such a great job of advance publicity for our trip. One church reprinted
one of our articles from the

Epistle as a bulletin insert and another put a photo and article about our upcoming visit in their local newspaper. Thank you for talking. We really appreciated your words of encourage

ment, support and advice. It was great to have time to talk and to share both ideas and problems with people who have had more experience and also with others working in new church situations. We were also interested in hearing how the movement in general is developing in the US and how individual churches are doing. And it was a real blessing to be at the NACC/NMC to share in that experience and to see a lot of old friends.
Thank you for being there. This thank you applies mainly to Pittsburgh
While there we: where we were based and where most of our relatives live.

rested,
We

laughed, ate too much, met and shared with friends and relatives.
since our

met a new niece and stepmother which had joined the family

last trip and a brother-in-law was added while we were there. your support it would have been much harder to be elsewhere.
Thank you for sending us back.

Without

Being in the US also helped us gain a

more objective perspective on the church in Wigston Magna. We needed to be away to regain that and to be prepared for the next step in the work
there. another You've all said that you would be willing to support us for two years by which time the church here should be ready to be

self-supporting.

In

the autumn they are scheduled to begin paying some

It has been great to hear that you pray for the

thing toward our salary. Thank you for praying.

requests we mention and it has been helpful when you have written. Tony had to have a lung removed. And Lewis and Kerry are discussing an autumn wedding even though their non-Christian parents would prefer them to delay it and live together. Your prayers for these people would be greatly
appreciated.
SUE

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

mmi
We held our annual Holiday

(Vacation)
week
children

Bible School in July

and
here must like these

(the
the
events

of the royal wedding),

Melissa and Jim Dahlman

Sarah

because they keep coming back. We averaged seventy-two children each day (with a high of eighty-two), and registered one hundred thirty two during the weekand we know we missed
a few.

We had two new features this

year.

First,

we

had

full-scale

Sunday

night closing program. We sent invitations home to the parents, gave out certificates, sang the songsall of it. We had no idea how many would

show up since Sunday is a traditional "going out"

families came

day.

But several
to meet

and our small chapel was filled and we were able

some parents afterwards when tea and cookies were served. This was a face many did not think the church had. We are already talking with one entire family about the faith, the door being opened through the VBS.
The second new feature was the missionary offering for Jeff and Patty

Greene, who will be going to Brazil next year. (Jeff and Patty used to work with our Tarpon Springs (Fl.) living link church and came here with a

Tarpon Springs group in 1983 to work in one of our first VBS's.) We were
not sure how the children (or parents) would react, so we had to make it clear that this was entirely for the missionaries and completely voluntary

and that there was no charge for coming to VBS. (A free "playscheme' , as many would see it, is very unusual.) We set a target of $38, which we thought reasonable for a lowincome area, and every day told the children something about Brazil and the Greene's future work. They responded wellt
the total of $46 was reached on Friday.

We
read. worth

had

twenty-one different workers during the week,

doing

all

the

usual jobs: pouring orange drink, putting band-aids on skinned knees, trying to teach an eleven year-old what the Bible says when he can barely
We were all exhausted at week's end, the effort. but I didn't hear anyone say around

he or she wouldn't do it again, and some have even said they will be ready for it again next year. Both children and workers seemed to think it was
Since this is a major tool to reach families

here with the message of Christ, who*s to argue?

AND YET MORE GOOD NEWS:

JIM

WE ARE EXPECTING A BROTHER OR SISTER FOR SARAH

ON MARCH 2, 1987!

11^

We are eagerly awaiting the return of Chris and Pat Sewell and

UPDATE

family from a one year internship with Central Christian Church, Mesa, AZ, Chris is a graduate of Springdale College and he and his family will begin a full time ministry with us in September. Please pray for all of us as we learn to work together. I will be visiting the States for approximately four weeks beginning October 8th, My nephew is getting
marriedthis makes me feel so old!!

My

home address is 814

Popular

St.,

Michigan City, IN. 46360.

I am now in my new house. I am in the midst of boxes, paint, turpentine and chaos. However, I am slowly but surely getting settled in. My new address is: 3 Edward St., Hinckley,
LEIO ODH.

