Making a Christian difference

Transcription

1 Making a Christian difference You can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) Annual Review

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3 Making a Christian Difference CARE Greetings from CARE! I hope that you will find this Annual Review interesting, informative and encouraging! CARE has been repeatedly applauded for our professional, accurate and thoughtful work on issues of life, protection of the vulnerable and freedom of conscience. We are continually encouraged by our supporters and it is a privilege to work alongside the Church, providing resources to enable Christians to engage in public life by prayer, action and pastoral support through initiatives such as OPEN, Pray for Schools and AfterWorkNet. The CARE Leadership Programme continues to flourish and many of its alumni are now placed in strategic positions of influence. However, there s a militant secularist agenda in the UK seeking to marginalise Christian faith that is being subtly and determinedly pushed forward. For example, within the current Government s plans to counteract terrorism vitally important of course there is currently no distinction between violent and non-violent extremism. This poses a real threat to Britain s tradition of freedom of speech and could seriously affect churches and other ministries. Meanwhile, some Christian employees are concerned about their rights to act according to their conscience. CARE wholly depends on the generous, voluntary giving of individuals, churches and grantmaking trusts. This wonderful support has in some cases been given regularly over many years. Recently we have benefitted from a number of legacies, arriving just when we needed additional resources to expand our team or develop important new initiatives. Thank you so much for both your prayers and financial support. John O Brien Chair of CARE Trustees We deeply appreciate your partnership in this ministry, through prayer, giving and practical action. Thank you. Nola Leach Chief Executive Annual Review

4 care Making a Christian Difference Public Affairs England and Wales Protecting children online After many years of campaigning, the Government agreed its Digital Economy Act must require people visiting pornographic websites to prove they are over 18. CARE worked closely with MP Claire Perry on an amendment to ensure this is backed by proper powers of enforcement. The Government opposed this, but the amendment was finally included. We also assisted MP Fiona Bruce with her amendment to close a loophole that meant 18-rated content on video on demand platforms would not need the same age verification checks as other pornographic websites. CARE helped several Peers to oppose amendments to the Bill that allow violent pornography and nonphotographic images of child sex abuse, which are illegal offline, not to be blocked so long as age verification checks are in place. These efforts were unsuccessful and now CARE is supporting Baroness Howe who has introduced a Bill specifically to address this problem. Raising education concerns The Public Policy Team worked with MPs to outline concerns at changes to sex and relationships education (SRE) made by the Government. A Government consultation is expected on plans for Relationships Education to be taught as a statutory subject for children as young as four, with no right for parents to withdraw their child. We continue to monitor these developments closely. 4 Annual Review

5 Providing trafficking evidence CARE continued to advocate for improved support for victims of trafficking and modern day slavery. We were one of only two NGOs invited to give oral evidence to MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee as part of their landmark inquiry, and were delighted that our evidence and some of our recommendations were included in the Committee s final report. We also continued to press the Government to roll out the child trafficking advocate scheme across the whole of England and Wales and supported MPs in securing a debate in Parliament on the issue, during which the Minister announced plans for a staged implementation beginning in Wales, Hampshire and Greater Manchester. Upholding religious freedoms CARE commissioned think tank ResPublica to produce a major report on religious liberty in the UK, documenting legal cases of Christians being denied the right to act according to their sincerely held beliefs and proposing public policy measures to require reasonable accommodation for employees to manifest their beliefs. The report was discussed in Parliament and received widespread press coverage. In December, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) proposed to change its regulations and require pharmacy professionals with a conscientious objection to provide controversial drugs (like the morning after pill ). CARE and other organisations mobilised Christians to oppose this by engaging with the consultation process. The GPhC subsequently watered down its proposals. Annual Review

6 care Making a Christian Difference Public Affairs Scotland Protecting the exploited During the year, CARE submitted evidence to consultations and organised some well attended meetings in the Scottish Parliament. We brought over a Canadian politician, Joy Smith, to talk to MSPs about her experience of bringing in a law to criminalise the purchase of sex. CARE has long advocated for Scotland to introduce laws to address the inequality, harm and exploitation that is at the heart of prostitution and hold the buyers responsible for their actions. We supported Scottish National Party members with a motion to criminalise the purchase of sex, which was brought before the SNP s March Conference. We were delighted that this was approved. Supporting parental rights CARE campaigned against the Scottish Government s Named Person Scheme. While recognising their aim of improving child wellbeing we were concerned that, if applied in a blanket manner, the Scheme would undermine parents and families rights. CARE participated in a Judicial Review of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act. This resulted in the UK Supreme Court finding that the law infringed human rights by allowing the sharing of sensitive personal information without consent. The Scottish Government will be bringing new legislation before Parliament to rectify these defects Annual Review

