An Encouraging Note to You, from Our Friend Rico Tice:

Dear Friends and Partners of Dawson & Shanna,

The Revd Rico Tice

My name is the Reverend Rico Tice. I was ordained into the Anglican Church in 1994 and then spent 29 years as an evangelist on staff at All Souls, Langham Place in London. In that time, I also set up Christianity Explored, which is a charity that seeks to help churches and individuals look at the person of Jesus in Mark's Gospel. I’m honoured to have been asked to be one of the keynote speakers at Mission to the World’s Global Missions Conference this upcoming November in Atlanta. I left All Souls in 2023 to work full-time for Christianity Explored and in part in protest at the apostasy of the leadership of The Church of England, took my family out of the Anglican Church and joined the International Presbyterian Church of Ealing (IPC-Ealing) and delightfully we found ourselves in Dawson and Shanna's Home Group.  

I wanted to write, because I just can't speak highly enough of their care and leadership.

First of all, they both have such a clear and winsomely reformed theology. It has been wonderful to be led by people who have such a grip on the sovereignty of God. I really can't think of anything that Dawson has said, as he's led study after study, which hasn't been theologically faithful. There are a number of people in our group, for whom English is a second language and they then personify the old adage that 'those who understand deeply, teach clearly'. The notes that are given out are clear and really enable people who struggle with the language to follow along and take home something solid and digestible. It's obvious they've been so well trained.

Secondly, their theology is followed up by really self-sacrificing lives. I rang them last week and they were out with a couple, both young Christians and the wife was in the middle of really a bit of a breakdown, and it was just so typical that they had their arms around that couple, when I spontaneously rang.

Furthermore, last Monday we had a birthday celebration for a dear man in the group. He's 42, single, lives with his mum and is pretty vulnerable. Shanna organised the party which they hosted in their back garden. There were three cakes and when I drove him home, he said to me, "That's been the best birthday I've ever had". It's just simply living out what it means to be a church family and opening your home again and again.  

And then there is their evangelism. There has been a constant stream of men that have come to IPC-Ealing with Dawson. When I went for a haircut in Pitshanger and tried to raise spiritual things with the barber, he said, "Oh there's an American who comes in here called Dawson, who has spoken to me about this". Furthermore, I was driving through Greenford, a village near Ealing, on a Saturday morning and there were Dawson and Shanna out on the streets doing open air evangelism.  

So as I commend them, there's theology, care of the church family and evangelism. All three have been modelled and embodied by the Beans. There's a real joy in the Lord in them and, as we have interacted with their children, we have just felt that their kids are with us in this great work, but nevertheless are themselves and have lots of personality. My wife Lucy thinks the world of Shanna and has so appreciated her example, and I have appreciated Dawson's. I really want to wholeheartedly commend them both to you their partners in ministry, the Board at MTW, and now to their new church in Prague, Faith Community Church. They are outstanding Christian workers, who have certainly shown themselves to be really effective in the cross-cultural context of West London.

 

1 Thessalonians 1:3 springs to mind - "We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

 

Warmly in Christ from London,

 

The Revd Rico Tice

Evangelist & Founder

Christianity Explored Ministries

www.christianityexplored.org

www.honestevangelism.com

 

Meanwhile Back in London: An Encouraging Holiday Weekend For Our Home Group And Ministry At IPC-Ealing

Over the Memorial Day weekend (called the Spring Bank Holiday here in the UK) we were so encouraged to see a young couple from our Home Group, Fenno & Reka, get married at IPC-Ealing, the church in West London we've been serving at for the past 2 1/2 years, and to see another newlywed couple who we've been meeting with regularly for discipleship, Eduard & Alice, come into church membership.

