Pastor Dave gives badged Testaments to members of the Granny’s Ring Mountain Bike Club on their “top of the mountain” bike ride.

When Pastor Dave from Kings Church in Newport and Chaplain of the Granny’s Ring Mountain Bike Club heard that the Gideons could provide him with badged Testaments, he was excited at the possibility. “Dai the Vic”, as he is known, traditionally gives a gospel talk to Club Members at the “top of the mountain” each year when they go out for their Christmas ride. In 2018 he was also able to use this opportunity to offer each member a Badged Gideon Testament. 

The presentation opportunity began at a school presentation where Gideon Members from Newport & Wye Valley Branch mentioned the story of how the Gideons started. They said it could be read in the introduction to the Testament the students would be offered at the end of the assembly. One of the students they gave a Bible to that day was the Dave’s son. When this student got home he asked his father if he knew the story of the Gideons. Dave thought he meant the story of Gideon in Judges, but after his son explained and showed his father the page in his Testament, Dave thought he would like to contact the Gideons, but felt that the Holy Spirit was telling him to hold back and pray about it.

Parallel to this, one of the branch members who works for Care for the Elderly needed to visit Pastor Dave’s parents who are retired missionaries. They mentioned their son was a pastor and suggested that Gideons contact him. Branch Church Assignment Officer, Glynne Taylor duly made contact with Pastor Dave and was amazed when Dave said that he had been praying about Gideons and was waiting for someone to contact him. Following a series of meetings a date was arranged for a Sunday morning service assignment.

Branch member Glynn Taylor mentioned the Badge Testaments initiative and Pastor Dave, a keen mountain biker, told him about the Granny’s Ring Mountain Bike Club and his unique opportunity to witness to fellow enthusiasts. Badged Testaments were duly prepared and Pastor Dave was presented with a Granny’s Ring Mountain Bike Club Badged Bible together with Testaments for the Club Members. The photograph also shows Pastor Dave’s personalised club jersey: Dai the Vic!

Submitted by Glynne Taylor, Newport & Wye Valley Gideon Branch.