7 Northern Ireland Speaking for the unborn CARE provided the secretariat for the All Party Group on Human Life in Stormont. This group has been widely consulted on ethical questions regarding the beginning of life, especially as the issue of abortion has been so hotly debated. We have played a central role in opposing attempts to liberalise the law on abortion in Northern Ireland and we will continue to do so going forward. We were part of the influential Both Lives Matter campaign, which pointed out that 100,000 people in Northern Ireland today would never have been born had the Abortion Act 1967 been enacted in the Province. Guarding trafficking victims As a member of the Department of Justice Engagement Group on Human Trafficking, CARE has continued to work towards the implementation of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act 2015, especially making sure that the provision of Independent Guardians for unaccompanied children is delivered. We continue to pray for wisdom for those seeking to find a fair and peaceful resolution to the current political disagreements that have resulted in the suspension of Stormont s powersharing devolved Assembly. Annual Review

8 care Making a Christian Difference Informing Public Policy England and Wales summary Abortion n Supporting Lord Shinkwin s Abortion (Disability Equality) Bill to prevent abortion up to birth on the ground of disability. Human trafficking n Supporting parliamentarians to raise concerns about victims access to support and delays in provision of child trafficking advocates. n Submitting evidence to the Work and Pensions Select Committee Inquiry on Victims of Modern Slavery. n Petitioning the Health Secretary not to introduce antenatal screening to detect Downs Syndrome. Assisted suicide n Supporting Baroness Finlay s Access to Palliative Care Bill. Prostitution n Supporting Lord McColl s Private Members Bill to improve access to support for people to exit prostitution. n Submitting evidence to the Welsh Government Consultation on National Strategy on Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence. n Participating in the Care Not Killing Alliance to counter the threat to legalise assisted suicide. n Supporting Peers debating in the House of Lords to reject calls to legalise assisted suicide. n Serving as secretariat and organising events for the All-Party Group on Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade. n Hosting meetings in Parliament for a former Canadian MP to discuss the outcome of reforming prostitution laws there. Family and tax n Publishing two reports to highlight the discriminatory UK tax burden on single earner families with two children. Online safety and pornography n Assisting parliamentarians to bring amendments to the Digital Economy Bill to improve ageverification and protect children from accessing online pornography. Sex and relationships education n Assisting MPs to outline concerns on Government changes that erode and undermine the role of parents. Gambling n Submitting evidence to the APPG on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) and to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport s Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures. n Supporting parliamentarians in debates on reducing FOBT stakes to protect problem gamblers. Religious liberty n Urging Christians to respond to the General Pharmaceutical Council consultation on pharmacists conscience rights; opposing amendments undermining freedom of religion and belief. n Monitoring and preparing for the Government s proposals to tackle non-violent extremism. 8 Annual Review

9 Making a Christian Difference care Scotland summary Value of life Assisted suicide n Chairing the Care Not Killing Alliance in Scotland and coordinating its activities to counter the threat posed by assisted suicide. n Monitoring the activities of the Scottish Parliament s Cross Party Group on End of Life Choices and participating in media discussions on this issue. Human exploitation Human trafficking n Submitting evidence to three Scottish Government consultations on an independent child trafficking guardians scheme, the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy, and regulations relating to support for trafficking victims. n Participating in Scottish Government consultation events on research into commercial sexual exploitation. n Preparing briefings and organising meetings for MSPs with survivors of prostitution, and with a visiting former Canadian MP. Marriage and family More... Parental and child rights n Responding to the Scottish Government s consultation on its proposed revised guidance on Religious Observance in schools; arguing for the right of parents to have their children educated in accordance with their religious or philosophical beliefs. Religious observance n Supporting the Scottish Parliament s Cross Party Group on Freedom of Religion and Belief. CARE has been a great help in my work to reduce demand for commercial sexual exploitation... it makes a clear contribution to the discussion of important issues. Rhoda Grant MSP Organ donation n Responding to the Scottish Government s consultation on organ and tissue donation, arguing against the introduction of an opt-out system for ethical and practical reasons. Annual Review

