On Sunday my middle daughter fell off her scooter whilst travelling at a fast speed downhill. This resulted in a lot of blood as she had put her tooth through her top lip. The owners of the house we were outside of, came out and helped us, giving us all that we needed. It was such a relief to have such lovely help. I carried on to church with 2 of our children whilst my wife Rebekah went back home with the other 2. She had only gone past a couple of houses when she heard a man talked in a loud enough voice to make sure Rebekah heard complaining in foul language about the noise and making derogatory remarks about our parenting before shutting his door. When I heard about this I felt disgusted, angry, offended. It was the opposite of compassion. I felt like going round and showing him how disfigured my daughters face was. Instead I decided to pray for him! It was my best way of dealing with my feelings.
Henri Nouwen writes that we must never "underestimate how hard it is to be compassionate. Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely and broken. But this is not our spontaneous response to suffering. What we desire most is do away with suffering by fleeing from it or finding a quick cure for it."
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Feast Training is on the 21st June!!
And not the 21st July! (thanks lavern!) We will meet at 1.30pm this Sunday. If you are involved in the Feast it will be great to see you.
Well this week has brought it's share of surprising stories. We had the longest ever interview for a resident on Wednesday morning which lasted longer than 2 hours and contained all the ingredients that normally feed addictive behaviour. I was reminded and inspired that freedom is found in Christ, he is the one that can heal our shame and guilt, that can bring reconciliation and forgiveness.
Later on yesterday I found myself mediating on behalf of a patient in hospital that he should not be released with no fixed abode. Especially after they fitted him with a catheter!! How strange humanity is sometimes! Arguing that this ill man needs accomodation before he gets released from hospital.
Well this week has brought it's share of surprising stories. We had the longest ever interview for a resident on Wednesday morning which lasted longer than 2 hours and contained all the ingredients that normally feed addictive behaviour. I was reminded and inspired that freedom is found in Christ, he is the one that can heal our shame and guilt, that can bring reconciliation and forgiveness.
Later on yesterday I found myself mediating on behalf of a patient in hospital that he should not be released with no fixed abode. Especially after they fitted him with a catheter!! How strange humanity is sometimes! Arguing that this ill man needs accomodation before he gets released from hospital.
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Feast training 21st July 2009
The next Feast training takes place on Sunday 21st July at 1.30pm (straight after the second meeting). There will be a meal provided so please can you let Lucie Alley know if you are planning to come. We will be addressing some recent issues such as the difficult behaviour of some of the women who attend the Feast as well as looking ahead at where the Feast and project will go. And it is a great opportunity to get to know other members of the team. Please do try and be there!
I have recently suffered from writer's block with the blog, not sure what to write sometimes because there is too much to write other times I can't include the information because it is personal information. So here is an update the project currently has 26 residents (that is capacity).
I am reading a book called 'strength to love' which is a collection of sermons by Martin Luther King. The sermons are powerful, inspiring and are set against the backdrop of racial oppression and a world that was fearful of the future. Perhaps I will blog some more on this book.
There are 20 people currently booked into Encounter Camp which takes place between the 17th and 21st August. I am delighted by this number because this camp is a life changing experience.
The plans for Caring Christmas Trees are progressing well and I recently spent an afternoon visiting a Christmas tree farm looking at 10's of thousands of trees and a reindeer! I am very excited about this new initiative.
I am giving a lot of time to planning where we go next as a project. This involves time praying, visiting other projects and asking lots of people who are involved already what they see as the future for the Jericho Road Project. My favourite suggestion so far has been from someone at the Feast who suggested "Metal health workers".
I have recently suffered from writer's block with the blog, not sure what to write sometimes because there is too much to write other times I can't include the information because it is personal information. So here is an update the project currently has 26 residents (that is capacity).
I am reading a book called 'strength to love' which is a collection of sermons by Martin Luther King. The sermons are powerful, inspiring and are set against the backdrop of racial oppression and a world that was fearful of the future. Perhaps I will blog some more on this book.
There are 20 people currently booked into Encounter Camp which takes place between the 17th and 21st August. I am delighted by this number because this camp is a life changing experience.
The plans for Caring Christmas Trees are progressing well and I recently spent an afternoon visiting a Christmas tree farm looking at 10's of thousands of trees and a reindeer! I am very excited about this new initiative.
I am giving a lot of time to planning where we go next as a project. This involves time praying, visiting other projects and asking lots of people who are involved already what they see as the future for the Jericho Road Project. My favourite suggestion so far has been from someone at the Feast who suggested "Metal health workers".
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Nightstop UK
Nightstop UK is an organisation that I have known and worked with for all the time I have been in London. Click here to see a short video about their work.
Friday, 22 May 2009
Micah Challenge
I spent the morning at a Micah Challenge consultation meeting. The Micah Challenge operates in 40 countries and exists to "reawaken the church to its biblically-mandated, prophetic role in fighting the injustice of global poverty, whilst, and by, empowering it to play its part in efforts to hold world leaders to account for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Click here to have a look.
At this meeting I was in a group with a fascinating man called Ade Omooba. He helps run lots of social action initiatives. He is one of the key guys organizing the London Global Day of Prayer, he is co-founder of the Christian concern for our nation http://www.ccfon.org/ and is a strong anti-gun and knife crime campaigner, as a result he organized the London wide 33 days of prayer last summer that specifically prayed about that issue. And he is a really nice guy!
