iGod

Storehouse – offering more than a can of food

A number of years ago I fell for this girl. She was beautiful, bright and played the cello, but she also had something else that made her attractive, well at least to me. It was an unselfish desire to do something for others in desperate need.

I don’t mean simply giving money to an appeal that comes through the front door or handing in half-worn out clothes to a charity shop, but actively doing something.

And that was how I got involved.  She and I became part of an ambitious homeless project called the King’s Table, which was started by a couple of London Vineyard churches to provide food and clothing to the down-and-outs in central London.

After a church service cars loaded up with large vats of hot food, along with a rusty white transit van full of boxes and clothing rails crammed full of donated items, left for the Embankment, off the Strand. We spent two hours giving away the stuff, as well as befriending and praying for people’s needs.

On my first visit I was staggered to find a queue of over 100 people waiting. Quite honestly, I felt more than just a little out of my comfort zone.

The team leader of The King’s Table, gave me a simple, idiot-proof task. “Andrew, can you collect the ticket numbers? They need to hand them in before they can get food. Got it?”

Got it! What could be simpler? However, it was not long before there was “an incident”. A young man came up with a friend and said, “My mate ‘as just been stabbed, Whatcha gonna do about it? The bloke who done it is over there.” He duly pointed to this moody older man to make his unequivocal point. I really wish he hadn’t.

As I looked down I saw a dirty, shaking hand clutching a wound through a blood-soaked t-shirt. I stole a glance to the older man just an uncomfortable 30 yards away.

“Well, what are you going to do about it?” The lad now glaring at me awaiting a firm and resolute response.

“Do about it? Mate, I just collect the tickets!” Actually, I just thought that.

Eventually I muttered something utterly pathetic. “Oh dear, that does look bad. Dear oh dear. Goodness! I, er, well, goodness!” I caught the eye of one of the team. I must have had a look of abject desperation and uselessness because he rushed across and immediately stepped in. The boy was mercifully taken away to safety by an ambulance and the older man arrested. I heard later that he made a full recovery.

It’s not easy reaching out to people with extreme needs. Often they are the unlovable and undoubtedly some of us are emotionally equipped to help more than others. However, for the Christian it is part of what we are called to do, to show the same compassion of Christ. In fact, Jesus talked about how the poor will always be with us, so it demands a compassionate human response.

Homelessness often comes with mental illness and gut-wrenching stories of broken families, sexual abuse and bullying. Sadly for some drug abuse and alcohol problems are never far behind. For me, that first day with the King’s Table changed me forever. My heart was simply broken.

It is one of the reasons I was keen that Stour Valley Vineyard Church made the value of compassion a central part of its local vision.

Our social programme, Storehouse, has now been going for five years. We have provided hundreds of food bags to those in direst need. They include items such as, pasta, rice, cereal, tinned vegetables and meat, tea, UHT milk, as well as essential toiletries. These are then thoughtfully put together to suit maybe a single mum and their baby, or a teenager who is “sofa-surfing” or someone sleeping rough in a tent. It comes with no judgment or strings attached, just a lot of love.  

On Sunday mornings at the Delphi Centre food and household items appear at our Storehouse collection point from members of our church, along with valuable midweek donations from a couple of other local partners.

But it is one thing to give a hand out and another to give a hand up. We have recently assisted someone with a background of drug addiction and prison to move on to start a degree and a new life for himself. Something he could never have imagined once upon a time. 

We also provide a free three-week Money Management course for those who struggle with their finances and slip into debt. No-one at our church gets paid for doing this. It just comes with the satisfaction that today maybe someone’s life might have just got a little better.

The problem is the need is growing, which sadly reflects the national picture. And as the need grows we want to do more through Storehouse. If you are an organisation, church, school or individual we’d like to invite you to help. Could you support Storehouse with a financial gift or donate a couple of cans a week? If so, why not drop a line to our team or ring 07973 710905.

By the way, I married the girl. And grateful I am too.

ASD

Stour Valley Vineyard is a contemporary church with traditional beliefs. It meets on Sundays 10.30 am at the Delphi Centre, Newton Road, Sudbury (apart from the first Sunday of the month).

Easter Great Big Giveaway

We had a fantastic reaction to the hot cross buns giveaway this morning. We warmed up 500 of the beautiful little things and gave them away to grateful Saturday shoppers.  Great conversations. Very proud of church.

ASD

'Happy Pancake Day' from the church

Being Shrove Tuesday, our church plant, Stour Valley Vineyard Church is taking to the streets to do our Great Big Pancake Giveaway, offering these culinary delights to our town's office and shop workers, along with the shoppers themselves.

