City of Faith Church facts for kids

The City of Faith Church (also known as Jubilee International Church) is a church in South London. It is a multi-cultural church located in the London Borough of Lewisham. From 1996 to 2015, it was part of the Assemblies of God in Great Britain, which is a worldwide Pentecostal Christian group. The church is also part of a larger network of churches both locally and internationally.

A Historic Church Building

For many years, the church used a building on Mayeswood Road in the Grove Park Estate. This building was first built in 1935. Back in the 1920s, the Lewisham Council decided that a church should be part of the new estate being built.

A man named Mr. Frederick E. Pinkess was already running a mobile Sunday school in the area. He asked for permission to build a church. He believed the area needed a proper church. With help from the Shaftesbury Society, which was linked to the Baptist Church, Mr. Pinkess raised enough money. The church was finished in May 1935.

It was called Grove Park Mission and was a place of worship for everyone, not just one specific group. It also helped poor people in the community. In the 1930s and 1940s, the church had many activities for the community, especially for children. This led to a popular Sunday school. They even held outdoor singing events, playing hymns on a heavy church organ in the local streets. These outdoor events happened every Sunday afternoon and evening for many years.

In 1947, the church joined the Free Church movement, which was part of the Plymouth Brethren group. Then, from 1961, Pastor Gordon Thomson became the main pastor. His church was called The Christian Fellowship. A local group called Operation Mobilisation also helped with their work.

In 1987, an organization called Book Aid started renting space in the building. Then, in 2006, the City of Faith Church began using the building. They had moved from Southwest London. Pastor Thomson was happy to see the church building used by a new group. He and his wife both passed away in 2007. The City of Faith Church moved to a new location in 2015.

Facing Challenges

In 2006, the church faced some challenges with local residents and had discussions with the London Borough of Lewisham council. These discussions were about getting permission to use the building in a certain way. After the council made a decision, the church building was unfortunately damaged in serious attacks.

When asked about these events, the church leader, Dr. Femi Olowo, spoke to the press. He said that Christians expect to face difficulties. He also mentioned that Jesus taught to love your neighbors and be kind to those who cause trouble. He believed that those who opposed the church were going against God.

Minor attacks and opposition continued for almost two years. This nearly made the church move to a different place. However, they decided to stay, and the problems eventually stopped after about 18 months.

Helping the Community

The City of Faith Church has recently changed its focus. It now aims to do more community work, not just Sunday worship. They are starting several helpful projects:

• Money Management Help: They are launching a free service to help people manage their money and deal with debt. They get training and support from national groups like Christians Against Poverty (CAP) and Credit Action UK. The church believes that when people manage their money better, it helps everyone in society. Their goal is to reduce financial hardship through education, advice, and support.

• Food Bank Support: The church also gives out essential food supplies locally through a Food bank. This helps people who are struggling, especially during tough economic times. They receive guidance and support from organizations like Trussell Trust. The BBC has reported that many people are being sent to food banks because they don't have enough money for food. Every Christmas, the church gives out almost a hundred free food baskets to local residents. This is a growing trend among churches in the UK.

• Health and Family Classes: Another project is providing classes on health, wellbeing, and family life skills. The goal is to teach people how to stay healthy and build strong families. They plan to run free workshops on topics like healthy living and important health awareness. They use resources from 'Care for the Family' and get training from Public Health Lewisham.