#RedeemerRecommends - The Lies That Serve Us
#RedeemerRecommends The Lies that Serve Us - A brilliant and challenging talk by Justin Giboney
This week on #RedeemerRecommends we are highlighting the first talk in a new video series by The Gospel Coalition - TGC Talks.
In this talk, entitled ‘The Lies That Serve Us: Christians and Critical Race Theory’, Justin Giboney challenges all of us that would call ourselves Christians, to identify and call out the self-serving lies which we tell ourselves about key issues.
“We must not only confront the lies that offend us, but also the lies that serve us.”
You can watch the short talk in full below, or follow the links to find out more about Justin Giboney and the AND Campaign.
Find a full transcript of the video HERE
#RedeemerRecommends - Women of Colour on the Word of God
#RedeemerRecommends - A book on Psalm 119 which you NEED to read, because of the quality of the devotionals, and because of the women that wrote them.
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the bible, and when it comes up in a Bible in a Year or CBR reading plan, it can often be met with trepidation. This 176 verse poem is a challenge for even the most dedicated biblical scholar to read in one go!
And so I perhaps shouldn’t be surprised that His Testimonies, My Heritage - a series of devotionals based on the chapter - has opened my eyes to just what a glorious passage it is to read, especially when broken up into individual stanzas. Every section is a fresh reminder that in order to live a life which honours God, we must be those who are dedicated to his word!
The book includes an individual devotion for each of the 22 stanzas - or subsections - of the Psalm, interspersed with poems which are inspired by certain verses or passages.
Each devotion and poem is inspiring, challenging, eye opening, and that’s not all! Every chapter in the book is written by a woman of colour. This is one of the highlights of the book for me, the fact that the devotionals are written from a perspective from which we simply do not hear enough when studying scripture. Each of the women who have contributed to this collection brings personal testimonies and experiences into their writing, but also do an amazing job of reminding us that all Christians have a united hope and spiritual heritage rooted in the word of God.
We are living through a time in history where the unity shown within the church is a bright light amidst the darkness of division that we see throughout the rest of society. Reading this book has not only given me a greater recognition of the importance of the word of God in my life, but also has reinforced in me the importance of allowing men and women from every tribe and tongue to guide me in that study of God’s word.
I will leave you with a paragraph from the foreword of the book, written by Kim Cash Tate:
I could go on and on about this treasure. But I need you to dive in for yourself. No matter what your background or ethnicity is, you will be enriched by the window you gain into the lives of these amazing sisters in Christ. And you will be immensely blessed as they lead you, verse by verse, to a deeper understanding of this majestic psalm.
#RedeemerRecommends - Two Blogs to Help Us Fast Well
Today on #RedeemerRecommends, we share two blogs from thinktheology.co.uk which we hope will encourage you to fast with us this lent!
This Lent, we are encouraging you to join with others at Redeemer and dedicate yourself to fasting for a day! You might choose a one off day between now and Easter, or aim to fast one day a week for the next 6 weeks, either way you can sign up and let us know you’re joining us below…
On Tuesday we published a blog all about why we’re choosing to focus on Lent this year, but we also wanted to share two blogs with you from Tim Jones over at thinktheology.co.uk. These posts educate us on what Fasting is, why we should be doing it, and how to make the most of the fasting process.
Below is a link to the first post, which focuses on the Spiritual basis of fasting, and how it can benefit us as followers of Jesus (including why that isn’t really the point!)
Tim’s second blog speaks to the practical issues of fasting, and answers some FAQs, with some tips for fully engaging in fasting wisely.
We hope these blogs help to encourage you to join us as we fast this lent, and look forward to praying with you!
#RedeemerRecommends - God's Lavish Grace
In her first post on the Blog, Anna shares with us what she’s been reading recently for this week’s #RedeemerRecommends!
This week on #RedeemerRecommends, Anna shares with us what she’s been reading this month as part of her internship year with the church!
I’m not a massive reader. I do try, but I’ll often give up half way through. It has to be a pretty special book for me to make it from cover to cover. Well Gods Lavish Grace made the cut, I made it to the end and I’m ready to go back to the start and read it again.
