"Mission is not primarily an activity of the church, but an attribute of God. God is a missionary God" (David J Bosch).
Impactful mission outreach was demonstrable on Sabbath, 22 June, at the Tottenham Lighthouse Adventist church when benevolent acts of service reflected a God who cares. It was a very significant event, as once again, the church donated £10,000 in cash to the food hub attendees, but this time, with Mental Health resources from the British Union Conference (BUC) Health Ministries Department.
In response to the lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent cost-of-living crisis, Tottenham Lighthouse church commenced a food hub to meet the needs of its local community. They have continued this outreach initiative with the added components of mental health support, spiritual nurture through prayer, and befriending lonely and distressed individuals. Over 250 people benefit weekly from this intervention on Tuesday and Sabbath afternoons.
Recently, £5,000 was donated to the church from a single benefactor, and the Tottenham Lighthouse church then matched the other £5,000 so the community could once again receive substantial help to meet their basic needs. The church is grateful for the generous donation of this anonymous philanthropist, who made the event on this scale possible with a financial gift to attendees.
Each recipient received a small envelope with £20 and words of encouragement from the leadership team.
Here, pictured, is one of the happy recipients with his monetary gift.
In 2023, £10,000 was donated to attendees at the food hub. This captured national media interest and was subsequently featured on ITV News. https://adventist.uk/news/article/go/2023-01-13/itv-news-features-tottenham-lighthouse-church-on-its-humanitarian-work/.
One year later, this benevolent act of love, care, and service to this community with a financial gift was a timely gesture, as was evident from the grateful comments from each recipient.
One of the food hub attendees remarked: "I am so extremely grateful to this church for all they provide for us every week. This extra money will help with an urgent need I have. Thank you all so much."
The unique aspect of this outreach is that 90% of attendees at the Tottenham Lighthouse Food Hub are white Europeans. This provides an opportunity to reach a wider audience. It is, in fact, a significant step in evangelism and outreach to the host population – a people group that we are failing to reach adequately as a church here in the UK.
The photo below of hood hub attendees on Sabbath, 22 June, clearly shows the majority of food hub attendees each week.
The food hub team consists primarily of volunteers from Community Services, led by Sophia Charles, Family Ministries, and the leadership team at Tottenham Lighthouse. Additionally, members of the community support the Food Hub by serving on a regular basis.
On Sabbath 22 June, the volunteer team was expanded by visiting ministers and family members. South England Conference Community Services Director Pastor Nerine Barrett assisting in serving the food hub attendees, as did Pastor Valentine Roach (recently retired) and his wife, Pat.
One unique aspect of the afternoon was a brief Brain Health presentation delivered by BUC Director Sharon Platt-McDonald, who disseminated bookmarks captioned 'Brain Health Nuggets'. This was a bonus item in addition to the other Mental Wellbeing Health Tips given to each attendee.
The following link highlights the food hub outreach on Sabbath, 22 June. https://youtu.be/W0EyTGh4Jec.
Reflection
Take a moment to think about your community's needs and how you might best serve them as a church. Recently, I shared the following quote with a friend which read:
"For I was hungry while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviours that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved" (Richard Stearns).
The individual to whom I sent the above quote stated that it inspired her to think about her surplus and home comforts and made her realise that she could be doing much more for her community. She has now joined a food bank to which she donates and where she serves on a regular basis.
Let us continue to pray for all our churches who, like Tottenham Lighthouse, continue to minister in relevant ways to their communities with the compassion of Christ.