A Vision for the Valley

 

Dawn and I were in and around the Spen Valley on Saturday afternoon. As I looked down on Cleckheaton I found myself wondering just how many people in all the houses I could see had ever heard the Good News of Jesus, never mind knew Him as their Saviour and Lord.

Statistics tell us that just 0.4% of people in Yorkshire are evangelical Christians.  If that’s true of the Spen Valley, there are only about 200 believers in the whole of the valley.  That also means that, as things stand,  around 49 800 people in the Spen Valley are headed for a Christ-less eternity.  We are desperate for that to change, and that’s why we’re planning to plant Spen Valley Church.  We want to see people in the valley encountering the risen Lord Jesus and putting their hope and trust in Him.

It was great, a couple of weeks ago, to be at the Gospel Yorkshire Conference in Dewsbury.  I was particularly struck by

of the church in Acts 2.42, as ‘a place where there is devotion to the Scriptures, to one another, to hospitality, to prayers and engaging with others.’  It is churches like this that will effectively reach people with the Good News of Jesus, and therefore, that’s the kind of church we long for Spen Valley Church to be.  A place where people can see the transformed life of Jesus’ people, as we live out the implications of the Gospel of grace, and a place where they can hear that Gospel for themselves.

 

 

SSo can you help us?  Firstly, by praying.  Praying to the Lord of the harvest to send workers to labour in this corner of His field, and to save His people in the Spen Valley.  We’ll be sending out a monthly prayer letter by email, starting in a couple of weeks. Drop me a line if you’d like to receive it.  And do encourage us by letting us know you’re praying for us.

Or could you help by giving?  We’re dependent on the Lord’s people to help us get going.  We need the resources to take the Gospel to those who haven’t heard it.  We’re in the final stages of setting up a  bank account.  Again, do let me know if you’d like the details.

Or could you join us?  The Spen Valley is a brilliant place.  We can’t wait to move in there and get to know people.  The opportunities for the Gospel are massive, the people are brilliant, the transport links can’t be bettered, and the community feeling is great.  ‘Ilkley living at Bradford prices’ is how one local recently described it to me.  What could be better?!  Why not spend some time praying through whether you could join us to see the Spen Valley transformed by the Gospel.  Why not book me up for a chat?  Or perhaps you know someone who’s thinking about moving, maybe to work in Leeds, or Bradford.  Why not point them in our direction?

Ultimately, the need of people in the Spen Valley is the same as people everywhere.  They, and we, need Jesus.  It’s our prayer that in coming years many might meet Him in Spen Valley Church.