THE Falcon Hotel, Bude, saw over 60 people attend the celebration evening of Bude Street Pastors, with other street pastors attending from Launceston, Cullumpton and Bideford, and also a couple from Derby who were on holiday, but operate as street pastors in their home town.

The police motto is apparently ‘making people feel safe where they live’ and recently, as street pastors and others gathered together for a celebration, it felt really encouraging for those involved to feel that they were serving that sense of ‘safety’ in Bude, offering ‘peace’.

Kev Hogarth, the co-ordinator of Bude Street Pastors, opened the evening with a short history of where it has all started in Bude and read from the Bible, a passage from Isaiah 61, stating: “The spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”

He then told the listeners this is what the street pastors are doing; this is the good news, caring for people, where they are and that this can be celebrated because of what has been done in Bude for the last seven years.

The next speaker was Sgt David Flynn, Bude’s police liaison officer who had been with Bude Street Pastors since the start.

He admitted that other officers were skeptical at the outset, thinking street pastors would be more of a burden and create work for them rather than help. But, Sgt Flynn said, they soon changed their minds when they saw a drop in anti-social incidents in the Bude town area and a growing sense of peace on Saturday nights when the pastors were on patrol.

He also said how in very stretched times, the local police could concentrate on preventing and solving crime knowing that the street pastors were there for the community and offering care for all.

One incident was recorded recently where a shop window was broken on the Strand and street pastors not only cleared up the broken glass, but monitored the area to save further accidents while it was boarded up and the owner was called — a simple caring act that saved police valuable time and man power.

Sgt Flynn said he was happy to continue to support the project in Bude and thanked pastors for all their work and care and prayers.

The third speaker was the Rev Les Isaac, founder of the street pastor movement, not international as well as all over the UK. He spoke from his own experience, still patrolling on occasion, in his home of south London, but also of the personal and powerful feeling that this is what Christians were called to do, care for the ones who needed care and be with those who felt trapped in their lifestyles but did not know a way out.

He felt that the good news, both for communities and for God’s kingdom, was not about words but practical serving and loving all people.

Rev Les finished with the acknowledgement that none of this was possible without prayer to back it all, and this is what those who couldn’t patrol were called to do.

He ended by saying: “Street pastors, keep walking. Keep looking to the Lord for good things in Bude, and keep praying.”

The evening of celebration was brought to a close by Kev with thanks to the Falcon and staff for their great hospitality and to all the street pastors and prayer pastors for their amazing work, with hope that they would all continue and encourage others to join the excitement and see things happening in Bude.

A table was set up for anyone who wanted to apply or show interest and the evening closed around 9.30pm for some social time together and sharing experiences.