Fliss Barker has been a Church Related Community Worker (CRCW) at the project in Wooler since July 2022. It is both a new project and is the United Reformed Church’s first rural CRCW post. It is also Fliss’ first project, after completing four years of training at Luther King Centre in Manchester. Fliss describes a new initiative which is focused on taking the Gospel to the streets, initiating conversation and giving out hugs (to those who want them!).
Taking the Gospel out on the streets can be an uncomfortable prospect at times but, for the last year in Wooler, a small team from Wooler URC has been going out onto the high street sharing the gospel with the local community through hugs. These events, held on a Saturday morning are always well received and certainly generate lots of excellent conversations.
Being on the high street regularly establishes a real presence in the community, we share why we do what we do, we share the Gospel, and we have a good chat with folk. We want people to know that God loves them and that we, as Christians, want to also share this love with others – through hugs. We recently decided to step this up a gear with ‘Prayers on the Street’ with the aim of connecting once again with the community by demonstrating God’s love. So, we headed out onto the high street, but this time, we were armed with free Bibles, flyers, a prayer tree and some chocolate!
Our approach is gentle and respectful. The simple phrase “we’re here to offer prayer”, for example, can stop a person in their tracks so we took it steady! We’re mindful that these events are in partnership with God and it’s a real privilege to do so. We are also very aware that the Holy Spirit is already at work and that He brings people to us. This enables us to minister from a place of peace and with an understanding of the authority we have in Jesus’ name to pray with people – and it worked. We had a brilliant day – several people stopped to ask questions, we talked about other events happening in the community and we also prayed with a couple of different folk. Hooray!
Jesus sent his twelve disciples out walking to local communities so they might spend time noticing what was going on and what was affecting people (Matt. 10.1-15). He warned them that it would not be easy when they proclaimed that ‘the kingdom of God has come near’. They were to respond to local needs, ‘cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons’. Luke also records that 70 disciples were sent out in pairs and as they went, they were to pray asking ‘the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest’. When the disciples returned, Jesus said ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.
We are so excited about this new project and are already looking forward to doing it again in July and September later this year. Not everyone wants to engage, certainly not everyone wants a hug, but I believe that by having a regular presence on the high street, it generates conversation and the very real message that the church is for everyone, all are welcome! Everyone can have a hug or a prayer no matter who you are.
There are many residents who come over to say hello and have a chat with us. We are particularly grateful for hot drinks and a bacon sandwich given completely free from the local cafe when these events are on. I’m excited about these events and can’t wait for the next one – When we’re not ashamed of Jesus Christ, He’s not ashamed of us. As we obey His command to proclaim the gospel throughout the world, He promises – I am with you always (Matthew 28:20)
Amen.