Please be praying for a young mother, Sheena, She is in the midst of a study and is wanting to be baptised. Her family has had occultic dealings in the past and Sheena has been troubled by dreams. We have prayed and studied and sees that Jesus can and will bring peace of mind and freedom. We are hoping to have the baptism on Chris and Pat's first Sunday back! J.B,

pistle from ^nglmib

^
Jim S DaTilman

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CpiiStlE from Cnglanb

... A report from ministries challenging a post-Christian nation with the claims of Christ.

VOL. 14 NO. 1

OCTOBER 1986

It's That Time Again

Once a year we place before you our incomewhat we received from God

through you: our supporters, friends, relatives and co-workers. We do so without any hint of embarassment that we made too much or self-pity that we made too little. God provides in a number of ways and our lives and the income which support our lives are testamonies to God's ever present
concern for us.

There are two aspects of living abroad which I would like to comment upon before you turn to the back to see the figures. First, because we are supported by individual churches our income often fluctuates. If a

church gets into financial difficulty often the first item which gets cut is the mission budget. Most often the church makes up what is lacking, but for the months that nothing or very little was sent the missionary suffers. Some of us have seen as much as a thirty-five per cent drop in
cour income from one month to the next.

Second, a constantly changing exchange rate plays its role in our financial stories. It is not unusual to see the exchange rate move as much as three cents in one day. In one very unusual day eighteen months ago, the dollar lost seven cents in one hour! Check the figures for yourself. Assume someone makes $1500 per month. The exchange rate one month is $1.50. He receives, when he exchanges his dollars, 1000. The

following month the exchange rate is $1.60.

He now has 937.50a drop of

over 60. That 60 would buy groceries for almost two weeks for a family of four. Of course, the exchange rate can go to our advantage and when it does it enables us to do some things we would not be able to do otherwise. I say these two things to make you aware of the constant changing picture of our finances. Figures almost never tell the whole story. If you have any control over your church's missionary budget, I would urge you to do two things. First, make sure your check to your missionary
arrives on time. If the church does get into financial trouble (as all churches do on occasion) try not to cut the missionary budget. Second, watch the exchange rate. If it goes to the missionary's disadvantage, try to send some dollars to make up the shortfall. If it goes to the mis

sionary's advantage, rejoice that he is able to do something he would not

normally be able to do.

Now, turn to the back page and study the figures. We thank you and praise God for our income. And we will continue to depend upon him for all that we need. He has not failed us in the past. EDITOR

WIGSTON REPORT

Another Ministry
We have had enough of a lull in the Platt Bridge action for the past month to allow me to get a word in about another ministry in
which Melissa and I are involved:

CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP magazine. CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (CF to its

friends) was begun in 1980 to act as a link of news, information and teaching for the Fellowship.
Bob and Sue Hartman

Kari and Christopher

seat in 1982 when no one else could.

Richard Swain, whose regular job is with the national telephone com

pany, was the first editor, taking a three year stint. Alan Robinson, who was working in many other areas for the churches, temporarily took the hot
A number of difficulties made i t a

hard two year haul for Alan and his team. Finally, a new editor was found in March, 1984. Me!
An editorial board was formed, and we still meet every other month to

plan magazines, fret about money and hash out many important issues. Our
current board includes Yvonne Attry, Janet Baines, Orrell Battersby, Jim Dahlman, Bob Hartman, Paul Miller, Curt Nordhielm, Cindy Schade, Ruth Seadon, Chris Sewell, Dick Stitt, and Helen Walker.

After a six month hiatus, we restarted in September 1984 with a new look. We typeset that issue, but lack of money has kept us on a typewriter or, more recently, word processor. A good Christian printer has helped our design and budget. We have gone from twelve to sixteen pages, have intro duced advertising, and sort of reluctantly raised the cover price. We have had themes for each issue, but that format will change next year, as we seek to broaden our subject matter and try some new
approaches.

Every month, my study turns into a paste-up studio, reeking of rubber cement and filled with the clatter of a daisywheel printer. Melissa keeps Bob Hartman, Janet Baines and me fed and coffeed for the ten hour job. We will be joined by Dick Stitt soon, since he is taking over as editor in
mid-1987. The "studio" will have to find yet another home.

We gain a lot of satisfaction (and fun) from CF, but the whole board also has a deep sense of mission: to teach, to raise questions, to inform, to encourage national and international fellowship. It is another ministry
for a l l of us.

