FAQ

Q. What will you be doing in Sheffield?

A. I will be working with Sheffield Presbyterian Church primarily in regards to college student ministry. I will also be helping with various other ministries and duties with that church (Young People’s ministry, Sunday school, etc.)

Q. Who is Sheffield Presbyterian Church?

A. Sheffield Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of England and Wales; a conservative Presbyterian church devoted to evangelism, the preaching of the Word of God and the right observance of the sacraments, as well as holding to the Westminster Standards as a statement of faith. Please check out their website: http://sheffieldpres.org.uk/

Q. Where is Sheffield?

 

A. Sheffield is a city and borough in the Midlands of England. It is the third largest English district by population. It is neighbored by the beautiful Peak District and is nestled among rolling hills and five rivers. There are two universities in Sheffield: The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University. Together there are numbered 55,000 students with less than 2000 having any knowledge of the gospel. Here is a map to show it’s geographic location.

Q. Are there any churches there?

A. This is a bit of a loaded question. Yes there are physical churches there but people rarely darken their doors. For example, one church (actually a cathedral) very near to the University of Sheffield campus is now the theatre department for the University. I have heard of many varieties of churches (mostly Episcopalian) but I’d say that the church is very weak and liberal in Sheffield. There are a couple seeker friendly churches there as well. Sheffield Presbyterian Church is the only Presbyterian church in that area and many of the surrounding shires.  There is also a very large mosque in Sheffield; I have seen lots of Muslims there. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work mightily in England!

Q. Are you being sent by a mission agency?

A. No, my home church, Redeemer Presbyterian Church of Brunswick, Georgia, is sending me. They sent me to CAR as well. They are a small PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) church and have a great heart for missions.

Q. How long will you be there?

A. I will be there Lord willing for one year.

Q. What is it like in Sheffield?

A. Sheffield is very different than any other place I’ve lived at. It’s much cooler than south Georgia or Africa and actually has four seasons! From what I’ve seen from the two week stay there, it is cloudy and rainy a lot. It’s very green there and there are lots of trees. In fact, Sheffield is known for having the largest ratio of trees to people (for a city of its size) in all of Europe. in the summer the average high is 65 and in the winter the average low is 35. One friend told me its a perpetual autumn.

Q. How do you plan on reaching out to college students?

A. There is a local college Christian fellowship group that meets. However, as a church worker, I can’t go to the meetings. But I hope to enroll in a class or two at Sheffield University so I can go to the meetings and meet students through classes, etc. My plan is to invite students, especially strong believers, to Sheffield Presbyterian Church and then try to start a college Bible study as a part of SPC.

Q. Where will you be living?

A. I will be living with two other Christian single guys from SPC in a little three bedroom house. It will be a neat cozy place to live in. The address is 344 City Road SHEFFIELD S2 1GA. There is public transportation access very near the house.

If you have any other questions, please submit them as comments on this page and I will do my best to answer them.