Social Action Newsletter
06/06/10
Jigsaw Project I am the Father of the fatherless, the defender of widows, I am near the broken hearted and save the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 68:5 and Psalm 34:18)
What is Jigsaw? Our call has to be rooted in God’s heart for the lost but in particular the poor, those afflicted and those in need. We live to bring those whose lives we touch closer to the kingdom of God, to demonstrate his love and grace, to impact this world with prophetic acts of kindness and service. Jigsaw exists for this purpose.
Some of the things we do 1.
Mentoring and Befriending.
In a world falling apart never has there been a greater need to rebuild
relationships, restore trust and heal broken lives. The core of our work is about building relationships. If we want to see lives changed we must be willing to walk a journey with those that we meet, to model something different to what people see in the world, to support people through change and stand with them in difficulty.
make the help that is needed more accessible. 3. Food Bank
Jigsaw aims to provide a place where people can come as they are and not be judged, be accepted and not rejected.
One off packages of food provided to people unable to provide for themselves due to loss of income, employment or benefits.
2.
B. Support for people being rehoused but with no means of providing themselves with meals or household sundries, in the initial period of settling in their new home.
Sign posting and Advice
People often struggle to get the information they need or the specialist help they require, part of our work focuses on sign posting and referral to other agencies appropriate to the needs of the individual. It will mean building partnerships with others to
EASTER CELEBRATION Following on from the success of the Christmas meal, an Easter celebration was held. A three course meal plus coffee and mints was provided. Everyone went away with an Easter egg and a great time was had by all, especially during the Karaoke session—a little bit of fun and relaxation in what can be a joyless existence for many. Thanks to all those who helped out and for the generous donations of chocolate eggs.
The food bank initiative provides practical help with a purpose, the taking donated goods, in particular canned food, dried goods and household sundries and providing support to people in a variety of circumstances, including: A.
Support during a crisis
The Team Over recent months the Jigsaw team has started to develop and to some degree is still being shaped as people offer different gifts and skills and as different parts of the project go live. There are over 10 people regularly committed to helping with Jigsaw, but there may be others waiting in the wings. Please don’t be shy—if you feel you can help in any way please let us know.
C. Debt Relief , providing regular support over a 3 –6 mth period in order to release cash for payment of debts.
PRAYER: We have now had around 30 people pass through the doors of the Jigsaw Project, each one with their own set of need and aspirations and each on a unique journey. A great deal of practical help has already been provided, but as Christians our conviction is that nothing brings change like the power of prayer. We would like to encourage you to pray for each of these as often as possible and there is a prayer list on the next page to help with this.