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CARING FOR LIFE AN ADVOCATE FOR THOSE WITH NO VOICE Sharing the Love of Jesus NOVEMBER 2018

JP S JOURNAL BY JONATHAN CEO Caring For Life AN ADVOCATE FOR THOSE WITH NO VOICE Hello from Caring For Life I pray that this prayer bulletin finds you well and in good heart I would like to start by thanking all of you who have sent harvest gifts We have been overwhelmed with the response again this year The food and the financial gifts sent will make a huge difference to those in our care They will enable us to feed and support 100s of people over the next twelve months thank you so very much We all know that the problem of hunger poverty and the poor is not just a problem for other countries but a genuine problem here in the UK The issues of poverty and being poor are very different things The issues of poverty and vulnerability are very different too but we at Caring For Life seek to meet the needs of those who face real and genuine hardships 1 On our latest support group film we highlighted the need to speak up for the oppressed and to stand up for those who can t stand up for themselves As one of our staff members said We are advocates for those we support and that s what we are advocates voices for those who can t speak We like to describe this role at Caring For Life as being friends and family because that is what it should be like in a good and loving family But at Caring For Life we don t just want to be friends and family to those in our care we want to be Christian friends and family In a Christian family and with Christian friendships Christ is central His love permeates through the actions of those people and His love is the fragrance that s smelled

There is a real need for us as believers and followers of Jesus to look at ourselves and ask Are we being what we have been saved to be I believe that at this time we should unite in prayer for our nation firstly for the lost but also for the vulnerable sustained by a sovereign God and we have been given a love to share with anyone who is in need We can I believe and when I say I then that includes me also major on minor issues far too often The minor issues we may We all know far too well that the statistics debate over may be worth working through in relation to the Church in the UK are not but not to the detriment of those who are in need around us As one of our staff members said We are advocates and certainly not to the detriment of for those we support and that s what we are the name of Christ advocates voices for those who can t speak happy statistics We must I believe take a long and serious look at how we are reaching out with the message of salvation and how we reach out with the practical love of God to those around us I want Caring For Life to be a place where we speak the truth in love and live out the Love of Jesus We have been doing this faithfully for 31 years and we are just touching the tip of the iceberg in terms of reaching out in Jesus name The love we share and message we tell is not like any other It s not just another message and another way in the saturated market of other religions and lifestyles We have the hope of eternal life living within us we have been saved by grace we are James said this in chapter 2 v14 What good is it my brothers and sisters if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds Can such faith save them Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food If one of you says to them Go in peace 2

keep warm and well fed but does nothing about their physical needs what good is it In the same way faith by itself if it is not accompanied by action is dead And James writes this in the previous chapter Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world O how I pray that will be the case for every person whom Caring For Life supports and every person who visits our social enterprises I pray that they would look to Jesus look to God s Son look to the cross and there find all they need for life and death Dear friends please let us all unite in prayer for the lost and the vulnerable Let s please unite to see God s kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in O how I pray that will be the case for every person heaven whom Caring For Life supports I pray that they would look to Jesus look to God s Son look to the cross and there nd all they need for life and death The challenge to be doing God s work and to be different in the world different to those around us is crucial To love like God commands is to be a truly religious person a person who is in a relationship with the source of true love And here is the most wonderful thing about that love it changes lives The love of God when shared causes blind eyes to see and cold hearts to melt Love given as God commands drives people to ask questions 3 Please let us do all we can to enable Caring For Life to carry out its Godgiven command to care for the poor to rescue the damaged and to set the captives free We need your help so desperately and we need God s hand to be at work May God bless and keep you all as we serve and glorify Him together

