Hi friends & family! BIG! EXCITING! NEWS! In September I am moving to London, England to serve the kingdom with the Co-Mission Ministry Training Scheme (https://co-mission.org/). I will be working with Dundonald Church in Raynes Park, London as well as St. Johns Church in Chelsea, London. I am so excited to be joining the staff at these churches in their ministry to reach their city for Christ! While there I will get to serve in childrens and youth programs, as well as sit under teaching with other trainees once a week and join in the general church community serving & teaching in discipleship settings. I feel confidently that the Lord has called me to London to be a part of His kingdom-building there and I would love your prayer and support in moving forward!
In order to be on staff as a ministry trainee, I need to raise some of the funds for my salary, and would love your help in that. My goal for the next year is to raise $10,000 to supplement costs of living in London in order to do the ministry the Lord has called me to. Your support means the world to me! Thankfully, my home church, Cross Church - Fayetteville, has provided a platform (Pure Charity) for me to raise these funds and your gift is tax-deductible!
I would also love for you to join my monthly updates, where I will share all that I am learning, what the Lord is doing in London, & how you can be praying for the unreached in London, England! Here is the link to enter your email: https://tinyurl.com/monthly-update
Thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support as I prepare to travel back to London in September!
With love,
Hannah
Posted a week ago
Hi everyone!!!
It has been a little bit since my last update, but I’m here to give you all the good news & updates from my first month in the UK! I’ve been here for about a month and a half now, and have been in full swing of my job as a ministry trainee here. I started at Dundonald and St. Johns the Monday after my mom left (Sept. 3rd), and have been learning & experiencing so much. I want to give you just a snapshot of what a typical week looks like for me here in London & ask for your prayers with some specific requests.
My Typical Week as a Ministry Trainee
MONDAY morning is a late start after a very full Sunday (keep reading for the full rundown!). Myself & the other ministry trainees, Evie & Devon, set up for our weekly staff lunch & Bible study meeting. We gather together as a staff at Dundonald for a Bible study, led by the senior pastor, and then eat lunch together. My primary role on this day is to make sure the lunch is ordered and served, and to tidy up the building of stray chairs & tables after the busy Sunday events. The rest of the day, we are free to work on other tasks & prep for the week ahead.
TUESDAYS are spent at Cornhill, a Biblical education program for ministry trainees that we attend each week. At Cornhill, the morning is spent in lectures, and the afternoon is spent in “teaching practice groups,” where I get to prepare talks on different Bible passages every few weeks and practice them in small groups of other trainees with a staff advisor. I have really enjoyed getting to be a part of this each week as it feels very similar to much of the teaching I had at the Kanakuk Institute last year. It is very practical, and has been another great way to meet people and make friends!
WEDNESDAYS have been such a fun day each week as it is my shift in the church coffee house! Something that is so amazing about Dundonald Church is that they host a coffee house in the lobby everyday of the week from 9am-3pm as a means of evangelism and community outreach. It has a complete espresso bar, and myself, along with other volunteers from the church get to serve coffee & treats to people of the church and the rest of the Raynes Park community. I have loved getting to learn to be a barista, and have had many great conversations with the people who come into the coffee house every Wednesday. It is so special to get to meet people who come in for the first time, and to spend time getting to know members of the church family. I really enjoy the coffee house, though my latte art could use some work! Also on Wednesdays, we set up for the small groups that are hosted in the church building those evenings. I also get to attend my own small group on Wednesday evenings, which is a theological course called “Prepare to Serve” led by our senior pastor, Richard Coekin.
THURSDAYS differ from week to week, but mainly Thursdays are my day to prepare lessons for Sunday school, read over materials for youth clubs, & do any other admin/operational tasks. Although, once a month we have training workshops for all ministry trainees across the Co-Mission Church Network. This means about 30 of us meet at St. Johns (my other home church!) to be taught by the Director of Training, and meet together in what we call “doctrine groups” to discuss the book we are reading. The book we’re reading for the first term is, “God Is” by Mark Jones – which I am really enjoying so far!
Once a month, the Co-Mission trainees come to Dundonald for the morning to be taught by Richard Coekin (Senior Pastor of Dundonald & CEO of the Co-Mission Network!).
Though Thursday differs a bit from week to week, I do get to go to St. Johns every Thursday evening for the youth club where I am a leader! This has been one of my favorite parts of the week, as it is about 15 kids from three different churches, and we get together to eat dinner, play games, and hear teaching from the Bible & discuss it. Currently we are working through the Sermon on the Mount with the kids!
(Pictured - Me & Evie, my co-trainee, office-mate, and new bff!)