If you want to subscribe to CF, contact our American agent, William Norris, Route 6, Box 544-B, Johnson City, TN. 37601. One year by airmail
is $13.00, or $11.00 by surface.
JDf

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

Mfelcome Home'
We arrived back in England on Saturday, August 2. It was chilly and raining. (We knew we were back!) Then we arrived at our house and were very surprisedthe church folk (along with friends and relatives) had organized "Operation Sparkle" and had painted, repaired and gardened around our house and
the church. Both looked lovely. We were left alone that day to

m ^ s'

Melissa and Jim Dahlman Sarah

recover from jet lag and to sample

the meals that had been
freezer for

made and

left in the

us.

On Sunday morning Dick Stitt preached and we began to talk to people. Dick and Yvonne had done a great job ministering to and encouraging the
folk in our absence. In the afternoon Dave and Jacqui Rose hosted a
It was church tea to welcome us home and to bid farewell to the Stitts.

great. Then in the evening the service had two themesgiving thanks and saying good-bye to the Stitts and looking ahead to the future and
welcoming us back.

In the weeks since then a few changes have been made in the weekly

routinechanges we'd seen the need for while we were away and the leaders had seen as well during that period. The teen group is now for thirteen to sixteen year olds and still meets at our house on Sunday evenings, but is led by two of the older teens with Bob and I present. (Seven are attending.) On Mondays there is a leadership growth group which is studying with Bob the biblical concept of servant-leadership for six weeks. This will be followed by six weeks of practical application. (Ten are attending.) On Wednesdays there is another growth group which I
leada young adult one which is being attended so far by ten seventeen to
twenty-two year olds.

On Sunday, September 14 we saw a big change as the church celebrated its sixth anniversary and burnt the mortgage. We had seventy-six in attendance and held just one service in the afternoon, which included

communion. The Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Wigston attended, a local newspaper was represented and there were some visitors from other Wigston churches. But more exciting than those things were the attendance of Mick Fell (Chris' husband) and Mike Bennett's parents, all of whom we've been

praying for for some time.

which we thank God for.

Mike left for Springdale the following week

and the change in his parents has been miraculous. (They came to the church's farewell party for him as well.) They are now fully behind him
WELCOME HOME? MOST DEFINITELY! SUE

Part Of God's Goodness

SEPTEMBER 1, 1985-AUGUST 31, 1986 (ALL FIGURES ARE IN DOLLARS)
Janet Balnes

8,236

Pete and Jan Bowen

Rita Ide

7,017

salary expenses TOTAL

15,891 3,000 18,891

Gail Bums
Curt and Linda Nordhielm

7,050

17,526

Bob and Sue Hartman

salary gifts for furlough TOTAL

Dan and Any Yamell

18,945 3,225 22,170 18,000

UK salary and field expenses air fare US and furlough expenses

TOTAL

14,390 2,700 11,339

28,429

Dick and Yvonne Stitt

Due to sickness, furloughs and vacations the last three editions of

the Epistle have been smaller than normal. The editor wishes to

apologize for this.

We plan to be back to full strength next month.

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VOL. 14 NO. 2 NOVEMBER 1986

BRITISH 1101J$
An American tourist once commented after walking down a street that all of the houses on that particular street looked the same. To the casual observer, houses on many streets in England do look similar. But to the more careful eye each house has its particular characteristics. It is no easy subject to write about housing in England. The subject is vast and complicated. Any generalization could be dangerous. But I want to make an attempt. Let me approach the subject from three anglesstyle, size and price. STYLEThere are basically three kinds of houses. Terraced housing is a group of houses which share common walls. There has to be at least three houses in a group to be considered terraced, but usually there are

quite a few more. The second style is called semi-detached where only one wall is shared. This is very similar to what is called a duplex in the US, with the exception that they are usually two floors high. The final
is the detached house where no wall is shared and the house stands alone.

SIZEFor the most part, English houses are smaller than ones in the US. But just because a house is detached does not mean it is larger than a terraced. Some terraced housesespecially in the older parts of a city or towncan have as many as five bedrooms. On the other hand, some detached houses may have only two or three bedrooms. Though I cannot find any official statistics, I would have thought that the average size of a British home would be about 1100 square feet. PRICEThere is a real gap in the cost of houses between the North of

the country (where high unemployment is a major problem) and the South (where a great deal of the wealth is found). One example just reported in
the Sunday Times (one of the most respected newspapers):'a house (semi detached, four-bedroom) which would sell for $109,500 in London would

sell for $43,500 in Birmingham. In London last year, housing prices went up by just under 25%, while in Scotland housing went up by less than 8%. Because of this huge price difference, those without a job in the North cannot move South to find the jobs which are on offer. They simply cannot
afford it.
find one.

