Weston Street Pastors - Annual Report 2018

Well, what a year Street Pastors have had, andso much to give thanks to God for: we have trained 12 new volunteers,who are part of our Saturday night teams caring, listening and helping those who are vulnerable on Saturday nights.

Another 2 volunteers are coming to the end of their comprehensive training schedule, which they have enjoyed, and welook forward to welcoming them to our teams in the new year.

We have also appointed 3 new Trustees whose role is to  help ensure that we comply with legislation as well as participating in the decision making process.

Finally we have been blessed with a new treasurer who has all the skills we need to look after our finances. We are so grateful.

We continue to chat with people on the streets on Saturday nights, and often encounter those who have been helped or know someone who has.  Recently we encountered a man who comes from Manchester, but is currently working locally. He stuck with the team asking questions about who we are and why we do what we do. What an opportunity to share God’s love in such a real way! He was utterly amazed to see us sweeping up glass in the High Street. saying “I’ve never seen anything like this.

Where do we go from here? There are many other challenges that we can explore -School Pastors, Rail pastors, patrolling  & being a presence on our streets on other nights of the week etc.  It’s all very exciting.

We could not manage without support, and we are blessed with ongoing consistent support received in so many ways, and we thank those who pray, donate financially etc. etc.  We know that walking the streets is We know that walking the streets at night is not for everyone, so we have plenty of suggestions of how you can get involved. Do contact us.

Chair: Pete Maxwell  -This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ or Mobile:07821581854

Co-ordinator- Jane Milsom – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Mobile - 07766678446

Community Pastors in Weston Super Mare

Three new roles have been created on the new housing estates in Weston-Super-Mare recently for Community Pastors. With a focus on being the hands and feet of God out in the community, each of these Community Pastors is seeking tobring God to the people in their area in a relevant and accessible way.

The three roles have been filled by Fiona Mayne at Haywood Village, Ellie Gray at Westwick and Claire Roberts at Locking Parklands. Claire is studying and Fiona commences Ordination training in September at CMS Oxford and Ellie is beginning a Christian counselling course in September at Trinity Collegein Bristol.

The three work with the community in their local areas and also work well together and pray together as a triplet fortnightly and work collaboratively with other local Churches.

On the Locking Parklands estate, Parklands Community Church was planted by Worle Baptist Church. Initially meeting in homes to pray for the area, they started meeting weekly on Sunday mornings in April 2017once the newly refurbishedcommunity centre opened. Claire took up her role in September 2017 and has been working alongside the team there to develop and grow the life of the church. New people have been joining the church, many of whom have little or no Christian background and it’s exciting to see the journey God has them on.

As well as Sunday morning gatherings, there is a home group and various prayer initiatives as the church prayer walks around the community. The church has run various community events at Christmas, Easter, Halloween etc which are well attended. But as the estate currently has no local shops, school, pub, café etc – one of the biggest challenges is making contact and building relationships with those on the estate in an ongoing way. The church is currently exploring setting up a monthly community café to provide a space for the community to get to know each other and welcome new residents.

At Westwick Ellie runs Take 5 there which is coffee and crafts in the community held in the local school and a pop-up church which meets Quarterly and has also started a weekly life group. At Haywood Village Fiona has replicated Take 5 from the model Ellie started and has now moved to the area and has started a monthly café style church called Tea and Toast Church.

She is also starting a life group and Alpha from September there as well as hosting community breakfasts. Transforming Lives for Good mentoring programme is also beginning at the School there which she will be involved with which is a Christian mentoring programme. The future plans for all three areas are to gather people and share the gospel in a relevant and exciting way on these new estates and to help to build a community .

There has been much collaboration of local Churches working together in these projects which has been very positive. For example, volunteers at Take 5 and Tea and Toast Church are from many different Churches not just one Church. This provides an excellent witness that Christians are able to work together and celebrate the things they have in common rather than their differences.

Weston Foodbank is one of the agencies that engages with people at a crisis point in their lives.  We want to provide more than food - bringing hope into circumstances that seem hopeless.  There is a wonderful “Sharing Community” of people who enable our work to proceed as people share food, their time and their money to enable us to continue our work. 

