Illustration: with thanks to Francesco Piobbichi
Churches should be welcoming places of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution.
Sanctuary is a long-standing prophetic theme of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and the idea of a Church of Sanctuary has evolved from the City of Sanctuary movement, building cultures of welcome, hospitality and safety. There were over 100 cities/towns/boroughs/areas in Britain and Ireland working with the City of Sanctuary vision as of June 2017.
A free resource Hospitality and Sanctuary for All has details of how to become a Church of Sanctuary. It includes a wealth of material to prompt conversation and reflection on the theme of hospitality and sanctuary, including Bible studies, as well as an order of service for Sanctuary Sunday marked at the end of Refugee Week.
Find out more on the Church of Sanctuary website.
