Faith in action
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Michah 6:8
Let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amos 5:24
A deep commitment to social justice has long been a hallmark of Stoneygate Baptist Church. As a friend of the church recently said, we seek to "deeply and faithfully share our hope for the world".
Fairtrade
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. We are proud to be a Fairtrade Church, which means using Fairtrade products wherever we can, and encouraging our members and building users to do the same. We also mark Fairtrade Fortnight every year with a special focus in services and our Fairtrade Funfair. You can learn more about Fairtrade here, and shop Fairtrade locally by visiting Just Fair Trade.
According to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, by the end of 2023, 117.3 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations. And the trauma doesn't end with crossing a border, as dangerous journeys and hostile environments make finding a place of safety a long and difficult process. We have been involved in campaigning on refugee rights, and collected food for local refugee organisations for several years. If you are interested in getting involved with refugee supprt locally, you can get in touch with Leicester City of Sanctuary.
Refugees
Climate
We are called to be good stewards of creation, and we need to take that responsibility seriously, as individuals and as communities. Members of the church have attended local and national climate events, and we have started to make more environmentally conscious decisions as a church body. In September 2021 and again in October 2022, we joined churches across the country in holding a Climate Sunday service, and enjoyed welcoming local eco groups as part of our Great Big Green Harvest Festival.
Peace
Stoneygate Baptist Church has a long history of association with pacifism and conscientious objection. We have continued to honour that history by praying for peace and reflecting on what it means to engage in nonviolent resistance. In September 2023, we marked International Peace Day with an installation of origami cranes called Senbazuru. You can read some of our reflections on peace on our blog.
Charities we support
Christian Aid exists to create a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. Through campaigning for long term solutions and fundraising to meet short term needs, they help real people make real change.
BMS World Mission seeks to transform the lives of people in fragile states and under-evangelised communities, working among the world’s most marginalised people on four continents. Focusing on the areas of church, development, education, health, justice, leadership and relief, they aim to bring about long lasting change.
Amnesty International works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied, as the world's largest grassroots human rights organisation. We support their Write for Rights campaign each November and December.
At our AGM in March 2024, we chose One Roof Leicester as our charity of the year, so look out for funraising events in the coming months.