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Bryce and Bethany Heard
Serving in Mansfield , England |
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Website: www.calvarychapelmansfield.org.uk
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Email: [email protected]
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Missionary
Bryce and Bethany Heard were married in September of 1999 and came to live in St. George, Utah shortly after that time. They both felt the call of missions on their lives, and decided that the Lord’s direction was to serve in the ministry at Calvary Chapel St. George for one year before being sent out to the mission field. Calvary Chapel St. George had the privilege of sending the Heard’s to Mansfield, England, Bethany’s home town, in September of 2000 to plant a church & serve the Lord in full-time ministry.The Heard’s four children were all born in England, the twins, Molly and Elizabeth, in May of 2001, Olivia in June of 2003 and Natalya in December 2005.
The People
God laid Forest Town, Mansfield, UK on Bryce and Bethany’s heart to plant a church. It lies near Robin Hood’s old haunt of Sherwood Forest situated in the county of Nottinghamshire, right in the middle of England. The largest city in the area is Nottingham, about 20 minutes from Mansfield, which boasts about half a million people. Mansfield is a city of about 200,000 people, including the connecting villages, of which Forest Town is one. Only 1% of the people are bible believing Christians, and only 4% go to any church, thus the need for a church there.
Prayer, fellowship, and bible teaching are the greatest needs in England today. While the British are relatively wealthy when compared to many refugees in the world who are in physical need, they are among the worlds most needy spiritually. The only way the gospel will take root in their lives is when they hear the gospel preached & through the prayer of God’s people.
Augustine wrote, “Without God we cannot, without us God will not.” The Lord promised in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.”
Prayer, fellowship, and bible teaching are the greatest needs in England today. While the British are relatively wealthy when compared to many refugees in the world who are in physical need, they are among the worlds most needy spiritually. The only way the gospel will take root in their lives is when they hear the gospel preached & through the prayer of God’s people.
Augustine wrote, “Without God we cannot, without us God will not.” The Lord promised in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.”
The Ministry
The ministry in Mansfield began with a Tuesday night prayer meeting consisting of Bryce, Bethany, Bethany’s mother, and occasionally a neighbor. This was the beginning of the church in Mansfield. After nine months they moved the prayer meeting to a public building and the growth began. They are rejoicing in the way the Lord has flourished the ministry since then.
In addition to the Sunday morning service, they also have biweekly Wednesday night bible studies, a bi-weekly women’s bible study, a Friday early morning men’s meeting, and run various other gatherings. In addition, they opened a coffee shop, “Selah House” as an outreach to the community. It has been very successful in opening doors to expose the local people to the Word of God.
Calvary Chapel Mansfield started its own outreach to the world by adopting a Karen Buddhist village in Burma to help make it sustainable as well as bring the gospel to the village. They also support a church planting in a Muslim country and have workers in Austria planting a church in Klagenfurt.
In addition to the Sunday morning service, they also have biweekly Wednesday night bible studies, a bi-weekly women’s bible study, a Friday early morning men’s meeting, and run various other gatherings. In addition, they opened a coffee shop, “Selah House” as an outreach to the community. It has been very successful in opening doors to expose the local people to the Word of God.
Calvary Chapel Mansfield started its own outreach to the world by adopting a Karen Buddhist village in Burma to help make it sustainable as well as bring the gospel to the village. They also support a church planting in a Muslim country and have workers in Austria planting a church in Klagenfurt.