While conducting an audit on behalf of a church in Possil park, I discovered that the offices of the local Community Planning Partnership was just round the corner. The CPP is the body responsible in that locality for disbursing Scottish Executive funding for regeneration of deprived communities (as identified by Communities Scotland, the agency responsible for managing these funds). So I went with the assistant minister to meet Margaret Daly last week. Margaret is the gatekeeper of the CPP in that area. It turns out that she was a Christian who had thought that our shop-front church was actually a loan company, even though she had driven past it every day for 6 months. She was immediately intested to find out that this church had a thriving work with local addicts and quite a reputation with other service providers in the area for connecting with people that were otherwise "off the radar". Margaret immediately offered the chance to apply for money from the Executive to help us conduct a feasibility study into our project. She even offered to give us a list of consultants to employ who would be sympathtic to the church's Christian ethos. This is exactly what was needed at this stage as we set out to establish the existing work as a fundable and sustainable project to connect with the most vulnerable members of the local community. Just one visit has established the church on the local map of Government funding and raised its profile immeasurably. A great result from an exploratory audit, along with a bit of brass-neck rooted in prayer and a personal visit. Be encouraged!
A story about God's favour
Paul Ede
While conducting an audit on behalf of a church in Possil park, I discovered that the offices of the local Community Planning Partnership was just round the corner. The CPP is the body responsible in that locality for disbursing Scottish Executive funding for regeneration of deprived communities (as identified by Communities Scotland, the agency responsible for managing these funds). So I went with the assistant minister to meet Margaret Daly last week. Margaret is the gatekeeper of the CPP in that area. It turns out that she was a Christian who had thought that our shop-front church was actually a loan company, even though she had driven past it every day for 6 months. She was immediately intested to find out that this church had a thriving work with local addicts and quite a reputation with other service providers in the area for connecting with people that were otherwise "off the radar". Margaret immediately offered the chance to apply for money from the Executive to help us conduct a feasibility study into our project. She even offered to give us a list of consultants to employ who would be sympathtic to the church's Christian ethos. This is exactly what was needed at this stage as we set out to establish the existing work as a fundable and sustainable project to connect with the most vulnerable members of the local community. Just one visit has established the church on the local map of Government funding and raised its profile immeasurably. A great result from an exploratory audit, along with a bit of brass-neck rooted in prayer and a personal visit. Be encouraged!