A Church with People at the Margins
Our strategy and commitments
In March 2024, the Synod Meeting adopted our anti-poverty strategy “A Church with People at the Margins: A Strategy for Mission and Ministry”. In July of that year, the United Reformed Church’s General Assembly commended the strategy to the wider URC and encouraged all parts to reflect on its implications for their responsibilities.
You can download a copy of the strategy here
The strategy draws inspiration from the Biblical calls of the Prophets for peace and justice and the Gospel stories which teach us of the way in which Jesus actively sought out those who were marginalised by the society of his time.
Central to the strategy is our understanding that a real difference will only happen through the ways in which local churches engage with their communities and so key to the strategy is a set of behaviours which we want to encourage churches to adopt. Behaviours which are about their generosity of spirit and resources, their inclusivity of all people in their community, and their willingness to go beyond compassion to seek structural change. Behaviours that are important in all aspects of our mission and ministry.
Our Commitments
Alongside encouraging local churches to work with their local communities, we made a number of commitments as a Synod to support this work and to work with key partners.
Real Living Wage
Ensuring that everyone is paid a wage that properly reflects the costs of living is an important way in which we can enable people to live with dignity. Therefore, we are proud to be accredited by the Living Wage Foundation as a Real Living Wage employer.
As well as ensuring that all our employees are paid at minimum a wage which properly reflects the cost of living, we encourage local churches and others with whom with work to adopt a strive to make a similar commitment.
You can find out more about becoming a Real Living Wage employer at For the real cost of living | Living Wage Foundation
Citizens UK
A key part of enabling people to live their lives with dignity, agency and power is ensuring that all people’s voices can be heard on issues which matter to them.
We have committed to offering to be a funding partner of any Citizens UK Chapter in our area. At the moment we are working with partners including other faith groups, schools and universities and students unions to form a Chapter in Lancashire.
Citizens UK uses community organising to bring people from different backgrounds together so they can build power to win improvement in their lives. You can find out more about Citizens UK at Home - Citizens UK
Church Action on Poverty
Church Action on Poverty is a Christian Social Justice Charity focused on tackling issues of poverty in the UK. Central to their approach is a belief that the best way to address these issues is by listening and acting on the insights and experiences of people living in poverty themselves.
Alongside other partners we are funding Church Action on Poverty to undertake a three year research project looking at how practical experiences of churches at the margins. You can find out more about the work of Church Action on Poverty at home - Church Action on Poverty
Forthcoming Events
Current Campaigns
Constituency Action Network: Engage with your MPs
The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) are looking for churches to join their Constituency Action Network.
JPIT’s Constituency Action Network (CAN) is a network of local churches across the UK who are committed to building meaningful relationships with their MP and working with them to speak and act for peace and justice. JPIT’s goal is to establish a network of at least one church in every Westminster constituency in England, Scotland and Wales who is part of CAN.
Many Churches are experts in Social Action and local issues, running food banks, warm spaces and more. However, we can take our work one step further by challenging systems that allow people to fall upon hard times in the first place by engaging with politics. We believe this is best done in a way which prioritises relationship, listening, kindness and truthfulness, avoiding party politics and working positively with MPs whether we voted for them or not.
For more information about becoming a network member or to register your church’s interest, please visit JPIT’s website at Constituency Action Network
Media resources for local churches
In the Mix: Dandelion Community
This video was produced by the Church Urban Fund (CUF) as part of their Growing Good Toolkit for local Churches. It looks at the partnership between the local URC Church in Wythenshawe and local community organisations and people in addressing issues of poverty and isolation.
The video can be found on the Synod’s YouTube channel at Dandelion Church
Living Stones for a Living Church
This video was produced by the Synod in 2024 for a session of the URC’s Church Buildings Forum exploring different ways in which four local churches in the Synod were using their buildings to work with the local community.
The video can be found on the Synod’s YouTube channel at Living Stones
Chorley Hollinshead Centre
This video which provides an introduction to the work of the Hollinshead Centre part of the ministry and mission of Chorley URC was produced in 2025 to support fundraising for improvements to the centre’s buildings.
The video can be found on the Synod’s YouTube channel at Chorley URC Feb 25
Affordable Housing Guide
The United Declaration of Human Rights places housing a one of the four things which are fundamental to living with dignity. As well as its importance to individuals and families, the availability of suitable housing is a key part of building strong communities.
Yet, in the UK in 2024 Government Statistics indicate that over 354,000 people were homeless (almost half of them children), and there is a need for over 145,000 new Affordable Houses, the majority for rent.
This guide seeks to provide an introduction for local church leaders and members to understand why and how churches could use surplus land and buildings to meet this need in their local community context.
The guide will provide you with information to help understand why providing affordable housing should be important to churches, and some statistics about the levels of need in this country. It also offers you information about the processes through which you could deliver such a project, so that you are better equipped to ask the right questions of those who will support you in achieving this work.
The guide is available as an A5 booklet by request to the Syond Office or can be downloaded below in two formats
Material Resources for local churches
Guidance Sheets: Charity Governance
Many people will have heard the terms CIO or CIC but would struggle to add words to the acronym, never mind explain what they’re about. The short (two pages each) guides available for download are designed to give you an introduction to Charitable Structure’s, things to think about exploring whether you should set one up to support your Mission and Ministry, and what the Charity Commission expects of Trustees of any Charitable Organisation.
