This weekend, the 9th Jubilee Plus conference took place in Bristol and it was the first time I had been for a few years. In a previous version of this event, I had been on the leadership team running the conference and it was slightly strange attending without responsibilities. I remember helping run this event in Sheffield, Birmingham and Bracknell. The name of the conference may have changed but, effectively, it is the same – trying to help churches in the UK do social action to the best of their ability.
But before I reflect on the conference - on Friday night, I met with a team of 12, in Bristol, who are starting a outreach meeting in the city. They are planning a Christmas meal where they have a local hotel supporting them with food. And then, in the new year, they are starting a regular drop-in meeting. Since September, I have met with people in Bristol, Bracknell and Poole to talk about their churches increasing their engagement with the local community.
For those who are not familiar with church, the opportunities to do meaningful work with those who are disadvantaged is huge. Christians should be some of the best people on earth to help those who are in need. Here are a few reasons:
Volunteers - it was quoted in a seminar that there are more volunteers in the church than any other part of UK society.
The bible - "...is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (Isaiah 58:7 NIV) -
History - some of the greatest societal change has been led by Christians; Wilberforce and Shaftsbury are examples. But in no way have Christians got the monopoly on this. In fact, there is much to learn from outside of the church. What I love in my job is meeting people who hold Christian beliefs and those who don't - both groups very comfortable talking about mercy and finding ways of looking after others around us.
One of the inspiring moments of the conference was hearing Prof Keith Brown who has the longest job title - Director of the National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice at Bournemouth University - and that is just one of his titles! Made me wonder if it's possible to fit it all on a business card. I was left wanting to hear more from him - from his considerable professional background he had produced a safeguarding document that was handed out to all delegates.
So here are my brief reflections from the day. Martin Charlesworth spoke on the Churches call to mobilisation. He threw out some examples of ways of mobilising which caused me to think about whether I would be involved in setting up more houses to help vulnerable people. Another comment of note was that we are a people who walk a long journey with those in need.
In the morning seminar, PC Marie Reavey, who is currently seconded to engage faith groups and the police, spoke about some of the challenges in the UK before Ben Lindsay spoke about the work his charity 'Power the Fight' are doing to help communities end youth violence. One of my takeaways was that there are opportunities for people to be part of independent advisory groups which consider issues in each of the 12 Local Police areas.
Natalie Williams has been a companion to the Jericho Road Project on the Universal Credit journey, she has helped us navigate through the jungle. One of the powerful statements she said was that there were not enough people like her there. She is from a working class background and she is absolutely right: the conference continues to be very white and middle class.
The final seminar I went to was a snapshot of how churches in Bristol have worked together to provide great resources to the city. Andy Street was not just impressive in his knowledge of the issues in the city; it was easy to warm to his passion and vision to impact Bristol positively.
I got to catch up with friends from over the past 28 years and also meet a few new ones. One particular person I met was a doctor who is a specialist in Substance Misuse and his project supports people who are ready for community detox. I am really looking forward to exploring this idea more in the coming weeks and months.
Overall, it was a great day at the conference that helped me lift my head up from the details that I get drawn in to at this time of year. I was reminded that the Jericho Road Project is a significant example of a church-based project investing in those who are most in need. And whilst the needs around us are considerable, I am very grateful for all that we currently have.
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