Hustings taking place across the County

A hustings is an election meeting during a general election period prior to polling day when we elect a new set of MPs to Westminster. 

Members of our clergy, alongside Bishop Philip, the Archdeacons and the Dean are supporting local hustings by acting as debate chairs in the coming weeks.

Why not go along and take part? The hustings are taking place at ... 

• Lancaster St Thomas' Church, LA1 1XX on 18 June Bishop Philip chair. 7pm
• Caton St Paul's Church, LA2 9JL on 21 June Archdeacon David Picken chair. 7pm
• *CANCELLED* Please note the hustings planned at Leyland St Andrew's Church, PR25 3EL planned for 26 June are now cancelled due to several withdrawals by candidates. 
• Clitheroe St James' Church, BB7 1HH on 27 June Bishop Philip chair. 7pm

Resourcing churches to engage during the General Election period

The General Election will take place on 4 July. The rest of this page provides a variety of resources to support parishes and people in our Diocese to engage from a faith perspective in the debates - whether hustings or on the doorstep!

Prayer stations/polling stations!

Why not set up a Prayer Station in your church to pray for the General Election, including all those participating in whatever way? 

And on the day of the election itself you could even encourage people to visit your Prayer Station on the way to the Polling Station! We've made it fun to do so by providing you with 'Prayer Station'/Polling Station' sign to display outside your church which is illustrated here and can be downloaded by clicking here. 

Rev. Lucie Lunn, Vicar of Hornby with Claughton and Whittington, Arkholme and Gressingham and our Dean of Women’s Ministry is doing just that and says: "I have opened the local church as a Prayer Station on Election Day for the last couple of General Elections.

It’s been a fascinating and fun experience. Visitors coming through our doors seem ready to engage in conversation about faith and politics, on a day when the two become inextricably linked."

You can download the poster here. 

Pray your Part

Pray Your Part is an invitation from the Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England to encourage prayer and participation in the life of our nation and communities, both as voters and as citizens.

The campaign is a 21-day journey of prayer and reflection (from Friday 14 June until Election Day on 4 July) that is designed for use in the run-up to the UK General Election.

Each day explores a different theme, with a short Bible reading, reflection and prayer for a different aspect of our common life. There is related content such as videos available on social media.

• Find out more and sign up 
• Download the litany 
• See a sneak peek of the content

Our Fruitful app and Pray Your Part

By agreement of the national team producing resources for the Pray Your Part campaign,  each day of the 21 days leading up to the General Election on July 4 on our diocese’s discipleship app Fruitful you will find short videos of clergy and laity from across our diocese leading us in the ‘Pray your Part’ reflections and prayers. Download the fruitful app from the Apple Store or Google play or join in from your browser here.

Host a hustings event

Hustings support the democratic process, facilitate public debate, and help people know who their local candidates are and what they stand for.

They can also be the start of relationship-building. Continuing to work with MPs between elections is crucial for building good working relationships, raising issues important to your community, and keeping them accountable.

Hustings are normally organised locally by churches (often ecumenically through Churches Together networks) and communities.

If a hustings isn't being planned in your constituency, your church could host it.

Resources for running a hustings:

• Churches Together's guidance for running a hustings
• Register your hustings event with Churches Together here
• Watch the hosting hustings part of this recorded webinar courtesy of the Diocese of Oxford
• Put poverty on the agenda at a hustings - see Let's End Poverty's election guide, including how to ask a question at a hustings.

What you can do as an individual 

Here's three things you could do this election season:

1. Sign up for free daily reflections ahead of the election to join in prayer for our nation and play your part as a citizen and voter.
2. Vote - register to vote, check what photo ID you need to take to the polling station, and find out who you can vote for. (Even if you're not a British Citizen, you may still be able to vote, so check here.)
3. Attend a hustings (see above)

More election resources

You will find more resources on the Churches Together resource hub

Ronnie Semley, June 2024