Those in the South are reluctant to move to the North (even if

they are offered a good job) because their children may not be able to
If you ever visit Britain, stop and study British houses and find the
individual characteristics. CURT NORDHIELM

WIGSTON REPORT

ENCOURAGED
Ever since we returned from the

States in August, we have received more and more encouragement from the congregation here. There is a vitality and unity of purpose which we have not experienced before and it is making for some very exciting times together. Our harvest services are a good example. We not only had good attendances, but there was wide participation by Bob and Sue Hartman members in the worship. Our singing group is still growing in Kari and Christopher number and becoming even more accomplished musically. They prepared two special numbers for the harvest day and then, the following Sunday, piled into a borrowed minibus and drove five hours to join me at the Kirkby-inFurness church, where Dick and Yvonne Stitt are now ministering. I was preaching their harvest services and the participation of the group was a great help to me and a real encouragement to the Kirkby church. Our Sunday School is also receiving more help. Several older teenage girls are now helping with the teaching and seem to be excited about doing so

and we are shortly going to need more classroom space. There is just the chance that a local corporation will give us a portable room to fit on the little piece of ground at the side of the church. Pray for this matter. We have just moved into our second series of Growth Group meetings. On Monday night, I'm leading a course on "How to Lead a Growth Group" so that we can expand this part of the ministry even further. We have three groups meeting on Wednesday nights now. Sue is leading a group on "The Fruit of the Spirit". Alan Robinson, one of our deacons, is leading a group at his house based on Elton Trueblood's book. The Humor of Jesus. And I am teaching a singing group from J.I. Packer's book Knowing God. An overwhelming majority of our congregation are now involved in these meetings, which makes it even easier to convince those who don't yet participate to 'give it a try.* We praise the Lord for the way he is using these groups and we ask you to pray for us as we meet together week by week. BOB

One of our biggest needs for prayer at this moment are some of our young adults who have become engaged or are contemplating doing so. Please pray that they really go slowly and be sure that they are following the scriptural guidelines for a good marriage. We've talked it all through with them and now we must wait patiently for their decisions. SUE

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

SLr

men m Pray
Looking back over the past month, there are no "big events" to report about, but we have seen
several needs about which we would

like you to pray. Please pray for Gill Collier. She became a good friend of ours when we arrived, and has been been Melissa and Jim Dahlman
a faithful worker in the church.

She has moved to Birmingham to Sarah attend Springdale College and pre pare for the secretary's job when Jenny Cass returns to America next

summer.

Please pray for her success and growth in her studies.

And pray

for her mother, Margaret, who has leaned on Gill in her first few months

in her new found faith. Pray that her faith will continue to grow. Pray for Janet Riley. At this writing, she is considering being
baptized and we hope that by the time you read it, she will have been. Ask God to continue maturing her faith. Praise God with us for her life.

Our evening service, and the teen group which follows it, needs help. The attendance had been dropping and, even though it is stable now, we
have lost momentum. We need guidance in how best to recover those were comingand more, to gain new people who will come and hear gospel preached. The teen group will also need new adult leaders in a months, so please pray for that as well. We are thankful for the ones who the few who

do come in the evenings, and the teens whose faith is starting to grow.
Keep Bill Robinson in your prayers. The morale at his company is very low, due to many internal problems too numerous and complicated to detail. He is the only Christian there, which has become a twoedged thing: his standards are often at odds with company

policy, yet he does a lot of informal

counseling for

colleagues who feel the stress. Pray that the Lord will keep encouraging and using him in that dark situation, and that he will be able to "do all things through Him
who strengthens. . ." (Phil. 4:13).

Finally, please pray for us as we start preparing for

our return to the States next June. Several needs come

to mind: for a new minister to be quickly called to Platt Bridge, for our guidance into a new area of work, for the selling of our house, and for the new baby who is due in
March.

Thank you for sharing in our work, particularly in prayer.

the Lord for your partnership.

We praise
JIM

WEST BROMWICH REPORT

NEW FACES
We bring some new faces at our
Alison is a teenager (17) who has recently started college with
some of our teens. She has a

C .r|P
^ I'-'/vV

meetings for you to pray for.

