Roots #40acts #lent #prayer

The timing of this challenge is spot on. Next month we are launching a board game café every alternate Tuesday morning at St Nicolas Earley.  It's a place to drop in, meet people for a chat, have a drink and piece of homemade cake and play one of our dozens of board games.  Open to anyone of any age, we're hoping it will fill the gap that people in our community talk about - loneliness.

So if you, or someone you know, finds yourself at a lose end on a Tuesday morning, come along and challenge me to a game of Scrabble.*

Here's the challenge if you're up for making a change in your community.
We can live somewhere for decades and never really put our roots down there. What does it look like to get more deeply rooted in our home community? Today's act will help you to explore ways of generously investing in your home town.
Green: Find an excuse to make a local connection today. Take a quick detour to a small local shop or, if the local supermarket is more your thing, take extra time at the checkout to connect with the person who serves you. Learn their name, ask them how they are, or simply thank them for their help. Try to remember their face for next time. In other words, plant a tiny seed of community today.
Amber: Chances are, somewhere in your community right now there is a voluntary group desperate for help. What a perfect way to get rooted! Find out about groups in your area – whether that's a parent/toddler group, a women's refuge, or a local football club. Give them a call today to see if you could volunteer your time, talent or finances to help them keep their doors open.
Red: The most revolutionary ideas are usually answers to a simple problem or a need. Take a long, hard look at your community, and see if you can find a gap to fill. It might be that your town has no social groups for the elderly, or that there's no youth club at your church. There might be no support group for cancer survivors, or a coffee morning might be needed for single parents. Whatever it might be, take steps today toward creating something to plug the need.

*it won't be much of a challenge to play me at Scrabble now I can't see the letters, but I'll give it a go.