The Hatching of – Bars, Veg and Things Unknown

Summary from the end of a month and, somewhat surprisingly, the end of a year:

RESEARCH
- The meeting with Chris the Environmental Officer earlier this month was a very good one, he has offered alot of practical support and information. (Details can be found in the blog post of 9th December.)
Target: Keep in contact with Chris, continuing to make use of his expertise.

COMMITTEE
- We have approached a number of people with a view to them becoming Trustees for Sustaining Life, the key committee roles to be filled at this stage. Preliminary responses appear favourable.
Targets: To approach those prospective Trustees still outstanding and have replies from everyone by the end of the month. Also, if possible, to have held the first Trustees meeting by this time.

WORKING ON THE PLOT
- As reported, the Environmental Officer has offered to provide man (and woman!)-power and access to tools for preparing the plot.
- We have also agreed with the Allotment Secretary that we will rent the plot above our current one, to ensure a more viable size of working area.
- I have been perusing allotment books and seed catalogues and have a pretty good idea of what to order and where to plant it now.
Targets: Liaise with Chris (EO) in order to organise for his teams of volunteers to come and dig the plots over at the beginning of January. Ensure that Allotment Sec has extra rent for the other plot and take a look at the seeds that he has in stock. Buy some seeds, and possibly other equipment, and begin to plan the layout of the plot ready for planting.

OTHER
- The most notable item this month, though, is surely the suprise donation of £500. (See entry of 19th Dec). This has certainly been confirmation that the Lord is behind all that we are doing, it was incredibly encouraging. So, along with our usaul request for prayer, we would like to ask you to join with us in saying a huge THANK YOU to our Heavenly Father for his faithfulness so far.

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. " Phil 1 vv 3-6

AMEN

Have you ever heard the stories that other Christian’s tell about God providing what they needed completely out of the blue? How many of you have actually encountered this in your lives?

Until now I hadn’t.

What Judith didn’t mention was that the person who had donated the money is a non-believer. His parents are church people but he isn’t. Now isn’t that a wonderful way for God to work?

Some may say that Christians should only accept "clean" money. There are lots of places out there that offer money to charitable groups, religious ones or not, but some groups won’t apply because of the way in which the money is made.

This provides Christian causes with a very moral problem. Can we righfully accept money to use in God’s work from these causes? Is funding from something such as the National Lottery acceptable? Would accepting money from brewers or arms firms be allowable to Christians?

I’ll be honest and say that I’m personaly divided on this issue. Part of me says that money obtained through the weakness or suffering of others should be refused. Yet the other part of me wants to use any money that is received to further the work of God in helping others, some of whom are victims of these sources.

Spurgeon said that he’d accept money from the devil if he could use it to further the kingdom of God.

I remember the conference we went to at Caring For Life. There was a section on ways of raising funds for their work. The story was told of one woman who told them that she played the lottery every week. Her aim was to win and then give the money to Caring For Life. In the mean time the money that she paid in could be used by them if they obatined grants from the lottery.

This is where modern charitable giving has been corrupted. People play the lottery because it helps good causes, or goes on things that our goverment should provide from taxation. So they see it as a way of helping those less fortunate, while giving them the chance to win a million or so if they’re lucky.

Then I have another thought: how do I know that the money that we’re offered in the future is God given? I suppose I would have to rely on such gifts coming unsolicited. If they arrived in this way then maybe I’d know that they were God inspired.

So I’ve decided that the only thing to do is ask what is the best way forward. I don’t expect replies here, as this is more of a pray request than anything else.

Jeff

The above title is a rough approximation of the noise made by my sister-in-law when I told her the news I am about to tell you.

We have been given a cheque for £500 towards the allotment project!

The story behind this piece of fab news goes something like this. Jeff and I have the pleasure of knowing a lovely couple who are setting up a church plant locally and I attend their Home Group when possible. I managed to make it to one last night and had a good time sharing food and fellowship. During this time Dai, the husband of the couple, asked me how the project was going. I updated him on the situation, mentioning our need for funds as part of the conversation. No agenda, simply sharing info with a friend. When the time came for us all to leave, Dai left the house in order to see another couple to their car. I later found this given reason to be a ruse to cover the fact that he wanted a private word with them, because he returned a few minutes later with the cheque.

It transpires that the son of this couple is a man of some means who wished to donate to a cause, specifically on in our locality, in lieu of giving his parents a christmas gift. When Dai heard of this, he immediately linked it with our project’s funding need, and asked them if their son would consider this a suitable recipient for the money. Evidently the answer was yes, which led to Dai re-entering the house with the words ‘I am now going to smack Judith’s gob!’

Thankfully this was not a threat of violence for any heresy I may have inadvertantly uttered that evening and I was suitably gobsmacked by the generosity of this previously unknown donor.

As I said when I had sufficiently regained my composure, "Praise the Lord!"

Dith

We have just come back from the meeting with Chris the Environmental Officer, where he proved just as useful as we had hoped. Jon was also able to attend with Jeff and myself.

Chris has provided us with a plethora of useful contacts as well as the offer of help in getting the plot dug over for the winter, by use of his own midweek group and/or some local volunteers. He has also indicated how we may access tools on loan and gain temporary use of shelter in the short term, whilst we sort out our permanent solutions in these matters. There is also the possibility of our plot becoming a Green Gym, which is an initiative run by Chris’ employers, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. This would provide us with such benefits as training in the management of a therapeutic allotment, health and safety information and access to insurance. We have yet to decide whether to become a formal Green Gym, under the BTCV banner, or simply use the support they provide. It is a matter of looking into the info Chris has given us and weighing up the pros and cons. Either way, he seems only too happy to act as a consultant for us (although the idea of cutting off his dreadlocks and donning a suit in order to look the part did not seem to appeal!)

So, all in all, a very productive meeting. This appears to be the beginning of a very good working relationship with Chris, one in which I hope that our project will be also be of use to him in turn. Some definite answers to prayer there, I think!

Dith

With apologies for the delay in posting this, here are the targets met last month and set for the coming one:

RESEARCH
- I had a meeting with a local Community Support Worker to find out some general start-up info. Although the CSW said very little about project start-up, he did us put in touch with the local Environmental Officer (potentially a very useful contact!)
- Online resources regarding committee/constitution/funding etc have been found and perused. We therefore have a better idea of what is required of us in this area.
Targets: Attend the agreed meeting with the Environmental Officer this coming Sunday at 2pm. Offer and glean information and mutual support at this time.

COMMITTEE
- Although we still have yet to form a committee, we have a better idea of how to run one given the above research.
Target: Progress with the formation of a committee, bearing in mind anything we may learn from Sunday’s meeting.

WORKING ON THE PLOT
- As reported, Jon has cleared surface vegetation from the plot and started the task of digging. Thanks to him and his father-in-law for that!
- Jeff has also successfully compiled an comprehensive equipment list, complete with costings.
Targets: Continue the practical work on the plot, perhaps with some help from contact via the Environmental Officer. Also, plan how the beds will be laid out for next season and begin to consider the task of obtaining seeds.

OTHER
- The Smallholding Course has been very interesting and informative to date. The things I have learned will certianly prove useful in the long run, when we have livestock. I have one more session this month and then break for Christmas, after which there will also be some horticultural classes which should be of short term benefit also.

Thanks for your interested support, everybody, and please keep on praying!

Dith