Dear Church Leader
I seldom write from the TVCA with unreserved recommendations for any particular ministry, but I believe that this particular ministry I am sharing with you today is a real gift from God for our area. So please read carefully and prayerfully consider your response.
Martin Ruddick is Teesside born and bread and has been preaching in the area for the last twenty five years, since the age of eighteen.
He is gifted evangelist with a real reaping ministry and has worked on the staff of local churches for twenty of those years.
Martin has preached extensively throughout the UK and overseas in
countries such as, India, Uganda, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Latvia, Spain, France, Italy and Sardinia.
Since 2006 Martin has been working across the denominations as an itinerant evangelist and is equally at home with large or small gatherings.
He has a God given ability to bring a simple, powerful and relevant message interspersed with large helpings of natural humour.
Over the last three years Martin has been hiring halls across Teesside, in partnership with the local churches, specifically preaching the good news and has seen almost two hundred first time decisions from people coming to faith in Jesus Christ.
The next phase Martin believes God is directing him towards is to offer four day missions in individual churches, or groups of churches around the various towns in Teesside. He has seen this particular model used effectively in other parts of the country and would like to offer this form of outreach to interested churches.
Although itinerant in his ministry Martin believes in the church and that his evangelistic gift is to build up numerically and strengthen in faith, local congregations.
He and his family live by faith and as such there is no charge for his ministry.
It would be the responsibility of any participating church to determine the level of financial support that they feel is appropriate.
Martin and I worked together for seven years in local church and he was a huge inspiration and blessing to me personally and to the church.
If this is of interest to you please contact me on 07711 838346 or, Martin direct on 07853351696.
I look forward to hearing from you.
With every blessing.
Phil Hillsdon
Chair of TVCA
To whom it may concern
I have known Martin Ruddick both as a friend and colleague for eleven years.
I first met Martin when I was at Bible College in 1996-1997 where he came to lecture on the subject of evangelism. I was immediately impressed with his humour, his gifted delivery, his passion for the subject and his practical application of preaching the gospel.
Martin and I then worked together for seven years when I became Senior Pastor of the church in which Martin was an Elder. We saw the church grow from about one hundred and eighty to about four hundred and fifty people within that period. Martin played a key role in that period of growth organising weekly evangelistic guest services and preaching at the vast majority of those events. Those years were very precious and I have never enjoyed working with anyone more than Martin. He is inspirational and a blessing to be around.
In recent years Martin has organised and run his own evangelistic missions working with local churches, helping them to set up Alpha courses and maintain an evangelistic focus.
Martin’s main gifting is evangelism, although not just speaking at events but also teaching others to evangelise, giving them inspiration and confidence.
I begin leading another church on the 1st September 2008 and I will definitely be working with Martin as much as possible in this new venture.
I cannot recommend Martin highly enough to you. He is a man of integrity, faith and vision, with a depth of biblical knowledge and understanding that I believe is outstanding.
Please work with Martin as much as you can, I guarantee you will be blessed and you will see new birth in your church.
With every blessing,
Phil Hillsdon
Co-ordinator for Tees Valley Christian Alliance,
Senior Leader, King’s Church Darlington and
Event Organiser, Just 10 North East.