A Gap Year with a Difference

In recent years, it has become common for young people to take a gap year between school and further education or employment, or a year out later on before seeking work. Internships are offered by some charities and companies, enabling young people to gain experience in a role and build up their experience, or build up their CV!

Caring For Life’s Time For Jesus year is a gap year with a difference, as it provides young people with a real experience of Christian ministry, working with the staff team and getting involved in a huge variety of tasks. There are also regular, dedicated times to talk through the Christian faith and to study the Bible together.

Hannah, Matthew and Jovie joined the team this week and have been busy undertaking induction, learning their way around Crag House Farm, where Caring For Life is based, getting to know staff, volunteers and the many people attending various projects, and generally getting stuck in! 

At this time of the year, one major role is to help to sort all the wonderful harvest gifts that come in, replenishing the food stores for the coming year. But whether it is sorting tins, packing up Christmas cards, helping with lunches, working on different projects, being a listening ear, or undertaking any of a myriad tasks, it is all a part of sharing the love of Jesus here at Caring For Life. And from what many former Time For Jesus volunteers have described, this gap year is an amazing experience that will stay with them, on through life. 

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Harvest and Harvesting

A team from Xiros came along to Caring For Life recently to lend a hand for the day, helping with both sorting harvest and harvesting! They worked really hard, on what turned out to be a beautiful, warm autumn day.

In the morning, the team helped to sort tinned food and other food items, getting the food stores tidied up and ready for the influx of harvest gifts which were due any day.

In the afternoon they tackled harvest of a different kind, picking apples here at Crag House Farm, the home of Caring For Life.

The apples are turned into pressed apple juice, and the fruit has to be picked at just the right time! 

We are really thankful to the team for all their efforts, and their very practical support of Caring For Life’s work. 

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Bible Studies

We are so encouraged on CFL’s Housing Support team with the ladies and gents who regularly attend our monthly Bible studies. We have 25 people who we pick up around the city and bring them to the farm for the study and tea. Some of them are really isolated and it may be the only social event they go out to. Thankfully it’s one where they hear the good news about Jesus too!

We often do something visual with props, acting or a DVD and then a short explanation and a prayer. This month the story is the love of Jesus washing His disciples feet, even when He knew one amongst them was going to betray Him.

Everyone is so good at listening and there is no shortage of hands going up when questions are asked!

We recently gave out easy read Bibles to those who wanted them, how precious it is to see these being read in their own homes.

After the Bible study we enjoy a hot meal together and lots of chatter. The journey home is often a time when more questions are asked about what they’ve heard that evening.

We are so thankful for the opportunity to invite folk, we get a chance to share time together and to learn more about Jesus.

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