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- Reach out in peace: Positive preparation for times of unrest July 18, 2025 7:50 am
When tensions rise in communities, churches can be agents of peace, compassion, sanctuary, solidarity and support. Below we suggest five ways that church leaders can prepare positively – to be ready to lead, respond and care well at times of unrest. It is nearly a year since violent disorder broke out in parts of England and Northern Ireland, following the terrible killing of three children in Southport. Protests escalated into rioting, orchestrated by far-right extremists and fuelled by online disinformation, resulting in multiple injuries and arrests, damage to public property and places of worship, and targeted attacks on individuals and accommodation housing people seeking asylum. It made many more people and communities fearful. Since then, much reflection, analysis and conversation has taken place about what happened, the reasons for it, and what can be learned for the future. One strong message that has emerged is that this social unrest was not an isolated one-off incident; similar events could be triggered at any time. Here are five practical ways that churches and church leaders can build relationships and foster peace in local communities before a crisis occurs – and be ready to respond when it does. 1. Build relationships with other faith leaders Where positive relationships have been formed between people of different faiths, communities are stronger. Getting to know other faith leaders in your community is not only a good thing in itself, but it means you will have a network and relationships in place for support and response when crisis strikes. That could be as simple as being able to drop a message of solidarity to your local imam or rabbi, or a more formal inter-faith group which can exchange information or coordinate responses. Useful resource: Building Good Relations with People of Different Faiths and Beliefs, the code of practice published by the (sadly now defunct) Inter Faith Network. 2. Preach and pray about politics and social issues Some far-right extremism draws on crude Christian ideas and tropes, and exploits resentments that people can feel when they believe certain issues can’t be discussed. Encourage critical reflection and thoughtful dialogue through preaching, worship and conversation that engages with current political debates and social concerns. “There is clear evidence that those in our congregations who are regularly exposed to biblical teaching are less likely to show signs of radicalisation and violence.”Revd Dr Helen Paynter, Baptist minister and theological educator, in The Church, the Far Right, and the Claim to Christianity (2024) Useful resource: Politics in the Pulpit?, a weekly lectionary-based preaching resource from the Joint Public Issues Team. 3. Forge community connections across difference In a context of widening polarisation, churches can play a role in bringing people together for conversations with those that hold different views to find common ground and shared interests. When people from different organisations and perspectives are able to meet, discover what they have in common, and forge relationships across divisions of ethnicity, culture, and religion, communities become more resilient to hate, division and violence. “To see somebody else in the street and rather than think of something that they saw on the news or on social media, they think ‘oh I met somebody like that once and this was the conversation that we had with each other’. I think it helps all of us break down assumptions.” Participant in Citizens UK relational experiment pilot Useful resource: Organising Together Across Difference from Citizens UK suggests one approach, and includes access to a learning module and a guide to holding a ‘Weaving Trust’ event. 4. Consider your role and stance Every context is different, but it is helpful to give thought in advance to what role you and your church might play in the event of protests or disorder, and how you could prepare for that. Will you personally choose to be a faith presence, or might you (with others) organise some kind of counter-demonstration or witness for peace, such as a community choir or protective human chain? Could your church building be offered as a safe space – and if so, how will you keep it safe? What role might public prayers or acts of worship play? If you or members of your church community potentially feel at risk, for example because of ethnic background or because of your support for people seeking asylum, what can you do to support the physical and psychological safety of people in the church and community, and what help might you need from others? Talking through these questions calmly in advance will help you to be prepared. Useful resources: Methodist Church guidelines on Responding to disturbances – being present as a faith leader and Advice for Major Incidents. HOPE not Hate guide to Staying Safe amidst Far Right Violence. 4. Keep offering welcome and celebrating diversity It’s really important that fear of disorder does not diminish our commitment to inclusion and justice. At a time when people of global majority heritage or who have experience of seeking asylum are particularly feeling vulnerable, it can be very powerful to put on an event or activity which demonstrates the solidarity, care and welcome of the community, and celebrates our diversity. Whether part of a ‘Big Lunch’, a ‘Great Get Together’ or a ‘Welcome Weekend’, events could include a picnic, a community meal, or a moment of reflection. Useful resource: Join in with Welcome Weekend from 7-10 August: a national moment of solidarity uniting communities in local gatherings across the country to show that welcome still defines our story. This is being organised by Together with Refugees, a coalition of which the JPIT denominations are a part. Read more Theos: Disunited Kingdom? Churches and the riots of summer 2024 Helen Paynter and Maria Power (editors): The Church, the Far Right, and the Claim to Christianity (2024). A short summary of its key findings and recommendations is available here. 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- Lobbying MPs for Climate Justice July 17, 2025 11:00 am
