 |  | | | | | | Creating choices for disabled people, transforming communities and fighting injustice | Livability Community Engagement eNews October 2015 | | Dear Greg,
This month Livability marks 130 years since the death of one of our founders - the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It also sees the launch of our new report on Christian community engagement, published jointly with Church Urban Fund. Ruth Young (formerly Smith) who has many years' experience of working with churches as a Livability Advisor, explains more in this month's introduction...
"Please don't ask us to do another project!" pleaded Jean, looking at me with desperation in her eyes. I'd been invited by her minister to help his struggling congregation understand why engaging with the community is so important for mission, especially in an area like theirs (in Kimberworth Park in Rotherham) where the social problems are so pressing. Over the years the church had 'done projects' – and quite successfully; but they were worn down by them, and despite all the hard work they saw little evidence that they had made any difference at all. There was disappointment, too, that very few people had come to faith. Their enthusiasm, and their energy, was at a low ebb. It was a privilege to work with this church, and you can read about how they found new life and energy by working alongside their community, in the new joint Livabililty/CUF report, Fullness of Life Together, Reimagining Christian engagement in our communities. The free report examines the 'service delivery' model that many have historically used and looks at its strengths as well as its shortcomings. Livability and Church Urban Fund believe there are other ways of engaging with our communities which are not only more effective, but are a better outworking of biblical principles. They are based not so much on meeting needs but on acknowledging and working with the hopes, aspirations and strengths which already reside within our neighbourhoods. Two of these, Co-production and Asset-Based Community Development, are presented in the report, with examples of how they are being used effectively across the country. The paper also explores some key theological themes which ground these two approaches in Scripture and help us see the importance of doing things differently. FinalIy it offers some questions for reflection and discussion, which hopefully will lead to changes in how we think and what we do. Fullness of Life Together, Reimagining Christian engagement in our communities is launched today. Let us know what you think!
This edition's stories and resources feature the paper mentioned above, as well as the Pope's passion for the poor; the story of a community bank and how to get your community carolling this year.
The funding items are; running a crowdfunded Christmas campaign; Starbucks Youth Action; the Comic Relief Local Communities programme and Help the Homeless Grant scheme The events we feature are; training days on integrating your Christian ethos with your care and tackling financial exclusion, plus Prisons Week and a day looking at poverty in the early church and today. We hope you will find much that will encourage, inspire and resource you this autumn.
Kind regards,
Maggie Harding
Livability's Community Engagement & Communications Team
PS If you are based in the North East and would like Ruth Young to come and help your church explore the models mentioned in the new report, why not email her?
| | | | This eNews is brought to you by Livability's Community Engagement & Communications Team
| Quick links to this month's content... | | | | Fullness of Life Together, Reimagining Christian engagement in our communities
| This free joint paper, from Church Urban Fund and Livability sets out our vision for long-term, prophetic Church community engagement. It includes an analysis of some different approaches and why as organisations we believe some of them communicate core Kingdom values better than others. There are also some inspiring case studies and questions for discussion. Short of time? If you want a flavour and don't have time to read the full paper, don't worry! There's always the executive summary.
| | | | | | | Pope Francis on the inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. | In line with the paper above, read the Pope's inspiring and radical thoughts from his recent apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) about the importance of finding solidarity with the poor and marginalised, and learning from them (see Chapter 4, II). He also calls for all churches to be welcoming and inclusive, and for all Christians to work to eliminate the structural causes of poverty and to promote the integral development of those who are poor. | | | | | | | The story of Murston Community Bank
| Murston Community Bank is Kent's first community bank based in a church building. All Saints in Murston, Sittingbourne are taking a holistic approach to helping their community take control of their money - offering money advice, loans and a savings account alongside other community services.
This article is included with permission from the Arthur Rank Centre's Country Way magazine for rural churches and communities.
| | | | | | | | Sing Christmas community carols
| Following the success of Silent Night Carols, Tearfund, HOPE and Sports Chaplaincy UK are working in partnership to help sports clubs and churches bring communities together to celebrate Christmas 2015.
