Paul and Sheelagh's project receives grant to help REACHOUT to local community

12 June 2008

REACHOUT, the fresh expressions project headed up by Church Army evangelists Sheelagh and Paul Easby, was recently awarded £600 from the local council of Starbeck, Harrogate, in recognition of the contribution to the local community. The joint project between Church Army and St Andrews, Starbeck,will be used to fund 'Holiday at Home' an initiative set up by Sheelagh and her team for older people. During the summer holidays, many older people feel especially alone as neighbours and relatives go away and the project enables up to 60 people to meet for games, coffee, chat, activities, food, fun and entertainment for four days

Sheelagh comments "We are seeing individual lives changed by the action of God's love taken into the local community, and hopefully, this money will allow us to continue to make a difference where it matters."

Sheelagh and Paul's work involves reaching out with teams of Christians to touch the lives of local residents with the love of God as together with others they make personal visits to homes within the community and chat to people on the High Street, in the shops and in the local cafes. As part of their work, enabling and resourcing the church to look outwards and to reach out to the un-churched, they have run several courses, which aim to train, enable and release Christians to serve and to share their experience of Christ with others.

Paul adds, "Some individuals are being drawn back to the established church services and activities. Others are finding fulfilment through mid-week activities taking place in the community. We feel that the 'mixed economy' of the established church of St. Andrews with the fresh expression of REACHOUT is really making a difference in the community of Starbeck and we rejoice in the Lord's goodness."