Dear Friends,
I’ve never before been likened to Paul Scholes, the former Manchester United and England footballer who retired in 2011 only to come back a year later and play one more season because he missed it so much. Needless to say, any likeness has nothing to do with my footballing prowess, but simply that I was coaxed out of retirement to lead the ‘Bereans’ programme at the Foremarke 2 CYFA Venture last week, a full ten years after ‘hanging up my boots’.
It was so good to be back, and I was struck afresh by how good these ventures are for training the Christian workers of the future, including a number of familiar faces from St Stephen’s both past and present. On the leadership team this year were Tom Bryant, Helen Buckley, Joe Hobbs, Sophie Hobbs, Alex Luckwell and Anna Luckwell. Helping to lead the Bereans with me were Ben Wells and Celia Butler. (The Bereans are young adults who come to serve with practical tasks and also study the Bible hard for a week). Meanwhile, the whole venture is co-led by Charlie Butler.
The Bereans were studying 2 Timothy, where Paul asks this of Timothy: “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2, NIV). That is precisely what is going on year by year on such ventures – and Foremarke is just one of many – and week by week in local churches everywhere.
Yours warmly, in Christ,
Chris Hobbs (Senior Minister/Vicar)