Harborough churches column: Welcoming and including

I wonder what the word ‘welcome’ means to you? What emotions does it evoke? What other words do you associate with it? For me, the word ‘welcome’ links strongly with being included. True welcome goes beyond a polite greeting, to a deeper sense of joy at someone being present. It is about being truly seen and accepted into a place or a group, and valued for all that you bring. It speaks of a place or a community where anyone can come and join in.

Many of us will know how it feels to be excluded from things – intentionally or not – or to feel like we are on the margins looking in for a variety of reasons. But we may also know the joy of being part of something bigger than ourselves; somewhere we can be ourselves and a valued member of a community. Inclusive communities bring all kinds of benefits to their members and can have a hugely positive impact on the world around.

The sense of wanting to be included is a universal one which spans the range of ages. I recently asked a primary school age child why it was important to include people and their response was simple “when you work hard to include people no one has to feel alone”.

In the Bible, Jesus talks about the importance of welcoming and including people, and challenges those around him to be radically welcoming – something which I am very struck by in a world where loneliness and isolation are issues being faced by many people today.

At Torch Trust, making community accessible and inclusive is at the heart of all we do as we work with those who are blind and partially sighted. We produce Christian literature in accessible forms – braille and different sizes of large print as well as in audio format; we organize holidays for those with sight loss; and have a range of fellowship groups both in person and online which bring people together in an accessible community. As a Christian organization, we work with Churches to help them think through what accessibility looks like in a Church setting so that those who visit can feel welcome and included and we provide resources to help this happen. We also offer a range of volunteering opportunity that invite people to become part of the Torch family and to use the skills they have for the benefit of others – from stuffing envelopes to supporting those with sight loss on holidays, there are a range of ways that we want people to feel included in the work we are doing.

Reflecting on inclusion helps us all to consider how we can include others and embrace those on the margins to make a better and less lonely society for everyone.