Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com A number of years ago I was co-leading a seminar at the Greenbelt festival on homelessness. In this context, we knew there was a danger that it would simply be full of people agreeing that homelessness was ‘A Bad Thing’ and that ‘the government should do more’. So to mix it… Continue reading ‘Does charity work?’ Challenging the non-profit comfort zone
Author: Jon Kuhrt
Jon Kuhrt has worked with people affected by homelessness for over 30 years. He is a former government adviser on how faith groups address rough sleeping and is now CEO of Hope into Action. He lives with his wife in Streatham, south London and they have 3 children. He likes football....but loves cricket.
The deepest grace & truth: the crux of Christian faith
Review of The Wood Between the Worlds: a Poetic Theology of the Cross – by Brian Zahnd (IVP, 2024) There is nothing more central to Christian theology than Jesus’ death on the cross. As Brian Zahnd puts it: “Everything about the gospel message leads to the cross and proceeds from the cross…the crucifixion of Jesus… Continue reading The deepest grace & truth: the crux of Christian faith
‘Life to the Full’: Labour Party Conference sermon
The text of a sermon I gave at the Labour Party Conference Church Service on 22/9/24. The bible readings were Isaiah 65: 17-25 & John 10:7-18 In the field of homelessness, where I have worked for 30 years, you cannot avoid the twin issues of politics and faith. Rough sleeping is a sensitive political issue… Continue reading ‘Life to the Full’: Labour Party Conference sermon
Let’s all be more Freddie Flintoff
I loved the first series of Field of Dreams (see this blog) where former England cricketing legend, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff formed a cricket team of lads from his home town of Preston. Most had never played the game before and they all faced various challenges including neuro-diversity, homelessness and mental-health issues. (And before people who… Continue reading Let’s all be more Freddie Flintoff
“Though this world is broken, we know His justice shall win”
Lee Abbey Camp 2024 banner - created by Sabryanne I am just back from another brilliant week at the Lee Abbey Youth Camp. The camp is all about building a community with 150 others bonded by God's love. We sleep in tents in a field by the sea, eat food cooked over open fires and… Continue reading “Though this world is broken, we know His justice shall win”
The priest, the pay-off & an institution paralysed by fear
Blackburn Cathedral Revolutionary France, 1790s: a mob is rampaging through the streets of Paris, smashing up shops, looting and assaulting people. Trailing fifty yards behind the chaos is an older man struggling to keep up. As he stops and leans on a wall to take a breath, a man asks him ‘My friend, why do… Continue reading The priest, the pay-off & an institution paralysed by fear
What I have learnt from my ‘Soul Survivor’ Bible
We have a Bible my daughter was kindly given by her former youth group designed and marketed for young people: The Soul Survivor Youth Bible. I bet thousands of other young people have a copy too. But since the closure of the Soul Survivor festival and the scandals caused by Mike Pilavachi’s abusive and manipulative… Continue reading What I have learnt from my ‘Soul Survivor’ Bible
Sowing the seeds of strife
"A troublemaker plants seeds of strife" Proverbs 16:28 "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are… Continue reading Sowing the seeds of strife
The contemporary nature of poverty. And why it matters.
In his autobiography, the legendary footballer Bobby Charlton wrote about the material poverty he grew up in a North East of England mining community in 1940s. He records how everyone in his neighbourhood would be hungry the two days before pay-day because everyone was surviving on just bread and margarine. Charlton describes the insecurity and… Continue reading The contemporary nature of poverty. And why it matters.
Navigating narratives: from the ‘Brat Pack’ to today’s misinformation
The 'Brat Pack’ were a group of young American actors who defined the cinema of my early teenage years. It was a play on the 1950s/60s group of Hollywood actors and entertainers known as ‘the Rat Pack’. Films like The Outsiders, St Elmo’s Fire and The Breakfast Club portrayed the struggles of young people in… Continue reading Navigating narratives: from the ‘Brat Pack’ to today’s misinformation
Grace + Truth 