ashes to asha

Our church word cloud

2012-01-23T18:41:00.003Z

We put together words to describe our church. This is what we came up with! Let's try and live up to it for 2012...

Christmas snaps 2011

2011-12-19T13:14:00.002Z

Christmas 2011

Some of our Christmas activities - Christmas on the Farm, Smarties and babysong parties, London Citizens pageant...

Celebration of William and Catherine Booth!

2011-12-12T09:10:00.000Z

Join us for a fantastic celebration and pageant this Thursday. We'll be processing through Whitechapel, along with 1000 people from across London to celebrate those who made London. Meet at 9.45am at Ford Square in Whitechapel.

Christmas on the Farm

2011-12-06T21:39:00.001Z

Join us for our annual Christmas celebration on Stepney City Farm. There'll be carols and music with a Salvation Army band, hot roasted chestnuts and other seasonal food, and storytelling around the farm with nativity characters. We're looking for cast members so please let us know if you'd like to have a go!

When? Sunday 18th December
Time: 2.30pm-5pm. Main presentation at 3pm.
Where? Stepney City Farm, Stepney Way

Lucy's dedication and party

2011-12-04T23:16:00.001Z

Lucy's dedication and Pete's Party!, a set on Flickr.

We had a brilliant time at Lucy's dedication service. We thanked God for her and then had a party!

TELCO 15th anniversary assembly

2011-12-02T09:41:00.001Z

We had a fantastic time at the TELCO Assembly on Wednesday night. 28 of us went along to the Troxy for an evening of justice, celebration, power and politics. The remarkable work of TELCO over the last 15 years was applauded and cheered - not least the relationship developed with the 2012 Olympic Games Committee that has led to the first ever living wage Olympics! Jan and Maria gave powerful testimonies regarding Olympic jobs - we were so proud to see them standing up there giving it everything. For photos of the event take a look here or read Tom's account of the evening here.

Photo by Chris Jepson

Gospel Choir Concert 2011

2011-12-01T16:32:00.000Z

We had a great evening of gospel on Tuesday! The choir that came together 9 weeks ago performed a number of songs and there was even some audience participation including drumming, dancing and singing. Check out more photos here.

Bonfire Night Party!

2011-11-06T08:28:00.000Z

We had a fantastic time at this year's bonfire night party. Loads of people joined us for games, food, art and sparklers. Photos below...

Fun at Smarties!

2011-11-02T12:42:00.001Z

Bonfire Night Party

2011-11-01T13:54:00.000Z

Please join us at the Scout Centre, 65 Copley St, Stepney E1 3DF from 5-7pm this Saturday!

E123 Mission House

2011-10-05T16:14:00.002+01:00

We have teamed up with 3 local churches and two housing associations in a new initiative called E123 Mission House. The idea is that we provide affordable housing for 4 people who make a 2 year committment to be involved in local mission alongside our churches. Accomodation will be in a shared house in Stepney. Take a look at the details on the website here or download a flyer.

Gospel Choir Worshop 2011

2011-09-13T11:21:00.002+01:00

The Gospel Choir Workshop is back for 2011! Our annual 10-week workshop for singers of all abilities begins next Tuesday - 20th September - at Departure Arts Centre on Commercial Road (opposite Limehouse station). It's always great fun, so please join us if you can. Each session is from 7-9pm and in the final week we put on a concert for family and friends! Flyers can be downloaded here. To enroll, please phone Departure direct: 020 7702 8802.

You can check out photos and video from previous workshops by clicking here.

When: 7-9pm, Tuesday evenings - 20st September to 29 November(half-term 25th October)
Where: Departure Arts Centre, 649 Commercial Road, E14
Cost: £20/ £5 concessions

Camping Trip 2011

2011-08-30T14:18:00.000+01:00

We had a great time on our camping trip this year. 20 of us joined in the fun with camp-fires, swimming, rounders, bbqs, trips etc. It was great to have friends from Stratford Salvation Army join us, too. Below are all our photos!

Baby Song

2011-07-31T16:43:00.005+01:00

From 15th September we will be starting a new activity - Baby Song. Parents/carers of 0-3s are invited to spend some time deepening the physical, emotional and spiritual bond between themselves and their children through music, song and movement.

The singing time lasts 45 minutes and will include familiar songs, nursery rhymes, listening to music, lullabies, plus learning new songs. There is time after each session for refreshments and an opportunity to chat to others with young children.

Download flyers here.

What: Baby Song
When: Thursdays (during term-time), 10-11.30am
Where: Roland Philips Scout Centre, Stepney Way E1 (entrance on Copley St)
Cost: £1

'My Neighbours'

2011-07-31T16:34:00.000+01:00

We were joined this morning by friends from Islamic Forum Europe, who initiated a visit to our church meeting, as part of their 'my neighbours' week. We shared together about various elements of faith and practice over some ice-cream!

Smarties Club!

2011-07-14T09:41:00.000+01:00

We've been having lots of fun at our weekly children's club - Smarties! With the addition of the football session in Stepney Park on Tuesday afternoons we've been able to get really active as well as meet a few more children. Here are few photos showing what we've been up to: art, football, games and learning about what it means to be a follower of Jesus at the same time. Next week we have our party and prizegiving!

Summer Camping Trip

2011-06-21T14:29:00.001+01:00

It's time to publish details of our summer weekend away. On August bank holiday (26-29th) we will be heading off to Sunbury Court, Sunbury on Thames for a fun-packed weekend. This year we even have use of a log cabin with 14 beds for those who prefer not to be in tent! Let us know if you fancy coming along - we always enjoy one another's company and have a good time.

You can download the full details here.

