Faithaction Magazine
Faithaction magazine is a unique publication – the only magazine specifically for churches on how they can impact their communities. It is a vital tool for churches who are seeking to address social needs in their communities.
Faithaction was founded by Yemisi Onigbinde, who has a vision and passion to equip churches to make a difference.
Tearfund, Livability and Church Urban Fund are proud to be partners of Faithaction magazine and joined Nims Obunge of the Peace Alliance in hosting the official launch of the magazine at Church House, Westminster on the 7th May 2009. In an inspirational speech, Stephen Timms, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said that Faithaction magazine illustrated a ‘grassroots movement’ of Christian activism which ‘doesn’t have a centre or a cathedral, but is making itself felt across the country. It is largely about ordinary acts and hidden lives’.
Extracts of Stephen’s speech can be found below.
David Burrows, the Shadow Minister for Justice also spoke movingly about his own faith and why compassion was at the heart of Christian witness. Nims Obunge asked the assembled guests whether they wanted to invest in Faithaction magazine and interviewed Yemisi about her own transformational journey of coming to faith in Christ.
If you would like more information about faithaction magazine please email Yemisi via info@faithaction.org or visit www.faithaction.org
"The values and actions that faithaction magazine wants to promote are just the kind of values and the actions that we as a government think we need more of."
I’ve been impressed with the stories of inspirational people as well as the resources for action that the magazine provides. But the magazine is much more than just a good read – what it's presenting is a vision for social action.
I’m delighted to endorse that vision and to offer my support as you pursue that mission. I see strong links between that vision and the Government’s vision: in the words of the recent budget, ‘to build a strong economy and a fair society, where there is opportunity for all’.
I am Labour’s Vice Chair for Faith. My theme in that role is to take on those who say you shouldn’t mix faith and politics. My view is the opposite – that faith is a great starting point for politics. And that we need the values of faith increasingly to influence our public and political lives. Because faith is where good values come from.
When I meet the kinds of Christian groups who are active in our communities, the values and commitment I see are values I know we need more of. Honesty, decency, faithfulness, service, justice – often expressed with great creativity, a sense of real purpose and hope, as you reach out to the most needy in our communities. This is faith in action – not just alive and well but playing a crucial role in modern life that others cannot play. The values and the actions that faithaction magazine wants to promote are just the kinds of values that we as a Government think we need more of.
Looking in the pages of faithaction magazine, or visiting almost any town and city in Britain today, you will see many Churches responding to the needs of their communities in that way, providing hope and love which would otherwise be in short supply. I am impressed and inspired by this practical faith. I see it as a new social movement – one that isn’t yet properly understood – but it's one that needs to be taken seriously, and which this magazine can help.
I would describe the movement like this:
- First is is a grassroots movement. It doesn't have a centre or a cathedral, but it is making itself felt across the country. It is largely about ordinary acts and hidden lives.
- Second, it is locally focused. It is rooted in a committed mutual community - a church - which is socially and culturally mixed, able to enlist people to move across the boundaries of their comfort zone.
- Third, it is rooted in worship. it does not consist of activists who happen to have had some bacgkround in Christianity. Rather it has right at its centre the person of Jesus.
- Fourth, it is interested in changing individuals. It plugs away, it doesn't abandon failures even if it looks foolish. It has a profound vision of what it means to be human, in faith that the ultimate destination of human history is in God's hands and that at that time, what is so plainly wrong today will be put right.
As a grassroots movement it needs to network – to stay in touch with others and with Government. This is where the vision of the magazine comes together with the vision of thousands of activists to help make positive social change.
But faithaction is a resource for Government too – it can unpack and explain programmes from departments – putting people in touch with funding sources and possible partners. You have the unique ability to engage these new Christian social activists with the wider work of Government in a way that no-one else can – and I welcome you to this role.
Some say faith and bureaurcracy can't mix. But I believe they can and they must - even though it is hard. The prize is a precious one - in transformed lives of people your projects serve, and transformed communities in which they live.
Faithaction Magazine and the people you serve stand in a great tradition of Christian social action. John Wesley, William Wilberforce, William Booth. Today it is our turn. And as every age is unique, today has its own unique challenges. One of them is to learn to work with Government - and crucially to help shape Government.
Individual Christians can bring positive social change, and we can see that, but change on bigger scale requires influncing government. We want to listen, and we want your help in shaping policy. We want to work with you on shared goals. And we want to celebrate your contribution, to say thank you for the work you are doing in every community in the land. And in all those areas, this magazine can be a great help – so I welcome it warmly.