^V'*i

Salvation Army background, but with

young people her age involved maintain her interest in the things of God. She has been regularly

^3r ' M

there she was struggling to

Jan and PGte Bowen

Bareth and David

coming along to our meetings the

past couple of months and was

expecting their first child around Christmas. They were J ^ \

part of a house group which has disbanded and now need

talking with one of our leaders recently about baptism. Danny and Jenny are a young Christian couple who are

to find a local church. I have known them for some time jPjwww^

and suggested that they consider and pray about joining with us. They have now been along four or five times to worship with us. Phyllis is the mother of Tony, one of our young men. She had attended a few times in the past, but had not been along for some time until quite recently. She is a widow and in many ways a lonely person. Pray that she will find friendship among the people of God and
with the Lord himself. FETE

^ptslle fr0ttt ^ttglanh

200 E. Jelterton.-Wesn>ngion. IL 6tST1
8o& S Sue Hartman
46 AshOourna Road

Wigston. Leletstar
La 1FS

Dick t

>Vonns Slil!

Janel Bainea 3 Edward St.

wesivitwSane)ia

Kirby-in'FurnBSS
Cumbiis LAIT

Hmekley, LE10 ODH

LEtO IRB

Curt i Linda NordMelm 13 St. Jamea Park

TurtCridge Weils
Kertl TNI 2L6

Dan a Amy Ymall

101 Reaaona Close
cnurch Hill Nonn

IS

GatI Sums S Riia Ida

Mission Services P O Bom 2427

!0 Cultvrdon Park Road

Tunbridga Wells
Kent TN4 gar

Knoj-tville TN 379oi

Re^ailch, Wort).
B98 9AF

AueaiCAN coRRespoNDEms. Mr. 1 Mrs. B. C. Noronialm

200 E. Jettarson

Washmglon, IL 61571
USA

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

REDDITCH REPORT

On the Horizon
Many of the readers of the Epistle
will realize that the church in Red-

^ d i t c h has faced some very difficult

QM&SSilliiiM

and consequentially we have as well. Added to the growing list of setbacks and times of discouragement is

fellowship,

-I i'.-

'wt^A
^

the hospital with a severe viral infection (of which one strain is

recently been in

extremely discouraged (and who

^
Amy and Dan Yarnell
Dan and David

we've had enough. I must confess that after the onslaaght of serious difficulties we've faced recently, the idea

has had some limited appeal! But all is not lost. We are attempting to see with the eyes of faith. By that I do not mean we are looking through rose-colored glasses. What I do mean is tiiat we are increasing our vision of God and what he is desiring to do
here.

Let me illustrate what 1 mean. One example is Tony. His wife Gill is currently in the hospital with a serious infection in her joints. Tony is a believer, but his wife is not. He at first feared cancer. We talked through the whole situation which eased his worries a bit, but he chose to look to the horizonto where God is at work in the unseen and as yet unexperienced
moments. And here he found God as his comfort.

Another example would be Dave, a young man who has had enough suffering for all of us. Most recently his infant son died and his wife left him teoporarily for another man. He was shattered. Yet he chose to look to the hori zonto the unknown plans of God for his life. We just celebrated the recom mitment marriage ceremony of he and his wife. They are now expecting another child. His suffering continues (he often has panic attacks and he has recently lost his job), but he is trying to live by faith in God alone. These are just two of many instances which I could share with you. They

inspire us in our work here even through the hard uphill climb of building for the Lord. Sometimes walking ty faith is like being led along a dark alley without aiy light to show the wayjust a hand to guide you. I like to think of faith and our work here as a small glimpse of sunlight on the horizon of the mountain, after climbing through the dark crevice of rocks. It's that ray of hopeGod on the horizonwhich causes us to press on. DAN

TUNBRIDGE WELLS REPORT

We May-HEDoesn't
my friendconfused and

age limit some),

told me that he

Curt Nordheilm

enjoying himself too much.

But

Gail Burns

couldn't give up his beliefs in Christ because he knows they are

all the
to tell There for him keep on own so GAIL

true. Interesting dilemma, isn't it? He knows all the arguments, right answers, all the reasonings, but . . . "I know there's nothing you can do or say, but I felt I needed someonea kind of confession, I suppose." And he was right! wasn't a thing I could say or do except let him know that I cared and would pray (whether he liked it or not) for the Holy Spirit to niggling him about his lifestyle. Christ doesn't give up his easily! P.S.

