Special Report: Prince Charles backs Hope08
Prince Charles has backed the Hope08 project this week, hosting a reception for participants
from across the UK in the Million Hours of Kindness initiative, reports Russ Bravo from Clarence House ...
He paid tribute to their devotion and willingness to serve their communities, and praised the cross-denominational nature of the project: "You're all doing such a remarkable job - this is badly needed and we owe you a huge debt of gratitude."
He particularly praised Hope08's "extraordinary activities" and "ability to motivate other people".
Along with the Hope08 leadership team, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Bishop of London Richard Chartres, the Prince watched a short DVD about the project before spending more than an hour talking to groups invited to Clarence House, invited from all over the UK.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said it was helping change the image of the Church, and quoted Evangelical Alliance leader Joel Edwards' words that instead of "one million fingers wagging at people it was two million arms open to them".
"This is the gospel in action! It's good news for the people who are doing it - because through the gifts of God they discover they have something genuinely valuable to offer, and it's good news for communities around because they feel they're loved, they're worthwhile. Something sparks, I think, when that happens."
The breadth of projects represented was huge, from youth outreach to debt counselling, environmental clearance to help lines, social action to schools events.
* Churches near Eastbourne are running Contact Care - a practical helpline offering 30 volunteers from seven churches doing everything from giving lifts to shopping, gardening to spending time with those on their own. Rev Martin Onions explained: "People do what they do for the love of the Lord."
* In Hull churches are working on a wide range of youth inclusion activities, and ministering to sex workers
* Hope Bradford has brought more than 80 churches in the city together to stage a massive Passion Play, put on youth events, stage public lectures on hope, and "begin to reclaim parts of public space where people were afraid to go". The leaders said the initiative was proving a catalyst for church unity and for ongoing projects. Street Angels had begun because individuals with a vision for it had been brought together
* In Manchester, the Urban Adventure project had seen young Christians engaged in social action in areas of deprivation; schools work was active in 21 high schools and Hope Unleashed was seeing work in 10 different boroughs. More than 1,000 had come to faith
* Down in Cornwall, a wide range of events from mission work in Newquay, caring for the poor in St Austell, a free barbecue with 1000 free burgers, concerts, clean-ups on the beaches and even an Elvis Gospel night have been fostering a fresh impetus for mission - "people are coming alive for the Lord"
Hope08 co-leader Andy Hawthorne said he had never dreamed things would take off on the scale
they have. "The problem has been that there's been a lot of stuff going on, but it's not been joined up. We're not short on resources but we've not been working smart - we've often been duplicating. Now Hope seems to be providing the catalyst for people to work together - and we always stress to people 'never do on your own what you can do in partnership.
"People are trying lots of new stuff and we hope this will help them take it into the future and reach those who don't know Christ."
More at www.hope08.com
Pictured top: Prince Charles with Eustace Constance (Street Pastors and Hope08 Leadership Team) and delegates from London working in Tower Hamlets doing free beauty therapy, careers advice and befriending
Pictured middle: The Prince and students from All Saints, Peckham
Pictured bottom: Prince Charles with (from left) the Archbishop of Canterbury, Hope08 leadership team Steve Clifford, Andy Hawthorne and Roy Crowne, and the Bishop of London
