EACH Friday at Norreys we host SHARE, the food waste charity, starting each session with a thought for the day.
It’s not just a food project or a charity, it’s a family of volunteers and guests of equal worth.
There’s a big difference between being a visitor and being a guest.
Visitors pop in and out, guests are welcomed, known, and given a place at the table.
God never invites us to be visitors; He calls us to be guests.
At SHARE, we see this every week.
People come because of tight budgets, loneliness, concern about waste – all are welcome.
But our hope is not simply that people collect food and leave; it’s that they find connection, conversation, warmth, and belonging.
We want people to feel like family, not customers.
Zacchaeus began as a visitor, watching Jesus from a tree.
But Jesus stopped and said: “Zacchaeus, come down… I must stay at your house today.”
Jesus didn’t pass by.
He came close.
His welcome transformed Zacchaeus from the inside out.
Jesus still offers that same welcome.
In Revelation He says: “I stand at the door and knock… I will come in and eat with that person.”
Jesus doesn’t look for polite, distant visits; He desires relationship.
And He calls us to welcome others the same way.
SHARE is more than rescuing food; it’s rescuing community – a place for guests, not visitors – where everyone belongs.
Claire Revie is SHARE Wokingham’s founder, and on Norreys Church Leadership Team.
The church meets on Sundays at 10 am.
For information, visit: norreyschurch.co.uk
