The kind of day where you get soaked through – despite every effort to keep dry! Not long after leaving the station we saw the impressive church building that is St. Andrews URC, a 140-year-old, Grade II listed Victorian Church and Community Centre. The Church has played an important role in its community for many years. It is home to a successful nursery, which has been operating for 40 years, running its in-house after school clubs and playschemes, as well as community rooms let out for local groups to use.

St. Andrew’s Church is also home to a special stained-glass window, a New Cross Fire memorial. It was installed in 2002 by Lewisham Council, in memory of the 14 young people who died in the fire on 18 January 1981, and where many of the young people attended the youth club at the church.

We continued our walk towards New Cross to visit St. Michael’s Church & Centre. Both churches are involved in the Brockley and New Cross CRCW project and the contrast in their appearance is quite stark. St. Michael’s Church, a key community space, is like the Tardis in Dr Who, small and unassuming from the outside but unexpectedly large on the inside and full of potential. It is in urgent need of renovation in places, but improvements and repairs will take place slowly, with each new funding target met. Four organisations are now leasing rooms within the building: Deptford Reach, ‘Kiddies Place’ and CAC (an independent Church) and are bringing much needed life and revenue back into the building.

On entering St Michael’s, I met John whose solicitor’s office has been within the entrance of the building for the past 28 years. He has witnessed and been impressed by the effort that Simon and the Trustees of the St. Michael’s Community Centre have put into the project and extended a warm welcome to me. Whilst walking round, dodging the odd drip of water from the leaky roof (scheduled to be repaired in the summer) and side-stepping debris yet to be cleared (with just a couple more rooms left to sort through and empty) Simon and I discussed the work he has been doing over the past 18 months, since he joined the project. At this stage, his role has focused on reaching out to partner organisations and building strong links within the Borough of Lewisham, as well as listening to the needs of those within his local community. Simon currently works with organisations, including Lewisham Foodbank, Lewisham Plus Credit Union and Deptford Reach (a community advice service supporting people affected by homelessness) as well as Asylum and Refugee charities.

Issues of poverty and the cost-of-living crisis are the two most pressing issues affecting the local neighbourhood and these are area’s Simon and the LSG seek to address. For Simon, highlights up to now have been working with the local foodbank and credit union, organisations that Simon has a lot of experience with. He often acts as delivery driver, picking up two tonnes of supplies each week and delivering them to the venue for distribution. He finds it a physically demanding role but likes getting stuck in, supporting colleagues, and serving his community. Staggeringly, this foodbank is one of 50 Foodbanks, Food Pantries and Social Supermarkets in Lewisham alone. The credit union serves around 16,000 people in the local neighbourhood and provides essential financial support to those on the lowest incomes.

I noticed the area around St, Andrews URC, while walking towards New Cross appeared quite affluent at first glance and has become rather gentrified in places, with trendy coffee bars and fancy wine shops popping up but it hides the divide between local people struggling to make ends meet and wealthier people moving into the area and pushing up house prices. Even those with good salaries are struggling to find affordable housing. The focus of the CRCW project is to be a catalyst for change and to try and address these issues by establishing effective connections with partner organisations, providing support to those organisations by taking on active roles within them and by enabling and encouraging church members to participate in their wider community. I very much look forward to seeing how this project makes an impact over the next few years and perhaps I can visit again, ideally on a much drier and brighter day.

If you would like to know more about this project or any other CRCW projects, please do get in touch or follow us on social media.

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This article highlights just one of the initiatives currently happening in the local area:

‘Cannington Yarn Bombers’ was formed during the Cannington URC Warm Space Initiative of 2023 to encourage more people to visit. This led to a member of the church suggesting that the village was “yarn bombed” as part of the Coronation celebrations. A Facebook post, highlighting the activity encouraged a good crowd to see the spectacle, which saw bollards and trees suitably covered, alongside bunting and decorations for the event.

Yarn Bomber Command has a core group of around 10 people, who meet each Tuesday morning at Cannington URC. Various works have since been completed including poppy cascades and knitted Christmas trees. The group reuse the work wherever possible; the Christmas tree, Coronation tree wraps, and bunting have been made into blankets and donated to local charities, for example.

2024 has seen Cannington Yarn Bombers go international with two panels being produced as part of an 80th Anniversary Day Landings Commemorative piece: “The Longest Yarn”. A total of 80, 1m x 0.5m, panels will form an exhibition in the cathedral at Caranten from May to September after which it will go on a tour of the UK and next year the USA.
Cannington Yarn Bombers decided to get involved to honour the men of the US 535th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion who were stationed at Brymore House (now Brymore Academy) from February to the end of May 1944. They left for Dartmouth, landing on Utah beach on D Day June 6th, 1944.