The 'Great Big GIveaways' came about after reading American Vineyard Pastor Dave Workman's book three years ago called The Outward Focused Life, which is all about creating 'a servant culture in a serve me world'. If you don't have a copy, buy one.

Today we'll be out there with our familiar SVV Gazebo, along with camping gas cookers, frying pans and spatulas. This follows on from the other mass giveaways we do, such as hot mince pies at Christmas, bottles of water and juices in the Summer, heart-shaped chocolates on Valentine's Day and Hot Cross Buns on Palm Sunday.

So why do we do it?

it is part of our expression of what we believe we are called to be: kind to strangers. We are in the Kingdom business of wanting to show a God of kindness and generosity - with no strings attached. We don't give it a name like evangelism. This is way too loaded and full of over-expectation. However, it is undoubtedly a witness and is making hopefully a postive statement why we do what we do. And we love it.

Of course, we want to see our church grow numerically and spiritually, but if we reduce evangelism to a free pancake on a cold Shrove Tuesday lunchtime it becomes a cheap gimmick and we should be very ashamed of ourselves.

Admittedly, but unbegrudgingly, it does costs us quite of a lot of time, money and energy to do these community events, and if we were looking at these from a business investment perspective I am not that sure we would have many financial backers.

But that's the Kingdom for you. It often takes the reverse position to point people towards Christ without distraction.

For instance, we see in the gospels the coming of Christ in an unkingly manner born in a dirty stable, the lonely unglamourous death on a Roman cross and the unexpected power of the resurrection. This is not an obvious formula for success. However following Jesus has spawned a worldwide movement, spanning 2,000 years and encompassing a third of the world's population, as well as still being the fastest growing major faith system.

This makes God's way very different to the world's. The Kingdom of God is an upside down way of working. For instance, In our weakness we find strength, we are told the first shall be last and the least shall be great. Whoever wants position must be another's servant.

So we go out on the streets and do something untriumphantly understated as give out a pancake. However we believe 'small acts of kindness done with great love', to quote Mother Teresa, can change the world. And it is within every Christian's grasp to do it, individually and corporately.

Yes, it means we are have to be sacrificial with our resouces without looking for a return on our investments, otherwise we are not truly being servant-hearted. For some today it will mean booking a day off work, lose a day's pay or simply getting the courage up to leave the walls of the church building and be seen as a servant of Christ in our community.

So as we prepare to begin Lent tomorrow, on Ash Wednesday, which for many Christians will mean abstention of certain things, may I wish you all a very Happy Pancake Day!

ASD

 

 

 

A nice quote about not missing life's opportunities

19th century American author Mark Twain said, “ Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.”

ASD

Thrilled to be at your church?

Just been reading Dave Workman's latest post from Nigeria where he and some of his team from his church are ministering to churches out there. During this visit they have helped to build a borehole, among other building projects.

What struck me about his words was his last almost throwaway comment:

"These moments make me thrilled to be a part of the Vineyard. I think everyone should feel that way about their respective church."

I wonder, if you are a Christian, if you feel thrilled to be a part of your church. Sometimes I hear people say that they are at their church because it's the best there is in their area or feel obligated to stay, even though they don't know why.

I would encourage us all to take some kind of 'thrill test'. Now it might make us feel more than a little uncomfortable, but I would ask you to have the courage to go through with it.  And if what your church is doing does not thrill you, ask yourself how it could do. This does not mean writing your pastor, vicar or lead elder a long list of ideas, but seeing what the Lord would lead you into doing. You never know it could be fun. 

It really is not wrong to love your church, though of course we should be be careful to not cross the line from it becoming an idol. But I can honestly say for me that I love my church, I love the Vineyard. It gave a sense of 'coming home' and being accepted for who I am. I wonder what your own church has given you. Maybe sit down and reflect with a coffee on that one. Then as things come to mind, maybe turn them into a prayer of thanksgiving.

Does your church bring you freedom? Does it affirm and support? Does it alow you to be creative? Does it energise you or feel like it sucks all the goodness out of you? I sincerely hope it is not the latter!

The guys in my church know I rarely say no to people when they come with an idea to do something. I love the thought that they know they have a listening ear and feel liberated to ask.

As John Wimber said famously, "Let the bush grow". We can always prune it back later. But cut it back too soon and we might kill something quite precious. Also, if we are not careful, someone's spirit might well be crushed.

You see, when we are excited by our church I suspect our communities will pick up on it. Church then becomes a lot easier to invite people to. If we feel church is dull and boring, there is really not much enouragement or will to see others come along, only to share in our apathy or unspoken misery.

