Tim Abbott

Do whatever is good... show true humility

This evening I gave a presentation to a group of Colchester Borough councillors about the work of Street Pastors in our town. Also there was Debbie speaking about the SOS Bus project she heads up with whom we have a great working partnership. Let me put on record... we love these guys and the work they do. We love it that we can work in partnership with them and that dozens of ordinary people volunteer to give up an evening to help others in the town centre.

There is a genuine appreciation for the work of Street Pastors from the public and also from the councillors we met this evening. But there was one question that bugged me.

One of the councillors asked me to comment on something someone had said to him - that Street Pastors somehow saw themselves as having a monopoly on the role of caring for people on the streets at night. We know this isn't something that's been said by any of our team, and it's certainly not the reaction we get from people we meet on a Friday or Saturday night who are generally really comfortable with the fact that we're Christians.

What bugs me isn't that someone might suspect such exclusivist nonsense of us. It's the worrying realisation that they feel they have grounds for such suspicion in the first place. How has the church behaved all these years if, as soon as it steps out to care unconditionally for others, it is suspected of doing so to claim some moral superiority over other people? (We know some of these other people - they turn out on Friday and Saturday nights too, not in the name of the church, but to care nevertheless and to help people through the work of the SOS bus.)

Of course, we weave for ourselves a mighty complex web if we attempt to answer all the shifting and unspoken assumptions of others. The world has its suspicions; sometimes it is right. By our actions, by loving the world as Christ did, we are perhaps earning again the right to be heard, even if some of our earnings are going to pay off a debt of suspicion. The councillor who raised the question (not a Christian) emphasised his enthusiastic endorsement of what Street Pastors do. We need to keep doing it.

As Paul said to Titus:

"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men."

Street Pastors Conference

Today I was at Day 2 of the Annual Street Pastors Co-ordinators Conference. My mate James had been to Day 1 and at some point we need to exchange notes!

As ever it was an inspiring experience. The number of Street Pastors groups in the UK is now over 100 and there are loads more areas in the process of getting started.

Highlights included Simon Thomas' (one of the national core team) reminder that the Kingdom of God is a big picture, but it comes to people via a small picture - each of us. We need to maintain the 'big picture'. God took Abraham out of his tent to look at the stars to break his mind out of small thinking; "get out of your tent thinking and get into sky thinking!"

There was news of developments in the behind-the-scenes work of Ascension Trust to sustain and develop this amazing ministry as it grows inexorably. Requests for help in setting up Street Pastor Initiatives have come from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, and near as Europe and as amazing as Pakistan. It's already underway in Antigua. There was also the inevitable excellence of tea/coffee and cakes as well as a very well prepared lunch which gave just enough time for a bit of networking and catching up.

Les Isaac's emphasis is that the focus of all this must ensure that it's all about the church, not Street Pastors. It's not about creating an organisation but a movement.   My overwhelming impression is that Street Pastors is just one of the things God is doing through his church to show that he cares for people. The response we're getting here in Colchester, echoed in the experiences of other Street Pastor Initiatives, suggests that people are beginning to notice.

Colchester Street Pastors on BBC East

Colchester Street Pastors were featured recently on a BBC East feature about the impact of recession. It includes a snippet of an interview with Alison Finch, who is Colchester Town Centre Chaplain and part of the local Street Pastors group.
I managed to avoid the camera, except for a walk on part at the beginning outside the now closed Woolworths and Zavvi stores!

Easter - Good Friday

It's been an amazing day!

Mid-day was the annual Good Friday outdoor service in Colchester town centre. By helpful co-incidence, River Island is having a refit which meant there was a big plywood backdrop to which was nailed two banners - one of the crucifixion, one of the resurrection. As part of the service people were encouraged to pin prayers to the board. There was a moment of unplanned significance as a new nail was hammered in to restrain one of the banners during the singing of "When I survey the wondrous cross". Suddenly the words, "See from his head, his hands, his feet; sorrow and love flow mingled down" seemed remarkably real.

Later in the evening I was at the Highwoods Youth Cafe where about 20 young people spent some time taking in a prayer room themed around the passion of Christ. The church there had been running a prayer room open to the community during the day and the regular Friday youth cafe gave us another opportunity to share the experience of prayer with them.

Finally, it was Street Pastors tonight. Although it was rather wet and windy and very cold the streets were busy and so were we. We prayed that people would feel welcomed, and almost immediately met a woman who said she'd just moved to the town and was amazed how welcomed she felt - and even more so after meeting us. We prayed with a couple that the taxi they'd booked over an hour ago would turn up, and it did the moment we finished praying. We chatted with a lady who wanted to give up smoking, and prayed for her too. And we helped a man with a cut hand who had been assaulted by someone with a Stanley (box cutter) knife. All in all a useful night and it's good to know the church is welcomed so warmly on the streets. Bed by 4am.

Friday 8th

Friday night I went to help out at the Highwoods Youth Cafe run by a couple of local churches. It's been going for two years following a schools week in early 2006 with Collective. The leaders are an amazing bunch and are having to work with what might be termed challenging young people. But there have been some moments of real breakthrough, like the lads who made first time commitments a few months ago and the 25 who chose to spend time in a weekend prayer room locally.

I then had to pop into town for 10pm to help set up Street Pastors for the evening. I wasn't on the rota for the night so although I didn't go out I did stay for a bit to join in with the prayer. We're recruiting again to get the numbers up to the point where we can send out teams on Saturdays as well as Fridays.

Happy New Year

Part of my experience of the Christmas season has included a break from the internet, due partly to being away from any useful connection and partly because, well, it's nice just to break a habit every now and then. Hence no posts since 13th December, which is ages ago.
Not that there hasn't been lots going on.

We launched Street Pastors here in Colchester. I visited Innervation Trust in Manchester for a prayer day. Then spent a long weekend with my mum in Wales before returning just in time to do a Street Pastor stint on Christmas eve.

And so to the new year which I celebrated on the streets as a Street Pastor. With five evenings covered so far we've become a regular part of the nightlife of Colchester and have been warmly welcomed by the public, Police, club owners and door staff. On Monday night we were able to divert a few people away from starting fights, help a number of people who were very drunk and calm a few arguing couples. We also got to chat to loads of people, many of whom approached us, and we were able to pray with quite a few as well. I saw in the chimes of the new year on the street with another Street Pastor and a bloke from Watford with a drug problem who needed a bit of reassurance and help.

Finished about 4:30am, home by 5. The most enjoyable and satisfying new year celebration for a long time.

Street Pastors launch

On Saturday about 50 people gathered at Colchester Town Hall for the launch of Street Pastors. The 20 Street Pastors were joined by friends, prayer partners, The Mayor and senior representatives of the Police, the Borough Council and local churches.

Street Pastors is a national scheme now running in over 50 towns, cities and boroughs across the UK. The aim is simply to offer help care and a listening ear to people out on the town on a Friday night. Where it's already running there have been measurable reductions in street crime. But it's also a great way for the church to be visible in a practical and caring way to a whole bunch of people who would probably never think of going near a church. I'm looking forward to the day when our town recognises that "God is good for Colchester".

After the formal bit of the evening we persuaded the Mayor to let us have a photo on his balcony, overlooking the High Street. I'm taking the photo, balancing on a balustrade with a 30' drop behind me. Perhaps that's why some people look worried and everyone else is smiling!