Article submitted by Oliver Turner. Oliver is a Street Pastor in Norwich city centre and in East Norwich and co-ordinates Street Pastors in East Norwich. He is a leader in the East Norwich Youth Project, a youth and community based project working together with nine churches across six denominations.

 

 

Active faith involves hearing God’s will, believing it and then doing it. I passionately believe it is God’s will for Christians to work pro-actively, co-operatively and consistently together to bring about greater unity in His church. This inspires me to eat, pray, discuss, fellowship and witness together with Christians from a whole variety of backgrounds, ages and denominations on at least a weekly basis. God desires a united church to reach out to a needy world with love, compassion and generosity. This is why Christians from various church traditions go out as Street Pastors in Norwich city centre every Friday and Saturday night. God is also calling people to prayerfully and actively engage with communities. Therefore, Christians of different denominations, including church leaders and East Norwich Youth Project leaders and trustees go out or pray once every three weeks as Street Pastors in East Norwich.

 

The Pastors go out in a team of four and are available to anyone in need or distress who would like a listening ear, a word of comfort or encouragement or practical help, as far as that is possible. Sometimes they connect people up with other relevant agencies, sometimes a cheerful word can help, other times the need is for a much longer time to give someone the chance to talk about their difficult situation. Often it is practical help for those who have drunk too much and are not enjoying their night out as much as they had expected to!

 

My New Year’s prayer (more dangerous and exciting than any resolution!) is less talking and more being and doing the Kingdom of God “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20) Both Central and East Norwich Street Pastors are models that could be adopted and adapted in Great Yarmouth, Gorleston, Southtown, Cobham, the Barrack Estate etc. From my involvement in Street Pastors in Norwich, I know there are people keen to start Street Pastors in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston.  What is now needed is that the church leaders get together to back this project and take the leap of faith that will be  required  to take it forward and bring it to the streets here.