And this year, there's even a new opportunity for karaoke carols in pubs! | | | | | | | | This month's funding opportunities are: How to run a crowdfunded Christmas campaign; Starbucks Youth Action; the Comic Relief Local Communities programme and Help the Homeless Grant scheme. | |  | | Running a Crowdfunded Christmas Campaign
| | | UK Youth and Starbucks are inviting groups who are working with young people not in education or employment to apply for grants of up to £1,000. Starbucks Youth Action aims to inspire and support 16 to 24 year olds who want to make a positive impact locally. The funding is to be used by the young people to develop and run projects in their local community which will provide a positive benefit to the community and look to enhance the young leaders' employability and leadership skills. Two young people need to lead the project and engage a further 50 young people throughout the course of the project. The young people will need to have a youth worker/training organisation able to support them throughout the project.
There are monthly deadlines through to March 2016.
| | | Comic Relief Local Communities Programme
| This programme is administered by local Community Foundations and offers grants of between £1000 and £10,000 to empower local people to create lasting change. Projects should be run by people directly affected by the issues they are dealing with. Priority will be given to small, locally based groups or organisations in areas of disadvantage that have a clear understanding of local needs. Funding is available to: increase local services; build skills of local people; increase community cohesion and respond to local economic needs.
To find out if this grant is available in your area, and for deadlines, application forms etc, go to your local foundation.
| | | | Help the Homeless Grant Scheme
| Help the Homeless provides a grant scheme to support small and medium-sized UK charities working to help homeless people rebuild their lives and re-enter society. Funding is targeted at projects focused on helping disadvantaged individuals return to the community through training or residential facility provision, rather than merely providing short term shelter. | | | | Events this month include: Faith Full Service? Integrating Christian faith alongside high quality social care, Money Matters - a conference on financial inclusion, Prisons Week, and Engaging with poverty in the early church and today. | |  | | Faith Full Service? Integrating Christian faith alongside high quality social care
| Taking place from 9.30am to 4.00pm on November 4th at Hinde Street Methodist Church, in London, this event will be an engaging and interactive training day focused on helping you to effectively integrate your Christian ethos with your care. It will be run by West London Mission who work hard at re-affirming and strengthening their own Christian ethos. The day will be facilitated by WLM's Executive Director, Jon Kuhrt and Social Work Chaplain Rev'd Ruth Bottoms and will be based around practical models, resources and experiences which can be used in your context.
Run in Partnership with Theos this event is free.
| | | | Money Matters - building a more inclusive financial system
| This Church Urban Fund conference, taking place from 10.00am to 4.00pm on November 5th at the Kings Church Conference Centre in Manchester is designed to bring together church leaders, church members, activists and community-based practitioners to: build understanding of financial exclusion – its causes, consequences and solutions; reflect theologically on what a fairer and more inclusive financial system could look like and showcase a variety of efforts to build financial inclusion. There will be keynote speakers in the morning sessions and afternoon seminars will help with next steps and practical action.
The cost is £12 per person, including lunch and refreshments.
| |  | | | | Prisons Week - a new and living way
| Prisons Week takes place this year from 15-21 November. It was formed by a range of Christian organisations to pray for and raise awareness of the needs of prisoners and their families, victims of offenders, prison staff and all those who care. Prayer and other materials are available, as is this short video. You are encouraged to pray each day during Prisons Week, but also to ask yourself whether there is one thing that as an individual or as a church you can do to help those being prayed for.
| | | | | | Engaging with poverty in the early church and today
| This interdisciplinary and international conference, which runs from 9.00am on December 4th to 5.30pm on December 5 at St Mary's University Twickenham, is a joint event between St Mary's University, Caritas, and TearFund. It will bring together experts in early Christianity and in modern strategies for alleviating poverty who will address the issues in accessible and practical ways. Each session will focus on a theme seen from both the modern world and early Christianity.
The cost is £50 (concessions) or £75.
| | | | | | | | 'You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.' | | | Isaiah 58:12 The Message version | | | | | | |
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