He left camp the following dayhe couldn't stay and play-act any

TIME FOR A CHANGE

Is it good to continue something for tradition's sake or because we've always done it? What do you do when you no longer have the resources to continue when these resources are personnel? Do you put people under strain of burnout for the sake of "But we have always done it this way"? Is it good for those you hope to influence with the love of Christ when the people trying to do the witnessing are irritable, short-tempered and unable to do an adequate job? My answer is, "NO!" For this reason we readapted our Vacation Bible School. We shifted from the usual classes and crafts to an all age teaching class by using plays (adults playing the roles of children asking questions). Those few adults could cope with all the children without needing to stretch them selves too thin. The children could see the adults acting as children and realize that they could ask questions without feeling the adults might think that children's problems are "childish". RITA

ptftle from Cnglant

... A report from ministries challenging a post-Christian nation with the claims of Christ.

VOL. 14

NO. 3

IXGBHBER 1986

Speaking Of Accents
Dear Rita and Gail:

We are looking forward to our visit with you next month! You asked what we'd like to see: well, London, of course! and Warwick Castle

near Coventry, Edinburg, Caemarfon Castle in Wales, Stonehenge, the

Brighton Pavillion and Hadrian's Wall . . . just to name a few. We looked on a map and think we could easily do them in the two weeks we'll be with you.

After our chuckling subsides, we have to sit down and write a quick letter
to remind our friends that travelling in Britain is somewhat different than in

the Statesas it was explained in an Epistle article several months ago. Going to Canterbury from Tunbrldge Wells may only be forty miles, but we allow two hours travelling time to get there. Just as there are barriers in travelling forty miles, there are various barriers which narrow movement and interaction in towns. People are raised in their own section of town sometimes no more than two miles square. Travelling outside of that is unusual. There are local shops (paper shop, post office, food store, etc.) to meet any need. It is almost an invisible will around each

Therefore, it is not unusual to note that sever^ different accents have deve

little section which is breeched only for a very definite and special reason.
loped within a town. In any town or cit:y in Britain, there are distinctive accents and they're linked to specific areas of that town or city. Professor

Henry Hlgglns, of Ity Fair Lady fame, had the right end of the stick when he said he could place a man by his accentalmost to the street!
Yes, there are barriers like we've mentioned above in the States to some

extent, but if it will help your understanding of how vast the differences are in compact Britain, take all the continental United States with all it's var ious cultural differences (Appalachian hillbilly, Pennsylvanian Amlsh, Kansas farmer, Callfomian Yuppie, etc.) and distill them into a landmass no larger

than Illinois and Indiana. Then add a couple of thousand years of history to it and you begin to see how vital it is to recognize and understand the impor tance of the invisible barriers which exist in every community in Britain. Church attendance is also dictated to by these barriers. People tend to go to the church nearest them (if they go at all, that is). However, if a commit ted church member moves to another section of town they usually remain loyal to the old church and will commute. But due to commuting difficulties on a Sunday, even the staunchest member will probably relent and go to the local
church if they don't have a car. RTCA TEE and fiATT. bDRNS
TO AIL OUR READERS: MAY WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WISH YOU A CHRISTFILLED CHRISTMAS AND A SPIRIT-IZD NEW YEAR.

WIGSTON REPORT

A Challenge
To Growth
One of the major challenges that any young congregations faces is the discovery and development of leadership. Fortunately, we instituted a few very capable leaders early in our history. But increasing age and death cut that number down over the years and left
us in need of leaders again. In 1983 we elected our first dlaconte,

Bob and Sue Hartman

Kari and Christopher

and that group has, by and large, functioned extremely well over the last three years. The group is

committed to the Lord, committed to each other and committed to the con

gregation. Our relationship is such that we not only "do business" to gether, we pray and deal with some very difficult pastoral matters. This has been a great help to me. To have a prayerful, mature, supportive
group to turn to for counsel has been a blessinga life-saver on count
less occasions.

But the congregation is growing. And as a result our leadership team needs to expand to cater for that growth and also for the growth we anticipate. Therefore, over the past few months, I have been conducting a leadership training group. The group Is composed of both men and women from a variety of backgrounds and ages. Most of these people have been
Christians for less than five years,
service in their time with us.

but all have

represent

shown a great deal of maturity and eagerness for

They

Specifically, we have been talking together about the principles of biblical leadership,

"new blood", if you like, and so often bring fresh Insights to our traditional structures and ways.

