So Everything is changing!!!

Gwyn and I wanted to take some time to update you on some important ministry, family news and prayer requests.

I am sure that everyone has found the last year challenging in so many different and far-reaching ways. Change has become the often-unwelcome guest at every table, some changes we like, yet many we do not readily embrace. Constant change has brought with it a real recognition of seasons of life and their value, and with a sense that God works in and through different seasons, and God is the ultimate Sovereign Master of the seasons of life.

March 2022 will mark 2 years without students here at CCBI because of the covid closed borders of New Zealand. In all likelihood, the border will begin to ease for international travellers to visit here, tentatively from April May 2022, but still restricted through the majority of 2022.

A great deal has happened in the last 2 years of ministry.

CCBI has adjusted, strengthened, and focussed in on Church planting, Missions support and Pastoral administrative support. We have actively been involved in the facilitation of Calvary Nasinu, Fiji, with Pastor Charles and the planting of Calvary Hawkes Bay with Pastor Eric. We now actively support administratively & financially 8 missionaries, serving as their Missions support organisation within the South Pacific Rim. Much of this ministry has been carried out remotely because of the restrictions on gathering and travel. The residential bible school portion the ministry has been in hibernation and will continue to do so during 2022.

A great deal has changed for us personally in this season, Jordan has moved to Auckland to take on the role of Lead Pastor of Calvary Auckland, Becki and Joe have married and serve with Shoreline Calvary in Mt, Maunganui. The majority of the Ccbi staff have moved on out of necessity and following the Lord’s calling. The landscape has changed significantly for us, combine this with Marks mum’s recent hospitalisation in the UK, together with the sense of the slowing and drying up of ministry opportunity here in New Zealand. We firmly believe the Lord is stirring us up to embrace the next season in faith.

In light of all these different factors, we have made an intentional decsion to leave our beloved New Zealand for a season and return to the Uk. 

Practically we will be basing ourselves in the Uk for the next two years, effectively hoping to be back in the Uk from February – March 2022. This will allow us to strengthen the extensive network of ministry relationships we have in Europe whilst allowing us to be close to family and relatives, especially Mark’s mum, relationships that we have not been able to invest in directly for almost 25 years.

What happens with CCBI?

The mission continues… the changes we have put in place over the past 2 year will enable us to continue remotely supporting administratively and pastorally the church planting works in Hawkes Bay and Fiji along with the Cultivate national youth discipleship program. We will continue to serve as a mission support organisation for 8 missionaries here in this region and be available pastoral support to the network of Calvary Chapels in this region. The structure and organisation of CCBI will allows us to continue to support on-going ministry in the region even though we ourselves, for a season will be based in the Uk.

What will we do? 

The mission continues, to make disciples, strengthen and encourage churches and especially pastors, leaders, and their wives. 

Practically, a portion of each day will continue to be given over to administration and finances of the churches we support, along with the missionaries we serve. 

We have been in discussion with Poimen ministries, whose heart is to “strengthen pastors to strengthen churches” with a view to joining their team, working alongside them in the Uk and Europe. You can find out more about Poimen Ministries here.

We are open to serving and helping in any way we can as opportunities unfold and come our way. We have a sense of the Lord going before us and that this is His timing and His new season.

Our heart is to further strengthen our work with Scandinavian churches & Hungarian churches, who are so very close to our heart along with investing where we can into the relationships, we have in Uk and across Europe.

We will continue to raise support to help with our needs so that we might continue fulltime serving with CCBI & Poimen and the ministry here as well as in the Uk and Europe.

Prayer requests: you can imagine there are a few !

We will be heading back to the uk after nearly 25 years with 2 or three suitcases each, so there are few decisions to be made. Your all pretty wise people so you can imagine all the different area that need prayer !!!!

• Grace and wisdom as we store various items for the ministry and for us personally and the be good stewards of what we have.
• Finishing well here in New Zealand with our church ministry and
• Upon arrival in the Uk , practically for three things:
  • A place to live
  • A car
  • Ministry opportunities to continue to open up
• Continued mission support as we enter a new phase of same CCBI & 2 timothy 2:2 ministry, for a season in Europe.
• Grace compassion and mercy as we once again leave family friends and a host of very special people and places.
• Grace and provision to adjust quickly to what will be for us a very different and somewhat foreign environment.
• Above all please just pray the Lord will lead you in what is necessary and needed.

We wanted to express our sincere thanks and appreciate for all the prayer, love , kindness and care you have for us and the Walsh family, we truly couldn’t do these crazy things with out you all, so thank you once again .

M & G