Day Twenty - At the heart of all we do

Today the Congregational Federation Council will meet face to face for the first time in 2 years and for the first time at Woodbrooke Study Centre in Birmingham.

Woodbrooke Study Centre is a Quaker college in Selly Oak and the only Quaker Study Centre in Europe. It was founded by George Cadbury in 1903 and occupies his former home on the Bristol Road. The gardens look amazing to explore and the meeting room once hosted Gandhi who spoke to a crammed audience in 1931. Today anyone can book on one of the study or retreat days and enjoy some quiet space.

The Cadbury family were amazing pioneers. Their Quaker non-conformity meant they couldn’t go to university to train to become doctors or lawyers, so they went into making chocolates! They experimented and developed delicious new recipes, both for eating and drinking. Their business was so successful they moved into the suburbs of Birmingham, built a bigger factory and employed hundreds of people.

They cared for their work force by introducing half day working on a Saturday and sick pay if someone was ill.

In fact, they created a whole village for their workers, built them houses and created their own community. They arranged various social events and sporting competitions, and at the very heart of the village a Quaker Meeting House.

Their faith was central to everything they did. They showed kindness, were generous and treated people fairly which helped them flourish.

I wonder if our faith is at the heart of all we do?

I wonder how central our Church is in our community?

I wonder how pioneering we are or could be in creating new life, new facilities, new ideas, highlighting justice and sharing the Good News of Jesus?

Dear Lord

We pray for justice for all people.

We thank you for the pioneering way of the Cadbury family - help us be inspired by their creativeness.

We pray for all people fighting for justice, give them strength and courage.

We pray especially for the decisions of the COP26, that they will be actioned quickly and easily.

We pray for all those affected by the terror attack in Liverpool, give them peace.

We pray for Council, that the Holy Spirit will enable them to bring consensus, vision and pioneering ways for the future of the Congregational Federation.

Amen

Yvonne Campbell