Happy Christmas

Mammoth Event

We've noticed that The Gathering's weekly Soup Kitchen has been getting a bit busier week on week in the last few months, and last night's Soup Kitchen was quite a mammoth event.

For the last year, numbers had been dropping, though there remained a significant core of regulars and we were still regularly feeding well over 100 people, but the quantity of soup we were making each week had dropped down from 200 litres to somewhere between 70 to 100 litres a week, with the occasional Soup Kitchen dragging on for a while until the last of the soup had gone.

72 Boxes Of Blessings

What a joy and a blessing it was to get a call from my dear friend Shaddie asking if we would like a pallet load of peanut pastes.

It's been a long time since The Gathering was able to bless our Soup Kitchen regulars and others with these amazing & delicious packets of goodness, so Soup Kitchen this coming week will be excellent! And I'm sure that it will be busier than normal as word spreads that we have these pastes.

How Big Is Your Church?

Well, there is a question that frustrates and annoys me in equal measure, and yet it remains the most persistent question we get asked by Christians when they learn that we are pastors leading a local church.

Hub Of Blessing

Thursdays At The Gathering

Thursdays are Soup Kitchen days at The Gathering, and so today, alongside making 100 litres of soup, I've also finally gotten around to creating a dedicated home for our yogurt pot donations, and then sorted them all out into correct stacks with matching lids, which is a tedious and time consuming task!

Too Cramped

The Gathering's Soup Kitchen continues to do some sterling work in terms of serving the neediest and most vulnerable in the community, but also building bridges with folk who need that little bit more in terms of support & care, and it's a real privilege to be able to serve through the church.

Haircuts

It's amazing the difference a good haircut can make one feel about one's self.

Making Soup

Making the soup for The Gathering's weekly Soup Kitchen is (and has been for a long time) my happy place.

I really enjoy every aspect of it, and love the fact that I can pretty much switch off and just let the process unfold.

Macassar Soup Kitchens

The Gathering has been supporting two local Soup Kitchens in nearby Macassar for over two years now, and we've built up a great relationship with Beatty and Mercia who run them from their homes.

So at least once a month I get the joy of delivering a load of food to each of them, and I have to say that it is a real privilege and a blessing to be working with them, supporting them and providing for them.

Festive Soup Kitchen 2

We were thoroughly blessed at our first Festive Soup Kitchen on Thursday, as Joel came along to photograph the event for us.

As ever, his photographs are truly stunning and he perfectly captured the heart and essence of The Gathering's Soup Kitchen.

The Gospel

I wasn't supposed to be preaching at The Gathering this morning, but events in the week meant that it was over to me, and as ever it was a joy and a privilege to share the Word. 

During the week I had briefly contemplated giving our Gathering over to an impromptu Testimony Sunday, but decided against this because I knew we would be low on numbers this morning, and partly because I knew I was being lazy in not preparing a word.

Well before I even got up to preach, God had interrupted our Gathering spectacularly and it turned in to an impromptu Testimony Sunday with testimony after testimony being shared.

New Pans

Today is an exciting day for The Gathering as we finally got new larger pans for our weekly Soup Kitchen.

We've been making 140 litres of soup each week for a while now, and even on our quieter evenings, the soup has all gone within thirty minutes, meaning we have had to turn some folk away.

Loadshedding Soup Kitchen

It seems so normal these days to just get on with life regardless of whether we have electricity or not, and we've certainly learnt to make a plan for those all too frequent occasions when the power is switched off.

On Thursday it was the turn of The Gathering's weekly Soup Kitchen to once again enjoy the inconvenience of loadshedding.

Unexpected Blessings

This is what church is all about!  There was such a buzz at The Gathering yesterday as we prepared soup, hosted our Homework Club and launched our first go at offering free haircuts to any men/boys who wanted. Add in to this the fact that we also took food to the two Macassar Soup Kitchen's The Gathering supports and it really was an amazing day of blessings!

Prepping For Soup Kitchen

That was a lot of carrots needing to be prepped for The Gathering's Soup Kitchen tonight...

Festive Soup Kitchen #3

On Thursday we had our third and final Festive Soup Kitchen in which we once again served a delicious homemade Gammon & Pea soup.

Once again the soup went down a storm with many appreciative comments from our regulars.

It has been a real joy, pleasure and a privilege to be able to treat our Soup Kitchen regulars to three special soups over the last few weeks as we've done our best to celebrate Christmas with them.

But Take Heart

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world."

These words from Jesus constitute my favourite Bible verse in John 16:33 (I've posted on this before here & here). 

I like the fact that trouble is just part of the human condition. Jesus didn't say we were being tested or refined, nor is there a suggestion that god is a malevolent being that relishes in visiting bad upon mankind. Nope, trouble is simply a fact of life, full stop.

Festive Soup Kitchen #1

Sadly The Gathering have had to shelve plans for our annual Soup Kitchen Christmas Lunch this year. The main reason for doing so is simply one of logistics, as it would be beyond our resources to cater for and accommodate all of our regulars, which would lead to some frustration and disappointment, which we would rather avoid.

Next year when The Gathering is meeting in the main hall it will be a different ball game, but sadly we need to pass on it this year.

Sweet Potatoes

Tonight's Soup Kitchen will be serving a rather yummy Cream of Sweet Potato & Ginger homemade soup.

After chopping 18 kilograms of sweet potato and peeling & chopping quite a lot of fresh ginger the building is smelling divine!

The soup doesn't taste too shabby either.