Page � JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

JESUSCENTRES

REVIEW2009

A LOOK AT THE WORK OF THE JESUS CENTRES OVER

THE PAST FEW YEARS

WWW.JESUSCENTRE.ORG.UK

Page �JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

Page � JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

John Campbell, chairman of the Jesus Army Charitable Trust, shares a vision centred on Jesus.

ss

ARE CHURCH IN ACTION

THE CHRISTIAN Church has a vital role to play in the future of this nation. But it is far from clear whether

it is actually going to play that part. The overwhelming majority of people in this nation have some awareness of a spiritual dimension to life, and for most of them that includes some belief in Jesus, and at least respect for Him. Yet the Church is so often seen as irrelevant and outdated. Long past is the time when a Sundays-only building held any credibility. In an age of total choice, the church must earn its right to be heard in the midst of the competing slogans of the marketplace. The public is looking for us to address the needs of real people in today’s society. That is a challenge we in this church are determined to rise to. Not for nothing are we called the modern Jesus army. Jesus Centres are the seven-day-a-week “shop window”

Continued overleaf

ss

WHAT ARE JESUS CENTRES?Places where the love of Jesus is expressed daily in worship, care and friendship for every type of person.

WHAT DO THEY OFFER?All sorts, including showers, friendship, a listening ear, IT classes and food. They also act as a ‘gateway’ to other services and agencies.

WHO RUNS THEM?The Jesus Army Charitable Trust (JACT). Staff and volunteers come from Jesus Fellowship Church.

WHERE ARE THEY?Coventry, Northampton and Central London. Plans are afoot for further Jesus Centres in Sheffield (2010) and Birmingham. Eventually Jesus Centres will be found in other places around the UK.

HOW CAN I HELP?We always need money, old clothes, food and lots more! Check out the website for details.

MORE INFO:www.jesuscentre.org.uk

03 CHURCH IN ACTION JOHN CAMPBELL SHARES THE VISION BEHIND JESUS CENTRES

06 A MUCH-NEEDED WELCOME ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES AT THE JESUS CENTRES

08 BOND SCHEME CHANGES LIVES A SUCCESS STORY FROM COVENTRY JESUS CENTRE

09 LIVING ON THE EDGE PIERS YOUNG DESCRIBES SOME OF THE FAITH CHALLENGES IN RUNNING A JESUS CENTRE

10 LONDON JESUS CENTRE ROB BENTLEY EXPLAINS THE VISION OF THE PLACE

11 CHURCH OF THE POOR NOEL STANTON SHARES A KEY ASPECT OF THE JESUS ARMY’S CHARACTER

12 LONDON JESUS CENTRE OPENS ITS DOORS A LOOK AT THE THIRD JESUS CENTRE WHICH OPENED IN LONDON IN 2008

14 GOD GIVES SO WE CAN GIVE JEANETTE GRAHAM REPORTS ON ANSWERED PRAYERS ABOUT JESUS CENTRE FUNDING

15 A FOURTH JESUS CENTRE CHRIS SMITH ON SHEFFIELD JESUS CENTRE, DUE TO OPEN 2010

USS

Page � JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

© 2009 Jesus Fellowship Church, Nether Heyford, Northampton NN7 3LB, UK. Reproduction in any form requires written permission. Photographs in this magazine are copyright Jesus Fellowship Church unless otherwise noted. The Jesus Fellowship is part of Multiply Christian Network. Both the Jesus Fellowship and Multiply Christian Network are members of the Evangelical Alliance UK. Jesus Army Charitable Trust is a Registered Charity. Number 1091912.

