Did you know that Clapham Servants is named and modeled after the Clapham Sect? Led primarily by William Wilberforce – who helped abolish slavery – their activities included, but were not limited to…
Wait for it…
- Helping soldiers
- Educating the youth
- Creating schools in Ireland
- Enabling refuge for orphan girls
- Helping to establish a cancer hospital
- Creating societies for helping the poor
- Providing relief to London’s urban poor
- Instituting education initiatives in Africa
- Founding societies for religious instruction
- Helping the deaf and challenged children of the poor
- Protecting young girls, as well as widows, and the elderly
- Opening eye clinics, and a number of other medical societies
Why?
To convert them to Christianity? To get them to church on Sunday?
No.
To improve the health and well-being of the population.
To “be a blessing.”
In fact, author, William Hague, notes that the Clapham Sect produced one of the greatest varieties and volumes of charitable activity ever launched by any group in any age.
Why are we telling you this?
The above takes leaders – Christ-like leaders.
At Clapham Servants, with your support, we are seeking to raise the next generation of Christ-like leaders to step outside the church and engage with today’s critical issues.
This is “faith working itself out in love.”
Some highlights of 2022
Climate Change Series
This year we partnered with Christine Seibert in a two-part climate change series at Medway Village Church. As a young leader, Christine got an opportunity to flex her expertise and her heart for a healthy planet. In an environment where many are skeptical of climate change science, she interacted with at least three different generations.
Christine outlined biblical principles of stewardship, highlighted hard facts, and provided practical steps to help folks become more involved in caring for the planet as Christ followers.
Ethnicity & Racism
Similar to our 2021 efforts, this year we facilitated an historical presentation highlighting the significance of Juneteenth. This is not a familiar celebration to many. We featured the works of former slave and abolitionist, Frederick Douglas. Douglas’ speech, entitled “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?” has impact and opens up the eyes of modern listeners.
Today we celebrate the 4th of July as a day of independence as a nation. However, in Douglas’ day, this was not the case for ~18% of the population who were blacks and enslaved. Douglas’ powerful message enables whites to see our country through a different and critical lens.
Sabbath as Resilience
People are tired and weary. War, economic uncertainty, politics, work/life balance – you name it – we’re all feeling it in some way. Clapham Servants views sabbath rest a little differently. We seek to champion sabbath as resilience in order to survive and thrive in our 24/7 world.
Resilience allows us to recover quickly, to “spring back into Christ-like shape.” Sabbath rest provides spiritual formation for sure. However, resilience allows you to push back against life-shaping pressures of constant media and noise, and instead be empowered by life from God in our everyday moments.
To this end, we sponsored a sermon series and a number of Adult Sunday School classes to spread this message.
Multiplying Christ-like Leaders in the Military
Jim supported and assisted Chaplain Andrew Fassett of the Mass Army Battalion with materials for the Army’s Moral Leadership Training. Using Trinity Forum readings on George Washington’s “Greatest Unknown Moment in American History,” it had real impact – here’s a message from Andrew:
“I did run the case in October with some leaders from Headquarters and Headquarters Company in my Battalion. It got a very positive response. I will be teaching it to hundreds of more Soldiers in my Battalion over the next week or so as we work up to deploy soon. So please keep me in your prayers.
Next Gen Mentoring Trip to Europe
This October 2022 trip was a rich experience for the next generation as they saw Patrick’s first “Celtic Community” site that multiplied into Scotland, Northern England and into Europe – an amazing missional movement.
At the Reformation Wall they learned of John Calvin’s challenges to grow and mature in Christ. They stood in the church at the foot of the pulpit where Calvin preached. And the participants discovered the real missional story of Calvin’s ministry – care for the immigrants that flooded the city – and how Calvin’s ministry in Geneva led to the planting of hundreds of churches throughout France.
The group chatted face-to-face with Mark Greene, former executive director of the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity (LICC) – founded by John Stott. Two powerful contemporary examples of “faith working itself out in love.” They even got to talk with renowned Old Testament scholar, Chris Wright.
This quote in particular from a participant captures the spirit of the shift we’re seeking to make in the next generation through the events above.
One speaker [Chris Wright] during our trip encouraged us to shift our paradigms from asking how God fits into our stories to asking where we fit into his. His question aptly contextualized the trip and opened up my imagination as we looked at the expansive and surprisingly cyclical narrative of redemption brought about through different people in different times.
Please consider helping us continue the mission