/y

we.

using a wide variety of sources for our Informatlon. We've dipped into both British (Michael Green's,

Freed to Serve;

Derek Copley's, Taking a Lead and David Watson's, I Believe in the Church) and American (Joe Ellls's, The Church on Purpose and LeRoy Lawson's, The
New Testament Church) books for application, keeping our eyes firmly fixed

on Scripture for guidance. Lately, we've been examining the principles behind small group leadership, because that forms such an important part of our church program. Ultimately, I cannot say in which specific capac ity these new leaders will serve. We're waiting on the Lord to show us that. What I can say is a word of thanks for this group of maturing, committed Christians. Pray for them, please, as they begin to serve where
God has called. BO

PLATT BRIDGE REPORT

The Seed Sprouts &

Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a seed which is planted and then grows without the sower know ing how. "All by itself the soil produces cornfirst the stalk, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear," he said. "As soon as the grain is ripe, he (the farmer) puts the sickle to it, because the Melissa and Jim Dahlman harvest has come" (Mk. 4.28). Sarah On Mother's Day, 1985, a young lady caiM to church because she was thinking about her late mother. Janet

i.i i

mums

Riley came to our church because it was the closest. At that time, she said she didn't feel the need to get too involved. But then, gradually, she began to come more often. She began to turn up at the home Bible
study groups and at special events. Over the months, we could see her faith growingand so could her

colleagues at the electricity board. It was exciting to hear her tell about how God seemed to be working in her life, in everything from changing her attitudes about some people at her office to helping her stop smoking to deepening her prayer life. Eventually, Janet decided that she needed to be baptizedand she was
on October 19th. The harvest had come.

Janet is in her thirties, and works in Bolton, about ten miles away. She went through a painful divorce several years ago, and now she shares her house with her younger brother, Andrew. Their family, though mostly inactive now, have religious roots: their _ father was a Sunday school teacher and even studied for

ly, and Janet invited all her surviving brothers and sisters to the baptism ceremony and, partly to her

Anglican ministry for a while.

It's a large fami-

surprise, most of them came, including one sister who

travelled 150 miles from Gloucester and had to convince

her skeptical husband to drive her. The best part of Janet's story is how she came to the Lord so obviously by his leading. We had never seen her before she walked in last year, and through the months we could see how he was teaching her far beyond what we could take credit for. Even when I went to ask about baptism, she was ready to ask me about it first. Like the farmer in Jesus' story, we're not sure how he's done it, but we praise God for doing a wonderful thing in Janet. Pray with us that he will keep on doing thatand that the seed of the word will spread to her family. JIM

Rejoice!
WEST fVCOl BROMWICH DnuiVliyivn REPORT nurUni
Back in September we rejoiced
especially for two reasons.
Sewell and their children

First,
from

we saw the return of Chris and Pat

America. They have now joined us in full-time ministry. It is a big

mC ^ IPP

V r'.'f

step for us a church because we are committed to helping towards their

^
^

exciting time planning and

preparing for the work God is
calling us to do. We had a busy day for the ^ ^ Sewell's first Sunday. Besides a

monthly Income.

It makes for an

Jan and Pete Bowen i-i xu _j .-I

Bareth and David

welcome them, we also had a

VF^/.
-a--

baptismour second special reason

for rejoicing.

Sheena, twenty-three, a mother of two, was baptized during

the Sunday evening service.

She came as a result of the

witness of her sister-in-law, Julie. We ask for your prayers for Sheena in her new life with Christ, that she might be <Qj

able to witness to her husband, Brian.

We also ask for your prayers for the church as we learn to

work with Chris and Pat.

Also, please pray that they find a

*
JAHET

house and get settled in quickly.

We thank God for all that is happening.

Epistle from 'nalmh

Jim S Mfllssa Daltlman 4 Buskin Cr9scenr

zoo E. Mtfttaon^asTimglon, IL 6157)

BoD i Sue Hanmen 46 Aslibourne Road

AOram. Wigan
Uncs. WN2 SPX
Dick i Yvonne Slill

Wigs(o/i. LeIcesUf
LE8 1FE
Janel Balnea

WestviowSandsi^e

3 Eawem Si.

Klrby^n-Fumess
CumOtis LA)7

Hinckley. LEIO ODH

Lew TAB

Cut S Linda Noramelm 13 St. James Park

Tunbriage Wella
Kent TM 2LG

Mi issi on Ser vi ces

P Bay. 2427

Dan i Amy Virnell

101 RMftons Close
CAureft Hill Nonh Reddilch, WofCS.
B9e 3AF

Gail Bams 6 Rita Ide 20 Culvefdon Park Road

Knoxville TN 37901

Tunbrtdge We/Is
KenI TN4 gar

AMERICAN CORRESPONDENTS:
Ur. S Ura. B. C Nwdbielm 200 E. Jenarm

nashlnglon. IL 6tS7l
USA

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

REDDITCH REPORT
-j.-.

