One Year!

It feels a bit hard to believe, but it's already been a year since Aleah and I left the States. It feels as though yesterday we were living in Wisconsin. But at the same time, we find ourselves asking, "How has it only been a year? So much has happened!" And really, so much has— this year was not only marked with a big move across the world, but also with the birth of our second son, and our integration into our church life and ministry happened far faster and greater than we could have expected. Recently, we've been looking at photos from the past year of our family and children, and it's only served to confirm that so much has grown and changed. Last year at this time, Josiah was still tripping over his feet and was only just beginning to associate animal sounds with pictures he saw. Presently, he pushes his scooter down the hall saying 'fast as you can!!’ and is eager to read all kinds of books and stories. My hope with this blog post is to show something similar: how have we grown and changed in the past year, ministry-wise? What have we been a part of that we only now feel a sense of awe at what the Lord was doing? In what ways are we astonished at how far the Lord has brought us?

Tyler's Reflection

To start, our involvement in the church's ministries has joyfully filled our lives. Perhaps most prominently for me has been the opportunities I've been given to preach, teach, and be up-front in church services. The pastors and elders have graciously either let me preach occasionally on Sunday mornings or lent me to other churches to preach. The best way to learn how to preach is to do it, and I've been learning so much. My pastors have provided feedback, and each time I start a new sermon I can measurably see my preaching grow a little more. But our involvement in church ministries is more than Sunday gatherings: I also help lead the youth group, which has been really good to be a part of this past year. I've done more with the youth than I initially anticipated, but I'm glad for it. I've really had to hone what it is to teach a lesson that communicates the truth but is understandable and applicable for teenagers. Teaching at our youth group is more challenging than what I've done in ministries like CEF; my focus is not only to tell a Bible story and show Christ and the gospel in it, but rather my focus is broader: to teach the truths of Scripture, beyond just the narratives, in ways that the youth understand and comprehend.

In this past year, these two ministries are what I have landed on in spending most of my preparation and study time. Along with these, though, Aleah and I both help with the toddler group, we host a small group, occasionally host a Hope Explored study (a study aimed at sharing the hope of Jesus to non-believers), and Aleah hosts the Ladies Connect group. I also have had the blessing and privilege to meet with several young men in the past year to talk with them about Christ and engage with them apologetically. These meetings are where many of my evangelistic conversations have taken place, and I can say without doubt that I've had more gospel conversations with non-believers this past year than I have before.

In addition to this, I have been studying at Union School of Theology since March. I've taken three courses, and I'm about to take my fourth. I'll have one more in March before the summer, then one more in autumn before I begin a dissertation. These courses have been very challenging for me—I've learned since starting that most students taking the MTh at Union have already completed some type of graduate-level work. Despite this, I have been learning a phenomenal amount and have been stretched in my faith and understanding in ways I could only dream of. I've been humbled since starting the coursework to keep my aim at truly learning new things that affect my life and ministry, not to achieve the best grade. And to that end, I have been grateful to the Lord for teaching me so much.

In many ways, my areas of involvement in the church and ministry have been what you might expect of a young man going into vocational ministry. I have been prone to the trap of thinking, 'but shouldn't it look so much different, especially since I'm in another country?' But just because I'm in a different country does not mean the needs of the Church must be different. There is a great need for preachers and teachers here. There is a great need for leadership that seeks to grow the body of Christ in grace and truth and to foster Christ-centredness in all aspects of life.

The mission and vision that we set out for upon departure was to strengthen and grow the church we would come to be a part of. We have learned and grown so much since first joining Cornerstone Church, but likewise, I am confident to say that we have been a big help to the life and ministry of Cornerstone and will continue to be over the next year. I fully anticipate another year of just the same: helping in whatever ways we can to grow this gathered body in grace and knowledge, being available to meet with people who want to know more about Christ, and sharing God's Word with the church and community.

Aleah's Reflection

As I look back over this year, I am equally amazed at how much the Lord taught us and the growth we have seen in the church and in us this past year. Of course, my ministry in this country looks a bit different than Tyler's, but I still feel like I am exactly where the Lord wants me, doing what He has called me to and loving it. One of my greatest joys is being Tyler's wife and supporter, and walking alongside him in this season. I love seeing his growing confidence in the things the Lord has called him to do. I also love being a mother to Josiah and Silas. I believe that raising my children to know and love the Lord is one of the biggest ministry opportunities of my life. I pray that as I go through the daily tasks of being their mother, I would demonstrate to them Christ's love, and that one day they would know, love, and follow their Saviour who created them.

Though the boys keep me busy, I feel that I have been able to integrate certain ministry opportunities into my life as a wife and mother. One of these ministries is our church's toddler group. This group reaches a good number of parents in our community who don't know Christ but live a very similar life to me otherwise. I have been able to create friendships as we relate over kids’ tantrums, sleepless nights, and messy houses. And many times these conversations lead to deeper ones about teaching morals, disciplining well, and raising our children to believe in something. I have been able to have gospel-centred conversations and continue to invite my friends to ask questions, learn more, and possibly come to church. Through these encounters, I have also become more confident in sharing what I believe and a little less worried about what others think of me when I do share. I am excited to see what God has in store for this next year of toddler group and the role I get to play in it.

The other opportunity I have is the ministry of hospitality and being able to use our home and family to welcome people. I think it is an amazing gift from the Lord that I get to do things that I love— baking, cooking, and hosting— and use them as a way to share Christ's love. Our home has become a gathering place for many different groups, as Tyler stated earlier, and this allows me to test my baking skills again and again. We also frequently have people over for dinner and still give cookies to our trashmen every week. All of these things fill my cup, but they are also great opportunities to be a part of strengthening the body of Christ as well as build deeper connections with unbelievers. My hope is to continue to minister through hospitality in the coming year and always be ready to welcome people in.

This year in the UK, partnering with Cornerstone has been a blessing in so many ways but challenging as well. We have felt failure, frustration, and defeat; but also joy, connection, and confirmation that we are right where the Lord wants us to be. We are excited for this year because we get to continue doing the work of the Lord in a place we call home with people we have come to love. Whatever happens in this second half of our time here, we know that the Lord is faithful and he has a purpose and plan for us in Portsmouth, UK. We thank you all for loving care, prayer, and support through our first year of being here.

What's next?

Reflecting on the Lord's faithfulness in this past year encourages us as we also look forward. Having just studied 1 Samuel on Sunday mornings these past few months, I'm reminded of 1 Samuel 7:12: "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us.” Samuel's monument was to remind the people of what the Lord had done, so that in the future, there would be a visible reminder of how he had helped them before.

The Lord has brought us far from a year ago, and has helped us in every step of the way. This January isn't focused on moving and settling in, like it was last year; we are moved in and settled in. So what are we looking forward to and planning on in the months to come? Already I (Tyler) have two Sundays I'm scheduled to preach. I've also been working on organising teaching for the youth and helping run the youth group smoothly, and I expect to be working with them all year. There's at least one young man that I will keep meeting regularly to talk about Christ with. We'll keep hosting different groups in our home; we'll keep seeking to make connections with people everywhere we go in the hope of winning some to Christ.

It is our hope and prayer that in this next year, the Lord would use us to grow His kingdom and strengthen the body. Along with that, we trust that by His grace, we will "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

In Christ,

The Manns