Justice Project
It’s been said time after time that big church is able to do projects that little church cannot do.? But TCH is demonstrating that this is not necessarily the case.? After a series on Proverbs – in which the issue of justice arose – the Sharrowvale congregation is putting together a justice project.? It was well researched, with four separate areas of need in the city being identified.? Eventually it was decided that working with asylum seekers was the way to go.?
There are about 1000 asylum seekers in Sheffield who have been refused “indefinite leave to remain”.? However that doesn’t mean they will be shipped home straight away.? No no.? The British Government in its wisdom has decided that they will draw the process out and simply cut all benefits, rights to employment, housing and education.? It means that many asylum seekers have simply gone underground and operate in the black market in order to survive.?
Sheffield has announced itself as a city that welcomes refugees and asylum seekers, so Sharrowvale decided that we would take that project as ours also.? There are heaps of things to do.? Giving someone a bed, either short-term or longer term, is already being done.? Food, friendship, and help with English are also needs we can fill.? Many of the asylum seekers are Kurds from Iraq.? We didn’t help them when Saddam was in power and destroying their lives, and now that they have fled the warzone we aren’t going to help many of them again.?
The gospel, however, is our motivation to welcome the alien and stranger into our midst, primarily because that is how God in Jesus welcomed us (Rom 5:8 says we were enemies – something far more significant than strangers).? But we too are aliens and strangers.? Since Abraham we have been a called out people.? 1Peter’s motif of aliens and strangers should not only spur us on to holy living in? a watching? world, but also to holy acting towards a watching? world.
There are heaps of opportunities to help asylum seekers at all levels.? Perhaps one thing our students can think about is trying to find graduate jobs in the social work sector that allows them to remain in Sheffield and help those seeking asylum.? That way our project will cut through all of the strata – from simple voluntary advice through to professional positions where we can influence policy.
?
?
Recent Comments