Terry Virgo was a prominent leader in the house church movement in the UK and in 1979 he founded Newfrontiers, which is the family of churches that Redeemer London belongs to. Newfrontiers has expanded so quickly in that time and now has over 1500 churches in over 70 nations across the world! When I first heard about this, I was expecting Virgo to be some sort of huge, powerful, superhero type, maybe like Chris Evans in Captain America, but he is in fact quite the opposite. A very mild, humble man, but powerful all the same and in this book he talks about a fundamental truth that we need to grasp if we are going to live in the true freedom and wonder that God has called us to.
Virgo begins his book describing a pretty familiar story, his own story, of a christian who describes his experience of ‘zealous but rather condemnation driven christianity’. Setting unrealistic resolutions about bible reading or serving more and then feeling guilty when those goals and plans fail. I’m sure I’m not the only person who relates to this story. In the first chapter Virgo describes ‘clouds of condemnation that trouble you even when you are trying to pray.’ Addressing the fact that ‘Reading the bible may have become a chore rather than a pleasure’. He highlights the vicious cycle of trying harder, followed by disappointment and despondence. The good news is that Virgo also explains how we are able to get out of this cycle and really, truly be free!
Have you ever hear a statement that sounds somewhat like this one?
“Only grace can save you BUT the law is required to shape you up and make you holy”.
Virgo addresses this statement in the opening chapter of his book, saying
’The reality. Of course, is totally the opposite. The law does not impart life, it does not produce righteousness.”
What a statement! Gods lavish Grace uses the truth of the bible to free us not only from sin but also from the bondage of law-keeping religion into a life where we can walk freely with Jesus.
Virgo goes on to describe that the grace of God is a free gift. We do not have to do anything to earn it. We must understand that our works, will not change how much God loves us, no matter what we do, his grace has saved us. After hearing that, you might ask, so why don’t we just carry on sinning? Luckily for us, Virgo covers that question too! He talks about how Gods grace to us should change the way we live completely! The way we think, the way we behave, the way we give will all be transformed when we fully grasp the grace of God. When we understand that our bondage to the law is broken, when we realise that Gods grace is the only thing that can save us, we will live that life to the full that John talks about in the bible (John 10:10).
Looking for words to describe this book I would have said it is radical, extreme, kind of crazy! But the reality is that this book just speaks truth. Yes its radical, its extraordinary and quite hard to get our heads around but it is biblical truth! God's grace is a fundamental wonder of Christianity and this book explains that extraordinary grace in such a simple and relatable way. It has unearthed some issues in my own faith I didn’t even recognise myself. Understanding grace more has helped me know God more so I would highly recommend this book to any christian who wants to step into the fullness of life and relationship with God.
#RedeemerRecommends - Faith Locked Down
As we look forward to meeting together physically for the first time this Sunday, #RedeemerRecommends looks back at some of the creative fruit which has grown at Redeemer over the past 6 months.
Over the course of lockdown there has been a wealth of content produced by the incredible creative individuals here at Redeemer (though the blog took a bit of a summer break!) As we look forward to returning to physical services again, we thought we would restart the blog with a home grown edition of #RedeemerRecommends, and point you towards some of the inspiring and challenging pieces of writing produced by the Redeemer Creatives over the past six months.
These Psalms, Prayers, Poems, Posts and Portraits tell the story of how some of our closest friends and family have processed the events of 2020 so far through the written word, I hope that as you read them you are inspired, challenged and comforted, but most of all I hope your faith is stirred, and your eyes are drawn not towards the mountains you may face, but to the one who can move them.
Some of the co-authors of the book have recorded audio versions of their written pieces, you can find them on the Redeemer Youtube channel, or by following the link below.
I’ll leave the final word to our senior pastor, Pete Cornford…
“During these difficult and uncertain times these believers have fought for faith and we get to walk the path behind them. Raw, honest and real; let their encounters ignite and fan your faith!”
#RedeemerRecommends - The Singlehood Sessions
This week #RedeemerRecommends - The Singlehood Sessions! A vlog which was started this week by Pamela, who is part of our Redeemer family! Check it out!
This week #RedeemerRecommends a series on YouTube from a member of the Redeemer family - Pamela Masha.
Some of you will know our friend Pamela (you can see her recent blog for Redeemer here), she regularly posts videos and vlogs on her YouTube channel ‘Wokemanity & Me’ to encourage and challenge us.
And she’s just started a new series on singleness.
You can catch up with The Singlehood Sessions here!
