The Morgan-Gurr's
Summer Update 2025
It’s been a productive and busy few months.
As we said in our last update, it was our last Spring Harvest after 31 years of different roles, latterly as their disability and additional needs advisor. I officially hand over the reigns to Through The Roof on 1st July.
This last week saw the delivery of a beautiful rose bush - the variety of rose named ‘Thankyou’. This was from the volunteers we have served with (facilitated by the head office team) and we really appreciated it.
We’ve had lots of training events for various churches, lots of writing and being recorded for podcasts and on the radio, plus a lot of advocacy work around the disability cuts.
The prayer resources have seen some additions too, mainly in the ‘Fiddle Toy Prayers’ section. You can find them on this website
HERE
It was a joy to be at the Scripture Union ‘Revealing Jesus’ conference recently and to deliver two seminars.
It was great to be in a room packed full of people passionate about revealing Jesus to the 95% of children not connected with church, including those far into the fringes (which also includes those with additional needs).
We’ve had lots of encouraging feedback on the work we’ve done, especially from the most recent church we’ve worked with. Rather than just the normal thank yous (which we always value), we had various attendees giving us specific comments as to why they enjoyed the training. Just a couple of examples were: "you understood our struggles and you gave us Godly solutions”, "I was expecting it to be boring, but it was great fun!”
We often have churches expecting this sort of training to be ‘too heavy’, so that last bit of feed back will be useful!!
But even with the many blessings, these have been balanced out by yet more stories of families asked to leave their churches - because their child has additional needs. Plus churches trying to give contracts to disabled people to make sure they don’t rock the boat on how the church runs. (Forgetting they are legally obliged to provide reasonable accommodations, and in all cases the accommodations needed were reasonable with no cost.)
There is still so much work to be done!
I came back from Spring Harvest with some nasty bugs that have significantly affected me. After two months, I managed to get some antibiotics that have helped a bit, but I am now trying to work my way back to my pre-Spring Harvest levels.
Coming up we have the Keswick Convention - we’ll be there for three weeks leaving the rest of ‘Team Platypus’ in charge of the house and office.
Weekends are always the busiest for me on site, and I generally don’t get to hear much of the teaching during the week either, but working with such a great team is wonderful and such a blessing. We always feel loved and supported when working with the various teams on site.
Please pray that I don’t get any infections whilst there!
And pray for me on the Monday of the first week (14th July) as I’ll be doing the scripture reading in the evening celebration……and I hate being on a platform!
We’ll take some time off on our return, and then we’ll be getting ready for more training events and some consultancy work.
Now for some hard truths of what the last few months have been like for me:
Along with all the blessings, we are also living with a very sharp sword above our heads with the benefits bill and the cuts it threatens.
If they go ahead, it would see me losing the daily living component of PIP - along with over a million others (Yes, it’s much higher than the government says it is).
This part of PIP pays for all the disability aids and support I need to live and work. To take it away would take away my ability to work and therefore; I would no longer be able to carry on with my ministry.
But so, so many people would be in a worse position than me. Do take time to look at disability social media to find out more…or just ask me.
This week, a ‘reasonable amendment’ has been tabled by labour MPs rebelling against the cuts. At best, this could kill the bill. At worst, the conservatives could vote with the bill and kill the amendment.
Following that, the government has countered the amendment with concessions that are fine if you are currently on PIP, as your status will be protected and any reassessments will be done on the old system. But that doesn't really help those on unemployment benefits (PIP isn't an unemployment benefit...but many think it is).
The concessions also say they are going to make Stephen Timms actually talk to disabled people and disability led organisations as they refine the act. This is something he's only done once - without knowing they were coming, and it was a disaster (Thanks to CAP for trying).
But these concessions would still put millions into poverty, make many homeless (Some of the cuts affect gateway benefits to housing allowance) and see many lose their carers in the process.
To give some context, if the bill, with concessions, passes; I will still receive PIP, but those making new claims who have the same longs list of disabilities as me - won’t get anything, won’t be able to work and won’t be able to live either.
The vote is on Tuesday 1st July. Please pray!
I’ve been very saddened (sorry, correct that …very angry!) to see that the major Christian advocacy organisations and denominations haven’t really done anything to raise awareness about this, especially when so many who are already in poverty and unable to work will be plunged into deeper poverty meaning they won’t even be able to recharge vital medical equipment.
As I talk to the different churches I work with, most are completely unaware of what the changes mean for so many.
I don’t have any mental health conditions, but I must admit, the stress of this has really affected me, and only by God’s grace have I been able to step up and give my best with all the bookings I’ve had. It's been a really difficult season for both of us.
If I feel like that when I have a good support network (thanks Council of Reference for allowing me to 'blether on' about it and decompress), can you imagine how others feel who have no one? I know many who are considering taking their own lives because of it......Now link that to the assisted dying bill and lack of protection from coercion.
Thankyou for your prayers - they are appreciated more than you will ever know!
There have been moments in recent weeks where I’ve stopped and said to Steve “Someone’s praying for us”. That's because; in those moments I’ve felt covered with a blanket of peace that seemed like it had been suddenly dropped from heaven.
Every Blessing
Kay and Steve
