Christians have welcomed the launch of Prime Minister David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ initiative as a way of getting everyone involved in their communities.
Spelling out his vision in Liverpool today, Cameron hailed the Big Society as “the biggest, most dramatic redistribution of power from elites in Whitehall to the man and woman in the street”.
He wants to see more people at the grassroots level work together to improve the quality of living for all through voluntary work. Initiatives include the local buy-out of a rural pub and the recruitment of volunteers to keep museums open.
Cameron said money from dormant bank accounts would go towards community projects, while civil servants would be appointed to help fledgling projects get up and running.
Steve Clifford, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance, said Christians are already at the heart of serving their communities, and should grasp this opportunity to get further involved.
He will be writing to Evangelical Alliance churches in the initial Big Society project areas – Liverpool; Eden Valley, Cumbria; Windsor and Maidenhead and the London borough of Sutton – encouraging them to get involved wherever possible.
“Churches are already the life blood of communities and the lifeline for many on the edge of society,” he said.
“We are delighted that the Prime Minister has recognised the incredible work community groups are already doing, and want to enthusiastically encourage churches to accept his invitation to get stuck in.”
Steve Chalke, founder of Faithworks and Oasis, welcomed the thinking behind the ‘Big Society’.
“This is what the church has always been about so there are enormous opportunities for churches in all of this – not because they are delivered by a coalition government but because this has always been what the church believes,” he said.
“The church should be the hub of its local community, that’s its task, and the great thing is that that’s acknowledged.”
