CC York/Bible College

Dear friends, I hope this update finds you well.  All is well in the Lord in York.  The leaves are beginning to turn a hint of yellow which means my favorite season is here.  It was a quick summer; the Bible College semester ended well and then we had our annual UK Pastor’s conference in late May.  It was a wonderful gathering, especially after having missed it in 2020 due to Covid.

Baptism in the North Sea

     Most lockdown restrictions have ended and the rhythm of the church is getting back to normal.  We had a baptism in the North Sea this past weekend with 13 believers getting baptized.  Praise God for that.  I’ve had some opportunities to lead worship and to do some teaching as well as a host of other practical things around the church over the summer.  It’s a blessing to serve the Lord and to be involved with a wonderful community of believers. 

     The Bible College students have arrived for the fall semester.  In-person classes begin this Monday.  The Lord is always faithful to put together a unique group.  This semester we have students representing England, Ireland, Switzerland, Israel, Canada, and the USA.  Please pray that their hearts and minds will be open to receive all the things the Lord has for them and that we as a staff would be sensitive to His Spirit.

Holy Island

I was blessed with the opportunity to spend some time this summer at a retreat house on Holy Island (also known as Lindisfarne).  Holy Island lies just off the coast of northeast England.  It gets cut off by the tide twice a day and is a quiet place.  There are less than two hundred residents and about the same number of sheep.

Sheep grazing on Holy Island

The island has a unique spiritual heritage.  In the 7^th century, King Oswald of Northhumbria became a Christian and desired that his subjects would turn from paganism and embrace Christianity.  To this end, he invited St Aiden of Iona to use Holy Island as a base for evangelizing Northhumbria.  Aiden was successful and much of Northhumbria embraced Christianity under his ministry.  The Lindisfarne Gospels were produced on the island by a monk named Eadfrith around 715AD.  This work is an ornately decorated illuminated manuscript containing the four gospels in Latin with an Old English gloss inserted around the 10^th century.  It is the earliest surviving translation of the gospels into English and is on display at the British Library in London.  We have taken our students to the library and British Museum in the past and plan on doing so in the future depending on the situation in London. 

Aunt Margaret

Aunt Margaret a few years ago

When I moved to England in 2016, I was able to reestablish a relationship with my Aunt Margaret (my mother’s sister) and some other relatives.  She went home to be with the Lord just the other day after having suffered with dementia for about a year and a half.  I was able to visit her in Blackpool with my cousin the week before she passed and read Psalm 23 and put my hand on her head and prayed over her.  I almost didn’t make the trip but am so thankful that I did.  The Holy Spirit has a way of giving us a sense of urgency at the right time.  The funeral will be on September 22.  Please pray for the Gospel to go forth.  Also please pray for my cousins Jim and Charlie.

        

                    About Me:

I have been serving at Calvary Chapel York, England since 2016.  I teach at the Bible College and serve at the church in a variety of ways including prison ministry and leading worship.  I can be contacted at pfgoodwin@hotmail.com.

If you wish to support this ministry, contributions can be addressed to "Shepherd's Staff" with account #1454 in the memo section of check and sent to Shepherd's Staff, 6739 Academy Road, Suite 320, Albuquerque, NM 87109. Automatic EFT can be set up through Shepherd's Staff website: www.ssmfi.org. Prayers are also greatly appreciated.  The Lord bless you!