Newsletter
August 2002
Bringing God's grace and healing love
to people with life-disrupting problems
One of the things we want to do in this newsletter is celebrate the Open Day we held on 12 July. We had a wonderful time, and would like to say 'thank you' to all the many people who helped and played a part. Many people commented on the light, bright and welcoming feel in the coffee shop, thanks to the redecoration by some willing helpers during the previous few weeks - and especially thanks to David, who co-ordinated much of that work. And I do want to thank the staff, who pulled together as always, painting and cleaning and creating display boards - all on top of their usual activities.
The feedback we received on the day, and since, confirms that it was all very worthwhile, and really helped us to communicate to many people something of how we are seeing people's lives transformed through our work here. But the benefits gained from so many people working together for the Open Day is just a small example of what we are beginning to experience as we learn to work together within Bristol - both within the churches, and also between the churches and the other groups working to help the sick, homeless, addicted and hopeless people we meet each day.
The problems we face are just too great. No one group, congregation or denomination is able to respond to the needs we come across or the issues we need to address, no matter how hard working, faithful and prayerful we may be. And beyond and underneath the individuals in need are the families, groups, systems and structures of our society - each of them needing to be changed and reshaped if the people within them are ever going to be whole.
On our own, none of us can do what is needed. But God promises us in Ephesians that when we all work together, real and lasting change becomes possible. Various people have celebrated anniversaries recently: one year free of drugs, two years free of alcohol, and so on. They each said these celebrations were only possible because the people around them made it possible. None of us can succeed on our own, but working together, the sky is the limit!
Paul Hazelden,
General Manager
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We celebrated how God has been changing people's lives over the 18 years we have been in operation, and invited numerous agencies and individuals to join us. The staff team and volunteers worked very hard to prepare the premises and the exhibitions, and also to introduce our visitors to the work we are doing. Testimonies and life stories told of the way people's lives are changing because of the power of God. Particularly challenging were the interactive elements of the LITE Course demonstration. These were definitely not to be missed, and some visiting church leaders did very well guiding each other (blindfolded) around a circuit - one of our communication skills exercises.
We launched the new name for our coffee shop - The Wild Goose. Chris Vacher of BCC unveiled the new sign, designed by our own Andy Luxford and made by Rockwell Signs (and we do want to thank them for their generosity in agreeing considerably reduced charges). The coffee shop's new name reflects the Celtic meaning (The Holy Spirit).
This event was such a tremendous success that we intend to repeat it. We made many new contacts and would like to build on these connections as well as those which are now well established. To do this involves skills in PR and admin, and also time which our present staff team do not have. If you have skills in this area and are keen to be involved in this particular project, please contact the office.
From a volunteer: Taking part in the Open Day at the Crisis Centre, as a volunteer, was a very happy and positive occasion for me. The opportunity to chat with visitors, supporters, clients and other volunteers brought a wider understanding of how the Crisis Centre touches many lives. I had great fun trying my hand at the LITE course games and challenges and even discovered that I possessed skills I didn't know I had! The attractive and informative displays around the buildings offered many insights into how the ministry has developed historically and how the various aspects of the Crisis Centre's work complement each other in the present day.
I have always enjoyed coming in to help in the office once a week - 'doing my bit' - but this day allowed me to feel a part of a greater whole. It was especially good to share a few moments of prayer before the busy-ness of the afternoon began. To hear the hearts of others who pour so much love into their work has made me realise again that God is using the unique contribution of each person to express something of His heart for the homeless in Bristol.
Thank you team, and well done! Sue
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You are invited
to our AGM
at Etloe Evangelical Church, Cossins Road, Bristol
at 7.30 pm
on Monday 7 October 2002
This should be an exciting event, even rivalling last year's AGM for scintillating content. You will be updated on the work that has been accomplished this year, and have an opportunity to ask questions and make your feelings and suggestions known.
What is more, there will be light refreshments and a chance to chat to the management, staff and volunteers. In order to cater for the right number, please let us know as soon as possible whether you plan to come.
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A tribute to a volunteer, Rachel James,
who died in July this year.
