CHANGING LONDONAUTUMN 2020

WHO CALLS?HOW VISITING MINISTRIES SPREAD THE GOSPEL IN LONDON

CONTENTS

CHANGING LONDONAUTUMN 2020FROM THE EDITOR

Most Londoners have a robust suspicion of anyone unknown knocking on the door. The natural assumption is that the primary reason must be a that they will want something – to sell a product, get a new supporter for a charity, or to persuade to join a cause. A cold-caller can expect to be turned away firmly, efficiently and frequently.

So why does London City Mission persist in visiting ministries, and how is it that we consistently bring people into the church family and to accept the gospel through visitation-based ministries? This, after all, is the foundation of much of our work on estates and to seniors.

It’s because the model is not based on a sales-pitch for the gospel or on persuasion on the door step but on establishing relationships that have integrity, and to offer friendship, prayer and an invitation to encounter Jesus.

Many of the stories in this issue touch on our work in estates and with older people, where the only contact with the church is likely to happen when churches take the step of visiting.

In this issue we enter a new phase in our ministry, focusing our efforts with much greater intensity on supporting London’s churches in persistent, bold and compassionate evangelism.

It’s also sadly a time to say goodbye to missionaries who have given years, decades even, to bringing Londoners to know Jesus. Between them they have made an enormous impact on London for the sake of the gospel, and there are many among them who have been an inspiration and encouragement to me. We give thanks for everything they have given.

KENWYN PIERCEEditor editor@lcm.org.uk

NEWS

04 STAFF MOVEMENTS Changes in the field and leadership teams in our new phase of ministry

OUR MISSION

08 FOOTBALL AND FAITHFULNESS Relationships of integrity are the starting point for sharing the gospel

12 POVERTY, STIGMA, CRIME What has happened to London's social housing estates?

14 LONG CONVERSATIONS Simon Knightly talks about the gentle art of discipling older people

16 THE ALLOTMENT APPROACH How to cultivate a gospel witness

WHAT WE DO

18 READING WITH FEELING Paul Chierico opens the Bible in a residential care home

20 A FRESH OPENNESS Witnessing to Muslims in East London

22 MAY I PRAY FOR YOU? Emmanuel Gill goes door-to-door

24 GROWING THROUGH LOCKDOWN With Hope Community Homes

26 NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU Muslim women encounter the Bible

26 REV DUNCAN WHYTE Give thanks for the life and witness of our former General Secretary

GET INVOLVED

20 A GREAT NIGHT OUT Join the Webber Street Sleepout

T 020 7407 7585E enquiries@lcm.org.ukW www.lcm.org.uk

londoncm londoncm

Unsigned articles written by the editorial team. Because of the sensitive nature of some of our work, and

in order to retain confidentiality, pseudonyms are often given to people mentioned, and photographs do

not necessarily depict people in the articles which they accompany. LCM publishes Changing London in

accordance with its statement of faith, but views may be explored in which there is divergence of opinion

or understanding. Vol 184, No 1681

CONTACTLondon City MissionNasmith House175 Tower Bridge RoadLondon SE1 2AH

HUSK COFFEE AND CAFÉ FOREVERFollowing the decisions made earlier this year to realign ministry resources, we decided to let go of some of our self-hosted projects to better serve the church in hosting sustainable ministries to the least reached. The Cafes at Husk and Café Forever are now closed.

The team in Tower Hamlets is now working alongside local churches venues complement churches’ focus on the least reached and marginalised in the Stepney Green, Mile End, Bethnal Green and the Isle of Dogs.

Visit lcm.org.uk/blog for more on Husk and Café Forever.

STAFF MOVEMENTS

EFREM BUCKLEEfrem Buckle took up his new role as Director of Training and Mentoring in the summer. Efrem is Pastor at Ecclesia Church in Lewisham and has been part of the Training Department for six years, where he helped to establish the Pioneer programme.

Efrem says: ‘I have always had a heart to reach the least reached – the kinds of people that come from the community that I come from.’ The team is now launching a two-year programme to train newly-refocused staff in their roles, equipping them to come alongside churches and to reach the least reached.

From September Efrem has also taken up the role of LCM Deputy Chief Executive.

ALAN BLACKAlan continues as Director of Studies at London City Mission, but has stepped back from the role of Deputy Chief Executive. We give thanks for Alan’s commitment and his wise and consistent leadership, especially when in times of uncertainty, change and crisis he has taken on the role of Acting Chief Executive.

CAROLINE MILLARAs Church Development and Partnerships Director for the past three years, Caroline has shaped our partnerships with different churches, networks and organisations across London has been such a blessing and used by the Lord in many ways.

She is now developing a portfolio career where she can use her skills to help a number of different organisations.

She says: ‘I have really enjoyed working with so many inspiring people who have a passion to see Londoners come to faith in Christ. It has been encouraging to see partnerships develop and local churches mobilised to share the gospel with the least reached across the city.’

CHRISTIAN FIELDERChristian Fielder began work as a permanent part of the leadership team in September as Director of People and Organisational Development. Christian knows London City Mission well. He has worked with London City Mission as a consultant this year, helping to manage the processes of change and restructure.

NEW PIONEERSIn September we welcomed our most recent intake to the pioneer programmeJasmin Bobb-Semple, Robert Bridges, Leonardo Da Silva, Junior Yiadom-Konadu, Mike Parker, Craig Webb and Shamar White.

LCM’s pioneer programme is an intensive two-year discipleship and evangelism course aimed at people who have grown up and live in London’s more deprived communities and who would otherwise not be able to access training.

