Coming face-to-face with our values

Have you seen the black and white posters on the church's notice boards around Ashtead this summer? Are they stark and pessimistic or striking and provocative? facevalues will offer a challenge to Ashtead this Autumn.

John Watts sorts through the posters

"Where is Society heading?… Help bring values back to life" It is the central theme of the national facevalues campaign running throughout the country. "The posters challenge our view of life and the values that we hold," says Ashtead resident, John Watts. Having had a career working as an architect in the Foreign Office, John now works as a chaplain in a London hospital. As such, John has seen much of the world in all its riches and poverty, as well as coming alongside people as they encounter crises in their lives. "When I saw these stark posters I had to ask myself, are these images of life as I know it, or would colourful posters of sunsets, lakes and waterfalls, be a better reflection of reality?" says John, who often preaches at St Giles' Church. His conclusion was: a bit of both - neither are true on their own. Life, of course, is not just a mixture of shocking and sad incidents that occur against a background of successive beautiful sunsets. We all have grey days when life seems mundane, good ones that seem full of colour, and sad days that are dark.

The posters come as part of facevalues campaign. The idea is to challenge everyone to look at their values and how they apply them. "The records of Jesus' life show that he challenged people's values and as people started following him, their values changed, leading them to start caring for the society they lived in," explains John. "Fairness, respect for the law, family values, health and education for all, opportunities for leisure and enjoyment and safety nets for weak and vulnerable members of society are all part of our Christian heritage."

The Duke of Edinburgh once described our country as freewheeling on its Christian heritage, taking it for granted. "But when the momentum runs out?" asks John. "Will we be left simply with a moral vacuum, a kind of free-for-all?" John's anxiety is that in this free-for-all it may not be the moderate voices, but the extreme ones, that will get media attention, while the 'moral majority' gently takes a nap.

A key shared value is the desire to see a bright future for our children and ourselves; to live in a country and a world where they we have security and opportunity. One way of support this is to support the people who work to bring these values to life.

facevalues is also offering a Prayer Points scheme in which members
of the churches in Ashtead are offering to pray for you.

For more information contact John Start (813958)

The facevalues community fortnight in Ashtead will run from 28th September to 12th October. During these weeks the churches will hold daily services to celebrate all those who do vital jobs in the community - police, doctors and healthcare workers, social workers, teachers, youth leaders, care assistants, local councillors, emergency services, postmen and other public service workers. In addition we will remember all those who work voluntarily in organisations like the residents associations and citizens advice and all the support groups for bereaved and disabled. And we will hold a 'Question Time' debate with an invited panel to discuss the issues the posters raise, and other areas of concern on Friday 4th Oct at Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall.

facevalues Question Time Debate: 'Where is Society Heading?':
Fri 4th Oct, 8pm Peace Memorial Hall

facevalues and Community Week are the start of something important. As a church we know that we need to speak out on issues that concern everyone in our community, to make alliances with those who are already campaigning on environmental and social issues and are actively involved in caring for the disadvantaged," says John. "We need to show public support for the many people who tirelessly work for the good of our community."

If you want to respond to the above with your views, then let know what you think by writing to
The Editor, St George's Christian Centre, Barnett Wood Lane, Ashtead, KT21 2DA.

Go to next article - Ashtead Activity

Please check out our new website for all the latest information sgsgashtead.com

Back to our Home Page