This review features past articles from Jesus Life magazines

Page �JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

Page � JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

ss

• S L I C E O F L I F E •

ALI came to the drop-in as an asylum seeker with no support, roofless and addicted to drugs. He got his basic needs met here and called it “home”. He stayed with a friend that he met there and got himself off drugs. He came along to a Jesus Fellowship meeting, became a Christian and was dramatically healed of serious stomach problems. The Jesus Centre got him into his own accommodation. Now Ali has become a trained, valuable volunteer, working in the kitchen. Recently he also obtained an accreditation for literacy at the class which he has attended at the Jesus Centre for many months. His comment: “I am very happy.”

the human hunger for a righteous and godly society, and moving in Holy Spirit-given life and power. Jesus Centres have provided a means whereby we can bring the lessons and skills we have learned through life in Christian community into play, and help meet the very real needs of very real people – body, soul, and spirit. Just as in spiritual terms our range of membership styles means that people can proceed at a pace that suits them, so the friendly, wel-coming atmosphere of a Jesus Centre allows people to proceed at their own pace, selecting how much or how little they want to be involved with. Seeing what the Jesus Centres have achieved, and what they can achieve is exciting. So, too, is seeing the vision being put into practice. As the Jesus Centre in London opens, we are on the point of buying a prop-erty for one in Sheffield, and working on the practicali-ties of one in Birmingham. It has taken many years to get to this position; it will take another five years at least before we can open these next two Jesus Centres. Looking beyond those, we expect to open Jesus Cen-tres in many other major towns and cities in the UK as the Jesus Army grows and spreads. We are committed to the long haul in our Jesus Centre vision. We’ve learned that to be effective, Jesus Centres depend on the numerical and spiritual strength of the local church and community and on its leadership. Overall the Jesus Centres depend on the financial strength of the church and community, which in turn depends on the well-being of our kingdom businesses which we have set up over the years. And above all,

they depend on our faith. Without God’s presence and blessing they are nothing. Many have found ministry in serving within the Centres, not least those with hidden ministries – rang-ing from washing up to effective administration and organisation. What has been particularly remarkable has been the way particular individuals, faced with new and different challenges, have come alive and delivered far beyond what they had seemed capable of before. It’s the Body of Christ in action. We have found that receiving prayer and receiving practical help can be equally valued by our visitors. Day-by-day, Jesus Centres are not places of tub-thumping preaching, but very definitely there are many deep one-to-one conversations and much spiritual input and progress. There has been plenty of pain and tears. These are places of stretching and dependence on God. We’ve found fellowship and friendship in working together; we’ve found encouragement in achieving and been surprised at the value of the friendship of poor and disadvantaged people. Interestingly enough, it has been our involvement with some of the most marginalised people in the UK that has taken us to a reception in Downing Street and an awards ceremony in the Houses of Parliament. Food for thought there! As we move forward into new Jesus Centres around the nation, we can look beyond the buildings and the activities to what is far more important, people being built together in spiritual and everlasting terms – in the Church of Jesus.

• S L I C E O F L I F E •

IAN was homeless, living rough and selling The Big Issue. He has visited the Jesus Centre for a long time. Sometimes he has fallen out with people there, but overall the friendships have survived. Jesus Centre volunteers took him to hospital when he was ill, visited him and picked him up on release and helped him get further medical help. Then they managed to get him into rented accommodation and have supported his tenancy, liaising with Housing Benefit and the landlord. Ian says the Jesus Centre has helped him a lot.

Nam

es h

ave

been

cha

nged

to

prot

ect

conf

iden

tialit

y. F

or m

ore

“Slic

es o

f Life

” fr

om t

he

Jesu

s C

entr

es v

isit

ww

w.je

susc

entr

e.or

g.uk

/slic

es

• S L I C E O F L I F E •

DONNA started drinking at an early age and had developed a bad drinking problem, using alcohol to block out her bad memories. She first visited the Jesus Centre for advice and help to find accommodation and is now enrolled in two life skills courses. The Centre has changed Donna’s life and made her a stronger person; her friends there have given her the courage to start again.

