Mrs Barry welcomed a greater role for churches in the community and said the Welsh Assembly was looking to forge positive relationships with faith groups to maximise their practical service to all members of the local community welfare work they do.  She also explicitly encouraged more churches to get involved, enabling more people to experience the positive benefits of faith-based community work.

Her comments come as alarming new MORI poll findings reveal, that while 78% of the British public support a greater role for Christian churches and groups in helping people in their local areas, 86% have never had any personal experience of that help.  The poll was commissioned by Evangelical Alliance for Faithworks and is part of an ongoing research project into the public perception of the role of the Church in the community. 

Faithworks Founder Rev Steve Chalke welcomed Mrs Barry’s comments at the event: “I am encouraged that the concept of Faithworks is being taken so seriously by the Welsh National Assembly and by churches in Wales.  The very essence of Faithworks is to facilitate networking between churches and councils and Mrs Barry’s commitment to working with churches is great news.”

The Faithworks Unpacked national tour explores the issues of social justice, local government interaction and best practice while equipping and resourcing churches to get more involved with their communities and with welfare work in those communities.  The Faithworks Unpacked Day Seminars are priced at £20, commence at 10.00am and conclude at 4.00pm. Those attending will receive a free copy of Faithworks Unpacked - the latest publication from Faithworks normally priced £7.99 - which is a comprehensive and practical manual dealing with all the issues that churches are likely to have to negotiate as they engage more effectively with their local communities.