Storm Frank battered the UK with high winds and heavy rain

Robin Kyd was one of a group of volunteers who manned Reception and kept Christ the Cornerstone open between Christmas and the New Year [and so was John Temple RK].

He worked on the afternoon Storm Frank battered the UK with high winds and heavy rain.

His wife Pat had worked the morning shift with Walter Greaves.

I asked Robin why they gave up their holiday to keep the church open.

‘So people can use the Chapel,’ he said, and as if on cue a group of women came out of the Chapel, one of them, trailing a shopping trolley.

Robin and his wife Pat are church stalwarts. They have been members for ten years. He said that when they joined they promised themselves they would not get too involved in church activities. That promise lasted less than a year.

‘It’s our way of making a contribution,’ said Robin, who also acts as secretary to the Ecumenical Council.

Throughout the afternoon people continued to come to the Chapel, to light candles or to pray. Some stayed minutes, others longer. They came alone, in couples or as families.

‘I see this all the time,’ said Robin, refilling a cardboard box with tea lights. ‘Even in the week, after work people pop in to light candles or to pray.’

Many also popped in to use the toilets or visit the Café.

‘It’s closed,’ shouted Robin more than once, ‘Open on Monday.’

A woman came in and bought a card from the Shop.

‘It’s for my friend,’ she said, counting out the right change from her purse. ‘He’s ninety years old on Monday. I hope he likes it.’

The phone rang and Robin answered it. It was a query about service times. The phone continued to ring throughout the afternoon. Two people working for the Winter Night Shelter were in and out of the small office they share in the Reception area to take care of their clients. The Winter Night Shelter provides supervised overnight accommodation to homeless people who would otherwise be sleeping rough during the winter. It works in partnership with several Milton Keynes churches that provide their facilities free of charge. Homelessness is a big problem in Milton Keynes.

Another woman came in to buy a calendar and just after 3.00 pm, a man and his young son came in for a Food Bank voucher. He was running late and the anxiety showed in his face. He had to be back at the Food Bank before 3.30 pm to collect his food parcels and he needed help. He said there had been some confusion about signatures and he did not know what to do. Robin took it in his stride. He asked questions; filled out the relevant forms; gave the man what he wanted and within minutes he was on his way again.

A woman used the church Reception area to wait for her husband to collect her. It was warmer, drier and safer than waiting outside where Storm Frank was kicking up its heels. Robin welcomed her as he did everyone else and then another woman came to collect four plastic bags full of food which had been put to one side. She told us that she had been made redundant six months ago having worked for the same company for fifteen years. She had three teenage children at home to support and said the Food Bank was a life line.

Robin is a big supporter of the Food Bank.

Next, a man came in to see the people from the Night Shelter at a time when they both were out of the office.

‘I’m ten minutes early,’ he said, ‘I like to be early.’

‘I’m sure they will not be long,’ Robin said, ‘Please take a seat.’

The man did not want to take a seat. He wanted to talk.

‘They are helping me find accommodation,, he said, as if an explanation was necessary. ‘I have a bed at the Night Shelter but I’m prepared to give that up today if I can find permanent accommodation. I still have a few friends left and I’m sure I can sofa surf for a few weeks until they can set me up with my own place.’

He said he was trying to make a new start in life, but admitted he was finding it difficult. He said he lived in the past. He was a happy then. He had a company car, 50k a year and a family – and then it all went wrong. It went very wrong. He had a car accident followed by a lengthy stay in hospital and then his marriage broke up. The Night Shelter people returned and took him into their office. He reappeared fifteen minutes later. He was beaming. They had been able to help him. He was not the only one they have been able to help. Since the Night Shelter started four years ago they have helped 165 people move into longer-term accommodation.

A man came in to collect two of his paintings which had been hanging in the cloisters as part of the Art Exhibition for Advent. He stopped to talk about the inspiration for his paintings and the difficulties of mixing colours to reflect the light, and then the woman with the shopping trolley, who had been in the Chapel, earlier, came back into church or rather was blown into church.

She was checking her mobile and realised she had missed a call.

‘I don’t know how,’ she said to no one in particular. ‘I’ve had it switched on all day. How could I have missed it?’

She pressed redial, waited for her call to be answered and then explained who she was.

She had been invited for a job interview.

You could see she was pleased.

She made arrangements over the phone and then when it was over told us, in case we had not heard, that she had a job interview. She also said that although she did not have high hopes for the job, she was glad to have been given an interview. She said it made her feel as if she mattered. The thought suddenly struck me that nearly everyone who came into church that afternoon had something to say and people were there who were willing to listen.

The Chapel may have been open for prayer but the Church had been open to show people that they mattered.

John Temple