As part of this Sunday morning’s service we will be interviewing Caroline Brown, who has become part of our church family and works for Birmingham City Mission. We caught up with Caroline and asked her a few questions in preparation for the interview on Sunday:
Who are you and how did you come to join ACC?
Hi, I’m Caroline I’ve spent the last couple of years living in Stourbridge and working as a full time student and volunteer with Birmingham City Mission. During this time I decided that I needed to find a new church near where I live. I had visited ACC on a previous occasion a few years ago and had heard a message that had really spoken to me [it was all about how some people are living their lives around a false god but they don’t realise it – that was me! I have fortunately moved on from that place], that and the welcome & conversation I had on the door here made an impression on me and so it was in my mind to return to ACC as I looked to join a new church family. I began worshipping here at the end of last year and never went anywhere else.
Who are BCM and what is their mission?
Birmingham City Mission is a Christian Charity that, in their own words, exists to clearly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Birmingham and its suburbs and to offer help and support to the needy and marginalised, regardless of age, creed or race.
What is your role and how do you feel God is using you in this role?
My role will be to work as a City Missionary with the main (adult) evangelical team. It’s the same role as I had as a student/volunteer. I will continue to be involved in a couple of days of open air (or street) outreach which happens mainly in Birmingham city centre. The team provide people with the opportunity to hear and consider the gospel through preaching, testimony, question and answer and through personal, one to one conversations. I get involved with Q&A and personal conversation.
I also normally do a couple of days of district work a week. This is mainly door to door outreach alongside a couple of missionaries one in Quinton and another missionary in Ladywood. I get involved in a lot of spiritual conversations and my hope is that God is using me to lead people to a saving understanding of Christ and the gospel. I also hope I’m helping people to find a local church family where they can settle and grow in the faith.
Otherwise the mission provides a range of services which can be found on their website – I do an evening a week helping in a care centre which is based in Nechelles. Here a meal is provided on a first come first served basis and for those that want to stay there is a Christian message after the main meal. I also help out from time to time with functions, secondary school clubs and events that the mission runs in and around Birmingham.
I have always enjoyed speaking with people about the Christian faith and I have so much opportunity with the mission. After two years I’m still enjoying and look forward to evangelism. In terms of the mission I think that in a predominantly male team they feel it is a bonus to have a woman working with them as its easier for me to give women more time and I am perhaps more approachable to women with respect to discussing their issues. I’m not certain but maybe this is part of why I came to be at BCM.
How can we support you and the work God is doing in and through you?
This isn’t a work anyone can do in their own strength so it would be great if there were people who are keen to pray for me and the outreach that I’ll be involved with. I am hoping to produce a newsletter in the coming weeks so please give me your email address and details and I’ll keep you informed of what I am doing.
The mission are paying me a full wage however from September they would like me to raise some money towards my salary … I haven’t started so if anyone is moved to support me financially or has good money raising ideas it would be great to hear from you!