Last week Bishop Jo took part in an East-West dialogue, known as The Magi Initiative. Organised by the Bible Society leaders from the major Christian denominations of the Middle East gathered in Cambridge for dialogue, prayer and fellowship with a diversity of UK church leaders. "In effect it was one long and very exciting bible study, focusing on the theme of Exile and finding the synergy between Eastern spirituality and Western scholarship.'"I led a session on ‘The Grace of Exile: Biblical Perspectives on character formation through hardship’ after which there were reflections and responses from those who live with the reality and risks of current exile. It was heart-wrenching to hear some of the daily realities for the courageous Christians who remain in Iraq, Armenia, Syria, even Lebanon. Owing to war and persecution, their numbers are reduced by an estimated 90%."Please pray for them and express solidarity wherever possible – they need help to rebuild homes and livelihoods if any public witness to the gospel is to be sustained in the region where the church first began. And my goodness, all those whom I met – whether Armenian Apostolic Orthodox or Armenian Catholic or Maronite or Roman Catholic or Syrian/Coptic Orthodox or Lutheran, Anglican or Pentecostal – they have guts when it comes to faith and witness, determined to shine as lights no matter the darkness!"
At St Jude’s, a small Church of England primary school in south London, the morning breakfast club is exceptionally busy. Over the past six weeks the number of pupils coming in to have porridge, scrambled egg and fruit smoothies before the school day begins has climbed from eight to 22 – nearly a quarter of the Southwark school’s population.Families hit by the cost of living crisis are increasingly desperate, says the acting deputy head, Matt Jones. They need help with their debts; they can’t pay their bills. Staff are making more and more referrals to StepChange, a debt charity, and the school has made discretionary payments to help families unable to afford gas, electricity or nappies.Budgets are tight, says Jones, but the school is determined to protect quality school dinners for its children, come what may. “We are taking a stance,” he said. “For many of our children, the food they get at our school might be the one decent meal they get each day. So we’ve got to make sure it continues.”As inflation sends the cost of ingredients spiralling, suppliers have told schools they are doing everything they can to absorb rising costs, but at some point the increases will have to be passed on. Without additional funding from the government, schools may have to opt for smaller portions or cheaper ingredients.The rapid increase in costs is shocking. One school catering manager in Liverpool said 5kg of long grain rice rose from £6.49 in April to £8.30 in May, 5kg of fresh chicken fillet went up from £19.96 to £28.53, and 1.7kg of tinned tuna in brine rose from £6.99 to £8.07.Some schools are considering putting up the price of school lunches next term for those who pay, but they are reluctant to increase the burden on families already caught in the cost of living crisis.Helen Stout is the headteacher of Meadowfield primary school in Halton Moor, Leeds, where many parents are already struggling to feed their children. The school serves a disadvantaged community where some families have been held back by generations of worklessness.More than 60% of her pupils are eligible for free school meals and the school provides breakfast for all children every day – “bread and spread” to make sure stomachs are not entirely empty at the start of the day. There are, however, worrying signs of hunger, Stout says. “Members of staff say children are gorging on food in the morning.”Meadowfield is still providing food parcels for the families most in need – a legacy of lockdown – with the help of a charity called Rethink Food, which intercepts food that is just past its sell-by date and destined for landfill. “It’s all perfectly fine to be eaten. It comes to us and we bag it up,” Stout said. Staff have also been directing parents to a charity called Zarach for basic items such as bedding, beds and mattresses.The school has already decided – reluctantly – to stop funding milk for its 200 key stage 2 children at the end of next week. “The cost has become astronomical,” Stout said, “but [the decision] sits uneasily with me.”She is horrified at the suggestion that children might be given smaller school lunches made with cheaper ingredients because of rising costs. “For some of my pupils, we know that it’s the only hot meal they are getting a day. I would have hoped school dinners would be sacrosanct. We can’t educate them if they’re hungry.”At Meadowfield, like many schools, there are other telltale signs that families are struggling – in children’s personal hygiene and appearance. Childrencome in without socks, while others are wearing school uniforms that are old and have been handed down not just once but through a couple of siblings.Dr Paul Gosling, the headteacher at Exeter Road community primary school in Devon, and president of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said his school was struggling to absorb the impact of rising food costs to protect families.“We have held off increasing the cost of meals to paying families as it will be another pressure on them. At the moment the school is absorbing the increased cost but it is not sustainable.”
England's ancient cathedrals could be in the 'vanguard' of technological development needed for the green revolution - just as they were when they were built – The Church of England’s lead Bishop for Environmental Affairs has said.Addressing the National Cathedrals Conference in Newcastle, Graham Usher (see photo), who is Bishop of Norwich, said that cathedrals can show the way in making changes for achieving Net Zero carbon across the whole Church by 2030, with a route map due for a vote at General Synod in July.Cathedrals have an impressive track record within the heritage sector, with Gloucester Cathedral becoming the first Grade 1 listed building to install photovoltaic panels in 2016.Many others have followed suit with green adaptations including solar panels, replaced light fittings, draft exclusion and in some places re-designed precincts to give greater access to green space and a chance for biodiversity to thrive.The host venue, Newcastle Cathedral, was praised for the installation of an air source heat pump as part of a major recent renovation.However, with cathedrals currently responsible for around 2 per cent of the total Church of England carbon emissions, delegates from cathedrals across England were encouraged to identify more opportunities to meet the ambitious target set by General Synod in 2020.“You have a crucial part to play in caring for the web of creation and seeking justice for the world’s economically poorest people already adversely impacted by climate change,” he said.“Every time we turn on our boiler or install a new kitchen, we are using the Earth’s resources, and we are called on to manage our buildings in ways that ensure we are not wasting these precious resources.“In the main, churches and cathedrals are currently heated by burning oil and gas, the very fossil fuels which are contributing to climate change. “It is the role of all cathedral Fabric Advisory Committees, Diocesan Advisory Committees, and diocesan chancellors around the country, to look to how to change this as we strive to reach net zero.“Installing a new gas boiler today means that you are committing to continuing to pump carbon into the atmosphere for the next 25 or so years.“To reach net zero is going to be challenging and costly. The announcement this week of £190M of Church Commissioners’ funding over the next 9 years to support the 2030 target is an enormous encouragement. It now needs to be spent wisely so as to gain the greatest impact and the best sharing of good practice.”Over two thirds of cathedrals are already part of the A Rocha ‘Eco Church’ programme with Salisbury Cathedral the first to win the ‘Gold’ award status. Bishop Graham said that he hoped the remaining cathedrals would sign up to the scheme.The Church of England’s Route Map to Net Zero Carbon will be discussed at General Synod in July 2022 following a consultation which included all dioceses and cathedrals.
