“I’ll help serve breakfast!”
This week we are celebrating some of the stories of congregations from our churches who have taken up the challenge to meet their local MP. Each congregation was able to demonstrate their concerns for the local area, express their hopes and dreams, and invite partnership and dialogue which would allow peace and justice to flourish – but the ways they went about it were as varied and creative as the communities they represent. Find out more about ‘Meet Your MP’
Middle Lane Methodist Church meets Catherine West MP
photo: Chris McAndrew [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]
Revd Matt Lunn (@matt_lunn) told us how Catherine West MP came to meet members from Middle Lane Methodist Church, accompanied by Councillor Dana Carlin. The congregation shared their church’s vision with the MP and councillor. They also asked Catherine and Dana to tell them what they thought were the needs in the wider local community. Catherine and Dana suggested that if the congregation should host a community breakfast, they would be willing to come and help. The church is now planning to do just that!
Inspired by this positive meeting, Matt inquired if he and Helen his wife could meet Jeremy Corbyn MP in his constituency office. Matt had just moved to the area as a new minister and so sent Jeremy a letter, introducing himself and the ‘Meet Your MP’ initiative. Any sense of nervousness before the meeting quickly disappeared, as Matt found that Jeremy was interested in his ministry and the church he serves. Matt says, “He was really nice and easy to talk with.”
Meet Your MP tips:
- Ask MPs early as their diaries are usually very full, especially if your MP is a party leader or cabinet minister
- Share with your local MP the activities happening at the local church because it puts the church on the map and can help with finding funding for community projects.
More ‘Meet Your MP’ stories tomorrow…
