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London Church Honoured By Regional Police Force
23 March 2009
London is a great city in so many ways: creative, unpredictable, lively.
Yet its underbelly features some of Europe's deepest social challenges. For example, teen pregnancy rates rose by 40 per cent in some parts of London last year, with increases far above the national average. This problem is growing in two-thirds of the city's boroughs, despite £63 million spent having been spent in the past 3 years on initiatives to tackle the problem - including making the 'morning after' pill more easily accessible to young people.
Abortion rates for teenagers in parts of London are among the highest in the UK. Harrow, for example, has the sixth highest rate in the country.
Meanwhile, police are aware that extremists are attaching themselves to established gangs, fusing two corrosive cultures and increasing fears that someone could follow the path of Richard Reid, the "shoe bomber" and former gang member who tried to blow up a plane.
In the midst of all this, though, there are some thriving churches, including the nation's three largest congregations.
One church which is really starting to make its presence felt in the city is CityGate Church in Beckenham, Bromley, led by Pastor Julian Melfi. This area, often known for the various rock and pop stars it has produced since the 60s, is a real mission field and one the church is proving it can help.
Recently, Pastor Julian and the church were honoured by the head of police for the region, for helping to bring down crime rates on one of the area's most run-down housing estates. In fact, several annual events run by the church are now regularly attended by civic leaders as a mark of respect for the work of the church in the community.
Mal Fletcher recently visited the church for a second time and found a community of faith that is thriving on positive attitudes in the midst of a negative age.
After speaking for the Sunday service, followed by a regional leaders' session at night, Mal said: 'Citygate is a church that is on the move, in every respect.'
'It doesn't simply talk about having big dreams for its community - it is demonstrating what those dreams look like but changing the lives of people in sometimes very desperate situations.'
'It is also helping the families and businesses of the middle class people who live in the area.'
'Pastor Julian and the team have worked at this for twenty years, so people can see how serious they are about long-term commitment to the city. That's the kind of thinking and action that can literally put churches at the forefront of change in a community.'
'I look forward to working with CityGate again in future, because I know we can invest together into changing the face of London.'
For more on CityGate, visit www.citygatechurch.co.uk.
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