The last benefit of being thrilled by our church is the inspiration it gives to serve and be generous with our own resources of time, energy and money. It means we can do so much more. Perhaps even building the odd borehole in poor villages in certain parts of Africa.

I'll give Dave the last word: "This adventure with Jesus is never boring. Ever. I can’t think of anything in the universe better than serving the One who has a plan for this big messy world and invites us to join Him."

ASD

 

 

Faith, like coffee, should be real to be enjoyed

Once in a while I get teased about my Facebook profile picture because I am told that I am drinking the longest cup of coffee in history. The shot was taken by my wife while we were in Prague for a long weekend three years ago. And what great coffee it was too. (Mind you, the European Medieval environment probably helped.)

I remember jokingly telling a close friend of mine, now my Area Pastor, that the only way I would ever leave West London and go into the country would be if there was a certain coffee shop there. So when I visited Sudbury, South Suffolk after having had more than a strong prompt by the Lord to go there, I discovered to my shock and delight a Caffe Nero had just opened. Awesome.

My wife and I just sat at a corner table in this newly furnished place profoundly silent. Though she had tears in her eyes. I should hasten to add it was not so much the coffee itself, though not one to detract from the experience, but because we felt, along with some other significant confirmations, somehow rewarded for obeying The One leading us.

Now, hear me clear, I am not so vain to think that cafe was opened just for us. As if. However, faith lived out in real experience makes for a much more enjoyable life. And through it we find some wonderful unexpected joys along the way - if we will just step out and take God at his word.

James, the brother of Jesus, writes in his pastoral letter to the early church that "faith and works" together is the only way to go, otherwise faith it is a complete dead-end and an utter waste of life's time (I paraphrase here). Faith has consequences - whether it brings suffering or pleasure.

Sometimes it will lead, probably more often than not to hardship. But even in hardship there is joy. I experienced that last weekend when with our friends Jason and Michelle Scott at Dungannon Vineyard.

As I looked down from the old military observation post on a town about the the size of Sudbury, I saw the main square, much similar to our own. I was told that over the years it has been the site of several car bomb explosions.

The town's mood is depressed. People have little money with few prospects. The long-hoped-for regeneration programme has all but come to a grinding halt. The social housing programme has been scraped due to lack of cash. On top of all that its history of religion-infused politics and vioence continues to have its impact on families' lives and emotional well-being.

In short, there is no place for a 'huddle and cuddle' pietistic Christian experience here.

And yet, in the midst of it all, I find a vibrant and beautiful expression of church which greets you with a warm smile and hot coffee.

It's work in the community is simply and profoundly moving. It does not take sides with anyone, but the poor and hard-pressed. I came away feeling that more than ever Northern Ireland, and the rest of us, need to confront the religiosity and judgmentalism that often tries to pass itself off as 'faith'.

Following Jesus cannot just be monastic, devotional or a matter of words. As James says so well (again, paraphrasing), it thrives best when lived out in a practical, community-based, real-life experience.

Accept no imitations.

ASD

 

Should church leaders Tweet?

There is an interesting article on the Leadership site by Jonathan Acuff who explores the pros and cons of tweeting. As someone who has entered the Twittersphere in the last few months I have found it a better experience than I expected. It has given me one more channel to keep the conversation live! with people. And it is quicker than a conventional blog, so when time is really a premium it has enabled me to keep in touch.

There are of course drawbacks to Twitter, and for those of us using it I am sure we are still finding our way through by our mistakes. I know I am.

ASD

Out with the old, in with the renewed

On what has been a challenging year for many financially and personally, a very happy New year to everyone.

For myself, I am grateful to God for another year to serve. By the goodness of God our church has grown, spiritually and numerically. I feel I have also grown through the experience, as well as personally through other trials along the way. I have undoubtedly made mistakes, but hopefully I have done some right too.  So I can't think I will be making any new resolutions, but rather simply renewing my promises and keep on keeping on.

Tonight, on New Year's Eve, I'll be taking it easy with the family. Maybe it is just an age thing. I came across this quote today:

"Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to." - Bill Vaughn.

But here is, perhaps, a slightly deeper, more thoughtful quote from GK Chesterton:

"The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made new year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards. Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven."

Wherever you are in your own personal journey of faith, may you know His peace and mercy in 2010. Let's continue the conversation then.

ASD

Kindness at Christmas

I have been in Pret a Manger this lunchtime buying their redoubtable Christmas sandwich. Apart from being a great festive munch the sandwich will also mean a donation being made to Crisis, the homeless charity. A charitable thing, indeed!

