A couple of years ago my husband and I really felt God telling us to dig our roots deep into Bedford. Whether that meant we would be here for a short or long time, it didn’t matter. We knew God was telling us to serve and pray for our town, church and the region He had placed us in. I now have the privilege of leading our Re-Track outreach project which is all about helping people get their lives back on track. (Learn more about Re-Track here)
In this eFocus, we will be delving into some ways that we can love and serve our town and region that God has placed us in, making a difference in your neighbourhood:
1) Get Informed
We discovered that in Bedford, loneliness, littered streets and poverty are among the persistent issues the town is dealing with.
Every town and city will have different needs so it’s important to learn what the specific needs in your town are. Through Re-Track we are in ongoing contact with Bedford council and the Mayor to find out what the areas of greatest needs are and work towards blessing and helping in those areas where possible.
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To learn more about the area/town/city you live in, you can research the following things:
- Who lives in your area? What benefits and challenges do they face?
- What ethnicities and social classes live and work in your neighbourhoods?
- What specific challenges is your town council coming across?
2) Pray Specifically
“…Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7
There is an importance and call for us to pray for the region God has placed us in as we can see from this verse. Prayer is so powerful and the most effective way to see God’s kingdom on earth!
Once we’ve discovered our town’s challenges, we can then pray specifically into those areas. Pray for God to lead you in prayer and show you His heart and vision for your town.
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A practical way you could pray is by prayer walking around your streets and town. This can be helpful to stay focused and specific in our prayers, and to be immersed in the community we’re praying for.
3) Use your Passions and Giftings
Each one of us has unique desires and passions, with different God-given assignments to do good works. So, for many of us serving our town will look different.
Maybe you have a heart to see the lonely placed into family or the poor being looked after and provided for, or for the youth and young people of Bedford?
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What is God placing in your heart to see changed in your town? What can you do practically to make a difference in that area?
4) Take Action
There are many practical ways we can take action, such as…
Loving our neighbours. There’s often so much need right on our door steps. Keep your eyes peeled on those who live locally to you. Maybe you will notice an elderly neighbour’s garden that has been left untended to that you can offer a helping hand with, for example.
Volunteering with a local charity or church outreach projects. There are so many local projects that are making a difference to the challenges our towns are facing. Recently, King’s Arms Project were recruiting volunteers to run their Winter Night Shelter supporting the homeless. Re-Track runs lots of events throughout the year that you can get involved with such as litter-picking, handing out LoveChristmas boxes, delivering Emergency Food Parcels, and more.
Starting something new. You may come across a need that you feel passionate about but there isn’t already anything in place to help. Could God be calling you to make a difference in this way?
God has placed us where we are for a reason. We are called to be a light shining on a hill and to bring light and good news to our town.
How can you dig your roots deep into where you live?
Much love,
Charlotte Knapp and eFocus team