Reachout
Gareth Key writes . . .
This passage of scripture was given to me immediately following my visit to Spring Harvest a few years ago. Also, the word 'Outreach' was prominent in my thoughts, but God changed this to Reachout and seemed to say that love is what people need most - His love, through the acts of Jesus (1 Cor 13:8 - "Love never fails").
Many years ago at about that time our Church was just about to enter into a time of Mission called Shepton Mallet in Love and Evangelism (SMILE) and I felt that God was saying that we are to follow Jesus and go to the needy, not wait for them to come to us. Therefore, what better way to follow up the Mission than to take the Church to the people. This was initiated by using venues outside of the church but using the resources of the Church to witness in these places. We used a 'softly, softly' approach in gentle and user-friendly evangelism involving: music, drama, user-friendly terms, visual aids and Fellowship. These gatherings were aimed at families who would not normally attend a church and felt threatened by the grandeur of such a building.
The music group Reachout also leads worship at a once monthly 'Spirit led' service which attracts people from all around the area. Open air evangelism has also been on the agenda by playing in the Market Square during the August Bank Holiday Street Fayre.
The group consists of Lis Treby (flute/vocals/occasional percussion), Gareth Key (synthesiser/vocals), Tim Coppen (drums), Jasmine Bennett ('cello) and Tansy Bennett (violin/vocals).