Oh no, it's Christmas again!

Every year at about this time,for onr night, my church is taken over by a bunch of loud, over active and enthusiastic kids just itching to get on stage and give everyone their version of the Nativity. Believe me, there is something unique about the Christmas story when it is acted out in a broad black country accent.

We start practicing in November giving us about 7-8 weeks to get it right. Every year I vow not to get stressed out with the rehearsals and every year I break that vow. At the dress rehearsal it was absolute chaos! No one was listening (including the staff), the kids were rioting and when we did get started it seemed to drag on for ohours! At one point I had to run to the sound desk and tell the engineer to switch the star on as we had three wise men walking round the platform supposedly following a star that was lighting their way. On the actual night of the performance I went into the changing room and informed the organisor that it was five minutes to the start and that we were starting on time. I returned three minutes later to find them doing last minute rehearsals! Who does rehearsals two minutes before the start of a performance. What little hair I have left suddenly got very grey!

Our version of the nativity this year included fairies! Yes, you have read it right -fairies. I have scoured the New Testament and can find no mention anywhere of fairies. But as they say in the newspaper trade, why let truth get in the way of a good story? Our angels were cute little girls dressed in white with the inveitable tinsel round their heads. Mary and Joseph were played by two youngsters who are brother and sister in real life and as usual, we had the fake fire for the shepherds who again as usual you could not hear unless sitting right next to them. One of the three kings could not get near enough to the mike to sing so eventually forced his way to the front.

But, because it was kids acting and giving their best, the congregation loved it! They applauded every song, laughed of the mistakes and missed most of the scripted jokes - but hey, no one is perfect. It was a good evening, even though during the serving of light refreshments afterwards untold mince pies were trampled into a carpet that is notoriously difficult to clean.

I have memories of very many nativities (most of them bad - only kidding). One of the most vivid is where the cast had to do a dance routine with some music from Grease as a background. Where on earth John Travolta fits into the Christmas story is beyond me but there you go.

O.K. to finish this blog, I trust you have smiled at the descriptions given and maybe even remembered similar situations you faced yourself. If so, I have achieved one aim in writing this blog - the other is to remind you (if you need it) that Christmas is not about who gets what, who can eat or drink the most but that Jesus Christ was born to bring us peace and reconciliation with God. He was God's gift to the world.

life in a playground

I can well remember taking my grandaughter to the local playground so that she could run around and let off some steam. It was great to see her enjoying herself. I did get worried at one point, when she ascended a climbing frame to the top and then said 'grandad' and launched herself at me confident that I would catch her! This was repeated several times, always with a big grin on her face!

She had complete trust in me and was full of assurance that I would be there to catch her! It's a big responsibility, having to care for and protect a child, especially one as active as Emmy! She has trust in me and knew that I would be there with my arms wide open, always on the lookout, protecting her from danger.

It reminds me of the trust that we can have in God. Christians, although they cannot see God have the assurance that He is there and that He will protect and safguard us. As we live our lives we can know that God is there with His arms wide open, looking out for us.

At times, He will allow us to go through trials or to face issues that we need to sort out. We just need to remember that round about us are His everlasting arms, arms that will guide and lead us.

Many years ago now, when we used to sing hymns in my church, one we regularly sang had as the first verse and chorus 'What a felowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms. What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. (ch) leaning leaning safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning leaning. Leaning on the everlasting arms'.

Till next post.....................

Life in the real world

I sometimes despair of the human race! With major disasters happening seemingly everyday, the credit crunch, children being horrifically abused, what occupies the minds of the public and the media? It's one of two issues. The ongoing saga of Strictly Come Dancing with the dancing pig, and is the voting on X factor fair?

What seems to have been missed with the 'pig' is that he finally quit to go on a free luxury cruise (or so it was reported) and who really cares about the X Factor and the (so it seems) stage managed rows. It's about time we had a reality check on the reality tv shows! Those who know tell me it's cheap to make the programmes (and it sure does show in the content) and the whole aim of the programmes is to win the battle of the viewers. Do not even get me started on Big Brother and I'm a celebrity!