Members of the Baptist Union, Methodist Church and United Reformed Church lobbied members of parliament for climate justice last week. On Wednesday 9 July, around 5000 people from throughout the UK came together in London to ask MPs to act now for a healthier, fairer, safer future. You can see find out more about the asks of the ‘Act Now Change Forever’ campaign, which was organised by the Climate Coalition, here. JPIT was amongst the faith organisations convened for the event by Faith for the Climate. Florence and I enjoyed meeting other passionate advocates for climate justice at our stall in the QEII Conference Centre. Find out why some of the people we met were at the event: [embedded content] “The state of our relationship with creation is the cake, not the icing, of Christianity”– David Coleman, Eco Congregation Scotland The day included a faith leaders photo. We were pleased that those photographed campaigning for the climate included JPIT Team members and members of partner denominations. L-R: Revd. George Watt – Moderator of the United Reformed Church‘s Thames North Synod, Revd. Andrew Openshaw – Baptists Union of Great Britain and the Baptist Union Environment Network, Dr. Stuart Kean – Milton Keynes Eco Church Champion, Dr. Hamish Leese – Director of Environmental Engagement for the Methodist Church, Simeon Mitchell – JPIT Team Leader JPIT Intern Florence Wright reflects on her experience of meeting her MP at the mass lobby: “I absolutely loved attending the mass lobby, I found so encouraging to be surrounded by people who are working for climate justice. Sometimes it can feel like there are so many separate groups and campaigns that it’s hard to know where to focus your energy, but seeing everyone come together in one place brought a real feeling of unity and being part of something bigger than your segment. Around 35 people from my constituency (Hornsey and Friern Barnet) showed up, sending a strong message to our MP Catherine West that climate issues matter to us. Although Catherine West is a frontbencher so cannot share her personal views in detail, she did commit to raising our concerns in conversations behind the scenes. Overall, I feel it was very worthwhile showing up as another person in the room, but I might like to meet with my MP at some other point to have a one-to-one conversation.” Faith leaders at mass lobby 9.7.25. Credit Richard Dawso_PA Media Assignments Couldn’t make it to London? We are looking forward to a dispersed lobby – a chance to meet your MP wherever you are – in September. Watch this space for news about how to get involved in the environmental justice lobbying events, which will be held around the country on 13-20 September 2025. Source
- Young Messy Church helper gains Lundie award July 14, 2025 6:00 am
Fourteen-year-old James Ineichen, from United Reformed Church Mersey Synod, has been named June’s recipient of the Lundie Memorial Award. James, who was nominated by Susan Frowe, an Elder and Messy Church leader at Christchurch Port Sunlight in the Wirral. Susan describes James as having natural teaching skills. “James is someone the children love working with,” she says, “and it is clear that James enjoys working with them.” James, who has been helping out at Messy Church for some time, attends early to help set up and helps the children with the activities, and helps make crafts for children so that they have something to take home to remind them of the session. Susan says that James’s “caring, helpful and polite attitude is evident and is often commented on by parents and helpers”. James says he enjoys attending Messy Church and seeing everyone have fun, he says attending helps strengthen his bond with the community. His skills extend beyond the scope of Messy Church. He can often be found helping with the tech team on the church’s weekly zoom service, having quickly learnt the skills necessary to be independent in this role. When asked of his initial reaction to being June’s Lundie winner, James said: “To be told I was the winner felt really good. I was very happy to get nominated and to win was an amazing thing.” James, who would love others his age to get involved with the life of the church, has this advice: “Getting involved with the church doesn’t just help you know the community around you but opens you up to new opportunities and is something you can always keep for the future.” Each recipient of the Lundie award receives £100. James isn’t fully sure of what to spend the money on but knows that the church needs new pencils and colouring pencils so that’s top of his agenda. He will also consult others at the church before deciding. Learn more about the Lundie Memorial Award and how to nominate a young person. Source
- Catriona Wheeler, General Assembly Moderator 2025-2026 July 8, 2025 3:47 pm
