Living Sacrifice

Elise Fletcher on Romans 12:1

Launch Night

Hi guys,
Just so you know - we have a date for the launch service for SP08. And it is Sunday February 24th

More soon

Buckled bikes and alleyways

So yesterday I went down to Wingfield Close to check out some potential project sites and I lock my bike up against a metal fence and off I go. I clamber up this overgrown, litter strewn dump of an alleyway that has been a dumping ground for years and ruined the back of people's gardens.

Then I have a conversation with a local man who shows me his garden (very nice) and he tells me how he no longer knows his neighbours, how the community spirit has disappeared and he's afraid to even ask people their name any more.

By the time I get back to my bike I understand a little of what he meant, the chain has been cut and my bike dumped over a fence buckling the back wheel. No point to it, just bored, meaningless vandalism, although I guess the lads that did it found it funny briefly.

I move on and visit some more residents who for a variety of reasons are struggling with the upkeep of their properties and gardens. You get a sense of how poverty (in its many varied forms) undermines people's ability and capacity to manage. There seems little point.

Well I'm not accepting that - not in my town. I don't accept that there should be families in one of England's prosperous county towns should be left to feel helpless and hopeless, if they do then the church is failing in its mission. Soul Purpose can make a difference in those homes and families lives and through a practical demonstration perhaps people can sense or feel just even for a moment that God loves them. Let's hope so.

Soul Purpose 2007 is Coming

Bonjour, Guten tag, Howdy, N'amahoro, Hello, Hey Y’All, Hola, Jó napot, Ohayo-sama

WHAAAAAAASSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPP?*

Right now we’ve got the pleasantries out of the way lets get down to business. First things first – sorry that I’ve not sent out any emails before now, I’ve got lots of excuses but no good reasons. Here are some of my excuses

1) I’ve been trying to take over the world involving a series of cunning plans that are TOP SECRET and it’s kept me really busy

2) I’ve actually been on holiday for the last 9 months in space

3) The dog ate my homework (that one used to work in school – the excuse not the dog)

4) The Cricket World Cup has been so exciting I forgot all about Soul Purpose (May 26-28^th)

5) I’ve been busy doing this
I have more excuses but I know you’re all busy people. Anyway I’m sorry. Things will be different. Possibly. Possibly not, I am actually about to go on holiday so it will be different when I get back.

Still that gives you two weeks to accomplish the following simple tasks

1) Sign up for Soul Purpose 2007 (May 26-28^th). 30 or so have so far and we’re aiming to break the 100 barrier this year so get your mates signed up too. Can we get to 70 by the time I get back in two weeks?

2) Get your youth leaders signed up as small team leaders and your vicar/pastor/church leader/cult figure (delete as appropriate) to plug Soul Purpose on Sunday’s

3) Check for wrong and old email addresses on this email (this is why for the only time you can see everyone’s email address) and let me know new ones please? DO IT NOW!! No I mean it, really, now. I’m not joking. Now. You’ll forget otherwise and I’ll sulk and others will miss out. That’s a lose, lose, lose situation.

4) Pray that, like all the best A-Team plans – (you have seen the A-Team right?) That all the projects, finances, food, invitations and the thousand other things that need doing in the next 6 weeks get done. We’re excited but there’s a lot of work to be done.

5) Sign up for SP2007 (May 26-28^th)

This is the third year that Soul Purpose has taken to the streets of north Shrewsbury with deeds of kindness and love and this year we want to step up another gear. We’re stretching ourselves from Harlescott and increasing our presence in the Grange and Ditherington areas. There are 5 areas in Shrewsbury that are in the bottom 30% of the country (most deprived) 4 of them are in North Shrewsbury and we’ll be working in 3 of them (although not everywhere falls into that category). One of the areas is in the bottom 15% while most of the rest of Shrewsbury is in the top 30% in the country. We want to see more than 100 young people demonstrating the good news of the kingdom with free gifts of kindness, challenging ideas that the church has nothing left to offer, and that things can change for the better and that young people are leading the way. Our morning theme for this year is that we have a ‘God worth following’ – He really is. We believe He’s calling us to follow Him back on to the streets into the highways and byways of our town demonstrating love and compassion.

See you in May.

Adios Amigos

Phil

PS If you received this email in error please let me know and I’ll remove you from the list. We don’t give your email addresses away to third parties. We don’t sell them either. Make me an offer and see….

* For greetings in over 800 languages go here http://www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/hello.htm