Hebrews 11 says under the heading “Faith in Action”: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” KingsGate started a new congregation in Ham 12 months ago. After the Holy Spirit’s leading and a number of prophetic words, the opportunity arose and we took our first step of faith.
When we launched on the 8th of September it was a very joyous celebration and we felt all of heaven behind us. As a church we had never been this way before and so we fumbled our way forward encountering resistance most of the way. Again another step of faith.
One of the weapons of warfare we have been given is ‘thankfulness.’ So we would like to list some of the blessings we are thankful for so far. The financial and administrative backing, the support of the musicians who have come through each week to lay a platform of worship, the strong Children’s ministry team, the calibre and pool of preachers, the small team of servants who serve us in the kitchen each week for our meal together, the friends who pop in to encourage us. The inspiring sacrifice, service, support and diligence that our small core team have shown. The friendships we are seeing being forged. 4 people’s lives impacted by the Alpha course, the caring community that is forming in our toddler group, and finally the small army of prayer warriors who gather each week to pray and fight for justice in the area of Human Trafficking. Wow for a church community that is only 8 months old there is so much life and so much to give thanks for!
There are 3 stories which stand out for us so far, they encourage us to keep going and to stay the course as Jesus can touch a life at any moment.
The first story took place at our Toddler group. One of our regulars is a Russian speaking grandmother who faithfully comes with her little granddaughter each week. She speaks no English and my Russian is non existent. However we have worked out a way to greet each other warmly. The other week she burst into a torrent of Russian and began to cry and embrace me. An interpreter explained that she had to return to Russia and wasn’t certain of her return back to England. She was just so thankful for the love, kindness and warmth she has received here. She was really going to miss us and prayed that God would bless us. What was such small acts of kindness for us was incredibly meaningful to a precious little old lady far from home.
The second was a young girl who was having trouble with terrible nightmares and other fears. She has found church so helpful and loves coming. She feels safe and plays beautifully and engages with other children very naturally and happily. This has been a real encouragement to her grandmother and family.
The third is a man who has been coming for a few months. He has a troubled past and has some struggles with life. It has been encouraging to see the bits of progress he is making. When we had our 12 hour prayer slot, he came to join us in a small group and prayed out loud which was a big step. He was able to encourage us that this new found family of faith has really helped him in his walk with the Lord.
So there you have it. Let’s keep celebrating the small victories as we walk this road of faith!