Some of our home group gathered for a group pic

Fenno and Reka jumped into church life and our home group straight away after finishing university at Durham and moving to London. It's often something of a discouraging theme to see young people let their relationship with Jesus and the church lapse during the University years, if not walk away from Christ altogether, but that has certainly not been the case with Reka & Fenno as they were deeply involved with the ministry of Durham University’s Christian Union, and got stuck in to church life and our Home Group immediately upon moving back home to London after university. They've also been some of our most committed teachers for our Tuesday night Free English Classes at the church. For Reka, coming to IPC-Ealing was a return to her home church where her parents have been long-time members since moving to the U.K. from Budapest, Hungary when Reka was only 10 years old, while Fenno was quite keen to chase after his fiancee and now bride to London after University, and likewise moved to the UK as a child with his parents from Kenya. Their own experience as immigrants to the UK as children has allowed them to see first hand that welcoming the nations with strategic opportunities for Gospel engagment like Free English Classes is a great opportunity for sharing the Gospel and making new friendships with international people.

Eduard and Alice meanwhile have also gotten very involved at IPC-Ealing as well since moving to Ealing as newlyweds last year after pursuing one another long-distance and getting married and have joined the church now as members. Alice comes from a presbyterian Free Church of Scotland background in her native Scotland, while Ed is originally from Ukraine with roots in Hungary and grew up in Orthodoxy after being baptised in secret as a child of believing parents, in defiance of the communist regimes that previously controlled both Ukraine and Hungary. Ed has been in the UK for many years after coming to study for University, and is a poet, writer, and artist, while Alice works in the world of finance.

We've so enjoyed meeting regularly with each of these couples for discipleship and one-to-one Bible reading, and are so glad to see each of them following Jesus and making Him and His church their top priority in life. Please do pray for them.

Bible Study Prep For Home Group in Multiple Languages

This is what my prep for Home Group Bible Study on Ephesians 2 looks like for tonight, and no, I don’t speak Farsi or Arabic. Why do you ask?

Google Translate For Our Home Group Chat Group

It warms my heart that sometimes we have to use Google translate to understand what’s being said in our home group’s WhatsApp chat!

Home Group Off To A Start for 2024

Hey friends,

After a very busy month of outreach in January with Hope Explored and getting our weekly Free English Classes off to a good start for the term, we were finally able to kick off our first Home Group Bible Study of 2024 tonight, starting a new study in Ephesians. We had our biggest group yet with 28 in attendance, including a really encouraging influx of newcomers from English class and Hope Explored, most of whom are not yet Christians and new to studying the Bible. Our friend Kit from Hong Kong came, as well as three other friends from Hong Kong, Calvin, Barbara, and Benson who I've been meeting with regularly to read the Bible together. 

Our Kuwaiti friend Khaled from English class came as well, even though he speaks almost no English whatsoever. Thankfully we had two other newcomers in attendance who can speak Arabic, Nadia (Iraq) and Habib (Iran) and were able to help translate for Khaled, and we also had some Farsi speakers who were new as well, Davood and Nayesh. Habib and I were able to visit more with Davood and Nayesh after the study to find our more about their story and they shared with us that they are from a Muslim background in Iran, but came to London in December wanting to learn more about Jesus. Last but not least one of our English class regulars, Mila from Ukraine came tonight as well who Shanna and I were really encouraged to see connect really well with one of our Polish friends Patrycja Pe-Ka who is a strong Christian and one of our Home Group regular attenders. Patrycja and her husband Dawid Kaliński and their children are very dear to us and have been such an encouagement for our family over the past 2 years here in London.

Please pray that the Lord would give us good opportunities to continue to follow up with each of these newcomers about Jesus, and that they would continue coming to Home Group and Free English Classes that God is using to help us connect with people, and especially that they might come along to church with us on a sunday morning or evening.

Hope Explored Session 2 tonight, please pray

Hey friends, please pray for session 2 of our Hope Explored outreach tonight at IPC-Ealing at 7pm London time (1pm CST). We had a really encouraging turnout last week of about 55 for dinner and discussion about the Gospel, and many of those who came were not Christians and not in a church anywhere, and from many different religious backgrounds including those from Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu, as well as secular backgrounds.