Can you imagine what would happen if the put down of contestants, the sarcasm of highly paid 'celebrity' judges etc were to happen in the office or workplace? Before you could say Simon Cowell, someone would be facing a disciplinary hearing and eventually be dismissed for gross misconduct. Talking of gross misconduct, I see a certain chat show host/radio presenter has been given the green light to return to work after his suspension ends.

When will someone face the reality that reality tv is past its sell by date and should be disposed of. Please put it out of our misery!

Whoops!

Just a quick post to clarify that the 'Alan' mentioned in the two posts re the mean streets of West Brom is not the Alan that occasionally attends West Bromwich Community Church. My apologies for any confusion and thanks to Jan for raising the query.

Food Bank on the move!

After my recent posts on the theme of the mean streets of West Brom, it's great to report some good news!

The Food Bank which since it began has been based at the West Bromwich Community Church is moving into offices at the Wood Lane Community Centre. We believe that this move will enhance the service we offer to those who are in crisis and remove the barrier that some may put up in coming to a church for help.

The weekly rent is low and includes heating lighting and everything else! We have also been given free use of a cellar where we can store our stocks of food. There is also the potential to rent more space if we find that we need it in the future.

Keep visiting this blog for more updates!

Life on the mean streets of West Brom (part 2)

A quick update on Alan (see previous post). I had not seen Alan for over a week, when his friend John turned up at church today (7th). Apparently Alan had been beaten up again and was now in the orthopaedic hospital in Birmingham. The police (according to John) had not arrested the alleged assailants and were not active in pursuing the matter.

Alan had a social worker from the adult team who rang me to say that he was closing the case as it appeared Alan was able to do the normal things of life. All the social worker could do was to signpost him to support agencies for help with his alcohol and mental health issues. He could do nothing about his homelessness as it was not his department.

Meanwhile John had moved into a flat after a time on the streets. He had Alan to stay a couple of nights, but Alan brought home four 'friends' including a 19 year old female. There was trouble, a neighbour called the police and the friend was evicted. He is now back on the streets, nowhere to live.

I am really having a problem on how to finish this blog without going into a total rant about injustice and the marginalisation of a vulnerable section of society. Suffice to say, that we will return to this subject soon!

Life on the mean streets of West brom

Let me introduce you to Alan. He is a 64 year old man and lives in West Brom. Nothing unusual in that you may think, lots of 64 year old men live in West Brom. What's so special about Alan?

When someone reaches their 60's the natural assumption is that they are settled, have a home and family and are enjoying their work or in some cases their retirement. Think again!

Alan has problems. He once invited some 'friends' to his home, they caused so much trouble that he was eventually evicted. Since then he has lived on the streets. He has been beaten up, had his benefits stolen and been in hospital at least once. One of my colleaues from the food bank actually saw him walking the street in hospital pajamas, and, thinking he had walked out persuaded him to go back to the hospital. They had in fact discharged him. When I met Alan for the first time, he was filthy, wearing dirty clothes and his face was covered in that stuff they use when treating cuts. He had no money, was waiting for an emergency payment from the benefits agency and had been to see the police about his being beaten. He did not want to press charges or make a statement and so the police could do nothing.

I managed to talk to his social worker who said that he could do an assessment but if he 'passed' he could only signpost him to support agencies for his alcohol problems. I did, however, manage to get Alan an appointment for the next day.

The next day came and at lunch time Alan and his friend turned up at church. They were both soaking wet and very cold. Talking to them, it turned out that Alan had not made the appointment but had been to see the police again and had decided to press charges against those who hade assaulted him. He was to go back later to the police station and have photos taken of his injuries.

