Walsh News & Prayer Jan 2023

So what been going on?

Life & change

We have been back in the uk for almost a year , it has been good and challenging all at the same time. In so many ways it has been like starting again, finding a place to live, finding furniture, learning to live in a country that is very different from the one we knew when we left 25 years ago and doing it without our kids.

The one overriding lesson has been God’s abundant faithfulness, which has been expressed in so many ways , too numerous to count. It can be expressed in finding a house next door to my mum , to the fact that financially, we are still able to stay in the ministry. We are deeply grateful for all your prayer love and care , that has been expressed in so many ways.

As family we also mourned the passing of Uncle Cyril, who passed away peacefully earlier this year , I had the privilege of leading his memorial service .

Ministry

A great deal of our ministry is expressed through our service with Poimen.

Our focus in many ways is very narrow, seeking to encourage and support pastors, senior leaders and their wives , with a single aim to encourage and strengthen them and in so doing to strengthen the church . The focus is narrow but the need is literally overwhelming.

Hardly a day goes by without a request for help from somewhere in the Uk, Europe and the Pacific Rim. The need can look so different, everything from covering a Sunday in the pulpit to give someone a break , to working with their worship team, helping with a church transition, being a sounding board for difficult decisions, to speaking at a conference for the church. We have had the privilege of sharing and leading worship at Calvary Birmingham, teaching a Sunday at Calvary Chapel Oxford, G11 in Budapest , Calvary Spittal in Austria. I was recently privileged to teach the book of 2 Timothy to the men of Calvary Chapel Haarlemmermeer in The Netherlands at their weekend retreat and share with the church on the Sunday morning.

We have been blessed to help with a one year Spiritual leadership course, for the elders and leadership of Calvary Mansfield in the Uk. About every six week we travel down to Mansfield and spend a Sunday with the church and the leadership team sharing and working through a course we designed for them on Spiritual leadership.

The need for encouraging and mentoring leaders is ever present and during this season we are privileged to have the opportunity to encourage several young Pastors elders and missionaries through mentoring relationships , in the Usa, Canada, New Zealand, Fiji, Germany , The UK , Serbia, Scandinavia. These conversations are taking place every week or two weeks, please pray for God’s fruitfulness through this avenue of service.

Church

We have been so blessed to renew fellowship and serve with our home church , Church On Tha Way, Bradford. Gwyn serves with the Ladies studies on Tuesday morning and the Friday morning ladies studies as well as helping out out wherever she can. We both attend and serve at the Wednesday night study taught by Pastor Dave, I lead worship for the study and share the teaching with Pastor Dave, we are currently teaching a series on Faith, Hope and Love, which has been based around the text of Hebrews 11.

Immediately, prior to the Wednesday study, we have a “warm space”, this is time where anyone can come to the church and have a warm meal and place to stay for a few hours, in the dark, cold often lonely hours days of winter. It is wonderful, practical outreach into our community and as you can imagine it is very well attended .

Church transitions in New Zealand & Germany

I have had the privilege of coming along side the leadership and eldership team of Calvary Chapel Kaiserslautern, Germany as they seek a new pastor, with the returning of Pastor David Ball to the USA after more than 20 years of faithful and diligent service. I made several trips to Germany in November and December, helping to cover the pulpit and assist the pastoral search committee. Gwyn and I will be continuing to come along side the team and help where we can over the next few months.

Calvary Chapel Hawkes Bay in New Zealand is also in transition as we seek a new pastor to replace Pastor Eric as he transitions out of the ministry in June this year.

Praise For:

The fruitful time with leaders at the and elders at CC Kaiserslautern

I have been able to take two trips out CC Kaiserslautern over the last month or so to help out as part of their Pastoral search committee.

• It has been a fruitful time as we plan and pray over the Pastoral transition.
• On the last trip in early December Gwyn was able to join me and that was especially sweet as she was able to share in fellowship with ladies of CC Kaiserslautern.

The growth of the “Warm space” ministry at Church on The Way Bradford.

This is a time where anyone can come to the church for a warm place to stay and hot meal something that they may be struggling to provide for themselves at home in this dark and cold season, where the cost of living and especially heating costs are increasing exponentially.

This has been and continues to be a wonderful outreach with nearly 40 people attending on a weekly basis.

God’s continual provision and guidance for us as we adjust to living in the UK

It is a strange adjustment and often overwhelming.

Our health and that of Betty my mum, who is flourishing since our return.

Prayer For:

Upcoming events

Weekly mentoring appointments with pastors in Scandinavia, Serbia, the Uk and across continental Europe & Canada.

Church Ministry at Bradford

I will continue ro teach and lead worship for the Wednesday night study at our Home fellowship in the Uk , Church on the Way, supporting Pastor Dave Barlow.

• We begin a series of studies on Hope on Wednesday night.
• Immediately prior to the study we serve at teh Churches “Warm Space”.
• Gwyn continues to work with the ladies at their Tuesday and Friday studies.

On January 12th I will travel to Finland to serve with the Calvary Chapel Ministry in Turku & Helsinki.

• I will be sharing in the church in Turku and sharing at an evening to encourage the elders and leadership team, i will also be working with the worship leaders to encourage them in the worship ministry.
• Please pray for wisdom, anointing and safe travel.

The Ongoing Pastoral transition at CC Kaiserslautern in Germany,

• For the eldership team and Pastor David as they seek God’s direction and provision of the next pastor for the church.

Spiritual Leadership course

• We have started the spiritual leadership training with the leadership of Calvary Mansfield meeting every 4-6 weeks over the next year .
• Our next meeting is January 8th with a follow up teaching session on the 29th January, please pray for the growth of teh group , and theor willingness and ability to help speak in to each others lives.
• That God would sift out hearts.

Calvary Chapel New Zealand National Conferences

• In February and March, Gwyn and I will travel to New Zealand to participate in the national men’s and ladies conference.
  • Please pray for us as we seek to prepare for the various speaking engagements and ministry opportunities during the trip.Both Gwyn and I will be speaking at the two separate events and will be taking the opportunity to renew fellowship with the brother and sisters in the southern hemisphere.
    • The men’s conference theme is Depending upon God, please pray for myself and Pastor Ken Dinnen as we teach the 6 sessions of the conference.

Please pray for wisdom and opportunity to visit the church in Fiji and we need to progress the church registration.

On-going wisdom for the Ccbi in New Zealand as we continue to facilitate the planting of CC Hawkes Bay, NZ and CC Nasinu, Fiji as well as the cultivate youth discipleship ministry.

Pastor Eric in the Hawkes Bay

Eric will be transitioning out of the role of Pastor in June 2023, so prayers for wisdom as we seek to find the Lord’s replacement for him.

Pastor Charles & Tina, Luisi and Akuila at CC Nasinu in Fiji.

Please pray for wisdom and opportunity to visit the church in Fiji and we need to progress the church registration.

Personally for

Personally for

• On-going adjustments having not lived in England for 25 years.
  • Practicalities of tax, support, and reintegration practically into society here.
• Wisdom on how and where to serve, God given opportunities for ministry and significant ministry relationships.
• For our kids who are serving the Lord in New Zealand.

Thank you so much for all your love care and prayers, without which we wouldn’t have this great privilege to serve in the ways that we do.

God bless, Mark & Gwyn