Catriona Wheeler, an Elder and Church Secretary at Trinity URC Lincoln, was inducted as Moderator at the 2025 meeting of the United Reformed Church General Assembly, held at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick from 4-7 July. Nominated by East Midlands Synod, Catriona will chair the General Assembly’s November 2025 and July 2026 meetings. Catriona was educated at Teesdale School, Barnard Castle, and read law at Birmingham University. An Elder and Church Secretary of Trinity United Reformed Church, Lincoln, Catriona has been the Legal Advisor to the East Midlands Synod of the URC since 1997, works as solicitor practising in the areas of commercial property, corporate law and charity law, and is a Notary Public. Her late grandfather and late mother were both URC Elders, as are both of her brothers. Catriona conducts acts of worship and is authorised to preside at the Sacraments and is a Stepwise student (the URC’s discipleship development programme). Catriona has held membership in churches across three synods, Northern, Yorkshire and East Midlands and serves as a director of East Midlands Synod Trust and Chair of the United Reformed Church Trust. Her hobbies include gentle cycling, with the objective of seeing places, choral singing with the Lincoln Choral society; K-dramas (Korean dramas), BTS (a South Korean band), knitting and crochet. In its nomination, East Midlands Synod said that it was delighted to make this nomination, “having benefitted from Catriona’s wisdom and clarity of thought in meetings and discussions on many occasions and in different situations. Her ability to crystalise the thinking of the room and her pastoral sensitivity to all aspects of an issue are among her great strengths.” Catriona practises as a solicitor and Notary Public. Her areas of law cover commercial property and corporate law, but her particular interest is charity law. Source
- Restoring nature for a safer, healthier future July 8, 2025 1:02 pm
One of JPIT’s Six Hopes is for ‘a planet where our environment is renewed‘. As part of our preparation for the Climate Coalition’s Mass Lobby on the 9th of July we invited Sarah Hulme (Rural Mission and Ministry officer for the Methodist Church) and Matt Jeffrey (CEO of the Arthur Rank Centre) to reflect on the links between environmental renewal and regenerative agriculture. The Arthur Rank Centre will be hosting a stand at the climate lobby in Westminster, seeking to create a welcoming space for dialogue between farmers, agricultural communities, and those passionate about tackling the climate crisis. Too often, conversations around farming and climate become polarised, but we believe there is more that unites us than divides us. By bringing people together, we hope to nurture understanding, share stories of regenerative practices already happening in our countryside, and inspire collective action for a healthier, more resilient future. Creation care is mission In the opening chapters of Genesis, we are given an image of humanity’s vocation: to be partners in God’s creation. Genesis 2:15 tells us, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” We are not owners, but partners sharing in the care of a world that reflects God’s glory, central to our identity as image-bearers of God. Creation care is justice Creation care is inseparable from justice. Climate change and environmental degradation disproportionately affect people around the world who are made vulnerable by their lived experiences of poverty. Regenerative agriculture, by promoting biodiversity, soil health, and local food systems, contributes to food security and economic resilience. It embodies the biblical vision of shalom—a holistic peace where relationships between God, humanity, and the earth are restored. The prophet Isaiah envisions a time when “the desert will bloom” (Isaiah 35:1), a poetic image of ecological renewal. In participating in this work, we become co-labourers with God in the healing of creation. Creation care is hope Regenerative agriculture is a defiant act of hope. In a world facing ecological crisis, it is a tangible expression of the resurrection promise — that death does not have the final word and depleted lands can be brought back to life. Every compost pile, every cover crop, every restored watershed becomes a signpost of the Kingdom of God breaking into the present. As Christians, we are called to live in anticipation of the new creation (Revelation 21:1–5). For those of us in Britain who don’t have a daily direct connection with the soil and all the challenges around food production in this ever more unpredictable climate, we do still have personal responsibilities around our choices and spending. We also have a voice that can join with others and lobby for change. July 9th is one such opportunity. We’d love to encourage you to ask your local MP to commit to restoring nature for a safer, healthier future. Lobbying for adequate funding for regenerative agriculture is one way we can embody that future now—by taking seriously our vocation as co-stewards of creation and advocating for those in the fields cultivating life in the soil on our behalf and for a healthier future. What is Regenerative Agriculture? Five Core Principles Minimise Soil Disturbance Avoid ploughing; instead, techniques like no-till drilling place seeds directly into existing soil, helping capture carbon, improve water filtration, and maintain soil integrity. Keep Living Roots Living roots create communication channels through which nutrients and vital agents can travel, keeping the soil community connected and alive. Promote Diversity Crop rotations and companion cropping introduce a variety of root structures and plant relationships, improving soil