FRIDAYS are a slower day, with a late start in the morning & less on the schedule! I usually spend the morning working from home and then go into the church to make sure everything is set for Sunday morning. Myself and the other ministry trainees are responsible for setting the chairs in the auditorium for the services, and preparing any other things that might need to be set. Then, Friday evenings are the Dundonald youth clubs which I get to be a part of! First is Pathfinders for ages 12-14, and then we have CYFA for ages 15-18. I have loved getting to know the kids at both Pathfinders & CYFA and getting to lead them in small group discussions!
SATURDAYS are my day off! It has been so nice to have this day to rest each week! I have mostly spent my Saturdays exploring London & spending time with new friends. I have visited Notting Hill’s Portobello Market, walked around and explored Wimbledon, and visited Marylebone, Daunt Bookshop, Regent’s Street, the Royal Arts Academy & Oxford Street in Central London. Aside from all of the exploring, I have watched movies & gone for brunch or coffee with friends – with plans to do more of this in the future!!
SUNDAY is my busiest day, spent doing lots of ministry & being with lots of people! I start my mornings at St. Johns in Chelsea for their service at 11am. I catch the tube to Chelsea from Wimbledon or ride with a friend who also attends both St. Johns & Dundonald, and spend every other week doing Explorers (their Sunday school) for kids ages 0-12 all in one group!
St. Johns is a smaller church, which really feels more like a family meeting each week. My time at St. Johns on Sundays has come to be one of my favorite parts of the week, and by far one of the most life-giving! They also provide a family-style lunch for us to share together each week which has been such a blessing.
After my morning at St. Johns I quickly grab a coffee and catch the tube to Raynes Park to make it to Dundonald by 3:30. At the 4 o’clock service I serve as a Sunday school leader for children ages 8-10. I get to lead the small group for the year 4-5 boys, and get to teach the lesson for all the kids every other week. This is such a fun part of my week, and I serve on such a fun team of people leading the kids!
After the 4pm service there is usually about an hour long window where we reset the building for the 6:30 service, and I usually have time to run into town to grab another coffee with my friend Evie before the final service of the day! The 6:30 service is the one mostly young adults attend as there is no provided childcare. It is the service I get to just attend and has been a great way to be in community with the people my age at Dundonald!
So that is my very full, but very fun week here in London! While a lot of it may sound like things to do and places to be, I am getting to see a lot of ministry done in all of it. I truly am learning so much from the church leaders & staff at the 2 churches I’m a part of, and I’m being challenged in many ways as ministry looks very different here than I’m used to. Daily, I am humbled & strengthened in my convictions of what I believe and how that plays out when ministering to people of all ages.
As well as giving you some insight into what my week looks like, I want to ask for your prayer for a few things:
On a less exciting, more logistical note – my US phone number is no longer in service and I have a new UK phone number! The best way to reach me these days is Whats App, so please feel free to contact me via Instagram DM or Facebook to get my UK number to be able to contact me via WhatsApp!
Thank you so much for your continued support! I look forward to hearing for you!
Hannah
Posted a week ago
Hi friends & fam!!!
I am so excited to finally be writing to you from the UK! I landed in London about a week ago with my mom, and this first week has been a whirlwind.
I wanted to say thank you to all who joined me in praying for safe travels and for a smooth transition
– it truly means the world to me to know I have so many people who love me and are praying for me!
As I said, my mom and I landed in London on Monday morning and were greeted by one of the staff members at Dundonald who will be my supervisor during this year of the Ministry Training Scheme. We got to join him and his family for dinner at their home on Tuesday evening as well. We spent the first day resting & getting oriented with Wimbledon, which is where I am living this year. Wimbledon is most widely known for being the host of the tennis championship each year, but is also home to many families and young professionals, and is only a 20 minute train ride from Big Ben & the London Eye.
On Tuesday,
I got to go to the church and tour the building for the first time, as well as meet many of the staff members of both Dundonald and the Co-Mission Network.
I also got to learn a bit more about what my weekly schedule will look like, with going to different training workshops and ministry events, as well as serving in the church’s donation-based coffee house and setting up for Sunday services and events throughout the week. Also on Tuesday I got to pick up my Biometric Residence Permit (which made it all feel very official!).
Wednesday I got to show my mom all the sights that made me fall in love with London, from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace, to Soho and Covent Garden! We even got to see a show on the West End! It was such a fun day getting to go back to all of these places and reorient myself with the city centre.
Thursday was a much more logistical day, making sure I got a UK bank account set up, as well as getting a new UK sim card for my phone.
Now I can be reached on What’s App, Instagram DM, or GroupMe, as my US phone number will be out of service in a few days!
Also on Thursday, we went back into the city to go to Borough Market to explore & buy a few gifts for family & friends. We ended the day eating dinner at the home of one of the church elders and his family, whose daughter will be doing the Ministry Training Scheme with me at Dundonald!
