2009: After two-and-a-half years in the driving seat of Norfolk Street Pastors, Val Dodsworth has handed over the responsibilities of leadership to her Assistant for the last six months, Paul Rendell.
Val will continue to be involved in the project as other towns in Norfolk come forward with enquiries as to how to set about starting up Street Pastors in their areas.
At the same time the trustees have appointed Gail Halley as the part-time Administrator and the leadership team has also gained from the addition of Val Chipperfield, who will continue in her role as the Prayer Co-ordinator.
Street Pastors is an initiative of the London-based Ascension Trust and is spreading very fast throughout the UK and elsewhere, as God moves His people out of the comfort of their churches and into the relative discomfort of the crowded streets on weekend nights. From a small beginning in London in 2004, Street Pastors has already spread to over 100 towns and cities in this country, with over 2,000 people now trained to take the love of God out onto the streets amongst the people of our needy country.
In Norfolk we now have 65 Street Pastors who work in central Norwich clubland on Friday and Saturday nights, in Thorpe and Heartsease, in Lakenham and also in Dereham. Moves are afoot for the project to move into Great Yarmouth later this year.
It cannot be denied that this is demanding volunteer work and real commitment to the Lord and to His calling is needed in those who offer themselves for the task. Val Dodsworth has spoken of her admiration and respect for those who come forward to do this work: “Month after month they turn up to do their turn of duty, going out into the darkness of the night around 10pm, not knowing who or what they will be called upon to deal with as they walk the streets and mix with the crowds during the next four or five hours,” she said.
As the Street Pastors walk and talk, the small group of intercessors gathered at base bring the needs of those on the street before God, faithfully bearing up in prayer each person or situation that they are told about when the phone rings.
We believe that Street Pastors represents a real move of God within his church and those involved in this work feel privileged to be part of it. If you would like to know more, do join us for our Annual Thanksgiving and Commissioning service on April 29 at 7.30pm at the United Reformed Church in Princes Street Norwich, when we expect an inspiring and uplifting evening.
Pictured above are, from left, Paul Rendell, Val Dodsworth, Val Chipperfield and Gail Halley.
