"Make Homelessness History" - BBC Inside Out, 10th

[MrVersatile48]

See Pastor Pete's Green Pastures feature on Monday night?

Previously on Songs Of Praise's "Unsung Heroes" on Feb 18 & in The Times' 2-page spread, Feb 13, Pastor Pete was in stockbroking before his call to the ministry, & has been headlined as "God's Estate Agent" in several secular & Christian papers & magazines, & been interviewed on Premier & UCB Christian radio stations

Anyway, from a humble start of buying 1 house for Southport homeless, by liquidating his own pension fund, Green Pastures now owns 68 homes & houses over 200 formerly homeless folk, inc in Wigan & Flintshire

Last night's 7 minute TV spot climaxed on Pastor Pete's vision of UK Christians catching the vision to house all UK's homeless @ a cost of a mere £22 billion - a tiny fraction of UK Defence budget

Green Pastures website is http://www.gpnw.co.uk for further details

There is controversy over housing alcoholics & addicts in the same blocks as single mums with children & over unwillingness to evict for criminal damage, etc, with locals calling for a more disciplined approach - see http://www.merseyworld.com & click on media to link to Southport Visiter, The Champion, Liverpool Daily Post & Echo, Radio Merseyside, etc

Global alcohol/drug rehab programme Teen Challenge sets up special units to treat alcoholics & drug addicts, with professional supervision, as does Paix & others, who make it clear, in advance, that criminal behaviour will not be tolerated

Any thoughts @ Bible injunctions to help the poor, maintain law & order, etc?

 

[Dave...]

Hey, i've worked with people from Teen challenge. 8-) While a disagree with many of the Assembly of God teachings, I have seen Teen Challenge work for lot's of people. though I must confess that I wasn't around long enough to see the long term results. If you remember a bus accident in Ohio with a Teen challenge bus...I knew some of those people who were killed.

I think that the biggest problem that homelessness has to deal with is not a money issue. Most homeless people are mentally ill. They just cannot function in society comfortably enough to want to be part of it.

There will always be families who are in need, though. Sounds like Pete has been a good stewart with what God has given him. Amen!

 

[MrVersatile48]

Just got io mins..

Hey, i've worked with people from Teen challenge. 8-) While a disagree with many of the Assembly of God teachings, I have seen Teen Challenge work for lot's of people. though I must confess that I wasn't around long enough to see the long term results. If you remember a bus accident in Ohio with a Teen challenge bus...I knew some of those people who were killed.

I think that the biggest problem that homelessness has to deal with is not a money issue. Most homeless people are mentally ill. They just cannot function in society comfortably enough to want to be part of it.

There will always be families who are in need, though. Sounds like Pete has been a good steward with what God has given him. Amen!

Sorry I've only had time to read this reply, so do excuse any duplication, OK?

Teen Challenge UK was refused funding by UK Govt's Welsh Office, on the grounds that it's "too Christian" - so vital treatment units had to shut, even though Teen Challenge is acknowleged globally as the most effective drugs/alcohol rehab program ever

Did anyone hear the 25-minute feature on what it's like to be homeless @ 9.30am on http://www.ucb.co.uk - 549m MW today?

It was the author of new book, "Underneath The Overpass"

As he said, everyone on the streets is someone made in the image of God; someone for whom Christ shed His precious blood

Mental illness is usually caused by excess stress & by traumas like bereavement, divorce, redundancy, homelessness, etc, yet the UK Govt is closing psychiatic units, & reducing mental health support services, at the very time when life is so obviously becoming ever-more stressful

Must go!

 

[MrVersatile48]

Tony Blair wants to stop thugs' Housing Benefit

Hey, i've worked with people from Teen challenge. 8-) While a disagree with many of the Assembly of God teachings, I have seen Teen Challenge work for lot's of people. though I must confess that I wasn't around long enough to see the long term results. If you remember a bus accident in Ohio with a Teen challenge bus...I knew some of those people who were killed.

I think that the biggest problem that homelessness has to deal with is not a money issue. Most homeless people are mentally ill. They just cannot function in society comfortably enough to want to be part of it.

There will always be families who are in need, though. Sounds like Pete has been a good stewart with what God has given him. Amen!

Today's UK papers will be full of it, so do search "UK media"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news has a "Have your say" click, where you can ask what topics you want included for near future debates

Here's its link to comment on the new UK Govt proposals:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/4326364.stm

The PM says he wants to return control of UK streets to decent law abiding people, not the thugs, drug dealers, etc, who know terrorise all too many areas

My 1st thought was that, by making such criminals homeless, instead of jailing them, they will rob & kill folk on an unprecedented scale

UK Govt also want to house "neighbours from Hell" in steel units

All these emotive terms - like the Religious Hate Bill's loose wording, just debated in the House of Lords - are far too open to deliberate misinterpretation & abuse by dictatorial Govt, as in police states

My 1st thought, when house arrest was 1st mooted, shortly before the last election, was that New Labour could put known Tory/Libdem voters under house arrest for election day

The new powers of arrest without charge for 3 months are also too easy to abuse

Bible-believing evangelical Christians could be labelled as "terrorists" - or as "Neighbours from Hell" - & be jailed/lose Housing Benefit, etc

In 1948, a UN conference on mental health defined mental illness in terms of non-compliance with authority

How many folk know that the brother of Aldous Huxley was high up in UNESCO & persuaded them to use Brave New World as the model for how to achieve 100% healthy, harmonious, productive society?

