An FIEC church in the north-east of England has been providing activity packs and food parcels to people struggling in the coronavirus lockdown.
New Life Church serves ten council estates in Middlesbrough, one of the poorest towns in Britain with high levels of unemployment. Pastor Ian Williamson says that they have been seeing great opportunities for the gospel during the pandemic.
‘Middlesbrough has bad statistics for crime, drug use and suicide, but it’s also one of the friendliest places in the country,’ he said. ‘Among the estates we’re serving, many people have joy to share.
‘There has been a mix of opinions on coronavirus here. Some think that it’s a load of rubbish, that they are not going to get ill and that they have bigger problems to worry about. A lot of those we have spoken to who are younger and aren’t working on the front line aren’t really interested or fearful about it.
‘Then there are parents who are middle-aged and working on zero-hours contracts who have a lot of fear because they are on the front line.’
Middlesbrough is home to James Cook Hospital which is one of the biggest in Europe. A lot of people are employed there as cleaners or porters and Ian says they are feeling particularly vulnerable. He added:
‘A lot of them are very, very frightened. Many will come home and spend time cleaning themselves and changing their clothes before they even see their kids, so a lot of people are contacting the church for prayer and support.
‘We also know of parents struggling to home-educate their children. We are trying to put together age-appropriate activity packs to support people across the community.’
The packs that New Life are providing include things like word searches and other games and activities, especially for those who are older and live on their own, for whom the period of lockdown has been particularly isolating.
The church has also been making sure that there is food available for those who are struggling to feed their families. Ian added:
‘We have a supermarket delivery that comes to us and we order more than we need so that all the church members have extra food to give out to those in the community who are struggling.
‘The food parcels and activity packs serve two purposes. First, there is the practical need. But secondly, while we deliver these packs, we have an opportunity to share the gospel and promote the work of the church. Hopefully, by serving this practical need, we will be able to serve the more important spiritual need.
‘We have a lot of people who live on their own. Although the Internet is good for communication, there is nothing better than being in fellowship together, so please pray that we would be able to start meeting together again soon.’
FIEC is holding weekly webinars for leaders to help churches think through the practical and spiritual implications of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The webinars are available as videos and podcasts at fiec.org.uk/webinars.
