Steve Chalke

From the Roman to the British Empire and on to the present day - elements of the Church have always been happy to be co-opted into service of the emperor.

A guide to fulfilment:

Skills - Passion = Boredom
Passion - Skills = Incompetence
Skills + Passion = Fulfilment

Reform declares it would set up a UK Deportation Command to “deport up to 288,000 annually”; a British version of ICE! The idea of the mass deportation of neighbours & friends, teachers, NHS staff & partners is of a govt declaring war on its own people, economy & public services.

Everybody seems worried about whether the new plans for support for children with special educational needs is going to save any money. The point is that better early intervention and support for children is bound to lead to future savings - financially but also socially!

Tomorrow the Schools White Paper is released with lots to say about Special Educational Needs. The way I see it, the heart of the question is not primarily about reducing the bill for EHCPs, but about ensuring EVERY child has access to the bespoke support they need to thrive!

The system of support for children with Special Educational Needs is totally broken. It needs a radical rethink; one which will offer hope to the huge numbers of children who are currently being failed.
So, now we wait to see whether those hopes will be fulfilled next week!

In our increasingly fractured society there’s much to learn from the ancient seasons of Ramadan & Lent, which this year coincide. So Julie Siddiqi and I took 2 minutes to reflect on the insight they bring us. There are differences but there’s far more that unites than divides us.

Teenage girls lured into forced sex by gangs in London, says BBC The story about girls being manipulated & groomed to support gang crime in London is finally out. At last we’re awake!

Society’s responsibility is to ensure that in the debate about transgender rights, children are never ‘weaponised’.

Instead each is given space, rather than being coerced in any direction, so that as an adult - whether they choose to transition or not - they are set free to thrive.

Big thanks to all who came to the Masterclass yesterday at Oasis St Martin’s Village as together we explored what are often called the ‘soft skills’ that turn out to be the hardest to master, but are essential to grow & sustain every organisation.

I think we will do it again!

430,000 social homes fail to meet basic standards. Too many people live in appalling housing without their complaints about conditions being taken seriously. Urgent action is needed now. We can’t wait for the slow wheels of bureaucratic policy making to move. We need change now!

School is a very important part of education. But education is about much more than school. A child is in school for under 20% of their time. So what we really need is an overarching, joined-up, inclusive, child-first vision. And then a long-term thoughtful plan to implement it.

“The only person in jail at the moment for the crimes of so many men is a woman.”

Paddy O'Connell, Newsnight.
(During a discussion about the Epstein Files).

oasisuk.org/job/premises...
We have a vacancy at Oasis St Martin’s Village in our premises/maintenance team, at Tulse Hill in South London. Find out more here👇🏽

The voice of Virginia Giuffre, emotionally & sexually abused, exploited & trafficked as a vulnerable teenager, was for too long ignored by the powerful. Only now, after the tragedy of her death are we waking up to the undeniable truth of her testimony. Now let’s listen to others!

The UK’s poorest people are getting poorer, The Rowntree Foundation says a record 6.8m people were living in “very deep poverty” in 2024. And over 5m of these were living in households where someone works. The decision to end the 2 child benefit cap will help, but more is needed!

Weep for the USA!

Jan 24 Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old American citizen & intensive care nurse was shot & killed by agents of the Trump administration.

Jan 7 Renee Good, a 37-year-old American citizen & local teacher was shot & killed by agents of the Trump administration.

The USA is broken. ☹️

Regarding the consultation on a possible social media ban for under 16s, we have to think very carefully. I understand both the huge threats of social media for young people and also the possible deadly, unintended consequences of an all out ban. Do we need robust enforcement instead?

Any and every society that fails to invest in its children is a society that will pay over generations for its shortsightedness.

Each year hundreds of children in the care system are placed in children’s homes run by private providers that aren’t safe & where the care offered isn’t fit-for-purpose. Yet these providers charge huge prices & make giant profits. This is society’s responsibility & has to change!

What would the older me say to the younger me, the one who started @Oasis_UK 40 years ago, if I had the chance?
And what would the younger me, the one who took the risk, remind the older me of?

Wednesday, Feb 11th. 10am-4pm. London.

Book your place here: www.academyforhope.org/st-martins-m...

Twenty local charity leaders - all partners in Oasis St Martin’s Village, in South London - meet together today and each Monday morning to discuss the work we do together with children at risk of violence, struggling with school and searching for belonging.

‘We Are United’ is a national response to the rise in fear, scapegoating & hostility towards people from historically marginalised backgrounds. Register your early interest in organising a ‘We Are United’ event next Christmas! www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/oasis-st-martins-village-london-36481171

When the last carols have been sung,
the work of Christmas begins.
To ensure inclusion for the marginalised.
To create liberty to the oppressed.
To bring hope to the forgotten.
To welcome the refugee.
To seek justice for all.
That’s the joy and the challenge of 2026!!

God of Love, at the beginning of this New Year, filled with the unknown, grant us the enthusiasm that trumps anxiety and opens up the road before us.
As we traverse this new pathway, with its challenges and opportunities, grant us your wisdom, grace and courage.

Perhaps the deepest challenge of the Christmas story is to truly accept the ‘upside-downess’ of it all - the great reversal of the way God does things, the kind of people God gives leadership to & the way the old institutions are left either opposing them or trying to catch up!

“I bring you good news of great joy for ALL people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born”, said the angel. May God bless you this Christmas morning. With huge appreciation of all of you who are working or volunteering today or over the next few days to serve others.

Those shepherds heard the good news first. ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy for ALL people.’ God is the lover of all humanity regardless of class, sex, sexuality, gender orientation, disability, race, religion or any other characteristic. No fear, just love!

My favourite carol ‘O Holy Night’. Especially verse 3, too often dropped for being too political.
“Truly he taught us to love one another;
His law is love and his gospel is peace.
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,
And in his name all oppression shall cease.”

If we’re serious about tackling the rootcauses of misogyny, we must invest in empowering grassroots community groups, instead of bypassing them and then asking schools, who already give everything everyday to encourage their students to become their best selves, to do even more.