“Our aim is to share
the love of God
through practical deeds.”We seek to serve people in Barnsley Town Centre on a Friday and a Saturday night.
Aims
Simply, we aim to care, listen and help. This takes on a number of forms.
Caring — about our community.
The party goers, the door-staff, the road sweepers, the police, the homeless. Anyone and everyone in our town, regardless of age, gender, wealth, poverty, race, creed or sexual orientation. We believe everyone is made in the image of God and loved by God. As followers of Jesus we are called to love and care for our neighbours and those in our community.
Listening — to anyone who needs to talk.
We understand that not everyone has someone. As human beings we all need community. We are there to be a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. We are non-judgemental and we will treat each person with integrity and dignity.
Helping — practically, emotionally and spiritually.
We give directions, we give out flip-flops, chocolate, water and blankets. We see people home safely. We provide a uniformed presence and seek to bring peace. We have friends who are experts in different areas, from addictions to abuse, from hotels to housing, we can hook you up with their numbers. We don’t preach at you but we are happy to discuss our faith and pray with people on the streets.
A Typical Night
We are based at Hope House Church in the heart Barnsley. We meet to pray before leaving for the streets. Our routes encompass most of the Town centre. We are in teams of three or four containing both men and women. We are in radio contact with the door-staff and the police control room in order to respond to any incidents that may require our assistance. We look after a number of vulnerable people, give practical assistance, first aid, defuse violent situations and give pastoral care. We finish our shift at 4am, when we return to the Church to pray for those we have met that evening/morning. We usually get to bed at around 5am!