Partnership report

According to the Greek Philosopher Heraclitus, ‘No man ever steps into the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man’. Change is inevitable, even when we travel full circle.  Abram returned to Bethel humbled, and hopefully a little wiser (Genesis 12&13); Moses returned to Egypt transformed and empowered (Exodus 2&3); David returned to Israel stronger in faith and better able to lead (1 Sam 19 – 2 Sam 2); Paul returned to Antioch rejoicing, enthused and envisioned (Acts 13&14). 

In May, I will return to Batley ‘fulltime’.  I’m certainly not the same Andrew Wood that ‘left’ Batley in 2008.  Any changes for the better – and by that I mean, changes that have made me think and behave more like the Lord Jesus – are entirely God’s doing.  Changes for the worse, and I say this to my shame, are entirely down to me.  I hope to return humbled, a little wiser, transformed, empowered, stronger in faith, better able to lead, rejoicing, enthused and envisioned.  Please pray with me.

Praise God that I’m not returning alone.  Sun, Naomi and Joshua are now very much a part of Batley life.  Stuart, Paula, Lois and Benjamin are fully committed to strengthening God’s work in the town and surrounding area.

These people are the ‘first-fruits’ of the partnership.  These people, through their venture of faith, are the ‘partnership fruit’ that will last, the ‘partnership fruit’ WE (and when I say ‘WE’ I mean the two Churches together!) hoped for. WE trust that God will prompt others to be equally self-denying, Gospel-hearted and mission oriented.

On May 16th both Churches will gather together at City to praise God for all that has been happening over the past few years and to commit Batley Evangelical Church – old faces and new – to God’s grace for the work that lies ahead of them in the future.