Tunbridge Wells churches take on Just People
The course was such a success there are plans for it to become an annual event!
St Paul, Rusthall, the Free Evangelical Church and the United Reformed Church are three churches in Tunbridge Wells which got together to run a Just People course. Wim Mauritz, who is a Church Relationship Manager at Tearfund, led the course using his connections at the three churches to run a combined course. There were about 25 group members and it was run during Lent, 2009.
Wim and the team found that Just People really helped them to engage and reflect as a group. It developed a greater awareness of the community and a sense of urgency to respond to the needs of the community.
The group was inspired to undertake a full week of activities for their day of action which is an integral part of the course – a day was just too short! They had something going on everyday for a week, reaching many different groups in the community. They ran a coffee morning, an afternoon tea club and a youth club. They did a rubbish clear-up on the common and on the streets with the support of the local council. They baked cakes and put on a show for some old peoples’ homes. They had a fair on the green on the Saturday with a whole host of family activities (face painting, fair ground games, prayer stations, fair trade coffee bar) all offered for free – in order to demonstrate the generosity of the gospel. This all culminated with an open air church service held on the green on Sunday morning.
The course was considered such a such a success there are plans to run Just People every year in order to show that the church has its heart in the community.
Wim felt this was a really valuable experience for all those who participated. For him personally, it gave him a deeper understanding of God's mission for him and for his role in the church. It also left them with a good relationship with the Community Officer from the Local Council and a heightened awareness of the needs of the community.
Suzie O'Brien, February 2010.