The following is a news article from last year when he was held at gun point in New Cross http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7663928.stm This was shortly after the 33 days of prayer. Please do look at this article!!
At this meeting I was in a group with a fascinating man called Ade Omooba. He helps run lots of social action initiatives. He is one of the key guys organizing the London Global Day of Prayer, he is co-founder of the Christian concern for our nation http://www.ccfon.org/ and is a strong anti-gun and knife crime campaigner, as a result he organized the London wide 33 days of prayer last summer that specifically prayed about that issue. And he is a really nice guy!
The following is a news article from last year when he was held at gun point in New Cross http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7663928.stm This was shortly after the 33 days of prayer. Please do look at this article!!
Thursday, 14 May 2009
900th person at the Feast
Last night's Feast was a slightly rowdy affair with a good number of people. This included a high number of women which has been a recent trend. There were 5 new people and also some friends who haven't been for quite a while. In recent weeks a typical scenario is people returning to say hello and say that they are housed and doing well, which is great encouragement.
We also welcomed the 900th(and 901st, 902nd, 903rd and 904th) person to attend the Feast since it started in January 2002.
One simple request - the Feast needs empty clean margarine tubs. Please bring them to the kitchen at King's.
Encounter Camp 2009 please click here
If you would like to come please inform me. The cost is £60, this is made up of £25 to encounter, £20 transport and £15 food.
I would love to take a really good group.
We also welcomed the 900th(and 901st, 902nd, 903rd and 904th) person to attend the Feast since it started in January 2002.
One simple request - the Feast needs empty clean margarine tubs. Please bring them to the kitchen at King's.
Encounter Camp 2009 please click here
If you would like to come please inform me. The cost is £60, this is made up of £25 to encounter, £20 transport and £15 food.
I would love to take a really good group.
Friday, 8 May 2009
How to give to the Jericho Road Project!
I have recently prepared a document that outlines how to give financially to the Jericho Road Project and here it is.
The Jericho Road Project started in 2001 and has grown into 6 houses providing low level support for 26 residents, an outreach meeting called the Feast and a support group called LifeGroup.
The JRP is a ministry of King’s Church and operates under the legal and financial covering of the church. The Jericho Road Project is a ring fenced fund, therefore the project uses the benefits of the King’s Church office and therefore keeps costs low. However the JRP currently has a turn over of £150K and with the many people in our city that need help there is much more we would like to do.
How is the JRP financed?
Rents, combination of housing benefit and residents payments, make up the largest percent. Please be aware that the rents do not cover the support costs, the rents cover the costs of the houses plus a contribution towards the management of the project. Other sources of income are donations from individuals and churches and support from King’s Church.
How does the church contribute?
The church makes a regular payment to the JRP and also contributes the following. Office space, phone calls, IT support, legal support, paper, other resources, admin staff time, premises management, training, oversight, prayer for the project.
Do people make individual donations?
For the last couple of years individuals have been able to make regular payments and one off donations. Our group of monthly donors has made it possible to employ a full time key worker.
How do I make a financial contribution?
Please fill in the form on this flyer where you can join our regular donors. Regular donations help us to plan ahead.
You are also welcome to make one off payments, again please fill in the form. These can be made by cash, cheque (mark clearly for the JRP) or by bank transfer (use the information for standing order)
£10 a month = 1 sleeping bag a month to a rough sleeper.
£50 a month = Key working support for 1 resident each month
How do I find out more?
You are welcome to visit the Feast or LifeGroup.
Visit the blog www.socialactionjrp.blogspot.com
Request a standing order form to give regularly to the Jericho Road Project.
Thank you for reading this, please do contact us on sallen@kingscentre.org.uk or 020 8690 4646
Charity number: 1082666
The Jericho Road Project started in 2001 and has grown into 6 houses providing low level support for 26 residents, an outreach meeting called the Feast and a support group called LifeGroup.
The JRP is a ministry of King’s Church and operates under the legal and financial covering of the church. The Jericho Road Project is a ring fenced fund, therefore the project uses the benefits of the King’s Church office and therefore keeps costs low. However the JRP currently has a turn over of £150K and with the many people in our city that need help there is much more we would like to do.
How is the JRP financed?
Rents, combination of housing benefit and residents payments, make up the largest percent. Please be aware that the rents do not cover the support costs, the rents cover the costs of the houses plus a contribution towards the management of the project. Other sources of income are donations from individuals and churches and support from King’s Church.
How does the church contribute?
The church makes a regular payment to the JRP and also contributes the following. Office space, phone calls, IT support, legal support, paper, other resources, admin staff time, premises management, training, oversight, prayer for the project.
Do people make individual donations?
For the last couple of years individuals have been able to make regular payments and one off donations. Our group of monthly donors has made it possible to employ a full time key worker.
How do I make a financial contribution?
Please fill in the form on this flyer where you can join our regular donors. Regular donations help us to plan ahead.
You are also welcome to make one off payments, again please fill in the form. These can be made by cash, cheque (mark clearly for the JRP) or by bank transfer (use the information for standing order)
£10 a month = 1 sleeping bag a month to a rough sleeper.
£50 a month = Key working support for 1 resident each month
How do I find out more?
You are welcome to visit the Feast or LifeGroup.
Visit the blog www.socialactionjrp.blogspot.com
Request a standing order form to give regularly to the Jericho Road Project.
Thank you for reading this, please do contact us on sallen@kingscentre.org.uk or 020 8690 4646
Charity number: 1082666
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