EZ36 - Rebuild the ruined cities - What's happening on St Mellons estate, Cardiff

8.00 am. The park has been abandoned for years. Only the frame of the swings is left - the rest has been ripped up or burned down. Just yards away the smouldering corpse of another car continues to send up smoke to the heavens. A mother and her children scurry past on their way to school. The picture is bleak. The future...

Like many other council estates, the St. Mellons estate in Cardiff has had its fair share of problems over the years. The large out-of-town estate was written off by the former Welsh Secretary, John Redwood, as a den of single mothers and scroungers.

Drugs, crime, broken homes and poverty are all too readily associated with the area. Boarded up properties, gangs of youth roaming the streets, burnt-out cars, blank faces - a definite air of oppression hanging over the community.

Where would Jesus live?

Where would he hang out? Who would he reach out to? The questions must be asked because we're called to be 'Christ-like'. One of the things that's amazing about Jesus is that he stepped out of the comfort of heaven where saints and angels bowed down and worshipped him, into this filthy, stinking globe with one mission, one desire - to bring salvation to those who didn't deserve it! Not only that, but he didn't even sort himself out with a posh family! No form of worldly nobility or stature for our Lord. Conceived out of wedlock, born in a shed, raised in Nazareth (what good ever came from there?) and died alone on a blood-stained cross between two criminals. No XR3i camel for Jesus. He was a regular bloke who went all the way to associate himself with those at the bottom of the pile! What's all this got to do with St. Mellons?

Moving in

Did you ever look at our desperate society and say 'please do something about it Lord!' We did. The reply came: 'I have done - I sent you!' In Ezekiel 36, God promised his people that despite their rebellion, he would rebuild their ruined cities and make the land fertile and inhabitable (all for his glory!). EZ36 has been born out of a desire to see God's people reclaim the ruined places of Wales and witness God's transformation power to his glory! Ezekiel 36 is our prayer.

Working alongside the St. Mellons Community Church, what started off as three young men moving into a house on the estate has now grown into eight volunteers living in housing across the estate. A further four are waiting for housing to become available. The whole aim is to assist the local church in its various ministries, while pioneering exciting new ones too.

The 'Urban Sanctuary' is a double-decker bus that has been converted into a mobile youth lounge. Complete with DJ-ing decks, coffee bar, Playstations, table-football and shed-loads of Christian volunteers, we regularly see as many as 70 youth climbing aboard each week (including many young offenders) and strong relationships have been established. We are also involved in running schools' clubs, kids' clubs, the EZ Centre for drop-in help and advice, weekly football, trips and door-to-door evangelism.

However, the most powerful and effective tool that we have is availability. The very fact that we live alongside those whom we are seeking to reach and serve, means that we haven't got to rely on organised programmes or activities to share the gospel. Practically every day we are guaranteed an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with someone, either through word or deed.

Minibuses to church

Last summer three girls saw an EZ worker in the street and started talking to him about his Bible. As a result they borrowed some for themselves and within a few weeks all three were saved! A basketball hoop on the side of another EZ house has attracted youth like a magnet. As a result of the witness of the EZ team there, many young people have heard the gospel and started attending church. Indeed, a direct consequence of regular contact on the streets (combined with shed-loads of prayer) is that we now have as many as 35 young people who pile into minibuses and come to church with us on Sunday evenings. The services are short and simple involving singing, prayer, testimony and a preach, followed by a cup of tea, a game of pool and a bag of chips! As a result we have also had to start one-to-one Bible studies, discipleship and outreach groups in our homes to cater for younger children through to some of the older, more notorious youth. Some have been saved, others are still working it through. It's really exciting!!!

Branching out?

Similarly, in line with the rebuilding of the ruins prophesied in Ezekiel 36, some of the estate's most notorious, derelict buildings have been demolished to pave the way for modern accommodation, and the council has given all their tenants brand new double-glazing. Furthermore, we've even seen the construction of security walls around vulnerable parts of the estate and the sealing up of dodgy little gullies behind people's homes. The prayers are being answered! It hasn't all been luvly-jubbly though! Everyone on the team has at some point been the victim of burglary, car crime, threats and the like. But God has always given grace to forgive those responsible - another powerful demonstration of God's heart towards the lost!!

We are now looking at branching the work into two other estates, Trowbridge and Llanrumney - both of which are very similar in nature to St. Mellons and also a high priority in the city's multiple deprivation index. There is a very realistic chance that the council will soon be able to provide housing for future volunteers, which would naturally pave the way for massive Christian impact on estates that so desperately need Christ.

EZ36 exists because God hasn't written these areas off. The Lord seems to relish the challenge of taking broken, unimportant and wasted things and transforming them so that his glory and his purpose are clearly revealed for all to see. There are ruins across this land. Ruined communities, ruined lives, ruined hopes, ruined souls. Please pray that the ruins will indeed be rebuilt.

Dai Hankey

If you are interested in joining an EZ36 project and would like to know more, or would like to become a prayer partner, log on to www.ez36.com or phone 07974 966789.