The Bible is clear that we should take the good news of Jesus out to the poor, to the marginalized, to the disadvantaged. That call is not only to take good news out in word, but also in action. That’s why, over the years, we’ve set up things like Three13 which helps people move from joblessness into jobs; it’s why we’ve got involved with debt counselling through CAP; why we’ve partnered with The Message to set up Community Grocers and Eden projects and why we’re working into prisons and with the probation service. These are all ways in which we, as Tees Valley Community Church look to respond to what God calls us to be.
More recently, we felt God prompt us to outwork that call specifically by getting involved in a new area.
Homelessness is a major contributor to poverty, and we feel God has called us to get involved in the whole area of housing.
As we began to look at how God might want us to work this out, we were introduced to an organisation called Hope into Action. It is an expert organisation in this area (similar to CAP who help us to facilitate debt counselling). Hope into Action bring years of experience, learning and years of doing really good work, with long-term impact for their tenants and their clients. Hope Into Action will support us in a ministry that will provide hope, love, safety, and security to the people we are working with in the prisons, at Connect, in the Community Grocers, in Three13, that will give them a greater chance to change their future.
We see this ministry primarily as a discipleship programme for those who are coming to faith. If, when they come to faith, they’ve got housing difficulties, we can help them to grow in faith by providing them somewhere safe to live with proper support and investment into them, that gives them an ability to walk in faith with us much, much for effectively.
This is the beginning of something new and you can be involved in many ways – through prayer support, through financial investment or you can even get on the ground and do some of the work with us.
We are very excited about this whole project. It’s completely in line with what the Bible says in Isaiah 61. We’ve found a key partner in Hope into Action and we are convinced that as we go forward this is going to make a real impact into Teesside with the good news of Jesus.
We are still in the early stages of developing this project so please stand with us in prayer as we get things in order and certainly watch this space for what God does as we step out in faith!
29 Sep 2023