In part 1 Pamela addresses the perceived shame, woes and taboos attached to being single and 30+. And whether you are married or single this is something we recommend you hear.
Please subscribe and have a listen.
If you’d like to hear more about what scripture has to say on the subject of singleness and marriage, we also recommend delving into the back catalogue of Sunday talks (you can have a rummage here). In August Rich spoke about what Proverbs has to say on the subject.
Thank you, Pamela and thank you Rich.
#RedeemerRecommends - Andrew Haslam's latest blog
#ReedeemerRecommends a blog from Andrew Haslam, a leader of a fellow Advance church in London.
This blog has featured the talents of many members of the Redeemer family over the last few weeks, for today’s #RedeemerRecommends we travel a little further afield (though only a few miles across London). Andrew Haslam is the leader of Grace Church, London, another church in the Advance group of churches of which we are part. He is a fantastic writer and theologian, and on Good Friday he published a blog highlighting the fear which is gripping society during this time, and how we as Christians look at fear differently to others. We hope you enjoy reading it, and that you continue to stay safe during this time.
Coronavirus, faith, and the fear of death
Many are questioning religious faith right now. I understand this. The shock of watching the death toll rise each day as the world is battered by this invisible enemy is an example of something very evil in this world. And the question of how God can allow evil to exist is, perhaps, the greatest obstacle to faith in the modern age.
But, with all respect to those asking such questions, to pose the problem in this way is to miss the entire point of the Christian faith.
#RedeemerRecommends - Confronting Christianity
#RedeemerRecommends a book which uses big questions of Christianity as signposts pointing to the hope of the world, Jesus Christ.
Every year in the run up to Christmas I have the same conversation with frustrated members of my family as they desperately ask me what I want! As gifts is not high on my list of love languages I often respond with a shrug and an unhelpful phrase, something along the lines of - ’Whatever you feel like getting me I guess?’
I have come to learn over the years that when someone is trying to be generous, it helps to be a little more specific than that! So this year I sent my family the link to the Gospel Coalition’s books of the year, as a sort of Christmas list! You can find it here, just in case you’ve got a friend or family member with a January birthday coming up and (like me) your gift giving ideas ran dry about half way through December….
One of the books on the list which I was lucky enough to receive this Christmas was Rebecca McLaughlin’s ‘Confronting Christianity - 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Hardest Religion’.
The book poses 12 common objections to the Christian faith, and flips those challenges on their heads, using them to point to the goodness of God.
McLaughlin is fantastic at confronting the general lack of biblical knowledge which seems to influence many people’s objections to the Christian faith, and focusing on the biblical truth which can provide clear answers to questions like ‘Doesn’t Christianity Crush Diversity?’ And ‘Isn’t Christianity Homophobic?’. She has also clearly done her research (as is to be expected with a book like this), and not only does she highlight biblical truth, but also aligns it with findings of modern science to construct arguments which provide answers to those with big questions for Christianity, regardless of their knowledge of the bible.
I have no doubt that this is a book which would appeal to those who would not call themselves Christian, but simply have some questions to ask. It will also provide a great foundation for those Christians who have friends who are asking questions, and would love some guidance as to how to answer them!
There are countless books out there which pose the ‘Big Questions’ of the world and aim to answer them, but what this book does so well is that combination of evidence alongside the biblical narrative. In every answer to every question this book is pointing unequivocally to the only source of true hope, the incredible, fully God, fully man, Jesus Christ. I will end this #RedeemerRecommends with a paragraph from the last page of the book, as McLaughlin brings us to the reason why all these questions need an answer, and why the story of the bible is the best place to turn.
In Jesus’s world, we find connective tissue between the truths of science and morality. We find a basis for saying that all human beings are created equal, and a deep call to love across diversity. We find a name for evil, and a means of forgiveness. We find a vision of love that is so much deeper than our current hearts can hold, and a true intimacy better than our weak bodies could ever experience. We find a diagnosis of human nature as shot through with sin and yet as redeemable by grace. We find a call to care for the poor, oppressed, and lonely, a call springing from the heart of God himself and grounded in the hope that one day every tear will be wiped away, every stomach will be filled, and every outcast will be embraced. But we do not find glib answers or an easy road. Instead, we find a call to come and die. (page 222)
#RedeemerRecommends - It's Not Too Early For A Christmas Album!
#RedeemerRecommends some great versions of classic carols to enjoy this Christmas!
