Maintaining a building

Jack’s Story

I started regularly attending Sunday services at the Tab in the spring of 2001. In one of my first services, Terry (the minister at the time), asked for volunteers to do some painting in some of the back rooms during the week. I’m pretty handy, and it seemed like it might be helpful, on top of which my university exams had finished and I had time to burn! Sign me up!

I turned up, I think it was on a Wednesday morning, and was led along a maze of stairs and corridors until we found a row of offices that looked out over the terraced houses to the rear of the church building. I was given a roller and paintbrush, and some rather dull magnolia, and a couple of walls to get stuck into. I was introduced to a man named Bruce who also had volunteered, and we spent a wonderful morning chatting and decorating.

Over the years I’ve spent many more mornings clearing, cleaning, and decorating the church building. It is a never-ending task! I guess maintenance might look menial. However, I’ve always found it so uplifting when it is done with others, a place of enjoyment, and a place where God speaks to me.

Little did I know that 21 years later that room I painted would be my own office. It still has the same dull magnolia on the wall. It might be time to redecorate!