"Church-based social action has grown significantly in the last 20 years, but it needs an appraisal. Too often social action projects can become disconnected from efforts for justice, deepen a sense of dependency in those they serve, and end up drifting in a secular direction." I am very honoured to have been asked to give… Continue reading Grace, Truth & the Common Good: a lecture in honour of Frank Field
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.
Being a ‘public Christian’
Photo by Kaique Rocha on Pexels.com When it comes to matters of faith in public life, we are living in fascinating times. 15-20 years ago the militant ‘New Atheism’ of Richard Dawkins was on the rise and it seemed everyone was reading The God Delusion. But the mood-music has changed. Dawkins himself recently described himself… Continue reading Being a ‘public Christian’
Christianity: what is real and what is fake?
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com I have just read Philip Yancey’s memoir Where the Light Fell. Its an account of his life growing up in poverty and fundamentalism in Atlanta, Georgia with his widowed mother and older brother. Yancey’s father was a Baptist Minister who was just 23 when he died from polio: ‘Dozens,… Continue reading Christianity: what is real and what is fake?
Jeremy Swain: mentor, friend & inspiration
I was devastated to hear that Jeremy Swain had died after a short illness. Jeremy was a great friend, mentor and colleague who had a huge influence on my working life. No one has shown me more about what good leadership looks like. Jeremy had worked for homelessness charity Thames Reach for 30 years. He… Continue reading Jeremy Swain: mentor, friend & inspiration
The denial & reality of trauma: a tale of two books
A few months ago, Keith Hebden wrote a G+T guest article titled Complicity or challenge? Responding to self-limiting excuses in which he shared insights from the psychologist Alfred Adler. He wrote: “For Adler it is our goals that determine our limitations and not our past. He argued that it can be tempting to take comfort in the… Continue reading The denial & reality of trauma: a tale of two books
Why the government has failed to ‘end rough sleeping’
Photo by James Frid on Pexels.com The Conservative Manifesto for the 2019 election said this: "We will end the blight of rough sleeping by the end of the next Parliament.” (p.30) With today’s announcement of a General Election in July, we will have a new Parliament this summer. And, as anyone who spends time in towns… Continue reading Why the government has failed to ‘end rough sleeping’
Finding space for grace
The chapel at Scargill, Yorkshire, UK After Easter, I felt I needed a week off work and cleared my diary for a week in May without a firm idea of what I would do. I thought a retreat would be good to explore, so I looked at the website of Scargill House in Yorkshire as… Continue reading Finding space for grace
Truly Woke
Photo by Spencer Selover on Pexels.com I have always fallen asleep extremely easily. Whilst this is a positive thing when I go to bed, it’s also been embarrassing at other times: when I have fallen asleep watching TV, at the cinema, getting my hair cut, in church or even in meetings at work. I have… Continue reading Truly Woke
Let’s be more Frank about the politics of poverty
Last week saw the passing of one of my political heroes, Frank Field, the Labour MP who represented Birkenhead for 40 years. We were both graduates of Hull University and I first came across him when studying Social Work because of his work as Director of the Low Pay Unit and the Child Poverty Action… Continue reading Let’s be more Frank about the politics of poverty
Radical faith, remarkable community: the real deal at Bonny Downs
https://youtu.be/UV8_0FfrVrk Over the last few years, it has been a joy to get to know the remarkable Christian community in Bonny Downs in East London. It’s a group of people whose life, work and example has truly inspired me. Their story starts back in 1890s, when Charles Howe, walking through the ‘notoriously rough’ Bonny Downs… Continue reading Radical faith, remarkable community: the real deal at Bonny Downs
Grace + Truth 