On Friday, we had a slower day as we checked out of our hotel and decided to go to the Wimbledon Tennis Courts & Museum. This truly is the main attraction of Wimbledon for those who aren’t from here, so it was so fun to get to visit and even go out onto Centre Court! Friday evening I finally got to meet the Stephenson’s, who are hosting me in their home this year, and have been at Dundonald Church for 30 years! It has been so lovely getting to know them as I moved in just a few short days ago.
As my mom left this morning, I realized just how much happened so quickly this week! It truly flew by, but I am so grateful that she got to come with me to make the initial journey and come to see my new home.
I am eager to get started at Dundonald this Monday, and am so looking forward to all I will get to be a part of at Dundonald & St. Johns this year during my time as a Ministry Trainee.
Love, Hannah
Posted a week ago
Hi friends and family!
I wanted to give you an update on what my preparation to head to London is looking like as I am about three weeks away from my departure! It is mind-blowing to me how fast the summer has gone by and how little time is left before I finally get to move to London and begin the Ministry Training Scheme with Co-Mission.
We just welcomed our final group of kids to come through Kanakuk this summer and it is so cool to think about all that the Lord has done over the last 12 weeks here! I have learned and practiced so much in discipleship and teaching, and have heard countless stories of transformation and utter surrender to the Lord — both from kids and staff.
This past week one of the girls I get to disciple in my counselor Bible study made the decision to get baptized and it was the sweetest celebration and testament to the faithfulness of the Father to redeem His children.
I also got to walk my Bible study girls through my Overview of the Bible notes that I put together this past year as my first semester assignment of the Kanakuk Institute. It was SO fun to teach my girls and to see them make the same connections I made during my time studying at the Institute! The Lord has provided so many fun opportunities to teach and to share all that He has taught me and grown my knowledge in over the past few years & I am excited to continue putting this into practice as I start in my role at Dundonald Church in just a few short weeks.
I also wanted to share some information about what exactly I will be doing in London because I have received a lot of questions recently! As you know, I will be joining the Co-Mission Church-Planting Network as a Trainee in their Ministry Training Scheme. Co-Mission was formed in 2005 with the mission to help believers and ministry leaders in London fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20. Their mission is to plant 360 churches in London and to share the Gospel with the millions of lost people in all areas of London.
The Training Scheme seeks to prepare rising ministry leaders for a lifetime of ministry through full-time work experience in a congregation and structured Biblical and doctrinal training. Weekly I will attend the Cornhill Training Course in the city center, as well as monthly Co-Mission training with the trainees from all 39 of the current Co-Mission churches. I am so excited to join Dundonald Church full-time and St. Johns-Chelsea part-time as a ministry trainee & learn alongside so many other believers who are working in ministry in the UK!
Finally, I wanted to share a story with you of one very specific way the Lord has affirmed and strengthened my trust in His calling on my life to go to London. As we were prepping for kampers to come last week, I learned that there were some siblings coming to K7 who lived in London.
This alone was exciting to me, to know that there were people even living in the same country as me that knew of Kanakuk. On our first full day of activities I got to meet the oldest daughter (without knowing she was one of the London kids!) and spent one of the activities with her cabin. The next day, I was talking to my sister Chloe, who was the counselor for the cabin next door to those girls, and she told me that the girl I had met went to school in Wimbledon. I simply could not believe that of all the boroughs and even general areas of London, that she went to school where I will be living!
The next day I got to talk to her at lunch and found out that she and her family live in Putney (only about a mile from Wimbledon!!!). Throughout the week we talked more and I learned that they even used to attend Dundonald Church when they first moved to London from the US, and that she loved it there – which was truly such an encouragement to me – and also that her mom & dad were going to be there on pick up day and I could meet them as well.
On Friday morning I got to meet the mom and get her contact info, and she was able to encourage me and offer so much helpful information on the area. It was so wild to meet an American family (who also love kamp!) that will be living so close to me in London, that truly love the Lord and seek to make Him known in London. What a gift of the Lord to allow me to make that connection & begin building community in Wimbledon while in Lampe, Missouri!
This will be my final update before I embark on this big journey in just a few short weeks! My next update will be live from the field in London and I am so excited to finally get there and begin sharing with you all that the Lord will be doing!
As I prepare, I ask for your prayer for continued peace in transition (for both me & my family!), for ease of travel for me and my mom to London, for my host family that I will be joining soon, and for continued provision of financial support!
If you or someone you know would like to join me in my financial preparation for this next year in London, giving is easy either through this site: https://www.purecharity.com/fundraisers/london-hannah-breth OR via check (please reach out to me if that is how you would like to give!).
Until next time! Hannah
Posted a week ago
Hi friends and family!!!
I am excited to give you another update and tell you of some answered prayers that have happened over the past few weeks! I am still in the swing of things at Kanakuk, and we have just hit our halfway mark in the summer – meaning I am only about a month and a half away from making the move to London!
