Sabbath, 9 March and Sunday, 10 March could be called, ‘Tottenham Lighthouse’s Weekend of Love’. On the Sabbath we celebrated Mother’s Day, and our mothers (members and non-members) were showered with love and presented with a beautifully framed poem by the Family Life Department. On the Sunday we held our community day, ‘Sharing the Love’ (STL) where we pampered and served not only our local community but also people from other boroughs, including Joyce who travelled all the way from Ilford.
Also visiting STL was Councillor Michelle Simmons-Safo, Chair of Haringey Council’s Climate, Community and Culture Scrutiny Panel. She was greeted like an old friend, as she had participated in our Women’s Day of Prayer a year ago. She was given a tour and she made sure that she was prayed for by the Prayer Team before leaving. Councillor Simmons-Safo later sent a message commenting on STL. “The event was a success and unified all sections of the community, regardless of their demographic. The church is embracing of all and of Christian ethics - Love and Charity. It was wonderful to witness. The essence of empowering the community was manifest by the numerous services at the event from emotional well-being to legal services.”
The first STL was held on 13 March 2022 during the pandemic and continued quarterly up to June 2023. Due to the uncertainty of when the building works would re-start, it was not held for the remaining two quarters in 2023. In the meantime, STL gave ‘birth’ to STL Outreach Centre in March 2023, which is held weekly at the former Lighthouse Church. However, there were those who still pined after STL. On Sabbath, 17 February two persons enquired when the next STL was. One was a member and the other a visiting guest. Plans were quickly set in motion to organise STL for Sunday, 10 March. In the past, planning this event took two-three months to ensure the availability of professionals. On this occasion, God made the impossible possible. With only three weeks’ notice all the professionals, except two, were able to rearrange their prior commitments to participate in STL. One person, who could not attend, sent another highly qualified professional from her Church as a replacement. The second was replaced by another qualified non-Adventist professional who saw the leaflet, heard firsthand what was involved and wanted to participate. To God be the glory!
Services available at STL were: general legal advice by a barrister, health checks by nurses and a doctor; business advice by a successful business owner; education & parenting advice by a teacher; drug awareness by Hope UK; massage by two qualified massage therapists; counselling by a professional counsellor; prayer by Prayer Ministries; floral arrangement by a very skilled florist, free books and other literature by Personal Ministries and refreshments by the Community Services Department.
There were a range of gifts on the Gift Table for our special guests and members to choose from. God knowing our limited budget, ‘showed up and showed off’ by supplying us with gifts from various sources - Church members, a workplace with ‘leftover’ children gifts from a Christmas event and Marian St Guillaume, a Roman Catholic who supports our community projects. Marian has not missed any of the STL held to date, and usually provides us with feedback. She shared the following comments. “I’ve just been reflecting on last Sunday’s event. I feel it was a great success and everything went very well. All who attended were pleased to have medical checks, massage, prayer and helpful legal advice. The young man who had issues re Universal Credit was very happy when he left and said ‘Thank You’ for the guidance and advice he was given. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the Church, where all those who were there felt welcome and valued.”
Thanks to all who participated in STL, giving their services free of charge. Special thanks to the non-members of Tottenham Lighthouse who supported STL, knowing that it was being held on Mother’s Day: Marian, Mary and Hanane; members of the community; Dannielle & Noreen Kydd-Sinclair (Hope UK), Wycombe Community Church; Errol Connage, Luton North Church; Serita Tapper and Olfa Kenyon, Holloway Church; Lynette James, Ilford Lane Church; Dr Riesberg Amoah, South West London Ghana Church; Janet McCarthy Campbell, a non-Adventist and my Prayer Partner at work.
Jesus, the Master Teacher came to this earth to seek and to save that which was lost, and He was full of compassion for others. As His disciples let us follow in His footsteps and reach out to others in need with love and compassion. “...Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40 NKJV).
