When gospel fruit seems bigger than the wheelbarrow.

Luke 5:5-7

“Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”  And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.  They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. "

Friends, 

We've been truly humbled by your prayer support over recent weeks. On return from travelling we expected the dust to settle (or to mix metaphors)... a period of stock taking, as we tried to comprehend all that God is doing before us and so graciously including us in. In reality, the more we reflect... and consider the worldwide work of ACTION, the more we see God at work. The process of assimilation is bigger than us, but within his orchestrated plans. We feel so privileged to be part of his global purposes, and yet so challenged that in many ways this is just the overture, the calm before the missional advance orchestra really kicks off !

We want to include you as best as we can on this (complex) process...because we know you will be encouraged if only you see a glimpse of what we are seeing.I hope through the details as they emerge that you too will see and hear the beauty and harmony of God Gloriously at work. 

On one level things are gloriously simple ,,, we have so much to praise GOD for. When all said and done, ministry and mission is only ever about people. As we continue to shuffle and file the myriads of photos and videos taken on travel, I want to share here just a few symbolic photos of the very best of people with you. I thank God for bringing each of you into our lives, love you deeply and I am praying for you as you live for him, and we continue to serve and enjoy him together in his global family. 

On another level... Things are gloriously complex: Many doors are opening and mission frontiers are moving  (historically and unprecedentedly) on several fronts simultaneously. Things which my father's generation prayed for 40 years over, (worked hard with a passion for, dreamed dreams about) are starting to happen and it is on our watch.  We praise God for the prayer warriors and faithful frontier workers whose shoulders we climb on. We are playing "catch up" with God's plans, and need to step it up on many levels to make the most of every opportunity for the gospel in our generation. This makes communication (on a blog) increasingly more sensitive and complex, and so there will be aspects of our ministry that you will never see published here. 

The way forward for communication:

Detailed, targeted prayer pointers for each week will soon resume privately from this Sunday, and please get in touch to connect and add your prayer support. It is so valuable, so strategic and the reason we are in such an exciting place for humble and confident advance in his power, provision and protection. We are entering a very strategic season of foundation setting which we pray will set the course of gospel bricklaying for years to come.

 Our ethos remains simple... to prioritise what Christ prioritises, to reach the unreached, share eternal treasure with the poor and marginalised (including the next generation), and support those who do the above. Returning to the UK has highlighted what resources and helping hands we have to support the arms of those seeing such gospel fruitfulness across the world, and at the same time it has illuminated afresh the desperate need and spiritual condition of our own nation. 

The UK remains one of our most challenging mission fields, and to this end several significant meetings and developing task groups are ongoing as we seek to help the reaching of the unreached and marginalised (UK very much included). We see God's hand in this so clearly, we know acutely that it is where he is also pointing us for future graft. So please pray that our small efforts to encourage church planters, gospel workers, pioneer pastors and initiative takers in the UK will have a multiplied reach and effect on our nation. I am so grateful to the highest calibre of guys for whom this is also a life prayer and priority. Thank you brothers for being such an encouragement (especially in the last 48 hours), and  your ongoing vital encouragement of individuals up and down the land/ around the world, whilst being good models of frontier ministry on your own turf. 

When we truly consider the plans and power of God, the global village is well within his grip of grace.  Whilst it seems too big for us, we live in an age which makes global communication, virtual partnerships and active participation in joint ventures a simple issue of pressing a button. The issues missional churches face in the UK are actually identical to those in other parts of the world. 

In all of this there is great synergy. 

The new community of Christ is ...

1) Relational: We will continue to prioritise close relationship building for long term fruitfulness and generational gospel impact as we share life on life in Christ. We continue to invest our lives into people not projects. 

2) Cross Cultural not monocultural: We are a gloriously diverse bunch. The grace of God is multicoloured and manifold, covering the earth. There are no dress codes here. If you breathe and want to serve Christ ... we praise God for you and would love to pray for you and help/ partner in whatever small way we can. If you want to engage with the culture on your doorstep... whether; Central or South Asia, Doncaster, or Dhaka, 1040 window or a small village in Wales (not even us Welshies pronounce properly), a rural village in the Balkans (heavily populated by goats) or inner-city UK (heavily populated by bad football teams), we are with you as you seek to share the love and truth of Christ.

3) To live out the word of God and the character of Christ: There is such an obvious difference between (repulsive) dead theology which sees many churches die in a generation, and the vital (stunningly beautiful) applied work of God as we humbly submit to him and ask him to use us for his kingdom and not our own. Our God is not seeking a veneer replica of those who followed him in the past or for us to rebuild a museum or memorial to those who did well in the context of a previous generation. He is not interested in building a tribe united around a human culture, leader or group around a micro commonality, but a people of all tribes tongues and nations which displays the unity and diversity of the Sovereign Creator and only redeemer. Head understanding, cultural control and theological OCD will not be enough to turn our nation. OUR SAVIOUR IS ALIVE, and with his total victory in resurrection comes life to the full, global cosmic redemption and his omnipresent imminent help by the gift of His Spirit.  Our confidence and provision is in him to go into the future, into his purposes with his fresh daily provision. 

Wherever we live on the planet we need the new community of Christ to shine brightly on the hill, so we commit ourselves afresh to invest our lives in line with his purposes and his all giving love to his bride. 

MATTHEW 5:14 

“You are the light of the world. 

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." 

Please pray for help as we process this, and for 4 specific requests:

a) For meetings which continue over the next few days, culminating in the ACTION UK team gathering next week, that we will know God's mind and heart on these things and the way forwards.

b) For the Team of 15 folks who were not so long ago encouraging gospel advance whilst in Ukraine. Pray that God will continue to have his hand upon their lives, and bless their walk with Christ and work for Christ both in the UK and future days. Plans continue for their desired return to Ukraine, as part of several short term opportunities for 2022. 

c) For the special CHRISTMAS EVANGELISM PROJECT which will support those doing amazing things in the Donbass region.  

Many of you will have noticed the news, which increases the strategic nature of what many of our friends are doing as they share food, Christ and eternal treasure in him. We will give more details on this wonderful project (which has lead to a fresh church planting network) over the next few days. If you would like to help - please consider pointing people  to consider this as part of any Christmas gift offering (Church Carol Service, coffee morning, home group gift). We can send you a presentation and details to help communication. Any monies given via the ACTION office will also be eligible for gift aid, so please do help as you can at this pivotal moment.

The video illustrates the global reach of last year's project and the opportunities before us.

d) Please continue to pray for the ACTION (UK) PLD (Pastoral Leadership Development) TEAM  This is a group of UK pastors, church planters, and evangelists who pastor and encourage pastors and gospel workers, impacting the new community of Christ around the world. I thank God for each of them, they are blessing the world each day with encouragement, teaching resources and pastoral encouragement Currently a new season is starting, a season of growth. The reach of this work is increasing as it teaches and trains, writes and informs all with a  goal of fuelling frontier mission. So we are looking to God as we refine resources for this  next stage of growth in our growing networks and across the world. Do please pray for their strength, wisdom and continued love / unity in the task ahead. We would love what we are developing  to be highly useful and fruitful in any culture and context. 

Thanks for staying with us when such a lot is happening. Praise God for fruitful days and the promise of more to come. 

Luke 5:10

Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.