health and increasing yields. Protect the Soil Surface Bare soil is vulnerable to erosion by wind or rain; cover crops shield and anchor the soil, preventing its loss and preserving nutrients. Integrate Livestock Well-managed grazing mimics natural systems, stimulating root growth and enriching the soil with organic matter, which feeds countless micro-organisms. A prayer Creator God, help us to be faithful partners in your world. Inspire us to work for justice, care for creation, and sow seeds of hope. May we live as people who anticipate the new creation, working together for a restored earth where your shalom reigns. Amen. If you’re looking for practical ways to engage your church or community in this work, the Arthur Rank Centre offers resources and ideas to support farming communities and equip churches in caring for creation. Source
- The induction of Catriona Wheeler as Moderator of the General Assembly July 8, 2025 9:36 am
“Will you undertake to exercise your ministry in accordance with the statement concerning the Nature, Faith and Order of the United Reformed Church? “I will, and all these things I profess and promise in the power of the Holy Spirit.” With this induction affirmation, followed by promises by members of the General Assembly and prayers, Catriona Wheeler was inducted as the Moderator of the General Assembly 2025-2026, during an act of worship at the close of the 2025 General Assembly. The service was led by the new Moderator’s Chaplain, the Revd Jane Wade, Minister of Abington Avenue URC and the Northampton Area Churches Partnership. Jane also serves as Deputy Moderator of the East Midlands Synod. The Revd Geoffrey Clarke, Moderator of the East Midlands Synod, gave the charge during the Induction of Catriona. Called beyond comfort The sermon reminded the Assembly of its dissenting roots, the weight of empty nets and the grace that calls us beyond comfort. The members of your East Midlands Synod family are delighted in your appointment and will seek to pray for you and encourage you in this important role, Geoffrey began. He used a trio of striking biblical images: a furnace, a fishing boat, and a charcoal fire. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, standing before the threat of death, chose the costly act of dissent. Their refusal to kneel evoked the DNA of a church born from dissent: ministers ejected in 1662, voices raised in assemblies, Synods and church meetings throughout history. God’s presence was not outside the furnace, but within it. “Even in the furnace,” Geoffrey said, “God is with us.” To the Sea of Tiberias, where disciples returned from a night of fishing with nothing to show. Nets once full are now empty. Or congregations once bustling now flicker with fragility. Yet on that same shore, the call comes to cast the net anew. “We need to be humble enough to discern the voice of the One who urges us to throw our nets in another direction.” He invited a different courage. At the charcoal fire, Peter meets the risen Christ. Here is the mercy that follows denial, the confidence that follows collapse. A member’s words at a Church Meeting stood as a parable: “If we call this minister the church will change, and it will not be as I’d prefer it to be. That is precisely why I will be voting for the call.” Someone yielding to God’s disruptive call. The charge concluded with what is reported to be Francis Drake’s invocation to be disturbed: “When our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little; disturb us, Lord.” It was an appeal not for reassurance but for disruption. God is with us To the Moderator, and to the whole Assembly, the message is simple and searching. God is with us, in defiant faith that refuses to bow. God is with us, when the nets are empty, calling us in new directions. God is with us, offering forgiveness and commissioning us anew. The whole Church is invited to a faith that resists, reorients, and follows, even, and especially, when the way is unknown. As part of the service, the Assembly read the Statement concerning the Nature, Faith and Order of the URC. Inducting Catriona, the outgoing Moderator, the Revd Tim Meadows, declared: “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and representing the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church I declare Catriona to be inducted as Moderator of General Assembly. May you continue to walk in the way of Christ, following in his footsteps.” Catriona signed the Bible of the General Assembly and was welcomed by the Assembly with warm applause. About Catriona Catriona Wheeler was elected as Moderator at the 2023 meeting of the General Assembly and will chair its November 2025 and July 2026 meetings. Catriona was educated at Teesdale School, Barnard Castle, and read law at Birmingham University. An Elder and Church Secretary of Trinity United Reformed Church, Lincoln, Catriona has been the Legal Advisor to the East Midlands Synod of the URC since 1997, works as solicitor practising in the areas of commercial property, corporate law and charity law, and is a Notary Public. Her late grandfather and late mother were both URC Elders, as are both of her brothers. Catriona conducts acts of worship and is authorised to preside at the Sacraments and is a Stepwise student. Catriona has held membership in churches across three synods, Northern, Yorkshire and East Midlands and serves as a director of East Midlands Synod Trust and Chair of the United Reformed Church Trust. Her hobbies include gentle cycling, with the objective of seeing places, choral singing with the Lincoln Choral society; K-dramas (Korean dramas), BTS (a South Korean band), knitting and crochet. In its nomination, East Midlands Synod said that it was delighted to make this nomination, “having benefitted from Catriona’s wisdom and clarity of thought in meetings and discussions on many occasions and in different situations. Her ability to crystalise the thinking of the room and her pastoral sensitivity to all aspects of an issue are among her great strengths.” Source