Please pray for our associate pastor Reuben Hunter's talk on Peace from the Gospel of Luke and for good discussion, and pray that many would come back from the week before as well others who were not able to make it for session 1. Please pray for our friends Kit, Alicia & Edward from Hong Kong, Adil from Pakistan, Jorge from Chile, Khalid from Kuwait, Francesco & Diana from Italy, and many others who may come along as well.

Here's a short preview video with Rico Tice to give you an idea of what the programme is like, especially if you might like to give it a try at your own church or just at home with non-christian friends. It works equally well in small groups or one-to-one (if not better) as it does in more of a programme setting at a church, and can be done using the videos or someone giving a talk on the topics in person. Blessings to you all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8AbJ2N8NAY

More Home Group Members Joining the Church

We were encouraged this evening to have some more of our Home Group Bible Study members join the church this evening. When we started our Home Group after arriving in Ealing in 2022 we wanted to gear it toward newcomers to the church and those on the “periphery” who were not already plugged in. We also hoped that it would be a safe place, both for non-Christians who we and our members are building relationships with to be able to come with their questions, and for hurting and broken people to experience the grace and loving care of the Lord and his church.

While new to IPC-Ealing, Rico, Lucy, and their three children have been anything but on the periphery, and have jumped right into church life and our Home Group since moving from Central London to just around the corner from us here in Ealing over summer. We’ve been so encouraged by their faithfulness to the Lord, their heart for sharing Christ with others in evangelism, and how they have already helped in caring for other members of our group!

Rico has a gift for evangelism and will be leading a Hope Explored dinner outreach at IPC-Ealing the next three Wednesday nights of January on the 10th, 17th, and 24th, which we and many other church members are inviting non-Christian friends to. Shanna and I will also be helping with the outreach by hosting a table at the dinner each night and facilitating discussion. Please pray for the Lord to be at work to bring many non-Christians to the Hope Explored events, and that he would use these next three Wednesday evenings to clearly present the Gospel to those in attendance.

An Encouraging New Years Eve Email From Japan

Hello Friends, we received such an encouraging email on New Year’s Eve from our friend Kaoru from Japan who you may recall us requesting your prayers for this past spring. It’s not every day that we get to hear from those we’ve had a chance to minister to after returning from the U.K. to their home country, so it’s a special treat to share this with you. 

After meeting with Kaoru several times and him coming along to English classes and our Home Group Bible Study in the spring and summer, it became apparent that Kaoru was already a Christian, which was an encouraging surprise! We’re so thankful to hear from him about what an encouragement our ministry to him was while he was away from his home culture, wife, and children, and that he was able to pass his Japanese government service English exams with distinction. 

Please continue to pray for Kaoru, that he would continue to walk with Jesus while living in his home country of Japan, one of the world’s largest unreached people groups, where less than 0.6% of Japanese people are Bible believing Christians and Christian fellowship and good teaching can be very hard to find. Please also pray for his efforts to be promoted to a foreign service post with his government in the U.S., U.K., or other English speaking country, or that the Lord would give him more and greater opportunities to witness to his faith in Christ at home in Japan.

Thanksgiving in London

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! We've had a busy few days of life and ministry between Home Group, a trip to York for Presbytery on Friday and Saturday, and a very full day at church yesterday, so sorry we're just now getting around to posting this. On Thursday evening our Home Group Bible Study celebrated a very international take on an American Thanksgiving Dinner with guests and dishes from around the world.

Even though Thanksgiving is celebrated in several countries other than just the U.S., including Canada and Brazil, the United Kingdom is not among them. In fact, many British people and many other nationalities often don't know much about Thanksgiving or why we celebrate it. So because of Thanksgiving's origins and orientation toward thanking God for the blessings in our lives, it’s a really great opportunity to talk about Jesus. Before dinner Dawson gave a very brief explanation of the origins of Thanksgiving and a short devotional from Psalm 100 before praying for our meal.

This Thanksgiving will be especially memorable for our family as we gathered together with our regular Home Group members as well as a few non-Christian friends who we’ve been getting to know and reaching out to from our Free English Classes outreach. Please continue to pray for our Home Group Bible Study and for our outreach to international friends through Free English Classes.

