StreetWise January 2008 – Quarterly Newsletter “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:6-8 Inside this issue - ? Volunteering Experiences ? Christmas Party review ? More Wild Goose Notes Contents p.2 Paul Hazelden p.3 Christmas Party p.5 LITE course update p.6 Volunteering experiences p.7 Alan Goddard – Wild Goose p.8 Lukas p.9 Book extract p.10 -12 Bits and Pieces Dear Friends I often think that the hardest job in the world is that of a parent. When our three boys were small, we were told it gets easier, but with our youngest is coming up to 16 and we’re still looking forward to that point. In many ways, working here is like being a parent. The people who come in can be charming, delightful. witty, entertaining, rude, demanding and irrational – all in the space of five minutes. The challenges can be very similar, too. We are here to help, but not to take away people’s personal responsibility. It is far too easy to go to one extreme or the other: to ‘take over’ and try to sort out everything for them, or to sit back and wait for them to make that phone call, or visit that office to collect the next form. The difficulty lies in knowing how much to help – when they need us to step in, and when they actually need to take responsibility, and if necessary, to be allowed to fail. It is a fine line, and it is different for each person, on each day. A couple of days ago, I was with one lad who had just lost his place on a rehab programme. They had trusted him with a small supply of anti-depressants: he had taken the lot, and failed the next blood test. “It was their fault,” he told me, “they shouldn’t have given me those pills.” It is always “their fault”. But, of course, sooner or later, they had to trust him, to give him the opportunity to misuse his medication – there is no other way for him to learn to take responsibility. Perhaps they mis-judged it; perhaps he wasn’t ready. But unless you take the risk, you will never know. The difference between being an adult and a child is that you take responsibility for your own actions – although we probably all know folk who are advanced in years but who have still not got there yet. God treats us as responsible people, which is why the first step is repentance – admitting, yes, I have messed up; yes, it was my fault. When we take responsibility, we can be forgiven and move on; until we reach that point, nothing is going to change. Paul Hazelden Crisis Centre and elim@bristol Christmas Party 2007 Following a great partnership last year in organising a Christmas party, elim@bristol, Jamaica Street kindly agreed to partner with us again in organising and holding a Christmas party for the homeless and the other client groups we see at the Wild Goose café and Crisis Centre. This year’s party was held on Wednesday 19th December, starting at 12pm. We decided to include all the elements of a fun Christmas party. Primarily, guests came for the great food. They weren’t disappointed; Margaret Pinnock and her Westbury Team provided masses of fantastic party food which was willingly plated up by volunteers and readily accepted by hungry guests. There was fun entertainment! We had a special visit from Roly Bain, a clown who brings the gospel message to people in a creative and very entertaining way. He was rather good at tightrope walking too! A musical delight was brought to everyone by Jesse Edbrook (from the Christian band Transition). Jesse’s winning smile easily won the audience’s attention enough to get virtually everyone in the room singing Christmas carols. If that wasn’t enough excitement for a cold December Wednesday, Father Christmas (AKA Kelvin Starr) paid us a visit, ably assisted by two Christmas helpers. (Lisa and Kelly). Volunteers then gave out over 100 gift bags which were full up with essential goodies such as gloves, hats, toiletries, other gifts and chocolate. The party would have probably gone on all afternoon but after having almost run out of food and presents it was drawn to a close by 2pm. Everyone seemed to have had a fantastic time, guests and volunteers alike. Roll of thanks............. We want to say a special 'Thank you' to the following without whom none of this would have happened: elim@bristol – all the helpers who made teas and coffees, cleaned up afterwards and made us so welcome. A special thanks goes to Jenny for all her devotion and hard work and also to Kelvin for being such a good sport and being our Father C. Margaret Pinnock and all those who helped provide and prepare food for the party. You are just Superstars! Roly Bain – for being willing to come along and provide his services for us at no charge. (For information about Roly and to book him email roly@rolybain.co.uk or visit www.rolybain.co.uk). Jesse Edbrook – for being willing to virtually ‘put your head in the lion’s mouth’ and singing unaided in front of such a diverse group of people. (FFI on booking the excellent band Transition email Jesse on jesse.edbrook@gmail.co.uk). The Youth Group from elim@bristol who fund-raised, supplied and jam-packed over 100 gift bags The youth from Cairns Road Baptist for packing up presents for us. Carmel, Brislington. For over 60 gift wrapped food parcels. All our willing volunteers who gave up their time to be part of such a worthwhile event. Thanks for getting dirty and harassed for a good cause. We know you love it! If you have been missed out of the ‘thank you’ list then sorry but thank you anyway: we really appreciated all you did today. Crisis Centre AGM Our Annual General Meeting was held on 8th October 2007 at Trinity Tabernacle. There were an estimated sixty people in attendance and many remarked that it was an enjoyable and informative evening. We began with worship that was led by Transition, a Christian band from Bristol Christian Fellowship. Next, brief reports were presented by Andy Luxford (Training Manager/LITE Course), Trudie Lane (Client Coordinator's Support), Alan Goddard (Coffee Shop Manager) and Claire Collins (Office Manager). Each report outlined all that had been happening during the past year at the Crisis Centre. The reports were followed with an address by Paul Hazelden (General Manager). The AGM business then followed - Ann Banks, one of our long serving Trustees, stepped down after seven years. We would like to express our thanks and appreciation for her contribution over the past years and wish her every success for the future. We are glad that she still does want to remain involved in the work of Crisis Centre. Three new trustees were elected, these being - Jemma Mack, Alan Patterson and Andrew Street. There was a Treasurer's report by Martin Horton who ran through the finances for the past year. Overall, financially, the year has been good and for this we thank God for his provision. Finally the Chairman's report was brought by Graham Donald. (To see a copy of the full report and minutes please visit the CCM website.) WHY NOT BECOME A TRUSTEE? If you would like to become involved with the work of Crisis Centre Ministries and feel you would like to contribute by becoming a Trustee then please get in touch. We need trustees with various talents so this could be YOU! GIFT AID CHANGES Also, Martin Horton noted that there is soon to be a drop in income tax from 22p to 20p. This will effect charities like CCM because our gift Aid income will be reduced. If you currently pay us regular donations that are gift aided, please could you bear this in mind and if you feel able to contribute just a fraction more, then this will cover some of our shortfall. Thank you. LITE Course Update – by Andy Luxford 'Christmas comes but once a year ... and when it comes it brings good cheer.” (For some!) The stress and pressure of Christmas... What can I buy for Auntie Mabel?... When can I fit in writing the Christmas cards?... Do we go to her family or mine?... Have we got enough mince pies in?... And what about juggling all those parties and family gatherings?... For some of our clients it is more a case of... loneliness... trying to keep warm... debts... separated families... no-one to buy presents for... One student on LITE was telling me today that since 2003 she can't remember dates, everything has become a blur because she has experienced one disaster after another. As far as the LITE course goes we have seven students who have soldiered on to the last module. We are now at the stage of preparing CVs, which can be a challenge explaining the big gaps. We are blessed with some excellent voluntary helpers at the moment, Becky, (see her article at the end of this) Alan and Gill, plus Adrian and Ian sharing a placement from Trinity College. The students have noticeably increased in confidence since September and are all looking for the next step when the course ends at the end of January. One has just finished a voluntary work placement at Aspire, through Business in the Community's Ready for Work Scheme. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience; Aspire were very pleased with him and have offered to extend the placement, which he is keen to take up. From 22-25 January 2008 we hope to be off to Heatree Activity Centre on Dartmoor, where we will be climbing, kayaking, caving, etc. This is a thing we have been able to do in the past but not had the funding to afford for a while. It is an excellent opportunity for our students to experience new things, have fun and build confidence for the future. We have seen the experience pay dividends in many different ways with past students. Please pray for our students, that they will all have something meaningful to move on to after the LITE course finishes and that they will stay motivated for the future. Finally, many thanks to Mark Restall who ordered and set up five very smart new PC's in the training room. These were funded from various donations – thanks one and all. These are now being put to good use and it is great to have such efficient computers after having the slower old ones. May you have a very happy New Year. Andy Volunteering Experiences We have many wonderful volunteers who come and loyally give their time and energies here at Crisis Centre. We not only have volunteers helping in the Wild Goose but also regularly help with the LITE course. Here are two brief accounts of volunteers' experiences working at CCM. Volunteering in the Wild Goose – Bridget Bennett Why did I volunteer to help at the Wild Goose? Dean made an appeal at church for volunteers on Tuesday nights and I thought, “ Dish up dinners and wash up? I guess I could do that, it's what I do at home all the time!” (I have 5 children.) I found the team very friendly and welcoming as they showed us round the first night, and the clients were nearly always polite and grateful. They might look rather alarming sometimes, but underneath they are just very needy people, glad