10 care Making a Christian Difference Informing Public Policy Northern Ireland summary Value of life Human exploitation Abortion n Providing the secretariat for the All Party Group on Human Life, which helps MLAs deliberate on ethical questions around the beginning and end of life. n Playing a central role in engaging with MLAs to oppose the liberalisation of abortion law in Northern Ireland. Human trafficking n Continuing to serve as a member of the Department of Justice s Engagement Group on Human Trafficking. n Following up the implementation of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act. n Submitting evidence to the Department of Justice s consultation on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Strategy CARE helps MLAs from all backgrounds to think through issues of abortion and assisted suicide compassionately. I strongly recommend them for their willing and wise approach. Alban Maginness Former Lord Mayor of Belfast and MLA Marriage and family Marriage n Engaging with members across the political parties in Northern Ireland to promote the value and worth of marriage for individuals, families and communities. n Opposing attempts to re-define marriage. More... Gambling n Engaging with MLAs on the issue of problem gambling in the Province. n Preparing for legislation on this issue, due to come before the Northern Ireland Assembly, considering the impact of gambling. 10 Annual Review

11 Making a Christian Difference care Preparing Christians for elections We provided resources for a number of elections over this period! Our team pulled together to launch the engage17 website to help Christians prepare for the snap General Election. Earlier in the financial year, we provided similar resources for the Regional Elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, for the London Mayoral Election, and for the Police and Crime Commissioner Election for England and Wales. We also provided clear summaries of the Remain and Leave arguments to prepare Christians for the EU Referendum. We encourage Christians to make their voice heard and engage in this all important democratic process by: n Voting in elections n Attending or organising a hustings question time event n Making sure they are informed about the main issues at stake for Christians n Praying throughout the election process n Questioning their candidates to find out their views n Thinking about how they can continue to engage beyond polling day In the build up to a key election, members of our team set off on hustings tours, informing and encouraging people at events. Many who attend benefit from our videos, special briefings, manifesto analyses and key previous voting information on candidates. We continue to ask for God s wisdom and guidance for those serving in the Parliaments and Assemblies of the UK, for the London Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioners, many of whom are new to office. Annual Review

12 care Making a Christian Difference In the press Interacting with the media mainstream and Christian publications, broadcasting and through social media is vital, enabling us to influence decision makers and raise public awareness. Over the last year, CARE has continued to achieve great coverage across national media. CARE has spoken out on issues relating to human dignity, in order to protect the most vulnerable in society. Members of our Public Affairs Team have written for newspapers such as The Times and The Scotsman and appeared on primetime radio shows and news programmes. Comments from CARE have appeared in The Times, The Daily Mail, The Mirror, The Guardian and other national and regional newspapers. CARE has a thriving relationship with the Christian press, engaging with Christian Today, Premier Christian Radio, UCB, The Catholic Universe and other Christian media platforms. Our Chief Executive Nola Leach frequently writes opinion pieces for news outlets and our Executive Chairman Lyndon Bowring is a columnist for Direction and Sorted magazines. 12 Annual Review

13 Making a Christian Difference care Connecting with churches CARE is committed to helping local church leaders and individual Christians to: n understand important human dignity concerns, n engage with their elected respresentatives, n support some of the most vulnerable people in society, n pray for a range of issues affecting our world. Last year, our Church Development Team connected with hundreds of UK churches across the denominational spectrum, networking with individuals and participating in over 150 special events and church services, to share CARE s vision and offer support. We have received many requests for a biblical overview of political engagement and talks on CARE s public policy subjects, including human trafficking, religious liberty and the sexualisation of society. We have delivered lectures and short courses on the ethics of public policy and Christian engagement in public life. To access CARE s church leader resources visit care.org.uk/churchleader We are always happy to have the opportunity to offer informative and engaging talks or seminars at churches. If you would like your own church to benefit from this please do get in touch: gareth.davies@care.org.uk (England and Wales) tim.houston@care.org.uk (Northern Ireland) stuart.weir@care.org.uk (Scotland) Church Development Team (from left: Tim Houston, Gareth Davies, Stuart Weir) on an away day. Annual Review

14 care Making a Christian Difference AfterWorkNet serving those taking the leap into retirement Retirement can feel like leaping into the unknown for the growing multitude who make up the retired and active generation. Sometimes called the young old, they are very different from their parents. Among them are Christians wanting to maximise their retirement years. That is why CARE is launching AfterWorkNet. Our mission: To help retired Christians to live life to the full, to explore areas of service and to understand what discipleship means in this phase of their lives. Our vision: To see a self-resourcing community of actively retired Christians who are discovering fulfilling opportunities in their life after work. afterworknet.com will soon be brimming with advice, insight and practical help. There will also be an active Facebook community and regular blog. We have been hard at work developing this exciting initiative over the past year and look forward to launching in November 2017! To sign up to our AfterWorkNet mailing list for the latest news of this ministry visit: afterworknet.com 14 Annual Review

