Praise and Worship at Carter Knowle Touching the Community

The Story I am about to relay epitomises the maxim that ‘we never know how many people we may reach’.

On the 15th October 2008, Elder Wilton Blake received a telephone call from a woman called Lisa Harrison who relayed the following story.

Her family were planning the Funeral of their Mother, Kathleen Harrison that was to be held on 21st October.

The Church did not know the family and we never knew, but for 7 years, Lisa had lived across the road from the Carter Knowle Road Church. Lisa’s Mum, Kathleen, lived on the North side of the City but would visit Lisa on a Saturday.

One week she heard the Praise and Worship session coming from the Carter Knowle Church. From that point on, Kathleen made it her practice to get to her daughters house early on a Sabbath morning where she would sit in the Bay window and watch us all arriving for Church. She would open the window wide, and then listen to the music from the Church and just bask in the Service.

This went of for most weeks until Lisa moved to live in Birmingham.

The request for the Funeral was, would we be able to come and sing at the Funeral.

Elder Blake contacted David Bussue, Minister of Music, who in turn spoke with the Musicians and Worship Team.

All were blown away by the story and also by the request. Work schedules were hastily reorganised and a group of 10 from the Worship Team and Musicians went along and ministered on the day at the Funeral.

We learnt so much about Kathleen Harrison who sounded like a warm, humorous, tenacious Yorkshire woman who had lived through the War, brought her family up with sound values even though she had never been a ‘practising’ Christian, had welcomed people into her home, and anyone who came never left hungry. She had supported her family and those around her through the slings and arrows that life can throw at us.

We all came away thinking three things – she behaved in the way Jesus admonishes us through her interactions with people; we wished we’d had the chance to meet her; and it was a privilege to minister at her Funeral.

But the story doesn’t end here.

Elder Blake received another telephone call after the Worship Team had ministered.

The family and those who attended were so blessed by the Team just doing what gets done every week at Church, and that we so easily take for granted that they wanted to visit the Church for a Service and come and say thank you.

Now you have to get the context. The Church is located in an area where we have historically struggled to engage the local white population. Kathleen had sat for 7 years and listened to the singing and the services but had not felt able to come inside, and here we were, after one act of kindness breaking down barriers!

So, on Sabbath 25th October, true to their word, Lisa, her sister, her brother and brother-in-law all attended Service.

It just so happened to be Children’s Day at Carter Knowle so the children led the Worship Team, and were supported by the Church Worship Team and Musicians.

Gerard Bowen, Lisa’s brother-in-law spoke to the Church and one of his comments was ‘ Kath spent so long listening to the music from outside, today we’ll get to hear the music from the inside’.

The family so enjoyed the Service and the warmth of the welcome that I noticed they were amongst the last to leave after the Service finished!

In talking to the family, you just couldn’t help but warm to them – Kathleen had clearly done an excellent job with them all, and it turned out that one of our Members, Nadine Wynter works in the same building as Kathleen’s Son-in-law!

And still the story doesn’t yet end!!

Elder Blake received a card from Lisa to say another big thank you from the family for all the Worship Team had done and were willing to do free of charge to make their Mum’s Funeral such a special day.

In the card was substantial cash gift to the Church.

Our purpose in Praise and Worship is three-fold:

  • To put Jesus Christ front and Centre in our Services
  • To inspire and encourage ourselves
  • To inspire and encourage those who are present

If ever there was evidence of the impact of what we do and can do when we all pull together rather that pulling apart, then I believe this story exemplifies it.

We hope that the friendships made out of this situation will now be lasting ones.

David Bussue

Communications Team