'Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus'.
(Philippians 4:6-8)
Summertime is a blessing in many ways to most of us, and we are grateful to God for the weather, the gift of fellowship at various Besom family meet-ups and Christian festivals such as HTB Focus, New Wine, Wildfires and more. Thank you, Jesus! Some Besom-ers have faced trials and need encouragement as God walks with them through this season.The scripture reminds us of the promise of 'peace' that God will give us if we lift everything to Him in prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. May we continue to remember this in every situation we face in our personal lives and within our local communities. God is over all and is always with us through everything.
Besom takeaways from New Wine Festival
Seeing many Besom-ers at New Wine was exciting, especially enjoying a cuppa and lunch together to catch up. There was a palpable sense of excitement and celebration at the ways God is moving in the nation with many leaders from different church backgrounds remarking and teaching on Get Ready/Is Your Church Ready? in the light of the many conversions amongst Gen Z and dramatically increasing Bible sales and church attendance.
The Holy Spirit's presence was powerfully felt in the venues and across the site. Here are some notes taken during the week in 'Impact Venue'. The bible teaching came from speakers with grassroots experience of outreaching in the communities where their church or plants were. It prodded and challenged us in the ways we carry out mission to the disadvantaged and those outside our churches, and was good to consider in relation to our own Besom ministries:-
-
God’s invitation is for all, and no one is too far gone for God to reach
-
He’s at work even in the darkness
-
We need to sit in the chaos, in the mess, and allow God to work through that for that person He led us to
-
We need to make space for genuine and authentic r/ships with people for God to do in them what He needs to do
-
We need to get to know their names & make friends with the ones God sends us to
-
We must move beyond helping the vulnerable to help churches fully embrace those people we meet
-
We receive mercy, then we extend it
-
Be patient
-
Keep ‘feeding the child’ even if they are spitting out the food, some ‘fluid’ will go in. (Basically, don’t get discouraged if the same recipients keep turning up in the same situation. Each time we go and meet their need, a seed or two of our love or prayer is growing)
-
We are no different, and they are loved no less.
If any of the above resonates with you, could you share this with your team over a cup of tea (in a Besom mug)? ha-ha!
Love simplified- explained -modeled
We love featuring organisations that share the same values as Besom, and The Wholesome Warehouse is very close to our heart. It began as The Besom in Brighton, but during the pandemic after much prayer, godly advice and lengthy chats with the Besom Support Team, it was clear that it would morph into something broader. Perhaps their hub could be used for more than fresh food boxes and furniture deliveries to include hospitality, workshops & signposting in order to establish connections and relationships over the long term with their recipients? But how did it eventually develop? Roger Habgood (our Chair) and Annie Emmins (Strategic Lead) visited them last year to discover more about their journey and how they serve their community. This 1-minute video with Lucinda Croft (one of the very first Besom-ers from its inception over 30 years ago) shares the vision behind their mission. Below is the awesome infographic postcard that tells 'The Giving Journey' they see happen in their recipients as they grow in relationship with Wholesome Warehouse volunteers at their hub.
Wholesome Warehouse has Besom strongly in its DNA, yet Lucinda and Simon Croft and team are inspired to connect further with their recipients to bring greater opportunity for them to meet with Jesus as they are loved and supported through their own financial, mental, health and relationship challenges. They are seeing true transformations. In fact, they exemplify some of the Impact teaching we heard at New Wine! Roger and Annie were truly encouraged and inspired to see former Besom-ers flourishing in the new ministry God gave them.
Additions to Besom in Histon & Impington
It's heart-warming to see a young time-giver join The Besom in Histon & Impington in Cambs for a garden clearing project, sharing fellowship and clearing away a lot of undergrowth. Martin and Moya, the Besom leads, are truly blessed to have such dedicated members.
If you live in Histon or Impington and want to help with hamper deliveries later this year, please reach out to Martin or Moya using the details here.
(Photo: Time-givers at the Besom in Histon & Impington help clear away ivy and brambles)
