Campaigning
Celebrating the Wonder of Creation
Last weekend we celebrated our harvest festival on the theme of “Wonder of Creation”. Saturday morning we held a Big Breakfast which was very well attended, had a great atmosphere and raised £110 for Christian Aid. Thank you to everyone who came. Sunday morning was a very special service, led by Revd. Adam (his first service with us!) when he preached on how wonderful creation is and launched our campaign against climate change and environmental abuse. You can hear the…
Statements from the Methodist Church following EU Referendum
The Revd Steve Wild and Jill Barber, the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, have released the following joint statement following the EU referendum. The people have spoken through the democratic process. We recognise that the result will cause pain to some people who voted with passion and integrity and that now is the time to move forward together with goodwill. The structures have changed but our hopes for a fair, just and equal society continue. We must now…
Enough
“Poverty is not being able to do things that are necessities. Things that are important like gas and electric, showers, bus fares, and having to worry that your daughter has a hole in her shoes. She needs new shoes and I don’t have the money. What do I do? Do I get gas or do I get shoes?” – Poverty in Scotland 2015, a Scottish Government & Poverty Truth Commission publication. In the UK, children raised in families without enough…
We are now a Fairtrade church!
As part of our continuing campaigning against injustices we have joined over 7400 other places of worship in becoming a fair trade church. We hope with this additional commitment we can continue to promote fairtrade in the future. In becoming a Fairtrade church we have committed to: Use Fairtrade tea and coffee after services and in all other events we run. Move forward on using other Fairtrade products such as sugar, biscuits and fruit. Promote Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight and…
“For the love of…” – Report from the Services
Katrina Recently went to a service “For the love of…” at the beginning of the mass lobby of Parliament on Climate Change. It took place across two churches, St. Margaret’s and Emmanuel Church both in Westminster. These are her thoughts. Those of us at St Margaret’s heard the Bishop of Salisbury Right Rev Holtam speak of God having created the earth and it was very good. We were given earth to live in and to care for it. Are we…
Campaigning Group Report
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) At last year’s General Church Meeting, Andrew reported on Bell Road’s ‘Year of Campaigning’ – including work on the campaign for justice for Bangladeshi garment workers, the ‘Flesh and Blood’ campaign (encouraging church members to see blood and organ donation as part of their Christian giving)…
Tearfund: Ordinary Heroes
The latest campaign from Tearfund is ‘Ordinary Heroes’. Over the past 50 years Tearfund, Its partners and other Charities have made big strides in reducing poverty. The Ordinary Heroes campaign challenges us to help resolve two of the biggest challenges facing the world today, climate change and global inequality. Watch the video below to find out more about the campaign. Tearfund is encouraging you to look at where you get your fuel from, are you using 100% green energy? How…
Tearfund: No Child Taken
At our first Supper Talks evening a few weeks ago we heard fromTearfund about their work. They arecurrently running a number of Campaigns, we will feature a number of them over the coming weeks on this website. No Child Taken is an effort to stop the devastating impact of child trafficking on many of the poorest community’s in the world. Trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the world. It shatters the lives of 1.2 million children every year, along with their…
Praying for our country: ‘Truth, Justice, Peace, Well-being’
After the election this week, whatever your thoughts on its outcome, you may wish to share in this reflection and prayer as we look to the future. For those who are now taking political office, that in serving our communities and national life – truth, justice, peace and wellbeing might become priorities for all. For those for whom these results mean significant change – that they might find grace and wisdom for the way ahead. That those with leadership and influence will act…
Because I am a girl – Plan UK
Jesus Christ is raging, raging in the streets, where injustice spirals and real hope retreats. Listen, Lord Jesus, I am angry too: in the Kingdom’s causes let me rage with you. – John Bell & Graham Maule In addition to information about benefit sanctions during the service(8th March) Ali also talked about the Plan UK campaign to end child marriage. Plan works with some of the worlds poorest children over their 76 year history they have found that young girls face…
Time to Rethink Benefit Sanctions
Love inspires the anger that curses poverty, preaches life’s enrichment, seeks equality. – Andrew Pratt During Sundays service (8th march), Ali talked about a recent Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) report into the effectiveness and consequences of the sanctions currently enforced on state benefits. The report uncovers some startling statistics. The full report and more information can be found here. Once you have read it or watched the video below you can write to your mp from here.
New data: More than 100 people per day with mental health problems are having their benefits sanctioned
This is a news release by the Methodist Church about a new report to be published by JPIT. New data released today has revealed that benefits claimants judged as unfit to work due to mental health problems are more likely to have their benefits stopped by sanctions than those suffering from other conditions. Policy advisers for the Methodist Church obtained the data using Freedom of Information Requests to the Department of Work and Pensions. It shows that people who receive…