Wednesday 28 March 2007

As Jesus Walked

Julia and I recently bought (actually, it was a birthday present from a good friend) Martyn Layzell’s latest album called Turn My Face. It has some great tracks on, but we call the last one our Storehouse Song. Martyn has very kindly given us his permission to copy the lyrics out below:

As Jesus Walked by Martyn Layzell

We have heard the call to go
Into the world with seed to sow
With living words within our hearts
We will walk as Jesus walked

Live a life of sacrifice
And die to our human desires
To see the poor and not pass by
Is to walk as Jesus walked
Help us walk as Jesus walked

But if not now then when will we
Take up our cross and follow?
And if not us then who will go
And walk as Jesus walked?

Be good news in all we do
Bind up the broken hearted
Heal the sick and raise the dead
Is to walk as Jesus walked
Help us walk as Jesus walked

With passion for the lost
Compassion for the poor
To every corner of this world
We’ll walk as You have walked
A Father to the fatherless
You’re Father to them all


Martyn Layzell
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

We feel that it echoes what we want to do through the Storehouse Ministry, but also challenges us in every walk of life to “walk as Jesus walked.” Please look at Martyn’s website at http://www.martynlayzell.com/ and check out some of the other tracks from the album at his myspace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=93136292
If you would like the album please ask at the CD desk

Wednesday 21 March 2007

Food requests (update)

By way of update, we are still short of the following items:
  • tinned vegetables (other than baked beans)
  • Packets of instant mashed potato
  • Rice
  • Sugar (small bags are best)
  • Long-life milk (pint size preferred)
  • Toothpaste
  • Shampoo

Thank you

Thursday 15 March 2007

Request for a Tumble Dryer

We have had a request from one of the agencies for a tumble dryer, preferably a condenser type model. If anyone has or knows of a good quality tumble dryer in working order could you please telephone the Church Office on 01284 765874 or contact Geoff and Maggie Sammons (Helping Hands) who are now dealing with this request. Thank you.

Wednesday 14 March 2007

Food requests

We need a steady supply of food in order to meet all of the requests that we receive. At the moment, we are particularly short of the following:


  • Tinned meat and meat products;

  • Tinned vegetables;

  • Instant mash;

  • Packets of rice;

  • Cereals;

  • Long-life milk;

  • Sugar.

Wherever possible we prefer to be able to put lots of smaller packets in a bag, rather than fill a bag with just one or two large items. So it's great if we have single pints of long life milk, small bags of sugar, and cereal multi-packs or boxes which have sealed items inside them, like Weetabix or Shredded Wheat which we can split up without unsealing them. In this way we can then make sure that we provide as wide a range of items as possible in a bag.

Stats


In January of this year we received a total of 34 food requests, while in February the total was 26. These figures included 22 requests for food for families, when we give away two bags at a time, so that in January and February we gave out over 80 carrier bags full of food and toiletries to people in need around Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk. So far this year, requests have come in from 11 different agencies, as well as other non-agency requests. We can only keep providing in this way with the kind support and food donations we receive, which come mainly through people at West Suffolk Vineyard Church, but also from other organisations with whom we have links. These include West Suffolk College (see posting below), West Road Church, and, in the past, various local schools and churches as part of their harvest thanksgiving. Thank you.

Monday 12 March 2007

Gabriel & the Vagabond

Here’s a link to a couple of great songs by a guy called Foy Vance, who is part of Greenwich Vineyard Church. The songs, Gabriel & the Vagabond, and Indiscriminate Act of Kindness, reflect something of what we want to be able to do through Storehouse. We want to reach out to those in need, to give them hope, to show them kindness, and to help them onto their feet, whatever their situation. If you like the CD, it can be ordered via the CD desk at church, or you can buy it direct from Amazon. The CD comes with the video animation track on too. Enjoy.
Gabriel & the Vagabond http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cjCuUQUwI
Indiscriminate Act of Kindness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL8A-b9XZaI

West Suffolk College, thanks!



On Friday 9th March, we were invited along to West Suffolk College, where some of the E2E students had a display outside the diner, and were collecting for Storehouse. This was the culmination of 6 weeks of work by them, during which time they had been raising the profile of Storehouse, making posters and collecting items at various points around the college. For anyone who had forgotten to bring in any food or toiletries, on Friday only, the students were collecting money, which they will be using to buy items needed by Storehouse (we have since discovered that they raised £100!!!!). We would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone at West Suffolk College for the fantastic amount of food they collected, and a special thanks to Gemma and Maria and the E2E students involved – Luke, Jesse, Dan, Matthew, Lisa, Becky, Lee, Michelle, Lewis, Kayleigh, Sam, Aimee, Brendan and Carl.