Not Enough: exploring different types of poverty through a lens of abundance

Not Enough: exploring different types of poverty through a lens of abundance

On 16th September, ChurchWorks gathered local churches and partner organisations to explore how we can respond to poverty through addressing the complexity of different forms of poverty as well as the value that the church can uniquely bring through a lens of abundance and a message of hope. 

Chris Shannahan from Coventry University framed our conversation with the findings from ‘Life on Breadline’ research which explored the role of the church in tackling poverty in the 21st Century. Chris outlined four different ways in which the church can respond to poverty: 

• Caring for those impacted
• Campaigning and advocating for change
• Empowering through self help and social enterprise
• Building community to provide supportive relationships for those impacted 

Our partner organisations illustrated how we can engage with these four responses. You can access the powerpoint slides for Kids Matter, Christians Against Poverty, Warm Welcome and Let’s End Poverty. 

3.8 million people live in destitution in the UK. The cumulative impact of austerity measures, covid and the cost of living crisis has been devastating to individuals, families and communities across the UK. However, we have an opportunity as the church to make a significant difference- through asserting the importance of those who are disadvantaged in order to shift culture and systemic injustice, to extending welcome to those who need friendship and family. God at work through the church can bring transformation to our villages, towns and cities. 

Watch the event recording here*. 

Life on the breadline research: https://breadlineresearch.coventry.ac.uk/

Kids Matter: https://kidsmatter.org.uk

CAP: https://capuk.org

Let's End Poverty: https://letsendpoverty.co.uk/

Warm Welcome: https://www.warmwelcome.uk/

‍

*Unfortunately, fickle technology means we only have a recording of the first half of the event. Apologies to all who shared in the second half. We encourage anyone who is watching back to look through the powerpoint slides and the websites of the organisations that spoke in the second half.