Anchorage: noun. haven; refuge; safe place; resting place; secure connection
The Anchorage sits on a busy part of the High Street of Forfar. It is a mission and outreach base for Forfar: All Souls Church, a recent union of five congregations formerly based in the town and the rural areas nearby. Its raison d’etre is to be a safe place for everyone – to provide warmth, hospitality, welcome, inclusion, respect, sympathetic listening and practical help where that is possible or appropriate. If that leads to curiosity about the Christian message, which is at the heart of all we do, then we are ready to talk about that also.
There are three main rooms, an office, and a storeroom. At the back of the building is a café which is run separately from ourselves, and we benefit from sharing a very positive relationship with each other. One of the rooms houses the school uniform shop, where good used uniforms, washed and ironed by our volunteers, are given away without charge to anyone who comes in. Thousands of items are distributed each year. This represents significant protection of the environment as well as helping families make provision for their young people.
Another space is open every weekday morning to welcome anyone who wants to pop in for coffee, chat, borrow books, CDs, etc. As time goes on, more and more people come in on a regular basis. These visits often lead to folk unburdening themselves of worries and concerns and so a sense of mutual trust and respect is built up.
Informal worship takes place every Wednesday morning, led by a team of accredited worship leaders. This is a chance to engage in a relaxed way with biblical themes and perhaps question them in a way you wouldn’t think of doing in church! It is friendly and caring and builds a warm sense of community.
In the course of the week, a great many other activities take place: Men’s Fellowship; Crafts and Company; singing groups; Tots and Toddler sessions; an under-40s group currently engaging with Mark’s gospel; Soul Comfort – a mental health group; Stoma support; Cosy Cuppies for older folk including a party from a local care home; and (inevitably) many church committee meetings.
A link with the local Social Work department has led to their placing with us folk who need help getting back into the community. Information sessions are held on topics of community interest like housing and the new bins! Hillcrest Futures holds a weekly pop-in support session for those with addiction issues, and a special class from the local primary school comes along for an essential break from school.
What of the future? Sustaining our current activities obviously and introducing new and imaginative ones, especially for young people is essential. It would be good to have a Mission Worker operating from the building, but that would require extra funding, and new unions inevitably have many demands on available resources. We are though grateful for what has been achieved so far and would be glad to welcome anyone who would like to visit and see what we have to offer.
By Helen McLeod