DATES FOR YOUR 2019 DIARY Here are some very important dates for your new 2019 diary We re making a few changes next year so we wanted to give you as much notice as possible of these dates as well as explaining our thinking behind one or two changes s Day Plant Sale th Sat 11 May Open Day Sat 15th June The thinking behind the changes Our June Open Day is an opportunity to raise the profile of Caring For Life as a charity in the local community whereas our Supporters Day is just for you our prayer supporters This year our June Open Day will be open to the general public from the start of the day The whole day is being refreshed and there will be no service in the morning BUT we will have a special area for prayer supporters only Here you will be able to meet with us talk and enjoy fellowship In the evening there will be a special new event in the Granary open only to prayer supporters providing an opportunity to hear a presentation of our work join in praising and thanking God for his blessings and enjoy more fellowship Supporters Day Sat 13th July Our Supporters Day has been brought forward to July before the end of the school term We needed to make our Supporters Day more available to families as we seek to encourage a new generation of supporters September has never been a good time for families Our all new Supporters Day 2019 will combine some elements of the previous Farmtastic Fun Day with special activities for children and a focus on our wonderful Young Champions There will also be lots of new events for everyone with seminars presentations and a range of displays The thanksgiving service will be in the barn after lunch and a full timetable will be published in advance so you can plan your day We are really looking forward to welcoming you to Caring For Life and hope you may be able to attend one of these events in 2019 4

WAYS TO PARTNER BY TIM Executive Director How can we support or get involved is a question we are frequently asked particularly when someone first learns of Caring For Life So we thought it might be helpful to let you know how you can partner with us as we seek to serve God For Caring For Life s ministry to continue firstly we need Christian people to pray for Thank You Pray with us Legacy Direct Debit regular donation or One off Donation Church Presentation We start each day in prayer at Caring For Life and one of our beneficiaries helps our Design and Media team to put new prayer points up on our website each day Visit our website and pray with us or follow the prayer points in your bulletin If you are able to give regular financial support the easiest way is to set up a direct debit You can do this by going online and setting it up or by calling us Natasha will help you set up a direct debit Alternatively you can make a card donation online for a single gift or call and we can take a donation over the phone Fundraiser Run a sponsored event or coffee morning or get inspired by seeing what other people are doing and support their fundraiser A good way to get support for a fundraiser you are running or to support someone else is to visit our charity on the Just Giving website If you would like more information contact Sonia who will be able to send you information 5 us We also need the Lord s people to give so that our daily financial needs can be met Then we need people to be active in finding new support or generating support for us maybe through your own fundraising events Below are just a few ways to partner with us A couple of months ago we had an article in the bulletin highlighting the importance of leaving a bequest Please consider this means of giving to Caring For Life to ensure your last gift becomes a lasting gift Information about legacies can be requested from our PR team Whether we are already known to your church or we are new to you we would love the opportunity to share what we are doing at your church Contact Pam to arrange a date for someone to speak Text Giving If you would like to text a donation to Caring For Life you can now do this by texting 70070 with the following CFLD01 10 This would give a 10 donation If you wish to make a smaller donation change the 10 to the amount you Just text would like to CFLD01 10 or less give NEW to 70070

I wanted to set up a regular gift to Caring For Life and it was so easy to do I signed up to a direct debit online and I know that my donation is now being used to help this amazing charity to serve God David 6

BIG QUESTIONS BY GAYLE Pastoral Director God do you really love even me There has been a real buzz about this topic as folk have been thinking deeply about what they would like to ask God And some lively discussions have taken place around the lunch tables about it Life is full of unanswered questions and very often we can look for answers in the wrong places Our Farm Projects Bible studies this term are encouraging people to direct all their hard questions to God We started the term looking at the hard questions God s people asked Him throughout the Bible realising that asking questions is a great way to get to know God better The following weeks have been focussed on the questions that our beneficiaries bring We have been finding our answers in His Word and applying that to our lives today 7 Some of the questions are about the massive issues of life the universe and everything but many are deeply personal a cry from the heart asking God do you really love even me One young lady made a very insightful comment recently saying that she felt that she had no right to ask God anything Who am I anyway she said I ve no right to ask God anything at all This gave us a beautiful opportunity to talk to her about God s amazing might and majesty as well as His grace and kindness to us Please pray with us that in these coming weeks through asking questions all of those who come to

our Bible study will discover this amazing God for themselves Pray that we will all see that Christ really is the answer to our deepest need and our hardest questions With thanks to Chessington Evangelical Church from whom we borrowed this idea ASK GOD 8