15 Making a Christian Difference care conference 2017 Resourcing church leaders to help those affected by pornography From our earliest beginnings, CARE has addressed the problems pornography causes for individuals and society. Last summer, CARE hosted one of the most important events in its history, The P Word Conference in London, in partnership with Naked Truth. It was a day of encouragement, information and practical support for over 350 church leaders wanting to help those affected by pornography. Those who attended heard more of the nature of problems caused by the prevalence of pornography in society. Skilled practitioners equipped church leaders, providing them with compassionate and effective pastoral responses for those affected. Following the success of The P Word Conference and the positive feedback we received, we are hosting similar conferences for church leaders and those in pastoral ministry in Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff this autumn. Our heart is for hundreds of leaders in the nations of the UK to be challenged and resourced to be more aware of the issues and to help those affected by pornography. For further information or to purchase tickets for an upcoming event visit pwordconference.com Annual Review

16 care Making a Christian Difference Investing in Leadership CARe leadership Programme alumni 16 Annual Review

17 Making a Christian Difference care CARE s Leadership Programme inspires and equips Christian graduates with a vision to live out their faith in the workplace and aspire to leadership in public life. Offering a unique insight into influencing our society for Christ at a political level, it combines outstanding professional experience, biblicallybased study and a supportive Christian community. The Programme includes a ten month internship with a Member of Parliament, NGO or Member of the Scottish Parliament. Participants are placed in positions of real responsibility at the beginning of their career. Alongside this, they take part in a weekly Friday study programme, helping them to think through what it means to be a Christian in the political sphere. The Programme started in 1993 and now has over 280 alumni, including parliamentarians, senior civil servants, and charity executives. There were ten members of the Leadership Programme in the last academic year. A further ten have been recruited for They will be placed across the main political parties in Westminster. Our nation, like the Church, is in desperate need of leaders of vision, Christ-like character and integrity and we believe that CARE s Leadership Programme is helping to meet this need. We are accepting applications for the Programme until 13 November For more information and to apply visit care.org.uk/leadership The Leadership Programme has been the richest teaching and training investment I ve received in thinking about the relationship between Christ and culture, and growing in servant leadership. It was the perfect step after university, solidifying the foundations of my faith in the context of a challenging work placement, with the support of like-minded Christian peers. Fridays and study weekends have been a real highlight. Feedback from alumni Annual Review

18 care Making a Christian Difference Providing a compassionate response Post-abortion concerns OPEN equips the Church to provide a compassionate response to those affected by abortion. During the year we have spread news of OPEN to those in pastoral ministry around the UK. We have been warmly received when asked to speak on these sensitive issues, which can lead to members of our OPEN Team often being invited back to provide training sessions for small group leaders. OPEN is still relatively new and the positive feedback we have received from church leaders has been very encouraging. In this past year, we have held three post abortion weekend healing retreats. Women attending experienced deep healing as they courageously explored how their lives have been affected. One mother of three young children described the weekend as life changing. Miscarriage Following our talks in churches, the subject of miscarriage has been frequently raised. This year, we have decided to develop Loved a one-day healing retreat for those who have experienced the pain and sadness of miscarriage. At our first Loved retreat, seven women came together to share their stories of how their lives had been affected. We reflected on how our babies are remembered and loved by us and by God, and that we too are loved. To find out more about these growing ministries, to register for a healing retreat or to invite a member of this specialist team to your church, visit weareopen.org.uk or contact Jenny Baines at open@care.org.uk 18 Annual Review

19 Making a Christian Difference care Pray for Schools (PFS) wants to see every school a prayed for school. This initiative is headed up by CARE Prayer Coordinator Celia Bowring, in partnership with several agencies. Volunteer coordinators for England, Northern Ireland and Wales encourage Christians to set up prayer groups to support local schools and initiate regional events. We re now up to approximately 2,000 schools prayed for by 500 individuals, churches or groups. Thirty regional prayer events took place last year and PFS is increasingly well known throughout the Christian education world and on social media. Pray for Schools offers a unique collection of creative ideas, practical suggestions, resources and opportunities to keep the ministry of prayer effective and fresh for Christians leading and supporting the hundreds of groups that exist to bless their local schools. Find out more at: /prayforschools Are your local schools covered in Christian prayer? Find out at prayforschools.org/nearme Simply type in your postcode to see a list of the schools near you and find out whether we have registered prayer groups or individual intercessors for them. You can share your interest in registering, in joining a prayer group or in starting your own. We will support you with practical help and all the resources you need to get started in this special prayer ministry. Let s work together to see every school a prayed for school! Annual Review

