19: Nothing is ever wasted with God
Today’s Guest: Ian Dowsett
Ian has been in church leadership for the last 20 years. He is married to Ruth, who leads alongside him, and they have three amazing girls and one very lazy dog. They have planted a church on an estate in Central London and now lead a church in North West London.
Ian briefly taught history, which he still enjoys reading about and is a tentative triathlete and 1-time marathon runner! He also has a heart for the homeless, having helped those on the streets since being a teenager and now as a trustee of FirmFoundation, the homelessness charity in Harrow. He has been a Christian since the age of 9 yet still enjoys discovering new aspects of God’s love and goodness.
Here’s a summary of this week’s story:
Ian talks about his desire to help people deal with their emotional baggage and how while being mentored by an older Christian this desire was birthed in him. He realized that God was there for every decision, not just the big ones, and it opened up a new way for him to depend on God.
Ian felt called to church leadership right from his teenage years but became a history teacher after Uni because he felt God wanted to prepare him in this way. During this time, Ian faced difficult classes with students from different backgrounds and learned valuable lessons about giving people time and getting to know them on an individual level.
Having served as a Church of England vicar for 20 years, Ian shares how his favorite stories to come out of it have always been seeing people change and their lives transformed.
Ian shares his belief that nothing is ever wasted with God, referencing Romans 8:28 which states "all things work together for good". He believes there are times of conflict and disagreement in life, but looking back now he is glad they happened because they made him stronger.
There is a lot of pressure being a church leader and a parent but Ian says mostly he puts the most pressure on himself. His two daughters recently decided to leave their home church, which could have been seen as a failure by others; however Ian saw it as an opportunity for them to spread their wings and grow in maturity.
Ian's one message is to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. His advice is to stop trying to do things on one's own and instead get onboard with Jesus' program, as it leads to a richer life full of joy and peace.
Links & Resources from today’s story
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