West Hill, Bessingby

Emma Miles

emiles@ccbn.org.uk

Emma is a growth-funded Multiply leader based at West Hill in the Parish of Bessingby and Christ Church. She was recently filmed for the launch of the “Listening to the voice of the lay planter” Report Launch

Emmas Story

‘I began working with Multiply in September 2019. I was already working in West Hill, employed by Bessingby and Christ church parish after being pulled back to the estate where I grew up. From being a child, I have known the church building on the estate as central to the life of the community.

Starting with only a couple of us, we grew a team that became involved in supporting young families and young people that lived on the estate. They did not need to learn how to be community, they were great at it, but there was a desire in me to help them to know a life of Jesus.

We knew we needed to know peoples’ names and to bless that community and bring them together. There was not a central person bringing people together at that time so that was what we started doing. Over time we became excited about church not being all about a Sunday but also about midweek fresh expressions of church.

Our mission is to first be the hands and feet of God on this estate, but ultimately to introduce people to this amazing saviour in Jesus. What excited me about Multiply was that we could be supported to do this and grow a community based on everyday living for Him’.

What has it looked so far?

‘For the first year we brought the community together for lots of different activities, involving lots of 20s-40s and lots of young mums, dads, and families. It has looked like being present and being there for people, opening the church doors and leading activities, becoming a community which is central to the estate.

I have had a team of people alongside me to do the work on the ground. We partnered with agencies outside of the church. We partnered with a music project each week and took all the families to Beverley to watch their children perform the song they wrote. We are the Christian presence for the community, and we came alongside families and formed strong friendships. We did ‘After School’ clubs with parents too, we cooked nutritional meals for people, picnics for the estate, and BBQs too.

We also partnered with the council in the area to lead sports and play. Generally everything we did was around food. We also did nativities and performances, inviting the whole estate. We have done mini youth festivals and Christmas parties. Then, just before lockdown, we did our first “Messy Church”.

The team started with just a few and over the course of the year we started picking up people who were interested in serving in their community. Some were inspired by seeing the change in the lives of others involved in our work.

People became interested in the life that Jesus offers. The team grew from two to twelve people and those people started to get interested in the Christian faith.

We then started “Turning Up” where we would worship together, pray for each other and the estate on a Tuesday night. After a long year we also started a Bible Discovery group from January to August.

Many of the mums involved are on benefits, all around the age of 32 to 36, some have struggled with addictions and do not know their purpose in life. In joining the team, they got some sort of training and responsibility, each getting their Food hygiene and Emergency first aid. They all completed their safeguarding training, and some became keyholders to the building which gave them a sense of being trusted.

Our work is about introducing people to Jesus, but what is also important is showing people their value and helping them grow in confidence which will ultimately assist them out of poverty’.

How has lockdown affected your work?

‘We’ve been doing lots of ‘Doorstep’ work. Throughout lockdown we have distributed food, toiletries and baby products to residents struggling financially on West Hill. This also extended to the Traveller’s site next door.

The whole team stayed in touch through Zoom where we continued with Bible Discovery and evening prayer. We also stayed connected through messages and WhatsApp groups

We did an end of summer BBQ, giving each child a craft bag. We kept partnerships with supermarkets such as Morrisons for provision. All this widened the reach of the church as we were giving food to people who we had not yet encountered’.

So what is next?

‘We are in a bit of neutral zone right now, heading into a new beginning. We are in a weird place with the restrictions, but we are excited about starting something fresh. This Saturday we are starting our Saturday New Worshipping Community.

There are only 12 of us now, but we are working towards an open invite. I am excited about the plan to equip people to live out their Christian life - helping them to overcome the obstacles and challenges that face them every day.

I am excited about raising people’s imagination that they can have a purpose. God puts His kingdom into the hands of ordinary people.

We are also dreaming about what is next. How can we support these families?  People in the team are calling with idea’s which we are putting to prayer. We are encouraging each other to be imaginative and to keep asking God what it is He wants us to do’.

Why are you doing this work with Multiply and what would you say to others thinking about starting something from their parish or church?

‘Jesus has a job for everyone to do. Jesus can use anyone that is willing to step out.  I used to live in desperation, and it pains me that people are living in desperation all around us and do not know a way out. I want to see people set free and become disciples themselves and that is why I walked through this door that opened for me.

I have a passion for this, I have a desire inside me to share Jesus with people and it will not leave me. I would say to others that if they have a desire to start something new and that desire does not leave them, then it is probably God and I would encourage them to pray and ask God to show them where he is at work and how they can join in. God will then open the door that they, themselves should step through’