An Indian perspectiveon Evangelicals and the law, Losing aprecious daughter, Ravi Zacharias, P5 P14 P16 TheChurch of England Newspaper 5March, 2021 £1.50 Established in 1828 No:6565 Church to useits own land to solvehomescrisis TheChurch of England should TheCommission recommends lead by example and deliver more newprotections for privatesector affordable homesonits own land, tenants, including longer-term according to anew report securityoftenure and adutyof endorsed by the Archbishop of e care on all landlords. Canterbury. Thereport‘Coming Coming Hom It also says the cladding crisis ousing Home’, outlines aUKhousing Tackling the h mustalso be addressed with r crisis which has left an estimated crisis togethe much greater urgency, with a eight million people living in commitment to remove unsafe February 2021 overcrowded, unaffordable and Full Report cladding on residential blocks by sub-standard accommodation. June 2022 and protectionfor The6000 acres of strategic leaseholders from the costs of landholdings of the Church remediation,the report Commissioners could be used to recommends. rchbishops sion of the A help alleviate the crisis, according The Commis RevLynne Cullens, nd York on Canterbury a of munity to the report. Anew Church rch and Com Commission member and Chair Housing, Chu Measure is proposed which would of the NationalEstateChurches ensure thatdioceses and parishes Network, said: “The statistics can use church land for social and regarding the housing crisis are environmental benefit. grim, four million households in Thereportdetails anumber of England live in ahome thatthe recommendations for the Church government defines as ‘non- of England. decent’, for instance. But there is These include amending the hope -the pasttwo years have legal framework for selling church revealed thatthere is aquiet assets so church land and revolution happening within buildings can be used for social Dr Guli Francis- manyparishes. and environmental, as well as Dehqani,new “Right across the country, lead Bishop on economic, benefit. housing churches are responding to local It also recommends thatthe housing need by building, Church Commissioners setan innovating, repurposing and example to other landowners by advocating for those who are favouring newdevelopments on parishes are meeting local needs Guli Francis-Dehqani will lead a housing strategywith cross-party vulnerablyhoused. its land thatalign with the and building community. team supporting local dioceses support, including aspecific “And we want to see more of Commission’s values, and thata Further recommendations call and parishes to help meetlocal target for the number of homes this; because together -asthe reviewiscarried out to examine on the church to ensure clergy housing need. which are truly affordable, 10 and Church, as individuals and as how the Church Commissioners’ and layactivists are offered Thereportwas presented to 20 years out, and who should sector partners -wecan tackle the strategic land can be used to training on how to engageon the General Synod during the one bear the financial burden for housing crisis. Together we can deliver more affordable housing. housing matters, and thatlocal dayonline meeting in February. achieving this. drive aspokeinto the wheel of It recommends thatthe church communitywork shifts Thereportcalls on acollective TheCommission also housing injustice. Together local Church Commissioners consider from crisis interventions to effortatall levels of society recommends further reversal of churches can playavital role in whether theycould draw down prevention. including Government, local cuts to socialsecuritysupportfor ensuring everyone has ahome more from their assets and release TheCommission has put authorities, landowners and housing and –after years of thatissustainable, safe, stable, strategic land, to unlock the together guidance and case property developers as well as the piecemeal changes -calls for a sociable and satisfying.” potential for more affordable studies to help churches respond Church. reviewtoensure adequate homes. Further to these effectively to housing needs TheCommission concludes housing supportfor low-income PRICE £1.50 /€2.00 /$2.50 recommendations, the locally,aswell as books, videos thatsuccessive Governments’ households. It says thatsuccessive Commission has co-created an and Bible study notes to reflect focus on simply building more welfare reforms have left many interactive map thataccurately and engagewith housing issues homes is not going to solve the low-income households forced to identifies all church land and from aChristian perspective. problem of affordability. choose between paying the rent buildings within dioceses, and a Thenewly-appointed Bishop TheCommission urges the