Have you ever come back from some activity outside of the house, or popped in to see a relative, to receive the greeting, ‘There’s still tea in the pot’? I’m sure many of us have. Well, this picture is one that reminds me of how God can use members of our church in their senior years in many wonderful ways, including front-line evangelism to the nations. One of the blessings I’ve experienced over the past few years has been the wonderful involvement of some older members of our church in the English class that we run on Thursday mornings.
The Living Room
This English class – called the ‘Living Room’ – is primarily for internationals who live in Gloucester, as well as for asylum seekers and refugees also staying locally. This Thursday ministry has been ongoing for over seven years with attendance increasing over that time.
As the numbers of the class increased, my wife Antonia and I asked the church if any members would like to come along and join the activities. The main role would be as a participant in the English activities and coming alongside the students.
As the lessons run during the day, we were hoping for some of the church who were free to join us. The main group of ‘helpers’ are older local Christians who are members of our church and a nearby partner church. All those involved are retired, with George winning the most senior member badge (in his 80s).
