I spent most of this morning until well after lunch time interviewing prospective candidates to work at our centre under the terms of the Future Jobs Fund. This is a government scheme which pays unemployed young people, aged 18-24, to do 25 hours a week in a six-month work experience placement. Nationally, The Salvation Army is promoting the scheme through its Employment Plus initiative, and a number of placements are now running at various Life Houses (the new name for our social services hostels), as well as Salvation Army churches similar to our own.
As a church with our own Employment Plus project we decided some time ago that we should get involved supporting local unemployed young people. Subsequently, we put our bid in for two childcare placements as well as one opportunity for someone to develop our Employment Resource Centre and to provide some practical admin support around the building.
And so our candidates came for interview, those that managed to show up at least, each of them seemingly inexperienced in everything but with one thing in common – the need to be given a chance. And if the church of Jesus Christ can’t give them that chance then who will? That challenge has stayed with me as, in the next couple of days, we make decisions about who, if anyone, will get that chance.
In our foyer hangs a banner that says, “A Church For Everyone.” I am often challenged by it. Are we really inclusive? Are we really for everyone? Are we prepared for what everyone really means? I hope and pray that it is, and always will be, the case – for the people of God are made up of those that found a second chance, the opportunity to begin again, the people He graciously accepts even though He has no reason to.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. (Ephesians 1: 7-8, TNIV)
Filed under: failsworth, ministry Tagged: | employment plus, failsworth, ministry
