Category: Articles
A Place for Presence
Genesis 3:21-24 says, “And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like Us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” […]
Streams in the Wasteland
As well as setting out God’s plan of salvation, the Bible gives us instruction about how we should live and helps us to know God better and his purpose for our lives. Here’s what a passage from Isaiah meant to me at a particular point in my life. Isaiah 43:18-21 (NIV) Forget the former things; […]
Stepping out in trust
It was a Sunday morning three years or so ago. I was enjoying the worship time, singing: ‘I will trust you with everything’. Suddenly I was very aware of God’s presence – ‘Are you ready?’ He asked… It stopped me in my tracks and the question hung in the air. ‘Ready for what, Lord?’… ‘Ready […]
Communicating Hope – Developing a Vision
I had no idea what to expect the first time I entered through those prison gates. I was a student and got involved in prison ministry with my Uni church. One of the many things I hadn’t expected, was that seven years later God would still be watering the seed he planted in me that […]
A Place for Men
Increasingly society is becoming aware of the problem of loneliness. The shift toward individualism and the breakdown of the nuclear/extended family structure is beginning to take its toll, and finding meaningful relationships is an unwanted pressure. As a church, whether through activities at the Hub, through our ‘supercharged friendships’, or any other interaction we have, […]
“This is going to be bigger than you imagine!”
“I just alone. No friend. So sad. So lonely.” This is what an ESOL learner explained to me in 2005 as I covered her Skills for Life class, standing in for their regular teacher. There were 14 other people in her class – who sat in silence, choosing seats dotted around the room as if […]
A Story of Connection, Through Coffee
In 2013 a bunch of us sat in a living room dreaming about opening a coffee shop close to where we live. It was probably a love of coffee that brought us together, but none of us imagined how God would take our passions and marry them together with His love for the people that […]
Listening to the Holy Spirit’s Nudge
We were used to being able to enjoy the short walk from our previous home to Becontree Primary School. We would always be greeted by the lollipop person who would ensure everybody crossed the busy Becontree Avenue junction with School Way safely. With funds being cut across the borough, Becontree Primary School could no longer […]
