Belonging is the destination many of us hope the people within our church communities will come to land. The steps from welcome should lead to belonging and bring individuals to a place in the community where they’re included, involved and loved.
“I’m the only black lady on the Local Ministry Programme course right now, but it doesn’t feel like that when I’m there. I feel included. I feel comfortable. I feel safe. So, I’m just another student who’s going along and being encouraged, nurtured and challenged by academic training. I think that moves you from welcome to belonging. You feel safe. You feel valued. You feel loved.” Janet Williams
This week, as you watch our two Black History Month films on Belonging, think about what you can do to create ways for all sorts of different people with different backgrounds, needs and wants, to belong.
On the 75th anniversary of Windrush, we launched our racial justice covenant. The Covenant – a ‘charter for change’ – is a commitment for parishes to sign up to every two years and provides a way for parish leaders to deal with racism within their churches.