June was a busy month for me: helping organise the Salford Week of Prayer, attending my final Ministers in Training Conference at Elim’s Bible College in Malvern, and enjoying the church day away at the Barnstondale Centre on the Wirral. As busy as it was, I felt incredibly blessed to have multiple opportunities to meet with fellow Christians for worship, prayer, teaching and fun. Life is always better in community – we were never meant to do it alone.
One of the things we started to explore at the day away was the fact that God has gifted each one of us with particular gifts to be used in his service, for the benefit of others. This was also the main theme of Elim’s National Summit in Harrogate in May.
The central scriptural passage is from Ephesians, chapter 4:
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it…11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
We took a survey prior to the day and had some interesting discussions in groups which were determined by our primary gifting. We recognise the limitations of a survey but can also see the value of knowing how God has gifted us, how he has gifted others, and how we can compliment one another for the sake of the kingdom.
In Autumn, we will unpack this further and it would be helpful if you haven’t already taken the survey, to do it over the summer (find it here).
New Appointment – Next Generation Pastor: Susie Burgess
As you will already be aware, Morag, Andrew and Alex are all stepping down from their paid employment at church at the end of August this year. They have done so much to help develop and nurture our children and young people and we are very grateful to them and to God for all he has done through them.
When we arrived at Salford Elim in April 2011, the church had only one or two families and only one teenager. Now, we have over 40 children (several of whom are teens) and over 20 young adults, most of whom have come through from the youth ministry! It’s a real testament to the hard work and the commitment, not only of the staff, but also their volunteer teams who offer up their time and gifts to serve each week.
We value this area of ministry so highly and decided to invest more hours into it, advertising for someone who might be able to work full time, taking responsibility for pastoring the under 25’s.
The leadership interviewed Susie in June and unanimously agreed to offer her the role. We were impressed by her humility, honesty and passion for children and young people, but also her teachability.
This will be the first role Susie has had in leading church teams, but she comes to us with lots of experience of working with children and young people.
She begins the role in Mid-July and there will be around 6 weeks of overlap with the current members of staff to ensure a smooth transition. Morag will mentor her for the first months so that she is able to grow in confidence working with our children and young people in our church. And we assured Susie of the support you will give her. Thanks for praying. Keep on doing so – for Susie that she will find her feet and her ‘place’ with us quickly.
Here’s a short interview with Susie to give you a little insight into who she is.
Why did you apply for the role?
“Visiting friends and attending Salford Elim began a sense of calling within me. Not only was I experiencing a spiritual feeding that my circumstances at home weren’t fulfilling, but I was also able to observe the strong fellowship blossoming in Salford Elim’s youth and young adults. I’d planned to move to Salford in the coming years, though after some very clear signals from God, I surrendered my plans to Him fully, moving out of my rental house and taking the leap to relocate sooner than initially planned. Trusting his guidance, I applied for the position of Next Generation Pastor, and have felt nothing but excitement, anticipation, and joy through the discernment process. I can’t wait to get started!
What have you been doing up to now?
“Born and raised in the outskirts of Middlesbrough, I grew up in a small village in North Yorkshire called Great Ayton. I left Great Ayton to attend Keele University for English Literature and Creative Writing, then went on to complete my Masters in Creative Writing at Newcastle University. I’m also a tent leader at Criccieth Pathfinder Camp, which is where I met many of Elim’s amazing youth and young adults, some of my closest friends are from my own years as a camper. I love being around my friends, going to gigs and shows, or being huddled up in a blanket with a good book. My free time is spent writing, playing guitar, baking, or at a family game night.
What are your big hopes about being in the church?
“I hope to continue the growth and development of the relationships I see in your youth and young people. I’d love to assist in continuing these strong bonds of fellowship in the upcoming generations, helping establish children and young people with solid foundations to prepare them for whatever adulthood has in store.
Favourite way to spend a free day?
“A good free day for me normally starts with a lie in. I love curling up with a good book or being tucked away writing. I’d have friends over to cook dinner together then finishing the night with popcorn and a good romcom.
Do you support a football team?
“I do… In a bid to bond with my cousin, who is 13 and surrounded by three sisters, I decided I’d support the same football team as him. I didn’t realise at the time it’d lead to me supporting Liverpool, but here we are. I know, I know… If it helps, I don’t actually watch football.
Do you have a superpower or a very particular talent?
“I am a fount of random references that most people don’t understand but bring me great joy to sprinkle into conversation.
If you could take one record to a desert island, what would it be?
“Help! by The Beatles, or (as it includes 31 songs covering a variety of topics and tones) The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology by Taylor Swift.
Last book you enjoyed reading?
“Anything Sarah J Maas. I love her books, especially Throne of Glass!
Favourite TV programme?
“Gilmore Girls – for anyone wondering, I’m Team Jess, although Logan is okay… as long as it isn’t Dean!“
Coming Up In July
Developing friendhsip and community. Meet at 1pm for a walk and/or 3pm for afternoon tea. There will be a testimony shared by Maggie Hudson, and all women are very welcome!
A fun-filled 30 minutes aimed at families with preschool children and babies. We’re looking to build and invest in our community through this fun introduction to the Christian faith.
We will be having an all-age church service at our usual time of 11.30am. The service won’t be streamed to allow contributions from the children.
We will be formally thanking Morag, Andrew and Alex as part of this service, for all their hard work serving our children, youth and young adults over many years.
Please do join us to thank them and celebrate all God has done in the lives of our children and young people.
After the service, we will meet at Buille Hill Park for a picnic and games. It will be a great opportunity to enjoy one another’s company and have some fun. Please bring your own packed lunch and meet on the grass opposite the Buille Hill Mansion at 1.30pm.
Join us for our bi-monthly open mic night where we host multiple musical acts and enjoy spending time together. It’s an easy evening to invite non-church family and friends to, and you are welcome to bring your food and drinks. If you, or anyone you know, would like to perform, do let Ian know.
The break in our usual rhythm in August gives us the opportunity to do something a bit different. Come and have a deep-dive into the book of Jude with Charlie, poking about in a corner of the New Testament we don’t explore very often. Over four weeks we’ll learn about keeping ourselves and each other in God’s love, and how to handle imposters in the church well. And yes, we’ll discuss the fallen angels, Nephilim, desposyni, and Enoch as we go. Oh, and there’ll be some Jewish hermeneutics and bits of Greek in there too.
Yours in Christ,
Ian
