Upon visiting a URC-supported project in Derbyshire which provides a safe space for families facing difficult social circumstances to share fun and food together, Simon Peters, project manager for Walking the Way saw first-hand the significant impact which habits of gladness & generosity, fellowship and eating together can have on people’s lives.
‘He’s from Church House? I want to talk to him!’ came a voice from the kitchen as I wandered round the community hall in New Zealand, a suburb of Derby built on the land of a former farm which celebrated the 1840 treaty of Waitangi which established British rule in New Zealand.
It’s always quite daunting hearing that. You never quite know what someone’s going to say, the issues they might raise or the questions they may have.
The remnants of the old British empire may have long gone, but the effects of empire, as the Council for World Mission defines it, can still be felt in this community. There are lots of people dealing with poverty, hunger and addiction, with insufficient care or support from the people or places that should be giving it.
The chef who came out to meet me had been working with the other volunteers to help children to make their own pizzas, thinking about ingredients, how to eat healthily, how to work on a budget. He tells me that many of the families here face very difficult circumstances at home, and that he himself must constantly deals with his own alcohol addiction. ‘The work that’s going on here makes a huge difference to the people here, and I want you to know that,’ he said firmly. It’s obvious from his passion that it has taken a huge amount of work to set this project up, and takes even more to keep it going.
Vicky Longbone, a URC Church-Related Community Worker (CRCW) who helps to run the project told me that ‘the project is not a religious one, but people know that Christians play a vital role, as a result of their faith, in making this happen. Whatever people coming along might believe themselves, they know that, in followers of Jesus, they find people they can trust, people who will be there for them, people who will love them unconditionally.’
This was confirmed by one of the mums attending who took time whilst her children were eating to tell me how much it means to her to have a place where they can come to get what they need without feeling ashamed or judged. ‘It’s great that church folk are involved in things like this,’ she said, ‘I hope they keep doing it, ‘cos we need it.’
Who are the people in your community who are being ignored or neglected? How might you and your church be the loving presence of Jesus for those who need it most? The faith-filled community stream of Stepwise, which is now in development, could help you consider this.