- General Assembly 2025: Day four round-up 7 July July 7, 2025 11:37 am
Day four of the 2025 meeting of the United Reformed Church General Assembly, held at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, opened with another Bible study led by Dr Francesca Nuzzolese, Professor of Pastoral Care at the Waldensian Theological School in Rome. Having first turned inward, and then looked at the cost of radical compassion, she then ventured into mystic territory. Which does not mean that it is abstract, she said, but that it is sacred. It is about not just giving care but embodying it; becoming those in whom the love of Christ takes visible form. Her text was the words of Paul in Galatians: “It is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives in me.” Paul, to use Jungian terms, she said, was the archetype of identity shift, of the wounded healer, of the painful journey. His words here are a description of radical transformation. Something in him has died. This is a challenging idea. We often think we have put something in us to death, only to find it rises up again the next day. Conversion and baptism are about surrendering the ego, said Dr Nuzzolese, our deepest attachment, the self that seeks to please and control and protect. This surrender lets another kind of self-emerge in its place, one that seeks to be known by God. Thomas Merton, a mystic monk, talked of the false self we create in response to fear and wounds and the true self given us by God. We develop a false self-early in life, to survive. We think it is us, but it is not. The false self cannot truly love, only the true self hidden in God. I can only find myself in God. The true self doesn’t begin with work but with simple presence, Dr Nuzzolese said. This concept was very much alive in the early church. The desert fathers and mothers were teachers of perfect love, which is not a destination but a process of consent, day by day, moment by moment. We become more loving not by trying, but by allowing God’s love to meet us, in surrender. Dr Nuzzolese posed questions for members of Assembly. What in me needs to die so that Christ’s love can live fully? How can peace and justice come without radical change in the way we relate to those closest to us? True forgiveness is not a matter of words, but making space in our heart for another, for those who we find as a threat. How does the true self emerge? It is a process that involves a lot of grace. She commended daily spiritual practice: “It tells our brain that it’s worth it.” Dying is a hard sad word, she concluded, but the death of old self is good, brings freedom, liberates inner space for all God has for us. You don’t have to get it right, just be open. God says, “You are loved. Let me live in you.” Session twelve Remaindered Business No papers were remaindered during this session, so the Moderator invited comments about the Church Life Review (CLR) process and other topics. One queried why Ministers of Word and Sacrament had been mentioned twice in the Church Life Review update, but not Church Related Community Workers. The Revd Steve Faber responded that he could not recall where either form of ministry had been mentioned and reminded Assembly of the Theos Report which had commended the CRCW ministry. Steve said that all forms of ministry are loved and valued in the URC. A query was received about how and when local churches would receive information about the CLR so that they can prepare for November’s General Assembly. Steve pointed to channels such as News Update, the URC’s monthly national e-newsletter and Reform magazine as communications channels to help keep local churches and Assembly members prepare for November’s Assembly. A member of the CLR steering group shared that a video is currently in preparation about the Church Life Review which can be used for every local church, not just at Synod meetings. An ecumenical guest asked if she could have a short history of the CLR process to help understand it. It is understood that relevant information will be share with ecumenical colleagues. Those wanting to keep updated about the Church Life Review process can visit the dedicated page on the URC’s national website. Inclusive Church The Revd Chantel Noppen, National Coordinator of Inclusive Church, a network of churches and individuals to support more inclusivity and accessibility in local churches, then addressed Assembly and advised how people can find out more information about it. Learn more about Inclusive Church. Deletion from the RollThe Revd Dr John Bradbury, General Secretary, updated Assembly on the Discipline process. He advised that since Assembly last met, one discipline case had concluded which has resulted in the removal of Mr Naison Hove from the Roll of Ministers. Costs for the case amounted to £40,877. Moderator-ElectThe Revd Neil Thorogood, who has been elected Moderator-Elect 2025-2026, to serve as General Assembly Moderator 2026-2027, was invited to address the Assembly. He described the role as an “awesome honour and daunting responsibility” and said it carried for him “a host of meanings”. [Neil’s father was a General Secretary of the United Reformed Church.] Neil thanked those who are supporting him into the role, including his family, and also his congregations of Trinity-Henleaze and Thornbury in Bristol “who have joined me in this adventure and to live into the consequences together”. Neil recalled some of the classes he taught at Westminster College, Cambridge, where “we spoke of the reality of the life of faith, and the life of ministry, which constantly means we do not know what we are doing.” He said, “we are brought into situations to discover who we are.” New situations beckon us into “an unknown possibility”, in which we improvise, discover, risk, and sometimes stumble. “Sometimes we make a wonderful fool of ourselves.” Acknowledging we are living into times […]
