CTC Summer Internships: time to apply!

Community Organising l and tagged interns, Internship, summer l January 21, 2016

The Director of the Urban Leadership School here at CTC, Revd Tim Clapton, blogs about out upcoming summer internship…

The year is well underway, and although it is cold outside, our minds are turning to the summer. Already it is mid January so our Urban Leadership School is firmly focused on planning this year’s Summer Internship. Details of the programme are now available and once again we are making contact with our wider networks, clergy in East London and beyond and university theology departments. Applications are already coming in, so once again, we are in for an exciting summer.

Why would God become homeless?

The Centre for Theology & Community, Uncategorized l and tagged Homeless Sunday, Homelessness l January 13, 2016

Sarah Hutt, who is leading our work on housing, blogs on the astonishing reality of the incarnation – a God who is homeless…

In the glittery celebration of Christmas, we observe that Jesus breathed his first air in a grotty, forgotten stable but in reality it doesn’t often resonate with the mood of Christmas. Our cultural traditions urge us to do the opposite – we celebrate his birth with our families and communities in homes.

As Christmas moves onto Epiphany and exposes us to January (what a slog of a month!) perhaps now is the best time to take a second look at the stable and consider just how profound this act of God is.

Epiphany: Three vital lessons the Church can learn

The Centre for Theology & Community l January 2, 2016

Our Director, Angus Ritchie, blogs on three simple ways the Epiphany can shape our ministry in 2016…

As many people return to work after a Christmas break, the Feast of the Epiphany – “the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles” – is a timely reminder that, for Christians, 25 December was the beginning of something, rather than just the end of a period of waiting for our presents.

There are three features of the Epiphany which are of particular relevance to the Church today, as we begin another year of ministry and mission…

To preach or not to preach? The Carol service dilemma…

The Centre for Theology & Community l and tagged Carol service, Christmas, preaching, Storytelling l December 22, 2015

Our Director Angus Ritchie blogs on a topical debate…

Should clergy preach sermons at Carol Services?

I’ve just been reading the two sides of the argument – presented by the Bishop of Manchester and Ian Paul.

At Sunday’s Carol Service, my own church took a very Anglican middle way. We had some short interviews interspersed among the readings and carols. This innovation grew out of CTC’s own storytelling project – and Caitlin Burbridge’s excellent guide to how churches can use stories, which we published earlier in the year.

A tough but rewarding job: getting churches talking about money!

Community Organising, Just Money l and tagged Credit, debt, Money Talk l December 18, 2015

For the last 18 months, Theo Shaw has been working for us here at CTC, running the Church Credit Champions Network in Southwark Diocese. She’s moving onto a new opportunity so as she leaves we decided to talk to her about how it’s been to get churches thinking and talking about credit, debt and money in general…

Can you describe what your role for CTC has been?

I work as the Network Coordinator. My patch covers the Diocese of Southwark. It’s a pilot project covering London, Liverpool and Southwark. I encourage churches to engage with money and debt and help them act on the issues.

Advent: Come, Lord Jesus

The Centre for Theology & Community l November 30, 2015

Our Chaplain, Sr Josephine Canny OA, brings us a short reflection for the start of Advent…

“If there are days in life when everything goes well, each one of us has also known the experience of the desert, or days when we have had to live through a stormy period when the future becomes a source of anxiety and questioning. We have had to “find a foothold” once again.

God the builder: a counter-cultural hope in the midst of the housing crisis

The Centre for Theology & Community l and tagged Citizens UK, Housing, Housing Justice l November 23, 2015

Last week, CTC published a new resource to help churches get to grips with the often intimidating issue of housing. Here, our Housing Coordinator, Sarah, reminds us that small beginnings might also be cause for great rejoicing…

^“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” Zechariah 4.10

‘Participate, don’t just commentate’: a slogan comes to life at the ‘Show Up Weekend’

The Centre for Theology & Community l November 16, 2015

The 6th-8th of November saw the first ever ‘Show Up Weekend,’ hosted by Christians in Politics for over a hundred delegates – involved in or exploring a role in politics – from across the UK. Selina Stone attended the cross-party initiative on behalf of CTC, and explains what made it such a momentous event…

“Christians in Politics (CiP) seeks to equip Christians to engage positively in party politics and government by presenting the biblical basis for participation, as well as practical resources and networking opportunities. They are committed to building relationships across party lines, practising servant-leadership and recognising the importance of the Church. It sounded good to me!

Seeing Change: Get churches talking about money this Lent

The Centre for Theology & Community l November 13, 2015

CTC has been at the forefront of the Church’s fight for economic justice. The Church Credit Champions Network is part of CTC’s effort to engage churches will the difficult issues of money and debt. Tom Newbold is the CCCN coordinator for the Diocese of London. Here he talks about our Seeing Change course, an exciting resource to get churches talking about money. Why not use it this coming Lent?

“We’ve not yet reached Christmas, but with only three months to go, have you thought about your Lent course? The Seeing Change course has been developed to resource and equip churches to get thinking and talking about some difficult, but significant biblical topics: lending, credit, and debt.

Seeing like the Saints: working together towards ‘the world as it should be’

Community Organising, The Centre for Theology & Community l and tagged Citizens UK, Community Organising, Jellicoe l November 4, 2015

The Revd Dr Simon Cuff is a CTC Research Associate and Curate at Christ the Saviour, Ealing. This week, he delivered the 2015 Jellicoe Sermon at Magdalen College, Oxford. Delivered on All Saints Day, Fr Simon reflects on how we might see the world as the Saints did; as it is, and how it should be…

“Michelle Obama once told of an outing with Barack Obama early on in their relationship. The romantic Barack had taken her to a meeting of local community leaders he’d worked with after leaving college. The future President stood up, she said: ‘and spoke words that have stayed with me ever since. He talked about “The world as it is” and “The world as it should be,”‘ a distinction often made by community organisers in America, but also those working in this country through the diverse alliance of faith and civil society institutions known as Citizens UK.

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