Continued from previous page

ss

of the church, located in prominent locations in large towns or cities. So far we have three centres – in Coventry, London and Northampton, with plans for Sheffield and Birmingham, and others expected to follow. Jesus Centres are places that reach out to the whole person – body, soul and spirit. They offer practical help such as showers and clean clothes; “capacity building” through services such as “New to UK” and classes in English for speakers of other languages; friendship and support through groups such as those for Mums and Tots, ex-prisoners or Scrabble players, as well as a community café. And above all, they offer a constant spiritual element, with a steady atmosphere of prayer and spiritual life, as well as hosting Jesus Fellowship events. The ethos of the Jesus Centre, as we have learnt to call it, is the spirit of Jesus – and of the Jesus Army. Undiluted. No more, no less. Jesus Centres show the heart of the church. More than that, they are the heart of this Church, staffed mainly by volunteers – several hundred of them, all from the Jesus Army. Over many years the Jesus Army has reached out to many, including lots of rootless and homeless young people. Many of them found a spiritual experience and new faith in Jesus, bringing new hope. Many, too, tasted the lifestyle of Christian community. Although the friendship and support met many of their immedi-ate needs, the discipline necessary for living with others – particularly in an overtly Christian manner, proved too much, and many drifted away. Over the same time, we found the ability to be a church that addressed body, soul and spirit, meeting practical necessities, meeting

REA

D M

OR

E:

Mor

e Pr

ophe

tic W

ord

artic

les

atw

ww

.jesu

s.or

g.uk

/pro

phet

icw

ord

JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

sour

ce: J

ESU

S LI

FE n

o 79

: 200

8

ARE CHURCH IN ACTION

2008...

Page �JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

Page � JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

JANA came to England from the Czech Republic in Janu-ary this year because of her husband’s job. She has been at-tending a class since February. She has appreciated the opportunity to speak English: “You can learn something from a text book, but when you don’t speak you don’t learn.”

“CAN YOU IMAGINE yourself arriving, sometimes through difficulty, in a bewildering for-eign environment where you can’t speak the language? “Can you imagine yourself grappling with incompre-hensible forms, unable to understand the signs in a supermarket, baffled by the GP receptionist or dumb in the face of hostility? “In my career as an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher my stu-dents have told me stories like these. “In the Jesus Centre our aim is to teach immediate survival English to those at the lowest level of speaking and listening,

real concern for people, in and out of lessons”, but it is also good fun. She enjoys seeing them come in “all sleepy but go out lively”; being more determined to learn. Delia is looking into the train-ing needed to become a teacher herself, having been teacher-trained in Romania but without work experience.

Sue Withers shares her experiences as a teacher of English for Speakers of Other Languages at Northampton Jesus Centre.

A much-needed

Welcome

but also improve the literacy, pronunciation and grammar of more advanced students. “Classes can be a shock to those who expect to come and quietly listen. The aim is to have 30% teacher talk and 70% student participa-tion. There is group work, role play, hands-on activities and communication games. It’s an opportunity to hear about dif-ferent cultures, to allow people to open up about things they need to express and to discuss our values. “I believe that God loves jus-tice and cares for the foreigner. For me, the ESOL class is more than teaching English or even imparting an understanding of English culture. It is an opportunity to give a much-needed welcome, offer a sense of family and share a taste of the Kingdom of God.”

DELIA has worked as a volunteer classroom assistant for a year and a half. She has to be “aware and alert to notice when the students need help”. Sometimes she sits with someone who has additional needs. Her aim is “to make friends, to make the students’ lives easier and to create a culture of accept-ance.”

Delia understands what it is like to be new to the country, be-cause when she first arrived from Romania in 2001 she worked as a volunteer for a clothing compa-ny and felt “paranoid and weird” because she couldn’t understand English humour. She was thrown out of her accommodation, but found “home” in the church. For her the work involves “a

She has also enjoyed the ‘friendly and helpful’ atmos-phere of the Jesus Centre, and meeting people from all over the world. She comments: “It’s nice to walk through North-ampton and meet people you know.” Jana has also been to a college, but prefers a more informal atmosphere: “Here I can find a more personal approach. At college I asked for more preparation for the exam and they asked me what I wanted to know. Here the teacher is always prepared.”

