Dear brothers and sisters,
I will be taking a 6 week sabbatical from the BCEC and ministry. Starting from the 26th July until the 6th of September.
During this time, I won’t be actively responding to messages and emails, and will be visiting other churches as well.
When I first joined BCEC, 14 years ago, serving as my final year of my first term with COCM. We were a young English congregation then, with a dozen people, and the youth group was just beginning. 14 years later, our congregation has grown and developed, getting equipped, sent out and has encouraged many brothers and sisters along the way.
Before I was with the BCEC, I was working with COCM and the Chinese ministry across the UK for 5 years (and studying a 1 year masters in-between.)
It has been an amazing privilege and experience to be able to be part of God’s work in this country, and part of the long history of His Kingdom in the UK. I’ve learnt so much about God’s faithfulness and love, and his burden for those in need. I’ve also had the opportunity to work alongside and develop leaders and my heart is filled with so much joy to see how God’s work has grown in these past two decades.
During my sabbatical, I will be using this time to refresh, recharge and refocus. The past two years have been particularly challenging, and it’s become a clear reminder of my need to strengthen my relationship with God. I plan to take some time to start writing and collecting the stories that God has done in my life in my time in the UK. I’ve been blessed to have the amazing opportunity to be part of God’s wonderful work here, and to have Him shape and change my life in ways I never could have imagined. Remembering my journey with Christ will restore and remind me of His unending faithfulness. I hope to share some of these stories with you when I return.
I want to thank you for all your support and encouragement over these years. It’s an honour to serve God here in the UK.
Thanks for all your love and support. See you in 6 weeks.
Love,
Bert