20 care Making a Christian Difference Members of our team Away days June 2017 Connecting online... We are pleased to have launched a brand new CARE Instagram account! Our supporters can now connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and sign up to our regular s and mailings via our /careorguk /careorguk care.org.uk/stayinformed Sharing our vision Our Communications Team has a passion to assist our supporters to partner with CARE s work in many ways. We are deeply grateful for those who pray, give financially and engage in the advocacy work of making a Christian voice heard. We produce a number of printed and online resources to inform, inspire and equip our supporters to make a Christian difference. We are so grateful for the feedback we receive, warmly encouraging us to continue doing just that. Keeping supporters informed... CARE s regular s and informative letters summarise key events and opportunities in the UK Parliaments and Assemblies and identify the best ways to respond to various situations that arise, through prayer and practical action. Inspiring reflection and prayer... The quarterly CARE Prayer Diary, written by Celia Bowring, provides information, scripture and prayer points about a wide range of issues affecting our society. It is available as a free booklet, online, by , on Twitter and via the PrayerMate app. 20 Annual Review

21 Making a Christian Difference care Grassroots work CARE continues to bring together senior representatives from 15 of the more recent denominations and church movements that are invariably overlooked by those in government. Each quarter, they spend a day at the CARE offices and also meet with parliamentarians for updates on what has been happening. They receive information and advice to help them mobilise congregations to engage in local and national politics on issues that concern them. On the road We value every opportunity to meet people and to share encouragements and challenges that Christians are facing. CARE supporters are the life blood of the organisation; connecting with them in their local area and strengthening those relationships is invaluable. CARE events take place across the UK and feature live presentations, video contributions, interviews and Q & A sessions for church leaders. This year we have been delighted to meet with over 150 church leaders and 600 CARE supporters at events in Ayr, Swansea, Cardiff, East Kilbride, Nottingham, Peterborough, Preston, Slough, Southampton, Worcester and Yeovil. Our team has also presented at many churches and Christian events. Annual Review

22 care Making a Christian Difference Looking ahead with faith Faith is a decision to trust and Christians are called daily to rely on God, living out His grace and truth through our faith in Christ. This also applies to Christian organisations like CARE and as a team we regularly bring our needs to God with thanksgiving. Faith for us also means looking to be ahead of the curve as we sense God is leading us, and sometimes taking up causes that may not be popular. CARE began to address the issues of pornography and human trafficking long before they were widely discussed. And in coming months we ll be bringing a Christian perspective to the crucial debate about the impact of robots, humanoids and Artificial Intelligence on our lives. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:1,6 (ESV) These are uncertain times for our nation, and we are increasingly aware of the way in which biblical foundations of the Christian faith are being eroded. A number of senior church leaders have commented that the ministry of CARE is needed now more than ever. We will continue to speak out about the inestimable value of human life, the importance of a secure and loving family life, protection of the most vulnerable and the freedom to defend truth and justice in public life. May we all grow in our faith personally and in the service of His kingdom. CARE could simply never accomplish all that is highlighted in these pages without your faithful and generous support. Thank you. Rev Lyndon Bowring Executive Chairman 22 Annual Review

23 Making a Christian Difference care Financial Activity year ending 31 March 2017 We are grateful to God for His provision over this period. As these charts illustrate, the generosity of CARE supporters has enabled us to face the many challenges that lie ahead. total income 2,109,940 total expenditure 1,746,159 n Voluntary Income 99% n Other Income 1% Charitable Activities n Educating Public Opinion 45% n Influencing Public Policy 32% n Developing Young Leaders 11% n Monitoring European Law 1% Other Costs n Raising Funds 11% Support our ministry To make a gift to CARE, visit care.org.uk/donate or telephone Cheques can be made payable to CARE. We only ask you to support our ministry after you have considered the needs of your family and church. care 53 Romney Street, London SW1P 3RF mail@care.org.uk care.org.uk/donate Annual Review

24 Edinburgh Belfast Cardiff CARE has offices in London, Glasgow and Belfast and is represented in the UK Parliaments and Assemblies. CARE is a Registered Charity No: , Scottish Charity No: SC038911, Company limited by guarantee No: Executive Chairman Rev Lyndon Bowring, Chief Executive Nola Leach. Design and print: /careorguk /careorguk care.org.uk care.org.uk