At this time, we had just finished serving senior citizens at our weekly luncheon club and as there was some food remaining, Alan tucked into a hot meal and really enjoyed it. His friend was also fed. While it is not our practice to give money to anyone coming in to the church, a member was so touched and concerned about Alan's plight that she gave him some money to buy a coat. Alan should be in sheltered or supported housing with support workers helping him to work through his issues. He should not be walking the streets of West Brom!

Where have we gone wrong? We can explore space with no problem, we can get involved in wars that are illegal, we can bail out the banks who through their own fault have lost millions, but we cannot look after some of the most vulnerable people in our society!

Recently, my mind has been returning to my past. If I mentioned this to my two sons, they would immediately assume that I was entering my dotage. I have, however, been reflecting on the times I worked with the homeless in West Bromwich and Birmingham. The following is from a collection of my experiences with them.

I have worked with young people, mainly females who have suffered horrific abuse at home, usually from someone who is supposed to love and nurture them as they grow into adults. This abuse becomes a part of their childhood and unless they can manage to break free, they are condemned to suffer it, usually in silence. It takes tremendous courage for an abused person to make a conscious decision to break free. This will involve them leaving home, with very little in the way of possessions or money. The fortunate ones will find their way to a hostel where they can for a time 'relax' and take the first steps eventually towards rebuilding their shattered lives. The unfortunate ones will end up wandering the streets and living in cardboard boxes, where their vulnerability will be plain for all to see.

Why is it that there are never enough resources to deal adequately and compassionately with those who for their own personal safety have to leave home and face yet more dangers on the streets? Is our society really that uncaring, do we shrug the problem off and blame the politicians? We all read of cases of abuse and cruelty in the papers, the stories of the street drifters, yes our reaction is that someone needs to do something and quick! The problem is that very often that someone is not you or I. There are not enough good Samaritans to go round! I can guarantee that the majority of us have, at some time, passed by on the other side and ignored the problems on the opposite side of the street.

My work with the West Bromwich Food Bank has given me contact with those in our society who are marginalised, the homeless, the families and individuals caught up in the poverty cycle, the women and children facing domestic abuse, the list is endless.

I believe that we as society should do everything we can to improve the quality of life of those who very often through no fault of their own end up facing horrific situations and have no idea what to do. It's no longer an option to pass by on the other side of the street!

Here we go again

This last week has absolutely flown by and as I sit writing this blog, I realise that it will soon be Christmas! This is just an aside, as I want to write about this week and what has happened. During the week, we had another agency sign up as a partner in the Food Bank which was great as previously we had been assisting them on an informal basis. The 'fame' of the food bank is spreading and we are getting positive feedback from clients and agencies which will count for a lot when we start applying for funding! Latest figures tell us that we have now supported just ovr 300 adults and 93 children with emergency food supplies.

On Thursday night there was a meeting of the Food Bank steering group at which I seemed to be doing most of the talking, this was odd, as I am not a member of the group. I am there as Project Co-ordinator so everyone asks me questions!

Friday morning I arrived at my church where I am employed part time as an admin person. The first thing I noticed was the door. Not unusual you may think as all churches have doors. True, but this door was different in that someone had jemmied it open and left a right mess behind. With all sorts of thoughts going through my mind I opened the door and the firs thing I saw was the letters which had been delivered that day! On entering the church, the alarm went off immediately. A check of the building revealed that the office laptop had gone.

A call to the police was made and then I had to call the church leadership to give them the good news (again). This was the second time in about two months that we were targetted. The first time they tried to get in through a side door which resulted in us having to find the cost of a replacement. (We have a £250 excess on our policy). Anyway, to cut a long boring day extremely short, the door was secured by 7.00 pm and I went home.

Is there a point to this blogpost I hear you cry through gritted teeth! Yes there is! As a Christian church we believe that there is good and evil in the world. We believe that if we are doing something to show the love of God to our community then the devil will do his best to stop it or discourage us that much that we stop trying. In reaching out to the community, we have made ourselves a target. We trust God and have faith in Him that 'all things work together for good to those that love God'.