One panel shows the camp in front of Brymore House, the second the troops leaving through the village. The work has taken three months to complete, the actual time spent doing the knitting, crochet and embroidery is probably in excess of 500 hours.

The finished artwork is on its way to France where it will be displayed alongside the other panels ready for the end of May, when Normandy will again be invaded, but this time by the world’s dignitaries, veterans and their families and friends remembering the events of 80 years ago.

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Our lates venture at St Columba’s is an exercise class. This feels like it has come out of the blue – but when I look at the stages, I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised.

Before lockdown a friendship group had formed at the church, this evolved to become a place where older people came for company and brought their lunch. During the winter months I started to make soup for them. Then came lockdown. We started up again when we were able and as the cost-of-living crisis arrived, this developed into a warm space (now called warm welcome or community space). It’s become quite popular, twice a week home made soup and a warm place to gather and chat. During the summer months we provide scones or teacakes.

One day some in the group were telling me how sad they were that their gentle exercise class had stopped as the person who ran it was unwell, and it wasn’t expected to reopen. They asked me if I could do anything in the church to help them out. So, I had a little think and realised it was actually quite feasible. Now, every week, we use a YouTube video with half an hour of chair based gentle exercise, followed by a bowl of soup and a chat.

This is probably what makes my days so interesting and why I love my work – that I can respond to requests, that the church is flexible and accommodating enough to be able to say, “let’s try it and see what happens.” God is always ahead of me laying out opportunities – I just need to keep up!

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So, what have I found? Tending to be introverted in nature really didn’t matter, the community has been very welcoming, from my first visits, to the weekly breakfast (run by Sanctuary Housing & NHS Health Improvement) to the Church run café (Scone club to the locals) people have been friendly, talkative and relationships with regulars have been easy to build.

In more practical terms, I discovered that more than just a new kitchen was needed, the garden is in desperate need of work to make it a functioning and safe space again with only half of it being accessible to the public at present.

What about local needs? Food insecurity is an issue, as with so many places, and there is a lack of children’s and young people’s provision in the area. Once we have been able to fund its redevelopment, the local Community Coordinator from Urban Roots (who manage the garden for the church), and I plan to look at ways we can use this green space to address these issues.

So, what have I learnt in my first few months? Firstly, it doesn’t matter if your congregation is small (we have eight at Priesthill at the time of writing) if the desire is there and you have good networks and partnerships the work can still be done. Secondly after a gap of several years, it’s good to be back and living in Scotland.

Priesthill URC and Shawlands URC are members of the Southside Cluster. Priesthill URC is based in ‘The Hall’, a former Roman Catholic Church social hall, which is situated on a post-war housing scheme of 8,500 residents on the south-west outskirts of Glasgow.

CRCW Alice Gilbert was called to the Priesthill & Shawlands URCs and commissioned and inducted on 26th August 2023.

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Progressive rock icon Rick Wakeman shares his love for the United Reformed Church in this month’s Reform. He talks Henry VIII and funeral hymns, and tells the magazine he likes to consider himself “a Christian who lives in the real world”.

Also in the real world, URC Youth Moderator Heather Moore says faith and physics make sense together, and the Revd Al Barrett is inspired by the secret world of fungi. Geoff Felton makes a pilgrimage right around his Mersey Synod, and walking enthusiast Stephen Thornton reflects on 60 years of ministry and mountains.

Two aspects of Jesus’ ministry are explored by Graham Handscomb and John Cooper – the failed “banality of evil” demonstrated by Christ’s crucifixion, and the hard call to non-violence revealed in Jesus’ example of peace.

Plus all the regulars – thoughtful reviews, a challenging crossword, and columnist Paul Kerensa, this month revealing a great business idea and asking if anyone wants to go halves.

 digitally or in print. For any queries, please email the�����ڴǰ������ٱ𲹳�.

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Nominated by Helen Bailey, the church’s young person’s leader, Alice Bagshaw gained the award for her charity work.

Alice was one of 21 students chosen by her school to travel to Sri Lanka for 10 days to support the (OST), a Fleet-based charity that empowers schoolchildren and communities through education.

