… and this just in: News from the Streets of Ipswich. Issue 12

Contents

 The Word on the Street

Reporter_Kermit_1

Clothed with Christ

So many amazing and fascinating things go on in Ipswich, as I move around on the streets making friends with people. There are lots of stories I can’t share, for various reasons, but I find there are many that I can.

I hope this series gives a colourful insight into life in the street culture of Ipswich. This is the community into which I speak God’s Word. I love the people, and I see God powerfully at work here.


Clothed with Christ

2014-09-02 20.56.18Ok, so I go away for a week, and the men I meet with each week decide to go and buy t-shirts, print them up, and give me one.

I love these guys! I have been thinking for months about doing this, but I said nothing. You see, I no longer need to do anything to push things forward. God is speaking to these guys, and I am just supporting them in their journey of faith!

if there’s one thing this town loves, it’s a t-shirt

CRIM is, of course, a reference to “criminal”. It also stands for “Christ Resides In Me”, and these shirts are a declaration to the world of a radical alignment with God, through faith in Jesus Christ.


I’ve never been more proud of an item of clothing.

In fact, I’ve been wearing mine each week in Ipswich. It has already produced a couple of great stories, as I have posted on Facebook:



My friends have a vision: that these shirts, in various designs, will start to be seen around the Ipswich community. This vision is realistic!

Deadly Choices

Click to see this story about “Deadly Choices”.

You see, if there’s one thing this town loves, it’s a t-shirt. For some years a successful program has been running called “Deadly Choices” – a clever name which leverages the local Aboriginal colloquialism “deadly”, meaning “very good”.

The program provides a colourful, well designed t-shirt for those who participate. This program is powerfully effective in ensuring that tests for diabetes and hepatitis (both rampant in this community), as well as various other primary health initiatives, gain traction. Any local of the Ipswich area will readily recognise the “Deadly Choices” t-shirts, which are not only popular, but sought-after.

If my friends make t-shirts and give them away, they will get worn. So that’s what they plan to do. Simple, isn’t it?

I’ve never been more proud of an item of clothing.

The really thrilling bit, however, is that these men don’t have money. They don’t have jobs, and generally struggle to get by. Yet their plan was to self-fund this venture, because… well, it needs to be done, and that’s the only way they know how!

So here’s my invitation to anyone who would like to put some money to good use in the spreading of hope in a community which is badly lacking. Can you supply shirts? Can you supply printing? Can you supply graphic design services? Or can you fund any of these things?

Properly resourced, this initiative will ensure that the community most acutely in need of the message of hope will begin to be “clothed with Christ”, as a visual representation of the now spreading message of Christ in this town. Jesus is on the way to becoming “cool” here…

Many will know that I’ve been working in this community for five years and I have never asked for money, in fact I have had to refuse it on occasion, because I am determined that the message of the Gospel doesn’t cost any money. And even now I don’t want anyone’s money. This is about shirts. So if you’ve been looking at my various activities and wondering when you’ll have the opportunity to contribute materially or financially, let me invite you to do so through this little initiative.

Jesus is on the way to becoming “cool” here

Please contact me and I’ll make arrangements for your contribution, whatever it is, to be turned into “the word on the street”.

The list of resources again, which would get this idea moving:

  1. T-shirts
  2. Graphic Design
  3. Printing

Is there a way that you can participate?


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