Over the next two weeks, clergy across the diocese, including two Huddersfield Vicars and two Keighley clergy, will be taking part in the Advent Sleepout Challenge to raise awareness of the issues surrounding homelessness and to help raise money for the Church Urban Fund.
The Advent Sleepout Challenge is run by the Church Urban Fund and invites people to sleep without home comforts for one evening, inspiring people to create their own Advent ‘stable’ to shelter in for the night.
The money raised through this national initiative goes towards the work of the Fund which provides support for those living in poverty across the UK.
The Revd James Curry, Priest-in-Charge of St John's in Golcar and St Mark's in Longwood, will sleep at St John's Church, Golcar, from 10:00pm on Friday 4th December for the initiative.
His challenge will conclude with a short service about homelessness at St John’s Church at 8:00am on Saturday 5th December.
Revd James says, “The plight of homeless people has been close to my heart for many years, and I decided to take the Sleepout Challenge in order to try to highlight some of the issues surrounding homelessness as well as to raise funds for the work of the Church Urban Fund. 
“I'm delighted to say it's raised a lot of interest locally in Golcar and Longwood.
Revd Brunel James, Vicar of the Cleckheaton Churches, will also sleepout on Saturday the 12th December at 7:30pm in Lower Blacup Farm, Cleckheaton, and is inviting others to take part at this ‘Party in a Stable’.
This sleepout will include a pie and pies dinner for those involved and will see carol singing, mince pies, mulled wine, a bonfire and disco to pass the time throughout the evening.
Tickets will cost £5 and the proceeds will go towards the Church Urban Fund.
Revd Brunel says, “Our motivation in this is to help CUF, which we are long term supporters of.
“We also felt there was a special resonance in the idea of sleeping in a stable, not just because of Christmas generally, but because of the refugee crisis this year.”
Sleeping in a bus shelter
The parish of Morton and Riddlesden is taking part in the Advent Sleep Out Challenge to raise funds for projects tackling poverty in the UK. Members of the churches will be sleeping in the bus shelter in East Morton on the night of Thursday 10th December and all funds raised will go to the Church Urban Fund.
Rev Mike Cansdale, Vicar of Morton and Riddlesden (pictured below) said. "We often forget the hardship faced by those in poverty and a night sleeping out on the street will bring it home to us and raise awareness in our communities.”
Rev Jenny Ramsden, curate of the parishes (pictured left) is not looking forward to a cold night outdoors but said, "these issues are so important to us that we are committed to making a difference. In all the busyness of the Christmas Season we want to bring people back to seeing the Nativity story in a different light. God’s only son came down to earth to be God with us, and yet Mary and Joseph faced the fear of having nowhere to stay overnight, Jesus was subsequently born in a stable and then had to flee as a refugee. It’s really encouraging to see the way that people in the parishes are taking action”.
On the evening of 10th December at 9pm they will be holding a prayer vigil in the bus shelter praying for those facing poverty. Mike says “Jesus came into our dark world to bring light and hope and everyone who comes to pray with us will be invited to light a candle so that we create a sea of lights as a visible sign of Jesus in our midst. You are all most welcome to join us.”
So far this year, the Advent Sleepout Challenge has raised £28,309.59 across the country which will help marginalised people across the country transform their lives this winter.
The Church Urban Fund is a Church of England response to poverty which aims to inform, inspire, resource and support churches across the UK as they work to tackle poverty and strengthen communities.
The Fund takes Jesus’ teachings and uses them to empower the marginalised, using churches as the centre of communities to help transform the lives of those in poverty.
For more information on the Church Urban Fund, please visit their website here: https://www.cuf.org.uk/
For more information on the Advent Sleepout Challenge, or to arrange an event of your own, please visit their website here: https://www.sleepoutchallenge.org.uk/