Before the trip, Alice formed part of a school group that fundraised for a whole year, raising more than £3,000 through various means, such as selling crafts at Christmas fairs, baking cookies and muffins to sell at church and completing sponsored runs and cycling events.

In Sri Lanka, Alice was based in Batticaloa, a town on the east coast of the island which is also one of the poorest communities in the country. Alice helped to run activities in local schools, enjoyed sightseeing and meeting new people.

The £3,000 raised by Alice’s group went towards improving schools in the area and renovating a school’s music room, supporting feeding programmes and providing resources to sponsored children and preschools.

Alice said the best part about being involved in the work with OST was seeing the amazing impact the money she had helped raised and the charity has on communities in Sri Lanka. That seeing how much hope and joy was brought to the children is an experience she’ll never forget.

When asked how she felt about the award, Alice said: “I was so surprised to find out I was February’s winner as I had not been expecting to be chosen at all. It made me proud to think about what I had done as something God had planned for me to do, as it helped me to realise how much he values each individual and what he helps us to achieve.”

Encouraging other young people to get involved with their charity work, Alice added: “It feels wonderful to know that something small you have done can have such a wonderful impact on someone else. I will never forget the friendships I made in the time I was there.”

Each recipient of the Lundie award receives £100. Alice is taking time to consider where this money will be best used.

Learn more about the Lundie Memorial Award.

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In an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the organisations say the Bill breaks international law and “abandons our duty to share in the global responsibility towards those forced to seek safety”.

The letter in full says:

Dear Prime Minister,

We write to express our shared outrage at the passage of the misleadingly named ‘Safety of Rwanda Act’. This is a shameful and performatively cruel law that will risk people’s lives and betray who we are as a society.

We all want to be safe – and we want that safety for each other, too. As a country, we are proud to uphold our responsibility to support refugees. Given the chance, communities across our country go the extra mile to welcome those in need. The wider public do not support the Rwanda plan.

But this law would enable the government to forcibly expel people seeking asylum – including children and survivors of trafficking and modern slavery – despite concerns they could be put at grave risk of harm and human rights abuses. The Rwanda plan will force people who have fled violence and persecution into detention centres where they may face abuse and mistreatment, with no time limit. They will then be removed to a country to which they have no connection, despite our country’s Supreme Court ruling that it is unsafe for them. Through this law, the Government will put them at grave risk of mental and physical harm, and of being returned to danger in the countries they fled.

Despite the clear ruling from the Supreme Court, the government is rewriting the facts so they can shirk our responsibilities to refugees. In doing so, the government would break international law and further shatter the UK’s commitment to justice and the rule of law. While this is a targeted attack on refugees and migrants, an attack on one group’s rights is an attack on all of us.

Outsourcing our asylum system to other countries is never acceptable. It abandons our duty to share in the global responsibility towards those forced to seek safety. Instead of continuing down this dangerous path, the government must guarantee that asylum claims will be heard fairly on our shores, and open safe routes so that people are not forced to take dangerous journeys.

As organisations working towards a better future for all, we believe in kindness and compassion. The government must listen to the people, abandon this deplorable deal with Rwanda and similar plans with other countries, and protect those who need sanctuary.

.

The Revd Dr Tessa Henry Robinson, Moderator of the United Reformed Church General Assembly, also joined with leaders of other churches in renewing their commitment to caring for the most vulnerable, as legislation to enable asylum seekers to be deported to Rwanda was approved by Parliament.

In a joint statement with leaders of the Church of England, Roman Catholic, Methodists, and Baptists, the leaders pay tribute to all those who “live out Jesus’s call to feed and clothe the poor, and to welcome the stranger, at times in the face of opposition and prejudice.

The statement voices concern that asylum seekers and refugees have been used as a “political football” and that the kindness of churches and charities towards people fleeing war, persecution and violence has been “unjustly maligned by some for political reasons.”

The statement in full:

“We retain deep misgivings about the Safety of Rwanda Bill, passed in Parliament last night, for the precedent it sets at home and for other countries in how we respond to the most vulnerable. This includes victims of modern slavery and children wrongly assessed as adults, whom we have a duty to protect.

As leaders in Christian churches we wish to express our profound gratitude to those who live out Jesus’s call to feed and clothe the poor, and to welcome the stranger, through their work with asylum seekers and refugees, at times in the face of opposition and prejudice.

We note with sadness and concern the rise in hostility towards those who come to these islands seeking refuge and the way in which the treatment of the refugee and asylum seeker has been used as a political football.

