Fishers of Men - a Merseyside ministry

News Release: 24 March 2010

In the April issue of Inspire magazine, Church Army Evangelist Rob Barker talks about his work with vulnerable young people and men at St Paul's Trust.

In Rob's words: "I have a background in shipbuilding on Merseyside and know many people who used to work on the docks before the industry started to die out 20 years ago.

I can understand how these men are still hurting from losing their sense of purpose and identity as the ship-based work dried up.

Nevertheless, I'm really glad to be here with them in the heart of run-down dockland rather than a glamorous port, because I see that when they come back to the river Mersey their old sense of purpose returns with them.

And it is through St Paul's Trust that we want to reach out to these men, unchurched men in the main, so that we can share Christ with them and help them to find restoration and new hope in their lives."

Paul Smith, the Project Manager of the Trust echoes Rob's words: "We want to help men to discover that sense of adventure when they're out on the water, which sometimes involves discomfort and risk. This leads to conversations about our comfort zones, our beliefs, and how in times of difficulty we see God come into our lives and help us in our struggles."

To read the article in its entirety go to the Inspire link. To see the film, featuring Rob, Paul and the work of St Paul's Trust go to the Meet Our People page.