I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH SO MANY INSPIRING PEOPLE

NEWS

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ELLEN AHN MISSION ASSOCIATE

HYLTON BELLINGER MISSIONARY

HUGO BROUSTE MISSION ASSOCIATE

PAULCHIERICOMISSIONARY

AARON CLARK MISSIONARY

STUART CURRIE MISSIONARY

JOHN DOWLING MISSIONARY

STEVE DUNN MISSIONARY

PHIL ELBOURNE MISSION ASSOCIATE

MARGARET FLANAGAN MISSION ASSOCIATE

ALIDOR GASPAR MISSIONARY

ANDREW GORDON MISSIONARY

LAURA HEFFERNAN MISSIONARY

WENDY HUGHES MISSIONARY

BLAZENA KONECNA MISSION ASSOCIATE

ANDREW KWAPONG TEAM LEADER MARTIN LAWRENCE MISSIONARY

AARON LOUIS-ALEXANDER MISSION ASSOCIATE JARRYD LOWE MISSION ASSOCIATE

SARAH LUMGAIR MISSION ASSOCIATE

LUCY MERINO-CALONGOS MISSIONARY

AKIK MIAH MISSION ASSOCIATE

STEVE NICHOLS MISSIONARY ROGER PAGE MISSIONARY

NAIMUR RAHMAN MISSION ASSOCIATE AMIRA RAHMAN MISSION ASSOCIATE

GABRIELLE SAMUEL MISSIONARY

JO SAYER FIELD DIRECTOR

GARETH SKYRME MISSIONARY

ZAC SSEMPA MISSION ASSOCIATE

RAY STOKES MISSION ASSOCIATE

JUAN VAZQUEZ MISSIONARY

JEVON WALKER MISSIONARY

GEMMA WARREN MISSION ASSOCIATE

IJE WILMSHURST MISSION ASSOCIATE

MOVING ON

We have had the joy of leading folk to the Lord over the years. Praise God some of them

are still going on with him and active in their churches. We give thanks to God for what He

has done in people’s lives.

Since God opened the door to London City Mission to me 21 years ago, he has

been teaching me again and again to lean on his promises. I can keep focus in challenges knowing that we are serving a

faithful God. His love is everlasting.

Coming to LCM shook my whole world. First of all the solid grounding

in the Bible, and then gaining an understanding of being an authentic

witness, that Jesus calls us as we are.

I’ve seen God at work when a young person grows up to choose Jesus, when I hear they are baptised later on, watching

them become leaders, it gives me hope no matter how far we are, we come running, repenting and God just sparks this light in

us that is hard for others to not see.

I probably started LCM with the wrong attitude. My plan was to visit the area, with all spiritual guns blazing, giving it straight to the locals. However the presence of a Christian cult meant I had to adapt. My approach became gentler and more effective. I assumed that my work was about what God was going to do through me. That is partly true. It is also about what God is doing in me, while working through me.

One of the biggest blessings of the mission has been the depth of love that comes from the church. We feel the unity of the Holy Spirit as we are doing kingdom work together.

I came to London City Mission as a young Christian. I never imagined myself being a useful witness to Muslims or to Mums and Toddlers. But Jesus has enabled me to do that. It’s always been him showing how great he is through my weaknesses.

God's been really faithful. I can testify to his faithfulness. He’s given me strength and the grace that have enabled me to keep going through the many, many changes.

Over the years my love for evangelism has grown. I’ve also learned to speak less and to listen more, to take a step back and to give space and empathy to people. You learn to notice when the opportunity to speak of the gospel is coming.

Jesus, his love is all. And his compassion extends to all people. For me coming from Guildford to London where children would climb on the roof and smash up youth clubs all those years ago was a big awakening. But the love of Jesus is never-ending, and he supplies our every need.

AS WE MOVE INTO A NEW PHASE OF MINISTRY, ALIGNING OURSELVES MORE CLOSELY WITH LOCAL CHURCHES IN LONDON, MANY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED THE LORD FAITHFULLY AND WITH EXCELLENCE ARE MOVING ON FROM LONDON CITY MISSION.

It fills me with sadness to say goodbye but it encourages me to know that all of my dear brothers and sisters who are moving into other phases of ministry continue to serve the same Lord with great commitment, aware of his steadfast love and as part of the same Christian family.

Some are doing this by remaining in the churches and communities that they have been placed in, for others it’s theological training or ordination. Some are moving to prominent roles in other Christian organisations, and others are seeking to be a witness to Jesus Christ in secular workplaces. Others still are waiting to find out what’s next for them.

I am thankful for each one and continue to pray for God's blessing as each moves on from the Mission, praying with confidence that our heavenly Father would continue to be their guide and protector.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

GRAHAM MILLERChief Executive

NEWS

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SHARING THE GOSPEL ON THE VAUXHALL GARDENS ESTATE

WITH INTEGRITY DEPENDS ON THE CHURCH BEING OPEN TO SHARE

THEIR LIVES WITH THEIR NEIGHBOURS

At a Pizza and Questions event at Hope Church in Vauxhall Gardens one man turned to LCM Missionary Shane Goodyear

saying, ‘I admire all you guys’. It’s not usual for men on the estate to openly express admiration so Shane enquired further and learned that he had observed that people at the church had happy marriages. From his perspective, their healthy relationships were something to be desired.

The comment may have come as a surprise, but it has its foundations in a carefully thought through approach to sharing the gospel in Vauxhall.

RELATIONSHIPS OF INTEGRITYWhen Shane moved onto the estate with his family two years earlier, he began meeting men in the local pub to talk about life and faith and football.