Our “front line” is providing emergency food to individuals and families referred to us as experiencing real needs.  In 2018 we expect give away food for 5,000 people – up from 3,600 in 2015.  This represents between 15,000 and 20,000 days of food donated through the local community.  We seek to extend our work beyond emergency food by providing meals for children in need through school holidays, cookery classes, opportunities to stop and talk and guidance to other support agencies.

Hear a little of Maria’s story (not her real name) who starts: “I would have starved or turned to shoplifting.”

“I had a head full of dreams, a great job, a wonderful man and I was due to have a beautiful baby. We both worked full-time.”

That was before Maria’s life “imploded”.  Illness of close family members removed the expected support; costs of childcare almost matched income. The landlord’s sale of the rented family home forced moves into increasingly unsuitable accommodation, financial pressures grew and food in the home became scarce. 

Maria’s life circumstances deteriorated, and it was a health visitor who noticed there was no food in the house and issued a Foodbank voucher.  Maria recognised the family had been “living in crisis”, but she arrived outside the Foodbank feeling “terrified, alone and ashamed.”

“Walking inside was like the warmest hug; lovely people smiling and welcoming….I felt lighter than I had in years.”

Maria had food in the house, her children engaged with the Foodbank holiday club.  “Following this, I met more and more people connected via the Foodbank, a huge community opened up to us and I no longer felt alone.”Maria says “I will always be forever grateful to all of the people of Weston Foodbank.  Yes, I received food parcels, but I also received so much more!  Friends, a community, a feeling of self-worth and my dignity.”

Maria concludes her story, “You have brought my family back from a very dark place with your cooking workshops, summer holiday club, Christmas club, Easter event and now again your school holiday events.    My story isn’t unique, many are suffering in these times.  I look forward to the future when one day I will be volunteering alongside you.”

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE WORSHIP – Report Back 2018

Friday Night Live Worship was started in October 2014 by Phil and April Brown, after a chance meeting with an old friend at Soul Survivor and a great deal of encouragement from God. Its aim was to bring local Christians together in a neutral environment, to worship, encourage and to connect. Our hope was to have inspiring speakers from outside the area who would bring something fresh.

The event is run completely by faith, we take an offering on the evening to cover our costs and to generously bless our guests.

The event is held in St George’s Community Centre on the third Friday evening of the month. We do not meet in July, August and December. We start with doughnuts and coffee or tea at 7.00pm and the worship starts at 7.30pm.

We have several worship leaders and bands who lead the worship, each bringing their own flavour. The guests we have welcomed include Nancy Goudie, Dave Hopwood, Noel and Tricia Richards, Godfrey Birtill, Colin Elliott, Wayne Drain, John Noble, Dave Day, Sheridan Voysey, Open Doors, Bob Hartman, Tom and Suzie Brock, Charles and Sue Whitehead, Tony Pullin, Ian Long, Carl Wills and Gerald Coates.

We have experienced some amazing evenings and have seen connections between members of different churches grow. We recently held an evening signposting local initiative including Cross Winds Prayer, Kenya Hope and Bible College for Weston. This was inspiring and exciting, and we intend to do another in 2019.

Our autumn programme is being advertised now on handy bookmark style cards that have been distributed to local churches and are available at Life Bookshop.  We are inspired by tales of lives changing and healing brought through the ministry of FNLW.  Our prayer is that it will continue to grow and bless so that many more people can benefit.

We kick off the autumn with a wonderful lady called Emily Owen on Friday 21^st September she is an Author and Speaker and yet suffers from Neurofibromatosis. Her story will be a real inspiration to everyone of us.

We and the team look forward to seeing you.

Andrew & Lydia continue to live their lives at The Centre Weston super mare. With the help of staff and volunteers open each day to unknown trials and blessings which God allows in order that he may display his glory and express his love in the mess, beauty and brokenness that is LIFE.

BOOKSHOP

We continue to provide Bibles books cards gifts children’s books CD/DVD to all those who want to come to a physical place and select from the product range in particular for Bibles to see the size of text range of translations available. Through Facebook/webpage we are increasingly asked to obtain products for people who do not live in Weston, in fact people come from many miles away to visit we are beginning think to a greater extent than the local trade which appears to be reducing.