It was the model for the ubiquitous, "education, education & education" -via 24x7, Govt-controlled media - as anyone who has ever lived in a dictatorship will know only too well - EU seem more & more dictatorial

Homelessness can also be greatly increased by interest rate rises

How @ UK's many areas who have just had @ a month's rain in 1 day - http://uk.news.yahoo.com/12102005/344/f ... itain.html

I wonder how many readers thought, up to reading this post, "I'll never be homeless!"

My parents lived thru the 1929 Wall Street Crash

How many Brits lost a fortune on Black Monday?

See http://www.ucb.co.uk & click Word 4 Today

How many readers know that the Bible makes it abundantly clear that those who go after ill-gotten gains will suffer the consequences?

I type within a few minutes' walk of 1 of UK's most respected Public Schools

How many UK Public School students are the sons/daughters of porn barons/drug dealers/human traffickers?

Do read Psalms/Proverbs, etc

Any more thoughts on Bible injunctions to care for the poor/defend the weak & speak up for the needy/oppressed?

Must go

God bless!

Ian

 

[peace4all]

Yes. it has been my experience when i volunteered that very few homeless are actually homeless solely because of moentary issues.

usually the case that it ame down to.

i talked with abotu 5 of the guys that we served food too, and they all pretty much had the same too problems.


they all said they have twitches or uncontrollable spasms, that just, don;t let them interact well with people.

THen of course there is the problem with.. who is gonna give a job to an unkept, poorly dressed, probably not too clean person with No Mailing address?

 

[MrVersatile48]

Like Thos. Hardy's Mayor of Casterbridge?

Yes. it has been my experience when i volunteered that very few homeless are actually homeless solely because of moentary issues.

usually the case that it ame down to.

i talked with abotu 5 of the guys that we served food too, and they all pretty much had the same too problems.


they all said they have twitches or uncontrollable spasms, that just, don;t let them interact well with people.

Then of course there is the problem with.. who is gonna give a job to an unkept, poorly dressed, probably not too clean person with No Mailing address?

Just time to recommend Proverbs 11 - inc verse 25/26 gems @ the generous being rewarded & the mean/evil coming to poverty themselves - "1 man gives freely, yet gains even more; another witholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed"

Many now homeless - like many now mentally ill - have been businessmen, executives & professionals, etc - who also top social studies stats for divorce, wife beating, alcoholism, drug abuse, etc, etc

Money is a major Bible subject - see 2 Corinthians 8/9 @ wise stewardship & the purpose of prosperity being to enable us to help the needy & thus bring much thanks, honour, praise & glory to God

God bless!

Ian

 

[MrVersatile48]

Then of course there is the problem with.. who is gonna give a job to an unkept, poorly dressed, probably not too clean person with No Mailing address?

Many leading US/UK companies have found that both older folk & disabled folk make the best workers: the older folk have the discipline to persevere in problems where younger folk lose interest & give up; & folk disabled in 1 area tend to make the most of what they can still do, whereas "able bodied" folk tend to take their abilities for granted, the research reports say

Jesus said, "He who is forgiven much loves much"

Or. as those same makor employers have often found - (see NACRO) - folk who have come to repentance & found faith in Christ have often done Prison Alpha, etc, & come out determined to make the best of the rest of their lives

 

[MrVersatile48]

Research findings

Then of course there is the problem with.. who is gonna give a job to an unkept, poorly dressed, probably not too clean person with No Mailing address?

US/UK major companies have long said that older folk & disabled folk make the best workers: older folk have the self discipline to persist in problems where many young ones lose interest & give up; disabled folk meke the best of what they can do, where many able bodied take their abilities for granted & don't see the point of the effort required to reach full potential

NACRO bear out what Jesus said @ "He who is forgiven much loves much"
Folk in jail who repent & find faith in Christ often do Prison Alpha, etc, & come out determined to make the best of the rest of their lives

Proverbs says much to contrast the lazy to the hard working

 

[MrVersatile48]

Re: Just got io mins..

Did anyone hear the 25-minute feature on what it's like to be homeless @ 9.30am on http://www.ucb.co.uk - 549m MW today?

It was the author of new book, "Underneath The Overpass"

As he said, everyone on the streets is someone made in the image of God; someone for whom Christ shed His precious blood

Mental illness is usually caused by excess stress & by traumas like bereavement, divorce, redundancy, homelessness, etc, yet the UK Govt is closing psychiatic units, & reducing mental health support services, at the very time when life is so obviously becoming ever-more stressfulquote]

Has anyone read that new book, or know the author?

I just have time to suggest a search @ http://www.christianbooks.com

Must go!

Ian

 

[MrVersatile48]

Re: Just got io mins..

Did anyone hear the 25-minute feature on what it's like to be homeless @ 9.30am on http://www.ucb.co.uk - 549m MW Wednesday?

It was the author of new book, "Underneath The Overpass"

As he said, everyone on the streets is someone made in the image of God; someone for whom Christ shed His precious blood

Mental illness is usually caused by excess stress & by traumas like bereavement, divorce, redundancy, homelessness, etc, yet the UK Govt is closing psychiatic units, & reducing mental health support services, at the very time when life is so obviously becoming ever-more stressfulquote]

Has anyone read that new book, or know the name of the author?

I just have time to suggest a search @ http://www.christianbooks.com

b]

Link to Pakistan earthquake updates, as 3.3 million are now homeless

http://www.christianforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=18483


Tues update says a half-million more winterised tents needed


Must go!

Ian[[/b]



[/i][/b]

 

[MrVersatile48]

C U IN LONDON, WED?

Events in Pakistan, India, Mexico, Florida etc relate to this too:-

http://www.christianforums.net/viewtopi ... 054#218054

God bless!

Ian