‘Going to the pub to meet men on the estate has been critical,’ he says. It’s taken relationships to a different level. It’s a breeding ground for gospel conversations. In a familiar setting with a pint in hand, men are able to to talk more easily and openly, says Shane. ‘They open up to us with their secrets, what’s really going on in their lives, in their homes. And I let them into my life too.’

Shane calls it building relationships of integrity. ‘Relationships of integrity are fundamentally about trust,’ he says. As missionaries we are accepted by people from the community here, but we are also distinct.

We are meeting in their comfort zone and on their terms, says Shane. So they shape the conversation and the balance of power tilts towards them.

That acceptance gives Shane the permission to speak to them of the gospel in a way that they will accept.

Shane recently challenged one man quite forcefully to come to Hope Church. He accepted that coming from me because I’ve known him for a long time through the pub and football.

The comment about healthy marriages in the church gave a natural gospel focus to their conversations. Shane was able to talk about such things as forgiveness and grace, that his marriage with Jasmine is centred on the gospel, which gives them a firm foundation to work through issues.

LIFE TOGETHERIf you look into the first three hundred years of the church, the astonishing growth was not due to an overt emphasis on evangelism, says Shane. Christians made their mark on harsh and cruel pagan societies by caring for the sick during times of plague, taking in orphans and abandoned children, and feeding the hungry.

A common Christian saying taken up by third century African bishop Cyprian was: ‘We do not speak great things but we live them’. Similarly on London's estates, people need to see and experience authentic Christian living before they respond positively to the message.

AS MISSIONARIES WE ARE ACCEPTED BY PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY HERE, BUT WE ARE ALSO DISTINCT

FAITHFULNESSFOOTBALL ANDFOOTBALL AND

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Terry Puttick, LCM Field Director with a specialist ministry focus on evangelism on estates and seniors says, ‘if we only proclaim the gospel then we're not going to get traction. When working with a church we're asking where are the entry points that create the footpaths into people either coming to a building or a church or to engage with the gospel.’

KNOCKING ON DOORSThe same applies when visiting people in their homes says Lambeth team leader Kevin Croft, who has worked in Vauxhall for the last five years. The team takes people from a conversation on the doorstep and introduce them to Jesus, he says. The aim over time is to go to fewer doors and develop deeper relationships.

We would normally expect to have five conversations from visiting one hundred doors. And then not all of these would be gospel conversations.

‘There are people we regularly share the gospel with that we’ve never seen inside a church,’ says Kevin. For example, there’s one woman who never set foot inside the building.

Shane first met her visiting door to door when he started work in the area. She immediately invited him and his colleague in and put the kettle on. She talked about attending Sunday School and being evacuated during the Second World War. Her mother was young when she died of cancer, and she had an unhappy marriage before her husband died ten years earlier.

At the same time she was vulnerable to scammers who would phone up and take her money.

In situations like this, missionaries often exercise ‘double listening’, which John Stott described as listening to God’s word and to God’s world.

It is persistently asking how the gospel speaks into each situation.Over many visits from many members of the team it emerged that

a major issue for her was forgiveness. She sensed that if she turned to God for forgiveness, she would at the same time have to leave justice to God, and forgive others.

And a real barrier was to let go of the ways she had been mistreated in her marriage and forgive her late husband.

She died without ever articulating a commitment to the Jesus, Kevin says. But one of the team members, Dorina Stewart, met

her two or three days before she passed, and in that conversation she said that she had forgiven her husband.

‘In the end, we don’t know the effect of our work, do we? We leave the outcome with God.’

WRONG DESTINATIONThe team shared the gospel with one man for a long time. When it came to the end of his life, Kevin visited. It was clear that didn’t have long to live. ‘I challenged him: “In a short time you are going to meet God. Don’t you care about that?”’

‘No,’ came the reply.One of the biggest barriers is that

acknowledgement that all their lives they have lived and poured themselves into the wrong things. People may have spent eighty years chasing after something that does not fulfil, says Kevin. It’s like following a sat nav that’s programmed to the wrong destination.

‘They may have invested everything they have in the wide path that Jesus talks about. It’s not easy to hear from a forty-year-old upstart like me that they’ve been doing it wrong all their lives,’ says Kevin.

In general, people are not just going to turn up to church on a Sunday. There’s a massive expanse, a gaping chasm between them and church on Sunday.

But the Hope Church in Vauxhall is growing. People from the estate are joining the church community and learning to follow the lord Jesus Christ.

‘For example, a local guy rocked up the week after we stopped doing a particular ministry because no-one was coming. Then he started coming along to mid-week Bible studies.

‘One of the advantages of having other ministries such as community meals, food bank, youth clubs, football on Fridays is that we can bring people on journey where and then they get to know other people in the church.

Kevin sees him once a week and he’s a regular on Sundays, having made himself at home in the church family. Church here wouldn’t feel like church without him here.

LISTENING TO GOD’S WORD AND TO GOD’S WORLD

WHAT W

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POVE

RTY

STIG

MA

TALK TO A LONG-TERM RESIDENT ABOUT LIFE ON THEIR LONDON ESTATE AND CHANCES ARE THAT THEY WILL TELL THAT IT’S GONE DOWNHILL. WHY THE ANTISOCIAL SHADOW ON SOCIAL HOUSING?

Understanding the history and mindset of social housing estates is key to being effective in evangelism.

After the Second World War London’s greatest concentrations of poverty, crime, and violent offending were inner-city privately rented neighbourhoods. Think of large, decaying properties converted to multiple tiny bedsits.