of a kind word and to be treated with respect. I feel I can't really understand what it's like to be in their position, but I can listen and be sympathetic. Practically the café can give them a hot meal and drink, which is a small help to their immediate need. As I continue to work here once a fortnight, I begin to see the same people and greet them as friends, and get to know them a little better. As I pull up and park on City Road, there is already a small crowd waiting outside the Wild Goose. The first half hour is always hectic and we're kept busy dishing up meals and drinks as fast as we can. Everyone is very appreciative of the food which is always excellent and we get lots of 'Compliments to the chef!' Mind you, there's always one who prefers beans on toast! As the first clients bring back their empty plates, the washing up starts in earnest, as we're running out of clean knives and forks! The team works well together with plenty of laughs and chat. We all have our favourite jobs, some enjoy chatting to the clients in the front, while I prefer to stay out the back keeping the kitchen organised and making sure everyone has what they need. As 10 o'clock approaches, we start to clean up and pack away the left-overs, while still chatting to the last customers who hang on for the company and friendship. Another satisfactory evening. Volunteering on the LITE course – Becky Smith My voluntary work as an assistant on the LITE course from September to December 2007 has been a very rewarding experience. At the start of the course there was a group of six, some have left and others have joined, but after about a month a core of committed individuals have been coming regularly for each session. This course has enabled the group to discuss how we should look after ourselves and the skills that we all need to help us through life. We have covered topics such as diet, fitness and relaxation and how we must think about each of these in order to look after ourselves. Topics such as assertiveness, body language and telephone skills have helped us to consider how to interact with others effectively and in a way that will benefit us. LITE also offered opportunities to do fun things together including going around Bristol City Centre answering quiz questions. These were great sessions as we had to work as a team and each individual also gained confidence in their own abilities. It has been such a privilege to be part of this group, to see the changes in people as they have gained confidence in who they are. Wild Goose Notes Recently I was asked to speak in my own church in Clevedon. I said that the last six months had probably been the best six months of my life; seeing so many people wanting and trying to change and changing, even when everything seems to be stacked against them. I have started to lose count of the number of people we have helped into different supported places. I estimate more than forty. A number of people we have been helping have gone into Christian communities. These have included people from other countries who have not been entitled to any benefits. You may well recall in the last newsletter and in previous prayer emails of the help and support we were giving to a young Polish man, Lukas. After going to a couple of places for support he has now finally been accepted at the Bridge Programme, Salvation Army, in Bristol. He has been a resident at this rehabilitation unit since October 2007. The encouragement, help and support the staff at the Salvation Army has given him has been fantastic and challenging. Please keep him in your prayers as he has a very long journey ahead of him. When Lukas came to us for help we found out very quickly that he was not entitled to any benefits. We put out an appeal to friends and families of Crisis Centre which raised an amazing amount of just under £5,000. It was only with your love and generosity that this was possible and through a real answer to prayer. This young Polish man, Lukas, asked if he was able to put into this issue, as part of his life story. As this is all part and parcel of his recovery we are very happy to have included this. One wonderful bit of news is that Lukas has given his life to the Lord - Praise God! He is asking me more questions about God, the bible and Christianity than I can answer. There are still huge number of people with life disrupting problems who are still too scared or afraid to change because of the unknown. There are also those who just don't want to change. We will always, as Jesus asks us, be alongside these people whether they decide to take the step to change or not. I have had great pleasure in recently being given opportunities to go into schools and talk to teenagers about the consequences and awareness of drugs and alcohol. I have spoken about the effect alcohol had on my life and those around me and what the Crisis Centre work is about. This has been very encouraging with lots of questions coming back from these young people. As well as schools I have been speaking at many of the churches in Bristol and beyond. Can I take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you involved at these churches for all the support and love you show to this ministry. If you would like to know more about CCM or any of the above, or if you would like me to speak at any groups or churches I'd love to hear from you. Alan Goddard Coffee Shop Manager CCM 0117 942 