PETER S PEN BY PETER Co Founder of Caring For Life Over the past few weeks I have heard news again and again of deeply vulnerable people who have had their benefits stopped and who are being driven beyond despair because of the poverty and appalling desolation into which they have been plunged by some of the heartless policies of our government Whilst we acknowledge that welfare reform was necessary to tackle fraud and any misuse of the system and whilst some elements of the reforms may help those who are seeking to return to employment we remain deeply concerned for those who have fallen foul of the system and who have no one to fight for them Our Being There housing support team and Erin our Benefits Support Worker can provide countless examples of significant harm caused to the vulnerable on the tragic situation that so many people are being plunged into One problem is that those making decisions have not the tiniest grasp of the profound needs of the people from whom they are denying life saving assistance Here at Caring For Life we have sought to make our voice heard by speaking up for and helping the vulnerable as well as responding to consultation papers and writing to the government about problems and unfairness in the system There are two men for whom I have enormous respect and whose comments have inspired and indeed rebuked me many times Today I was deeply convicted by their words My morning reading included Psalm 115 which begins Not to us Oh Lord not to us but to your name be the glory because of your love and faithfulness I have been deeply convicted that we cannot stand silently by and fail to comment Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves for the rights of all who are destitute Speak up and judge fairly defend the rights of the poor and needy Proverbs 31 8 9 9

I have been exercised as to what we should do to address the injustices we are confronted with every day Dietrich Bonhoeffer said Silence in the face of evil is itself evil God will not hold us guiltless Not to speak is to speak Not to act is to act Karl Barth said Jesus is the movement for social justice and the movement for social justice is Jesus in the present If we really love Jesus we are totally obliged indeed at the very least bound to speak out against the social injustices that we see in our day More than that if we really love Jesus we must follow Him and embrace the poor as He did plead their cause and stand against all powers that oppress and cause people harm Our call is not just to meet people s practical needs but to love them Here is the place where I sincerely believe that Caring For Life has grasped the real heart of what sharing the love of Jesus must mean to us and must cost us So our call is not just to find a house for a homeless person but a home not just to offer them help but to love them deeply and genuinely Real genuine Christian love the love of Jesus flowing through us to them That is what we must be doing That is what following Jesus demands and what following Jesus IS Whilst we may at times be furious with certain government policies or their fall out Jesus calls us to trust Him and He calls us to meekness With His help He calls us to heal the sin sick souls who come to us with His help to raise the resources to be able to provide homes for them and with His help to raise the resources to employ all the staff we need zealous loving Christian people who want to love in His name as He loves And simply to let the world see what true Christian love in action really means This is our call this is our destiny all must be done in His name and for Him and to Him be ALL the glory In loving the lost souls that Jesus entrusts to us our song with dear Wesley will be Happy if with my latest breath I might but gasp His name preach Him to all and cry in death behold behold the Lamb 10

WHAT S BEEN GOING ON In this new feature in our prayer bulletins we hope to give you a little glimpse into some of the whirlwind of activities that take place across the ministry of Caring For Life These snippets of information will help you enjoy a little taste of what s been going on here during the past 4 5 weeks Though they only convey a fraction of the activities that go on At the time of writing Our Being There housing support team 30 food parcels given out 18 people helped with benefits issues 2 people moved into a new safe home 14 people seeking a safe home 7 new people supported beginning to unravel their heartaches and crises An 8 hour makeover of a lady s lounge which was life transforming A 2 day clear out and clean of a gentleman s flat to make room for a hospital bed he needed Erin Bene ts Support worker 35 people supported with their benefits 8 right decisions finally received from DWP 19 calls taken from people seeking help with benefits 4 ongoing appeals 13 case law decisions logged to help staff in their work with 40 more waiting to be read and logged Universal Credit went live in Leeds on 10th October and further training in Universal Credit was rolled out with the Being There team Sonia on our PR team reports that Harvest has arrived from 68 Churches 30 Individuals Groups Value of Harvest food donated to date 9 255 Total tins sorted 200 crates Over 10 000 Further food donations are arriving each day being sorted and stored Every donation is vital to Caring For Life Thank you so much 11

