Advice Received

Well, the project is a month old. No money yet, but plenty of good advice and offers of help.

First piece of advice was from Pastor Steve of Jesus Celebration Centre. He said to create a document detailing what we are planning. I have started that and asked some friends to review it. Still more work to do.

My friend Martin gave me many things to think about, like checking with the neighbours and seeing how practical the plan is.

I am going to spend time doing more research into planning permission, building regulations, charity legislation and the like.

It is always best to get as much good information as possible before spending the first pound on something like this.

We are starting our fund raising drive. The first step is to get £5,000 which will allow us to set up a charity.

If you would like to contribute to this project, please click on this link.

Community Guidelines

I have attempted to distil how we live at Beth Shalom into a few bullet points. This is my first attempt, so it may change as I think of new things.

These are not rules. They are guidelines to how we should live and treat each other to please God. They cannot be imposed, but through prayer, surrender to the Holy Spirit, and the Grace of God, they can be attained.

1. Love, or if you prefer, respect. This is most important (Matthew 22:36-40). There should be love for God and love for one another. This is Jesus’ command and the witness of His disciples (John 13:34-35).
2. There is no-one who should not be loved. Even those opposed to us (Matthew 5:23-47).
3. Honour the poor (James 2:5-7).
4. Do not judge (Matthew 7 :1-5). Our knowledge of ourselves is imperfect, so our knowledge of one another is even less perfect. Our assumptions and opinions are worthless, and judging a person by their past behaviour goes completely against Christ’s teaching.
5. Forgive (Matthew 6:14-15). Always give a person another chance. Never give up on them. As long as they desire to follow Jesus, forget what is past and encourage them to go forward.
6. Be kind. God uses kindness to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4), so we should do the same.
7. Rules cannot lead a person to holiness, they only create a framework for judgement and punishment.
8. Obeying man-made rules is not what it means to be a follower of Christ. Rather, we should obey God (Matthew 15:8-10).
9. God, by His Spirit, replaces our stony heart with a heart of flesh, writes His laws on it (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
10. God teaches about Himself (Jeremiah 31:33-34).
11. No-one should be judged concerning food, drink, or attending religious meetings (Colossians 2:16-23).
12. Do not retaliate (Luke 6:27-30, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8).
13. Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22).
14. Live in a way that others want to copy (1 Peter 5:1-11).
15. Serve one another, putting each other first (Galatians 5:13-14, Philippians 2:2-18).
16. Choose not to be insulted, angry, or irritated.

The Vision Takes Shape

Chris and I have talked about how we see the project going. We are very much in agreement. The easy option would be to find a new place, but we feel that God has chosen this house. That was clear to me when I moved in, and it is certainly  what Chris feels.

It is pretty much what was in the earlier post, plus extending the conservatory so it can be used as emergency accommodation, and build a shed in the garden to hold the equipment currently in the garage.

Chris and I are going to clear out a lot of old stuff, and a friend has agreed to shred sensitive paperwork for us.

Also, Chris and I are going to swap bedrooms! Chris will get the master bedroom and I will be in his old room!

We have also been thinking about practical matters, such as getting hygiene certificates and first aid training.

I have spoken to a couple of people at Jesus Celebration Centre about this project. I hope to discuss it further at a meeting on Thursday.

We will need to find people to help with the financial and legal matters. Is there anyone out there willing to help for free? If so, please get in touch.

The Beginning, The Vision

When I moved into my house in 2001, I named it Beth Shalom, the House of Peace.

For almost 10 years (as of 2013), I have shared my house with other men who needed a roof over their heads, who would otherwise be homeless. It has been a great learning exercise, but it has proven successful.

Together, we are a team. We function as a Christian house, but we have only 1 rule - respect one another. There are no curfews, and plenty of second chances for those that need them. We have decided that we want others to benefit from what we have. It is time to get serious. Time to expand. Time to grow our little community.

Here is the project:-

1) Refurbish the existing property, including kitchen and bathroom.

2) Replace front lawn with hard standing for vehicles.

3) Knock down garage and extend house.

4) Increase size of small bedroom.

5) Add 1 (possibly 2) rooms to 1st floor.

6) Convert roof space for additional accommodation.

7) Add second bathroom/toilet on ground floor.

8) Build office on ground floor.

9) Refurbish garden.

This is all at the 'vision' stage. Nothing has been formally planned, and all (but the goals) are subject to modification.

Now, we have no money for this. Normally this would be a problem, but God has blessed us over the years and, if this vision genuinely comes from Him, He will provide the means to make it happen.