sorry it's been a while

Sorry it’s been so long since we blogged! The last few weeks have been a bit of a blur with chicken pox ahoy among the kids and sickness bugs, oh the fun. We can hardly believe that Easter is nearly here, time has flown. We’re organising an Easter event at the pub which we’re hoping will be lots of fun. A bit more challenging to share the Easter story but praying that people will learn something new. We certainly are and thinking hard about how to explain the Easter story. In the last month or so we’ve had the opportunity to meet up with other Urban Expression teams which has been great. We’ve really enjoyed spending time with others in similar situations and learning from them about urban mission. We’ll do our best to update this more often over the next few weeks.

A

Alison writes

Life on Harold Hill is treating us well and we’re starting to build relationships with those we’ve met. Jess, Anya and myself enjoy going to a parent and child play session at the children’s centre each week. It’s great to mix with the parents there and also getting to know the staff. Jess particularly has fun with the paint and glitter! Caleb has just got over chicken pox so we’ve all been stuck inside and await the girls getting it. It’s been good to help out a family this week who have just had twins with some meals. Another great thing has been getting to know Steve and Lauren better and enjoying the fact they are closer now and on the hill. I guess for me at the moment it’s a case of being patient as I adapt to life with 3 kids whilst trying to meet new people and see how God develops things here. Life with 3 is manic but fun! In the craziness of it all I’ll keep trying to listen out for God and hope I’ve got the energy for whatever he has in store.
A

Please Pray

Hi all, we've had a good week, over the next couple of weeks we making some changes tot he church to enable it to be a more rentable space which will help us interact with the community.
Please pray for these changes.

With my youth work Jobs i've got to keen time coming up, we're trying to get referals for a parenting course which has been slow, please pray this picks up and i've meeting about the other role on Harold hill which could mean some changes, please pray for wisdom and guildance in both situations.

Love and Prayers

R.

They are here!

It's been an interesting couple of weeks, loads of snow, Sickness, Caleb's now FIVE and we've been helping Steve and Lauren into their new home, having them on the hill has been great.

I;'ve started leading a parenting course for Dad's only on the hill, an amazing programme called strengthening families strengthening communities, we have 13 dad's doing it and it is a really privilege to journey with these men as we learn from each other. Please pray that i will be able to make some good friends.

Working for the local authority has been interesting! please pray as i continue to settle into the two jobs.

As i continue to reflect on the Hill and work and type of church that is needed, I'm so sure that a church needs to be very family oriented. There are some great families that we are meeting who are strong and would gain more strength from a church with helped them function even better together, but obviously there are families who are struggling and a families based church could really offer support in helping them work through the issues. How we do this is mystery still, but please pray as we consider and pray about these issues.

Much Love

R

Christmas and SNOW!!

We had a great christmas, not as much sleep as i'd have like too!! (babys Hey) but the family time was great, we had two weddings, a funeral, a carol service in the pub, gave out 5 christmas hampers to families on estate and took some sweets and buiscuit into local sure start centres to say thank you for all they do for local families.

We also had some good fmaily time with the Kids and Alison's fmaily and then my family.

The Carol service was great and a think really helped our firendship with the pub ( it was amazing to be drinking beer inbetween singing carols, not very spirtual i know but still very cool)

On monday night i start co leading a parenting course for Dads on the hill, please pray that this goes well,

Steve and Lauren are moving next week so it's all go.

And i had a snow ball fight with ALison and the kids.
I just took Caleb to school he's one of 4!!! in his class today.

Love and Prayers

R.

What a week,

Sorry it's been a while since our last post!! baby and all that!

Yesterday we went as a family to Burton boy and top ship girls wedding (Mike and CLare Allen) It was a lovely day they looked amazing and the snow made to whole day look fantastic.

Thanks you for all cards of baby and christmas,

We continue to explore Harold Hill, and we continue to find an estate with a close community feel.

As a team we are enjoying getting to know each other, it is amazing spending time with people who just get it and are as passionate about community based mission as we are.

There are of course challenges, as we give out hampers we want to more of a help rather that looking like we think we've saved people christmas'. ( and who did we say they are from as the church doesn't exist!!)

As we work with one part of the community we are aware that this could be excluding us from working in another part of the community. As , like all communities, not all the community would work together.

There are so many good ideas and not all are linked to our vision, those who received our team newsletter will know we planned to give out donuts to shop keeps, however our conclusion and calling is to serve those on the edge of HH and on refection we realise this didn't do that. so we've come up with a different plan

As a team this is a very important and interesting week.

Steve and Lauren complete on their house in HH ( Hurray)

Rich and Steve are doing the funeral for a 21 week old baby on monday.

The Team are leading the carol service in the local pub on tuesday night

The team are giving out hampers to 5 families/ people ( thanks to contacts and friendships from local sure start centres and the family support teams)

The team are giving donuts and cakes to the staff of the local sure start centres who serve local families so well) ( sSSHHH don't tell them)

The team are going to have a relaxing evening together on christmas eve before seeing our families and friends.

PLease pray for all the above.

Happy christmas and New year, if you didn't get a copy of team news please email me,

Love and Prayers

rich

The Tea,

Here we are, the team, Steve and Lauren, Caleb, Jess and Anya Alison and I

Please pray for us and give thanks for for all that is coming in the next couple of months.

Love and Prayers

R