At Long last I find myself in a position to write a blog entry. Its 16:49 I arrived in work this morning at 08:50 so I feel that entitles me to finish for the day (it’s the first time in two weeks that I’ve not had to work at night (it’s all about fifteen hour days here). Oasis enocurage us to work hard and also rest hard…so either I’m working hard or resting as hard as I can (that means doing absolutely nothing)….layed flat out on a bed somewhere or sometimes I just find a street corner to fall asleep on, comfier than you would expect.
Saturday was an especially long day….got up at seven to be at the centre for eight. Stewarded an event called equipped to lead until 6pm and eventually got home at around seven. I was really knackered, more mentally than physically. After four months of consistent smiling and engaging with hundreds of new people my head is beginning to feel a little fatigued….I don’t really enjoy feeling like this though because I get my kicks from being around people….Anyway I got back to the house at seven and relieved got my keys out to unlock the door. As I put the key in lock I thought about the food awaiting me and the comfy couch I could collapse in. Unlocked the bottom lock and the top lock and went to open the final lock. Put key in the lock and tried to turn it…..Strangely it didn’t move. Puzzled I tried and tried to get the lock open but it wouldn’t budge
(we’ve just moved into a new house and we got keys cut, we had never checked to see if all the keys actually worked)
I ran to Tesco’s just down the road to get my team mate Katherines keys (she was doing some shopping) and when I arrived back at the house her keys also wouldn’t open the lock. The only person who had keys I actually knew worked was Sam and he was in central london somewhere. I really didn’t want to go hunting for him. I decided to call him and explain the situation. As he answered my call I felt the key move in the lock and decided to hang up and attempt to force the lock, perhaps the key did work but it was just stiff. For about ten minutes I forced the lock until it was at a point where it was stuck….i was sure that if I could move it a little further round the door would open. I decided that I would ask my neighbour if she had a hammer.
After explaining to my neighbout that I wasn’t trying to break in she got me a hammer and a pair of pliers. I was pleased ot receive the pliers because I knew they would work better than the hammer. Once back at my house I placed the pliers on the key and turned…click went the lock and I felt a sense of relief knowing that I could now get in the house. As I pulled the key out the lock I noticed that in fact I had snapped the end of it off and in fact the door wasn’t open….Instead I had snapped the key in the lock. Gutted is the only word I can use to explain the way I felt at that point. Not only was I tired, hungry and cold. I was also locked out until I found a locksmith. Now, late on a Saturday night emergency locksmiths aren’t cheap….As I called round the different companies I was quoted prices of £85 - £120. Eventually I managed to get a company to come out for £70 within the hour.
An hour passed…..no locksmith (it was freezing that night)…..two hours passed no locksmith…..three hours passed and eventually on the horizon I saw transit van headlights….i was in the house within another hour. So what have I learned from this expereince?? If something won’t move….don’t force it!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Finding the write time to Blog.....
I have been positively rubbish with the Blog recently....However, i have many valid excuses.
I am in the process of moving house (from my treatment room bedroom to a proper house in Brixton)
We have had two Christmas parties to organise. Last night i created and hosted the entratainment for 35 families. Some really good community engagement which made all the hard work worthwhile.
When not part of an orgnaising committee i'm handing out flyers in the local neighbourhoods to advertise our Carole's by Candelight service or dressing up as Santa Claus.
Also, i'm home a week on Friday and i hope that face to face i can tell the people who read this what i'm doing.... Special mention to Todd Whiteford and Garry Weir who have complained about my lack of Blogging. Apologies to them. I'm just finding it hard to write around this crazy time of year called christmas.
I am in the process of moving house (from my treatment room bedroom to a proper house in Brixton)
We have had two Christmas parties to organise. Last night i created and hosted the entratainment for 35 families. Some really good community engagement which made all the hard work worthwhile.
When not part of an orgnaising committee i'm handing out flyers in the local neighbourhoods to advertise our Carole's by Candelight service or dressing up as Santa Claus.
Also, i'm home a week on Friday and i hope that face to face i can tell the people who read this what i'm doing.... Special mention to Todd Whiteford and Garry Weir who have complained about my lack of Blogging. Apologies to them. I'm just finding it hard to write around this crazy time of year called christmas.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
When i say church....what do you think of?
Work is pretty hectic at the moment as we're closing in on Christmas. The centre is full of promotion flyers. Full of promotion flyers in the hope that the centre will soon be full of people. Thats the big vision anyway. Full all day every day. This morning i was street walking meeting people and promoting the christmas showcase at Church.co.uk. I was surprised by people's general enthusiasm about the event. Prior to starting the rounds i was sure people would be put off by 'another' church event. But they weren't and it was an up-lifiting experience for me....