HEWAIDA first read about free English classes in an advert in the local library, and came straight in to enrol. She had ar-rived from Egypt in April, and was planning to buy grammar books to learn to speak to her English brother-in-law. She has regularly attended two classes a week since May, and was so pleased with her progress that she brought in her sister Safaa when she arrived in the country in June, describing the classes as ‘a big family’. “I was so lonely without my sister before, but when I came to the class I felt I was with friends,” Hewaida says. She also feels she has

‘You made it feel like home when I had first arrived and felt so lonely’ A recent student in Northampton Jesus Centre ESOL class

WEI LOON was 16 when he came to England four years ago with his father from Malaysia. He couldn’t speak a word of English, and had a problem fitting in to the school system as he didn’t have sufficient qualifications for sixth-form college. A friend arranged for him to go to ESOL classes at the Northampton Jesus Centre, and he went for a year and a half, also learning IT. Now he is living in a Jesus Fellowship community house, working in a building firm and speaks fluent English. He enjoys his new life-style, especially living at “River Farmhouse”: “The people there are well close together. We have visitors, but it’s like a family.”

Page � JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

gained confidence in speaking – “Now I don’t have to think before I speak” - and has learned about places in the UK. Safaa noticed the improve-ment in her sister’s English: “Her writing is better as well. She’s more confident. It’s different writing from left to right, but her handwriting is much better.” Safaa joined the class herself at the end of term, and is keen to improve her pronuncia-tion. Hewaida has also been to a multi-cultural evening at the Jesus Centre and hopes to return some time to teach Egyptian dancing. Hewaida and Safaa have both experienced difficulty in getting a job, and hope that more fluency in English will help them. They feel disad-vantaged by their nationality. Safaa says: “When I started to look for a job – I had three years’ experience of work-ing in hotels – they rang me and said I was not qualified enough. I wanted to have a right to ask why.” Hewaida adds that some-times “I go for a job and they tell me ‘no’. I remember the class and I feel better.”

sour

ce: J

ESU

S LI

FE n

o 73

: 200

6

2006...

Page �JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

Page � JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

IT’S FRONT line action at the Jesus Centre! How do we get an abusive man out of the Bridge

drop-in? How can we be fair and decide if someone is guilty of using drugs in a toilet when evidence is incon-clusive (and they deny it)? What do we do when someone says we’ve lost their designer clothes in the laundry? (It’s always designer.) In this case, we replace it with whatever we have in stock, no more. One guy was abusive about this but later apologised: he had found the item. We lost a member of staff at the start of 2006 and had to run the kitchen without them for six months, often not knowing how we would cover it from day to day. Then Hazel moved to the area and applied, despite health problems. We gave her a three month trial and she flourished. We needed to expand our services, to take existing visitors further, and to reach new people. Several local

Piers Young describes some of the faith challenges involved in running a Jesus Centre.

Qubert is an asylum seeker from Sri Lanka. The Refugee Centre contacted the Jesus Centre because we help destitute asylum seekers. We gave him a place to stay at a community house and he’s done really well, found faith, been baptised and become a church member.

Lyndsey came from a background of getting into trouble and drinking. She found Jesus through coming to the church and became a volunteer in the Centre.

Minh didn’t have any friends and didn’t believe in God when he came to the Jesus Centre. Since then he has made many relationships in the church and found Christian faith.

Living on the Edge

BOND SCHEME CHANGES LIVES AT COVENTRY JESUS CENTRE

She said that we had shown her the love and acceptance of God

Val Hook, a support worker at Coventry Jesus Centre, reports on one of their success stories.