One of our Gentlemen said I ve been feeling so low but I made myself come to the Farm today to be with my friends It s like family here I love doing agriculture and I love being around everybody As soon as I get on that lane up to the Farm I start feeling better On the farm 10 new people started attending therapeutic activities 7 people are on the waiting list for project activities We ll have more news for you next month PRAYER WISDOM NEEDED As many of you will know our two supported living homes one for 8 gentlemen and one for 8 ladies have some vacancies at present Please pray with us that we will find the right people to take up these places and join these very precious Caring For Life families If you know of anyone who may be seeking this type of supported living placement please do get in touch for a chat Gayle Pennant on 0113 2303600 12

ALTERNATIVE GIFTS BY PAM Support Coordinator THIS CHRISTMAS Do something special Buy Alternative Gifts for family and friends and just see the difference you can make One lady said You ve done more for me in one visit than anyone s ever done Throwing a Lifeline Min 10 Donation per gift card Your gifts last year helped our Being There support workers spend crucial time on phone calls to isolated people an average of 20 calls per day per worker and numerous texts How would these vulnerable people cope without CFL to call on But that is not all We were also able to provide desperately needed heaters buggies for babies in vulnerable families carpets for people with nothing and much more 13 Co ee and Care Min 10 Donation per gift card Your gifts last year helped our Being There team visit and support over 200 people providing housing advice support visits and friendship Knowing that someone cares enough to come see you and take you out can transform your week Cath Being There manager said This is often the rst place a person will ring in a crisis They ask us to ring them back as they ve hardly any credit on their phone Then they pour it all out Home Maker Min 10 donation per gift card Last year our Home Maker fund provided a wonderful supply of new kitchen equipment duvets pillows and throws for adults and children who desperately needed them

FOR CHRISTMAS ONLY You Made My Day Min 10 Donation per gift card When you are enjoying your Christmas Day your gift will enable a vulnerable person at CFL to have transport to the farm a full Christmas dinner friendship and a very special day of their own You can purchase Alternative Gifts by calling us on 0113 2303600 You can send a cheque to Caring For Life for the total amount you want to donate and specify the gift cards you would like posted out to you For full details of the cards please see our website UPCOMING SUPPORT GROUP DATES HOST LOCATION DATE TIME Neil Sian Green Barbara James Betty Hunt Pat Clegg Joanna Cooper Margaret Joe Hart Paul Pease George Christine Beacham Mike Cilla Taylor Paul Cox Ann Peter Buckle Chris Dave Seaton Esther Cordle Christine Robinson Malcolm June Evans Barry Wendy Stringer Paddy Val Manning Brandon Loughborough East Leake Huntingdon Arbroath South Norfolk Hook Winscombe Fetcham Wigton Plumbland Solihull Capel St Mary Ipswich Liverpool Kippax Co Antrim Sat 3rd Nov 3pm Mon 5th Nov 7 30pm Wed 7th Nov 1pm Thurs 8th Nov 2 30pm Mon 12th Nov 2 30pm Wed 14th Nov 8pm Fri 16th Nov 8pm Sat 17th Nov 7pm Mon 19th Nov 10 30am Mon 19th Nov 2pm Mon 19th Nov 7 30pm Thurs 22nd Nov 7 30pm Tues 27th Nov 2pm Mon 3rd Dec 7 30pm You can always check the website for a list of the most recent and upcoming support group dates across the country https www caringforlife co uk support groups 14

