THE Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow, has endorsed a new anti-poverty resource, and urged churches not to overlook the gifts that those experiencing hardship have to offer.
Bishop Snow, who is the Church’s lead bishop for poverty, commended Trussell’s new resource pack, “Walking Humbly”, to church leaders and those who serve in other contexts.
Speaking at the charity’s launch of the resource last week, he said: “I want our churches not just to see themselves as serving those in poverty, but actually genuinely recognising everybody as a gift and having gifts to offer to the Church. So there is a sense of the Church receiving from people as well as giving to people.”
The new pack includes a guide and a series of six Bible studies that focus on themes of poverty. It also contains discussion points that aim “to help churches build a culture and adopt behaviours so that people facing hunger and hardship can belong and contribute without facing unintended barriers”, the charity said in a statement on Monday.
Bishop Snow said that the new resources were “rooted in the wisdom of Christians who know the realities of hunger and hardship first hand”, and that they offered “both practical tools and spiritual insight for building truly inclusive congregations”.
Last year, foodbanks in the Trussell community provided more than 2.6 million emergency food parcels to people across the UK.
Members of Trussell’s Christian Lived Experience Panel, who created the resources with the Methodist Church’s Justice-Seeking Church officer, Hannah Fremont-Brown, also attended the launch, alongside church and charity leaders from across the UK.
Jessica Foster, Trussell’s head of church engagement, said: “I hear from churches that they want to connect with their neighbours and make sure that everyone feels welcome at worship and in their communities. We hope this booklet helps churches open their doors a little wider and gives them the opportunity to think about any unintended barriers to belonging fully for people who face hunger and hardship.”
The resources are free and can be ordered at trussell.org.uk/church-items