Download it and pass it around your church.

EMU Signing 23rd Jan 2010

A copy of the signed Partnership Statement can be viewed here:EMU Partnership

The United Reformed Church is in full support of the ‘Robin Hood Tax’ campaign launched today (Wednesday 10 February) by a broad coalition of domestic charities, aid agencies, unions, faith organisations and green groups.

The campaign is calling on the leaders of the UK’s main political parties to support a global financial transaction tax on banks – of around 0.05% – to help repair damage caused by the global economic crisis, to protect public services at home, fight poverty abroad and help foot the bill for climate change environmental measures.

Commenting on the moral imperative for such a tax, the Revd John Marsh, Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church said: “The human suffering caused by the global financial crisis has been immense and the impact on vulnerable households in the UK and abroad devastating. Whilst it cannot restore lost jobs and livelihoods, this global financial transaction tax will go a long way to restoring public trust in financial institutions by raising up to £250 billion a year to fund critical development programmes here and abroad.”

Mr Marsh concluded: “Implementation of the global financial transaction tax would also serve to shift the public discourse from blame and retribution to hope: a governmental commitment to the common good is desperately needed in these stark times.”

In November 2009 the United Reformed Church adopted a motion in support of the financial transaction levy (the forerunner of the proposed global financial transaction tax). The adopted motion highlighted the United Reformed Church’s concern over the impact of the economic recession on the poor and vulnerable; the possibility of cuts to social benefits and public services being advocated by political parties in the lead-up to the General Election; and the likely impact the enormous deficit in public finances will have on the UK’s commitments to international development and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The anti-racist resolution was passed in January 2004 and, as the country prepares for a general election, the URC believes it timely to remember and re-emphasise that voting can be seen as both a civic and moral duty – and that support of parties that discriminate on racial grounds has no place amongst Christians.

John Marsh, Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, adds, “As the election approaches I urge all Christians to consider carefully where they place their cross on the ballot paper. Let us focus clearly on the truth that we are all members of one race – the human race.  Within God’s Kingdom there is no place for racial hatred and I call upon us all to remain firm in our commitment to practise and promote racial justice and inclusion.”

More information on countering political extremism can be found by following the links below. The guidelines advise against allowing an extremist party to use church premises and recommends that political parties with racist policies are not invited to participate in election hustings meetings held on church premises.

URC Website

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Website

For media information, please contact:

Gill Nichol or Alex Klaushofer

Press officers

United Reformed Church House

86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT

T: 020 7916 2020

p>E: gill [dot] nichol [at] urc [dot] org [dot] uk

E: alex [dot] klaushofer [at] urc [dot] org [dot] uk

ThePROJECT presents: Solas

A new Scottish festival, launching in Summer 2010, which aims to celebrate, explore and develop connections between art, faith and justice within and beyond Scotland: 25-27th June 2010 at Wiston, Biggar* PUT THE DATES IN YOUR DIARY NOW

*subject to necessary site licences

A star is born!

You may already be aware of TheProject. Perhaps you attended the day event we hosted in June 2009 in Edinburgh. Emerging from conversations in 2008 first at Greenbelt Festival, followed up in Perth, TheProject steering group has been working for the past year or so to explore ways of beginning this journey and of taking as many people as possible with us. We have decided to launch Solas Festival and have set up a company in that name. Here’s our Mission Statement:

Solas Festival is an independently funded and managed organisation which works in Scotland to promote the celebration and exploration of relationships between faith, art and justice. Its roots lie in the Christian tradition, ecumenically understood, and it seeks to be actively hospitable to a range of faith traditions.

Solas Festival

Solas will be an independent festival, made in Scotland, and we are proud to be launching with the support of two strategic partners, Greenbelt Festival and Christian Aid Scotland.

We aim to recruit 100 Solas Saints as individual supporters (see our Giving page for details).

Our dream is that this all-age weekend will light up the Scottish festival landscape with a vivid mix of music, debate, theatre, comedy, film and visual art and will quickly establish itself as a unique location to celebrate and question our commitments to art, faith and justice within Scotland’s cultural life. Come with us on the journey.

Line-Up

Already confirmed to appear at Solas 2010 are…
Talks: Gerry Hassan, Prof John Swinton, Kathy Galloway, Chris Harvie MSP, Shaun Burnie.
Film: Screenwriter Bernard MacLaverty, Producer Eddie Dick, Actor Martin Compston.
Theatre: Hopscotch Theatre Co, Flotsam and Jetsam Theatre
Children: Fischy Music
News of an exciting music programme and lots of other details will be published very soon. Please sign up for our newsletter and you’ll be kept right up to date as confirmations come in.

Location

25-27th June 2010 at Wiston, Biggar
Wiston is about an hour south of both Glasgow and Edinburgh (also easily accessible for the north of England and Northern Ireland),10 minutes from the M74 (J13), and the 52 acre site has ample room for camping amidst spectacular and beautiful lowland countryside. Wiston is a small village which most famously has played host to the Tinto Folk Music Festival, situated in the upper Clyde Valley with the nearest towns of Lanark and Biggar.

For more information on the area contact South Lanarkshire Tourist Board on 01864 502346, or their office in Biggar 01899 221066 or Lanark 01555 661661.

You can donate by visiting www.dec.org.uk.  You could also arrange for a collection in your church, workplace, school, college or university or social clubs.

Cost £10 – includes lunch

St Silas Church, Glasgow, 69 Park Road, Woodlands, Glasgow G4 9JE

The event is a must for anyone interested in building a Christ-centered community where parents, carers and children can share their creativity, eat a meal and worship together outside of Sunday worship.  It’s ideal for Worship Leaders, Local Preachers, Ministers, Deacons, Sunday School teachers – the sky is the limit! There will be time to learn from Lucy Moore, to try out activities and make plans for the future.

Book soon. Places are limited and this even sold quickly out last time.

For bookings contact Fiona Inglis – Email: meth [at] scottishchurcheshouse [dot] org - Phone: 01786 820295 – Methodist Office, Scottish Churches House, Kirk St, Dunblane, FK15

You can download the Messy Church Training poster 2010

We may be able to restore some of the content from our own back ups.

The URC  web team are planning to move to a different provider as soon as possible.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Jonny Baker is one of the best known Christian bloggers in the English speaking world. He brings a wealth of experience in Youth Work, Worship Leading/Curating, and Mission Support.

A prolific networker, over the years his blog has become a point of connection for many thousands of people involved in debates around emerging church, alternative worship and mission in the contemporary West.
This one-off blah/blether (named after similar events Jonny runs in England) begins with chat over curry + beer/irn bru, after which Jonny will speak and there will be time for responses and discussion.

All welcome, but booking essential by 26th Nov.
Cost £3 (£1 unwaged, £2 student) includes food – BYOB
Contact douggay [at] mac [dot] com

This event is also on Facebook