When Revd Danny Driver became the parish vicar at Christ the Redeemer, Barnwell, he used sport ministry to build new bridges between the church and the community – creating links with local schools and finding innovative ways to serve the community through sports.Danny believes sports ministry helps improve people’s lives – physically, socially, and spiritually – as well as being an effective way for the church to make new connections with young people. “Sport can bring people together from all sorts of backgrounds and unite them,” Danny explained. "As a church, it was a glaringly obvious opportunity for us to use sport to connect with new people, to form community, and to share the good news of Jesus with them.”The sporting activities at the church include a Friday night Youth Group, multi-sports activities and an after-school club providing sports alongside crafts to teach the Bible to children. “There are 16 kids attending the after-school club, 10 have never had church contact before,” said Danny. “These young people had no idea that being in a church could be like this, their perceptions of church have changed.“Part of our vision is to see young people’s lives transformed through the power of the Gospel.”A multi-sport camp is also offered to the entire community for one week during the summer holidays. Alongside sports, games and a BBQ, attendees are encouraged to learn about Jesus.Danny says that last year more than 40 children took part, and three new families began attending the church as a direct result of being invited to the event. Danny reflected: “Whilst setting up new sporting groups, we have started to see growth in the number of children and young people that we are regularly in contact with, it’s wonderful.”
A Private Members’ Bill which would abolish the two child limit to Universal Credit was drawn from the ballot, to be introduced in the coming session by the Bishop of Durham. For the last five years, support provided by the child element of Universal Credit has been limited to the first two children. The Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill would remove the restriction introduced in 2016 and reinstate entitlement of support for all children and qualifying young people. The Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Paul Butler (see photo) said about the bill: “There is a huge amount of evidence that says that the two child limit is pushing larger families into poverty. There were significant concerns about this raised at the time the limit was introduced, and they have proved true five years later.“I am pleased to introduce the bill into the Lords in this session, and I hope that it will be an opportunity to give proper time and attention to this issue. “If there was ever a time to take a positive step forward to support families, it is as we are in the grips of a cost-of-living crisis, feeling the effect of an insufficient social security system.“We must seek to be a just and compassionate nation, remembering that all children are of great value, not just the first two.”
Nine-year funding plan will support a large increase in ministry and mission activity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in local communities across EnglandFocus on ministry among young people and disadvantaged communities2030 carbon net zero target also receives significant investmentThe Church of England today announced plans for a significant increase in funding for the next three years to support God’s mission and ministry across the country, supporting local parishes and growing many more new worshipping communities to serve the whole nation. The Church Commissioners for England intend to distribute £1.2 billion between 2023 and 2025, up 30% from £930 million in the current three-year period, and plan to maintain this level of funding in the subsequent six years.In total, this would mean the Church Commissioners plan to distribute £3.6 billion to frontline work of the Church of England between 2023 and 2031, making the Church Commissioners and Archbishops’ Council among the largest grant givers in the country.The Church Commissioners’ distributions will account for approximately 20% of Church funding, whilst the biggest contribution comes from the faithful and generous giving of churchgoers across the country.The core of the extra funding will be channelled into the revitalisation of parish and local ministry. The distributions will help fund dioceses’ plans to serve the nation by reaching more young and disadvantaged people, addressing issues of racial justice, and radically cutting the Church’s carbon footprint.In line with the Church’s Vision and Strategy for the 2020s, funds will also be used to support parish churches and dioceses. This will include: Continued funding for the Church in the poorest parts of the country, taking into account lessons from the recent independent review into Strategic Development (SDF) and Lowest Income Communities (LInC) funding. Increasing the number of clergy in front-line ministry in parishes and chaplaincies, with the intent that the Church’s clergy better reflects the diversity of the nation that we serve. In addition, the Church will lead by example in areas that are important not only to the Church but to wider society.Enable thriving local churches across the country, making significant contributions to their local communities and delivering even more social action work Support diocesan, parish and cathedral plans for the Church to become carbon net zero by 2030 – a target set by General Synod. Fund measures that will make the Church more diverse. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York made the announcement about funding for the Church of England while visiting St John The Evangelist Church in Balby, Doncaster.The parish, in the Diocese of Sheffield, runs an impressive social action ministry for the local community.The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “The Church of England is called to serve every community in the country, to be a presence that transforms lives and answers the call of God.“This funding will help local parishes and chaplaincies live out that calling, providing support for mission so every person might hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.“I am especially pleased that the funding will support our aims to double the number of children and young disciples by 2030 and aid the parish system in doing what the Church does at its best: making the love of God known to every person.”The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: “The vision for the church is that we are Jesus Christ centred and Jesus Christ shaped and this funding is a huge boost as we work together towards our aim of being the church for everyone everywhere.“It will help us reach more people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, enabling us establish what we hope will be 10,000 new Christian communities.“Working through our parishes, most of these will be in neighbourhoods, schools and places of work and leisure."Some will be online. At least 2,000 will be in the poorest and most deprived parts of the country.“This is very good news indeed.“We strive to be a younger and more diverse Church. We must become a church where everyone is confident in living as disciple of Jesus Christ and in sharing their faith with others.“This funding will help the Church of England raise its game in its service to the nation.”