ABOUT 18 months ago Claire* came into the Jesus Centre in a very desperate

state. She was a heroin addict and had four children all taken into care because she was homeless and an addict. Claire asked if we could help her to sort her life out and find her somewhere to live, so we put her onto the Jesus Centre’s Bond Scheme and helped her to go to the com-munity drugs team to get her off heroin. The Bond Scheme started Claire off with some fairly ba-sic accommodation. We needed to see if she really wanted to change her lifestyle and move forward. She did: she regularly came to the Jesus Centre for support. Since then we have helped her move into a two-bedroom flat. Claire is now free from drugs and has two of her chil-dren living with her permanently. She is working to get

agencies started sending workers to us, and they have fitted in well. Some are Christians; others have been happy to support our ethos. Our own people have started new services, too, such as Stephanie’s “PC skills for the blind” course and Gill’s “English Conversation” class. Money can be a nail-biter! Having had grants previ-ously, we suddenly realised that our cash was running out. Someone in the council whom we had worked with pointed to a source of funding which proved fruitful; we got a good grant that will help a lot. We prayed of course. Members’ giving increased, and some substan-tial donations came in. We have learned to “hang on in there” and wait for God’s provision. He is faithful, and we’ve learned more about His ways. Thanks God! Piers Young is manager of the Coventry Jesus Centre.

them all back. The last time I went to visit her she said how grateful she was to us for helping her – and that we had shown her the love and acceptance of God.* Not her real name

Coventry Jesus Centre’s Bond Scheme is a system initiated by the Jesus Centre. It helps homeless people into housing by guaranteeing bonds for them.

sour

ce: J

ESU

S LI

FE n

o 75

: 200

7

Page � JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

Page �JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

2007...

Page �0JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

Page �� JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

WESTMINSTER IS a place of diversity and sharp contrasts. From the Houses of Parliament

to Soho, from West End shopping and theatres to rough sleepers in doorways: wealth and ostentatious consumption are side by side with real poverty and despair. The third Jesus Centre is right in the middle of the West End: well situated to be a place of healing and help to the many hurting people in the area. On an average night there are as many rough sleep-ers in Westminster as in the rest of the UK put togeth-er. Many others, including families with children, are in temporary or insecure accommodation with poor facilities and overcrowding. The sky-high property prices mean that many have no hope of a home. Central London has long drawn those who are seek-ing to improve their lives or who are escaping real dan-

London Jesus Centre opensRob Bentley, manager of London Jesus Centre, explains the vision of the place.

THE LONDON JESUS CENTRE WILL OFFER A WIDE PROGRAMME THAT WILL PROVIDE PRACTICAL, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL SUPPORT.

The specially adapted building will include a “drop-in” area with services such as• Showers • Laundry • Food • Clothing• I.T. Access • Luggage lockers• Phone Access • Mail

The Centre's programme will include• Support groups • Befriending / Mentoring• “New to UK” group (with ESOL)• Conversation classes• “Preparing for Citizenship” group• Arts and Crafts facilities• ICT suite • Life skills • Other training opportunities

There will also be a Tea Room providing• Good-value food and drink • A place for people to meet

Plus a varied programme of spiritual activities including• Prayer for healing• Groups for new believers and those seeking faith • Quiet prayer in the listed Chapel (which is the venue for the Jesus Fellowship’s Sunday worship meetings)

Building work underway on the London Jesus Centre

ger. From all over the UK, Europe and the rest of the world people come to London with hope only to find loneliness, exploitation and depression. Many have no entitlement to any state help and can find themselves forced into crime. For those who find work, long hours and low pay are common: many hold advertising poles for fourteen hours a day at £3 an hour. In the face of all this need (and we must understand that many people who are materially rich are also in great spiritual need and facing problems of a differ-ent kind) we can only hope to help a small proportion; but as we bring real love and compassion to individu-als through spiritual ministry and practical help we believe the power of God will be released into people’s lives and the light of the gospel will shine in London’s darkness.

CHURCH OF THE POOR

Jesus Centres VisionJESUS FELLOWSHIP has a vision for Jesus Cen-tres in cities and large towns throughout the UK. These are for Christian worship, evangelism and care. We see them as “Jesus revolution” Centres. They open daily to cater for the needy and bring them to Jesus. Such Centres are a venue for local Jesus Fellowship worship and in some cases provide accommodation for members of New Creation Christian Community. Coventry and Northampton are open and functioning well. London (West End) is due to open shortly. The very central location is well placed to meet the needs of people in our capi-tal. Sheffield and Birmingham are next in line and we are looking for people and funds to open Jesus Centres elsewhere. Join us in faith to achieve this vision.

