The time since I moved to Perth in May of 2022 has been what seems to be a series of transitions. Some were highly anticipated; others took me completely by surprise. One thing that is easy to overlook is that my wife and I have moved here as cross-cultural missionaries (in a very real sense for Olivia and perhaps a more hidden sense myself). As any missionary will tell you, there have been green pastures and deep valleys, joys and frustrations in equal measure. There have been times of deep fellowship and genuine loneliness. Fast forward four months, several prime ministers, two ceilidhs and one beloved monarch later, and I sit in my office attempting to summarise the last season whilst looking forward to the year ahead: no small task!
Looking ahead, I think it is safe to say that God intends new things for Tayside Christian Fellowship (TCF) in this new season. He is surely not done with us yet. There is a sense of renewed energy and purpose to the community here as we open God’s word together on Sundays and seek to meet with him in our home groups throughout the week. I have discovered in my short time here already a hunger to know God and make him known amongst the people here, and a passion for teaching God’s word thoroughly and applying it to our lives deeply.
With that in mind I would say that what we have to look forward to in 2023 is a renewed effort to seek God in prayer and in his word, and to gain clarity of purpose and focus as to why we are here in Perth “for such a time as this”. The privilege of spending a lot of time with other like-minded pastors in Perth has shown me that there are many other congregations whom God has manoeuvred into the same place, and my prayer is that he will pour out his Spirit on us collectively so that we might make his name great in our city.
This year my hope is that we will go deeper and wider: deeper in our understanding of the gospel of God which is good news to the whole world, and wider in reaching out to those around us with its light. So, being thankful for what is past, let us press on into 2023 and run the race firm in our faith that the One who promised is faithful, he will surely bring to completion that which he has started
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Yours for the gospel,
Will
Header photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash