• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Joint Public Issues Team

Churches working for peace and justice

  • Home Page
  • Who We Are
    • Six hopes for society
  • Issues
    • Economy
      • Tax Justice
      • Reset The Debt
      • Living Wage
    • Environment
      • Net Zero in My Neighbourhood
    • Poverty and Inequality
      • The Cost of Living Crisis
      • Universal Credit
      • Truth and Lies
      • Enough
      • Rethink Sanctions
      • Faith in Foodbanks
      • Housing and Homelessness
    • Asylum and Migration
      • Refugees
      • End Hostility
      • The Asylum System
    • Peacemaking
      • The Arms Trade
      • Nuclear Weapons
      • Drones
      • Peacemaking resources
    • Politics and Elections
      • Elections
      • Meet Your MP
      • Art of the Possible
      • Brexit
    • Other Issues
      • International Development
      • Modern Slavery and Exploitation
        • Forced labour in fashion
  • Get Involved
    • JPIT Conference 2022
    • Newsletter
    • Events
    • Walking with Micah
  • Resources
    • Advent
    • 10 Minutes on… podcast
    • Politics in the Pulpit?
    • Stay and Pray
    • Season of Creation
    • Prayers
    • Public Issues Calendar
    • Poetry
    • Small Group Resources
  • Blog

Asylum and Migration, Blog · 27 April, 2018

The Asylum and Refugee Community

A story sent by Rev John Howard-Norman of Wesley Hall Methodist Church, Blackburn:

As the nations of Europe struggle to make an adequate response to the needs of the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing war, violence and oppression, Christians, cannot simply remain bystanders to this unfolding humanitarian tragedy. This crisis is so great it is quite literally of biblical proportions, and it is in the Bible that we discover that so many of God’s people were refugees, including Jesus! It is therefore natural that as Christians, we would want to make some sort of response. The question is, what can we do?

The first thing we must surely do is pray. Prayer opens our hearts to God’s will and purpose in this appalling situation. But is prayer all that we can do, or is there some action we might take? Churches located in those communities who will be hosting Syrian refugees, brought into this country by the British government over the next few months, may feel called to play their part in welcoming those who have lost so much, but having never encountered refugees or asylum seekers before, may feel uncertain about what to do. This is the story of one church’s response.

In 2004 the congregation at Wesley Hall Methodist Church, Blackburn made their own response to those arriving in the town as Asylum Seekers, by hosting a drop-in at the church every Tuesday. The drop-in became known as the ARC Project (the Asylum and Refugee Community). Eleven years on, that drop-in still meets every week. ARC is a place where all are welcome; a safe space, where differences of race and religion are laid aside, as adults and children of different nations and faiths share food and friendship together with the volunteers who support them, many of whom either still are, or have been, asylum seekers.

 

Those who attend the drop-in each week are often heard to say, ‘ARC is our home’.

In addition to the drop-in, the ARC project volunteers help refugees and asylum seekers at ‘English Club,’ develop their English language skills in a fun and friendly environment. Throughout the week, individual case work is undertaken by the Project Manager, Emily Jones, employed by the West Pennine Moors Methodist Circuit; Rob Cross, Outreach and Wellbeing worker, employed by the Cornerstone GP Practice, and Robin Sarkar, a full-time volunteer. Over recent months the Home Office has speeded up the processing of applications for asylum seekers applying for refugee status,  and what used to take months or even years, is now taking just a few weeks. This means that the ARC staff members are busier than ever, in offering support to those attempting to navigate their way through the complexities of the asylum system. Supported by funding from the Lancashire District of the Methodist Church, Wesley Hall continues to be the home of ARC, so that ARC can continue to be the home of those who once were strangers, but now are friends.

Many thanks to the  Rev John Howard-Norman of Wesley Hall Methodist Church, Blackburn for this story. If you think you have a story about your church that could give guidance to others who are eager to help please share it with us.

 

Filed Under: Asylum and Migration, Blog Tagged With: asylum seekers, Refugees

Previous Post: « Shooting the messenger: DWP’s response to news that Universal Credit is driving Foodbank use
Next Post: Minimum Unit Pricing Live in Scotland »

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Posts

  • Homes for Ukraine – One Year On
  • Response to the ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ – March 2023
  • Ukraine Invasion – One Year On
  • JPIT’s Review of 2022
  • What does Government Support for Asylum Seekers really provide?
  • God with Us – the Refugees of Calais and Dunkirk
  • How can we respond to COP27?
  • Statement on the conclusion of the COP27 Climate Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
  • COP27 – what should we be looking for?
  • “He has filled the hungry with good things” – What we need from the Autumn Budget
  • What are the stories we should tell about the humanitarian crisis at Manston Airport Asylum centre?
  • How can we be sure that the products we buy are not the result of modern slavery?
  • Why I hate Warm Banks (and why my church is opening one)
  • How does our theology call us to challenge Poverty?
  • Introducing Alfie
  • Biden says nuclear risk is the highest since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
  • Churches respond to risk to benefit levels
  • Briefing on the ‘Mini Budget’ for the Enough to Live group
  • Introducing Hazel
  • Introducing Hannah

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter

Footer

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Quick links

Stay and Pray
Politics in the Pulpit
Faith in Politics podcast
Public Issues Calendar
Useful Links

Our work

About Us
Meet the Team
Join the Team 
Internship
Our Newsletter

Contact us

25 Marylebone Road
London NW1 5JR

Tel: 020 7916 8632

enquiries@jpit.uk

Copyright © 2023 · Showcase Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in