- 2025 Community Project Awards winners announced July 7, 2025 6:30 am
Seven church projects offering outstanding service to their communities have received awards from the United Reformed Church (URC) General Assembly meeting at The Hayes in Swanwick from 4-7 July. The URC’s Community Awards partner for the past 16 years has been the insurance company Congregational. In 2025, Congregational has funded awards of £2,000 for each of the three winning projects and four awards of £1,000 for four Highly Commended projects. The 2025 awards bring the number of churches that have received awards to 82 who have received a total of £150,000. This year’s winners are Dove Dementia Cafe, Diss URC in Norfolk; Food with Friends, Rivertown URC in Shotton, North Wales; and Food for Thought, Union Church Margate in Kent. The four Highly Commended projects are Forget-Me-Not Café, St Andrews Roundhay URC in Leeds; Stepping Out for the Community, Longton URC, Stoke on Trent; Vine Gardening Club, Vine URC in Ilford, Essex; and Soupermums, Wilsden Trinity Church near Bradford. The Revd Tim Meadows, Moderator of the URC General Assembly, said the awards recognise projects that “demonstrate the love of God and the mission of the Church by reaching out in many different ways to help the local communities in which our churches serve”. Award winners Dove Dementia Cafe, Diss URC in Norfolk Dove Dementia Café is heled monthly for people living with dementia and their carers. The café opened its doors in January 2015 to just one person with dementia, but now regularly hosts between 50 and 60 people for lunch, supported by a team of 20 volunteers. [embedded content] Other branches of community support have grown out of the café’s work: Dove Song (a music therapy group for people with dementia), Dove Afternoon Tea (which allows people to access informal worship), Dove Song Plus (a singing group for those with complex needs living in local residential homes), and Dovelets, which is a sensory play, messy play and music group for children with special needs. Food with Friends, Rivertown URC in Shotton, North Wales Food with Friends is an ecumenical project that offers a free two-course meal to anyone in need every Tuesday all year round, even on Christmas Day. The project operates in an area of multiple deprivation with high levels of food insecurity and aims to address food poverty, combat loneliness, maintain dignity, and demonstrate God’s love in action. [embedded content] During the Covid pandemic, the project adapted by distributing sandwiches at the door. This is something that some guests still prefer, so food is always available to take away. In addition to meals, fresh short-dated food donated by local stores through FareShare is available for guests to take home. Food for Thought, Union Church Margate in Kent Food for Thought celebrates Margate’s richly diverse community by hosting a dynamic programme of speakers at Union Church. [embedded content] The monthly, family-friendly gathering offers a free breakfast and hot drink. It features thoughts and insights on topics from fine art to folk music while touching on issues of faith and spirituality. Discussion and engagement is encouraged and the gathering welcomes people of all faiths and none, creatives, members of the LBGT+ community and people of all ages and political views. Highly Commended Forget-Me-Not Café, St Andrews Roundhay URC in Leeds The Forget Me Not café provides a safe, welcoming space for people with dementia and their carers. The café has been running twice a month since August 2024 and aims to become a hub for information, signposting and advice about dementia resources in the area. [embedded content] St Andrew’s is set in the Roundhay area of North East Leeds, an area that is home to a large number of older people, many of whom live alone. Stepping Out for the Community, Longton URC, Stoke on Trent Located in one of the poorest cities in the UK, Longton URC congregation set out to be more active within its community, taking it one step at a time. It has recruited volunteers to share the Bible with children in a local primary school and another team distributes tinned and packaged food provided by the Foodbank warehouse. [embedded content] Step three was to offer a warm, safe ‘Welcome Space’ for those struggling to meet ever-increasing fuel bills. Finally, acknowledging that the pool of volunteers from within the congregation was almost exhausted, the latest step has been to strengthen links with ecumenical partners and organise joint events. Vine Gardening Club, Vine URC in Ilford, Essex Vine URC’s gardening club was formed in 2023 with residents from the Malachi project, a pop-up hostel in Ilford run by the Salvation Army for previously homeless people. [embedded content] The club aims to create a pollinator-friendly on a previously unloved piece of land outside the church’s community house. It provides food and colourful flowers. It is also a place where Malachi residents are welcomed and grow in wellbeing. Several residents bring experience of farming, carpentry and building. Soupermums, Wilsden Trinity Church near Bradford For over ten years, Soupermums has supported over 900 babies and their parents/ carers. It provides care, support, encouragement and love to parents at a time of significant change in their lives following the birth of a child(ren). [embedded content] A group of Christian mums and dads who belong to Wilsden Trinity Church offer soup, a song for the babies and a poem or prayer for parents to keep. Above all, Soupermums is a place parents and carers to relax and enjoy being looked after. Learn more about the Community Project Awards. Source