Akways look on the bright side

I have some good news for all the avid readers of my blog! According to Professor Jones of University College London, human evolution has very nearly reached its peak. We can only expect to increase life expectancy by a maximum of two years and we are as close to utopia as we are ever likely to get.

There, don't you feel just a little bit better knowing that? Amid the global economy going into free fall, a certain politician making a come back for the third time and people suffering poverty as never before, it's just wonderful to know that we have nearly reached perfection and that we should expect no more!

Evolution always reminds me of that story where a monkey after reading Darwin's theory of evolution, comes to the startling conclusion that 'I am my keepers brother'.

Seriously, if this is as good as it gets, we have been seriously misled somewhere along the line. My Bible tells me that things will get better, one day there will be no more sickness, no more death, no more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow (Revelation 21 v 4) Now that's what I call perfection!

Church, coffee and croissants

Today, Sunday 5th, we did something different at church, apart from starting on time! About 30 of the congregation gathered from 9.15 am to take part in a free breakfast and to enjoy a time of fellowship before the main meeting. On offer was cereal, toast, croissants, fruit juice, toast, tea and coffee (with bacon rolls for those who wanted something less healthy). Superbly organised by someone who is so modest he did not want his name mentioned it was a great time.

Following the breakfast, those present then took Communion together. This was special, as we remembered the true meaning behind Communion. It was also the first time, I think, that we had had Communion in a setting other than 'normal' church. After a short break we had our usual Sunday morning celebration which despite the time we had already spent at church went really fast.

It's a great way of doing church, it builds relationships and strengthens and deepens the sense of community that is so vital to the church. Can't wait for the next breakfast, due on Sunday November 2nd at 9.15. The only niggle I have is that I only had one bacon roll and someone knocked my filter coffee over!

I am not a number I am a free man

Some years ago, there was a programme on t.v. called the Prisoner. For those not old enough to remember, it was about a secret agent that wanted to resign but was kidnapped by his own people and interrogated. As part of the dehumanisation process, he was stripped of his name and given a number.

It may have only been a work of fiction, but have you noticed how, when you try and ring a government agency or indeed any firm that gives a service, they are only interested in you as a number. It's either your national insurance number or a reference number they want. (That's assuming you are fortunate enough to get to talk to a real person, rather than listening to a voice saying how important your call is for 27.75 minutes).

We need to get back to the concept of treating people as people, not as numbers. If it takes a little longer to sort - so what!

My God is a God of the personal - He knows me by name and what's more He actually cares what happens to me! Even better, I don't have to wait on the phone for hours to talk to him.

Think on these things!

simple but effective

In 2004 the Trussell Trust, a Christian charity based in Salisbury developed the Food Bank concept. The Food Bank collects and stores food donated by individuals, churches and organisations and then freely gives it to individuals or families who face a crisis in their lives and cannot afford to feed themselves.

Each food bank works in partnership with statutory and voluntary agencies in their locality. These partners are in the best position to assess the needs of their respective clients. Once the need is identified the agencies will issue a voucher which the client brings to the food bank centre and exchanges it for three days worth of food (10 meals).

Since the project started in West Brom on December 17th 07, it has been able to support nearly 300 adults and over 90 children who for one reason or another did not know where their next meal was coming from.

Reasons why they were in crisis varied, but included benefits cuts, benefit delays, low income and in several cases women and children who were the victims of domestic violence. We have also begun to see the true extent of homelessness in our town.

Originally, the project was to cover West Bromwich, but as our partners worked across Sandwell we expanded to cover the six towns that make up Sandwell. Referrals have also come from Birmingham and Dudley.

Although the project is run from West Bromwich Community Church, we work in partnership with churches in the area and our volunteers are drawn from these churches.

