Gateshead: Some History and an Update

Dear Support Team,

           I hope all of you are doing well! I have not up-dated you in a while so I wanted to do that. Also I thought many of you might be interested in learning a little bit more about Gateshead. So the following is a little overview of the History of Gateshead and then a little report on how I am doing, below I have also posted some pictures of Gateshead. I hope you all enjoy!

Gateshead:

Until the 19^th century Gateshead was not really that significant so there does not seems to be a great deal of information on it. However, from what I have read there seems to have been a settlement there at least by Roman times. The Romans built a fort where Newcastle is today right across the river from Gateshead. There was also a monetary there in Saxon times mentioned by the ancient English historian Bede. During the Medieval era and indeed till the late 1600’s the town was governed by the Bishop of Durham. However in the 19^th century the town saw exponential growth. According to one source in the late 18^th century the population was only around 7500 but a hundred years later it had risen to 110,000.

In addition the 19^th century saw the industrialization of the town. This brought growth, but it also saw the increase of slums, disease, and other problems. Finally, in the 20^th century Gateshead remained an industrial town, but many of the decrepit 19^th century slums were clear away. Today Gateshead seems very different. A quick perusal of the Gateshead local government website reveals the opening of a new park, announces the 2011 summer flower show, and many other things. In addition, and in contrast to the slums of the 19^th century Gateshead now has several unique and cool looking structures foremost among which is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, a bride for walkers and bikers and is the only bridge of its kind in the world! (See pictures)

            As you know though, I am not going because of the architecture, but the people. It has been interesting to hear the responses of British people when they hear I am going to Gateshead. A Scotsman who had lived in Gateshead told me that it was good I was going there since I would find the people more friendly and less in my face about the English being right about everything than if I were in the south of England, one the other hand some friends from the south of England grimaced and told me that I would come back with a horrible accent! Most important though is that fact that out of the 1 million people in the greater Newcastle/Gateshead metropolitan area the vast majority are still at enmity with God. They are slaves to the desires of their bodies and the minds as Paul describes unbelievers in Ephesians 2; they need God to invade their lives with His gospel through His church!

It is for this reason that I am going to Gateshead. I hope this has helped you get a little better picture for Gateshead. I myself of course still only have a vague picture, but I hope it helps you to pray for the thousands of people there who need the Gospel of God’s grace!

These are the sites I used as sources for the above: 

 Gateshead Then and Now

http://www.gateshead-history.com/index.html  

 A Short History of Gateshead

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DUR/GatesheadHistory/

 Gateshead Council - Millennium Bridge

http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/Leisure%20and%20Culture/attractions/bridge/Home.aspx

 Gateshead Council - Home

http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/

Update:

Since I wrote last I had the privilege of visiting with a church in Winchester, VA. I got a whole Sunday School hour to present and was able to attend a church picnic afterward. It was a great and hopeful fruitful time and I enjoyed I really enjoyed the fellowship.  

I have also been working on my visa and have just sent that to the British consulate in New York. Please pray for that to be processed quickly! Also, last night I visited with a gathering of old friends in Blacksburg at a dessert night to share about the need in England, what is going on there and what I will be doing. Finally, next weekend I will be in Richmond for a few similar engagements

      Right now I am at 68% of my need raised. Support keeps coming in and I am continuing to pursue the opportunities and follow up with people, however things are coming down to the wire so please pray for God to work mightily! I still have at least $10,000 to raise in just over a month. God is powerful, and He can do it, but your prayers before the throne of grace are much appreciated!

In Christ,

Benjamin

Views of Gateshead

Gateshead Millennium Bridge

The Angel of the North (supposedly an icon of Northern England)

A View of Newcastle from Gateshead Just Across the River

The Millennium Bridge Doing Its Signature Tilt

High Street, Gateshead

Walker Terrace, Gateshead

The Sage (A musical arts building and concert hall)

News: 
I leave in SEPTEMBER!!! Just two months away...wow. I am very excited at the thought I finally getting "to the field!!" I can't imagine how awesome it will be the first Lord's Day I get to worship with Gateshead Pres. after they have been praying for me every Sunday for so long! In addition though I still have a ways to go support wise and so I am praying and believing that God is going to sometime big in the next few months. It would be sinful to tell God what He must do on my behalf, but I am praying in faith knowing whatever He does in these next two months will be good!