UK SOCIETY is riddled with injustice, pover-ty and heartbreak. Marginalised, deprived

and criminalised people are everywhere. Old people have to survive on a pittance of a state pension. Some are treated badly in hospitals. Others are abused in old people’s homes. It is reported that some 130,000 children were “homeless” at Christmas. There are many broken families with rejected children. The incapacitated can be badly cared for. Single parents and their children suffer from too low an income, sometimes with insufficient food, clothing and heating. Runaways, ex-prisoners, immigrants face rejection and deprivation. Those addicted to drugs, alcohol or gambling are often in great need. Depression is commonplace. Deaths through overdoses are frequent. Some people are born into poverty and never escape. Others, through bad decisions or be-cause they are seduced by offers of credit cards, get into big debt. Those with addictive hang-ups find themselves trapped and needing to beg and steal to keep up their habit. To all of these and many others Jesus says “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”. He tells His followers to invite the poor to their feast, rather than the rich who can pay them back. And He says that the rich and proud will find it almost impossible to obtain salva-tion. It’s not just “church for the poor” but “church of the poor”. All of us must be ready to share and bring the justice of God’s kingdom into the church. The modern Jesus army is committed to reaching the poor of every kind, showing love to rejected peoplegroups, inviting everyone into the blessings God has provided for us through Jesus Christ.

sour

ce: J

ESU

S LI

FE n

o 77

: 200

8

sour

ce: J

ESU

S LI

FE n

o 76

: 200

7

Noel Stanton, senior apostolic leader of the Jesus Fellowship, shares a key aspect of the church’s character.

We see them as “Jesus revolution” Centres. They open daily to cater for the needy and bring them to Jesus.

2007... 2008...

Page ��JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

Page �� JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

THE STUDENT AND VOLUNTEERFrom conversation classes to Christian discipleship.

JIN SHIL UM comes from Korea. She started conversation classes in the London Jesus Centre in May, the following month began volunteering herself in the Word tea room, and now she’s moved in to the Battlecentre com-munity house to start an mJa Training Year. “I had never seen Christian people living together, sharing all things. It looks very beautiful and I think it is very close to Jesus’ way. Many Christian people say they want to follow Jesus, but not really in action. I think the com-

munity house is a very good base. It’s like a greenhouse – more concentrated – where I can grow up more as a Christian.“In conversation

ALL-ROUNDER ROGER IS THROWN IN AT THE

DEEP ENDRoger Weeks gave up his own building business to become the facilities supervisor at London Jesus Centre. EVERY DAY Roger commutes 1½ hours each way from his home in south-east London. “The first person able to identify my job was a 12-year-old who said, ‘You’re going to be the caretaker then!’ Maintenance, servic-ing equipment, getting rooms equipped for groups, cleaning, security, health and safety, fire safety – if it’s not someone else’s job, it’s mine. Christ said He came to serve. If you want to lead, you’ve got to be able to serve with the love that comes from God. “Right from when I left school, each job has been totally different and adds to my range of skills and abilities. Some people think I can do anything; I can’t. God’s still working on me! “The mJa throws you in at deep end – but it’s okay because the leaders jump in with you and help you swim. “Now the Centre’s open it’s no longer just a place to come to work, it’s a place that’s alive. I see peo-ple looking at it big-eyed, saying ‘You’ve got all of this?’ – the ESOL and conversation classes, the tea room, the guys coming in to the drop-in. “I’d like to lead a craft group in woodcraft, ceramics or mosaics – either I’ve got skills or I know people who have. And I’d like to see the Centre full all the time. That will cause me its own problems, but that’s what I want!”

class we learn lifestyle and common expression. Every time Mhairi prepares a situa-tion or subject and we con-centrate on that. When we talk together we get to know each other more every week and we know about each other’s coun-try and culture, and English culture too. One lady already got a job because she now has more confidence in her English. “Now I live in London and my church is the Jesus Fellowship. I volunteer in the Jesus Centre – it’s

the natural thing to do. “God has showed

me how people can live in the world together,

helping each other.”

