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Enabling Christian Fellowship, Southmead, BristolEnabling Christian Fellowship is now in its 6th year and with Sunday Worship in its 3rd year, the Fellowship continues to increase and grow.
This past year has seen around 35 people now regularly attending the Fellowship Tea Group on Tuesdays. Numbers have more than trebled at Sunday Morning Worship from 12 to 40 in 2 years with many coming not only from Southmead and the surrounding area, but also from other parts of the city!
ECF has seen an increased awareness and willingness by parents and carers to support the spiritual needs of their sons and daughters and those they care for, with several families now coming to worship together on Sundays. This past year saw the start of Children’s Sunday School. The vision for ECF has always included a Children’s ministry and the Lord brought this about when children who were playing outside the White Hall, heard the singing and came in to find out what was going on. They came back for more the following week and the Sunday school began! Churches, keep your doors open, you never know who wants to come in!
We have also seen an increase in our own family. Ouryoungest daughter, Amanda, gave birth to her first child, a beautiful baby girl, Ella, in January. We now have 4 lovely grandchildren.
As Pastoral Leaders, we both know that God wants to meet every need. One Tuesday in 2004, a young woman came into the Fellowship meeting to sit and listen. Shewas going through a difficult time, which she shared. It was from this visit that God led Enabling Community Friendship to open a ‘drop-in’ to offer practical as well as spiritual support to people in the community facing difficulties in their lives.
The ‘drop-in’ provides a place to meet and make friends. It is a place to share with others in similar situations and to help and support each other. It is somewhere to come and talk to someone who will listen. There is help with form filling, letter writing, making ‘phone calls and advocacy support.
Pauline Quintanella who supports Gwen and Roger, has started literacy and numeracy with those who want to improve their skills and more life-skill support is planned.
Rogerwas led by the Lord in April to retire from his work with Social Services to work full-time in the Ministry, from local authority to the Highest Authority! - a complete step of faith, but both
Gwen and Roger know God will provide for His work.
Watch this space for an exciting up-date of how God is moving in this Ministry!
Roger and Gwen Head
Testimony to David, he pleased GodDavid was one of the first members of the ECF to be baptised. We had to visit nother Church for his baptism. Everyone being baptised lined up at the front of the Church. David began to be agitated; there were about twenty people in the line waiting to give their testimony and several hundred in the Church. David was ecoming more agitated, a few young people began to snigger. I prayed the Lord would help him get through what had become an ordeal.
As the Pastor stepped up and asked David why hewanted to be baptised, David gave this amazing answer “I want to be resurrected with the Lord.” Everyone clapped and cheered, I was overwhelmed and I still am as I write this testimony to David. Some have said people with learning difficulties don’t understand Spiritual things, but they do, more than most of us. Blessed David went home to be with the Lord on 31 July 2004 aged 64. David’s testimony is “He is resurrected with the Lord.” Amen.
Gwen Head
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