A BBC News article has been ‘a lightning rod’ for a Scottish organisation’s mission to bring the gospel to the poorest and those afflicted by addiction.
Twenty Schemes says the news item has helped it refocus towards planting churches in the poorest areas around Glasgow. Peter Campbell of 20Schemes writes: ‘On 30 July 2021 BBC News published an article announcing that Scotland’s drug death total for 2020 was 1,339 people. It means that Scotland continues to have by far the highest drug rate in Europe, and over three and a half times that of England and Wales. The worst-hit areas are, of course, the poorest, with the schemes (housing estates) being 18 times more likely to have a drug-related death than other areas.
‘BBC News also published a subsequent article entitled “Six ways to tackle Scotland’s drug crisis”, listing more residential rehab beds, emergency overdose treatment and even legalising drug use as options to bring this shocking statistic down.
‘At 20schemes, we know that the only true salvation to this drug-death pandemic is found in God, through Christ’s death on the cross. But is that enough?
‘Now, before you think: “What is this, some gospel plus theology?” don’t worry!
‘Of course, we know that Christ is enough and that the gospel is the only power capable of completely transforming any life, no matter how lowly. But drug addicts also need the love and support of believers who will get alongside them, give them a community, and continually point them back to Christ.
‘As our Director, Mez McConnell, wrote recently for our blog: “People need a change of heart. They need hope. They need a reason to put down the needle. They need to want to stop anaesthetising themselves. They need the gospel of Jesus Christ. But many church programmes are a bit like Methadone. They mean well and they offer a small window of respite in a chaotic world. But they just park people where they are. They teach them the basics, but they don’t move them on. They don’t integrate them fully into the family. They don’t move them forward quickly enough into service.”
‘For us at 20schemes, we are aiming in the next year to plant three new churches into schemes in the west of Scotland, the area worst affected by the drug problem.
‘The BBC News article states that Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board recorded 30.8 deaths per 100,000 last year.
‘The local church is the answer. It has to be. We daily encounter people in our church cafés, parent & toddler groups and food banks who are living with addictions that have total control over their lives.
‘The three new church plants in Harestanes, Kilmarnock and Baillieston will be a place in the community where those affected by addictions can come to receive help, but more importantly, hear about a God who loves them and can save them from their sins.
‘Would you pray for these new churches that they would bring gospel light to these areas, and that the believers there would create a welcome community for those living with addictions who need Jesus?’
