Birmingham: relational bridges

It was a couple of years back. I got off the train from London, hot 'n sweaty in traveling grubbies. Bill picked me up at the station and whisked me off straightaway to a church Valentine’s dinner held in a posh restaurant! I snuck into the men’s room to scrub up as much as I could and went out to face the sport coated attendees. This was how I first met the brothers and sisters of the beautiful Shirley church (who graciously did not bat an eye at my disheveled state). And I also met a lot of other people who were not from the church, friends from Bill Kiddoo’s speakers’ club and from David Schwan’s guitar club.

The guitar club "live"

In spite of my less than British gentleman’s attire, I asked the young man next to me if he was from the guitar club. He replied, “No, I’m the friend of one of the blokes from the guitar club.” I attempted to hide my astonishment and continued the discussion. My mind, however, was processing the information just received. Here was a church that did not just have unbelievers present, but unbelievers who were inviting their friends to the church’s activities!

It was therefore no surprise when, about two years ago, this mission-oriented church sent off a team to begin a daughter work in the nearby working class suburb of Frankley. But that story has been told elsewhere (see Significant Times: Dec. 03, Aug. 04).

In its 20+ year history, the Grace Church of Shirley, England imploded twice. Yet thanks to the grace of God and the tenacity of Bill and Beckie Kiddoo, it became the first European GBC in recent years to begin a daughter church. As an earlier Europe director said, “The Kiddoos have lived through some horrendous years in Birmingham, and yet he (Bill) has hung in there and made something that was a mess into a very beautiful thing.”

Sunday morning at the Grace Church of Shirley - March 2005

Today the Grace Church of Shirley has an outreach intensive persona and is incarnating the gospel in their community. Beckie Kiddoo volunteers as a counselor and administrator for the Family Support Centre and Family Equip which gives her ample opportunity to meet people, showing and sharing the love of Christ. Bill serves with Chaplaincy Plus and leads a Speakers Club that puts him in touch with professionals from all over Birmingham. The church members too have adopted this type of evangelistic lifestyle and are involved in multifarious relational bridges.

Beckie and Bill Kiddoo - British Isles Team Talks '03

Bill is equipping three men to assume full leadership of the church while guiding the members to pursue youth outreach in two other sectors of the city. All of this is in pursuit of the church’s mission statement: to help turn totally irreligious people into fully devoted followers of Christ… and plant other vibrant spiritual communities.

Becky Schwan, intern Matt Carter, Bill and Jim (part of the Shirley church) - Evangelists' Workshop March '04

David and Becky Schwan had prayed for English teammates to begin a new church in a particular working class suburb. John came to Christ through the guitar club, then his wife Dot trusted Jesus as well. Archie first came in contact with David through the guitar club and gave his life to the Lord. He shared with his children and wife, Sam, who decided to follow Jesus as well. The miracle is that both John and Archie are from Frankley, the very suburb to which the Schwans wanted to go! The three couples—Schwans, Sheppards and Greys—now form the church planting team sent out from the Shirley church.

Archie, Sam, John, Dot, David and Becky

The first time I attended a guitar club, I taught the group of 20-30 guitarists a set of finger exercises and showed off a few blues and modal riffs in a song inspired from Ecclesiastes. That night Archie, who has a fantastic Motown voice, strummed on the guitar and sang a song of faith that flowed out of his perpetual smile.

The Frankley Guitar Club

John (in red), David (in white) and Archie (back row in blue)

Becky Schwan, in addition to outreach through counseling, youth work, and gospel reading groups, has a new relational bridge. She is getting the wives of guitar clubbers together to sing in a sort of “guitar club widows” choir ;-)

David, Becky, John, Dot, Archie and Sam love to share the gospel and have seen people entrust their lives to Christ. They have now brought together twenty-some people and will begin weekly Sunday meetings in October.

The fledgling Frankley church

John and Dot Sheppherd

Paul, John and Dot

HOW YOU CAN PRAY FOR THE BIRMINGHAM TEAMS:
For the English-American Frankley team (S-W Birmingham) as they share Christ through: Alpha courses, evangelistic celebrations and Bible studies, choir, guitar clubs, concerts, and mentoring/counseling in the local high school.

For Archie (Frankley church planting teammate) who was recently laid off from work, for provision for his family’s needs and for guidance as he pursues studies for a change of career.

Sam, Archie and their girls

For abundant conversion fruit from the Grace Church of Shirley (S-E Birmingham) evangelistic activities.

For the English leaders of the Grace Church of Shirley to assume full responsibility for the church.

For wisdom as the Shirley church’s leadership develops a plan for future church planting.