Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Growing to the East
As you’ve probably read in our Prayer Letter (see the post below), our team is Growing with the addition of the Cottrell family!
Brian was recently out with us to sort out some practicalities before the whole family arrives. Sorting out visas, a place to live, schools, etc. are all encumbered by a web of bureaucracy and always seems to take longer than it should. Please pray that everything goes as smoothly (and quickly!) as possible.
The Cottrells will be working closely with a church in East Glasgow – Sharpe Memorial Church of the Nazarene. We have a strong sense of shared values and vision with them, which made our meeting and developing partnership over the last year seem nothing less than providential. While the church has a vision for reaching the whole Parkhead community, refugees and asylum seekers are increasingly becoming part of the local demographic. As high flats are demolished in the North and South of Glasgow, more and more asylum seekers are being housed in the East. A trend that is bound to continue.
Sharpe Memorial is starting an exciting new building project. They soon will be able to use a refurbished bank building as a centre for ministry: this means that the church will have a presence on the high street at the geographical heart of the Parkhead community.
The Cottrells will initially spend time getting to know the community and what needs are present, as well as settling into family life in Scotland. So, we don’t know what ministry with refugees the East will look like yet, but I am confident that God has exciting things planned for us!
In the picture above, R to L: Anthony Jones (Chief Executive ITUK), Ian Wills (Lead Pastor, Sharpe Memorial), and Brian Cottrell (one of our newest team mates! ITAustralia), standing in front of the disused bank mentioned above. Right after this photo was taken, Ian had to run across the street to pull apart two women in a fist-fight! Which went to confirm what Ian had told us early about his desire that the church is a centre for peacemaking in the community.
Brian was recently out with us to sort out some practicalities before the whole family arrives. Sorting out visas, a place to live, schools, etc. are all encumbered by a web of bureaucracy and always seems to take longer than it should. Please pray that everything goes as smoothly (and quickly!) as possible.
The Cottrells will be working closely with a church in East Glasgow – Sharpe Memorial Church of the Nazarene. We have a strong sense of shared values and vision with them, which made our meeting and developing partnership over the last year seem nothing less than providential. While the church has a vision for reaching the whole Parkhead community, refugees and asylum seekers are increasingly becoming part of the local demographic. As high flats are demolished in the North and South of Glasgow, more and more asylum seekers are being housed in the East. A trend that is bound to continue.
Sharpe Memorial is starting an exciting new building project. They soon will be able to use a refurbished bank building as a centre for ministry: this means that the church will have a presence on the high street at the geographical heart of the Parkhead community.
The Cottrells will initially spend time getting to know the community and what needs are present, as well as settling into family life in Scotland. So, we don’t know what ministry with refugees the East will look like yet, but I am confident that God has exciting things planned for us!
In the picture above, R to L: Anthony Jones (Chief Executive ITUK), Ian Wills (Lead Pastor, Sharpe Memorial), and Brian Cottrell (one of our newest team mates! ITAustralia), standing in front of the disused bank mentioned above. Right after this photo was taken, Ian had to run across the street to pull apart two women in a fist-fight! Which went to confirm what Ian had told us early about his desire that the church is a centre for peacemaking in the community.
