Event on radical hospitality  

A special event to celebrate how the church has welcomed people from Afghanistan and Hong Kong, and explore what needs to happen next, is taking place on Wednesday, 17 November

The Radical Response Hospitality Summit will be held at Holy Trinity Brompton, Courtfield Gardens, in London from 10.30am to 3.30pm next Wednesday.

This year Welcome Churches has seen over 700 churches join the Welcome Network and has connected over 3,900 refugees and asylum seekers to a local church. Churches and individuals have responded to the needs of those arriving in the UK through Afghan Welcome and UKHK.

The event will feature keynote speakers and seminars to help churches 'make the most of these unprecedented missional opportunities,' said event organiser and social entrepreneur Krish Kandiah.

'It has been truly remarkable to see what the church has been doing to help new arrivals to the UK from Hong Kong and Afghanistan in the last few months,' Krish said. 

'The church has been able to support more refugee hotels than any one else, provide new clothes, pushchairs, prams and cots to over 1000 vulnerable Afghan children. Practical help has been given in a brilliant collaboration with the Home Office, local authorities and Hotels. The church has been at the front of the queue to show hospitality and welcome to thousands of vulnerable refugees.

'We know of churches that have added over 150 new Hong Kong arrivals to their numbers, many are seeing people come to faith. And the Times even picked up on a story of Hong Kong new arrivals helping Afghan refugees through their local church.

'This is just the beginning.' 

The speakers include Emily Holden, joint CEO at Welcome Churches, which longs to see every refugee in the UK welcomed by their local church; the Rt Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, who will  talk about what we can expect coming up with the government's new plan for immigration; Tom Jackson, CEO of Love Your Neighbour, a nationwide partnership of over 2,000 churches and other local organisations working together to tackle the social consequences of Covid-19; the Revd Henry Lu, General Director of COCM (Chinese Overseas Christian Mission), and the Revd Nicky Gumbel, vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton.  

For more information about the event, and to book your tickets, visit Eventbrite.

(Tickets are priced at £25, however if finances are a barrier to you attending the event, you are encouraged to purchase a ticket by donation.)