By contrast, social housing provided homes for a broad cross-section of society. Council housing at the time tended to have higher rents and more affluent tenants,

with many estates accommodating stable working-class communities, characterised by lower levels of crime.

Since then social housing has increasingly only been available to relatively worse-off households. With slum clearance and urban renewal the more affluent moved to owner occupation and the poorest households moving into social housing.

As the number of households in social housing has fallen, this shift has been significant. There has been a concentration of the number of social renting households on below-average incomes over the last fifty years.

PRESSUREIn the last two decades, the number of jobs in London has grown by 45 per cent and the number of people by 27 per cent, but the number of homes by only 18 per cent.

All of this means increasing pressure on housing, social housing in particular. Most councils use a points system or banding system based on an individual’s or family’s needs to come to a decision on who will be offered accommodation.

Today in London, Islington council alone has 14,000 households on its housing register waiting to access social housing. Last year it let only 1,100 properties – less than half of them properties with more than one bedroom. Despite building more homes, even people in the greatest need face a delays of years before they get housed.

This has meant pressure to prioritise social housing allocations for those in the greatest need, and most going to people on low incomes.

In 1979 a substantial number of households in all but the highest income groups were in social housing, research by the Chartered Institute of Housing found. Last year, 30 per cent of households moving into social housing were homeless, and 63 per cent of social lettings in 2016 to 2017

were to the 20 per cent of households with the lowest incomes.

Residents that are homeless, those living in severely cramped conditions or those that have a serious or life-threatening medical condition made worse by their current housing are given priority.

CHANGING PERCEPTIONSThe shortage of social homes has also played a fundamental part in changing the perception of estates, increasing the stigma around social housing and social renters.

Stigma impoverishes all areas of residents’ lives. Residents believe that they are economically disadvantaged and receive lower quality services as a result of stigma. There is also an emotional impact from living in a stigmatised area.

Into this complex mix Field Director with specalism in estates and seniors Terry Puttick says a vital aim on every estate is to give people confidence and skills to make changes to community life. ‘It's understanding the psyche of estates,’ he says. ‘One of the attitudes that you do find on estates is the feeling that system is stacked against us and actually life owes us a living. It's a great dynamic when you can reverse that and empower people.’

CRIME STIGMA

IMPOVERISHES ALL AREAS OF RESIDENTS’ LIVES

OUR MISSION

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LONGA VISITING PROGRAMME RUN BY REDEEMER CHURCH IN CROYDON HAS OPENED THE DOOR TO UNEXPECTED GOSPEL ENCOUNTERS.

Redeemer Church already had a door-to-door ministry when Simon Knightly began work as a missionary in Croydon. Each week they’d go out to a different place and start conversations with people.

‘It’s fantastic that there was a heart to do that, and the pastor would lead the line on that brilliantly,’ says Simon. ‘But he just wasn’t able to give it the time to develop a real vision or strategy for it.’

After a few months Simon started to put some simple good practices in place, such as going methodically around the streets and revisiting people who had shown an interest in the gospel. Some would get a return visit in a few weeks, others in two or three months, depending on the level of interest shown.

Simon’s desire is always to go from a cold call to a warm call, so that there’s some sort of relational connection there.

A pair from the church knocked on one older gentleman’s door and had a good

Simon, ‘which is mixed in with the fact that he has Alzheimer’s and sometimes he can’t always remember conversations from the day before, even when they have felt very significant at the time.’

GOD’S HEART‘He finds it very frustrating because he’s actually a very intelligent man. He was a doctor and he’s well aware of what his capacity used to be.

‘Then sometimes his sentences just drop away, like his thoughts escape from him mid-sentence and he just can’t remember what he’s saying.

‘You might ask what’s the point of doing four months of Bible studies when he can’t

remember most of it?‘But that way of thinking

is not God’s heart is it? I’m trusting that God can work in and through his illness.

‘God’s love for those people is the same regardless of the conditions or illness they have.. He is able to work in those people

just as much, and so it’s a question of being willing to minister when you can’t necessarily see fruit from it.

‘With this man, it was clear that God was doing something with him. That’s when I started investing time with him.

‘It’s fundamentally coming from the conviction that every person is precious to God. That’s where it starts. Our approach has been to marry a strategy with a sensitivity to what the Holy Spirit is doing.’

talk with him, says Simon. He said he was interested but agnostic. The teams had been trained to ask if they could come back and visit soon, and when asked, he agreed.

But the following weeks there was no answer. That just happens in door-to-door ministry, says Simon. And then after a month or so of trying the same door they stopped visiting that road, prioritising other places.

Nearly a year later, Simon reviewed the records of people not seen for a while and came across this man and a few others, so sent a pair to visit again.

As soon as they knocked on his door he said he remembered the previous conversation and had been thinking about it ever since. After a long conversation he agreed to come to church that Sunday.

He came for the next four Sundays, and the pastor took him to one side, explained the gospel thoroughly and led him in a prayer of commitment. He’s become a part of the church community, and Simon has been discipling him ever since.

‘He’s got a real spiritual hunger,’ says

IT’S FUNDAMENTALLY COMING FROM THE CONVICTION THAT EVERY PERSON IS PRECIOUS TO GOD

CONVERSATIONS

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HERE’S A VERY SIMPLE APPROACH TO VISITING MINISTRY BORNE OF THE LONG EXPERIENCE OF TERRY PUTTICK, OUR FIELD DIRECTOR SPECIALISING IN ESTATES MINISTRY. It can be taken on by a two or more people who are supported by their church and able to set aside regular time to visit their neighbourhood.

