maintaining christian distinctiveness the missional challenge for christian social action
TRANSCRIPT
Maintaining Christian Distinctiveness
The missional challenge for Christian social action
For the ‘person in the street’, who has been the best witness to Christianity?
How about….?
Or even…
Lord Shaftesbury (1801 – 1885)
Passionate faithPractical MissionPolitical Activism
The Great Reformer
John Grooms (1845 – 1919)
Passionate faithPractical MissionVisionary Action
A ‘hero of change’
160 years on…Keeping our Christian
distinctivenessThe missional challenge for Christian social action
Why do Christian community projects
‘lose’ their faith?
Faded The project started with a desire to connect with people, but now we just meet their needs as best we can
We’ve lost sight of why we started – the pressures of trying to keep going have been so great. We’ve had to follow funding so don’t do what we set out to do anymore
FearfulWe have to be very careful – it would not go down well with our funders if we thought we were too Christian
People would stop coming if we were too open about our faith
FossilisedThe vicar still chairs our committee but there is no real connection with the church
There is no involvement from the congregation – unless they don’t like any changes we make
Our context…• Decline of Christian influence
and the church’s role in society• Mixed statutory sector
messages about ‘faith’ and faith groups
• The ‘well worn path’ of Christian organisations / projects who have moved away from their faith roots
• A weak understanding of the nature of Christian mission
The ‘mixed ingredients’ for Christian social action
Christian social action
ChurchChurch growth
Buildings
People
‘Deep’ commitment
Mission theology
Voluntary sectorGovernment agendas
Funding & monitoring
Ideology
‘Good practice’
Faith Spirituality/
prayer/theology/ethos/leadershi
p/vision
Church
Growth
Buildings
People
Mission
‘Deep’ commitment
A Christian community project
Faith explicit
Spirituality/ prayer/theology/ethos/leadership/relationship with Church
Social impact
Faith implicit
Love & acceptance
Quality of care
Professionalism
Shared values
Commitment to clients/users
Social justice
Inclusive Service
Good practice
Local council
Other charities
Funders
Regulators
A Christian community project
Social impact
Faith implicit
Love & acceptance
Quality of care
Professionalism
Shared values
Commitment to clients/users
Social justice
Inclusive Service
Good practice
Local council
Regulators
FundersOther charities
Faith explicit
Spirituality…
Spirituality
Faith explicit
Faith implicit
Good practice
Shared values
Love & acceptance
Quality of care
Commitment to clients/users
professionalism
Social impact
Good practice
Regulation
Funding requireme
nts
A community project
??
Inclusive Service
Social justice
Faith Implicit Spirituality/
prayer/theology/ethos/leadershi
p/vision
Growth
BuildingsPeople
Mission
‘Deep’ commitment
Church
Faith explicit Spirituality
/prayer/ theology/ethos/ leadership/vision/ relationship with Church
Community project
Why faith is important• Acknowledging our roots –
where the project grew from• Growing healthy
congregations • Keeping strong church links• Maintaining our integrity and
authenticity• Being faithful to the Gospel• Being honest about what has
been transformative for us
Why faith is important
Do our social action projects reflect
what has been transformational for us?
Developing ‘Proper Confidence’1. Remember the power of personal
testimony2. Deepen your theology of social
action and mission3. Clarify what you are trying to do4. Articulate & advocate your Christian
ethos5. ‘It has to be more than words’:
integrating faith in your day to day work
6. Remember the importance of recruitment
1. Remember the power of personal testimonyWhat is the best thing the Church has given you?
2. Deepen your theology of social actionWhat activities or practices help deepen your and your team’s thinking about why you run the project?
3. Clarify what you are trying to doSet clear aims and goals and how you intend to achieve them
Developing ‘Proper Confidence’
Developing ‘Proper Confidence’4. Articulate & advocate your Christian
ethosBe clear about what you stand for and how to communicate that well
6.‘It has to be more than words’Integrate faith in your day to day work
5. Remember the importance of recruitment A minefield! But it is still possible to employ Christian staff, or staff who are sympathetic to and supportive of your ethos
‘Above all things, guard your heart, for it is the wellspringof life’ Proverbs 4:23
Developing ‘Proper Confidence’A Christian community
project
Faith explicit Spirituality
/prayer/ theology/ethos/ leadership/vision/ relationship with Church
Our Christian ConnectionThe missional challenge for Christian social action
“The commitment is not to a cause or to
a program: it is to a person. At the heart
of mission there must always be the call
to be committed to Jesus Christ
in his community’ Lesslie Newbigin