News

• City Prayer - 30th September
• African Children's Choir at King's Community Church
• Vacancies at Waterfront Church
• Just10 in Winchester 2009
• The next Southampton 24-7 Prayer Week hits the streets
• Delirious? Kingdom of Comfort Tour : Southampton
• Children and Family Pastor Vacancy
• An Evening of Blues and Gospel with Bob Pearce
• GROW : Vista Leadership Conference
• Care Confidential Job Vacancy
• HOME : 24-7 Prayer International Gathering
• The Marriage Course
• Sunday Services in the Precinct at Lord's Hill!
• Summer Mission Weeks in Southampton
• International Day - Victory in the Park
• HOPE 08 Charity Summer Ball
• SUBCULTURE Summer Workshops
• All Change Session
• Caring For Marriages Seminar
• Basics Bank Reducing Hours
• CLEAR Summer Vacancy
• Park Life - Life Church Mission Week
• Healing Breakthrough Meetings
• Mission to Seafarers Summer Concert
• SACO's 25th Anniversary
• The Scandal of Child Sex Trafficking - A Challenge to the West
• Photos from HOPE 08 Easter Balloon Launch
• Counselling Training Courses
• SAFE needs your help
• Southampton Street Pastors
• Southampton Community Family Trust Upcoming Courses
• Mike Frost UK Tour 3rd - 11th October
• Bind Us Together

Southampton Street Pastors

At a meeting of citywide church leaders in January, Chris Davis from Southampton City Mission did a short presentation about Street Pastors and the plans for beginning a Street Pastors initative in Southampton.

Street Pastors is an inter-denominational Church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the streets to care, listen and dialogue. It was pioneered in London in January 2003 by Rev Les Isaac, Director of the Ascension Trust, and has seen some remarkable results, including drops in crime in areas where teams have been working.

Each city project is set up by Ascension Trust and run by a local coordinator with support from Ascension Trust and local churches and community groups, in partnership with Police, Council and other statutory agenices. Over the last year or two, Street Pastors have been set up in Portsmouth, where trained volunteers aged 18-75 serve together in teams on the streets on Friday nights 10pm-4am, reaching out with God's love and practical care and help.

More information and stories can be found on the Street Pastors national website. It is exciting to think that what is happening in these cities around the UK may soon be happeining in Southampton. With this in mind, there is going to be a meeting in Southampton, hosted by the Ascension Trust on 13th March 11am-1pm at Central Baptist Church. This meeting is for anyone to come and find out the whole vision behind Street Pastors and what it will mean for the city. It will be particularly of interest to church leaders and workers, those reaching out to young people and others on the streets at night, and anyone who will potentially be interested in volunteering. There will be a separate meeting later that day for city councillors and police officers (who are likely to have different questions).

With the impact that this initiative has had in cities around the UK, it is exciting to think about what God is stirring up in Southampton. Download the booklet in our Resources section to find out more and come along to the meeting on March 13th, 11am-1pm at Central Baptist Church, Devonshire Road, Southampton, SO15 2GY.