At the area Deanery clergy Chapter meeting, I received some news about coming city centre activities from a couple of colleagues present. Several years ago a group of evangelical activists mooted the idea of having teams of Street Pastors out and about, ministering to consumers in the night time economy. It wasn't exactly clear at the time whether this was simply directed at ministering to the needs of the soul, or the body - as soup runs do. Now after a long period of quiet, it seems that a training programme is to start running next month, and it seems as if this will focus principally on pastoral listening, rather than material problem solving.
Sister Wendy's work over the past five years has shown how much need there is for listening people to be there in clubland for people with many life problems un-addressed in the normal run of daily existence. I wonder if it will be possible to interest its leadership in contributing to the soup run personnel discussion about empowering volunteers on the practicalities of caring? We would benefit from as much input as possible to create a suitable Street Carers' scheme. One of these days we might even find an effective way to enable those who are stuck at the bottom of the social heap to move on.
Sister Wendy's work over the past five years has shown how much need there is for listening people to be there in clubland for people with many life problems un-addressed in the normal run of daily existence. I wonder if it will be possible to interest its leadership in contributing to the soup run personnel discussion about empowering volunteers on the practicalities of caring? We would benefit from as much input as possible to create a suitable Street Carers' scheme. One of these days we might even find an effective way to enable those who are stuck at the bottom of the social heap to move on.
