The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) joined up with Citizens UK during three workshops at Greenbelt Festival (22-25 August) to encourage and equip churches who are seeking justice in their neighbourhoods.
In the wake of riots in cities in the UK where racism, antisemitism and islamophobia were rife, a large group of festivalgoers gathered with us to explore ways to repair fractured communities and rebuild a stronger society.
We heard from community leaders who have responded to the rioters and other challenging circumstances in local communities. We reflected on Scripture, and how that can inspire us to be activists for positive change. The workshops also included practical ways to facilitate meaningful conversations and methods to enable productive meetings with MPs.
The Constituency Action Network (CAN), facilitated by JPIT, was introduced in each session as a great way for churches to build meaningful relationships with MPs that are more than simply ‘transactional’ but help to build trust and understanding through listening, kindness and truthfulness. You can find out more about CAN at jpit.uk/can and more about Greenbelt at greenbelt.org.uk.