Helping the poor is a choice we need to make!! not a church ministry add on!!

Well I could quite easily get on my soap box with this one!! You should know me by now if you've read any of my blog, I don't usually MINCE with words!! I like to pack a punch when its necessary, but don't like to argue for arguing sake. Too many Christians do that!!

When I started being a trustee at West End Impact, even before my role as MD was defined, I used to help the team of ladies who did the 'Homeless drop-in' as we called it then. Our dear friend Joanna Fawcett and her friend Doreen used to serve soup and sandwiches Sunday after Sunday afternoon. They befriended the poor and needy and I saw Joanna as a model of Mother Teresa!! After all Joanne did used to be a Catholic nun for a few years, until she decided it wasn't for her. At this time, 13 years ago, I was happy watching from the sidelines, willing to help practically, manage the finance and general running of West End Impact. We were a much small organisation in those days. I felt that this was more 'my thing'. I thought it was great what Joanna and Doreen were doing, but was a little afraid of some of the people who were stepping over our threshold. I was timid and wondered what it was all about, thinking this is really not for me!! I thought it's great we are helping people in need, we're doors once a week to feed the needy. Me getting involved in their lives was far from my agenda and those thoughts didn't even cross my mind. I was happy that Morecambe Community Church was doing its bit, and playing a part in the community.

Gradually God started to give me a 'holy discontent' about my attitude. I had a middle class upbringing, how could I relate to these people?? Why would they want to talk to me or spend time with me?? I was not even sure if they trusted me as they probably thought I was looking down my nose slightly at them. How could I relate to some of their issues?? Although I had just had experienced seeing my father-in-law go through recovery from alcohol addiction, a few years previously, and I'd known a few glue sniffers at school, oh and I had read 'Chasing the Dragon' by Jackie Pulinger. Apart from that I had no experience of drugs or alcoholism at all. I had visited prison once, when I was asked to do a drama and sing a Christian song as an outreach in Lancaster Prison. I can remember very clearly being pleasantly surprise by that experience, and it did have a real IMPACT my attitude. 

As God started to grow these thoughts within me and I spent more time with the people who came to the 'drop-ins' God started to work on me. These are just ordinary people just like you and me!! Jesus actually commanded that we help the poor and said in doing so we are actually helping him.                                          There are various churches popping up thinking its a good thing to help the poor by setting up projects to do something about those who are hungry, poor, jobless, homeless and hopeless. It's great, but an add on ministry is easy. You just get a team together raise some money, get a kitchen passed by the environmental health and away you go!! The difference is when it becomes a heart change. When you truly start to realise that this is 'what Jesus did' and therefore he is teaching us some important lessons here. 

• Firstly Jesus is teaching us to be humble. We need to get onto peoples' level just as HE did, people who we may not be used to getting alongside
• Secondly we have to get rid of all our prejudice. Don't judge others and stop thinking 'How could they have made such bad choices' We never know their story until we get to know them well. Not until we take time to get to know someone can we start to understand why they have ended up being who or where they are. Don't even start to surmise never mind judge, until you have walked in someone's shoes!!
• Thirdly we need to learn patience
• then I had to learn how to create new ways of getting help for our friends. 
• we also had to think of creative ways to speak to them about Jesus and always be ready to offer prayer. Give them opportunity to get to know Jesus in action and word.

then we had to learn human boundaries so that we could be sustainable and better serve the people that God was sending to us. There are lots of things we still have to learn, we are still on a journey 13 years on!! 

I often get confused as to how professional God wants us to become. I recently completed my NVQ 4 in Advice & Guidance so that other agencies can recognise our services are professional and accredited. I also often question our boundaries. When does God want us to go the extra mile and when does God want us to preserve our sanity for the long haul. 

One lesson I have learnt though is, this thing we are doing at Morecambe Community Church called 'West End Impact' is not just an add on ministry, it's the life and breath of our church!! It's a heart change and helping the poor in spirit and needy is a command, a lifestyle. It's not just to help us feel good and help us tick a box that we have done our bit - it's what Jesus wants us all to do as Christians. It may take different forms and different practices or ways of helping the poor and needy but how you do it not the issue. The issue is that it requires a heart change and a realisation that Jesus commands that we do something in obedience to him. He left the church here on earth to make a difference on HIS behalf when he left the earth at Pentecost. He passed the batten to us his church - so roll your sleeves up get your hands dirty and be obedient to HIS command!! even if it takes a whole new way of thinking and a big heart change like it did for me

SWAP UP fundraiser

West End Impact are doing a fundraiser - you may be able to help


This is what we are aiming to raise funds for as our old coffee machine has broken. Our Community Cafe is open on Tuesday with a very reasonably priced menu.
£2.00 for a paninni 
£2.50 for a Jacket Potato
£3.00 for Quiche and chips
All the profit from the cafe on Tuesdays goes to feeding those who are struggling in Morecambe. In the current climate with the 'Welfare reforms' that is quite a few people. In fact we have helped 380 people in 2014 in 2,200 different ways.
Anyway this is how a SWAP us works!!
I started with a tin of beans from our food bank as we have so many beans we could bathe in them. A tin of Heinz beans in fact!! A tin of Heinz beans is worth about 75 pence. I then put this on offer to SWAP Up with someone for something of a little more value. Someone 'swapped' for a packet of coffee worth £2.70. I then put the coffee on offer to SWAP UP!! The coffee was swapped for a picture, the picture was swapped for a contact grill, the grill was swapped for a voucher for tea for two at the Midland Hotel, the voucher was swapped for a 26" HD colour TV with Freeview and then someone gave me a Scalextric worth £75 and didn't want to swap. So now I have a TV and Scalextric to SWAP UP - ANY OFFERS!! :) not doing so badly so far not back for a tin of Heinz beans!!

