Loving Service of the World – How 100 Worshipping Communities Across the Diocese Do It
As a diocese one of our three key questions is 'How are you serving your community, and enabling others to love and serve those around them?' So, to find out how parishes across the diocese are serving their communities, the Social Responsibility Panel asked church leaders and church officers what needs they are seeing in their communities, how they’re responding to them, and how the Social Responsibility Panel can best support them.
The responses from 100 different churches, benefices and fresh expressions show that, across the diocese, we are heavily engaged in addressing isolation and food poverty, supporting people of all ages and with a range of different needs. For example:
- 70 churches are signed up to the Eco Church scheme, with 21 having achieved bronze, 4 silver and 1 earning the impressive gold status
- 42 churches are running or supporting food banks
- Nearly 50 churches are helping reduce loneliness through their cafes, coffee mornings, lunch clubs, hobbies or activity groups, and community gardens
- 39 churches have parent and toddler groups, 24 have youth groups, and 11 are running children’s holiday clubs
- 14 churches are Refugee Welcome communities and 4 are involved in homelessness outreach
Whether it’s providing debt advice services or hosting addiction support groups, providing lunches to reduce holiday hunger, or running a class to reduce older people’s risk of falls, churches across the diocese are heeding the call to love their neighbour by supporting their physical and mental wellbeing.
Bishop Martyn commented, “I am continually inspired by the creativity and compassion with which our worshipping communities respond to the needs of our neighbours. As well as organised initiatives led by churches, members of our congregations also lovingly serve the world through work, giving, relationships and volunteering. Our society and the wider world face immense challenges. But the hard work and persistence of people carrying the light of Christ into areas of need certainly gives me cause for hope.”
The Social Responsibility Panel are grateful to everyone who took the time to fill out the questionnaire, and will be using the findings to prioritise their future activities. If you would like to find out more about the Panel, and the subject areas covered by individual members, please do take a look at their webpage and feel free to get in touch for more information.