Would you please pray?

Last year during September we asked you to pray for more team members and God answered by providing Liz. She is an amazing gift, however four years into our adventure we still feel we could do with another couple of people willing to move onto the hill to share in this incredible adventure.

I'm sure all churches would love extra servants living for Jesus, here is why we are praying for more.

The harvest is plentiful but the shorters and Liz can only stretch so far! We know so many people, but only have so much time.

Much relies on Rich and Alison and this can't be healthy in the long term for the church we are planting, nor is it healthy for the shorters in the short term!

Iron sharpens iron! We'd loved and needed Steve and Lauren's company, Liz is so wise and full of energy but others would help us bring the best out of each other.

To help make this work of God sustainable we need to bring in different gifts and life/ God experiance. ( for example Rich is doing a lot of admin- I know scary)

So for September would you pray the following? Put it in church notice sheets. Pray it at small groups- every time you pray it we would be very grateful.

Father, we thank you for your love of Harold hill, we thank you for those who know you and serve you on the hill. We praise you for all you have done through the urban expression team over the last 4 years. Please send others to live on the hill and join in the adventure of serving and living for Jesus. Holy Spirit stir those you are calling to explore this adventure of faith.

Many thanks

rich.

our New Wine experience

Alison, the Kids and myself went to New Wine last week with some friends of ours.

New wine is a Christian family week, camping in summerset with 15,000 others. This was our first year. We choice to go because Alison and I used to enjoyed Soul survivor, the youth version of this event and because this event has a charismatic expression of spirituality which both of us would say is part of our spirit shape.

There are two main sessions a day and many different seminars throughout the day.

Taking kids to an event like is knackering and does change how much you can go too, but we still managed to get to all the seminars we wanted to. We even got to hear the Arch bishop of Canterbury, who came across as a very likeable and deep person.

The main highlights/ challenges for us were.

Hungry venue:

There was an alternative morning worship and teaching venue for those in urban settings. We were nervous going to New Wine, we know we needed to spiritually refreshed and recharged, but main stream church now makes us a little twitchy!  Hungry for us was honest, creative, raw and had a great balance of word and spirit.  Its was focused on sending us back out to serve the poor and needy for Christ. It was just what we needed.

Generous spirit.

There was the room to be different and think differently to others. The leadership of new wine come across as very generous and this is reflected in the tapestry of speakers that they have. I was very humbled by this.

Kids work.

The Kids work was amazing in both quality and content. Listening to our kids pray and talk about God, it is clear they had so much more than a good time.

Band trinity

On the Thursday night we went to see a band called trinity. This was the most multi cultural band I have ever seen- if you get a chance hear/ experience them.

 Friendship

Being with another family whom all the kids get on and the adults could share an honest place to be real and laugh together was for me the biggest highlight of the week.

Over all we come back inspired, reminded of our call and God’s ability to fulfil that call.

It's been a while.... sorry

Hey faithful blog followers, how are you all?

We are good and things are going well.

I will write more in the coming weeks, but wanted to check in!

2 bits of good news.

• Liz has become a team member. She is an amazing lady with an amazing life story and we are sure that God has called her to work with us.
• We have 5 more years. Romford Baptist church who started this partnership have extended it by another 5 years. this is a great encouragement. 

talk soon......honest!

spare bedroom tax- letter to my MP

Dear Dame Watkinson MP

I hope this finds you well. I am writing to you about the proposed changes to housing benefit that are commonly being called the ‘spare bedroom tax’.

While I understand that there are no easy solutions to the present economic difficulties, I think that the route the present government are taking to reduce the welfare bill is illogical and will in the end prove to be both morally detrimental and financially costly to the UK as a whole, but especially to the most vulnerable communities. 

This is because the ‘tax’ is a subtle but dangerous way of undermining of local community. In my opinion it will have the following effects.

It will reduce community stability

This 'tax' would not be as big an issue if people were able to stay in the same area but the lack of suitable housing stock means that this is not guaranteed. Obviously all communities experience levels of change, but if we are intentionally ‘moving’ people on then we are reducing the sense of local pride and ownership over a local community.