PICK FIFTY HOMES YOU CAN ‘CULTIVATE’

VISIT THEM IN PAIRS AT LEAST FOUR TIMES A YEAR

LOVE YOUR PATCH. LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE DELIGHTED TO GET TO KNOW THEM

START BY JUST INTRODUCING YOURSELF AND ASK HOW YOU CAN PRAY FOR THEM

BREAK UP HARD GROUND THROUGH REGULAR PRAYER WALKS

DEVELOP SOME KEY RELATIONSHIPS – PRAY THROUGH THE NEXT APPROACH.

GIVE INVITATIONS TO THEM FOR A MEAL, A BARBEQUE. PICK A SPECIAL EVENT AT THE CHURCH WHICH YOU CAN BRING THEM TO.

REMEMBER THAT READING THE BIBLE WITH PEOPLE IS POWERFUL – ‘THESE THINGS WERE WRITTEN THAT YOU MIGHT BELIEVE’ (JOHN 20:31).

Think of a residential area like an allotment – full of potential to yield a harvest. All the fruit that we’ve seen is where we’ve gone to people regularly, visiting a minimum of four times year.

THEALLOTMENT

APPROACH

GET INVOLVED

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READINGWITH FEELING

BY READING THE BIBLE ALOUD IN GROUPS SLOWLY, THOUGHTFULLY AND WITH IMAGINATION, OLDER PEOPLE ARE ENCOUNTERING JESUS FOR THE FIRST TIME

Since 2017 Missionary Paul Chierico has been leading a simple practice at The Elms residential care centre. Each week for 45 minutes he gathers a small group of residents – between four and eight, and they sit and slowly read the Bible together, and pray for family and friends. They’ve been reading through the gospels and have just arrived at the end of the Gospel According to John.

This style of reading is not just reading aloud and reading slowly, says Paul. It’s about imaginatively getting inside the stories.

‘We see what it was like to encounter Jesus and explore those interchanges with people. And then we simply let those words quicken people’s hearts.’

For example, in the story of the feeding of the 5,000 the disciples’ instincts are to dismiss the hungry crowd. But Jesus turns to Philip saying: ‘You feed them.’ He

Pilate. I said – now we know that in a few hours Jesus will say ‘forgive them’.

‘Then, as we got to the the scourging, I asked, “What do you think Jesus’ demeanour was as he endured all this? Did he curse the soldiers? Did he duck and dive the blows? Or did he just absorb it?” In everything we turn the spotlight on the person and character of Jesus.’

A few months ago, the group read the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman beside Jacob’s well.

In the group was a woman from a nominally Christian background. When

asks this knowing what he was going to do next.

The group imagines themselves standing with Jesus. ‘You know what God is going to do,’ Paul tells them with a twinkle. ‘You know what’s going to happen. Now, could you keep a straight face while Jesus is asking Philip this?’

A number of the residents are going through the stages of dementia. Conversations that depend on memory recollection can be distressing: they know that they should be able to call up incidents from the past, but the memories are clouded or inaccessible. It emphasises what has been lost and cannot be recovered.

At the same time Paul has found that if he poses imaginative or emotional questions such as, ‘what tone do you think Jesus said this in?’ for some reason, they can respond.

Reading the Bible in

a way that highlights the relational and emotional can be a revelation. Members of the group imagine themselves in the scene and can show what they are feeling in the moment.

BEDTIME STORIESReading aloud works on other levels too for people with dementia, says Paul. ‘It takes them back to feeling they had when they were reading to their children, or even when they themselves were being read to by their parents.

‘This feels assuring and comfortable, there’s a sense of calm that this feels good and comforting.’

TOUGH TEXTSGoing through each gospel scene by scene brings up hard and challenging material as well as the comforting, and that takes care, says Paul. ‘When we came to the passage where Jesus is handed over to

posed the question, ‘What do you think this felt like, with Jesus’ attention on her?’ she started crying – she was really moved.

The reason she was so deeply affected was that she saw some of the love of Jesus for this woman, says Paul.

‘She’s been a resident at The Elms for a few years, and on that day something moved deep inside her. I’m convinced that this was the moment that she first had a real encounter with Jesus.’

She has early onset dementia. Since then, she prays aloud in the Bible study time on Tuesday afternoons, something she never did before. ‘She came to the Lord that day. Simply, that day she

READING THE BIBLE IN A WAY THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE RELATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL CAN BE A REVELATION

fell in love with Jesus.’Reading slowly gives

people time to absorb themselves into the scene. When people read these stories from the inside, it transforms them. ‘It’s amazing transformational stuff, and I’m so blessed and grateful to be a part of it.’

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Monday morning: I have found a discreet corner of the park to draw aside with God and seek his face when I am interrupted mid-prayer by a Bengali woman. She wants to tell me how she has been exercising, because like so many of the Bangladeshi community she has numerous and various ailments and she has been encouraged to take walks.

Mid-way she stops and asks if I speak Sylheti – the language of the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. I reply in Sylheti that I do. I offer to pray for her, she accepts and then tells me that she has been reading the Qur’an and praying for healing herself.

I offer her a card with the Sylheti New Testament app on and suggest she try listening to it. She is happy to take it and we exchange names and the hope that we will meet again, and go our separate ways.

ISOLATED COMMUNITYFor those Sylheti people who don’t speak English – and there are many – there aren’t lots of churches that they can walk into to hear the gospel in their own language. They have few friends outside of their immediate family and the women typically socialise only within homes.