We are faced with daily challenges what we are offered as new books are beginning more openly deny the deity of Christ. God is big enough to fight his own corner but we are

God is clearly on the move as we have seen people who have no existing relationship with God suddenly arrive in the shop in search of Bible. Young and old have come in expressing a call toward God.

THE LIVING ROOM

We; as we have from day one nearly 7 years ago placed a bible verse in the window every dayand have testimony of God’s use of His word to impact passers-by through their reading of the day’s passage.

Monday – Saturday we share a reading from the Bible when we open in the morning and again when we open after lunch. This is always open to anyone to join in. Through the year we share many seasons with people living here, passing through on world travels or in a season of trial. It is wonderful to see God’s living Word totally relevant to a real moment of need also to see a maturing of faith in an individual. You are welcome to join us.

Our offer of “Coffee & conversation” is frequently taken up and we have the privilege of sharingmoments and seasons in people’s lives it is humbling to hear stories of joy and sorrow. As moments of prayer take place we have seen many answers, thank you Father.

As we continue to walk by faith taking steps and listening for the confirming word from God that this is the way walk in it, we are grateful for your prayer, patronage and presence on this journey.

(And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it”, when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isiah 30 v 21 esv uk)

Weston Area CAP Centre

Through the work of the Weston Area CAP Debt Centreover the last two years, there are now eleven people that are debt-free and six more are on repayment plans. Christians Against Poverty (CAP) has been helping people become debt-free for over twenty years, bringing hope where there once was despair.

Since opening in June 2016, the Centre has already had 50new client enquiries. These have come through referrals from housing associations, word of mouth, existing clients and church members. Each client is visited in their home and receivesa minimum of three visits - an initial visit, a fact-find visit and a budget visit. The Centre Manager, Paul Larcombe,underwent extensive training by CAP and has been approved as an Agent. Paul always visits with a volunteer from the support team, and prayer is offered during the visit.

If anyone needs to be visited, they call 0800 328 0006, where their call is handled professionally and, if appropriate, an appointment is made. There isn’t a physical Centre, as Paul works from home and visits people in their homes. Many of the clients require emotional support.

Over the last two years, there has been a Centre Launch event as well as two Anniversary Celebrations. The most recent of these was on Sunday 15 July at Priory School, where praise, worship and thanksgiving were given to God for the fruit and provision for this ministry.

The Facebook page is at: Facebook.com/WestonAreaCAP and gives news and details about events.

The Centre is funded and supported by a number of churches, but more funding is needed. Local churches are giving regularly to the Centre and some grants have been received. Destiny Church is the Partner Church with CAP, and there are 12 Link Churches. Link Churches commit to give a regular monthly payment and enable the Centre Manager to be employed for three days a week as well as paying for resources from CAP Head Office. Other churches and individuals are making one-off gifts and regular donations, which are much appreciated. The Annual Report and Financial Statements are available on request.

If you want to find out any more details, please phone me on 07563 880577 or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Paul Larcombe

Weston Area CAP Centre Manager

The LIGHTHOUSE Weston

The last twelve months have been a significant period for Lighthouse as following a strategic review the Trustees felt that after over seven very successful years the charity had served its purpose.

The Weston Foodbank which was born out of Lighthouse had become over 60% of the charity’s expenditure and activity and it was felt to be appropriate to encourage new homes for the remaining projects to ensure their continued growth.

King’s Table has moved to the Victoria Methodist Church and renamed Victoria’s Kitchen with set up funds provided by Lighthouse.

Finally the three projects centred on St. Paul’s Church, Vision4skills, Conversational English and the Lighthouse Choir have been integrated back into the church management function.

We are very grateful to those two bodies who have embraced the projects and have been able to provide both management and direction.

The charity will now be wound up and any remaining funds distributed amongst the former projects. We are very grateful for the support provided by our volunteers, benefactors and managers that have enabled the projects to grow and continue to provide for the needy of our town.

Denys Rayner