Welcoming strangers ...

City of Sanctuary UK is an organisation that seeks to build a movement of welcome across the UK. In these times of change, with huge numbers of refugees and people seeking sanctuary moving around the world, these networks of churches, councils and community groups can provide support, dignity and friendship.

On 2 July 2023, representatives from City of Sanctuary presented a Church of Sanctuary Award to Nailsea Methodist Church in North Somerset, at a special service of celebration.

Church members ran a Hong Kong Welcome Course and joined forces with other local churches to provide a Conversation Café for refugees from Syria and Ukraine. The minister, Revd Deborah Mallett, said 'The call to love our neighbour, whoever they are and wherever they are from, lies at the heart of the Christian faith. We aspire to be a community of welcome and a safe place for all. This award is a happy marker on an ongoing journey to express deeper solidarity with those on the margins.'

The current issue of The Connexion magazine explores what 'welcoming everyone' means, and includes stories from churches around the country who are opening their doors and their hearts to people who have fled their homes in search of safety. Read about them online in www.methodist.org.uk/theconnexion.