Search

Type your text, and hit enter to search:
Close This site uses cookies. If you continue to use the site you agree to this. For more details please see our cookies policy.

Homeless man

My Friend Paddy 

 
Sunday 12th May 2024 (week 68)

2 Corinthians 9:6-9

 
Just a few hundred yards away from Gatehouse Church there’s a junction known as Spen Corner. It brings together Waterloo Road, Ansdell Road, Marton Drive, and Hawes Side Lane. When I moved to Blackpool with my parents in 1970 our newsagent`s shop was just a few yards away from the junction and as a young boy delivering newspapers, I knew the area well. I also got to know one of its inhabitants.
 
Paddy was what we then called a tramp and a better image of one you can’t possibly imagine. He was short and surprisingly stocky, probably because of the many layers of clothes he wore to keep warm. He had lots of hair and a big dense beard both of which were well-matted. He didn’t smell too good and clearly hadn`t seen a comb or soap and water for some considerable time.
 
I liked Paddy and we always spoke together, however briefly. I wanted to take him home and provide a bath, clean clothes, and a good meal but I knew that my parents simply would not allow it. I can hear the words they would have spoken at my ridiculous suggestion that we should invite such an individual into our home.
 
We don’t often see the likes of Paddy on our streets these days. Instead, we see “rough sleepers” who, each morning pack up their belongings and often head off to try and hold down a steady job, which doesn’t quite sustain them. Depending on where we live, we might encounter them daily by the dozen. Apparently, some 227,000 people are living like this in the UK. Every one of them walks the same streets and breathes the same air that we do and every one of them is loved by God. Most of them are probably lost.
 
Unlike Paddy, most of us are blessed with homes, jobs, families, and possessions. But everything we have is given to us by God and He loves the one who gives back gladly. Psalm 112 says, “Happy is the person who honours the Lord ………… He gives generously to the needy and his kindness never fails”. God is also able to give us much more than we need so that we will always have enough for all our needs and more than enough for every good cause. He will always make us rich enough to be generous at all times so that we can fulfill the instruction in Proverbs 22:9 to “Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it”.
 
I don`t know what happened to Paddy but I do know that his life would have been immensely better if someone had met with him and introduced him to Jesus. That’s why we’re here.
 
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the amazing love you show to each and every one of us. Please help us to be as generous to others as you are to us.

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and when

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our service

The main service begins at 10.30am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our worship team. We typically have two songs followed by a children's slot. The Limitless Kids and Limitless Youth will then normally go off to their respective groups. If you have children you will be able to spot and speak to one of the leaders - they will be wearing a bright yellow t-shirt! There will usually be a time of prayer and communion. We normally have another time of sung worship followed by a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service. 

When our team is available we serve tea, coffee and biscuits from 12pm, after the service. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

New to church

 

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids/teens:

  • Creche - from approx. 6 months to 5 years (decided on a child by child basis)
  • Limitless Kids (4/5 - 11/12 years)
  • Limitless Youth (school years 7-11)

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for two worship songs and the “Kids slot” and then go to creche or Limitless Kids.  The Limitless Youth group may go out at the same time as the children but sometimes stay in the service to take communion before going to their class.  Children can be picked up by parents after the service ends (but not before 12pm).

The Limitless Kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting connected

 

Small groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a couple of groups that meet every week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader.

Serving and volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can register your interest to Join a team.

Other ministries

We also run the following community ministries and regularly support various missionaries who are part of the Elim Missions work:

Toddlers & Co 

Food bag provision

Open Doors Team

Church in the Café

Youth Community Outreach

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at the church. You can connect with us using the form below.

Best Wishes
The Gatehouse Leadership Team

 

WATCH OUR CHURCH INTRODUCTION VIDEO

Get in touch with us

 
 First time guest
 Regular attender
 
*Your Name:
 
*Email Address:
 
Phone:
 
I'm interested in

 Small groups
 Salvation
 Membership
 Baptism
 Volunteering
 Limitless Kids
 Other
 
 
 I give consent to Gatehouse to store my information on their database in line with GDPR and data protection laws.