“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

We’re called to be good neighbours to people in need, and to challenge injustice. In a time when attitudes towards refugees and asylum seekers is becoming increasingly hostile, it’s also essential that we challenge injustice by standing in solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers in our community.

Sanctuary is a long-standing prophetic theme of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, calling on churches to provide safety and solidarity for people fleeing oppression and harm. Churches are called to be welcoming places of safety and to be proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution.

The Church of Sanctuary network encourages us to do three things:

 So far, we have:

• Registered on the National Website of City of Sanctuary
• Signed up on the Wyre Forest Website
• Create, an obvious, visual welcome to the church building
• Designated Refugee Week 16th -22ndJune, culminating in Refugee Sunday on 22nd June.
• Created a community garden

Currently, we offer two meeting rooms per month free of charge to the Wyre Forest Refugee Support Group. We run a Warm, Safe Space every Thursday morning, Toddlers on a Tuesday and Stitch and Natter every other Wednesday.

For more details on Church of Sanctuary:

https://churchofsanctuary.org/

https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/social-justice/church-of-sanctuary