The first in a series of short films that explores each theme in Andrew Roberts’ book, Holy Habits, has been released by the United Reformed Church.

Holy Habits, is one of the key resources for Walking the Way: Living the life of Jesus today, the URC’s focus on lifelong Christian discipleship and mission.

Directed by Kevin Snyman, Mission Enabler for West Midlands Synod, a film will be released each month featuring an introduction by Mr Roberts and showcasing real-life examples of how these habits are being explored across the denomination.

‘The Holy Habit of Serving’ is the first film which looks at Coventry Winter Night Shelter, hosted at St Columba’s URC, Coventry, and other local churches, in partnership with HOPE Coventry.

Mr Roberts explains: ‘Jesus is both our inspiration and our guide. The Bible reminds us that he came among us not to be served but to serve.’

The Revd Craig Muir, Minister of St Columba’s URC, Coventry, echoes this sentiment saying: ‘Coventry Winter Night Shelter is fundamentally about serving people.’

The film shows how a team of dedicated volunteers provided the homeless with food, a bed, and a safe place to stay temporarily during the cold nights of winter between December 2017 and March 2018.

‘Serving is right at the heart of what it means to be a follower of Jesus,’ continues Mr Roberts. ‘As Jesus said, the two great commandments are to love God, and love our neighbours as we would ourselves.’

He questioned: ‘If we are in a position of leadership, maybe a headteacher or a director of a company, how do we serve? Remember Jesus washed the feet of those he led. How do we model that kind of leadership in our day to day work?

Simon Peters, Walking the Way Project Manager, added: ‘We can look around us and think about what it means to put these habits into practice. These thought-provoking films offer us a range of examples for us to consider.’

Share your thoughts on how you will be implementing the holy habits into your life, by visiting the Walking the Way Facebook or Twitter pages. You can also email us with your good news stories.

The Holy Habits booklets are available to buy individually or as a full pack. Visit the URC Shop for details.