The past weekend saw 33 Street Pastors out on the streets, in the Safe Zone and Central Station, sharing the goodness of God and His enduring love. Over 100 pairs of flip flops were handed out and 146 bottles cleared from the streets, highlighting the practical nature of GSP work. Our teams held conversations with 56 men and women begging on the city streets. Some were facing the prospect of sleeping rough on both nights. To give away freely over 50 items of clothing donated by churches and individuals (thermal hats, socks and gloves) allowed the teams to show in further practical ways, something of the goodness of God and His love. 

Since August a small team has been present in the Central Station from 10:30pm onwards on Friday and Saturday nights, working in conjunction with British Transport Police and Network Rail. This has been a new development for GSP and one which extends the practical support we offer to people as part of our ministry.

The work of GSP has been further enhanced recently by the opening of a new office in SGT. Office hours can be viewed on the home page. We have also appointed a new assistant to the co-ordinator and welcome Mrs Lorna Johnstone to the role and we are reaching the end of our Autumn Training Programme and look forward to welcoming 6 new Streets Pastors to the GSP family. For all of this we ‘give thanks to the Lord for he is good’.

Please take time to listen to this song by Tim Hughes. The words are a challenge to us all as we go in Jesus name to Listen, Care and Help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nnqOI4mVKc

As we approach our tenth year of serving in the city centre, Glasgow Street Pastors is looking to recruit volunteers for all aspects of this exciting, ever developing Christian ministry. We need additional volunteers to join our Street Teams, to work in our Safe Zone and to be part of a vitally important team of Prayer Pastors. If you are over 18, a practicing Christian of any church background and are currently a part of a local church, why not consider training with GSP and commit to serve once a month in one of our many teams in this frontline Christian ministry. Our next series of training classes commences on Fri 26th October. Click on the ‘I Want To Volunteer’ button here on the website. You will receive an application form and additional information about working with GSP. You will also see the training schedule on the website.

In Jesus name we walk the city streets to Listen, Care and Help in whatever ways we can. Why not join us?

GSP teams returned to active duty in February following our traditional January break. Our partners in Police Scotland, very graciously, on a number of occasions told us how much we had been missed! We give God thanks that during the month, in spite of all the health issues experienced by many, we still had 82 volunteers out on the streets listening, caring and helping. Saturday night’s in particular proved to busy for our teams and as the month progressed so did the number of bottles collected, 454 in total, with 289 pairs of flip flops being issued. Teams gave out 163 hats, socks and gloves, a reflection of the severity of the weather during this period. They also engaged in faith related conversations on 30 occasions with prayer being offered 28 times. The Safe Zone is now not only an established part of Glasgow Street Pastor’s ministry but also a vitally important provision of care in the city centre night time economy. During February 47 people used the service, 25 of those were due to alcohol related issues and they were cared for by 14 street pastors and the amazing team of volunteer first aiders who work with us. It has been humbling to have received messages of thanks from people who have been helped by our teams as well as the appreciation from the public in general on the streets.

Full details of our statistics for the month can be found at our docs page. Our teams have recently been boosted by many newly trained Street Pastors. Why not consider volunteering with this vibrant Christian ministry as a Street Pastor, Safe Zone Pastor or Prayer Pastor and help to show, by word and deed, the love and compassion God has for all people. 

Much of what is involved in being a Street Pastor is about helping people ‘in the moment’, however what often seems like a brief encounter to us can have a lasting impact on the people we help. A young man, assaulted on Sauchiehall Street a few months ago was with friends on another night out recently and ‘just happened to meet’ one of the Street Pastors who had helped him. His appreciation was overwhelming as was the respect and thanks shown by his friends for what we do. Another young man spoke of the help he had been given in the Safe Zone in December 2016. He was taken there overly drunk. ‘I don’t know what would have happened to me if it were not for you guys’. Yet another story surfaced of someone who said their life had been ‘turned around’ because of the help received from a Street Pastor team and now they were in a good job and happy.

In the past few weeks we have also listened to some of the homeless men and women we know from our many conversations with them, speak of their family tragedies, the battles they face with depression and suicidal thoughts as well as the daily struggle just to survive. On one of our recent training days at Glasgow City Mission we heard more of the wonderful work being done there and testimony from two members of staff of God’s transformational work in their lives, taking them from addiction to freedom. Both spoke of the impact upon them of ordinary people loving them when they were in their darkest moments. Every act of kindness and compassion, every prayer, every conversation, every pair of socks or gloves given away may in fact may make a lifesaving difference to someone in their darkest moment.    

Paul says in Romans 1 v 16 ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes’. Every time we walk someone to a hotel, take them to the bus station at 3am in the morning, assist them to a taxi, call family and friends to arrange for their safe return home, we are releasing something powerful into the lives of those we engage with. The love and care they experience from us may well be the start of a process of transformation in their thinking, living, believing. This is the gospel of hope and power that we carry.

You will be able to find full details of our statistics for the month of October on the streets and in the Safe Zone at the Docs page.