They might do it sitting down, but many older Christians are still committed to serving their communities and being people who stay in touch (S.I.T.) News headlines tell us a variety of stories about older people. One day it will be a story about loneliness, or about...
We think this fresh and insightful view of Street Pastors in The Spectator is worth sharing. The feature is a response to the announcement by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucester of a £40,000 grant to cover training and resources for local Street Pastors teams.
Revd Brian Anderson is the president of the Methodist Church in Ireland. This weekend he spent four hours on the streets with Belfast Street Pastors. Here’s what he posted on Facebook the next day.
Listen to Les Isaac, co-founder of the Street Pastors initiative, talking to BBC Radio Essex.
Tim, a street pastor in Melbourne, Australia, shares this story of a “dispiriting” encounter with a man with atheist views, and what he learned from it.
In a society where there are so many negative influences on young people, where sadly we learn of abuse and violence seemingly daily, the compassion of street pastors resonates with young people.
Have you ever hovered on the edge of someone else’s distress, debating whether or not to get involved? ‘Do they really want me to do something?’, you ask yourself. ‘Will I make a fool of myself?’. ‘What if I’ve mis-read the situation?’
It’s quite possible to walk the streets where you live and not know much about the dynamics that are at work there – local politics, mindsets and influences. But if we are perceptive and informed we can walk wisely, with a critical awareness of the events, environments and attitudes around us. We can use what we learn to ask questions, celebrate the good stuff and play an active part.