Part of the trip out and about was to drop off flyers regarding our carers and kids service called 'Hullabaloo'. We visited a number of Schools asking them to advertise our service to carers by putting up posters. Most happily obliged, some were a little less willing. But generally the trip encouraged me that we were working in partnership with other organisations. However, when we arrived at the NHS health centre for Children and Parents we were given a frosty reception. In fact it was more than frosty. We were told to leave instantly and that they had no interest in promoting our service. Now, whether that was becuase i was young or whether i mentioned i worked for a church or becuase they'd had too many services like ours come to them. Anyway, on what had been an encouraguing trip i was a little disheartened by the events at the NHS health centre. My feeling is that in order for the Church to begin to have a significant impact in Britian it has to begin to work with existing services. Around about 100 years ago Church.co.uk records show that it had on it's staff team 10 doctors who delivered around 120 children. When the government created the NHS the Church had no doctors and no babies were delivered. Now the government finds itself in a situation where the job is just to big (stories of there not being enough beds in hospitals!). Indeed the Government would have benefitted in the long run had it continued the services of the Church back in the day. And indeed the Church would look very different to what it does today. It would have qualified teachers, nurses, doctors, social workers, counsellors, health visitors...etc etc.
The job facing the Church is to fill a gap in service provision that supports other orgnaisations and develops partnership working. A service that meets physical need first and then we can rely on God to work on people's spiritual needs...becuase he will but not if we keep talking at people instead of listening to them. A massive task, but it's begun....
Part of the trip out and about was to drop off flyers regarding our carers and kids service called 'Hullabaloo'. We visited a number of Schools asking them to advertise our service to carers by putting up posters. Most happily obliged, some were a little less willing. But generally the trip encouraged me that we were working in partnership with other organisations. However, when we arrived at the NHS health centre for Children and Parents we were given a frosty reception. In fact it was more than frosty. We were told to leave instantly and that they had no interest in promoting our service. Now, whether that was becuase i was young or whether i mentioned i worked for a church or becuase they'd had too many services like ours come to them. Anyway, on what had been an encouraguing trip i was a little disheartened by the events at the NHS health centre. My feeling is that in order for the Church to begin to have a significant impact in Britian it has to begin to work with existing services. Around about 100 years ago Church.co.uk records show that it had on it's staff team 10 doctors who delivered around 120 children. When the government created the NHS the Church had no doctors and no babies were delivered. Now the government finds itself in a situation where the job is just to big (stories of there not being enough beds in hospitals!). Indeed the Government would have benefitted in the long run had it continued the services of the Church back in the day. And indeed the Church would look very different to what it does today. It would have qualified teachers, nurses, doctors, social workers, counsellors, health visitors...etc etc.
The job facing the Church is to fill a gap in service provision that supports other orgnaisations and develops partnership working. A service that meets physical need first and then we can rely on God to work on people's spiritual needs...becuase he will but not if we keep talking at people instead of listening to them. A massive task, but it's begun....
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Community spirit....Not just for Christmas
A week has quickly gone by and my holiday is over.... At the end of last week i had began to feel my energy levels at a low and i really needed a break. But now after some home cooking, a warm comfy bed and quality time spent with my family and friends i'm ready to head back on down to London and work hard on the build up to Christmas. Christmas is a very busy time for Church.co.uk..... Youth Events for the young people, events for the older people and general community engagement. Armed with a few peices of my mum's chocolate traybake i also plan to shine some delight into what might be a miserable time for some people....That Chocolate traybake is quite something, just ask anyone who's has the opportunity to try it!
Christmas is definately a time of year when communities come together, whether that's kids playing in the snow or people attending school shows, pantomines etc etc.... Christmas is a unique time of year where different groups of people get together. I remember speaking to one of the mums dropping her child off at kids club. She asked if Church.co.uk would be putting on the christmas carol event again this year. I explained 'yes' and she was very pleased. She went on to tell me that earlier on in the year they had experienced a power cut. When the power went off she paniced not quite sure what to do....but then remembered that she still had the candles from the carol service at Church.co.uk. She lit them and was able to resolve the situation until the power came back on. She told that story with a real joy and gladness that really encouraged me. I'm not sure whether people enjoy church christmas services becuase they like singing or is it that they enjoy being part of a community.... Church.co.uk was packed last christmas and it will be again this year but just for that day. It's a real challenge for Churches to find attractive ways outside of christmas to bring people together in their communities.
Christmas is definately a time of year when communities come together, whether that's kids playing in the snow or people attending school shows, pantomines etc etc.... Christmas is a unique time of year where different groups of people get together. I remember speaking to one of the mums dropping her child off at kids club. She asked if Church.co.uk would be putting on the christmas carol event again this year. I explained 'yes' and she was very pleased. She went on to tell me that earlier on in the year they had experienced a power cut. When the power went off she paniced not quite sure what to do....but then remembered that she still had the candles from the carol service at Church.co.uk. She lit them and was able to resolve the situation until the power came back on. She told that story with a real joy and gladness that really encouraged me. I'm not sure whether people enjoy church christmas services becuase they like singing or is it that they enjoy being part of a community.... Church.co.uk was packed last christmas and it will be again this year but just for that day. It's a real challenge for Churches to find attractive ways outside of christmas to bring people together in their communities.
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