Prayer stations

2011-06-12T15:28:00.000+01:00

At our Easter celebration on Stepney City Farm a couple of months ago we planted some seeds as a symbol of our prayers to keep the Easter story alive. We hadn't been back on the farm since so were pleasantly surprised on a visit yesterday to see the seeds had grown as evidenced here!

And today, we celebrated Pentecost. We prayed asking God to transform us through his Holy Spirit. We then displayed some of our written prayers with Acts 2 in mind: 'When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks.'

Smarties Football Club

2011-06-10T15:22:00.000+01:00

This week we started the Smarties fooball club for boys and girls aged 7-11! We meet each Tuesday afternoon (during term time) from 3.20pm in Stepney Green Park for an hour long session with a qualified football coach. We do training, play games and have a lot of fun. Occasionally we will play matches against other teams.

Where: Stepney Green Hall (Scout Centre, Stepney Way in bad weather)
When: Tuesdays 3.20 (or school finishes) -4.20pm
Cost: Free

Football Tournament entry form

2011-05-16T11:32:00.000+01:00

If you're interested in playing in our team at the London Churches Football Tournament on Saturday 18th June in Regent's Park then click here to download a form.

Diary - May-August 2011

2011-05-05T14:39:00.003+01:00

Please follow the link for our latest quarterly diary of events.

New Meeting Venue

2011-05-03T11:18:00.000+01:00

Please note from now on, most of our activities will take place at the Roland Philips Scout Centre, on Stepney Way. Please enter from the side gate on Copley Street. See a map here:

View Larger Map

Easter Events 2011

2011-04-08T10:07:00.001+01:00

Please join us for a whole array of exciting Easter and 'holy week' events!

Experience Easter

2011-03-31T13:40:00.007+01:00

Easter is just around the corner. Click on the link below to signup for a series of text messages during 'Holy Week' (the week before Easter) that will help you to mediate on the events of that first Easter. See video below for more info...

Mothers Day Breakfast

2011-03-29T10:20:00.000+01:00

This Sunday we will be keeping up our tradition of holding a breakfast with some of the older folk on the Ocean Estate on Mother's Day. Please join us for a 'full English' at the Emmotts Close Club from 10am.

One down - one to go!

2011-03-22T12:44:00.000Z

A month ago we blogged about some local campaigns we were involved with. Good news on one of them - just heard the Ocean Children's Centre will remain a hub for family services! Well done, to those who campaigned for this! Now waiting for news on Ocean Resident Warden scheme.

Service for Peace

2011-03-21T09:58:00.003Z

We will be attending a 'Service for peace' this coming Sunday to be held at St Paul's Shadwell, on the Highway. The event is organised by XLP - who our lovely intern, Esther, is working with. See below for a video of last year's event. Looks great - and a good opportunity to pray for our community here in Stepney and beyond.

Micah 6:8

2011-03-01T19:51:00.002Z

What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Pancake Party!

2011-02-28T18:15:00.000Z

This coming Sunday - 6th March - we are hosting our annual pancake party! It's usually a fun time of 'tossing pancakes' as high as you can and eating sweet and sickly fillings... Please come along and join us from 2pm at the Roland Philips Scout Centre on Stepney Way (next to Sir John Cass School). It's open to all so bring along a friend or family member or neighbour! Flyers can be downloaded here.

Local campaign update

2011-02-18T12:33:00.003Z

As will be obvious from much of this website - we in hope:asha take social justice very seriously. That's why we get involved in local campaigns that help to bring about the kind of just community that reflects the loving, gracious and amazing God we follow. Here's an update on 3 ongoing campaigns:

Living Wage - firstly, something to celebrate! News just in that our successful campaign that contributed to Poplar Harca paying the living wage for their 'cleaners' from April 2011 has just got better. They're backdating the pay for the whole of 2010, too.

Ocean Resident Wardens - last year we campaigned with local residents to secure funding for the vital resident warden scheme that provides support for older residents on the Ocean Estate. We're currently at it again - this time trying to get another year's worth of funding.

Ocean Children's Centre - we're aware that funding cuts are leading to the closure of many of the core services of the local children's centre. We're involved in challenging this council decision. Join us on Saturday morning as we lobby local councillors to make our view known.

Happy New Year!

2011-02-06T22:48:00.003Z

Competition time!

2011-02-04T22:22:00.002Z

And just when you thought it couldn't get any more exciting - one of the organisers for the party on Sunday has come up with a competition - with prizes! Come along and win one...

Psalm 23 Remixed

2011-01-30T17:44:00.007Z

When we met for brunch church this morning we had go at putting Psalm 23 into a hope:asha remix. We wrote it to be sung to the tune of Jerusalem and had aspects to represent something of our diversity including East End, Chinese and Lithuanian references! Here's what we came up with:

The Lord is my navigator.
He will show me the way to go.
He shows me the great mountain view.
He keeps the Yangtze waters still.
Though I'm lost in the dark forest,
you are with me, I'm not alone.
You give me pie, mash and 'liquor'
You fill my Spirit all my life!

Party Time!

2011-01-26T21:33:00.003Z

Join us for our Chinese New Year Party on Sunday 6th February. It will take place at the Roland Philips Scout Centre on Stepney Way from 3-5pm. We'll be making Chinese dumplings and much more! Flyers can be downloaded here.

Update from Esther and XLP Show Case

2011-01-25T20:01:00.003Z

Esther has been working with Christian Youth charity XLP since September 2010. She has a placement with us one day a week. Here's a quick update from her and something you might like to go to on 5th February.