- General Assembly 2025: day three round-up 6 July July 6, 2025 8:39 pm
Day three of the 2025 meeting of the United Reformed Church General Assembly at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick opened with a Bible study led by Dr Francesca Nuzzolese, Professor of Pastoral Care at the Waldensian Theological School in Rome. She invited members of Assembly to recreate holy silence they experienced yesterday: centre themselves, meet Jesus and reconnect with holy rest. She explained that the care for oneself, which she described yesterday, is the first step of journey, not to be mistaken for destination. Our destination is care for our neighbour out of radical compassion. But not all of us manage this, including those in and training for pastoral ministry. Why? Dr Nuzzolese suggested that the Old Testament directs us to compassion for the other quite narrowly defined: widows, orphans. Jesus, in contrast, stretches the definition to breaking point. Jesus calls us to move in compassion towards the other who threatens us. We are wired to protect and to run away, not to move kindly towards danger. A few are able: Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Jesus. And the Samaritan in Jesus’ story. What enables him to cross boundary and move toward suffering? In Christ we are seen, loved and healed. But, said Dr Nuzzolese, we see the limits of this in most people’s behaviour. Belief and practice are in tension. Biblical seeing is not a glance, it is giving attention to someone, becoming attuned to them, comprehending them. This is what a parent does to a baby, and it can stop the baby crying. Something similar happens in therapy: being attuned to someone gives us power to communicate compassion, which leads to healing. She quoted the Christian mystic Simone Weil: ‘Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.’ Jesus asks same of us, said Dr Nuzzolese. The Greek word that is translated ‘compassion’ in the story of the Good Samaritan describes a response at the level of the gut, the bowels. Empathy is not enough. The movement towards suffering reflects the image of God in us. It is what God does in Christ. Jesus moved with compassion moves towards the enemy. This movement, she said, requires inner resilience and spiritual maturity. It is not offered out of sense of duty but out of groundedness. So why not normative, even for those being trained in pastoral care? Dr Nuzzolese suggested that some are not capable of it at a core human level. Woundedness can prevent us being attuned and stop us offering spiritual care without leaving the room sterile. Personal trauma can leave people too wounded to be healers. Anxiety and fear of attack can create unsafe spaces, maybe cause us to shut down. Spiritual fatigue, she said, can also leave a film over the eyes prevents the kind of seeing that leads to compassion. For these reasons we need to cultivate spiritual practices, contemplation and safe relationships. So, Dr Nuzzolese again concluded by leading Assembly in receptive centred prayer. Session seven Paper N1 Church Life Review – Progress and local church perspectiveAt General Assembly 2025, the Revd Steve Faber, Convenor of the Church Life Review Steering Group, delivered a key presentation updating members on the progress of the Church Life Review (CLR), now in Phase Two (design). Phase Two of the CLR, was tasked by General Assembly in 2023 to focus on four workstreams. These consist of financial resource sharing (finance), provision of shared support services (services), employment of lay workers (lay workers), and new URC communities of worship and discipleship (new communities). The report does not present any final proposals or resolutions but sets the stage for the extraordinary session in November 2025, where decisions will be made. The presentation showed the need for change within the wider challenges facing many Christian denominations across Europe, including declining membership, increased regulatory demands, and the lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was acknowledged that many URC structures have remained largely unchanged since 1972, and that continuing “as is” is no longer viable. The work is guided by a collaborative process involving consultations and shaped by biblical inspiration, particularly Jeremiah 29’s encouragement to “get on with life.” The Steering Group has not heard from every member of the denomination but has heard from many across the Church in a way that has never happened before. Steve highlighted key gatherings that have taken place, with a variety of members of the URC serving in various roles, such as in June 2024 (finance), November 2024 (shared services) and January 2025 (new communities), and May 2025 (shared fund proposal) for examples. Key proposals discussed include a central resources