From the offices of Bar’N’Bus. Please see the links to the left of this article for the latest Bar’N’Bus newsletter and Gift Aid form.
Thurrock has been running Bar’N’Bus teams across the borough since 2004, manned by local Christians reaching out in the evenings to the kids on our streets. Bar’N’Bus is a bus with a coffee bar on it – a meeting point; a place of safety; a prayer room; a church on wheels.
Teams have been located in the past at Blackshots, Grays; Chafford Hundred; West Thurrock; and still at Grays Beach and Corringham Town Centre.
Dear Friends,
Hope you are well and have had a great start to 2015! As we look at the year ahead, one of our goals is to ensure ALL our teams have relevant and up to date training. As well as the initial Bar’N’Bus training we want, and need to ensure that our volunteers are invested into throughout the year. We have created two dates a year, each with a different focus and would encourage you come to both, but as a minimal requirement one Focus Day is mandatory to a be a volunteer.
We hope you enjoy these events and understand we want all volunteers to feel they are being cared for and invested into for their role. Booking is essential via our Project Manager, Emma Alleway by email emmaalleway@hotmail.co.uk. We will be greeting you with bacon rolls and coffee as well as the team with the most volunteers will win a box of goodies for the kids on their team!
The focus day will take place on Saturday 21 March starting at 9.30am. The topic covered by guest speaker Luke Lowrie will be CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR. Details of on the back page of the newsletter (see link to left). Please feel free to invite those associated with the bus, local youth leaders and anyone who has an interest in our work, encouraging them to book early.
We truly look forward to seeing you there and believe God will use these events to help shape our way forward, as individual teams and as a charity.
Kind regards
Bar’N’Bus Team
Thurrock has two Bar’N’Bus teams, one at Grays Beach and the other at Corringham Town Centre.
Leader of the 6 year old Grays team, Gary Jones of Grays TCF, told TT the other day that the team badly needs new volunteers. This is echoed by the other team…
Stanford & Corringham team update
We have been running about 10 years, and seen lots of changes take place with staff and young people. Nevertheless, the bus is still there, serving the young people in Corringham. When the bus is not there, they always say they miss it. We average about 20-30 young people, mainly young men and our main challenge is behaviour and bad language.
Jordan has been coming on the bus for about 6 years, he has built up a good relation with staff and often went into prayer room. He went through a difficult time, but began to turn things around. He became a fork lift driver, passed his driving test and more recently started dating a young lady, who he introduced us to. Unfortunately Jordan, aged 19 had a brain haemorrhage and died just before Christmas. It was a shock to everyone concerned and I went to see his parents. They said that Jordan often spoke about the bus and said he was “off to see the oldies on the bus.” Jordan may not ever have entered a church and accepted or asked for prayer, but I realise now that the bus was church to him, a place where he could sit and talk, be listened to and be prayed for.
Please pray for more workers, that churches who do not have young people in their churches will start to see the bus as their connecting with young people in our community. We want to find ways of connecting with young people by using modern media, which we hope will lead on to meaningful conversations. It always seems strange to me that the bus arrives to an empty car park and 5 min late it surrounded by young people. Praise GOD.