Update from Dave Elsing in Wales

Dave Elsing is training for ministry in Newport, just outside Cardiff, in Wales. He has written this open letter to update us on what he’s doing. You can get more regular updates by joining Dave’s group on Facebook.

Dear Unichurch ,

To those who have been praying and giving, you are a blessing from God. Thankyou for partnering with me for the gospel in South Wales. And now for the news.

1) Student ministry has been going great – we have a student service every month on a Sunday night, and then an outreach in a tavern in Cardiff once a month. The other weeks look like just hanging out at coffee bars, and people’s houses ‘building community’ where people’s lives are built into each other and where non Christian friends can be easily invited to join in.

Seeing the students care for, encourage and teach one another has been fantastic. May I encourage Unichurch peeps to organize times in the week to be purposefully inclusive and hang out with the aim of just getting to know people in our church, in order that you might be able to care and love each other better.

Please pray for ‘Outpost Cardiff’, the name of the evangelistic night which happens once a month at Koko Gorillas Tavern in Cardiff. Pray that students will be bold enough to invite their friends along, and that non-Christian and interested people may come. Pray that Jesus will be made known the people studying in (old) South Wales.

2) A lot more is happening as we go into public high and primary schools, do street evangelism, youth ministry and church administration. Please pray for plenty of good gospel opportunities, like the one I was able to have with a philosophy student from Cardiff Uni. We spoke together for about 20 minutes, “cold turkey”, about Christianity. I explained that Jesus was God’s King and Judge and claimed to be able to forgive sin etc. He then said with some indignation “Geez, he seems pretty confident doesn’t he!” That’s exactly right, I ended up saying, and he proves his confidence in rising from the dead. The resurrection is the falling point of Christianity. It either happened, proving Jesus right, or it didn’t and he was a loony or a liar. It was great seeing his countenance change as you could see the Holy Spirit convicting his heart. Please pray for him.

It would be great to keep hearing about how I can be praying for you all back home. Sad to hear about the fires. They have made international news.

Much love from the Dragon to the Swan,

Dave Elsing