portal, shared administrative services (like payroll, HR, and IT), and the idea of employing lay workers more strategically, either at the local or Synod level. A major factor is the proposed Church Life Fund, which will finance these developments and provide support to churches and communities in need, whether urban congregations burdened by maintenance costs or rural areas struggling with isolation and decline. The overall hope is of a flourishing URC that is less burdened and better enabled, with renewed energy for mission, evangelism, and discipleship. Elizbeth Hall, a member of the CLR steering group gave a couple of examples of how the CLR can help local churches. She told a story of an urban church that had seen better days, was facing increased unfunded costs for maintenance. Which was burdened with thoughts around health and safety and safeguarding bureaucracy for groups renting its premises. The church has little energy left and its focus on mission and vision is crowded out by all the process and protocols. The CLR, Elizabeth explained, could help the church, not by providing the perfect solution, but by providing, for example, a central place for for agreed documents, where Health and Safety and risk assessment forms can be easily found. Advice can be provided around filling said form, along with the provision of “back room”. This can result […]
- General Assembly passes emergency resolution on Israeli government’s actions in Gaza July 6, 2025 10:32 am
The United Reformed Church (URC) General Assembly passed an emergency resolution at its 2025 meeting in response to the Israeli government’s profoundly distressing military actions in Gaza. The move follows the lead of the World Council of Churches (WCC), whose Central Committee issued a carefully considered statement during its meeting held in Johannesburg from 18-24 June. In its statement, the WCC said: “We recognise a clear distinction between the Jewish people, our siblings in faith, and the acts of the government of Israel, and we reaffirm that the WCC stands firm against any kind of racism, including antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, and Islamophobia. “The unbearable suffering inflicted on the people of Gaza, and the escalating violence and oppression in the West Bank and in Jerusalem compel the global fellowship of churches to speak with clarity, urgency, and commitment to the principles of justice under international law and ethics.” In support of the WCC statement, the moderator of the West Midlands Synod, Revd Steve Faber, introduced Resolution 42 to the URC Assembly. “Atrocities have continued,” Revd Faber said, citing Israeli breaches of ceasefire agreements, deliberate blockade of aid, indiscriminate civilian casualties, and comprehensive air strikes ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians. “This is about ethics, not ethnicity,” he emphasised. “We must not allow people to believe that all Jewish people are responsible for these actions. The condemnation is directed at the Israeli government and its military, not the nation or Jewish people.” Resolution 42 explicitly commends the WCC statement, which calls for an end to “apartheid, occupation, and impunity in Palestine and Israel”. It also accuses the Israeli military campaign of grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, acts which may amount to genocide and/or crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Revd Faber acknowledged the contribution of Revd Dr Susan Durber, a URC minister, who serves as WCC President for Europe, who had a key role in the process that led to the WCC statement. “We are witnessing genocide, and we must have the courage to name it as such,” he said. During the debate, a member, whose family is Jewish, expressed support for the resolution. They affirmed the call to combat antisemitism, though asked for an understanding of the nuance within the Jewish diaspora around the actions of the State of Israel. Within their own family, there were both Zionists and pro Palestinians. Speakers from the floor encouraged the URC to support the WCC’s position. There was a call for members to write to MPs, calling on the UK government to put an immediate end to UK arms sales to Israel, and urging the government to avoid breaches of international law. After a period of impassioned discussion in favour of the motion, Resolution 42 was adopted with overwhelming support by the Assembly, affirming the URC’s commitment to justice, peace, equity, and a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in the Middle East. In a later session, Revd Philip Brooks, Deputy General Secretary (Mission) introduced the a film about an ecumenical visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. Watch the film below. [embedded content] Philip also highlighted a range of resolutions agreed at previous General Assemblies. These have urged congregations to resist all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia. They have also included a call on the UK government to cease arms sales to Israel, as well a request to the URC’s investment trusts not to invest in any companies that might benefit from the occupation of Palestine. There has also been a General Assembly resolution (2024) to avoid investing in any Israeli registered company until such time as the Israeli government abides by international law. URC passes multiple resolutions about Israel and Palestine Paper I2 General Assembly 2021 resolutions Paper I3 General Assembly 2024 resolutions Video and image: The Revd Dr Kevin Snyman. Source
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