Dear Friends,

Welcome to our May newsletter which we are sending out on the last day of the month. Things are rapidly moving forward for Lisa and I. Here are just some of the many things which filled our time since our last newsletter:

• We graduated another group of amazing students from the Bible college. 
• We announced our replacements as Directors of the Bible college campus. 
• We traveled to both Edinburgh and the Highlands to meet with Scottish pastors who host our student missions teams. 
• We are sorting through our household goods to determine what few things we will pack up and ship to the States, and what we will give away.

Plus we are connecting with as many people in-person as we can before we depart Scotland in a couple of weeks. In some cases we are meeting with folks we haven’t seen in person for over a year due to the COVID lockdown restrictions (which are finally loosening up somewhat here in Scotland, praise God!)

Changing of the Guard

Lisa and I are thrilled that Andrew and Jasmine Sharp have been appointed as our replacements to head up the Charis Bible college campus in Dumfries. Andrew and Jasmine are the ones we recommended to the ministry for the position. They have decades of ministry experience and have been with us in Scotland since before we launched the campus.

Before they joined us in Dumfries, Andrew and Jasmine volunteered at the Charis campus in Belfast for two years after graduating from the Belfast campus and completing their third year there.

Over the years their help has been invaluable to Lisa and I. So much so, that we cannot see how the campus would have been anywhere near as successful without them. We know the campus will be in the best possible hands moving forward.

Full Charis Dumfries Team

Our Charis Dumfries promotion/graduation ceremony was held on May 15th. We were very pleased to promote 11 first year students, and graduate 14 second year students along with 8 students from the third year leadership program.

Because the government COVID restrictions were still in force, we conducted our graduation via Zoom. That meant this entire school year was conducted entirely online for our Scottish campus.

Fortunately, the Scottish government began to loosen up the restrictions starting in the week after our graduation ceremony. That was a blessing because it allowed us to bring our entire staff to our facility for a staff luncheon. One of our staff members had not been on campus for nearly a year and a half, since the whole thing began when she was still a third year student.

It was a tremendous blessing to have the opportunity for a proper goodbye with our entire staff. Lisa and I are confident they will continue to thrive after we return to America.

Connecting With Churches

Lisa and I were blessed with opportunities to connect with pastors from the churches in the Highlands and Outer Hebrides Islands who host our Charis Dumfries missions trips. Pastors Donnie and Catriona Stewart travelled down to Edinburgh to visit their daughter’s family. We drove to Edinburgh to meet them for lunch. Lunch turned into an entire afternoon as we walked down the street to a coffee shop to continue our conversation.

Later, Lisa and I drove up to the Highlands for a couple of days to see Pastor Marie MacLeod. It was such an encouragement to spend time with these amazing pastors who have been faithfully preaching the grace gospel of Jesus for decades. Their joy is infectious. Their passion for people and the nation of Scotland is inspiring.

We had the additional blessing of delivering first year completion certificates in person to Roy and Ingrid Poulson, who are leaders with Pastor Marie in Tain. 

When we disciple believers and equip leaders in the Body of Christ, we strengthen churches. This is what our time here in Scotland is all about.

Preparing to Move

We are down to about two weeks until we fly back to Colorado. We have done our best to give a thorough turn over for Andrew and Jasmine at the Bible college. Now our focus is on final preparations for our move back to Colorado.

Lisa has several suitcases packed with various things that would be more difficult to replace. Beyond that, there isn’t much that we will take with us. We are blessing folks here with our furniture and whatnot. Lisa is organizing that too. I’ll get the banking related things sorted and make arrangements to sell the car.

And then there are all the people to connect with for a last lunch or dinner before we go.

We know we have plenty ahead of us. There are a thousand details which must be sorted through before we can board the plane for the return flight.

Fortunately we know that God is faithful. He can be trusted to provide for us on the move back to Colorado, just as He proved Himself trustworthy on our move here to Scotland.

The Big Questions

There are two questions that are by far the most asked of us as we transition back to America:

1. What are you most looking forward to when you get back to the States?
2. What will you miss most after you leave Scotland?

The answer to both questions is the same: the people.

For Lisa and I, our hearts’ desire is to be a blessing to people wherever we go. And when you prioritize blessing others, you can’t help but connect at a heart level.

Time and time again these past few weeks folks have shared with us how God has blessed them through the work we’ve done here. I wish there was a way for you to listen into every one of those conversations. Then you would see what Lisa and I see: the fruit produced through NewCREEations is outstanding.

If you are a partner with NewCREEations, this is your fruit. You will receive an equal share in the heavenly reward for all that fruit. This includes all the fruit produced by the Dumfries campus of Charis Bible College in the years to come. Lisa and I could never have accomplished any of this without your generous support.

As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.— 2 Corinthians 9:13 (NLT)

And if you have never partnered with us, I encourage you to prayerfully consider doing so now. There are tremendous benefits promised by God when we partner with those who actively work to expand His Kingdom here on earth. (I share about this in my Rejecting Mammon book. It’s an excellent read, if I do say so myself!)

Not only are there tangible benefits for you here and now, but when you partner with NewCREEations you also help in equipping for the work God has in front of us. You can be a part of making a difference while laying up fruit that will last throughout all eternity.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in nor steal, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.— Matthew 6:20-21 (MEV)

Lisa and I very much appreciate all those who are part of our NewCREEations team as partners. We know there is much more Kingdom work ahead of us, both in America, and also back here in Scotland too. We are excited to see God’s direction as He reveals more of our next steps.

We will send out next month’s newsletter from the other side of the Atlantic. Until then,

Blessings,

Chris & Lisa Cree

P.S. The generosity of our partners last month enabled us to purchase our airline tickets back to America. We are so grateful for our partners. Once back in America we will purchase new video equipment as we sowed our existing video gear to the college, in part because it is made for UK electrical voltage. We will also need to sort out something for a vehicle, plus establish a new home. If you would like to be part of what God is doing through NewCREEations Ministries as we transition back to America, please prayerfully consider partnering with us. Thanks in advance for sowing into the Kingdom as we move into what the Lord has next for us. The best is yet to come!

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NewCREEations Ministries
953 Forest Edge Rd
Woodland Park, CO 80863

P.P.S. Bessie said she will miss Lisa stopping by to say hello.