Preparing
for
Preston
Goodbye to the Butterys
What have you most enjoyed about being at StAG?
We have most enjoyed being part of a united and loving church family and having many opportunities to serve over
eight years. It's been a joy to be part of small groups like the Morning Group and Homegroup where everyone wants to
understand God’s word better and is keen to grow. We’ve enjoyed the opportunities for evangelism too like Arena,
Bounce-A-Round and men’s and women’s events. It's also been great to be part of an international church community
too, as we’ve made friends from all over the world. The children have also loved being involved with the children’s work
and the crèches, everything from Bounce-A-Round to Explorers!
Are there any key lessons you've learnt during your time here?
Many… we’re not sure where to start. One key lesson we have kept on learning and being reminded of is that the word
of God taught faithfully from the pulpit and in small groups and homes changes lives. So as we head off to Preston we
need to keep that big lesson in mind and make sure we continue to do that. This is how God grows his church, and we
need to continually have confidence in his word. Another big lesson we will take away is the good practice of thinking
Biblically about every area of church life: there is a reason why we do everything we do. So allowing God’s word to shape
all the details of church life is very important. We’ve kept on learning the importance of sharing our lives with others
and how beneficial that is to us and others, how valuable it is to open our home and share family life with others- the
children have particularly enjoyed entertaining and learning the value of a church family. Another lesson has been the
importance of prayer undergirding the church's life, ours as individuals and as a family. It's been a joy to be part of a
church that seeks to take prayer seriously.
Do you have any advice you'd like to leave us with before you leave?
Keep the main thing the main thing; that is the teaching of God’s word and the proclamation of the gospel has to be at
the heart of StAG or else the church will drift into falsehood. This is true of every church, and requires intentional godly
decision making from both the staff and the congregation. It's very easy for a church to be distracted by good things from
the best thing: doing what God has asked us to do is vital. I suspect this will be especially the case in the years ahead as
pressure intensifies to change the gospel or water down what we preach, so keep the main thing the main thing! Another
thing is to continue to make the most of the many opportunities to hear God's word taught. Few churches have the
resources and opportunities that StAG offers, and it's easy to become blasé about those great things. It's often only when
we move that we realise what we had! Finally in a larger church, we need to keep working hard and intentionally on our
relationships with one another, prayerfully seeking to spur one another on and sharing one another's burdens!
Tell us something about All Saints’ Preston.
All Saints’ is a longstanding Anglican Evangelical church in the heart of Preston. It has a strong commitment to preaching
the gospel in the local area, and attracts families, retired people, students and internationals. There is a warm and
welcoming church family there who love God's word and who long for that word to be preached in Preston!
What are you most looking forward to about the move?
We’re looking forward to the challenge of leading a church and being part of another community of believers who long
to preach Jesus to a very needy city. We’re looking forward to exploring a part of the world that has hills over 15 metres
in height, and visiting a whole new set of North West football grounds!
What are you most apprehensive about the move?
Most of the above! We’re apprehensive about leaving lots of friends and resettling into a new area, as well as seeking to
lead a new community of believers. We’re concerned too for the children to settle in quickly to new schools and find
their feet in Preston.
How can we best be supporting you all over the coming months?
We’d love you to pray for wisdom and grace and patience in settling in; please pray practically too in terms of schools
and working out how to do life as a family in Preston. If you're ever up our way,