London Jesus Centre OPENS ITS DOORS

Minutes from the mania of Oxford Circus, the Jesus Fellowship’s third Jesus Centre has opened in London.

www.jesuscentres.org.uk

Some of the team at London Jesus Centre

London Jesus Centre is minutes away from

Oxford Circus

Welcome: London Jesus Centre is now open

Page ��JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

Page �� JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

wso

urce

: JES

US

LIFE

no

79: 2

008

2008...

munity, worship and care.” Unlike the two other Jesus Centres, the London one has a 30-member community house, Battlecentre, attached – it’s truly 24/7 church. In its first month of opening, the London Jesus Centre welcomed over 50 different people to the drop-in, with an average of 15 visitors per day. Sixty-six packages of clothing were given out, 181 meals served, and 19 lots of laundry done. Meanwhile, the Word tea room was seeing a steady increase in business week on week, with many custom-ers becoming regulars. Says Rob Bentley, Centre manager: “We want the London Jesus Centre to be a centre of the Jesus Revolu-tion, where Jesus Revolution workers help people have a personal Jesus Revolution so they can join in the shared Jesus Revolution.”

AT JUST gone 10am on Monday 23 June 2008, volun-teer Tanya Willison cut the ribbon at the Maryle-

bone Passage entrance to declare the London Jesus Centre open. “God gave me an honour to do that,” said Tanya. “It’s good to make a legacy in your life.” With one visitor already waiting for the Welcome drop-in, it was soon business as usual as word spread and others began to turn up for showers, storage, food, friendship and more, while downstairs in the Word tea room one first-day visitor’s comment was: “Lovely service, lovely soup. I’m gonna be a regular. Where’s the bowl for tips?” Two weeks later, representatives from Jesus Fel-lowship churches as far away as Leeds crammed the upstairs chapel on 5 July to commission the building, a former Anglican convent, “as a place for Christian com-

Roger working hard at London Jesus Centre

Page ��JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

Page �� JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

THIS YEAR at Coventry Jesus Centre, we have made a lot of applications – more than 60 – to charitable

trusts and the like for donations to our work at Coven-try Jesus Centre. Though we’ve not had many outright rejections, we’d not had much response either. This was very discouraging. The whole Coventry congregation prayed about it together. And many have continued to pray steadfastly in their own times of prayer, too. We knew that we needed God’s help: for Him to supply what we need in order to carry on giving, as the New Testament puts it (2 Corinthians 9:11). The backbone of Jesus Centres funding is giving from Jesus Army members. Many give very sacrificially; in particular, the New Creation Christian Community provides a God-given means by which people can give more than they could otherwise. The community’s businesses also donate generously to the work of the Jesus Centres. It wouldn’t seem right to ask God to pro-vide funds, if we weren’t prepared to give ourselves. And God has given. Over recent weeks we have had a steady trickle of money coming in from trusts (over

GOD GIVES SO WE CAN GIVE

Jeanette Graham, fundraiser for Coventry Jesus Centre, describes how God is answering prayer to provide for the Centre’s financial need.

Above: Coventry Jesus Centre Support worker Tony (right) and visitor-turned-volunteer Sheikh.

Top left: Long-term drug addicts Dave and Tracey were helped into accommodation.

Bottom left: Volunteers on a walkathon to raise funds.

HOW CAN I HELP?Donate online at gifts.jesuscentre.org.uk

You can help the work of the Jesus Centres by making a donation. We are grateful for all your gifts, whether large or small. If donations for any project exceed requirements, the surplus will be used for other Jesus Centres.

Please use my gift for Any project Coventry London Northampton Sheffield

Please find enclosed my gift of

£ ............................................................Cheques should be made payable to ‘Jesus Army Charitable Trust’

Please charge £ ....................................to my Visa / Mastercard / Delta card(delete as appropriate)

Card No ...................................................

