Matt and Ellie Heywood News June 2026

Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up."

This month has been a beautiful reminder of the gift of friendship and community.

After saying "See you later" to friends and family in the UK, we travelled back to the Philippines, where others were excited to welcome us back and hear about our travels. It was such a blessing to be missed and warmly received.

We reconnected with old friends, made new ones, and had the opportunity to meet leaders and pastors from across the Asia and Pacific region, who are faithfully serving their communities. It was a privilege to hear their stories, pray together, and see the many ways God is at work. Moments like these remind us that God's family reaches far beyond borders, and the world feels a little smaller as we share in His mission.

This month, we were reminded of the words in Ecclesiastes—we are not serving alone. God places people around us to encourage, strengthen, and pray with us. Though we serve in different places, we are all working toward the same goal: sharing Jesus with the world.

We're excited to share with you what we've been up to this month!

Elim Global Conference

Our biggest highlight was attending the Elim Global Asia Pacific Conference in the Philippines. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with pastors and leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region, including India, Cambodia, Australia, and New Zealand. It was also a real joy to catch up with some familiar faces. It was a refreshing time filled with worship, inspiring testimonies, encouraging messages, meaningful fellowship, and, of course, lots of delicious food!

This time away was exactly what we needed. We returned feeling refreshed, encouraged, and full of renewed energy as we look ahead to the season God has in store.

New School Term

We're grateful to have started a new school year at City Gates Academy, welcoming 27 new students into our school family! It's always exciting to see new faces, and the teachers have been working hard to help everyone settle in and feel at home. We're looking forward to all that God will do through the school this year.

The high school students have also returned after their summer break, and it's been great to reconnect with them. We're excited to begin a new youth series together, and the new games we brought back from the UK have already been a big hit. It's been wonderful to see friendships grow as we begin another term of learning, discipleship, and community.

Prayer Request

We're working on some exciting new initiatives for our church in town. There are lots of moving parts, so we'd really appreciate your prayers for wisdom, unity, and God's breakthrough as we navigate the challenges and step into all He has planned.