We are disappointed that the kindness and support offered by churches and charities to the people at the heart of this debate – those fleeing war, persecution and violence trying to find a place of safety – has been unjustly maligned by some for political reasons.

In their response to the tragic attack in Clapham earlier this year, some former Home Office ministers, MPs and other commentators sought to portray churches and clergy as deliberately facilitating false asylum claims. It was for this reason, at the request of Anglican leaders, that representatives of our Churches met the Home Secretary in February.  When asked, neither he nor officials could provide evidence to support the allegations of widespread abuse. Home Office Ministers have since confirmed this in a written parliamentary answer, and on questioning by the Home Affairs Select Committee. Follow-up meetings have since been agreed to promote closer cooperation and co-working between the churches and the Home Office.

Like so many in this country, we seek to support a system that shows compassion, justice, transparency and speed in its decisions. We grieve the appalling loss of life in the Channel today. There may be differences between our churches and Government on the means by which our asylum system can be fair, effective and respecting of human dignity, but we do agree that borders must be managed and that vulnerable people need protection from people smugglers. We have pledged to continue to work with the Home Office, and we do so in good faith.”

The Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, Moderator of The United Reformed Church General Assembly

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell

The Bishop Paul McAleenan, Lead Bishop for Migrants and Refugees

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

The Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun

The Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary, The Baptist Union of Great Britain

The Revd Gill Newton, President of the Methodist Conference

Image: Jametlene Reskp/Unsplash.

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The Hon. Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s Minister for Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, encouraged other UK churches, along with the UK government, to also apologise.

Members of the United Reformed Church travelled to Jamaica earlier this month as part of an ecumenical pilgrimage to learn about the legacies of slavery.

Themed around repairing relationships, the trip focused on spiritual reconciliation, as well as meetings with partner churches, the country’s Prime Minister and other prominent politicians.

Those on the trip included the Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, URC General Assembly Moderator, Karen Campbell, Secretary for Global & Intercultural Ministries, and Tom Hackett, Southern Synod’s Children’s and Youth Development Officer.

The apology was delivered by Dr Henry-Robinson during an ecumenical service themed ‘Reparation, A Journey Towards Repentance, Repair and Reconciliation’ at Webster Memorial Church in the parish of St Andrew, an area of around the country’s capital, Kingston.

It was accepted by the Revd Gary Harriott, Moderator of The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (UCJCI), a partner of the ������ϲʿ������ through the Council for World Mission.

Ms Grange encouraged the other churches that sent representatives to Jamaica to witness the historic apology to “signal to your government that the Christian thing to do is to admit culpability by way of an apology and to engage with us to determine the various forms that reparations may take”.

“It is not enough that the enslavers and their descendants should regret the suffering that slavery inflicted on our ancestors,” Ms Grange continued.

“When you have done something wrong, you must take responsibility for it, apologise and try to set things right.”

The URC’s apology was accompanied by a pledge from the UCJCI to give parcels of land it had received from those who profited from slavery to the most vulnerable.

During the service, Dr Henry-Robinson said that the apology is rooted in the Gospel that calls on sinners to repent of what has been done in the past and to be reconciled.

The apology read: “We, the General Assembly of The United Reformed Church, mindful of our own history and that of our antecedent bodies, apologise for our role in transatlantic slavery and the scars that continue to blight our society, our church, and the lives of black people in our midst and around the globe today.

“We have heard the pain of sisters and brothers who have been hurt and are still being hurt by these legacies, including the continuing scourge of racism.”

The in-person apology comes after the ������ϲʿ������ made a confession and apology for the role of its antecedents in transatlantic slavery and its continuing complicity in the legacies of the trade at its 2022 General Assembly.

In accepting the apology, the Revd Harriott said that the scars of the “barbaric” history of slavery continue to haunt the descendants of the enslaved, noting that much of Jamaica’s policies and economic state are shaped by the legacies of slavery.

“I stand in a posture of thanksgiving to God to receive the apology of our sisters and brothers from The United Reformed Church for the complicity of their forefathers and ‘foremothers’ in the enslavement of other human beings,” Revd Harriott said.

“We stand grateful because this ecumenical service of worship represents a sign of resurrection, a sign of hope,” he said, adding that he rejoices that the church has found the courage to acknowledge its wrongdoings.

“It is our prayer that those who have been dehumanised over centuries and those who continue to experience the impact of enslavement will be equally courageous, inspired by the spirit of God, to share in the journey demanding justice and affirming peace. This is resurrection, this is hope.”