Rachel was on placement at the Crisis Centre early this year, as part of Bristol Christian Fellowship's year team, M6/8. We are very privileged to have had the opportunity to get to know her and we value the contribution she made to the work we are doing. Some of our team worked more closely with her than others, and one of these is Jayne Griffiths, our Catering Co-ordinator, who writes:
"We really enjoyed having Rachel working with us as a volunteer in the Coffee Shop and she did a lot of good work with our clients. She was very helpful and happy to do whatever she was asked. She was particularly good with two French girls who were also part of M6/8 and whose English was not very good. She would tell me what they were saying and then she would tell them what I was saying.
I will miss Rachel very much, and so will the other staff at The Crisis Centre.
Love from Jayne"
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Sometimes we want to loudly respond to an encouragement such as this with enthusiasm. Yes, people have become Christians, people's lives are changing, God is answering prayer - and we want to praise and thank him for that. There are also those other times when things that happen don't immediately engender enthusiasm or praise: when someone becomes homeless, has their child taken into care, describes something of the horror of their life experience. At those times, the question is often Why? - and perhaps why did God allow that?
Our experiences at The Crisis Centre often provoke questions. It can be a challenge to tie up what we read in the Bible with what someone experiences in their daily lives. We can be faced with tragic circumstances to which we would really like to see a resolution, but how do we respond, what do we pray, what do we say to the person facing us at the time? For example, the young woman who was physically and emotionally abused by their parents, blamed for being raped, and told she was totally without value and that it would be better for others if she was not alive.
Facing this level of stress in the lives of others - as many of our workers do - puts considerable demands on people. Responding in a way which is life-giving, honouring to God and helpful requires wisdom from God as well as a great deal of compassion. Supporting and equipping our staff is something which is a high priority to us and we see this as an ongoing, developmental matter.
We will be starting a monthly training programme from September this year - please see the next page for further details.
How can you help with this?
- Please pray for wisdom in the presentation of the teaching material, that it will communicate well and hit the right level.
- If you are skilled in training in issues such as homelessness, addiction, spiritual warfare, poverty, setting boundaries etc and would be prepared to lead a session, please contact the office
- Please promote the training course among your friends/in your church - we can provide detailed information regarding the subjects and dates.
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A series of 10 training sessions will start in September. It will be an excellent opportunity for volunteers to gain confidence, and discuss issues surrounding the practical aspects of CCM's work. Visiting speakers will share their experience and expertise on topics such as homelessness, addiction and mental health. We believe that this will improve our effectiveness in helping clients, as well as enabling volunteers to grow on a personal level. The training will be open to non-Christians and volunteers from different local groups.
Sessions will take place on the second Saturday of each month, usually in the morning and occasionally all day. The location will be Trinity Tabernacle, Hassell Drive, just off the Easton roundabout, within walking distance of Temple Meads station. There will be a nominal cost of £2 per person to cover overheads.
To enable enough training notes to be printed, it would be appreciated if you could let CCM know by the previous Wednesday if you plan to come. The first few training sessions will be:
14 Sept: Introduction - working together with each other, working with other groups, policies, personal safety.
12 Oct: Personal effectiveness - boundaries, resources, personal skills (communication, listening), ways to grow.
9 Nov: Reaching out - understanding our clients, recognising drugs and their effects, what it is like to live on the street, what makes a difference short term, what sustains a difference long term.
11 Jan: Homelessness - what it is like, why people become homeless, the family, sources of help, barriers to help, what we do to help and what more might be done.
Normal Timetable
| 9:45 | Coffee and registration | 11:00 | Break for tea and coffee |
| 10:00 | Welcome and introduction | 11:15 | Group work |
| 10:05 | What questions do we have? | 12:15 | Feedback and final summary |
| 10:15 | Main presentation | 12:30 | Leave (or more tea and coffee) |
Please note that on 11 January and the 10 May the Introduction sessions will be repeated, in the afternoons 1:15 - 4:00pm. Bring a packed lunch if you are staying for these sessions.
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We are half way through the 9th LITE course I have led and the students are doing well. (I'm doing all right also!) The group is easy to lead and the current students are responding well.
We have lost some of the students who started but gained others, and have five on the course at present.