and paying for other essentials surveytodemonstratehow for Housing, the Right RevDr Government to setout a20year such as food and heating. ThenextCEN will be published on 19 Mar churchnewspaper.com [email protected] facebook.com/churchnewspaper @churchnewspaper 2 Friday5March, 2021 these communities. Iknow from Diocese of Durham my family experience of home- TheDiocese of Durham has joined forceswith Christian Aid to give schooling the difference having thanks for the rollout of the covid-19 vaccine across the world. TheChurch extralaptops makes. Children TheBishop of Durham is encouraging people to pass on the blessing should not be excluded from of receiving their covid jabs to makeadonation to Christian Aid’s education because there is not a Coronavirus Appeal. computer in their home or Funds from the appeal are helping vulnerable communities around in England because thatcomputer is also the world access soap, water,food and vital health information in the needed by parents trying to work face of the pandemic. Many communities around the world face an from home at the same time. It is uncertain wait for avaccine as questions remain around the costand amazing whatcan be achieved by timing of aglobal vaccine programme. churches and other community TheRtRevdPaul Butler,Bishop of Durham, who received his first groups working together to vaccination at the newly open centre in Durham said: “The vaccine is address real and pressing need.” bringing with it adeep sense of reliefand hope for families across the UK and increasingly we see thatmanypeople want to express their gratitude by reaching out to others.” Diocese of Winchester Avon ValleyChurcheshave teamed up with TheCottageLoaf Diocese of Newcastle groups. Charitable church funds in FordingbridgeHigh Streetto Thecommunitiesofthe united contributed another twoand fund more than 400 cakes for beneficeofOvinghamandWylam parishioners donated another local children and their families have funded 17 laptops for ten. as well as all those in local care Ovingham Middle School in just Theinitial aim to fund one homestolet them know theyare 36 hours. laptop of exceeded within 36 thinking of them. It started when the school hours with 17 being purchased. Youth, Children and Families approached Doreen Jordan, the Ovingham Middle School is Development Worker for the chair of Ovingham Parish partofthe Tyne Community Avon ValleyChurches, Jo Heath, Council, for help funding asingle Learning Trust, agrouping of said: “Even though we are in a laptop. With manychildren nineschoolswithintheOvingham third lockdown, we are still currently home-schooling, and Prudhoe area. Thelaptops reminding ourselves and others laptops are vital to allow pupils to funded will be used throughout about how important it is to feel connectwith their teachers. the trustfor families with connected and cared for.” Doreen approached St Mary insufficient access to computers the Virgin, Ovingham to ask if at home to enable effective online Centre of Mission in Wales) and bread, abottle of blackberrygin. a theywould liketojoin in and help teaching. Theeffects of the Diocese of Birmingham is also extremely passionate about hand-made wooden bowl or ajar fund newlaptops. From this first community’sgenerous response On the 14 February2021, if you finding those mostinneed and of honey, we bishops would be invitation, the initiative will be felt across the trust. happen to be in LangleyPark or taking Christ, and the church, to glad to provide to the highest snowballed with the Parish TomBirch, Vicar of the united Barnford Park, youmay come them. bidders in the service of our sister Councils of both Wylam and benefice, said, “I am delighted across alargeheart. On them will Thelong-term vision of the diocese of Kagera. There maybe Ovington agreeing to each fund a and astounded by the scale and be aQRcode, if you follow this Centre of Mission is to see new something else you have in mind laptop, as did other community speed of the generosityshown by code, and input your name, you worshipping communities -we’re open to possibilities, shall arrive at awebpagetelling emergeofpeople, thatmay never within reason!” you ‘For Godsoloved the world have attended atraditional Thebids will be submitted thatHesent Hisonly Son to that church, meeting together to grow during Lent and the Bishops will if you (their name) believe in Him in communityand discipleship. decide on the winning ideas based you shall not perish but have on creativityand feasibility, and eternal life’, with alink to a expecttorespond before Easter Facebook pagededicated to the Diocese of Suffolk as bids come in. local communityand those that Suffolk Christians are invited to Christians are also invited to are there to serve it. bid for an hour of abishop’s