Please pray especially for non-Christian friends Parham (Iran), Adil (Pakistan), Benson (Hong Kong), Dmitri (Russia), and Francesco (Italy) as Dawson meets with them weekly to read and discuss the Gospel of Mark one to one. Please pray also for growing Christian friends who we are meeting with regularly as well for one to one discipleship, including Eduardo (Spain), Zuri (Brazil), Justin and Zuko (both from South Africa), Fenno (Kenya), Amirreza (Iran), Yuki (Japan), Prateek and David (both from India), Dawid (Poland), as well as many others, and that the Lord would continue to open doors for new opportunities for evangelism and discipleship through Free English Classes, church, Home Group, and the Ealing community.

Home Groups Off to a Good Start in Revelation

Hello everyone! We had an encouraging second Bible Study this evening at our Home Group at ours with about 15 adults and several children in attendance, and on a lark I thought I’d snap a couple of pics to share with you all. We’re studying Revelation 2-3 this term in all of the church’s Home Groups at IPC-Ealing, taking a look at the letters to the seven churches of Asia. Tonight was in Revelation 2:8-11 to the church at Smyrna. We had a great time together in God’s Word and some truly encouraging fellowship.

God is at Work Building His Church

You might recall our update a couple of weeks ago about Sara and Ray teaming up to teach English to South American Spanish speakers at our weekly Free English Classes outreach that we launched at IPC-Ealing in January. Sara and her mum Andrea are members of of our House Group Bible study that meets in our home weekly, and we were so encouraged to see Sara baptised yesterday and join the church at IPC-Ealing.

In fact, the past two Sundays we’ve been so encouraged to welcome into church membership at IPC-Ealing four members of our House Group Bible Study, as well as three other friends who we’ve enjoyed spending time with over the past year in Ealing. Sara amazes us with her bilingual superpowers and the way that she loves and cares for those around her, and how the Lord is using her already as a new believer.

In addition to Sara, we also welcomed into membership our House Group members Anthony, Justin, and Rebekah on Palm Sunday, as well as our friends Funso, Dana, and David, who is another of our English teachers.

Nothing encourages us more than seeing how the Lord is at work to build His church in this place, both in those coming to faith in Christ, as well as seeing longtime believers finding a church home and place to serve at IPC-Ealing, and helps remind us that missions works best when paired with planting and strengthening Gospel centered churches.

2023 Year End Update

As we approach the end of 2022 and close out our first year in London, we wanted to post our year-end letter here for any who may not have received it already through post or email to give you a review of how the Lord has been at work over the past 12 months, and what our hopes, prayers, and needs are going into 2023. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and partnership this year, and wishing you all the best to you and yours in 2023!

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." -Philippians 1:3-5

A Year Ago, We Were Still In Texas!

This time last year we were still in Texas, anxiously waiting for our U.K. Visas to be approved! But as we reflect back on 2022, we're amazed by Lord's goodness and the incredible things he has done since our arrival in London in January. From street evangelism to Bible studies, discipleship, and Holiday Bible Club to theological development, we've been so encouraged to see how the Lord has been at work. Tonight we launched our new Free English Classes, Ealing outreach at our church, IPC-Ealing, in hopes of reaching the 40% of Ealing residents who were born outside the U.K. with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray with us for this new and exciting outreach opportunity for us and for our church!

With today being "Giving Tuesday", would you pray and trust the Lord with us as well to raise an additional $23,000 to help our family and ministry to the Unreached in London start out 2023 on solid footing after what has been a rather unpredictable year in the U.K. financially with significant cost of living increases, inflation, rising energy prices, and a wildly fluctuating exchange rate? If you feel that the Lord may be leading you to give a special year-end gift to the Great Commission through our ministry in London, we would be so honoured, and you may give your gift online at www.mtw.org/bean. We so appreciate your prayers and partnership in taking the Gospel of Grace to the Unreached, in London and beyond.

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." -Philippians 1:3-5