Nor is there a complete Bible in their language, though since 2014 there is a New Testament. I will never forget trying to extract one of these from the hand of a Sylheti man when doing door-to-door Bible distribution, explaining that we would bring him a new copy later – so delighted was he to see something written in his own language.

Since I began working with the Sylheti community, I have seen many examples of openness like this. As part of our English language programme, after the classes we invited men and women to stay behind for tea and biscuits and read the Taurat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospels) with us

A FRESH OPENNESS

MISSIONARY ALICE COOPER DISCERNS A NEW OPENNESS TO THE GOSPEL AMONG LONDON’S BENGALI COMMUNITY.

and retell it, answer some simple questions and then offer to pray for the women.

In fact throughout lockdown I have been rung up and asked for prayer by various Muslim women that I know because they have experienced both God’s answers to prayer and his peace.

Sometimes they then offer to pray for me, and having heard me pray for them so often pray prayers completely in line with scripture in their own words, which is so beautiful to hear (though this can be risky as on one occasion a woman launched into a Qur’anic recitation with no warning!)

AT HOME WITH THE GOSPELWe would love to see whole families coming to know Jesus not just individuals, and so I have had Muslim families join me at my flat or my friends’ flat to read the Bible, pray, worship and eat together.

But how much better if they could do this in their own homes! If they could invite friends or family members to join them as they read through or story-tell Bible, letting the scripture be the authority and the Holy Spirit be the teacher, highlighting new things that they can learn about God, humanity and showing them how to respond to what they have heard.

One project I introduced at the first church I worked for in London was the ‘adopt a family’ project. I introduced church members to families on the estates nearby who needed help with, for example homework for their children or English language practice, in return for some curry!

Some faithful members of that church have continued to do this many years after it was first set up. Imagine what would happen if many more churches within our borough were to put this into practice, giving opportunities to share stories from the Bible as church members visit their Muslim friends’ homes.

For so long I and others have been praying and faithfully sharing the gospel with our Muslim neighbours and seen little fruit. In the past year we are suddenly hearing stories of Muslims receiving visions or dreams of Jesus, and I had the privilege of praying to accept Christ with one of these.

I believe that there is a new openness, especially as a result of all that has happened with the pandemic. Let’s be praying and seeking God’s face for not just a trickle or a stream but a flood of Muslims turning to Christ. Surely now is the time!

WE ARE SUDDENLY HEARING STORIES OF MUSLIMS RECEIVING VISIONS OR DREAMS OF JESUS

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MAY IPRAY FOR YOU?

WHAT COULD BE SIMPLER THAN OFFERING TO PRAY FOR A NEIGHBOUR?

Emmanuel Gill and a small team from Journey church in Harrow visit people door-to-door, simply saying that they are from the church caring for the community. It’s an area, typical for London, where some of the most deprived communities are pressed right against more affluent areas. Part of their introduction is to offer pray for the people they meet.

‘Often people were surprised that somebody has come to their house to pray for them,’ says Emmanuel. ‘A lot of people do say that they would want us to pray for them. They might ask for prayers for their health, for family members or for good blessings.’

Some prefer for us to pray for them in our own time, others accept the invitation for us to pray for them there and then.

At the end of the prayer, Emmanuel might ask them how they feel – near or far from God? And then that is a way forward in involving them in spiritual conversation.

Sometimes Emmanuel offers to tell his own story of how he became close to God.

On one street a woman appeared out

from the other side of the house.‘When I offered to pray for her, she was

so pleasantly surprised that she invited us in,’ says Emmanuel. ‘Her 19 year-old daughter who came to our youth club a long time before was also in the house and we had a great gospel conversation.’

Then they were able to continue the next week.

She is one of three ladies who were ready to be baptized just before the lockdown. Praise God!

Probably out of one hundred homes there would be maximum twenty positive and encouraging responses, says Emmanuel. The rest of them could be ‘not interested’, ‘thank you, not for me: I’m not religious’, or maybe there’s just nobody at home.

SEE, DOThere is a small team of people that we have trained over the time. They’re mainly retired people who have a little bit more time to spare.

They would come on doors with me and watch me in conversation with people in their homes, and then later I would invite them to do it the way I did on earlier doors.

There are other church members who are doing Bible studies with some of the people we have met on the doors.

We have a group running every Monday to do discipleship and Bible studies. Six or seven of us would have lunch and read the Bible together. All of those people were recently converted and either were waiting to be baptised or were baptised.

As Emmanuel moves to helping more churches in Harrow establish this kind of ministry, he is looking forward to the church taking on the challenge of strengthening these relationships and seeing some real friendships develop. ‘It’s encouraging for the church to see that God is at work and he does make people change and transform.’

OUT OF ONE HUNDRED HOMES THERE WOULD BE MAXIMUM TWENTY POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING RESPONSES

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GROWINGTHROUGH LOCKDOWNHOPE COMMUNITY HOMES OFFERS UP TO TWO YEARS OF SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE MOVING FROM HOMELESSNESS TO MORE INDEPENDENT LIVING. SUPPORT WORKER ABBIE JONES RECENTLY LEFT LCM, BUT BEFORE SHE DID SHE LOOKED BACK OVER TIMES OF TRANSITION FOR RESIDENTS.

One of the many things that COVID-19 has reminded us of is the importance of community, and the impact when that’s lacking.

This is particularly important for us here at Hope Community Homes. We want to provide a space for our residents that feels safe, warm and welcoming to them, and that communicates the love of God to them through the support that we offer.

The work that we do

volunteering placements. He’s engaged really well with the support and has been a delight to work with.

We’ve also been working with him to renew his immigration status, which has been a slower process than expected.