As mentioned in my last update, there were a few specific prayer requests I shared and am so overwhelmed by the Lord’s kindness and faithfulness, in that all 3 have been answered in even a small way!
Last week I received confirmation that my visa application was approved and I have received entry clearance to move to the UK! This is a MAJOR answered prayer as it truly was the biggest obstacle in my planning and preparing to make this move. I am thankful for the fact of the Lord’s true and ultimate authority that goes before all earthly authority – Proverbs 21:1 — what a gift that the heart and ruling of the King of England is in God’s hands!
I also received news this week that a family at Dundonald Church has offered to host me during my time in London! As with the visa, this was another aspect of preparation that I was nervous about, but am now so excited to have a place to live and to be paired with a family that is also a part of the church community I am joining. I will be living in the Wimbledon area of London (yes, where the tennis tournament is hosted each year!) which is very close to Raynes Park where the church is, and not too far from the city center as well. Again, I am assured ever more of the Lord’s provision for His children — Matthew 6:28-30 — truly all of the logistics are aligning in ways I could have never imagined!
Another answered prayer is that more of you have linked arms with me in this big step, both financially and prayerfully! Your support and excitement for what the Lord will do in and through me in London has encouraged and spurred me on in my own personal walk with the Lord, and has truly illustrated the character of the Father to me in so many ways! As always, if you or someone you know would like to join my financial support team, giving is easy through this site or via check (please reach out if you prefer to give that way!).
I also have a few smaller updates as well! Last week my mom officially booked our flights for us to fly to London on August 27th! She will be coming with me for the first week to see all of the sites of London and to help me settle in before I officially start the Ministry Training Scheme on September 3rd. I am so excited to get to show her the city that the Lord has burdened my heart for, and to have some extra help in transporting my life overseas 🙂
Lastly, I want to share some encouragement about the opportunity I have here at kamp to share my story. Each week we have a church service for our kampers where they can choose to go to three different rotations with different topical talks. I get to do the talk on missions each week and talk about what it looks like to respond to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Each week as I talk to kampers and share what my response to this commandment looks like, I've had some really sweet and assuring conversations with students about their own heart for missions and ministry. The Lord has been so kind to continually affirm me and encourage me in my desire and plans to go to London through these middle school and high school kids. It has been a weekly reminder of His faithfulness to truly bring this prayer to life, and His mercy to allow me to speak about it.
All in all, the Lord is answering a lot of questions, and is providing a lot of encouragement and reminders of truth! My prayer requests for the coming weeks would be for continued financial support and meeting the halfway mark, as well as a prepared heart for what will come quickly after my summer at kamp is over (August 12th). Thank you again for your prayerful and financial support in this big, awesome story the Lord is writing!
Until next time!!! Hannah
Posted a week ago
Hello! I hope your summer is off to a wonderful start!
My summer is off to a great, if not, busy and exciting start! In addition to the logistical arrangements, fundraising, and mental preparation to move “across the pond” in just a few short months, I am also working full-time for Kanakuk Kamps. This is my fifth summer with Kanakuk K-7 and I am loving my new job as the Kamper Care Specialist & Assistant Personnel Coordinator. While this creates a very unique and challenging season, I am learning so much about the Lord and His character in the midst of it all.
My trust and reliance on the Father has been challenged and strengthened in new ways in this season of support raising and preparation. I am constantly reminded of the sovereignty of my gracious God, and His ultimate control over my life. And it has been encouraging to see friends and family come alongside me as supporters in this leap of faith.
I have made some progress in my goal of raising $10,000 before leaving for London in late August, and am trusting the Lord will continue to provide the funds needed to do the ministry He has called me to. If you (or someone you know) would like to join my financial support team, it’s easy! Just click the Donate to this Fundraiser button on this site!
On the logistical side, I have officially submitted my visa application for my first year abroad and should be hearing about that in the next eight weeks! This week I made a quick trip home to Overland Park, KS to submit my documents for a Biometric Residence Permit, and now I wait patiently for approval to enter & work in the UK! This has for sure been the most daunting part of this entire process for me, because of how quickly plans could change depending on the answer I receive from the UK government. But, I am learning daily to choose to trust in the Father’s sovereignty and rely on His character. I believe that He who has called me is faithful, and He will do it in His timing and in His will.
As I prepare to join Co-Mission Network’s Ministry Training Scheme at Dundonald Church and St. John's Chelsea, my current & constant prayer for the people of London and for my future church homes, is that the word would be spread humbly by faithful servants & received graciously by those without hope.
Your prayers and financial support mean so much to me as I prepare and process what comes after Kamp this summer! In the next few weeks I would welcome your prayers specifically over my visa approval, my fundraising, and that I would be able to find a place/people to live with in London.
Thank you for your continued support of my next big God adventure! And please, feel free to follow along my journey through my social media (and monthly updates).
Instagram: @hannahb2ldn
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