XLP's main emphasis is on young people so I spend most of my time in schools around Tower Hamlets doing Christian unions, lesson support, assemblies and a range of other things. I also have a placement with E1 Community Church in Shadwell where I help with their youth group and various outreaches. One of the biggest events of the year is the Arts Showcase, over this period we get to see the talent that the young people of Tower Hamlets have to offer. We pick the best of these and in June the best of all the boroughs compete in a West End theatre. This year is a brilliant opportunity to get to know the East End and next year I hope to start at the University of East London.

The XLP showcase will take place on Saturday 5th February at 7pm at Toynbee Studios, 28 Commercial Street, E1 6AB. Cost £4. More details from Esther.

Tower Hamlets Foodbank

2011-01-24T12:28:00.005Z

Hope:asha is a founding member of Tower Hamlets Food Bank, launched in November 2010. The Food Bank provides food parcels for people who do not have any food, by working with frontline agencies such as GP surgeries and children’s centres. These agencies have vouchers that they can give to people that they identify as not having enough food, and the people bring the vouchers to a Distribution Centre where they will be given food for 3-4 days. The Salvation Army in Poplar is one of the borough's distribution centres, too.

There are also plenty of volunteering opportunities for the Foodbank so if you can spare an hour or two please let us know and we will give you the details of how to get involved. In fact on Saturday 5th February there is a collection of food at Sainsburies in Whitechapel - please let us know if you'd like to help out.

Update from Katy...

2011-01-18T21:33:00.003Z

I joined Stepney Salvation Army in October as a Jellicoe Intern. The internship scheme is linked with TELCO and my aim is to facilitate community organising both in our group and in the wider Stepney area. Since October, I have been meeting SSA members as well as community members and representatives from many projects that operate in Stepney and Tower Hamlets. Through these meetings, I have built up an idea of some of the issues faced in the area, and what is already being done to address them. Youth provisions had been highlighted as an area for action before I joined SSA, and in December a group of young people and community members took action to ask the local youth centre to increase their opening hours and improve their provisions. In addition, Nick and I have been working with Stepney Green School to help their pupils engage more with the community. The pupils visited Edith Ramsay House last term, and we are hoping they will take an active role in some up-coming projects.

In the next few months I will continue meeting SSA members and community representatives. Through these meetings, I hope we can start to think about further actions that could be taken in Stepney, which might improve the services available to our community or help address some of the issues we face.

Communication is a beautiful thing...

2011-01-14T14:55:00.007Z

In our constant bid for better communication, we've initiated two new tools for 2011! Firstly, we have our very own 'hope:asha' Facebook page. If you're a Facebook user please go to our page and click the 'like' tab. Also, we now have an e-newsletter that you can subscribe to. Click here if you'd like to receive it:
Subscribe to our newsletter!
And just in case you think we've sold out to technology, don't worry - we still think that face to face contact is the best form of communication. We want a cup of tea and a one-to-one with you!

Diary for next quarter

2011-01-06T15:10:00.005Z

Our diary for the next quarter can be downloaded here. There are a couple of venues still to organise but on the whole it is correct. Hope to see you at something soon!

Football Tournament

2010-12-22T11:43:00.004Z

We rounded off the pre-Christmas football season with a 5 way tournament between teams from the City and 2 teams made up from our Wednesday football project - Whitechapel Genesis. One of our teams came in runners-up. We concluded the day's festivities with a huge Christmas meal and presentations.

Christmas on the Farm

2010-12-22T11:36:00.005Z

We had a fantastic time at Christmas on the Farm 2010. Around 80 of us gathered at the newly 'refurbished' Stepney City Farm for roasted chestnuts, carol singing, a retelling of the nativity story and Christmas punch. A fresh layer of snow made it even more Christmassy than usual. Here are some photos of the event...

Christmas on the Farm returns!

2010-12-06T17:31:00.005Z

Having had a year off, 'Christmas on the Farm' is back! Our annual nativity and carol service will be taking place on the new look Stepney City Farm (formerly Stepping Stones Farm) on Stepney Way. Join us on Sunday 19th December from 2pm as we retell the Christmas story, nibble on mince pies, drink hot Christmas punch and sing some seasonal carols.

ADVENTure time

2010-12-01T17:29:00.006Z

This Sunday the boys and girls will be going their own ways for two very different activities! Both begin at 10.30am.

The women will be meeting for the annual pre-Christmas pampering session, to be held at Departure Arts Centre. The session - 'refreshing body, mind and spirit' will also include lunch. The men will be heading off for a walk in Epping Forest with lunch cooked in the forest!

Please let us know if you'd like to come along to one or the other...

Gospel Choir Concert 2010

2010-12-01T17:15:00.005Z

The 2010 Gospel Choir performed yesterday at the Departure Arts Centre in Limehouse. the 18 strong choir sang a number of different songs in front of friends, neighbours and family. It was a great evening following 8 weeks of hard practice.

Photo by Stuart Currie

Olympic Marathon

2010-11-18T12:28:00.003Z

You are probably already aware that the 2012 Olympic marathon route has been changed and it will no longer be running through Tower Hamlets. This was to be the only free event Olympic event for local people. On Tuesday evening we stood alongside 1000 other East Londoners at the annual TELCO assembly to call for the establishment of the 'people's marathon' and a return to the route that will mean that the race is run in part through East London. Check out the East London Advertiser article here and watch this space for how you can add you voice to this growing campaign.

Ocean Estate regeneration

2010-11-18T12:11:00.006Z

The regeneration of the Ocean Estate continues apace with the demolition of some of the old blocks. Next to go is the iconic Bengal House. Here are some photos of the current demolition work.

Bonfire night party

2010-11-18T12:07:00.003Z

This year's bonfire night party turned out to be great fun again. Around 50 of us gathered for toffee apples, baked potatoes, sparklers and hot chocolate. We even indulged in a spot of apple-bobbing!