The visit to Christ the King went ok thank you all for your prayers. I had a few people show interest, but also at lunch after the service at the pastor house I made an important contact that may open up other doors! Also, I will be traveling the next three weeks the first week just for a family reunion, but the other two with support raising engagements. I will be sharing with a church in Winchester VA on the 17th of July and to a group of people at a dinner in Richmond the following weekend.  I also have a few other group presentations and church visits around Blacksburg in the next month. Please pray that God would use these powerfully to raise the support I need!

A Better Picture of What I Will Be Doing 
In England the bulk of my ministry will be with students. Bill Schweitzer, the pastor I will be working under, wants to see a university ministry started out of the church for students at the Universities of Newcastle and Northumbria.

The University of Newcastle has its origins in the mid 19th century and is an up and coming research  school in the UK with an emphasis in the technical fields. It attracts students from all over the world.

The following is from the website of the University of Northumbria:

Northumbria University, in Newcastle upon Tyne, is an expanding multicultural learning community, with excellent links with further and higher education, industry and commerce throughout the UK, Europe and beyond. Renowned for the excellence of its teaching, as well as for preparing students for the world of work, Northumbria also provides research opportunities for professional reflective practice.

Both of these Universities are full of students who need to hear the gospel and Gateshead Pres is one of the few places in Newcastle where they can. I will be working to start a ministry out of the church to these students. There is also an intern at the Durham (UK) church who will be helping me with this since I have never gone to university in the UK.

 In addition, I will probably be helping mentor young Christians and interested non believers at a local "Christian Ethos" school. This school is called a "Christian Ethos school" because it was started off of money that was left by a Christian. He wanted for it to be used to start a Christian school but the government would not allow that somehow. They would however let him leave it for a Christian ethos school. The difference is that they cannot hire only Christian teachers or have only Christian students, but they can endeavor to have certain Christian principal influence the school. Below are quotes from their website:

Emmanuel College was founded in 1990 as Tyneside's City Technology College (CTC) and opened with just 150 Year 7 students.  Popular with parents from the start because of its high expectations, academic rigour and strong disciplinary standards, the school was soon extended to accommodate a larger intake.  Emmanuel now educates 1,250 students across the 11-19 age range.  Although regularly two to one over-subscribed, Emmanuel maintains a comprehensive intake, ensuring that the IQ and socioeconomic status of students admitted mirrors the catchment area of inner-city Gateshead and Newcastle.

Ofsted has awarded it the highest grading of 'Outstanding' in all four of its full inspections to date (1995, 2000, 2006 and 2009) as well as in their two additional survey visits (2007 and 2010), and they recognise the crucial role played by the College's Christian ethos in the College's remarkable achievements.

The reason why this is important is that many of the kids are not believers, but because of the Christian ethos part, Gateshead Presbyterian has a good relationship with the school and has a ministry to its students. According to Bill, God is doing exciting things among them and while another guy will be leading this ministry, I will be involved in it helping to hold out the gospel to these students.

 I have been a student virtually all my life and a university student the last four years and therefore I am very excited about the opportunity to minister to students! Having just finished a minor in religion at a secular university I have rubbed shoulders with people who are very skeptical of the truth of Scripture. Yet out of this has come a desire to see God humble the hearts of worldly skeptics that He might make them His children. As I go to England, and especially deal with students, I will be reaching out to student who are in most cases very skeptical and I pray that God will bless my efforts as I seek to point them to God's truth and His Church! 

My Support Status
           Right now I have raised all my one time expense and around 5 months worth of my monthly expenses which equals 56% of my over all budget. Obviously  I have a long way to go before September, but I am continuing to make progress. Just to give a little perspective. I need 36 more supporter at 50/month or 72 at $25 or the equivalent of one of these.

Links of Interest
Gateshead Presbyterian Church (the Church I will be working at) - http://www.gatesheadpres.org.uk/
Emmanuel College Gateshead - http://www.emmanuelctc.org.uk/emmanuelcollege/emmanuelcollege/
EPCEW Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales (the denomination GPC is apart of) - http://www.epcew.org.uk/
University of Newcastle - http://www.ncl.ac.uk/
University of Northumbria - http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/