My last post shared a great clip from a Hollywood film which featured a powerful example of the church sharing its message beyond the doors of its building. But at the end of the day, it is a film clip. It's not actually real. So, its great to share another video of a real example of the church getting out of… Continue reading When the church leaves the building (for real this time)
Category: Social action
‘Good news to those who need it most’: evangelical social action
Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com The term ‘evangelical’ is a tricky one to use. Similarly to the word ‘liberal’, people can mean very different things when they use it. The actual word ‘evangelical’ has its etymological roots in the Greek word for "gospel" or "good news" so it can rightly be used as a description of… Continue reading ‘Good news to those who need it most’: evangelical social action
‘Hope in Challenging Times’
I love working for the West London Mission. We have just published our Annual Report which summarises what we have achieved in the past year. Its a great opportunity to celebrate and give thanks for the transformation we have seen in the lives of homeless and vulnerable people. This is what I wrote in my introduction: A… Continue reading ‘Hope in Challenging Times’
The Amos Course: God’s Word to a World of Injustice
Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com Are you part of a home group at your church? Looking for some resources to help explore what the Bible says about poverty and injustice? Amos: God’s Word to a World of Injustice I wrote this 6 session course on the book of Amos back in 2011. No biblical… Continue reading The Amos Course: God’s Word to a World of Injustice
Tranforming communities: what the world can learn from the Philippines – by Tom Graham
Photo by Marfil Graganza Aquino on Pexels.com It’s a village community Christmas party, and a bunch of over-enthusiastic men are on stage, dressed as lady boys, dancing enthusiastically to the repetitive and yet (dare I say it?) catchy tune of Gangnam Style. Whilst everyone enjoys the show, you imagine these Alpha-males will regret their performance… Continue reading Tranforming communities: what the world can learn from the Philippines – by Tom Graham
Lament, protest and resistance – by Keith Hebden
Photo by kailash kumar on Pexels.com I met recently with Manohar, a South Indian priest and activist, in his office in central Bengaluru (Bangalore). Manohar is a Dalit and a determined champion of the rights of the Dalits whose spiritual and political solidarity with the oppressed are integral to each other. He told me of a… Continue reading Lament, protest and resistance – by Keith Hebden
Homelessness: how the Church still offers hospitality and hope
Two major events happening in November show why the Church continues has such an important role in addressing homelessness. Firstly, on November 8th there is the Annual Service of Commemoration for homeless people who have died in the past year which is held every year at St Martins-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square. This is always a… Continue reading Homelessness: how the Church still offers hospitality and hope
The Paralympics, Stoke Mandeville and the Church in Action – by Martin Kuhrt
Dr Ludwig Guttmann was the founding father of the Paralympics. He was an eminent Jewish doctor who had fled Nazi Germany just before the start of the Second World War and became head of the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville, near Aylesbury. There, 'Poppa' Guttmann, organised the first Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948 which began… Continue reading The Paralympics, Stoke Mandeville and the Church in Action – by Martin Kuhrt
Going Beyond ‘the Project’: why we need to be less professional and more radical – by Anna Hembury
The defining, shaping character of Christian youth and community work is the Incarnation - Jesus’ birth, life death and resurrection. This presumably means we are confident that Jesus had a pretty good grasp of what constitutes “good practice” so the standards by which we might measure “being professional” should first and foremost be from an… Continue reading Going Beyond ‘the Project’: why we need to be less professional and more radical – by Anna Hembury
If you want to go fast, go alone – if you want to go further, go together
Aylesbury I have just had a great weekend with my brother's family in Aylesbury. My brother Martin is Chairman of the Aylesbury Churches Network and they put on a brilliant Fun Day as part of the Town's Park Life weekend where around 4000 people came for football, bouncy castles, face painting, burgers and loads of great games. Everything was free… Continue reading If you want to go fast, go alone – if you want to go further, go together
Grace + Truth 