Doing politics in Tower Hamlets

2010-10-08T21:19:00.007+01:00

The Salvation Army in Stepney was proud to be involved in this week's Tower Hamlets mayoral accountability assembly organised by TELCO. It was great to hear the news that one of our members will soon be earning the London Living Wage because of the negotiations that we and other TELCO members have been having with local housing association - Poplar Harca. Congratulations to them for making the right decision!

It was also good to hear the mayoral candidates one by one make firm commitments to champion Community Land Trusts in Tower Hamlets, build on past successes of the Living Wage campaign and work with TELCO to provide 1000 work placements for young people in the council.

The evening was a great success - 400 very diverse and committed people in one building, working together for the common good. To us this is the kind of politics that transforms neighbourhoods and reflects the kingdom of God in the here and now.

For other reflections on the evening check out Dave Hill's Guardian blog here... and the Jellicoe Community Blog here...

Photo by Dan Warlow.

New Promise

2010-10-04T10:21:00.004+01:00

Last Sunday it was Alisha's turn to be enrolled as a junior member of The Salvation Army. It was lovely to hear her make a promise to following Jesus as best she can and we in turn committed ourselves to supporting her and praying for her. Well done Alisha!

Return of the Gospel Choir

2010-09-06T14:07:00.001+01:00

The Gospel Choir Workshop is back again soon! This will be the fifth time that we've run it and as usual we are looking for singers - no previous experience necessary! See a medley from a previous final concert below. Read more here...

When: 7-9pm, Tuesday evenings - 21st September to 30 November(half-term 26th October)
Where: Departure Arts Centre, 649 Commercial Road, E14
Cost: £20/ £5 concessions

Diary - Sept-Dec 2010

2010-09-02T11:16:00.002+01:00

Click here to download the diary for all our meeting times over the next quarter.

Camping Trip 2010

2010-08-31T22:11:00.003+01:00

We had another great camping trip at the weekend when 18 of us made our way to Littlehampton. We loved spending time together on the beach, around the meal table and under canvas. Here are some of the photos from our time together.

Thanks Tom!

2010-08-23T14:53:00.005+01:00

We had the priviledge of having Tom Daggett join us for July as an intern. It was great to have him around and we thank God for him. Below is a piece he wrote about the month he spent with us. You can read more of his intern experiences here.

'In July, I had the chance to work with hope:asha and the Contextual Theology Centre on a community organising internship, in close collaboration with TELCO.

The nature of the Salvation Army in Stepney, with its focus on doing God's work in the community, meant that I had the opportunity to meet and work with people from different faiths, and of no faith, all of whom are particularly passionate about life on the Ocean Estate.

Even after my first week, I felt that I had begun to understand how shared concerns were affecting people's lives, but also of how people may not be aware that others feel the same way. My assumptions about demographic boundaries, of the place of faith institutions in twenty-first century society, and of people's readiness to consider the needs of others, were constantly challenged by the inspiring people I met both within and outside the Salvation Army.

Whilst my month chiefly meant meeting proactive members of the community, I was mindful that others don't think so positively about their situation. As such, it was good to speak also to 'normal' local residents. I think that the Salvation Army is doing brilliant work to reach out to wide-ranging social groups, and I was particularly pleased to discuss such matters with Ocean Youth Connexions, who are well-connected to the young population of the estate.

I helped to organise a youth action meeting which took place in the last week of July, in which local leaders were able to discuss the important issue of youth provisions with young people from the estate. Members of the Salvation Army in Stepney provided an important core of people, proving instrumental to the success of the meeting, and other people who I'd met in my month, such as representatives from St. Dunstan's, came along.

It's great that somebody will have the chance to work with Nick and Kerry for a year, beginning in October, and I feel privileged to have been able to lay some foundations for the work of this intern.'

Promises, promises

2010-07-29T16:48:00.008+01:00

One of the youngest members of the hope:asha family made a very important promise on Sunday as she became a Junior Soldier (junior member of The Salvation Army). Penny, aged 7, read out the following promise in front of all those attending our Sunday brunch church. We were all really proud of her and promised to pray for her in staying true to her promise:
"Having asked God for forgiveness, I will be his loving and obedient child. Because Jesus is my Saviour from sin, I will trust him to keep me good, and will try to help others to follow him. I promise to pray, to read my Bible and, by his help, to lead a life that is clean in thought, word and deed. I will not smoke, take harmful drugs or drink alcoholic drinks."

Whitechapel Genesis in the Cup

2010-07-24T15:40:00.008+01:00

Watch our football team Whitechapel Genesis (Booth House) team members at the SAHA Cup at the home of the MK Dons...

Dealing with it!

2010-07-10T10:39:00.006+01:00

On Saturday we had a brilliant day in Shandy Park as the 3rd annual Deal With It Day brought together around 1000 Ocean residents in celebration and action. This year's entertainment was particularly strong with 3 local schools taking part and a specially commissioned play called 'Deal With It'. Again, issues of drugs were discussed and the community came together to re-iterate its committment to taking responsibility for what happens around our estate and to stand against the sale of class A drugs and the associated crime and anti-social behaviour that drug dealing brings to our neighbourhood.

2010-06-21T20:41:00.002+01:00

Join us for this year's 'Deal With It Day' to be held in Shandy Park on 3rd July. We've got lots planned including a theatre performance at 2pm, entertainment from schools, children's activities, football and much more. Come and make Shandy Park a place of fun and celebration!

