Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSCITY ON A HILLAs for Sunday meetings, there was some flexibility as towhere we went. A sister from the Hall might travel to themeeting in Leicester because she supported the evangelismthere. Many carried particular vision: a ‘heart for Birmingham’or ‘faith for the skinheads.’ With a breakdown of a hundredservant groups, twenty-eight households and four Sundaynight meetings, there was scope.However, the concept of the church ‘household’ as a distinctunit sharpened up. The church ‘household’ was a communityhouse family, plus its non-resident members andfriends. This increased the sense of belonging and householdsbegan to function like little churches. They were expected togrow, divide, and plant elsewhere. At the Farm and Cornhillthe larger family sometimes functioned as two householdswith their own separate meetings, whilst at the Hall, onehousehold focused on evangelism in Banbury, the other inKettering.Many were going out in evangelism teams and sang on thestreets, whether at Birmingham New Street Station, Northamptontown centre, or Banbury market square. Some werebolder and disappeared into pubs and clubs, whilst othersinterceded on the spot or stayed home to welcome peopleback.Sisters were good front-line evangelists with a heart forsinners — at times a weeping heart. Lesley, who was one suchevangelist in Leicester, was a keen celibate. ‘Celibacy!’ shesaid, ‘I love it! Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom”. I made apact with God and expected him to meet my needs. Celibacyis like getting into a new car. The sun is shining, God is withyou, and you can explore. I gained many hearts because I237