FUNDRAISING EVENTS Darlington Support Group Quiz Evening Sat 17th Nov 6 30 9pm Minehead Support Group Fundraising Quiz Millbridge Evang Church Minehead Fri 23rd Nov 6 30pm Shepshed Word of Life Church Christmas Coffee Morning Craft Stalls Sat 24th Nov 10am 12 noon Capel St Mary Ipswich Pause For A Cause Coffee morning Sat 24th Nov 10am 12noon Wigton Plumbland Support Group P4C Choral Concert Buffet Tea Wigton Lowmoor Evang Church Sat 24th Nov 4 30 7pm CFL representative attending Hook Evangelical Church Sunday School of Rock Winter Concert White Christmas Sat 8th December 7 30pm Including Christmas gift stall Bring friends and family 5 tickets on the door under 12s free See the website for the list of most recent and upcoming fundraising dates www caringforlife co uk fundraising CHURCH PRESENTATIONS Tues 6th November Wed 14th November Wed 14th November Sun 18th November Thurs 22nd November Sun 25th November Sun 25th November Mon 26th November Thurs 29th November Thurs 29th November 2pm Bridlington Baptist Church 7 30pm College Park Baptist Church Lewisham 7 30pm Castlefields Church 10 30am Diss Baptist Church 7pm Hasland Church 10 30am Lowmoor Evangelical Church Wigton 6 30pm Castle Sowerby Church 7pm Hesket Newmarket Men s Supper 7 30pm Cutsyke Christian Church Castleford 7 30pm Shepshed Word of Life Church Kirkhill Building This is an excellent opportunity to bring along some friends or family who have never heard about Caring For Life to introduce them to the work Pseudonyms are often used throughout these bulletins to protect the privacy of individuals Due to the sensitive information in this bulletin about individuals may we remind you not to leave it lying around copy reproduce any contents without permission or pass it on to others If you know of someone who would like to receive a copy please ask them to contact Pam on 0113 2303610 or pam parkinson caringforlife co uk to be added to our mailing list Thank You

NOVEMBER prayer points Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves for the rights of all who are destitute Speak up and judge fairly defend the rights of the poor and needy PROVERBS 31 8 9 Sunday Please pray today for those we support who have very recently come to faith One young lady has spoken of the wonder of knowing God is speaking to her through the Bible Pray for many more to come to know Christ as Lord and Saviour Monday Jonathan has written in this bulletin of the need to advocate for those who have no voice Peter has written of the need to speak up for the vulnerable Pray for God to bless every area of our ministry Pray He will meet all our needs so that we can carry out the God given command to care for the poor Tuesday Pray for the Tuesday Bible Study group which meets in the music drama room every other Tuesday Pray for the staff as they answer big questions about God from those who choose to stay on after project activities to be part of the group Pray that all who come along will come to know Christ and will grow in their faith Wednesday Praise God with us for the harvest food donated during the past few weeks with further generous donations of food arriving each day Thank God with us that this will enable us to provide food parcels throughout the year for those who do not have enough sometimes not any money for food Thursday Pray for our Being There team as they help those they support who are affected by the roll out of Universal Credit in Leeds and all those who have been victims of unfair decisions and whose mental health has suffered as a result Pray for Erin s role as Benefits Support Worker Friday Attending therapeutic daytime activities at Crag House Farm is a lifeline for so many vulnerable people Pray for all our staff to be given wisdom patience and endless compassionate love as they support people day by day Saturday Pray for Tindall House our supported home for gentlemen as one staff member recovers from a hip replacement Pray also that we will find the right gentlemen and ladies to move into the current places available at both Tindall House and Wendy Margaret Home

JOB VACANCIES at Caring For Life WAITING TEAM MEMBERS The Granary Restaurant and Coffee Shop require new members for the team The successful candidates need to be able to work in a busy environment and to multi task They need to have a bubbly nature and be keen to provide excellent customer service Experience is not essential as on the job training will be provided but would be preferable Closing date 1st December 2018 At Caring For Life our work is based on the principle of Christian servanthood because the way we support beneficiaries and manage staff and volunteers should all bring glory to God The principal aim of Caring For Life is to share the love of Jesus on a daily and very practical basis with many people some of whom might have generally known nothing of His love doing so through loving care and example and it is our desire that they come to personal faith in Christ Jesus and become a part of His church These posts involve taking an active role in providing compassionate and consistent care to beneficiaries taking part in prayer times providing personal testimony in experiencing Jesus love with both beneficiaries and members of the local community and you may from time to time be asked to assist in supporting presentations in representing the Trust predominantly to Christian church groups As such there is a requirement for the holder of these posts to be a practising Christian This is an Occupational Requirement in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 Please contact the HR Manager Buffy Parkinson for more details about the position or request an application pack on 0113 2303600 or buffy parkinson caringforlife co uk