1. Maintaining Christian Distinctiveness
The missional challenge for Christian social action

2. For the ‘person in the street’, who has been the best witness to Christianity?

3. How about….?

4. Or even…

5. Lord Shaftesbury (1801 – 1885) Passionate faith The Great Reformer
Practical Mission
Political Activism
The Great Reformer

6. John Grooms (1845 – 1919) Passionate faith A ‘hero of change’
Practical Mission
Visionary Action
A ‘hero of change’

7. 160 years on… Keeping our Christian distinctiveness
The missional challenge for Christian social action

8. Why do Christian community projects
‘lose’ their faith?

9. Faded Fearful Fossilised
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
We have to be very careful – it would not go down well with our funders if we thought we were too Christian
Fearful
People would stop coming if we were too open about our faith
The vicar still chairs our committee but there is no real connection with the church
Fossilised
There is no involvement from the congregation – unless they don’t like any changes we make

10. 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

11. Christian social action
The ‘mixed ingredients’ for Christian social action
Church
Church growth
Buildings
People
‘Deep’ commitment
Mission theology
Voluntary sector
Government agendas
Funding & monitoring
Ideology
‘Good practice’
Christian social action

12. Faith Spirituality/ prayer/theology/ethos/leadership/vision
Church
Buildings
People
Faith Spirituality/ prayer/theology/ethos/leadership/vision
Growth
Mission
‘Deep’ commitment

13. A Christian community project
Faith implicit
Local council
Regulators
Good practice
Love & acceptance
Inclusive Service
Faith explicit Spirituality/ prayer/theology/ethos/leadership/relationship with Church
Quality of care
Social justice
Shared values
Commitment to clients/users
Professionalism
Other charities
Funders
Social impact

14. A Christian community project
Faith implicit
Local council
Regulators
Good practice
Love & acceptance
Inclusive Service
Quality of care
Faith explicit
Spirituality…
Social justice
Shared values
Commitment to clients/users
Professionalism
Other charities
Funders
Social impact

15. A community project ?? Good practice Regulation Funding requirements
Social impact
Love & acceptance
Good practice
Inclusive Service
Spirituality
Faith explicit
Good practice
Regulation
Funding requirements
Quality of care
Social justice
professionalism
Commitment to clients/users
Shared values ??
Faith implicit

16. Faith Implicit Spirituality/ prayer/theology/ethos/leadership/vision
Church
Community project
Buildings
People
Faith Implicit Spirituality/ prayer/theology/ethos/leadership/vision
Faith explicit Spirituality /prayer/ theology/ethos/ leadership/vision/ relationship with Church
Growth
Mission
‘Deep’ commitment

17. 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

18. Do our social action projects reflect
Why faith is important
Do our social action projects reflect
what has been transformational for us?

19. Developing ‘Proper Confidence’
Remember the power of personal testimony
Deepen your theology of social action and mission
Clarify what you are trying to do
Articulate & advocate your Christian ethos
‘It has to be more than words’: integrating faith in your day to day work
Remember the importance of recruitment

20. Developing ‘Proper Confidence’
Remember the power of personal testimony
What is the best thing the Church has given you?
Deepen your theology of social action
What activities or practices help deepen your and your team’s thinking about why you run the project?
3. Clarify what you are trying to do
Set clear aims and goals and how you intend to achieve them

21. Developing ‘Proper Confidence’
4. Articulate & advocate your Christian ethos
Be clear about what you stand for and how to communicate that well
‘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

22. Developing ‘Proper Confidence’ A Christian community project
‘Above all things,
guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring
of life’
Proverbs 4:23
Faith explicit Spirituality /prayer/ theology/ethos/ leadership/vision/ relationship with Church

23. “The commitment is not to a cause or to
Our Christian Connection The 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