The weekly Bible study is a wonderful opportunity for our residents to encounter the person of Jesus.

Some of our residents come as Christians and have the opportunity for their faith to grow and be challenged. Others go and their time here is the first time they’ve ever spent in regular study of the Bible.

Even if people don’t come to faith during their time with us, we thank God for the work that He has begun in their lives, and for the seeds that He sows during the time that these residents are with us.

We give thanks that they have the opportunity to learn about a God who created them in His image, who loves them and who is full of grace.

I’ve loved doing support work in an environment that puts Jesus at the centre of everything we do. I love the way that our support is focused on the individuals that we work with, and we prioritise the building of good relationships with them.

The vision I set myself for support work when I first started was to contribute

is long-term work, and we’re committed to good transitions. As part of our programme, by the end of an individual’s first year with us, we start talking with them about their move-on options.

We’ve recently had one of our tenants move on after two years at Hope Community Homes. It was a privilege to be a part of his journey from a challenging time before coming to Hope Community Homes,

to a safe, warming and welcoming environment for the tenants.

Also, to care for them and help them in a way that points them to just how loved they are by God, and through this, encouraging them to see their God-given gifts, strengths and potential.

I want to see the residents regain confidence that they may have lost, or never had in themselves, and to see them move on ready for a life of independence.

There have been many times when I believe this has been true. A couple of the moments that I find most touching are seeing the delight and appreciation of a tenant on the day they receive the keys to their new flat.

The other is when a resident moves on, and we have the opportunity to express how proud of them we are, as we see them make that transition. It’s always encouraging to hear people’s thoughts on their time here and the ways they’ve been grateful.

Despite the ups, downs and challenges that we often encounter with residents, there’s so often a feeling of being proud of them, and them of themselves as we’re able to look back on where they’ve come from.

very different place to where he was when he moved in.

Another of our residents has just moved on.

It’s been a privilege to see the growth in his confidence throughout his time with us. He’s also been a consistent attendee and contributor to the Bible study and has engaged with a local church during his time with us. He’s engaged with one of our partner charities, Mosaic Clubhouse and has completed various

THE WORK THAT WE DO IS LONG-TERM WORK, AND WE’RE COMMITTED TO GOOD TRANSITIONS

to a place where he was ready to move on to more independent living.

We have seen that God in his kindness was at work in him, through the restoration of relationships and the healing and growth that he brought.

It was wonderful to hear him share his gratitude for the time he spent here when he moved on and to see the growth in his character through that time, and his recognition that he’s in a

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A COMMUNITY WORKER WITH LONDON CITY MISSION EXPLAINS HOW THE STORY OF JESUS AND THE WOMAN CAUGHT IN ADULTERY CAN OPEN UP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOSPEL.

John 8 often stands out for muslim women. It's where the religious authorities test Jesus by bringing an adulterous woman and demanding his verdict.

I recently read the story with a Moroccan woman. She immediately saw how Jesus responded: ‘Oh look at this!’ she exclaimed.

‘He didn’t judge the woman, he didn’t blame and shame the woman!’ She went on to talk about the way that Jesus forgave her, at the same time saying to sin no more.

‘Jesus didn’t put all the guilt just on her. He didn’t encourage the people to stone the woman, and he didn’t throw a stone either.’

I grew up in Iran,and the scene is instantly recognisable. Women live

with fear, shame and the threat of violence. That’s what life is

like today.

Only the woman was brought to Jesus; we know nothing about the man. In today’s Islamic cultures it’s the same, the woman is a sinner, blame always sticks to her.

Even in cases where men attack and rape, the women will be persecuted by shaming or worse. For example in 2005 thirty miles west of Tehran, 17 year-old Nazanin Fatehi and her niece were attacked by three men trying to rape them. Nazanin defended herself with a knife, fatally wounding one. She was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by hanging – a verdict that was overturned by an international appeal.

Based on Sharia law, once 18 years old and then she would be stoned or hanged in public as a warning to others. In Iran this isn’t shocking, it is normal.

COMPULSORY MARRIAGEIt happened to me too. I made a terrible mistake. I met my future husband in a hotel lobby, taking my Auntie’s son with me, as it’s not possible for two unmarried people to be alone together. We met for just 10 or 15 minutes. At the end of the conversation, I shook his hand. Someone in the hotel saw this and called the Revolutionary Guard. As we left the hotel I was arrested and taken

to the police. They kept me for one week before taking us to court where I was given a choice between compulsory marriage or thirty lashes in public. My father felt he had no option but to allow the marriage.

After a couple of months together, I realised that my husband had other women in his life and my mother-in-law encouraged him in this.

I ended up in the UK in a domestic violence refuge, overwhelmed by deep

depression. One of my Iranian friends in college become Christian and prayed for me. For three years she phoned me two or three times a week and she prayed for me. She didn’t give up, she said: ‘I’m going to pray for you. I’m sure God can open the door for you.’

Her persistent prayers were answered in 2008 when I experienced the power of the Holy Spirit calling me to prayer and to church. For the first time I felt Jesus’ presence with me and his peace and comfort.

For anybody from a western culture, this story may feel like an encounter from an ancient and distant past.

For Muslim women John chapter 8 is absolutely remarkable. It speaks to their experience and opens up an exploration of who Jesus is.

NEITHER DO I

CONDEMN YOU ONCE 18

YEARS OLD AND THEN SHE WOULD BE STONED OR HANGED IN PUBLIC AS A WARNING TO OTHERS. IN IRAN THIS ISN’T SHOCKING, IT IS NORMAL

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REV DUNCAN WHYTE A GREAT

THE REV DUNCAN WHYTE, FORMER GENERAL SECRETARY OF LONDON CITY MISSION, WENT TO BE WITH THE LORD PEACEFULLY ON 3RD AUGUST 2020, AGED 94 YEARS.