Christmas has come early for this week’s #RedeemerReccommends!
I have been working on arrangements for carols for this year’s Christmas events at Redeemer (find out more HERE) and inevitably that means listening to A LOT of Christmas carols, and I’m certainly not complaining, as there’s some fantastic Christmas albums out there!
I wanted to recommend one in particular which I have loved listening to recently, Joy to the World (Live) by Jeremy Riddle!
The album has got some fantastic live versions of Christmas classics like O Come All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, and of course Joy To The World, as well as a new recording of All Hail King Jesus.
In an interview prior to the EP’s release in November 2018, Jeremy talked about wanting to recapture the awe and wonder associated with the celebration of Christmas, and he definitely does so with this superb collection of songs.
You can hear more of his vision for the album below…
#RedeemerRecommends - 9 Things You Should Know About Hinduism
This week Diwali has been celebrated across London and the rest of the world! Our latest #RedeemerRecommends is a blog post which shines a light on the key aspects of the Hindu faith, and how to connect with those from a Hindu background…
This week Hindus across London and the rest of the world have been celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights!
As a result, our latest #RedeemerRecommends is a blog from Joe Carter, which is a summary of the Hindu faith, and is incredibly helpful if you’re a Christian trying to learn more about how to connect with those from different religious backgrounds.
If this blog interests you, then why not sign up to our event on Saturday - ‘Discovering Jesus through Asian Eyes’, as we seek to equip ourselves as Christians to better reach our friends, neighbours and colleagues who come from different cultural and religious backgrounds.
You can read the beginning of the blog, and find a link to the whole thing below…
This week more than a billion Hindus across the globe are celebrating Diwali. The five-day religious observance, which is also celebrated by followers of Sikh and Jain faiths, is the biggest holiday of the year in India, the country with the largest population of Hindus.
Here are nine things you should know about Hinduism.
1. Although Hinduism is often treated as a single religion, it is more accurate to describe it as a family of religions that share common beliefs and characteristics. Some scholars claim that early Hinduism originated around 5500 BC, making it one of the world’s oldest religions. The term Hindu was first used by the Persians, dating back to the 6th century BC, to describe the people living beyond the Indus River. For more than a thousand years the label had no specific religious connotation. In the early 19th century, though, the term Hinduism was coined by British writers to refer to the family of Vedic religious traditions. Some modern Hindus prefer the name “Vedic religion” or sanatana dharma (“eternal law”) rather than the label Hinduism.
#RedeemerRecommends - Not Too Poetry
#RedeemerRecommends a book written by a member of the Redeemer family!
If you’re a regular reader of the Redeemer Blog, or you are part of the Redeemer family that meet together on a Sunday, then you will no doubt be aware of the talents of our resident poet - Steve Page!
It is with great excitement that I get to present to you this week’s #RedeemerRecommends, which features Steve’s second published poetry anthology!
Following on from his first book, ‘Not Too Big to Weep’, Steve’s second book is entitled ‘Not Too Old to Dance’.
Steve’s poems speak about and draw inspiration from his faith, his life in London, and his vast imagination. The book is split into sections, each described as having a slightly different ‘mood’, whether that be observing, writing, or dancing! Some of the poems will be familiar to readers of this blog, but I would encourage you (as Pete Cornford does in the foreword) to grab a coffee, dive in, and discover the joy, laughter, sorrow, excitement, and many more emotions hidden within the pages of this book.
Steve, you are such a blessing, and we thank you for sharing your gifting with us!
#RedeemerRecommends - How Pornography Makes Us Less Human and Less Humane - a blog by Matthew Lee Anderson
This week #RedeemerRecommends an excellent and challenging blog which highlights a key issue in today’s society.
Many of us as Christians will be aware of the damaging effect that pornography can have, whether that be on our own lives, on the lives of those close to us, or simply on the society in which we live.
Matthew Lee Anderson’s fantastic blog is the subject of this week’s #RedeemerRecommends, it challenges and stirs the soul, and inspires a desire for purity.
Pornography deceives. Its sexualized depiction of human persons promises the viewer what it cannot deliver. But how pornography lies is difficult to see, if only because our eyes have gone blind from our frequent exposure to the medium. Pervasive consumption of pornography dulls the mind: if we delightedly give ourselves over to falsehoods, we lose our ability to sort truth from fiction. Sin has a compounding effect. The twin wraiths of confusion and ignorance preserve the charm of its false pleasures. It is easier for those drowning in a whirlpool of deceits to embrace their situation as “normal” than it is to escape.
