MISSION TRIP RECAP

We completed our 5th Trip to Stockport, England! We have seen the Lord work in the past through our teams in so many ways. This year we felt the Lord telling us to go to see what he is doing.

Coach House Church (coachhousechurch.org) hosted a Soccer Camp at a Catholic Middle School next door. The relationship between Coach House and the Catholic school began late last year when the Catholic Academy called to ask if the Coach House would be willing to run a course for all 7th-grade students on the foundations of Christianity. That led to a request for a Christian Club at the school and then Christian Choir classes. So when Coach House offered for us to come and run a Soccer Camp, they were in support of it.

We had 41 kids at the 4-day camp. What a pleasure it was to watch them use the skills they learned throughout the week. We also held a BBQ for all of the students at the church on Friday. Not only were they the first to arrive with siblings and parents, but they were also the last to leave.

The teachers came to observe throughout the eek. One commented that 100% of the Christian content being delivered to the children was coming from Coach House. Another, amazed at our witness and caring for the children, asked if we could pray for him for the Lord to provide him the gifts needed to pour out as we had been doing all week.

Additional highlights from the week include:

• We sent a few of our team members to an organization called Renewal to share our testimonies with the employees. This organization provides training and employment to people coming out of prison or unemployed. Goods are donated, this team refurbishes them and all of the proceeds go back to support the employees' benefits. 
• Last year we set up cornhole boards and prayed with people in town at St. Mary's, an Anglican Church that dates back over 1000 years. This year we went back and were led to a spot where an inflatable pool was set up in March and 26 people were baptized in public. Praise the Lord!
• We were brought to a construction site in the center of town and were asked to pray. Because of the outreach the local churches have been doing in the community for families in need, the local government is setting aside 25,000 square feet in this new building to be used by the churches collectively to continue to outreach to families in need. The aim of this project is to develop a vibrant hub in the heart of Stockport, providing a safe, unique, accessible space to improve local lives with the church at the center. Praise the Lord! Here is a list of what they expect to see this coming year:
  • 200,000 visitors
  • 15,000 parents attending classes, courses and support sessions
  • 20,000 bags of shopping distributed
  • 12,000 items of clothing given to families in need
  • 1000 registered households able to access food and essentials each week
• We prayed and shared the gospel with people in the street, at bus stops, at the mall and in restaurants. The congregation was so encouraged to witness with boldness at home, at work, at the store. We have been receiving encouraging reports of the members of Coach House sharing their faith.