Welcome to our first newsletter of 2024. I hope that the new year is treating you well and any New Year’s resolutions are exceeding expectations. The winter months have been very quiet in town, mostly we think due to the cost of living crisis, especially as the young have the larger percentage of their wages going on bills. We continue to go out every Friday evening to be the loving presence of God shining through the dampness and cold, ready to Care, Listen and Help all those who need it.
How we’ve Cared, Listened and Helped
Just the one encounter this time as it is quite a long one but shows the team really Caring, Listening and Helping someone in need one Friday night.
It was very striking how quiet the town was so at 10pm we decided to go to McDonalds for a break. While there a young man named Alf¹ came and sat with us and started to talk about his life and how he was struggling with aspects of it. He was looking after his parents whilst trying to get himself sorted in a new flat which he had been appointed at the top of the Loxley Road. He said he was really grateful for the flat and that it was really great with new carpets but it was completely empty with no furniture or even curtain poles/curtains. He was sleeping on the floor in the corridor as people could see him if they looked in as the windows went to ground level.
We asked him if we could provide some aspects of bedding to take the cold away from sleeping on the floor which he said he would be very grateful for. We asked him to stay at McDonalds while we went back to base to get some bedding for him. We collected a number of items for Alf which took all 3 of us to carry back. However, when we arrived back at McDonalds Alf was not there so we went back outside to see if we could find him.
About a minute later he appeared walking back from Tesco’s. He was absolutely shocked to see us and was quite emotional saying that he didn’t expect us to come back. He kept saying “people just don’t do this”. It was clear that Alf would not be able to take this back to his flat on his own so we decided to ask him if we could offer him a lift back to his flat with the stuff. He agreed.
¹ Note: Name changed to protect privacy.
Prayer Points:
- For the teams out on Friday evenings Caring, Listening and Helping
- For more Street Pastors to join the team enabling the patrol rota to be filled without over commitment of individuals
- For the safety and professionalism of the Police service as they work to keep everyone safe
- For those giving their time and energy to provide for those in need through the Food Bank
Social Media
We are continuing our series of posts on what makes our Street Pastors turn up and patrol our streets in rain, wind and shine. We continue to use Facebook and X (formally Twitter) to post information about what we do to raise awareness of our presence and also give guidance on how to keep safe when on a night out.
What I love about being a Street Pastor?
I love meeting new people and having conversations with them.
Please follow us and share our posts so that everyone knows what we’re about and where we can be found when needed.
How can I become a Street Pastor?
Street Pastors are practising Christians aged over 18 who feel called to step out onto the streets to be the hands and feet of Christ; and also his eyes, ears and mouth too! What Street Pastors are NOT is preachers or converters. Street Pastors are simply there to Care, Listen and Help all of those out in the night time economy without judgment or condemnation. Street Pastors are also DBS checked and trained through the Ascension Trust, attending several hours of training before becoming a full Street Pastor. Why not come out on patrol as an observer and see what we do?
If you are interested in knowing more, contact our co-ordinator, Linda, by e-mail at stratforduponavon@streetpastors.org.uk.
