Photo by Aa Dil on Pexels.com Last week I was on my way to my church for our Wednesday night drop-in meal called The Vine when I got a call from the church caretaker. He told me that the church building had no heat or light due to a complete loss of power in the… Continue reading When a church loses its power
Category: Social action
Empowered: faith that makes a lasting difference, Conference 7th March 2024
I have been very encouraged by the response to my longer article Justice, Empowerment & Faith: the Future Direction of Christian Social Action. It has been read by over 4000 people so far and I have had a pile of emails and messages with lots of support and agreement as well as plenty of thoughtful critique… Continue reading Empowered: faith that makes a lasting difference, Conference 7th March 2024
Why ‘New Atheism’ grew old
Ten years ago, when I worked at the West London Mission, I invited an atheist sociologist to speak at our Annual Conference. His name was Carwyn Gravell and in a beautifully lyrical Welsh accent, he introduced himself: "I am an atheist, but I am not of the Richard Dawkins kind. I am not at the… Continue reading Why ‘New Atheism’ grew old
Fences or ambulances on the cliff-edge of poverty? – by Juli Thompson
Photo by Enrico Perini on Pexels.com I have worked for twenty years in Bradford tackling homelessness and food insecurity. Reading Grace+Truth over the years has helped me to reflect on the approach I have taken. Its good to be self-critical and I have always been challenged by the thought that our work might be part… Continue reading Fences or ambulances on the cliff-edge of poverty? – by Juli Thompson
Justice, Empowerment & Faith: the future direction for Christian social action
This is a longer article written to provoke discussion about the key challenges and future direction for Christian social action in the UK. A PDF version can be downloaded at the bottom of the article. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for ancient paths, ask where the good way… Continue reading Justice, Empowerment & Faith: the future direction for Christian social action
Feeding the hunger for community – by Simon Dwight
Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com On the Friday before Christmas, I hurried from my office to our church's outreach meal. Over the past two decades, my work life has focused on ways to help people overcome homelessness. However, as my career and the issue of homelessness have become increasingly interconnected, I've naturally moved away… Continue reading Feeding the hunger for community – by Simon Dwight
Keeping social action salty
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew 5:13 Photo by Castorly Stock on Pexels.com At Streatham Baptist Church, we run a meal on Wednesday evenings… Continue reading Keeping social action salty
Coming for warmth, but staying for the welcome – by David Barclay
As temperatures drop and the nights close in, many of us may start to think about Christmas plans or cosy nights watching Strictly with the family. But for millions in the UK, the winter season comes with a creeping dread. For many, the cold and dark leaves them increasingly isolated and lonely and they contemplate… Continue reading Coming for warmth, but staying for the welcome – by David Barclay
Full Fat Faith
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com In The Church Times this week, Angela Tilby wrote a refreshingly honest article titled Emptied-out belief leads to empty pews: “At my end of the C of E, everyone remains very polite, tolerant, and a bit disconnected. It is just slightly embarrassing to speak directly about God.” And she pin-points… Continue reading Full Fat Faith
Faith to confront human trafficking – by Paula Cornell
My third night in South Asia I crawled into bed in my hotel with a heavy heart. It’s hard to describe the pervasive sense of darkness and despair I felt. Since arriving there, my coworkers and I had heard story after story of total disregard for the value of human life. Men forced to work… Continue reading Faith to confront human trafficking – by Paula Cornell
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