What would you give your money to??

This is Jack @ our charity West End Impact we have a project on Thursdays and Sundays where 35-45 people like Jack come into our Community Cafe for a free meal. Jack used to own his own engineering business. In fact he was a very successful businessman and was earning well over £50,000 at his peak 8 years ago. Ok Jack liked a night out with the lads and did start to drink quite a lot with other business associates and clients when trying negotiate a deal or socialising with friends. Jack was married and has two kids who he presently has very little contact with.

You see Jack did make a bad business decision 8 years ago which cost a lot of money and he had to start laying people off in his business. He buried his head in a few pints and got quite aggressive with his wife. She really couldn't cope with that, and arguments started at home, the more arguments the more drink. Then nights out with the lads to get away became more regular. The lads invited him to Vegas to get away for a while where Jack blew even more money to drown his sorrows. His wife started to get fed up of not having as much money as they used to and started to become more and more disillusioned with their relationship. To cut a long story short their marriage broke down and Jack's wife wanted him out for a while so he could re-think his life and take stocks.

Jack got himself a flat but then loneliness kicked in and he kept forgetting to pay bills - debt was spiralling out of control so much that he had no choice but declare himself bankrupt. Drink was the only thing he had to turned to and a habit and regular pattern of drink had been the way to drown his sorrows. Before he knew it the landlord was knocking on the door and the drink wasn't quite hitting the mark any more to bloke out his problems. So with a group of new friends up the street he thought some cannabis wouldn't really do him any harm. Soon Jack was unemployed and in much debt, his wife didn't really want him to see the kids at the moment in the state he was in he was turning into someone that was no longer a good influence on them. Eventually Jack got so desperate that he had to turn to charity for help.

It was pretty embarrassing for Jack to have to come to us for a food parcel and a top up on his gas and electric meter. He came as he wanted advice as he was now on benefits he knew that in a couple of months the Job Centre would put him on a Work Program and he would be expected to do 'Job Search' for 2 hours a day but he didn't have a laptop so he came to use ours. He also needed referring to the local drug and alcohol organisation for help with his spiralling drink problem and he was heading towards having a drug problem too if things hadn't have started to change. On JSA £73.00 he could manage to feed himself but not feed his drink problem too, and when his shoes got worn or he needed a new pair of jeans he had no chance. His washing machine had also broken and the damp patch in his flat was in need of repair but his landlord couldn't afford to do anything. His meter in his flat was eating money at a rate that he couldn't believe. He was usually good at handling money as a businessman but the drink was just shadowing his thoughts and any decisions he was making all became a blur. He was sorry for hurting his wife and kids so badly but just felt so lost. So alone.......

At West End Impact we were able to get him referred for help and he also joined a small discussion group for people who were struggling with alcohol and depression. He got the benefits advice he needed and started to think again about how he could work, he started to find friendship amongst our volunteer team most of whom are Christians and come to our church Morecambe Community Church. He rekindled some childhood memories of Sunday School and felt some peace and hope. He started to give some business advice to our staff team. He started to find purpose with us and a place where help felt accepted no matter what. He felt love again and not as desperate and lonely as he was. He saw a glimmer of hope in his future and he was encouraged to know that he could re-build his life again. Drink was still a problem but as he found other things to fill that gap he started to drink less - he was given advice on how to consolidate his debt and through volunteering felt confident enough to go for a job interview, with a good reference to back him up. He had felt the urge to steal recently just to survive but this interview had stopped that urge and he fortunately did not go down that path. Still there is a long way to go with Jack..........

but would you help Jack. Can you see how easily Jack got to where he is?? Can you see how easily that could happen to you?? Jack came to church on Sunday and let us pray with him - he said he felt so peaceful and has sparked up a special friendship with John an ex-serviceman who has a similar story. Jack and John have got a lot in common but are becoming great friends.

You see people quite easily give money to a child who is suffering great poverty in Africa as it bring a tear to their eye and they get that feeling that they are helping a worthy cause. If you just saw the picture of Jack above you may have thought what a HOBO what a drop out!! You wouldn't have known his story until I told you that he was a very successful business man with a wife and 2 kids. You probably wouldn't have believed me if I had told you that in the last 6 years he has lived a life that has gradually spiralled out of control. 

Maybe now though you understand more......

At West End Impact this is just one of our many projects you can see more details about our charity @ www.westendimpact.org.uk and under 'Donations' you can see the many ways to give!! 

Our building running costs are presently around £1,200 per month. We also want to do so much more and want to start some supported employment scheme alongside our volunteer program. This will help more like Jack get back into work. We want to start upcycling furniture in our INNOVATE art group to sell and give people purpose and pride. We want to teach people who have little to cook on a budget and so much more - but all these projects can't happen as we don't have the funds yet. Please look beyond your misconceptions of Jack and give to this project even if its just £5 

West End Impact is Helping People Giving Hope and Changing Lives but we can't do it without your help so please text WEIM10 and £5 to 70070 today or give any other way you see fit!! Help us break down the barrier that make people feel we are just trying to help the 'undeserving poor' as there are many Jack's in this world who got to where they are because they made one silly mistake and didn't have anyone to help them move forward until they met a charity like West End Impact who helped stop that downward spiral!!

\