New CTC resource for churches – Asylum seekers & children seeking protection

What would it take for you to flee your country?
New Contextual Theology Centre resources for churches have been launched by The Children’s Society. These resources follow on from the reflective film we produced for Epiphany. The film was designed to help us think through what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph when they fled from Herod to seek asylum in Egypt, and how this story helps us to think about how hard it is for asylum seekers living in the UK today.
The downloadable leaflet is for use amongst congregations alongside the film to help us move from prayerful reflection through to action; reflection on Matthew 12, hearing the stories of what life is like for asylum seekers in the UK, and finally some very practical ways of how we might respond.
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-NAHbl82cQ&feature=player_embedded]
.
These resources are part of a wider inquiry into the UK asylum system, an inquiry with which The Children’s Society has been very involved. It was launched to listen to the voices of children who experience the harsh challenges of the asylum system, including the enforced use of a cashless payment system where asylum seekers are issued with a card that they can only use in certain shops. We are keen to help congregations think about how we might help address these issues through the following three avenues:
Worship: Through prayer
Support: Physically helping and befriending those in need
Action: Adding our voices to the campaign
.
.