SpUU^led WtUCSS
For
road.

sometime
Most of the

have

felt
live

families

fairly comfortable lives, are basically happy, and see no need for

T^PUm^

f iiv

^^8^ 1

become acquainted with some of them as neighbors and have found that
some of these do have a desire to

Vydfja
"

Dan and Amy Yarnell

Joshua and David

God has led me to share in Cathy's

life as an example of God's work

particularly individual families with which we are becoming acquainted. I wish to share with you how

seriously for those on our road and

through prayer. As a family, we met Cathy at a photography studio where She was quite interested in why we were living and working During the conversation we realized that she lived on our seemed interested in us visiting with her. For a period of

she worked. in England. street and five or six weeks I visited Cathy. She asked many questions about our "religion". She also attended one of our family services. Recently Cathy shared that she had been going through a nervous breakdown, which she had been too embarrassed to mention. Earlier she had shared that she does believe in God and has looked into may different religions. IXiring the traumatic time of her breakdown, Cathy stated that she prayed often to God and could not understand why God failed to answer. Her answer finallycame after our discussions and her visit to the family service. She realized that God had not abandoned her, but was desiring to meet her in the midst of her situation. It has been so exciting to see the change in her as well as to know how God has used us, our church newsletter, along with something Dan shared in his message at the family service. Cathy now sees Christianity as a personal relationship with Godnot just a religion. She also desires to share with many of her friends, neighbors and family what God has done in
her l i f e .

I share this with you firstly, so that you can rejoice with us in Cathy's victory and new relationship with God. Secondly, I am sharing this as a challenge for all of us to be open to the leading of the Spirit of God as we pray and witness. He has used my prayers to bring Cathy to himself, and he continues to lead me to pray for others. I feel honored and humbled to be part of his plan to bring those who are lost to himself.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS REPORT

ffiTo Baptism
"^o you have invitations for a baptism?", asked the woman. The shop assistant, Doris, a member of the church, responded, "Who is baptizing you?" "Elder Robinson" came the reply. Doris quickly made mention of
this to another member of the

t
j

church and within twenty-four hours

I was at Linda's door.
twelve

had

met

Linda about

months before

r>..^ Noraneilm Curt _ .. _

Burns

when her thirteen year old son i was killed while riding his bicycle. I

tried at that time to point her

led a good, moral life.

toward Jesus, but she felt that she was already a Christian because she No matter how hard I tried, she was not convinced

of the need for Jesus in her life.

Then during the summer, while I was in the US, the Mormons (Elder Robinson and his friend) arrived. They were able to convince her of the

need for baptismeven though it was for the wrong reasons and even though
it would be baptism into a false god. Linda had no idea that she was

getting involved in the Mormon church. The date for the baptism was set. And then I arrived. Since I had not seen her since my return, T asked
her how the summer was and she volunteered the Information about her

baptism. When I looked concerned she asked if she had made a mistake. We then sat down and over a period of a couple of days I told her why I thought the Mormons were mistaken and that the salvation they offered was a false hope. Linda wanted out. I invited the two missionaries over to my house to communicate this

wish of Linda's and to tell them why I thought they were mistaken. were polite and considerate, but unconvinced that they were wrong.
But, praise God,

They

the Mormons have left her alone and she is now

involved in a Bible study with me.

Would you pray for her.

Linda has

what I would call a magical view of baptism and is far from understanding that Christianity involves a personal relationship and commitment. But she is open and eagerly wants to learn. OOBT

After a year of prayer,

thinking and talking with close friends, Linda

I t was not an

and I have made the decision to return to the US in June.

easy decision for we genuinely love this country and her people. But we are convinced it is the right decision. I will go to Lincoln Christian College as, what might be called, Director of Christian Service. I look forward to that challenge even though I hurt over leaving England. CORT