St. Peter’s City Centre Church
Derby
Serve the City
Showing kindness in practical ways to people in need
What is Serve the City?
What is Serve the City?
Serve the City mobilises volunteers to show kindness in practical ways to people in need. Serve the City partners with homeless shelters, refugee centers, orphanages, senior homes and other associations and invites volunteers to offer practical help and support. Serve the City projects are often simple - sports, music, arts and crafts, teaching English, painting, serving food, and cutting hair. We are matchmakers - the connection between the good intentions of people who could serve and a meaningful opportunity to do so.
Why do we serve?
We will not just help handicapped children eat...we will announce to the world that in God’s Kingdom people with special needs get special care.
We will not just give manicures to abused women...we will declare that in God’s Kingdom those who are living in fear can re-imagine beauty and trust.
We will not just collect socks for the homeless...we will declare that God pays attention to the smallest of needs for the most forgotten of people.
We will not just collect petition signatures for Stop the Traffik...we will proclaim to the powers of darkness and light that slavery and forced prostitution goes against everything God says about the purposes for which we have been created and how people are to be treated.
We will not just paint a soup kitchen for a local charity...we will declare that people who give their entire lives to care for those in need are deeply cherished by their heavenly Father.
We know them by their needs ….. what if we know them by their name?
On November 21st, more than 50 people took part in Serve the City, the first time it has happened in England!
We formed partnerships with three local organisations: Derby City Council, Groundwork Derby and Derbyshire and Adullam Homes. We spent the morning cleaning some streets in the city centre, planting woodland flowers and meadow plants at Chaddesden Park, and then we all came together for a celebration lunch where we hosted tenants from Adullam Homes, which was very special for us and them.
Amongst those involved were children and adults from St. Peter’s city centre church and St. Mary’s Chaddesden, as well as a number of our friends, and also students from the university.
During the morning we made a small difference to our environment, to the lives of those we served, and to those of us who volunteered, it was very encouraging.
The feedback has been positive:
Rosalind Allen, Education and Youth Programme Coordinator, Groundwork Derby & Derbyshire
Thank you very much for Serve the City's fantastic work. The volunteers managed to plant all the plants and bulbs within the allocated time, helping to improve the biodiversity of the Chaddesden Park Nature Area. In total, 100 English bluebell bulbs, 50 wild daffodil bulbs and about 200 other wild flower meadow and woodland plants including primroses and cowslips, were planted. The plants were purchased with funding from BBC Breathing Places. I am really looking forward to seeing the site in spring, when hopefully we can see the difference the volunteers made.
It was fantastic for Groundwork to be able to work in partnership with Serve the City; having a band of enthusiastic volunteers helped the task to be completed quickly and efficiently. Sometimes it can be hard to engage people with this sort of event, so having the group organised in advance was very helpful, whilst still enabling other volunteers to join in.
I look forward to following the progress of the Serve the City venture in Derby, and hope Groundwork can help to provide or signpost relevant and appropriate tasks in the future.
Linda McGraw, Acting Project Manager, Adullam Homes
The planting of the bulbs was quite significant and created a great metaphor for what Serve the City is about. It is envisaged that all those who attended our first gathering will, like the bulbs, reach out and grow perennially to invite more friends and associates to create worthwhile commitment, friendship and support to all. The effort we made, the meal we shared, the friends we made, the ability to pass on goodwill and appreciation was wonderful and shared by all, we all had a great day and for this we are thankful.
Hazel Valarino, Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer
Thank you so much for your support. I know how important it is for residents to have this additional support, together with staff. It is always comforting to know that we have the Church working alongside of us strengthening our Christianity.
Serve the City began small but well, we are grateful, and now we press on with dreams and plans for the future.
For more information about Serve the City Derby contact: paul@stpetersderby.org.uk
To find out about Serve the City International go to: www.servethecity.com
© 2010 St. Peter’s Church, Derby City Centre