Standing Together

2010-06-20T16:16:00.007+01:00

After Good Neighbours today, some of our members made their way over to Stepney Green Park for a demonstration of unity in Tower Hamlets following a couple of weeks of tension stirred up by those seeking to divide us. We understand as a local church that peace and harmony can only be built through relationship - that is why we have consistently worked hard at getting to know our neighbours and building friendships across faith and culture.

Football fest...

2010-06-14T14:53:00.007+01:00

We kicked off the world cup season in style when our Wednesday team - Whitechapel Genesis FC - went away for the weekend to a Sussex farm. We combined a football match on the Friday evening against a local team with some work on the farm on the Saturday afternoon and watching the England game at The Salvation Army in Brighton in the evening. On the Sunday we attended a local church before heading home. The 18 of us had a great time as we got to know one another better, and played a bit of footie at the same time. More photos here...

We run Whitechapel Genesis in partnership with The Good Shepherd Mission, Ambassadors in Sport and Alfa group.

World Cup in Stepney

2010-06-10T19:08:00.007+01:00

A couple of weeks ago this rather strange painting appeared on the corner of Ben Jonson Road on the Ocean Estate. It's taken us a while to find out what it's all about and now it all makes sense - it's to mark the fact that the wearer of the England number 3 shirt at the World Cup starting tomorrow is from Stepney - Ashley Cole. It's an Umbro campaign, called 'tailored by England.' Apparently there are similar paintings all over the country. Well, all we say is c'mon Eng-er-land!

Picnic time...

2010-06-09T16:02:00.006+01:00

The fine summer weather made for a great picnic in Shandy Park on Sunday. Lots of food and chatting and of course the annual rounders game made for a really fun time. Photos can be see here... This Sunday we meet for a 'brunch church' at St Benets Chapel.

Diary May-August 2010

2010-05-10T16:51:00.002+01:00

Our diary for the next quarter is now available. Please download here...

What is community organising?

2010-05-07T16:59:00.006+01:00

Community organising has had lots of publicity over this election period, but what exactly is it? Watch this video to find out why we're so keen to be part of the Citizens movement - yes, 'even the sally army' is involved.

Real people doing real politics!

2010-05-04T20:15:00.009+01:00

Yesterday was a great day for the power of grassroots community action, a great day for social justice and great day for The Salvation Army in Stepney as we did business with the 3 men who want to be our next prime minister.

We proudly took our place with 2,500 people at Westminster Central Hall at the Citizens UK General Election Assembly to ask Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg to respond to the agenda that we have worked so hard to put together along with all the other Citizens UK member organisations. We believe in the Living Wage, affordable housing, a cap on interest rates, an amnesty for undocumented migrants, an end to child detention and the strengthening of civil society - and each man pledged, if elected, to work with us on most of these demands. Watch their speeches and commitments here.

It was great to see The Salvation Army represented on the stage, too, with our London leader Lt Col Joan Parker taking part in a reading from the Bible and Stepney leader Captain Nick Coke talking about the CitySafe campaign. To read all about the event please check out the Citizens UK website that has links to all the coverage from the major TV stations and national press.

However, this is not the end - it's just another step in our ongoing work for justice and to live the prayer that Jesus taught: '...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.'

Easter with a hint of politics

2010-04-09T17:32:00.005+01:00

We've had a great Easter here in hope:asha! Lots of activity in the week leading up to Easter Sunday including a meal to celebrate Jesus' Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, a 'walk of witness' with other Stepney churches on Good Friday and a party on Easter Day itself. Amongst the festivities, food, prayer and reflection we've also had time for some political engagement following a visit to the Ocean Estate from Conservative Party leader David Cameron.

It has not been lost on us that the events of the first Easter were politically charged - just read the Biblical accounts and that becomes very clear. So, it was very apt that we were able to represent The Salvation Army in Stepney when London Citizens arranged a meeting with David Cameron and we were able to share something about our experiences as residents of the Ocean Estate with him and our vision of building a strong community through diverse groups working together on issues of mutual concern.

The Times picked up on his visit with an article about drugs on the Ocean Estate. It failed to mention, however, the amazing work that Ocean residents have been doing to tackle drugs issues - the annual Deal With It Day, for example, has been a highlight of our calendar! This year the festival will take place on 3rd July. Come and join us!

Palm Sunday walk

2010-03-29T12:48:00.004+01:00

We started off Holy Week with a Palm Sunday walk in Oxleas Wood in south east London. Our intrepid explorers packed our lunches into rucksacks and wandered through the woods trying not to get lost! The excellent Spring weather ensured we had a lovely time as we remembered together the story of Jesus' journey into Jerusalem on a donkey. All the photos are available here...

Further Easter events this week include a 'passover meal' on Thursday evening, joining with local churches for a walk of witness on Good Friday and an Easter Celebration and party on Sunday. Let us know if you'd like more info on these - all welcome.

London Citizens

2010-03-16T09:46:00.004Z

For the past 3 years we have been proud members of the east London branch of London Citizens - The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO). Together with over one hundred diverse organisations across London we have been working for change and justice for Londoners. We have been heavily involved in successful campaigns on wages, housing, safer streets and immigration. Through these campains we have built key relationships with a variety of organisations in our neighbourhood including mosques, unions, schools and other civic institutions. Together we have been able to build a safer, fairer and more relational community that more deeply reflects the world as it should be and as God intends it to be.

Whitechapel Genesis FC

2010-03-16T09:29:00.005Z

Hope:asha is a founding member of a football team based in the local area. Each Wednesday morning the team come together to train, sometimes at Whitechapel Sports Centre, sometimes Weavers Fields and sometimes at the Good Shepherd Mission Church in Bethnal Green. Team members are made up of those from Booth House Salvation Army Lifehouse in Whitechapel and the Whitechapel Mission drop-in centre. We are involved in a number of football tournaments over the year including the SAHA Cup. The project aims to support those dealing with homelessness and addiction.

