news & events
february
WEEKLY SHELTER PROJECT - BFC is one of six churches in the London Borough of Hounslow who are jointly setting up a winter shelter scheme for 15 homeless men during the coldest months; January through to the end of March. The men have been recommended by two designated referral agencies which are St Mungoes and Emmaus House. The selectee's will become our permanent guests for the duration of 12 weeks.
Each church hosts once a week, and our night will be Friday. The Shelter involves providing an evening meal. board games, TV, conversation, a bed for the night and breakfast in the morning. Volunteers will run the shelter and will be in attendance on a shift basis, and will help with cooking, laundry, donating time and/or money, chatting and listening and spending time in prayer.
Some volunteer and financial contributions will be received from Bless Church and Equippers Church, however any financial donations will be gratefully received.
Some scripture...Isaiah 58:7"...is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
update
SUMMER SPECIAL NEWS This ‘Holiday at Home’ programme has just finished for 2011 and it has once again proved to be a wonderful time for so many people who live within a reasonable distance of Brentford Free Church.
There was something different on each day of the week and you could choose whether to come for just one day or many or indeed all of them!
The Tuesday programme was the most popular with over 80 people who came for a Deluxe Cream Tea followed by Magical Entertainment by Tim Barnes, a talented conjuror and a member of Brentford Free Church. The week finished with a BBQ Lunch after the service on Sunday.
If you missed Summer Special 2011, don’t worry, there will be another in September 2012!
Psalm 5:8: “Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness; make your way straight before my face”
Amen.
message from the minister:
Dear Friends,
I am writing this in the early hours of a Saturday morning, at our Night Shelter for the homeless. One voulunteer is sitting on the floor answering e-mails; another is snatching a snooze in the chapel. There are a dozen men asleep in the hall, all pleasant chaps! Earlier there were eight or ten voulunteers setting up, cooking, serving, chatting. Some were from other Churches, some were teenagers with some of their school friends. We've been eating cakes made by someone who wouldn't be able to help in other ways; and tomorrow the towels will go to someone else who can wash and dry them; and a man will come to move the mattresses down to St Paul's...and so it goes on!
The response to this night shelter project has been thrilling: around 26 BFC volunteers as well as off-site helpers, - the cake makers, towel washers, etc.! We are one of six Churches accommodating men for a night a week; and there are voulnteers from three or four Brentford Churches serving here in BFC. It's hard work, especially for Beverley, Kate and Reagan who are our coordinators; it's quite costly, but money has been coming in. And in one way or another with loving respect, conversation, leaflets and Bibles in other languages, the love of God is shown and spoken, and those staying with us are clearly grateful, ("There but by the grace of God go I"!)
What is it that has caught our imagination? Is it that we see this as something 'real', something 'sharp-end', the 'edgy' side of Church, 'out there' as opposed to 'in here' and 'self-serving'? But our youth work and older people's work, 'Kick' football outreach and ABC; all these are also 'out there', drawing people in and meeting needs!
Thank you for support of the Night Shelter, your prayer, work, money, encouragement, interest; - it all matters and it all helps! And please think and pray about what we do - what you do - in expressing God's love and growing his kingdom in and beyond this community.
With love,
David
p.s...
Ladies... come and pray for some of the most vulnerable people and families across the UK, for our community and the men in our Night Shelter
Poverty and Homeless Action Week (28 Jan-5 Feb)