For further information, try http://www.trusselltrust.org/ http://www.westbromchurch.org/ or http://www.westbromfoodbank.btik.com/

Ooops, I see its been 10 days since I last posted on the blogsite. it has been a busy time, as I have been to Harrowgate to help out at an exhibition. (7 hours on my feet trying to publicise the work of the Food Bank Network, followed by over five hours travelling back to good old West Brom. If you ever go to Harrowgate and want a good bed and breakfast, try the Azalea Court hotel on Kings Road. I paid £30 for the night. I even got a free upgrade to a bigger room. The only 2 problems I encountered were, there was no remote for the t.v. and I had to get up of the bed to switch the light out! On the plus side, there was a hair dryer and iron in the room.

Then, as I was waiting on the rail station, the mobile went off and it was our local paper wanting to do an interview re the Food Bank (fame at last).

My church, West Bromwich Community Church www.westbromchurch.org were hosting a community fun event on Saturday 27th at the Oak House. You will never believe the amount of paperwork I had to complete. There was a 12 page risk assessment, a booking form for the parks department, checking out the insurance policy to see it covered for at least £5,ooo,ooo and being polite to various council officials and then booking a security guard for the event.

I have to say it was worth it. Around 200+ people attended and enjoyed free bouncy castles, sumo suits, slides, games and a free barbecue. The weather was brilliant and there was a great atmosphere. Staff at the Oak House were pleased to, as they had 150+ visitors looking round the house.

The object of the event was to introduce our church to the local community and also to tell them the good news of the gospel, i.e. Jesus really can make a difference! Six people responded to the challenge of following Jesus. A great finish to the day.

Hopefully, my next post will feature the work of the West Bromwich Food Bank, so keep on watching this blog!

Going (in the) Public

Yesterday, Denise and I went to a community forum meeting. This is a forum for voluntary groups in West Bromwich to meet together, share info and find out what is happening in West Brom. The added bonus last night (besides the free tea and biscuits) was that the meeting was being held in the Public.

For those not of West Brom, the Public is a new building dedicated to the arts with lots of ineractive stuff to keep the kids happy on a day out. Basically it is a rectangle with pink windows and 21st century fittings and exhibits. Depending on your point of view, it is either a pink shoe box or an iconic building at the heart of the regeneration of West Brom town centre. It was late opening, over budget and has appeared on News at Ten! It has also led to the Labour and Tory groups on the council threatening to report each other to various scrutiny or standards boards.

Anyway, back to the meeting. First, we had a tour of the building. I have to say I was really impressed and will be going back once everything is up and running. As a resident of West Brom, I am hoping for a discount on the admission price! (Well, £6.95 seems a bit steep and with a cup of tea costing £1.20 it all adds up). The guy leading the tour was brilliant and was really polite to everyone, including the ones asking stupid questions! I know there is always one in any group, except that on this occasion we had more than our fair share of them!

First impressions are that the Public is worth a visit (especially if we get a discount!) If you visit the Public website, be aware the email contact is not working!, so call in for info or 'phone them.

For those readers wanting to know about the meeting, it was over quickly, but I did learn something from SCVO and that is, my group West Bromwich Food Bank cannot apply for some new funding because we have not been in existence for twelve months or more.

This is a new venture for me and means I have to remember to keep the blog updated regularly! How long it will last is anybody's guess, still I owe it to my public to at least try!

The photo on my profile is situated at the entrance to the West Brom Shopping Centre and commemorates the visits of Wesley as he fulfilled his mission to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the town. I belong to the West Bromwich Community Church (Elim Pentecostal) which is a minutes walk from the town centre and, like Wesley, we want West Brom to know that there is good news that will transform the way they live.

Having said that, my church does not believe in just telling people where they are going wrong. We aim to show our concern in practical ways. At times it is a steep learning curve for all of us, but it is our mission to bring hope and love to the community.

A project we are involved in is called The West Bromwich Food Bank. More of this at a later date. We have four words that are at the heart of the Food Bank, 'Restoring dignity - Giving hope. This is our desire for West Bromwich.