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