Conversation Welcome

Friday March 24 2017

Andrew Tomlinson introduces a new resource helping churches talk about the issues raised by brexit.

Next week, the UK government will take the step of activating Article 50 after months of debate that have followed a bitter and divisive referendum campaign.

Even though it is nearly a year since the referendum last June, the topic has retained much of its heat with many of the divisions still bubbling under the surface. Across the Church and within our congregations, different people will hold different views on what must be one of the most hotly contested decisions of a generation.

Talking about things we disagree about is difficult. Such conversations can be important at any time but the extraordinary political events of 2016 have made the need more pressing. The process of leaving the European Union will entail making important decisions that will shape the UK for years to come. For some this is hopeful, for others it is frightening, for all of us it is important.

This is why the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) has recently launched “Conversation Welcome”, a resource to enable congregations to discuss and explore some of the important underlying questions that are being raised by Brexit and to offer prayers for the future. The aim is to provide a simple framework to allow people who may hold very different views to talk, listen and learn from each other and ultimately involve their faith in understanding and shaping the world around them.

Designed for use in a variety of settings from small house groups of church members to larger gatherings, the resource explores four questions in particular. These are:

• What kind of society do we want for future generations?
• How should we treat others?
• How should we use our resources?
• How should we make decisions?

The resource includes reflections, questions, prayers and facilitators notes. You can also find video versions of the reflections on the Joint Public Issues team website.

Within all of this much has already been said, there is doubtless much more to say but with this resource we hope to enable congregations to do this in communion with one another, in communion with God, and with a hope for the future.

You can download the resource from the JPIT website

Andrew Tomlinson is Associate Secretary of the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council.