This letter brings news of some change! Over the last few months I have been seeking the Lord over my future, having felt for a while that He was leading me into a transition in ministry. For many years I have had a heart to support young people in some way, particularly those from more difficult backgrounds, but I have wondered what specific approach to take.
Exploring options and pushing doors has been a long process - with lots of waiting and uncertainty, it hasn’t been easy! God’s timing is just right though, and I think He needed to do a lot of work in my heart in preparation for change. Recently things suddenly accelerated after I came across an organisation called The Lighthouse Group (TLG). It is a Christian charity that works in partnership with local churches throughout the UK, to support teenagers who are at a crisis point in their education. It runs educational programmes, alongside focusing on personal growth and development to try to address some of the underlying issues that the young people struggle with. Their website is: www.tlg.org.uk
TLG run an 11-month internship and last week I had an interview for a placement in Reading. The exciting news is that I have been accepted onto the programme! This means I will be starting on Tuesday 30th August with a training week up at TLG headquarters in Bradford, followed by their staff conference, preparation with the team in Reading and then term begins on the 12th September.
Involvement with TLG and Reading Community Church will be an opportunity to invest into the lives of young people, to encourage, bless and support them; giving them a better chance in life and helping them to grow into the people God has created them to be. It is a chance to see teenagers experience transformation out of difficulty and discover some hope for the future.
I know it will also be hugely challenging for me and I will need to learn how to balance love with boundaries in the face of tough behaviour! My official title as an intern will be ‘Learning Mentor.’ The position is not salaried, but I will be partly financed by a weekly bursary. I don't know yet the costs of living in Reading, but anticipate needing to keep raising at least some funds in order to finance myself through the year. At the end of the 11-months, I have no idea what God has in store, but I am trusting Him for good plans!
Obviously, although I am very excited about this opportunity, it means that I am leaving YWAM and the ECCP which is very sad for me. My time here has been an incredible training ground, and the core values behind what we do are ones that I hope to take with me into each ministry setting I am involved with in the future. I have been part of an amazing team of people and have valued their love, care and friendship over the years we have been working together. Saying so many goodbyes will be very hard – to YWAM, those we have supported at the ECCP, my team, friends and church here in London.
Please pray for me in the coming weeks as I lay down all these areas of my life and pick up the new things God has for me. On a practical level, there are still several details that need to come into place, including accommodation - I may be able to rent a room with people or a family from the church, but this still needs organising! I might also need a car, so that is another area of provision I am asking the Lord about.
A major part of my 10 years in missions with YWAM has been YOU! The support received by each one of you in different ways has been incredible - thank-you! Your care and interest, encouragement, prayer backing, and financial giving have been part of God’s provision and have kept me going through joyful times and those times where it has been much more testing. I know that the men and women whose lives have been impacted through the ECCP would want me to say thank-you too.
So I would love to hear from you, will be writing again with news from Reading, and hope that some of you will stay journeying with me into what is ahead.
Lots of love
Rebecca
Prayer Items
- Thanks for everything God has done in me through my time with YWAM these last 10 years.
- Thanks for clear direction from God for the next steps and that He is with me through the changes!
- Thanks for the chance to have a holiday from the 15th – 24th August, and pray for it to be a time of proper rest.
- For my health – I am having some problems with my skin that the doctor has not been able to diagnose or treat yet.
- For the process of leaving, with the emotional and practical things that must be worked through.
- For my beginnings with TLG – that I would quickly settle into the new role, home and relationships in Reading
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