J+ Voices: Short Report #7
Over the past year Rosie Hopley, who leads our Jubilee+ Voices initiative, has been busy listening to, and documenting the insights and feedback of people with recent lived-experience of poverty.
This task has taken her around the UK, and most recently to Liverpool (where our upcoming Churches that Change Communities conference will be also hosted this November!).
Eight participants came from across the city, to form our seventh, and final, advisory group.
Throughout the day stories emerged of what it's actually like to access church-based social action, as well as a desire to shape mission, ministry and church culture for the better.
Some of the suggestions which grew out of the day together, included:
- Creating weekly points of connection, whether through volunteering opportunities, or providing the chance to develop and rebuild skills such as cooking and budgeting.
- Communicating, and regularly reinforcing messages about the equal worth of men and women (some participants had been greatly impacted by being treated as an equal, especially where they have experienced inequality, including in a different culture as women).
- ‘You’re more than that, you’re family.’ Transitioning from treating people as service-users to fully fledged members of the church family.
This summer a comprehensive report will be released, looking at similarities and patterns in people's experiences, and drawing out valuable lessons for churches across the UK.
In the meantime the short report attached to this blog post sheds light on some of the challenges and opportunites that our Liverpool-based group specifically highlighted.
To find out more about Jubilee+ Voices please email Rosie at: rosie.hopley@jubilee-plus.org
With heartfelt thanks to the Imagine If Trust and Frontline Church Liverpool for hosting our final advisory group!