I hope that as that we enter this new Advent Season you might find some fresh joy in the midst all the challenges of this year.
2020 has certainly been the most disruptive year in most of our living memories. A global pandemic intervened in our lives in ways that we could never have foreseen. And it just kept coming! Any moment we started to think we might be able to begin again, saw another wave of disruption crash over us.
2020 has been a disruptive year for us here too. Some of the hardest hit UK neighbourhoods have been the ‘Local Seedbeds’ we live in, connect, resource and serve. This especially includes our ‘Local Seedbeds’ in East London and Birmingham with their emerging leaders seeking God’s shalom there despite the severe challenges of Covid-19. It was challenging too as a new leadership team who took up responsibilities for the ‘Community for Reconciliation’ and ‘Barnes Close retreat centre’ and tried to refocus these for the future. Despite the Pandemic constricting our resource streams, we worked hard to build a new team, became ‘Seedbeds: growing leaders and communities into fullness of life’ linking with four Local Seedbeds and re-opened ‘The Greenhouse at Barnes Close’. We are still standing and now look forward to the amazing opportunities we can see for 2021.
In the Advent season we prepare for the coming of the Prince of Peace. We especially long to see God’s peace come more fully amongst those who live on the front line of suffering, poverty and injustice. Could next year can be different from this one? Could 2020’s disruptions be redeemed and redirected somehow? Could 2021 even be a ‘Year of Shalom’ where God’s goodness, life and grace flows more freely in urban communities than ever before?
Change is possible, but we need your help. To see Seedbeds’ potential released within existing and new Local Seedbeds in 2021 requires some urgent and targeted financial help. In particular we want to help make The Greenhouse at Barnes Close more accessible to the communities who will benefit from it most.
Would you pray and help make this happen with a generous donation to our Seedbeds Advent Appeal 2020? Details can be found on our Seedbeds Advent Appeal 2020 page here or our bank details here.
Hoping your Advent Season is full of hope, joy and peace and that in 2021 you experience more of God’s shalom than you ever have before.
Shalom,
Rev Dr Ash Barker
Co-CEO, Seedbeds
Seedbeds.org
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