June 21st 2020

Annabel Wright speaks at our online 10am (Central) Sunday service.

“ Your people will build anew on foundations laid long before you. You will be known as Repairers of the Cities and Restorers of Communities” - Isaiah 58:12

The talk this Sunday was about God’s purpose our city to be restored…through us! If you missed it you can listen above.

If you felt challenged and would like to respond, here are some questions to consider and ideas to get you started:

What do you care about? What moves you? How can you act to show love (this is compassion)?

What would you have to ‘lay aside’ to do this?

What is your ‘salvation story’? How can you share this and be part of others experiencing freedom/rescue/healing in the same areas you have experienced?

How can you ‘inspect the walls’ or the borders of the kingdom?

If you feel challenged but are not sure where to start, here are some ways to get you started:

How about coming along to our Community Café? You could come and be a friendly face and see how you could get involved.

You could read up on how poverty affects health and life outcomes. Try starting here: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Or check out some of the facts and figures about our city:
- Deprivation and poverty in Southampton
- Public Health Southampton

Make it personal: Next time you chat to someone and ask how they are, listen extra carefully and ask an extra question. Perhaps ask yourself, how does their answer matter to me?

There are many ways you can be part of rebuilding and restoring – with your neighbours, in our communities or across the city. If you would like to know more about how you can get involved with our community hub or Hope school we have updated our website and you can read more here – you can get involved, pray for us or volunteer across many of our activities. Or perhaps God has been stirring you and talking to you and you feel prompted to act and show compassion – if you would like to explore this then you can email Annabel. As a church we also partner with Love Southampton – a network of the churches and projects that express love for our city by serving in many different ways. To find out more or to sign up as a volunteer, check out their website.