Community well-being and personal happiness
On Thursday January 28th there will be a “conversation” in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall – around the theme of promoting community well-being and personal happiness. Four MPs, including our own, Steve Webb, were recently involved in publishing a Government Cross Party Report on entitled Faith in the Future. The evidence presented during the eighteen months of the inquiry leading to the report identified some guiding principles for what it means to flourish as a human being. These have been formulated into a number of defining questions to be asked of society’s various stakeholders.
The questions are:
• Does my action encourage people to develop positive relationships in their families and communities?
• Is my action socially and globally responsible?
• Does my action promote a climate of trust and hope?
• Does my action promote self-esteem and respect for others?
• Does my action encourage people to fulfil their God-given potential?
As one of the groups actively involved in our town, Chipping Sodbury Baptist Church wanted to pick up on the MPs’ work and is hosting “The Conversation” and including as many community organisations, businesses and members of the public as possible. Revd Carl Stokes, Minister at the Church said “We want people to add their thoughts as to how we further develop the community spirit that we have here.”
Invitations will be going out to community organisations and businesses in the town asking them to support the event and inviting them to formulate questions for a panel. The panel will consist of a number of community leaders including:
- Steve Webb, MP
- Liz Gregson, Magistrate and Chair of the Festival Committee,
- Dr. Tony Sarafian, retired local GP
- Phillip Lidstone, Head of Chipping Sodbury School
- Inspector Deryck Rees, Police Neighbourhood Team
- Councillor Matt Riddle, Older People’s Champion for South Gloucestershire Council
- Mark Lloyd, Chipping Sodbury Chamber of Commerce
- Geoffrey Sidaway, Archdeacon of Gloucester
There will also be a number of information stalls including Princess Royal Carers Trust, Volunteering, Stronger Safer Communities and a bookstall.
The public event will commence at 7.30 pm. This is a free event but people need to obtain tickets as numbers are limited. Tickets can be obtained in the New Year either from Chipping Sodbury Baptist Church office (open Monday to Friday 9.15 am – 12.15 pm) or from the Town Hall.
Click here to download a PDF version of the complete Faith in the Future Report.
You can also join the conversation now by posting to the discussion below. We will be posting each of the five questions individually. Feel free to comment on any or all of them as you wish. Comments will be moderated before being posted. However, if you see any abuse, please notify us.
Does my action encourage people to fulfil their God-given potential?
Our culture believes that happiness is a feeling that is dependent on circumstances and is achievable by accomplishing certain goals. God’s view of happiness and how to obtain it is much different.
Does my action promote self-esteem and respect for others?
Does my action promote a climate of trust and hope?
Is my action socially and globally responsible?
How we answer this one could be very relevant very soon. In a few months, we’ll have an election, and whoever forms the government will have to chop spending and/or raise taxes massively. The impact will NOT be equally distributed. (Pain never is.) Will this community pull together? Will those who suffer least chip in to help those who suffer most?
If this cold snap continues for another two months, will we pull together to help those without heat and power?
Does my action encourage people to develop positive relationships in their families and communities?