Carolyn Skinner is the team leader for ‘Love All, Serve All’, a joint church initiative centred around outreach at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships which start this week in London. She speaks with DAVID ADAMS…
Carolyn Skinner is the team leader for ‘Love All, Serve All’, a joint church initiative centred around outreach at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London…
What does ‘Love All, Serve All’ involve?
“‘Love All, Serve All’ is about a group of local Christians demonstrating the love of God to the overnight tennis fans who queue for the Wimbledon Tennis Championships each year. We go out every night offering free drinks and snacks, and a leaflet that explains who we are and why we do this. We have discovered that acts of kindness open up great opportunities for deeper conversation, so we also spend time talking to people about life and faith, we offer prayer and share our stories.”
READY FOR ACTION: Some of the ‘Love All Serve All’ team ready to join the Wimbledon queues.
Who are the participants – are they all tennis fanatics?
“The volunteers are made up of people from local churches who want to bless the people who visit our town each year. Some of them are tennis fans but that’s not a requirement! The only requirement is that you love God and love people!”
I understand that as well as those talking to people waiting in the queue, you also have prayer teams working behind the scenes?
“Yes, one year we had too many volunteers and wondered what to do with them so thought we would allocate some of them to be a prayer team. I don’t know why we hadn’t thought of that earlier! So the pray-ers come out with us and shadow the rest of the team, praying into what they see and listening to God too. We have found this to be an incredibly important role and makes such a difference. We are, after all, in a spiritual battle. We would never go out without pray-ers now.”
How did the initiative start?
“I have always had a passion for tennis and for sharing God’s love, so when I moved to Wimbledon nine years ago I felt compelled to do something. We have people from all over the world arrive on our doorstep and I don’t want them to leave without knowing there is a God who loves them. I had heard that a church had done something similar years ago, so after conversations with local churches, I began to put this together. Over the last nine years it has gradually grown, we have a great relationship with the staff, and have been told that we are now part of the Wimbledon tradition, which I think is one of the best compliments to receive.”
WORKING TOGETHER: Love All Serve has been running for nine years and involves people from local churches in Wimbledon, London.
What sort of feedback do you get from the people standing in the queues?
“The atmosphere in the queues is fantastic, everyone is so positive and friendly. I don’t think we’ve ever had anyone say anything negative towards us. Most people are amazed that a) churches work together, b) that we are offering something for free c) that there is no catch. One year we had a 12-year-old boy tell us that we were the nicest people who come and visit the queues, because we are the only ones who bother to spend time with them and genuinely show an interest in their lives. Showing love and giving time speaks volumes.”
What’s been for you some highlights of the initiative in years past?
“Things like having an atheist tell us that we have changed his thoughts on God; having a lady ask me if she could continue the conversation she started with me the previous year; and seeing the excitement from the volunteers as they come back each night.”
What’s been one of the most challenging moments?
“There was one year when it poured with rain nearly every night, and I had huge admiration for our team going out armed with umbrellas and wellies! The other challenging aspect is staying alert to spiritual attack.”
What’s your tip for who’s going to win Wimbledon this year?
“Andy Murray of course!…Maybe.”
~ www.loveallserveall.blog.com