We run Whitechapel Genesis in partnership with The Good Shepherd Mission, Ambassadors in Sport and Alfa group.

What:Football training.
Where: Whitechapel Sports Centre/ Good Shepherd Mission, Three Colts Lane, Bethnal Green
When: Wednesdays 10-12pm - followed by lunch and optional Bible Study
Cost: Free

Walking in Sunshine

2010-03-08T10:07:00.003Z

A handful of men from hope:asha took to the hills this weekend in the Lake District. Amazingly, the sun came out for the whole weekend as we spent time walking, sightseeking and spending quality time with each other. It was great fun! See some more photos here.

Shrove Sunday!

2010-02-15T10:12:00.003Z

Our annual 'Shrove Sunday' pancake went off with a flip and munch yesterday when we gathered in Stepney and enjoyed a variety of fillings from Mars Bars to banana and toffee sauce. Ken headed up the 'catering department' with some assistance from Jalal. Whilst enjoying one another's company we also discussed what we were going to 'give up for Lent' beginning this Wednesday. There were a variety of commitments from puddings, to favourite TV programmes to cigarettes! Our hope is that between now and Easter we will use the saved time to focus on what it means to be a follower of Jesus and put any saved money towards The Salvation Army's Self Denial Appeal.

Dancing for Haiti update!

2010-02-15T09:52:00.003Z

Well, last week the Smarties children boogied, bopped and break-danced for a whole hour on their way to raising a whopping £810 for The Salvation Army's Haiti Appeal. We were so proud of them and they looked pretty tired by the end. Money is still coming in and it's not too late to donate so if you have not yet had a chance to give to this very needy cause please visit our Just Giving webpage.

Dancing for Haiti

2010-01-29T19:42:00.006Z

Our Smarties children's club are having a dance-athon in a week or so to raise money for The Salvation Army's relief work in Haiti. Here's what the children say:

'On 9 February we will be doing a dance-athon - one hour of non-stop dancing to show that we care. We are very concerned about the people of Haiti and particularly the children like us. We can't go to Haiti to help out but we know some people who are already there helping and we want to raise money so that they will be able to do as much as they can. Please give generously to this cause!'

If you would like to make a donation you can do so on our 'Just Giving Page' here. Also, to read exactly where the money is going please look here.

Thursday evenings

2010-01-25T15:24:00.005Z

Each Thursday a few us meet in a home on the Ocean Estate, Stepney. We gather to pray together, encourage each other, discuss how we can live Jesus' way and occasionally eat together. This week, we're welcoming a guest from Southall in West London from an organisation called Servants UK, who will share with us something of the work that he's involved with - and the work of his wider organisation Servants Asia. Starts at 7.30pm at 26 Ernest Street, Stepney. Please join us.

You can see here what we got up to one Thursday when the cameras came to visit!

A short video about hope:asha...

2010-01-10T20:48:00.006Z

Here's a short video made about hope:asha by The Salvation Army Video Production Unit. The full length version can be viewed in 9 parts on YouTube here.

Diary for the next quarter

2010-01-08T13:10:00.004Z

Please see the diary for hope:asha activities from January to April 2010 - downloadable as a PDF document by clicking here.

And the award goes to...

2009-12-14T11:14:00.005Z

Two hope:asha members received an early Christmas present with well-earned awards last week.

Nick received the TELCO Community Leader of the Year 2009 award from London Citizens for his work in engaging the hope:asha community in grassroots social justice activities and encouraging involvement from the wider Salvation Army. Many of these ventures have been reported on this website throughout the year including Strangers into Citizens, City Safe and the recent citizens response to the financial crisis.

Chijioke was awarded his Masters with distinction from Queen Mary's, University of London. It was great to see him receive his award and we pray for him as he looks to the next phase of his life.

Christmas event 2009

2009-12-02T15:41:00.004Z

On Sunday 20th December 2009 we will be holding our annual Christmas event. This year we will be holding a carol service at St Benets Chapel, Queen Mary University, 327a Mile End Road at 4pm. Please come along and join in the fun as we celebrate Christmas Stepney style.

Children from our Smarties children's club will be retelling the Christmas story and there will be a chance to sing some carols. Afterwards there'll be plenty of time to wish one another a Happy Christmas over some festive refreshments.

From Stepney to the City: a story of justice

2009-11-28T10:33:00.007Z

Wednesday evening was a great success! A number of us made our way from Stepney to join 2000 other citizens of London at the Barbican Centre for an evening of justice-seeking. There is nothing quite like a London Citizens' assembly - amazing diversity of faith, culture and ethnicity speaking with one democratic voice and holding powerful public figures to account.

There were a number of very poignant moments during the evening but few as powerful as high-profile Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders reading from scripture together. We were proud to see our London area leader Lt Col. Mike Parker taking centre stage.

And so we push forward the economic campaign - in particular the amazing Living Wage campaign which has been so successful in lifting hundreds of individuals out of poverty and also the demand to the banks and credit companies to lend responsibly and to push for a 20% cap on interest rates.

Download our brief report highlighting the key issues at stake and why we should be involved: Salvation Army Justiceseeking and the Financial Crisis (PDF).

Photo by Chris Jepson

Praying for one another

2009-11-22T14:26:00.004Z

This morning at our 'brunch church' we dedicated ourselves to praying for one another. As a visual reminder we took at few photos and distributed them so that we won't forget. Please join us in our prayer that we will live Jesus' way...