3088 Mob: 07967 596 589 Email: alan@crisis-centre.org.uk Lukas... This is a translation of part of a prayer recently written by Lukas... “God – I'm starting to write down what I'm thinking because this is really important in my lonely life. Is there anyone in the world who is able to help me? Who would be able to explain my (Situation), to understand me and even to hold me? “I can't help myself. My problem is alcoholism and drugs. I can't understand why in such an important time in my life I am rejected by my parents. Also I can't explain why I started to want alcohol and drugs in my life.... “Thank you that you hear me – because you are the last one who is with me.” Thank you very, very much to everyone for sponsoring me. I came from Poland two and a half years ago looking for work but alcohol and drugs got the better of me. I lived on the street a long time, did do some work, but not enough to claim benefits. I went to the Crisis Centre, handed over a two litre bottle of cider and asked for help. They fed me and listened. This seems a long time ago. I have been painting and decorating in the Crisis Centre and working there. For a few weeks I stayed with Alan and Jeff. Very soon I will be going into a rehabilitation Bridge Programme at the Salvation Army. I now know what it means to be a Christian and have invited Jesus into my life. I have been going to Life Recovery Group at the Crisis Centre and I went to a men's breakfast at Jeff Cockburn's church where I was given a bible. I now read my bible. Psalm 121 means a lot to me. Thank you so much for your help. Love Lukas Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hills Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord. The maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber not sleep. The Lord watches over you The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun will not harm you by day Nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and going Both now and for evermore. The secret of a loving heart (Extract) This is the story of a young boy called Teddy Stollard. He was not the kind of kid who got invited to parties. He slouched in his chair and looked bored most of the time; he only spoke when called upon, and then in monosyllables. He never dressed right; he had smelly clothes; he was a rather unattractive boy. Whenever his teacher would mark Teddy’s papers, she got certain perverse pleasure out of marking all the wrong answers. She would put the ‘F’ on top with a little flair. She might have known better because his history was on record: First Grade: Teddy is a good boy and shows promise, but has a poor home situation. Second Grade: Teddy is quiet and withdrawn. His mother is terminally ill. Third Grade: Teddy is falling behind. His mother died this year; his father is uninvolved. Fourth Grade: Teddy is hopelessly backward. His father has moved away; Teddy’s living with an aunt. He is deeply troubled. Christmas came, and all the children brought presents to school. They were carefully wrapped, except for Teddy’s, which was packaged in brown paper and held together with tape and marked,“For Miss Thompson. From Teddy” The teacher would open the gifts one by one for the class to admire. When she opened Teddy’s, it was a rhinestone bracelet with most of the stones missing, and a bottle of perfume that was mostly gone. The other children started to laugh, but Miss Thompson caught herself. Snapping on the bracelet, she said “Isn’t it lovely, class? And doesn’t the perfume smell good?” At the end of the class, Teddy approached her shyly. “I’m glad you liked my gifts, Miss Thompson,” he whispered. “All day long you smelled like my mother. And her bracelet looked nice on you too.” After he left, Miss Thompson put her head down on the desk and cried. She asked God to forgive her. She prayed that God would help her to see what He sees when she looks at a motherless boy. When the children came back to school the next day, Miss Thompson was a new teacher. She tutored the children who needed extra help, Teddy most of all. By the end of the year he had caught up with most of his classmates and was ahead of some. After that, she didn’t hear from him for quite a while. Then one day she received a note: Dear Miss Thompson, I wanted you to be the first to know I am graduating from high school, and am second in my class. Love, Teddy Stollard Four years later came another note: Dear Miss Thompson, I wanted you to be the first to know I am graduating first in my class. The university has not been easy, but I liked it. Love, Teddy Stollard Four years later, another note: Dear Miss Thompson, I wanted you to be the first to know that as of today I am Theodore J Stollard, M.D. How about that? I want you to come and sit where my mother would have sat, because you are the nearest thing to family that I’ve had. Love, Teddy Stollard The ability to assign value is one of the rarest and greatest gifts in the world. So value what God values. There is an ancient story about a poor traveller who is amazed by the welcome he receives in a monastery. He is served a lavish meal, escorted to their finest room, and given a new set of clothes to replace the rags he arrived in. Before leaving, he commented to the Abbot on how well he was treated. “Yes”, the Abbot said, “we always treat our guests as if they are angels – just to be on the safe side.” (This extract was taken from ‘Everybody’s normal