Yesterday I was at the annual conference of the homelessness charity, Hope into Action. It was held at the vast Kingsgate Church in Peterborough and over 320 people attended. I had been invited to lead a seminar on how to ensure work with homeless people is both kind and effective. I’ll share some of that… Continue reading Hope into Action and the new wave of Christian social action
Category: Social action
Is the Church just ‘an NGO with a pointy roof’?
Photo by Kamil Zubrzycki on Pexels.com Vincent Donovan was a Catholic missionary who worked among the Masai tribes-people in Tanzania in the 1960s. He became increasingly concerned about the state of missionary work. Donovan observed that after a 100 years of missionary activity in East Africa, the Catholic Church was very busy, running several schools,… Continue reading Is the Church just ‘an NGO with a pointy roof’?
‘For Good: The Church and the Future of Welfare’ – Samuel Wells with Russell Rook & David Barclay [review]
In the 1990s, I used to buy just about every book I could find on Christian social action. Around the turn of the century though, I had to become more selective. One reason was because the number of books published on the subject increased so much. But also I had a nagging guilt about spending too… Continue reading ‘For Good: The Church and the Future of Welfare’ – Samuel Wells with Russell Rook & David Barclay [review]
Crisis of faith in social action: keeping Christian distinctiveness
A huge number charities have been started by committed Christians. One example is my former employer, the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint. It was started in the late 1960s by the Rev Kenneth Leech in St Anne's Church in Soho. But by the time I worked there in the 1990s, Centrepoint had virtually no connection with the… Continue reading Crisis of faith in social action: keeping Christian distinctiveness
Authentic change does not come easily – a weekend retreat
Photo by Heru Dharma on Pexels.com In the last 20 years there has been a significant rise in Christian social action projects and initiatives to combat poverty. Foodbanks, night shelters and debt-relief such as Christians Against Poverty, have grown at a remarkable rate. But in the enthusiasm for social activism, we cannot deny a central… Continue reading Authentic change does not come easily – a weekend retreat
Justice, mercy and humility: a weekend retreat in the Yorkshire Dales
From the 10th-12th November, I am facilitating a weekend away at the beautiful Scargill House in the Yorkshire Dales. Today, the richest 1% of people own more than the rest of the world combined. We see refugee crises across the globe and growing homelessness, poverty and debt in the UK. How do we confront inequality… Continue reading Justice, mercy and humility: a weekend retreat in the Yorkshire Dales
Doing To or Being With? Re-thinking Christian social engagement
This year marks 130 years since the founding of the West London Mission. It was in October 1887 that WLM began its work to bring spiritual and practical hope to people affected by poverty. Back then in Victorian London we ran food depots, clothing stores, soup kitchens and even a job service for unemployed servants.… Continue reading Doing To or Being With? Re-thinking Christian social engagement
Losing their religion: why Christian charities lose their ethos
It cannot be disputed that Churches are very good at establishing social action projects. In recent years this is illustrated by the high-profile rise of church-based Food Banks, Night Shelters, debt services and a whole range of street outreach. Organisations like The Trussell Trust, Street Pastors and Christians Against Poverty have seen their work grow at an incredible… Continue reading Losing their religion: why Christian charities lose their ethos
Love without structures: learning from the collapse of Kid’s Company
Photo by Afta Putta Gunawan on Pexels.com This week the BBC screened a fascinating documentary, Camila’s Kid’s Company: the Inside Story, on the demise of the famous children’s charity. What made the programme so compelling was its intimate portrayal of the Chief Executive, Camila Batmanghelidjh. We see her close-up, as she lived through the collapse of the… Continue reading Love without structures: learning from the collapse of Kid’s Company
Honour where it’s due: Neil Jameson & the difference between profile & real influence
I am not a big fan of the Honours system which awards Knighthoods, CBEs, OBEs and MBEs every year. Again this year there has been controversy over political bias in the awards as the director of the Conservative election campaign, Lynton Crosby, was given a knighthood. And as The Times reports, despite only 7% of the… Continue reading Honour where it’s due: Neil Jameson & the difference between profile & real influence
Grace + Truth 