AT A TIME WHEN GETTING TOGETHER INSIDE MIGHT BE DIFFICULT, SLEEPING OUTDOORS TO RAISE FUNDS TO CARE FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IS A GREAT WAY TO GET TOGETHER FOR AN AMAZING CAUSE.

Mr Whyte (as he was known to missionaries), served as General Secretary for 25 years from 1967 to 1992. Duncan steered the Mission through the emerging charismatic movement and disputes between major church leaders.

He kept the Mission resolutely focused on gospel ministry. Because of this he had the deep respect from church leaders of all persuasion.

He was a prayerful, godly, spiritual man, full of wisdom and an outstanding preacher.

Former missionary George Hider, said, ‘I can but thank God for the years of ministry I shared with Duncan when he was General Secretary.’

His overall responsibility for LCM is to be commended. He was wholly committed to the task of evangelism in our capital city, London. His responsibility for leading the LCM so well for many years is something for which we can thank God.

This year, due to the pandemic, we have lost some of our Corporate funders and urgently need people who care about those experiencing homelessness to take part in our annual sleepout event.

This is a great activity to do outside in a Covid-secure way with a youth group, school, church, work team, friends or family. A night out in the cold will expose you to the elements, and it will expose your strengths and weaknesses to each other, helping you to build stronger relationships and understand the challenges people experiencing homelessness face in a new way.

You can take part anywhere you have an outside space; a back garden, school yard, church grounds or other outside space near you.

Your fundraising by taking part in the Sponsored Sleepout will help bring hope to the lives of people experiencing homelessness.

To take part in the event visit lcm.org.uk/sleepout.

If you can’t take part yourself, we would be very grateful if you could make others aware and encourage them to join in.

‘I felt the Lord calling me to feed the hungry, clothe the poor; that’s why I’m doing the Sleepout. It’s been a reality check for me.’ – Brenda Vickery

NIGHT OUT1924 TO 2020

Rev Duncan Whyte visits the LCM exhibition stand at the Keswick Convention 2019 with members of his family.

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OUR MISSIONARIES HAVE VAST EXPERIENCE IN SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES ARE FRAGILE, AND WE DON’T WANT TO KEEP ALL THAT WE HAVE LEARNED TO OURSELVES. THAT’S WHY FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS WE HAVE RUN A TWO-YEAR PART-TIME DISCIPLESHIP AND EVANGELISM TRAINING COURSE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME FROM THE KINDS OF COMMUNITIES THAT WE SPECIALISE IN REACHING.

Faye Hoban is beginning her second year a year of intensive study, church placement and working alongside missionaries.

While on placement at a church in South East London from November 2019, Faye was put in contact with a woman who had been discharged from a psychiatric institution following her personal struggle with grief, guilt and depression.

The woman continued to be plagued with insecurity and shame, often feeling too embarrassed or wary to venture out alone, relying on neighbours to help with her shopping and leaving the house only in a taxi to go her weekly church social club.

At the beginning of the lockdown this woman went to stay with her sister, hoping that the family bond might provide companionship and support. Faye agreed to be available for text and telephone support and shared text messages of devotionals and the church’s online Sunday service.

After three weeks of quarantine, the woman and her sister fell out resulting in

Faye. ‘She had previously found it difficult to recognise any element of positivity within herself or the value that God has for her.’

More recently this lady has said that the presence of LCM workers arriving at her door has been a saving gift of support from God and she has felt consoled by the nearness of the Lord throughout.

Accepting that as she has been forgiven of her sins, she understands the need to forgive others for the harsh words exchanged in the heat of a dispute.

On 29th April, the woman ventured out alone and on foot for the first time in almost a year, walking 259ft to the post box, in order to send a note of encouragement to another family member.

her returning home to a cold, unwelcoming house with no food.

Faye was quick to escort the lady to the local supermarket in order that she could charge her utility key and purchase food and household supplies. The supermarket was only a two-minute walk away and accessed via a quiet suburban street, such that they could keep a safe distance on the trip.

On the journey they discussed the pain of grief and bereavement, a factor in the sisters’ fall out.

On the walk they reflected on Ephesians 4:32: ‘be kind to one another, tender-hearted and forgiving one another, as God through Christ’s sacrifice has forgiven us.’

Faye continued her support during lockdown, assisting in clarifying a tenancy issue with the housing association and delivering shopping when the woman felt too insecure to leave her home.

‘We have shared joy over the gift of her artistic talent and reminisced over pictures of her past and happier memories,’ says

PIONEERING GRACE

THE PRESENCE OF LCM WORKERS ARRIVING AT HER DOOR HAS BEEN A SAVING GIFT OF SUPPORT FROM GOD

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SHARING THE GOSPEL IN THE NEW NORMAL

LCM ONLINE LIVE EVENT

WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER 19:00 – 20:00During the pandemic Jesus' words 'We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us…. The night is coming, and then no one can work'. (John 9:4) resonated as many gospel initiatives run by the church across the UK were put on hold. By God’s grace we have seen new ways of reaching people take shape across London, and we’d love to share some of these insights with your church leadership.

Be inspired and encouraged and take the opportunity to put your questions to our panel as they discuss how they have seen the gospel shared in these unprecedented times.

Book free tickets at www.lcm.org.uk/newnormal or email churches@lcm.org.uk.