However, while waiting to be served I saw their poster on the wall which said how they give free food and vans to the homeless. However, they were quick to say that it was not because they were "nice" people, but because they hate good food going to waste at the end of the day. I don't know about you, but this kind of sends out mixed messages to me.

it is funny how being "nice" is a somewhat out of vogue virtue. The adage goes if people are being nice to you they want something. It is a cynical view and not totally unfounded.

Recently a well known atheist entertainer suggested that Christians are "kind" to manipulate people's feelings, to lull them into their net of deception. At least, that is the gist of one of his myopic arguments. Sad, really.

Of course, as marketing techniques go, the offer of something apparently "free" only to "pay later" is a well tried and tested way to acquire business. It's giving with "terms and conditions".

As someone who loves doing acts of random kindness for people, I have to be honest and say I get very little out if it in the sense of seeing huge amounts of people added to the church.  I enjoy bringing some happiness into someone's life, but If I was doing it to be manipulative you would have to say I am not doing it very well!

However, I am trying to show Jesus, The Jesus who loves with no strings attached. Not the fundraising Jesus for a leaky roof or the TV evangelist Jesus who wants you to ring in with your credit card details. That's not my Jesus. God save us!

Have I got an agenda? You bet!

It is to show people that there is a God that loves them without a set of terms and conditions or a "buy now, pay later" scheme.  My God is the God of freewill, not a God of trickery, manipulation or illusion that looks to beguile the innocent and vulnerable. My God doesn't need gimmicks or to entertain to get your attention.

Being kind is different to being "nice".  "Nice" is twee and arguably skin-deep.

Kindness cares. Kindness costs. Kindness is compassion. It is also often a forgotten fruit of the Spirit.

Kindness is no kitten.

ASD

I’d like to share an uncomfortable conversation with you

I had a difficult conversation with someone who is not a Christian, which made me feel deeply uncomfortable and incredibly sad. I was asked a simple question: “Doesn’t being a Christian mean living your life in a different way to the rest of us?

Er...yes,” I slowly replied.

Behind this question there was a whole heap of stuff kicking off. Their experience of Christians has been far from a good one. He has seen them blatantly lie, be foul-mouthed, lewd, be two-faced, put the proverbial knife in the back of others. The list goes on.  In short, he has seen them at their most pious and their most duplicitous.

In a not too gentle way, he was telling me that Christians’ ethics seem confused and leave a lot to be desired. Furthermore, it was not attractive to him.

And if that is not enough, let me now tell you that part of that picture was formed by working with Christian organisations.

How does this sit with you?  With me, it makes me want to squirm.

Now please hear me, I don’t write this from a sanctimonious attitude or am I about to suggest that Stour Valley Vineyard Church is the one getting it right, but my motive for sharing this is because someone else has been denied access to the real Jesus - and that just breaks my heart.

To be honest, I found it hard not to go on the defensive. I said some things such as people will always do people stuff, whether they are in or outside of the church.  I also said that Jesus held his greatest judgement on the religious people of the day who lived by the letter, but not by the spirit.

What would you have said?

At the end of the day I recognise that we are all hypocrites at one time or another and used to being hoisted on our own petards, but the main thing is to recognise this and repent of our ungodly attitudes, and work towards living a pure and holy life in Christ.

My heart’s desire is that people come to know the real Jesus and experience authentic Christianity. The trouble is authentic Christianity has a habit of showing up our worst features to ourselves and those around us.  It exposes us and makes us feel naked.  (If you are not a Christian and reading this please don’t give up looking. It is out there. It really is!)

However, we can’t hide the truth that with God’s mercy comes judgement. The Bible says clearly that all who profess to know Him and live in Him will be called to account for their actions, as much as those who reject Him.

 Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthian church to beware of those who water down the gospel. He says, in effect, that they preach a false Jesus, a false gospel. He goes on to say ‘their end will be met with what it deserves’. Sober stuff!

I am of the firm belief that becoming a Christian is nothing short of a miracle, because left to only us we would make a right old hash of it. Sometimes I think too much blame is put at the convenient door of secularism, when really the problem is inside.

We live with the dialectic tension that we are the body, hands, feet, and voice of Christ, but without his perfection. Yet, by his grace, he still continues to use us.

And what an amazing grace it is too!  It stops me feeling condemned by uncomfortable conversations. However it is a grace given at a price – God’s own son tortured and murdered for you and me. That makes me want to value it not cheapen it.

Following Jesus has got to be a way of life, not a convenience, surely.

ASD