Fighting for Social Justice

2009-11-05T13:15:00.004Z

The Salvation Army in the UK has as part of its vision statement that we will 'fight for social justice'. We in the Stepney branch take this element of our identity very seriously indeed. We are particuarly concerned to work out how we can positively do something about the injustices in our community, city and beyond - that is why we are committed members of the east London branch of London Citizens (TELCO).

Back in May we took 100 proud Salvation Army and hope:asha representatives to the Strangers into Citizens rally. This month we are looking for concerned citizens to join us as we contribute to the 'people's response to the economic crisis'. On the evening of Wednesday 25th November (6.45-9pm), at the Barbican Centre in the heart of the City of London, 2000 Londoners will gather from churches, schools, mosques and unions to challenge leading politicians and influential leaders in the world of finance to listen to the people of London. Amongst the proposals is a campaign on the banks charging of excessive interest on loans (usury). Also, some action on the continuing Living Wage campaign that has since 2001 put £32 million into the pockets of the poorest paid workers in London.

The financial crisis has impacted on all of us in some way. We cannot and must not sit idly by and do nothing in response. This is our opportunity to speak out on behalf of ourselves and the most vulnerable amongst us. Let us respond to the clarion call of voices throughout the Christian scriptures, and make 25th November an historic night for social justice! Please contact us if you would like a ticket.

Autumn party

2009-10-23T13:46:00.005+01:00

Join us for an autumn party to be held on Sunday 1 November 2009 from 5pm. We will be celebrating with traditional Bonfire Night food, sparklers and even a spot of karaoke if that takes your fancy! Meet at St Benets Chaplaincy, Queen Mary University, 327a Mile End Road. Bring your family and friends and expect to have a fun time! Flyers can be downloaded here.

Celebration and dedication

2009-10-11T19:24:00.004+01:00

Today was a particularly special day for one of our hope:asha community members. We celebrated with our friend Linda on two counts: firstly, it is her 60th birthday (almost!) and secondly, she became an adherent member of The Salvation Army in Stepney. Some of Linda's friends and family came along to join in the celebrations. Spending time together like this really demonstrated church community life at its best - diverse people coming together to encourage and celebrate one another and to dedicate themselves to orientating their lives around Jesus. It was a really happy day and a privilege to be part of it.

Harvest lunch

2009-09-28T15:32:00.002+01:00

Please join us for our harvest lunch and festival this coming Sunday - 4 October - to be held at St Benets Chaplaincy, Queen Mary University. 327a Mile End Road. The lunch will be served from 12.30pm. Please bring along with you donations of food that will be shared with residents of The Salvation Army's HopeTown Ressettlement Centre in Whitechapel.

Diary

2009-09-18T12:27:00.002+01:00

The new hope:asha activities diary (Sept-Dec '09) is available for download here.

The SAHA Cup

2009-09-16T14:57:00.008+01:00

Yesterday, 14 of us travelled up to Birmingham for a football tournament. We made up two teams from Booth House Resettlement Centre in Whitechapel and took on 40 other teams from The Salvation Army Housing Association (SAHA) centres around the UK. It was a brilliant day - with both teams performing well and the A team bringing home the Chairman's Shield.

This venture formed part of our weekly work amongst residents of Booth House and clients of Whitechapel Mission through our football team: Whitechapel Genesis. Together with Ambassadors in Sport and The Good Shepherd Mission, we play football, share lunch and enjoy discussion and Bible Study each Wednesday morning from 11-1pm.

Camping 2009

2009-09-02T20:24:00.003+01:00

Well, a great camping trip is over for another year. This time 18 of us headed down to Broadstairs, Kent, where we enjoyed relaxing on the beach and spending time together. The children loved the freedom of the campsite and we all enjoyed Ken 'the BBQ King's' evening meals. This year we even managed a camp-fire. Enjoy the photos below.

CitySafe action at Booth's memorial

2009-08-12T14:48:00.006+01:00

We are always proud to point out that hope:asha - The Salvation Army in Stepney is the closest Salvation Army expression to where the movement was founded 140 years ago. Standing on that spot today is the iconic memorial statue of William Booth. No surprise, then, that London Citizens chose to pick this spot as the place to launch the CitySafe campaign at the end of last month.

Hope:asha members had been working with other Tower Hamlets communities throughout July to encourage local businesses to sign up to become CitySafe havens - places of refuge for those in trouble. The launch made the front page of the East London Advertiser - read here - and featured is Major David Lees, manager of Booth House resettlement Centre, who gave a brief talk as part of the launch. Many thanks to David, and also to David Barclay, our TELCO intern for the month, who worked so hard with us and in a short time made a real difference to the local community.

Watch the video below to find out more about CitySafe (and spot a familiar face!).

Interfaith Trip to Bosnia

2009-07-18T08:59:00.004+01:00

A hope:asha representative has just returned from an 8 day visit to Bosnia as part of a Tower Hamlets interfaith delegation organised by East London Mosque and The Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum. Together they visited numerous faith representatives, important sites and community projects. They also took part in the memorial event and burial of victims from the Srebrenica massacre that took place 14 years ago. Kerry reports that the whole trip was both a challenging and uplifting experience that she hopes will add depth to the ongoing interfaith work of hope:asha here in Stepney.

Camping Trip 2009

2009-07-13T11:44:00.004+01:00

It's that time of year again when we need to publicise this year's camping trip. We'll be heading off to a campsite near Broadstairs for August Bank Holiday Weekend 29-31 August. Last year over 20 of us went along, let's see how many will make it this time! The full details can be downloaded here...

