FAITH-BASED PEER SUPPORT AND HUMILITY When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you […]
Read More...Bored? William Wilberforce, the British slave trade abolitionist, once said, “It is inconceivable that we could be bored in a world with so much wrong to tackle, so much ignorance to reach and so much misery we could alleviate.” I’m certainly not bored. I only wish I were younger so that I would have more […]
Read More...The greatest joy I’ve ever experienced was during the nine years I led my Living Room support group for people living with mental health challenges. During that time, I also carried out the exciting work of pioneering mental health awareness in the church. The world is a much different place now. And yet, it […]
Read More...The Living Room Story—just out—shows my experiences as I obeyed God, building the Living Room ministry, and helping those with lived experience be accepted by the church. It shows how God helped me serve for nine years until symptoms of ageing got the better of me. I wrote this book to help me remember […]
Read More...Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Matthew 8:19-20 Jesus was explaining to this scribe that following him was not […]
Read More...IN A SNOWSTORM YET In March 2008 a big snowstorm surprised us on a Living Room day. And it was almost April! Snowflakes fell, huge and thick and fast. They were sticking to the grass and to the trees. With all that snow, we expected to have a smaller turnout than usual. We made […]
Read More...Five theoretical frameworks have been used in attempts to explain the effectiveness of self-help groups. Solomon, Phyllis (2004). “Peer support/peer provided services underlying processes, benefits, and critical ingredients”. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. Social support: Having a community of people to give physical and emotional comfort, people who love and care, is a moderating factor in […]
Read More...In 2006 I founded the Living Room group support ministry. As time went on, and especially after being featured on the TV show 100 Huntley Street, enthusiasm grew. The number of groups increased steadily. After four and a half years the ministry had grown to thirteen groups and there were reports that more were […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM MEMORIES (May 15, 2013) God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20-21 (MSG) That is so very true! […]
Read More...I’ve spent much time trying to write my Living Room history. There’s a lot I haven’t covered and, as I’ve said, I would like to move on. But I do want to leave this capsulated form of my history. It offers a clearer overall picture of how things went for me. 2005 or so […]
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