Faith at Work with Homeless Adults in Sheffield
I’m Tim and I am the CEO of the Archer Project, which is dedicated to working with homeless adults to end their homelessness.
I am a Christian and being a Christian is important to the way I do my job. I work with many people who do not believe in God, or who follow other faiths. Many are wonderfully talented people whose aptitude, dedication and intelligence I admire enormously. My faith has changed the way I work: I believe it has made me better at doing my job, but I would never claim that my ‘better’ is better than those talented people around me.
My faith has grown and it looks different to me compared to the faith I had when I was younger and I believe that my weaknesses and failings and wrongdoings are an important part of that growth, especially as I’ve thought about accepting and supporting others.
Most days start with Morning Prayer at around 6.15am. Most days. My life needs pattern. I feel out of sorts when I lose the pattern. Usually that happens when I get too tired or too busy. Arguably they are times when I need my morning prayer time the most. But that’s life. It’s through morning prayer that the Benedictus has become a prayer I associate with my job.
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
The average age of death for people who have experienced homelessness is low. Life on the street - and, for that matter, life as it is experienced by people moving away from homelessness - has too much that is akin to survival. It is often dark and it needs the bright light of a new dawn. My heart rises as I hear the promise of God’s light and I sense a whole load of people and circumstances and trust that God sees them too.
I’m deliberately conscious of my faith at work and my work has also shaped my faith. There are many examples. One came from noticing how much we use ‘us’ and ‘them’ language. “We have offered support but he just doesn’t respond.” The separation allowed an assumption that ‘we’ have acted reasonably and ‘he’ is the one preventing progress. If I look at the problem differently, without us and them, we all have something more to do to make things work. Passing the buck isn’t allowed.
Driving home made me realise the same applied to the rest of my life. I was irritated by bad drivers. I was right and they were wrong. We naturally blame the other. It is easy to throw stones until someone says, “Let him who is without sin throw the first stone.” Suddenly we have to think of a different way of doing things. And the outcome? Well, I reflected on how I would want me to treat me if I was homeless and walked into the centre where I work. Standing in the shoes of others, or doing my best to do so, changes the way I see issues and problems.
Last year I spent 14 days homeless. It was an incredible experience which underlined the same need to avoid quick judgements about people. I blogged each day and you can find my reflections on my Facebook or LinkedIn pages. I don’t speak about God but I believe God’s influence on me is in every post.
About the Author
Tim Renshaw has been CEO at the Archer Project for the last 17 years. Previously, he was Priest-in-charge of Shireoaks and Rhodesia (Worksop). Before joining the church, Tim worked with adults who have learning difficulties, in a community setting. He’s a lifelong Nottingham Forest fan and is loving being back in the Premiership. Tim is married to Lynda and has three sons, and a stepson and stepdaughter, all adults and getting on with life. He became a grandad in 2021 and loves it. He also loves Radio 4.