The inescapable availability of pornography, and the corrosive “pornification” of all other forms of media, means that the most pressing challenge for Christians is rediscovering what purity feels like. C. S. Lewis famously proposed that spiritual mediocrity is the equivalent of playing with mud pies instead of taking the seaside holiday God offers us. Our situation is more dire, though: we are in danger of forgetting what the sea even offers. The warmth of sunshine that lifts our eyes and our hearts to heaven has been hidden by the stale pollution of our passions. Pornography is the only atmosphere we know: it has clotted our lungs, and we cannot get enough of it.
You can read the rest of the blog HERE.
#RedeemerRecommends - Andrew Wilson's Newday Blog
In anticipation of our highlights of Newday blog, check out Andrew Wilson’s!
We will soon be publishing a list of Redeemer’s Newday highlights, so keep your eyes peeled for that! For now, take a look at this blog from Andrew Wilson, who was the speaker at the 15-19s venue this year.
https://thinktheology.co.uk/blog/article/ten_things_i_loved_about_newday
#RedeemerRecommends - NewGround Academy
#RedeemerRecommends a chance to be equipped and step into all the promises God has for you!
For this week’s #RedeemerRecommends we’re drawing your attention to a leadership training opportunity hosted by our friends in the New Ground sphere of churches, read on for more info!
Here at Redeemer we are blessed to have many people amongst us who are gifted leaders, and involved in leadership in many areas of their life, be that in the workplace, in their family, or within the church as a volunteer. You may not recognise yourself as leading in any situations, but you may wish to in the future, or you may simply be wanting to grow in your self-leadership! In any of these cases, it is always good to identify opportunities to grow and stretch ourselves. One of these opportunities is available for us just down the road!
The New Ground Academy was set up in response to Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 to ‘Go and make disciples of all nations’. Its aim is to train and equip the church leaders and church shapers who are seeking to live out this verse in their day to day lives! It is a two year course, hosted by Everyday Church, Wimbledon, with two days of training taking place each month (on Friday & Saturday) for 10 months of the year, with holidays in August and December. Teaching at the Academy is led by a number of different men and women from across Newfrontiers and further afield, and topics in 2019 will include the Holy Spirit, Discipleship, Apologetics, Ethics, Leadership, Sexuality and many more! Each days training consists of teaching sessions, discussion groups, and Q&A opportunities, as well as time for lunch and coffee breaks when you can get to know other Academy students from different churches across London and the rest of the UK. There is a charge of £350 a year. It’s not without cost, but as anyone would agree, growing as a leader in any capacity always requires some cost. If finances are an issue, please do get in touch and we will do what we can to work something out.
As someone who is almost a year into the Academy, I can testify that it is one of the best decisions I have ever made, every time I come away from a weekend of teaching I feel not only better equipped but also set on fire again for the lost and more desperate to see the impact of the gospel on the lives of believers and non-believers! I’m sure if you speak to anyone at Redeemer who has been on the Academy they would tell you a similar story!
So, you’re interested, what do you do next? Well why not join us THIS WEEKEND (7th or 8th of June) at Everyday Church, for one or both of the taster sessions, which are free to attend with no need to sign up! Just come along and hear some great teaching on the book of Romans. Each day starts with registration at 8:30, and finishes at 5:30 on Friday and 4:30 on Saturday. If you can’t make it this weekend but want to find out more there is a link below. Sign-up for next years course (starting September 2019) ends on the 28th of June, so don’t delay! If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to contact us on hello@redeemerlondon.org
I hope you can join us this weekend. The Academy really can change your life.
#RedeemerRecommends - Alpha
#RedeemerRecommends a chance to change your life in the next 10 weeks…..
This week on #RedeemerRecommends we’re recommending a course, one that has changed the lives of thousands of people across the world, and one that we are starting right here in Ealing with a launch event TONIGHT!
