Tearfund and Alpha UK have teamed up to highlight the global church response to the Covid-19 pandemic and are inviting churches across the UK to share inspiring international stories this summer through a series of short films called Reactivate.
The pandemic has affected, and continues to affect, many countries hard. Over the past 18 months, despite restrictions, the response from churches worldwide to the Covid-19 crisis has been amazing; from safely distributing sanitary and food provisions, to offering mental and physical health support. UK church members have been actively supporting their communities as well, but many may have felt distant whilst congregations have not been able to meet in person.
The five new short films from Tearfund and Alpha aim to help UK churches re-engage and reactivate their congregations, by telling uplifting stories in a simple and easy way. Each film highlights inspiring stories of how the church has supported the local and global response during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alongside the films, which can be shown during in-person, online or hybrid services, there will be social media content and two pre-recorded talks. All of this fits neatly into the five Sundays in August, but can be shown at any time or in a way that suits the church.
‘We are excited to be sharing these stories of hope and compassion with churches across the UK’, says Ruth Tormey, Tearfund’s Head of Church and Supporter Engagement. ‘We’ve seen churches respond to the pandemic in incredible ways, and through our partner churches we’ve been able to deliver over 97,000 essential hygiene kits with soap and sanitiser and over 12,500 food parcels.’
‘Sharing stories of hope is something that should excite and encourage us that God is alive and working amongst us’, says Marie Aitken, Alpha’s England Lead. ‘These films are an exciting and easy way to engage church congregations in what our brothers and sisters in Christ are doing around the world.’
Church leaders interested in sharing the film series with their congregations can download them for free, along with the accompanying resources, from Tearfund at https://www.tearfund.org/get-involved/resource-pack/reactivate-resources.
Projects featured in the films have been supported by Tearfund throughout the global Covid-19 pandemic. This work continues and is more important than ever - the pandemic is not only a global health crisis, but a social and economic crisis too. In order to truly recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to recover together - and the local and global church is playing it’s part in this.
Your church can support Tearfund’s work and be part of this by donating to the Recover Together appeal at https://www.tearfund.org/campaigns/recover-together.
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For further information and interview requests call Oliver Needham on 07929 353530, email [email protected], or call the Tearfund Media Team on 07929 339813.
Notes to editors
About Alpha UK
Alpha are the creators of the Alpha Course, an 11-week course that creates a space, online or in person, where people are excited to bring their friends for a conversation about faith, life and God. For more information about Alpha, please visit www.alpha.org.
About Tearfund
Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. We tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We believe an end to extreme poverty is possible. Tearfund is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org.
