From guns and gangs to gospel initiative

It was another busy night in Kingston Town, Jamaica.

Guns were firing, gangs were fighting, more lives were taken. At the turn of the century, Jamaica had the second highest levels of murder, after Colombia. Across the country there were on average 35 murders a day, and most of these troubles were concentrated in Kingston.

That was until two pastors, burdened by the needs of their community, went out onto the streets to simply listen, care and practically help where they could. They called the problem before them "a giant", but we know that our God is much bigger than giants!

Within a matter of months of these two pastors just being present and showing God’s love, the number of people being killed was significantly reduced. And over the years of these pastors showing consistent love and collaborating with local officials, those figures have now reduced even further.

Beyond Jamaica

News of this miraculous turnaround didn’t stay within Jamaican shores.

In Brixton, London, there was a man called Les Isaac who was keen to know how he could bring the love of Jesus to the vulnerable people around him. He too was upset at the levels of crime and knew that behind the weapons were people who had experienced awful trauma themselves.

Captivated by the events in Kingston, Les went out to Jamaica to see for himself. Then, fired up, he returned home to London to see how he could start a similar initiative here.

He invited the two Jamaican Pastors to come and share their experiences with church leaders, the police and local authorities at a community day. Then, they toured this event around five of the London boroughs before going to Birmingham and Manchester. After this, they reached out to friends, churches, the police and other community leaders to pray with them, asking God how He wanted them to reach the people of London.

They saw that the main solution to these problems was the local church, getting off the pews and out into the community.

This process took two and a half years.

Preparation

Often, when we have a plan and a vision for something, we want it done straight away. We see the need, the people who are hurting and in turn hurting others, and we want to change it now. But Les and his growing team didn’t rush their season of preparation. They followed God’s timeline. Like so many men and women of God throughout history, they proved that God’s timing is always best, even when we feel it is slow.

In January 2003, Les and a team of volunteers stepped out onto the streets of Brixton, and Street Pastors was born. It wasn’t long before more Street Pastor units were opened within the UK and overseas, as more and more Christians obeyed Jesus’s call to go into their mission fields (the streets of their towns and cities) and bring the love and hope of the gospel to the people they met.

Over the years, more initiatives were started, all under the umbrella of Ascension Trust (an initiative Les started in 1993 to encourage churches to be effective in engaging across cultures within their local community).

Now, there are 11 initiatives in Ascension Trust including: Rail Pastors, School Pastors and Prayer Pastors. What underpins all of them is the gospel.

Action

If we truly believe that the gospel is "the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1v16), then we, like Les Isaac, need to ask ourselves what we’re going to do about it.

Street Pastors (and all the other volunteers across the initiatives of Ascension Trust) are not necessarily evangelists or trained pastors. They are ordinary, everyday people who have experienced the life-changing power of the gospel for themselves and want other people to know the truth of it in their lives too.

They are Christians who believe that their neighbour is the vulnerable young girl about to get in a car with a man she doesn’t know or the homeless man who believes that no one will ever see him for who he really is.

Whether it’s cleaning up glass, giving a lollipop or just talking to people and showing an interest in what is important to them, Street Pastors are there to put the gospel into action.

Listening, caring and helping are such simple, everyday words, but they carry so much meaning. To be truly listened to, cared for and willingly helped is such a gift. It tells you that you’re seen, you’re valued and you’re loved. It is these three words – listening, caring, helping – that are the strapline for Street Pastors.

As a Street Pastor myself, I have seen how Jesus can take these three simple offerings, our fish and loaves, and use them to reach people with His love. And what a gift this is. After all, isn’t this exactly what Jesus has done for us? He has seen us and listened to us as we’ve cried out for salvation. He has cared so much about our sinful state that He physically came and bore the punishment that we should have paid. And when we ask Him, He helps us out of the pit, onto the Rock and helps us each day to discover just how glorious He and His plans for us, really are.

What a joy, what a privilege, to be called by our Saviour to now show this same love to others!

If you would like to learn more about Street Pastors or any other initiative in Ascension Trust, then you can use the following details: website streetpastors.org; call +44 208 330 2809; email info@ascensiontrust.org.uk. Likewise, if you feel the Lord calling you to become a Street Pastor, or any of the other volunteers under Ascension Trust, then please use the website to find the nearest group to you.