Junior Soldier

2009-07-13T11:29:00.004+01:00

From time to time in the hope:asha community individuals choose to make a public commitment and become members of The Salvation Army in Stepney. This is something we always like to celebrate as it means that someone is wanting to publically declare that they will do their best to follow the example of Jesus and orientate their lives around Him.

A couple of weeks ago, Henry, became our first Junior Solider. This is the promise he made: 'Having asked God for forgiveness, I will be his loving and obedient child. Because Jesus is my Saviour from sin, I will trust him to keep me good, and will try to help others to follow him. I promise to pray, to read my Bible and, by his help, to lead a life that is clean in thought, word and deed. I will not smoke, take harmful drugs or drink alcoholic drinks.'

We think it's pretty cool that he made this promise and in return we promise to do our best to support him to live it out.

We're in the news!

2009-07-03T11:09:00.005+01:00

This week a 4 page article appeared in The Salvation Army's weekly newspaper - The War Cry - featuring our work here in Stepney. You can read it here.

Salvation Army marching for justice

2009-06-24T18:47:00.003+01:00

See some footage from our involvement in the Strangers into Citizens march. It features support from Colonel Bill Cochrane, Chief Secretary (second in command) of The Salvation Army in the UK.

In the Garden

2009-06-22T11:23:00.004+01:00

A small group of us had a great time yesterday in Good Neighbours. Take a look at our work in these two photos - a before and after! We meet for Good Neighbours every month (3rd Sunday of the month) from 10:30am-12:30pm followed by a lunch. No expertise required - just an openness to working with others.

Deal With It Day 09

2009-06-16T18:57:00.005+01:00

Saturday was just a brilliant day! The Deal With It Day held in Shandy Park was a fantastic success. We estimate over 1000 local residents made their way over to the park during the afternoon to join in the activities and reclaim the park from drug-dealing and turn it into a place of celebration. Children from three local schools - Halley, Ben Jonson and Sir William Burrough - performed on the stage; a local choir from Departure Arts Centre sang songs from around the world; the older residents enjoyed Jackie's Tea Dance; young people got involved in graffiti art and football; 15 organisations gave out information about community activities and drugs awareness information; CADAA (Communities Against Drugs and Alcohol Abuse) hosted a seminar on a community response to drugs. We were delighted with how it went and proud to be involved in making it all happen. Check out some photos of the activities here and also here and below.

Business with the Mayor

2009-06-11T11:31:00.006+01:00

Yesterday, The Salvation Army in Stepney was represented at City Hall in a meeting with Boris Johnson - Mayor of London. As part of a London Citizens delegation, we discussed action with regards to the City Safe, Strangers into Citizens, Living Wage and Affordable Housing campaigns. It was an extremely positive meeting and some good business was done. We were able to share with him some of the work we've done with local businesses in Stepney to sign them up to become City Safe Havens. He also committed himself to continuted support of The Strangers into Citizens agenda that we have been very actively pursuing in the hope:asha community.

Coming Events...

2009-06-03T08:52:00.008+01:00

Let's hope the summer weather makes a come back next week because we're involved in two events - both happening in Shandy Park, Stepney.

The first is a picnic this coming Sunday - 7 June - at 12 noon. All welcome - bring picnic, rug, friends and neighbours. We'll have some sports equipment, too so come prepared for a game of rounders! Flyers (PDF) can be downloaded here to be distributed.

Next Saturday - 13th June - we are taking part in the Deal With It Day 2009. As part of the organising group we are looking forward to an even better day than last year and have loads of activities planned. See below for all the info and please distribute the flyer (PDF download here).

Report on Justice-seeking

2009-05-22T12:06:00.004+01:00

Following The Salvation Army's recent involvement in the Strangers into Citizens campaign, a report has been compiled by The Salvation Army in Stepney and Stratford with reflections for future engagement. It can be downloaded here. Our hope is that this report may open up future conversations within the movement about the way in which we seek to engage with justice issues. Comments welcome...

Send the Fire!

2009-05-20T15:10:00.003+01:00

A week of prayer amongst churches in Tower Hamlets will begin this Sunday. The theme of the week is 'Send the Fire' taken from the song written by Salvation Army Founder William Booth.

A prayer room will be hosted by various churches around the borough from 9am until 9pm every day. Individuals can book an hour of prayer at any of the venues listed below during the week. Each evening, a different church will lead a joint time of prayer from 7-9pm. We will be leading on Saturday 30th May at Quaystone Church on the Isle of Dogs. The whole week will finish on Sunday 31 May (Festival of Pentecost)with a celebration at Christ Church Spitalfields from 6-8pm in conjunction with the Global Day of Prayer.

Strangers into Citizens links

2009-05-13T09:26:00.006+01:00

A few links to do with Strangers into Citizens with reports, videos and photos of our involvement:

Great video of the rally made by Roz Lynch who is the Youth Worker at Poplar Salvation Army:

Full page article in Salvation Army newspaper (Salvationist) here.

Lots of photos on the 'Salvation Army Supporting Strangers into Citizens' Facebook group.

And finally, a report by Graeme Smith from The Salvation Army training College that is highlighted on the Strangers into Citizens blog.

On the 'Strangers into Citizens' March

2009-05-04T18:19:00.005+01:00

Well, we haven't been back long from the Strangers into Citizens rally in Central London but we're happily worn out! There was a good turn out of thousands of people who were part of the march and The Salvation Army contingent was as good as we had hoped for. We proudly took our place in the Gospel Service at Westminster Central Hall before joining the long column of marchers towards Trafalgar Square at 12 noon. It was a privilege to be part of the action today - to join others in a march for justice and to be living out our faith in action. Of course, this is not the end of Strangers into Citizens - there's much more to be done - but it's a step, and a step I'm glad we took together. For some photos of the rally click here...