Stepwise Faith-filled Community will help you look with fresh eyes at the communities and neighbourhoods you belong to and deepen your understanding of what it is to be a church shaped by God’s mission, acting for justice in God’s name.
You will talk about why and how Christians can get involved in building communities, discuss different models of community work and be introduced to new ways of being church. All of this will help you to identify how you can work with others in order to make a difference locally.
Aims:
The main aims of this stream are:
- to get to know your communities better using a variety of tools and techniques for effective community engagement.
- to explore how God calls Christians to work within our communities and sends us out to join in with God’s work in the world.
- to investigate some of the things that help communities to flourish and see how you, as a disciple of Jesus, can contribute to that flourishing.
- to explore some biblical ideas about justice in society and look at ways that the church can be a positive agent for justice and change.
- to examine new ways of being the church in your communities with examples from Fresh Expressions and pioneering Christian communities.
- to work together with a group to initiate and develop a faith-based community project in your neighbourhood.
Stream Overview:
Faith-filled Community has 10 sessions broadly covering five different themes.
These themes are:
- Getting to know your communities.
- Missional communities – the call and the practice.
- Flourishing communities and how to help create them.
- Communities of justice.
- Introducing fresh expressions and pioneering church communities.
Download the Stream Outline here (opens PDF in new window)
Faith-filled Community takes approximately 12 months to complete, going at the pace of the local group. Group meetings will take place approximately monthly. In between the group meetings you will also create a reflective journal and meet with a mentor – guidance for both of these activities will be provided.
Who is Faith-filled Community for?
Faith-filled Community is for anyone who wants to explore how to engage with their neighbourhood or the communities around them. A group from a local church would find the stream helpful as they would learn some of the fundamentals of community development thus equipping the church to better serve the communities in which it is set. Individuals would find it equally interesting to find out how they might make a difference in their own neighbourhood and communities.
Requirements:
In order to begin Faith-filled Community you will have previously completed Stepwise Faith-filled Life. A willingness to engage with the material in the Stepwise Hub and participate in the group sessions is essential.
To find out more about how Stepwise works click here.
Next Steps:
If you are interested in finding out more about how you can take part in this Stepwise stream then please get in touch with the Stepwise team by filling in the Contact Us form or emailing: stepwise@urc.org.uk
Taste & See Webinar: March 2021