Chris & Sherry Waye

Reaching. Training. Planting.

May ’18 Prayer Letter

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Pastors and praying friends,

The work of church planting and church revitalization is at the same time full of blessings and challenges. It is a wonderful thing to see people unified in Christ who have come from varying cultures and countries. Just this past week we had visitors from Lebanon, Malaysia, and Australia. I never tire of hearing how God is working in places all around the world. Currently, we are running a midweek Christianity Explored course that is aimed to give non-Christians a place to learn and discuss what the gospel is really all about. Sherry has started a ladies’ class on Sunday afternoons that is going very well.

Though there are many blessings, it has been a challenging couple of months for the church. Because of the high degree of regulation and bureaucracy, “doing church” here is not as simple as people gathering together for worship in a facility. T’s must be crossed and I’s must be dotted in order for us to press on with the real work of gospel preaching, disciple making, and church planting/revitalizing. Some legal organizational issues with the church need to be addressed so that the real work of ministry can continue on.

Furthermore, the ecumenical nature of the denominations that make up so much of the church culture in the UK causes us to be more vigilant in distinguishing ourselves as a people that are founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ alone. For good reason, the great London preachers Charles Spurgeon and Martyn Lloyd-Jones called for true gospel preaching churches to separate from the broad church approach that so many denominations in the country had adopted. Unfortunately, the watered-down, ecumenical, theologically liberal movement of churches have seen the decline of biblical Christianity for the last 50 years. The church that we are working in has ties to larger denomination that need to be cut.

This separation does not come without a cost however. For many churches, the denomination owns the property/building in which the church meets. To separate from the denomination means the loss of property and a church left without a place to meet. Of course, this is nothing in comparison to the real persecution that New Testament churches faced, and other believers face around the world even today. 

These are real problems that we face today, but we rest in the fact that Jesus Christ builds His church, and we trust that He will continue to do a great work in this city and in His churches.

Chris & Sherry Waye

Click HERE for a printable PDF

March ’18 Prayer Letter

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Pastors and praying friends,

This week we are enjoying the beauty of the snow here in London, but also trying to manage with how it affects life here. Soon it will be gone and things will get back to a normal pace. We have been busy as usual and thank the Lord for the many opportunities to serve here.

Last week I was away preaching for Tasso Baptist Church. This is a church in west London that is, like so many other churches, without a pastor. We are praying that God will provide this church with a pastor but in the meantime, we are doing all that we can to help them. This is a small congregation that really represents so many churches not only across London, but all across the United Kingdom.

As we serve at Chelsea Community Baptist, it is our desire to help as many churches like this as we can. We understand as well that there are many places in and around London that are in need of new churches to be planted. The task is huge, but we know that our God is able to do great and mighty things in this city. It is our desire and prayer that we would be able to train many laborers for this field that will be able to not only plant new churches, but fill the existing empty pulpits nationwide!

Church planting in this city is no small task. In fact, church planting anywhere is no small task. Being in this large, expensive city however creates extra hurdles that must be crossed. One of these hurdles is finances and the ability to have a permanent meeting place that is affordable. While we are sad to see so many churches that have dwindled to near closure, we also see an opportunity for future church revitalization to take place. This is where a difficulty of church planting and the reality of struggling churches can come together. If a church planter with a desire to serve in this city can come along to a struggling church, he can in a sense achieve two things at once.

The need here is great, and there is no denying that, but the news is not all bad. There are some great churches here that are growing and seeing God work. We praise the Lord for the opportunity to just be a small part of the great things He is doing here!

Chris & Sherry Waye

Click HERE for a printable PDF

January ’18 Prayer Letter

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It is hard to imagine that already another year has come and gone! We have so much to be thankful to God for over the last twelve months, and we can’t wait to see what 2018 unfolds. December was busy with all the usual Christmas festivities at both the church and around the community. At Downham, we were amazed to see over 70 people come out during one of the Christmas services! God has really blessed the church with not only numerical growth, but it seems that people are really growing in their faith. In fact, the more the church grows and leaders emerge, the less we are needed. For a few months we have intentionally stepped back and tried to allow the church, under the leadership our co-laborer Travis Snode, to do as much of the work as possible. During this time, we have been seeking the Lord’s direction on our next steps here in London.

Since we began deputation to move to the UK in 2010, we have heard of the numerous churches in and around London that are in need of pastoral leadership. We have since then prayed for a door to open where we might be able to come alongside and help some of these churches see positive growth again. Several months ago, a local pastor friend of mine put me in contact with one such church that he and his church has been assisting. While I thought that perhaps God might open the door to help this church in a more long term capacity, God had much bigger plans in store. 

Not only will we continue to be able to assist this church that is currently without a pastor, I will soon be assuming the role as pastor at Chelsea Community Baptist Church here in central London. It is through this church that I was put into contact with Tasso, and is the church that has been helping them during their time without a pastor. Our new role at Chelsea will allow us the opportunity to not only serve an already passionate group of believers, but will enable us to work at reaching out to the local communities around with the gospel, as well as work towards church revitalization in the surrounding areas.

Please pray for this new opportunity that God has allowed us to serve in here in London. Pray for the many churches that are in great need, and for the areas that are in need of more gospel preaching churches. God is doing a work here, and we are grateful to just be a small part of it!

Chris & Sherry Waye

Click HERE for a printable pdf