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Reader in training …….steps out in faith!

“To prepare God's people for works of service,

so that the body of Christ may be built up”

Ephesians 4:12

The above scripture is the ‘mission statement sentence’ used by the ‘Life Long Learning’ department in the Diocese. Interestingly for me, it is also the scripture that stands large and bold outside the William Booth Training College in Camberwell South London. The Denmark Hill college is the place were all Salvation Army ministers are trained for service in the United Kingdom Territory, but is also the place that I am ‘employed’ from as the Learning and Development Officer in the North of England. That scripture from Ephesians has always been the prime motivation in my workplace setting as I work to develop individuals in the Salvation Army.

I am now approaching the last term of my Reader training and I’m about to embark on the final part of my own ‘preparation for my own works of service’. From Sunday September 24^th I begin my three month placement with Toxteth Team Ministry.

The Team comprises St Philemon with St Gabriel & St Cleopas, St John’s Youth and Community centre

In this last year of training I have been tasked with finding another church in the Diocese that is different in tradition to St Mary’s and/or, is set in a different Socio-economic setting. I have chosen Toxteth Team Ministry, as I believe it meets both those criteria!

So from Sunday September 24^th until Sunday December 24^th I will become part of St Cleopas’s congregation as a Reader in training. My hope is to be able to experience as many aspects of Toxteth Team Ministry as I can in the time available.

It does mean however, that Margaret and I will be at St Cleopas each Sunday during those 12 weeks and involved as many evenings as we can at the various projects in the Team ministry as a whole.

So, I would ask for your prayers for myself and Margaret, but also for the members of St Cleopas’s church family as they prepare to welcome us, and in particular David Gavin the vicar and Jan his wife, who incidentally, is also a Reader in training in my year group!

I have met with David Gavin at St Cleopas and we have already mapped out my Sunday involvement up until December 17^th – presently they (St Cleopas’s congregation) are exploring the book of Judges on a Sunday morning and I am fortunately joining them at the start of that series which runs until Christmas Eve. They only have one service each Sunday at 11am ‘Hallelujah for that’!!!!!

Exciting days, what a fantastic God we have!!

I am both excited and apprehensive at this last part of my training, but I feel it is good to move out of my ‘comfort zone’ here at St Mary’s Great Sankey and to experience life in another part of God’s kingdom.

My hope is that I return to St Mary’s better prepared for works of service, we have an exciting year ahead.

Keep on praying and keep on expecting!

God Bless Alan S

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