till you get to know them’ by John Ortberg, published by Zondervan.) ________________________________________________________________________ Job Vacancy CCM is looking for an Assistant Coffee Shop Manager. The post is initially for 22½ hours a week. This would normally be worked from 10 am to 2:30 pm (4½ hours each day) Monday to Friday, but some flexibility is required, and the ability to work some evenings would be helpful. The salary is £7 per hour, to be reviewed in April. We are a faith ministry and cannot guarantee that salaries will always be paid on time, but they will always be paid as soon as funds are available. Please contact the CCM office for an application pack or to request an informal discussion about the position. Tel: 0117 9423088 Closing date for applications Friday 8 February 2008. Special thanks – To the Entertainer toy shop for providing us with some wonderful toys for our clients' children. It was very generous and appreciated. To everyone who gave to our harvest appeal, including church groups and schools. Harvest is always a very exciting time here, especially when we are given fresh fruit and vegetables. Dates for your Diary 2008 Sunday 27 January Homelessness Sunday Thursday 31 January 7.30 – 9.00pm – Prayer Meeting (39 Woodland Grove) Monday 25 February 7.30 – 9.00pm – Duty Managers (12 City Road) Thursday 28 February 7.30 – 9.00pm – Prayer Meeting (39 Woodland Grove) Thursday 27 March 7.30 – 9.00pm – Prayer Meeting (39 Woodland Grove) Thursday 24 April 7.30 – 9.00pm – Prayer Meeting (20 St Hilary Close) Be joyful always! Pray continually! Give thanks in all circumstances! 1 Thessalonians 5 v 16 – 18 Please remember to pray - For our clients – those that come in coffee shop and those we continue to see in Brunswick Square. For the LITE course – For opportunities to share the good news and peace of the Gospel and for a safe trip to Dartmoor. For our funding – That God will continue to provide our needs financially in 2008. Supporting Crisis Centre Ministries Why give your support to Crisis Centre Ministries? It's true, there are many charities working with similar clients groups such as Shelter, Caring at Christmas, Julian House etc. However at a recent LITE Bite Breakfast, someone from the Salvation Army made the comment to me “CCM is covering a niche area that other organisations just don't touch. You are able to help people in a unique way - don't change what you are doing.” We are a small charity; which gives us more freedom to engage in new things and embrace different ideas rather than being tied up in the red tape that often comes with larger organisations. Through the coffee shop we can offer a place to just 'be'. Clients seek us out just to sit quietly with a hot drink, or to find companionship and friendship. The offer of further help through prayer, counselling and rehab is always openly there. We and the clients have to gauge when is the right time to follow this help through. The LITE course is also a valuable way of directly engaging with our client group. It is the next step on to build confidence and open up work or training possibilities. We are an openly Christian organisation. Prayer spearheads everything we do. This doesn't always give us the upper hand when we apply for general funding, it tends to mark us out and not always in a positive way in the social sector. That's why we rely heavily on gifts, funding and support from Christians and churches. - Ways you can help us - PRAY! Please subscribe to our email prayer letter to keep you in touch with everything that is happening here. We will email you each month with an update and items for your prayers. It also means that if we have an urgent prayer request or specific need we can contact as many people as possible to get them involved with what is happening. Please visit the website www.crisis-centre.org.uk and follow the link or contact Claire in the Office and ask to be added to the email list. Pledge to give a regular amount each month to CCM. A standing order form can be sent to you This can be Gift Aided if you are a tax payer, bringing us in additional funds. One-off payments can also be Gift Aided. (Please note – Income Tax is due to drop in April 2008 down to 20p - this means we will receive less Gift Aid back. If you regularly give, please would you prayerfully review your donations? If you are able to increase this, it would be most appreciated.) Volunteer – Why not volunteer with us? We are planning to open the coffee shop every day for a few hours during the day and the evening. Can you help us run the coffee shop, especially during the day? We need people to do a little cooking, washing up, serving, chatting and crowd controlling(!). Perhaps your church could get a team together and volunteer to cover a session each month? We also need volunteers to help out with the LITE course. This runs on Monday and Thursday afternoons. If you are a good communicator and enjoy talking to people then you would be a great asset to the training course. Please get in touch with Andy. Donate Food – We have a list we can supply with regular basics that we can use. Just get in touch. Fund raise. Arrange an event to get people together, have a great time and raise valuable funds for the work of the Crisis Centre. BUY at CCM. If you use the Internet regularly then you can buy via our website and a percentage of what you spend will be donated to us.