City of Bristol College, have agreed to continue funding my teaching hours on the LITE course, for the time being. They will continually review the situation, because they claim for each enrolled student from a central fund. So please pray for consistency and commitment among the students.
When I get discouraged by lack of numbers, I remind myself that over the 12 years the course has been running 63% have moved on to something really positive, whether that be paid or voluntary work, further training or a drug rehab, etc.
I am grateful to Fiona, David, Pearl and Lyn, who regularly help for half or a day a week. Also, for Diane, a teacher, who is helping during the summer holidays and for others who take one-off sessions.
We are off to Heatree Activity Centre in Dartmoor the first week of September, where we will be rock climbing, abseiling, canoeing, team building and having fun. Most people come back full of it, having achieved new things they would never otherwise have the chance to do - a real confidence booster.
Thank you to those of you who pray for us. It is very valued and effective in helping to transform the lives of the people we are working with.
News from the Open Day:
Dave and Rhi from Bristol Christian Fellowship won the 'Blindfold Track' activity with a combined score of 90 seconds.
Becky from The Salvation Army won the 'Grand Prix' with an incredible 27 seconds!
Andy Luxford
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We are very encouraged by the progress we are making with the repairs and maintenance needed in the shop. There continue to be some outstanding issues and we'd appreciate your prayers that these will be accomplished speedily.
Jayne writes - Our aim in the shop is to help people as much as we can. At the moment we are getting people into hostels and B&Bs. Also we have had quite a few of our male clients going in to rehabs to get out of drugs and drink, which is good. God bless everyone who is helping us to get this done.
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We continue to work as part of the BCAN (Bristol Christian Action Network) Homeless Forum, bringing together the Christian groups working to help homeless people in Bristol. We look for ways to encourage and help each other, learn from one another's experiences, and to share policies, guidelines and resources. The shared training you will read about is part of this strategy.
Notes from the BCAN meetings are being put on the CCM web site, so you can read about the questions and issues we are attempting to deal with.
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BRIDGEHEAD (from a member of the group)
"Bridgehead is still going strong. We meet every Wednesday at 1pm, have lunch together and, when that is cleared away, we have a time of worship and prayer. Someone then leads the 'teaching' bit, which might involve us discussing a part of the Bible or watching and talking about a video, or taking part in a short play, or… almost anything, really. We usually finish with a time of prayer for each other and for other people.
It is really good to be in a group where you are not expected to be really good or understand everything already. We can ask questions about what the Bible says and what other Christians believe, and it is all explained in simple ways until we are all happy we understand. We can say when we don't agree with some things, and that can be very helpful. So you can say if you don't think God ought to allow people to suffer, and then we talk about it and perhaps look at some parts of the Bible, and we can then understand a bit better why sometimes He does allow pain and suffering.
If you would like to come along to Bridgehead, you would be very welcome. If you can, let us know before, so we can be sure there is enough food! But if not, just turn up and we will work it out."
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Volunteers: We are in urgent need of more volunteers, particularly for the daytime sessions in the coffee shop and also to help with administration.
Finance: God and our supporters have been brilliant with finance, but this is an ongoing issue and our resources are stretched.
Assistant Project Leader, LITE: We need an Assistant to Andy Luxford for the LITE Course. We have part funding for this and are applying for other funding. If you know of someone who may be interested in applying for this position, of if you yourself may be interested, please contact the office for further information.
PR/fund raiser: This is an important aspect of our work and one which various members of staff dip into from time to time. To be involved effectively, we need someone to join the team with specific responsibility for this area of involvement.
Management Member: someone to join our Council of Management who has a keen interest in the work of Crisis Centre Ministries, is able to represent us at various levels, and can offer a minimum of one evening every other month for meetings as well as other times for specific events, staff support etc. We are looking for people with particular areas of interest so if you are interested please make contact.
New premises: We continue to explore the possibility of new premises, ideally fairly locally.
Prayer: Thank you to those who pray. Prayer is often where breakthrough happens.
If you'd like more information on any of these, please contact the office.
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Please note that CCM has a new email address:
admin@crisis-centre.org.uk.
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