The Alpha course began in the 90s at Holy Trinity Brompton, just a few miles away from here, and was adapted by Nicky Gumbel to provide a friendly, welcoming environment for people to ask questions and learn more about the Christian faith. You can find out a bit more about one individual’s experience of Alpha below…
Our Alpha course will start on the 15th of May at Osteria Del Portico, and you can find more information about HERE. We also have an event to launch the course tonight at Artisan Coffee! Come and enjoy some live music and poetry, and hear a little more about the course, including an interview with someone who had their life changed by Alpha!
We start at 7:30, and would love to see you there! The address is below, and you can find the Facebook event HERE.
#RedeemerRecommends - Bread
#RedeemerRecommends a blog curated by a member of the Redeemer Family!
Here at Redeemer we love to celebrate the gifting of members of our family! This week on #RedeemerRecommends we are pointing you in the direction of another blog contributed to and curated by Ann Ajet, who attends Redeemer with her family!
Bread is described as being ‘for today’s emerging generation of thoughtful disciples.’ We hope that you will be challenged and informed by their articles! We are also hoping to publish some articles written by Ann on the Redeemer blog in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled!
#RedeemerRecommends - Vintage Worship
#RedeemerRecommends a new worship album borne out of a time of dependence on God’s goodness….
This week on #RedeemerRecommends we are focusing on a new worship album, released this month by Vintage Worship, the worship team from Vintage Church in Los Angeles.
The album was recorded in August 2018, as the church came together for two nights of worship, in the wake of two devastating events locally which had profound effects on the church community; The California wildfires, and the Thousand Oaks shooting.
The songs on the latest album ‘Heaven All Around Us’ reflect on God’s kindness and his grace, while encouraging us to hold onto his love and declare truth about him over ourselves as a form of restoration, even in times of tragedy and heartbreak.
#RedeemerRecommends on Valentine's - salt.london
#RedeemerRecommends a blog from another London based Advance church, with a focus on real love this Valentine’s Day…
If you’ve walked past a shop front or been on social media at all today, you will be aware that it is Valentine’s Day! A day which I’m sure brings about mixed feelings for many of you reading this.
There are many Christian blogs out there focusing on the subject of love, but this week’s #RedeemerRecommends has picked out one in particular which we think is worth a read!
salt.london is a blog which is run by a few friends from another Advance church in Waterloo, led by Andrew Haslam. It describes itself as a blog which seeks to “engage with thoughtful Londoners on matters of faith, philosophy, and life.”
The blog focuses on a range of topics, but you can find some links to their specific Valentine’s themed posts below. We hope you will find them thought provoking and encouraging, whether you’re single or married!
#RedeemerRecommends - 24/7 Prayer
This week’s #RedeemerRecommends invites us to learn more about an inspirational, global prayer organisation which started in just one room in the south of England….
As we continue to look forward to Transforming Prayer, which kicks off this Sunday, this week’s #RedeemerRecommends focuses on the blog of a prayer organisation which is seeing transformation in prayer lives and transformed communities as a result of prayer all across the world.
The 24-7 prayer movement began in 1999 with a single prayer room on the south coast of England, and their prayer room model has since expanded across the globe. 24-7 International now reaches over half the countries on earth. Their story is told in the books Red Moon Rising & Dirty Glory.
To discover more about the movement you can also visit the website by following the link below, where you will also find helpful blogs on prayer, along with inspiring testimonies of the transformational power of prayer!
Let’s be inspired by what God is doing in the global church and believe that he can do incredible things in and through US as we enter into this season of Transforming Prayer! I hope to see you on Sunday as we begin this new, exciting, life changing journey of prayer as a church. Everyone is welcome to join us!
#RedeemerRecommends Upside Down Advent!
Put your advent into reverse with this #RedeemerRecommends…
Turn Advent UPSIDE DOWN.
In the run up to Christmas I was struck by an idea floating on the Web.
A REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR.
http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/family/547633/reverse-advent-calendar
Instead (or as well as) opening an advent calendar door each morning for a piece of chocolate to munch with your cereal flakes of choice, create a collection for someone struggling to make ends meet this Christmas.
Each day in the run up to Christmas, put aside a staple food item or something a little more festive. And before Christmas hand it to a local food bank or a charity supporting the homeless to be passed on to someone who may not be anticipating a happy Christmas time.
Go to https://www.trusselltrust.org/what-we-do/ for more ideas of the best items to include and to find your local foodbank.
If you're in Ealing go to https://ealing.foodbank.org.uk
You can even hand it in at your local supermarket - Tesco's in Ealing is collecting.