Who we are

It started with Campaign

Faithworks began in 2001 as a campaign initiated by Steve Chalke MBE and the Oasis Trust, which gathered 70 000 signatures calling on the incoming Government to recognise the vital contribution that churches and Christian projects make to local communities and to end discriminatory practices against them in areas like funding and partnership. 

We became a Movement 

In 2002 building on the success of the original campaign, the Faithworks Movement aimed to provide inspiration and resources to help local churches develop their role at the heart of the local community and make the most of the opportunities available to them and to challenge to the negative media and government perception of the Church.  

Faithworks is a movement of thousands of individuals, churches and organisations motivated by their Christian faith to serve the needs of their local communities and positively influence society as a whole.  Faithworks exists to resource, inspire and speak up for these vital initiatives.  

We encourage our members to sign the Faithworks Charter to demonstrate their commitment to serving their local communities unconditionally with professionalism.  It is this work on the ground that provides Faithworks with a credible platform to engage nationally with both government and the media.   

The Faithworks Movement is based on partnership with many organisations, projects and churches working together. 

Oasis Faithworks

Ten year after the start of the campaign, most churches have now heard the call to engage with their local communities and government has a far better understanding of the significant contribution of churches and faith based projects make to our society.

In 2011 Faithworks changed its name to Oasis Faithworks to acknowledge the way its work flows out of the experience of the Oasis family of charities. We have also modified our focus to concentrate practically equipping churches, faith based charities and Oasis Hubs:

  • to serve their local communities according to the principles of the Faithworks Charter
  • inclusively 
  • professionally 
  • in a manner consistent with their Christian ethos 
  • to engage with government and civil society in a positive dialogue

Oasis works in Hubs

The overall aim of an Oasis Hub is to recognise that individual and community health flows from wholeness - that people and communities have a wide range of needs – including social, physical, educational, emotional, environmental, vocational and spiritual needs. 

Oasis Hubs are local Christ-centred places of activity that provide integrated, high quality and diverse services to benefit the whole person and the whole community – in other words delivery that is 360˚.

This is achieved by bringing together the Oasis ethos and values, local and national resources and expertise and working together in and with local partnerships, to meet the needs of the local community.