New deputy as Street Pastors work expands

 

Paul Rendell (pictured right), a Street Pastor in Norwich since the start of the work 18 months ago, has recently been appointed as my Deputy and we will be working closely together.

Street Pastors is a fast expanding work - I have recently been in contact from a new branch which is setting up in Scunthorpe, in Lincolnshire. Colchester has also started within the last few months. All over the country, the church is finding ways to get out of its buildings and meet with people where they are, and Street Pastors is proving a very effective and popular method.

 

In Norfolk and Norwich we are constantly growing too, and always looking for new and different ways of showing the love and compassion of God to people who have not been in the habit of church-going or have not believed the Christian faith has anything relevant to say to them.

 

In the Lakenham area of Norwich the “Community Street Pastors” are regularly out and about meeting people as they go about their everyday lives; they clean up graffiti, pick up litter, visit schools and bring an additional sense of calm and security to the neighbourhood. Duane Elkins is pictured, right, cleaning up graffiti.

 

In Thorpe and Heartsease the emphasis is on making contact with the groups of young people who are often about in the evenings on the streets,  Street Pastors are out engaging with them, offering a listening ear and finding out about their wants and needs.

 

In Norwich city centre the work continues each week end as the teams of four mix amongst the clubbers and party-goers that throng the Prince of Wales Road and city centre areas. Street Pastors have recently been involved in helping to dissuade and comfort potential suicides, in bringing peace in situations of conflict, in supporting some who have drunk too much, some who have lost their friends and are feeling vulnerable, and in listening to and talking with many, who feel alone and uncared for in our society.

 

From the city centre group of Street Pastors, Paula and Martin Callam (right) will soon be leaving to spend two or more years in Antigua, putting their experience and expertise into running the Street Pastor work there. We will be saying farewell to them at Wroxham Road Methodist Church on Thursday September 11, at 7.30pm. Do come and join us and meet Les Isaacs, the founder of Street Pastors, who will be speaking.

 

And now we have people from Great Yarmouth, Dereham and Lowestoft who will be joining our next training group in September – it’s still not too late to enrol if you have been wondering if this is for you –

We expect that they will be able to encourage others to join in with this army of people whose desire is to demonstrate that God, through His church, wants to show His care and His compassion to all who are in need of it.

 

Street Pastors will have a stand at the Police Gala Day on August 31 at the Royal Norfolk Show Ground, so come and see us if you are there and find out more about what we do.

 

I, together with an Intercessor and a Street Pastor, will be involved in the Sunday Praise 10.30am service on September 7 at St Remigius, Hethersett. Please join us as the team talk about 'A night in the life of a Street Pastor' and explain how people can support the Street Pastors with prayer and practical help.

 

If you are interested in being trained as a Street Pastor or joining the Intercession Group who support the Pastors in prayer every time they go out, please contact Val Dodsworth on 01603 472753 or email: v.dodsworth@ntlworld.com