Catching up with Liz Holden

Elizabeth Holden

M.M: How was your time in Zimbabwe?
L.H: I absolutely love the country. I always feel my heart is here. I’m never worried about the politics but its great connecting with friends – friends that are dear to both of us. I feel so at home and completely connected to the church. It’s inspiring to see the churches working with the poor.


M.M: What is your favourite quote?
L.H: John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”


M.M: What is your favourite food?
L.H: Italian food – fresh tomatoes, basil, fresh cheese, pasta and things like that.


M.M: Nice! What is the last thing you do before you sleep?
L.H: I read before I sleep.


M.M: What are your favourite books?
L.H: Phil Moore’s book on Matthew called “Straight to the heart”. It’s like a daily reading. I enjoyed the Sermon on the Mount. I also like “The Cross of Christ” by John Stott.


M.M: Have you done anything with women lately?
L.H: I had a women’s retreat in Norwich where about 400hundred came. It was all about making a difference and it went really well. I spoke about getting women out of their comfort zones, being pro-active in sharing Christ and being active in the church.


M.M: Sounds awesome. From your travels across the globe, what would you say are the issues facing women in general?
L.H: Women carry alot of responsibility and can feel disconnected/isolated. Single women also carry alot and they need encouragement. Sometimes it can feel like a man’s world and we need to support each other as women. Don’t neglect each other as women live busy lives and it’s easy to get isolated.


M.M: That’s really interesting! What do you do for fun?
L.H: I absolutely love spending time with my children. They are good for me. They tease me alot. I have 5 grandchildren. I also ride my bike. That’s fun!


M.M: Thanks so much Liz. It’s been great catching up with you. Have a wonderful time in South Africa and beyond.

By Molly Manhanga

Meet Bev Landreth-Smith

Bev Landreth Smith is married to Mark, leader of Beacon Church, Camberley,U.K. It’s such a priviledge getting to know Bev more……. This is what she said….

M.M: Tell me briefly about your background?
B.LS: Well, I had a fantastic Christian upbringing. My dad was a local printer, my mum was a stay-at-home mum. We were part of a big church in Woking, where we were very involved in church life. My favourite things were family bible weeks, sewing and making things, youth group every Saturday night.

M.M: How best would you describe your family life?
B.LS: Well, I had a musical family and my brother would play piano for us all to sing lots of church songs. My Dad loved to train us in the art of conversation, and we would have sociable family meal times discussing God, Maths, society, the bible, our life choices etc. My mum had a big heart for the ‘marginalised’ so we would often have one or two extra at the table. Family life was noisy, crowded, loads of fun and games, not a lot of money, and full of Jesus!

M.M: What are the most significant events of church life since Mark starting leading Beacon Church?
B.LS: First, God gave me a neighbour to babysit our four small children, so I could be involved in meetings from when the church plant began. We soon grew out of our hall for Sunday meetings, and that building became the centre for administration. Also we started various mid-week groups like toddler group, children’s clubs, coffee mornings and prayer groups. We are now about 300 on Sundays. That building has now been demolished and we are building another on the same spot. It will be great, but not big enough for our Sunday morning meeting. We have a staff of four based there, and lots of new initiatives to start soon. Most significant event was having J John one Christmas, but there have been other good events too.

M.M: Exciting. Any challenges you’d like to share?
B.LS: Church planting is both exciting and scary together. The familiar security of the big church is hard to leave, and the planting starts with hard work. The challenge was keeping our own kids excited about God and the church. The next was to keep the momentum going throughout the congregation to keep on inviting people in. Another one was training up new leaders all the time.

M.M: You did a Training Track with Wendy Virgo at The annual Brighton leaders conference in July. What did you share on and how did that go?
B.LS: This was a really exciting time for me, as God has been leading me to encourage and teach women in the church specifically. For the last 5 years we have built a team to organise events with many creative and gifted women getting involved. We have been able to serve our region of churches too, as the smaller ones need plugging in to Newfrontiers whenever they can. In Brighton I shared on ‘The battle for materialism’, which is something we all face no matter what our financial situation is. We looked at being continually thankful, permanently contented and learning the joy of waiting. I was very encouraged at the response, and will be speaking on that subject again in the New Year. You can download the talk from the Brighton TOAM website.

M.M: Who is your favourite Bible character?
B.LS: Esther, for she was prepared, commissioned and strategically placed for ‘such a time as this’. So – you Queens out there….take your throne!


M.M: What is your favourite film?
B.LS: I have a few, so my favourite genre of film would be tasteful period drama. I like Who-done-its and Love Stories made in that context. My delight is in the respectful way in which they speak and the lavish costumes they wore.


M.M: What is your favourite quote?
B.LS: Charles Dickens “Cry your hardest now, it opens the lungs, washes the countenance, exercises the eyes, and softens down the temper. So cry away”
We should never stop folks crying! God is at work.

M.M: Great getting to know more about you Bev.

By Molly Manhanga