Security code ...........................................

Expires ....................................................

Signed .....................................................

Name ......................................................

Address ...................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

Postcode ..................................................

Tel / Email ................................................

...............................................................

Please return this form to: Heartcry Appeal, Jesus Fellowship, FREEPOST, Nether Heyford, Northampton NN7 3BR Tel: 0845 123 5550 Jesus Army Charitable Trust Registered Charity Number 1091912

I WANT to be a missionary.” It was October 1973. The vicar had previously advised me to ask God to show

me that Jesus had died for me. The long awaited event had happened. I knew it. Jesus is real, and I am forgiven. Now what can I do? Two of my great aunts had been missionaries. Perhaps it was in my blood. And so now I told the vicar I wanted to be a missionary”. I had met one at a Christian Union event; he looked thin, but happy. In fact, I joined the Jesus Army and have belonged to that mission-impelled church for 35 years. And now we have the chance to do a little “missionary” work in Sheffield: we have plans to open a Jesus Centre there. I was born in nearby Barnsley. When I came back to Sheffield in 1991 it was beginning to recover from the slump of the steel trade. My heart’s passion for some years now has been that Sheffield might be changed, not just socially and economically – though that mat-ters – but spiritually. “A mighty Jesus revolution,” as we sometimes sing, turning the world upside down. Living in Christian community in Sheffield since Janu-ary 1991, we have often helped those in various kinds of need. We used to have our Sunday services in the middle of town. Our services ended with a lunch for all. Word got onto the streets and before we knew it all the hungry were turning up. Could we turn them away? Well, no, so we adapted the lunchtime scene, and ate with the poor. Some came to a faith in Jesus, many were open, and loved listening to my friend Andrzej explain the gospel (in English and, occasionally, Slovakian!) A couple of young men came to our door: could we help? They had recently moved to a “hotel” for the homeless, and had no food. Again, before we knew it a queue of people were coming for “Mary’s sandwiches” and it was only a year or two later that we were simply no longer able to offer this service: we couldn’t meet the level of need. We needed something more permanent, something bigger that would create an impact on the city. Our chance has now come, with the purchase of the former Hanover Methodist Church to be a new Jesus Centre in Sheffield. It has a hall for worship, and plenty of rooms for charita-ble activities and meetings. Also attached are two terraced houses, where some of our members will be living.May God use Sheffield Jesus Centre to bring the gospel and love of Jesus to the people of this great city.

Plans are afoot to open a fourth Jesus Centre

My heart’s passion... that Sheffield might be changed, not just socially and economically... but spiritually.

“

£4,000 bringing our total from trusts to £8,700). Public donations from individuals and churches have been amazing. It’s really shown how people in Coventry – from all walks of life – really appreciate what we do and want to support us. Others have bought our gift cards (cards that people buy which let the person they give it to know that they have donated to the Jesus Centre on their behalf). One man, the brother of someone we really helped who died last year, bought £85 worth to give to his family – they all wanted to support what we do. Someone else bought £120 worth in support of our work. These are just some of the wonderful things God has been doing recently in answer to our prayers. It’s good to work with Him!

We knew that we needed God’s help, for Him to supply what we needed

Jesus Fellowship members in Sheffield are starting work this year towards opening another Jesus Centre. Chris Smith, a Jesus Fellowship senior leader in Sheffield, tells the story so far.

The venue that will become Sheffield Jesus Centre

sour

ce: J

ESU

S LI

FE n

o 80

: 200

9

“

sour

ce: J

ESU

S LI

FE n

o 80

: 200

9

2008...

Page ��JESU

S CE

NTR

ES R

evie

w

Baptism: Jesus Centres offer new life

Popular milkshakes go down a treat

Progress recognised

Basic skills are important to learn...

Crooning a tune: music nights attract a crowd

There’s ICT training for the blind

The ‘New to UK

’ service is vital

for some...

Lads from the street enjoy a cuppaCreative g

roups are good times

to chat

www.jesuscentre.org.uk