He also invited other members of faith, as well as governments, to offer reparation.

The Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson said: “This pilgrimage to Jamaica has been profoundly eye-opening and represents a significant step towards healing and reconciliation.

“I am deeply moved by the gracious acceptance of the United Reformed Church’s apology by Jamaica’s Minister for Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, which underscores the transformative power of acknowledging historical wrongs and expressing genuine remorse.

“Journeying with our hosts, the Churches Reparation Action Forum, in the way we have been, has made it clear that such acknowledgements are crucial for forging right relationships and paving a way forward.

“Reflecting on our experiences and the warm reception from the Jamaican community, I strongly advocate that other churches also acknowledge their roles in the trafficking and enslavement of Africans.

“It is only with acknowledgement and apology that we can begin to work towards helping to repair the breach and move towards achieving true reconciliation and unity.”

Karen Campbell, the ������ϲʿ������’s Secretary for Global and Intercultural Ministries, said: “This pilgrimage has been truly meaningful. It has included great joy and deep lament. We have been welcomed by a people whose lives and land are scarred by a history of brutal enslavement and colonialism, a people who have received us warmly even while knowing that Britain took the lead in that history, and that the Church was hugely complicit in those endeavours.

“If we were in any doubt, in Jamaica, we see why the ������ϲʿ������’s engagement with the legacies of transatlantic slavery matters. Our apology matters – to help bring about healing of relationships; and our commitment to acts of repairing justice is essential to contribute to healing the societal scars.

“Our hosts have described us as ‘trailblazers’, thanking us for our courage in confronting our history and seeking a new way forward – and praying that other UK churches might do the same.

“We pray so too – because lament and healing are needed on both sides of the Atlantic; on both sides of our horrific shared history.”

Read the ������ϲʿ������’s confession and apology for the role of its antecedents in transatlantic slavery and its continuing complicity in the legacies of the trade today

Karen Campbell and the Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson are available for interview by arrangement, as they are still on the ecumenical pilgrimage.

Please call Andy Jackson or Ann-Marie Nye on 07976 753950.

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The Newbigin Hub, hosted by Seedbeds at Lodge Road in Birmingham, is a joint venture between The United Reformed Church (URC) and the Congregational Federation and Church Mission Society which offers training in pioneer ministry.

Soobie Whitfield attended the Hub as part of the 2022-2023 cohort and obtained a Certificate in Pioneering Mission.

Soobie explains their experience:~

“Before commencing the pioneer course I was working in community arts, supply teaching and volunteering in my local community.

“I live in Birmingham, in a community house on the Firs and Bromford Estate, a welcoming but forgotten outer city estate. The community house is owned by Hodge Hill Church, where I now worship.

“When asked if I would like to attend the new CMS Pioneer course in Birmingham, I was apprehensive. I didn’t see myself as a pioneer.

“But over the next twelve months, my anxiety melted away as I was spiritually stimulated and refreshed by the course leaders and the diverse experience of my fellow pioneer trainees.

“Being already involved in my local community helped establish relationships which we are building on as we move forward with pioneering activities. For example, the community house has a garden, but it was dominated by an old, derelict garage. Alongside local community groups, I planned a project called “Green Room” – an outdoor space where neighbours can enjoy a bit of greenery, socialise, play, be creative, sit and share stories or just take time out.

“The garage has now gone, a new fence and gate have been built, and a sensory garden is planned. I continue to be actively involved in the local community here and have started to redevelop a local expression of church, FAB (Firs and Bromford) church with lifelong local resident and fellow pioneer Clare Maclean. FAB church is a friendly, inclusive group of neighbours living on the Firs and Bromford Estate who regularly meet together on the first Sunday of every month to share food and explore spirituality, biblical and faith stories in creative ways.

“We recently spent an afternoon pruning and weeding the overgrown planters and engaging in conversation with neighbours.

“I noticed that through local conversations and workshops, creation and creativity were having a positive impact on people’s mental health. A new mental health project on the estate is now keen to link in with us. Hopefully by next spring we will be ready to open the garden and welcome our neighbours in to find refreshment, inspiration, and spiritual nourishment.

“I’m really glad I did the course, the support I received was amazing and I would encourage others thinking about gaining the certification in pioneering ministry to just go for it.”

Applications for the Certificate in Pioneering Mission are now open. You also have the option to apply for URC Assembly Accreditation for Lay Pioneers. Apply for the 2024-25 programme by 6 September. For more information please email Ministries, or .

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