It will increase the pressure on Children

It is well documented that children’s performance levels and behaviour are both affected by moving to a new area. By forcing families to move the bedroom tax will actually add to the pressure on children who are already living in very demanding circumstances.

It will increase the stress felt by people who are already stretched

People in more vulnerable communities typically have higher levels of poor physical health and mental health issues. Again I wonder if this change to housing policy will only make things worse and result in increased pressure on other community resources like doctors and community mental health care teams.

It will reduce the number of socially rich people

Socially rich people are those who have good local support networks, which have taken time to build, and which they have come to rely on. If our social housing policies mean that people will need to move more regularly then we will be reducing the number of people who not only own the community, but who work for it and so contribute to the common good of those who live within it.

It will significantly increase levels of personal debt

Debt per household is already high and this ‘tax’ can only contribute to that problem. Some will not move, because they cannot afford to, and will have to borrow more to supplement the reduction in their housing benefit. Others will move but get into greater debt because moving is expensive and they cannot really afford these costs.

It will lead to a reduction in people's engagement with professionals and support services

In communities like Harold Hill it can take years to help a person or family have the confidence to engage with local professionals, such as GP’s or family support workers. By reducing community stability we reduce the possibility of those who need it most engaging with those who can help. People will slip through the net if they move.

As you can see, I am convinced that the 'spare bedroom tax' will cost the poorest communities dearly.

I’m really not interested in who is to blame for the current financial mess. I am however very concerned about my community and others like it will be effected in the years to come.

As a church leader I’m convinced that part of the church's message of hope is that while life alone is hard, almost impossible, together as a community it can be fun, varied and vibrant. What a shame if this 'tax’ then puts this type of community experience even further beyond the reach of those who are most vulnerable and who most need it. 

Yours sincerely 

Rev. Rich Shorter 

Is it wrong to look for instant changes in people?, I have a hunch it might be!

So Caleb is watching the Lord of the Rings films with me, bit by bit. I love him watching with excitement as the story unfolds. (We watch about 20mins 2/3 evening a week). So I've started to listen to the books. The books are different to the films. The films had to be different from the books, because they probably would not make great films if the story was not changed.  The thing is the time span of the books is far longer than the film. Frodo for example is not a young hobbit when he set out to destroy the ring. Gandalf spends decades researching and seeking wisdom about the ring before doing something. The world of middle earth and the world of Tolkin seem to be one which appreciates the wisdom and changes which come with time.
So coming to think of does the Old Testament and God. There are loads of Stories in which people have to wait for change for God's change take time to ferment. The exodus, 40 years, 40 years. Ok as a result of peoples sin, but still God seemed to be happy with a process of change, an acceptable of wisdom which was not a snap acceptance of the will of God, but a slow and thoroughly taken in acceptance of change to the will and character of God.

I wonder if we've done to discipleship what the film makers had to do the Tolkin books! This is certainly the way of the world, working with the Local authority they want to change families in months, rather than years! Is our discipleship now about  making about big fast and dramatic changes! Rather than the working out of what it is to follow Jesus day by day season by season.  Do we expect church plants to working with broken people and in a few years see people ready to leader them?

I believe the reality is that change for those who we are serving is a big deal and it's only change if it's given the chance to ferment and adapt  through the seasons of life.

Don't get me wrong, God, can do as God wishes in an instant, thats why he's God,( and there are plenty of stories in the bible where he does bring real instant change) but it seems to me He loves us into real change, and real change requires us to step by step work out what following Jesus is like. It also give permission for mistakes and failure. After all we are to work out living for God. That sound like process, not instant miracle. The miracle is God stay with us as we step forward, backwards and side to side. Now that is Love and Grace to stay with me on the road to my own mordor.

I'm praying God changes people's lives beyond their understanding, that He gives Hope, freedom, forgiveness, an identity and Himself. Our culture would say do it now god, but I pray I have the faith to stay on my path serving others for the long haul.

The films are good, but the book are far richer and beautiful by the way.

R.

PS, come back in 20 years time when i'd probably learnt to understand this better and so say it better!