According to PM David Cameron in his 2015 Easter speech that most of us have heard, the UK remains a Christian country because the government help to repair Cathedrals and older church buildings that, supposedly, represent the ‘living active force’ who are the local church.
Mr Cameron also pointed to the phenomenal welfare efforts of the church in specific terms of homelessness and poverty relief.
Spotlight on this Living Active Force
Here are just two specific examples of this living active Christian force that meet many needs in our fractured society but who are not necessarily synonymous with Cathedrals or dilapidated church buildings.
They are, however, both organisations synonymous with the furious longing of God for every single man, woman and child on the planet.
Let’s pray for them both this coming Easter week.
Christians Against Poverty – CAP 
Birthed and based in Bradford City, John Kirkby and his team are nothing short of a mind-boggling, faith-based, award-winning sensation.
From starting up in his own home in the early years, to now having life-giving CAP Centres all across the world, John Kirkby’s mission and vision for CAP is to alleviate debilitating poverty and to rescue individuals and families who are drowning in the consequences of financial debt.
John is a man with an enormous heart to help people – Mr Cameron, please take note.
You can read more about CAP here.
Bethany Christian Trust – BCT 
Based in Edinburgh City and across the whole of Scotland, Bethany Christian Trust are something akin to the manifest presence of Jesus Christ walking the highways and byways of our cold streets, here in Scotland, stooping to love on the people who call them home.
You only need to walk along Princes Street for a minute or two (and you should) before the seriousness of the problem of homelessness strikes you. It’s a problem so disturbing that it might leave you unsure about what could ever be done to plug this hemorrhaging wound.
But BCT are absolutely awesome and, through a matrix of services including night shelters, emergency relief, feeding and education programmes soaked in wisdom and restorative justice, thousands of people are helped every year. For example, last year Mairi and I were privileged to be a part of the Big Sleep Out to raise funds and awareness of the work in Edinburgh.
Iain Gordon and the BCT team are literally saving lives – Mr Cameron, please take note.
You can read more about BCT here.
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