The Eves Family 2021
Three years have flown by at Oak Hill. It doesn’t feel long ago that we were saying goodbyes to you and leaving Maidenhead to start at college, and now the packing is starting again as we look forward to our next steps as I get ordained and begin a curacy at St Nic’s, Newbury.
The Eves Family 2024
Looking back on the last three years I think one of the things I’ve realised most is how significant church family is. I don’t think that I was really prepared for how unsettling it was going to be leaving Maidenhead and a church where we’d been known and loved for almost a decade. Turning up at a placement church which was half an hour away, and where our children were sometimes the only ones there, was hard. We learnt lots from the vicar there who was doing a hard and faithful work, but it meant that we felt the loss of you all as our church family especially strongly. The last two years, thankfully, we’ve been at a more local church where, again, a wonderful, godly vicar is doing great things and, especially, it has been fantastic to be a part of a gloriously diverse congregation who are imperfectly striving to love Christ and love one another.
In terms of studies, it is fair to say they have been stretching! New Testament Greek was an unexpected favourite. Modules on cross-cultural outreach, the historical development of secular Britain, Evangelism and Apologetics, John’s Gospel and some strange things called ‘Canonical Exegesis’ and ‘Public Theology’ are some which particularly stand out. If you get me talking about any of those topics, as Suzie has learnt, I will be talking about them for quite a while. I learnt lots in every single one of the modules I took and so I’m left slightly questioning if I really knew anything when I was the Youth Minister at St Mary’s!
We are so grateful to God for this time at Oak Hill. All five of us have made brilliant friends who we are going to be very sad to say goodbye to in the coming weeks. Our children have grown a lot (see before and after photos) and, as far as we can tell, seem to be growing in their faith – they love their groups at church and it’s been a joy to see them taking little steps in living out what they’re hearing there and from us. We pray on – but are grateful for the Lord’s kindness to us in giving us these children who are lively, challenging at times, but who daily bring joy to our lives.
Later this month we are moving, as I said, to Newbury. As we’ve got to know the church over the past nine months or so we’re excited about what lies ahead. In many ways St Nic’s feels familiar and fairly like St Mary’s. I’m not sure what my precise responsibilities will be just yet but we’re looking forward to being back in Berkshire and stuck into the heart of church life with all the joys and challenges that come with that.
We still very much miss St Mary’s and are so grateful for the friendships we still have with so many of you – thank you so much for the ways in which you have supported us and prayed for us over the years. If you’d like to pray for us again then we’d be so grateful!
Specifically:
- For a straightforward move (from a practical side of things).
- For Jos and Tilly changing schools at the end of June. We’d love for them to feel settled and have made a friend or two before the summer holidays.
- For us to be good at loving one another as a family well as we go through a big change together.
- For myself, for good relationships with new colleagues and wisdom about what opportunities there are to serve and spread the gospel in Newbury.
Simon, Suzie, Tilly, Jos and Theo Eves
Both Tim Adams and I are being ordained on Saturday 28th September at Christ Church, Oxford.
If you would like to come and support us then do save the date. We’re not sure exactly what the situation will be in terms of how many people will be able to come but we will keep you updated and expect there to be a good amount of space.