Supporting Christians to change the world through Community Organising

Community Organising l July 22, 2014

Centre Director Angus Ritchie blogs on some new ways in which CTC is supporting churches involved in community organising…

The Contextual Theology Centre was founded in 2005 by Christian leaders involved in London Citizens – and over the years, we have provided opportunities for those involved in community organising to root their work more deeply in prayer and theological reflection. As Simon Cuff’s blog reminds us, around the world, congregations both provide the ‘beating heart’ of community organising and can use its practices to help them grow and flourish.

Faith – the beating heart of Community Organising, worldwide

Community Organising l July 21, 2014

Fr Simon Cuff, Assistant Curate at Christ the Saviour, Ealing, blogs for us about a recent trip to Chicago with several other Christian leaders from Citizens UK…

Staff from CTC and clergy in our partner churches, have returned after an intensive week of learning and sharing experience with others involved in faith-based community organising. ‘Faith Institutions and Industrial Areas Foundation Organizing’ was the theme for around 100 clergy, organisers and lay practitioners of the craft of community organising from across America, Germany, Australia and the UK.

We met outside Chicago at Mundelein Seminary (University of S. Mary of the Lake) – a significant venue. Saul Alinsky, the father of community organising, had influenced a generation of Mundelein seminarians (e.g. Msgr Jack Egan) when he began organising. The desire to have a similar impact in a new generation provided the motivation for this gathering.

Near Neighbours Grants Fund re-opens

Our Near Neighbours Co-ordinator, Revd Tim Clapton, blogs on the new money available to apply for in eastern London…

Near Neighbours has been running successfully for the past three years. Here at CTC, we’ve had the pleasure of co-ordinating the training and grants to the diverse communities of eastern London. So many amazing small projects have been boosted by receiving funding.

That’s why we’re delighted that £1.8 million in small grants has been made available over the next two years, for diverse local communities to develop relationships and transform neighbourhoods for the better.

This money is split between various centres across the country, offering financial support to gather local people to make a positive and lasting impact in their communities.

Making the most of our assets? The new London Churches Property Forum

The Centre for Theology & Community l and tagged Housing, Housing Justice, property l June 10, 2014

Our Development Director Tim Thorlby blogs on the first meeting of London’s newest Forum – the London Churches Property Forum – which the Contextual Theology Centre helped to set up. The Forum will help churches to network and share good practice about (and maybe begin to co-ordinate) how they manage their properties…

In May, in a packed room, a brand new Forum was established, organised by the Contextual Theology Centre and its partners. The London Churches Property Forum brings together the key property decision-makers from nearly every major Christian denomination in London, as well as a number of Christian Housing Associations and other Christian charities with an interest in property. The Forum provides an opportunity to share good practice and co-ordinate decision-making and even – eventually – investment.

Church Growth: what does it mean in multi-faith London?

Events l and tagged Church growth, Presence and Engagament, Stephen Cottrell, Stratford l June 3, 2014

CTC Director Angus Ritchie blogs on an exciting event on 17 June which goes to the heart of a major debate within the church: What kind of growth should Christian congregations be aiming for?…

Jesus tells a number of parables which relate to fruitfulness and growth. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed – initially the smallest of all seeds, but growing to be the largest of the garden plants, becoming a tree in which the birds can come and find a home (Matthew 13). By contrast, Jesus also tells the parable of the fig tree, which is unfruitful for three years – and is to be dug around and given manure one last time (Luke 13).

Staff pilgrimage leaves us inspired…

Prayer, The Centre for Theology & Community l and tagged Julian of Norwich, Norwich, Norwich Cathedral l May 15, 2014

Susanne Mitchell, the Co-Ordinator of our Presence and Engagement Network, blogs about a recent staff away day – to a place with a long spiritual history…

On a Saturday midway through Lent, CTC staff boarded the 9.00 from Liverpool Street station bound for Norwich: home of Julian, Anchoress, writer and mystic.

Led by our Chaplain, Sr Josephine Canny, we sat in a cell-like chapel and learned about this remarkable 14^th century plague survivor famous for her “Revelations of Divine Love.” This is indeed a prayerful, peaceful, ‘thin’ place. Unlike Nuns, Anchoresses remained in the world – their cells were designed with a window into the main church, where Mass was said, another window to communicate with a maid who saw to their practical needs and, most importantly, a window to the outside world. It was here that people came with their anxieties and requests for prayer.

Success! Money raised for first house by our Missional Housing Bond

The Centre for Theology & Community l and tagged Affordable Christian Housing, Diocese London, Eden Network, Missional Housing Bond l April 15, 2014

Our Development Director Tim Thorlby blogs on a major milestone reached in our first social investment project. In 2013, a new partnership of Christian organisations, including the Contextual Theology Centre, launched the first ever London Missional Housing Bond. We can now reveal that this first Bond successfully raised nearly £400,000 of capital, and that we have selected the location for our first ‘missional house’…

The London Missional Housing Bond has been developed and launched by a partnership of Christian organisations – the Contextual Theology Centre, the London Diocesan Fund (Diocese of London), the Eden Network and Affordable Christian Housing.

The Bond was launched in 2013 by the Bishop of London. Nearly £400,000 has been secured in investments from individuals, churches and charitable trusts. Investors put their money in for up to five years, in return for which they earn up two per cent interest per year.

Singing with joy – another SingSpire success story

SingSpire l and tagged BabySong, Cantignorus, Choir, Community music, SingSpire, Tower project l March 31, 2014

In this blog, our SingSpire Co-ordinator, Tom Daggett, brings us up to speed with the progress of our community music programme…

Since setting up the SingSpire programme I’ve begun to realise just how singing together can be a community-building initiative. We are committed to this idea and to helping churches realise this potential.

SingSpire’s work thus far has largely focussed on getting new initiatives off the ground. We launched a new ‘Babysong’ group in Stoke Newington and we’re working on an exciting new children’s choir, bringing together four churches and three schools.

Shining a light: making our streets safer

Community Organising l and tagged Bethnal Green, City Safe, safety, tower hamlets l March 24, 2014

In this blog we here from Emmanuel Carriere, who is a member of the congregation at one of our partner churches – St Peter’s, Bethnal Green. The church has been involved in setting up City Safe havens in its local area. Emmanuel describes a recent event where people of all different backgrounds came together from churches, mosques, schools and other institutions involved in Citizens UK to ask for improvements in street lighting to make their community safer…

I am Emmanuel Carriere and I am 18 years old. I go to Cambridge Heath 6^th form and St Peter’s Church in Bethnal Green which is a member of Tower Hamlets Citizens. I am involved in working for a safer borough because I want to see a positive change happen in the community that I grew up in and still live in.

The first time I was asked to get involved with the CitySafe campaign I was a bit hesitant to start. I didn’t really feel confident to go for opportunities that were handed to me. However, when the chance came again from Caitlin [Community Organiser at St Peter’s] I was really excited about it and a lot more confident than a year ago.

The GP Practice caring for the whole person

Shoreditch Group, The Centre for Theology & Community l and tagged Bethnal Green, the mission practice, the Shoreditch Group, whole person care l March 17, 2014

Helen Moules, the Co-ordinator of the Shoreditch Group, blogs about an exciting pilot project on whole person care taking place in east London…

If you are a church or community leader you are warmly invited to join us at The Mission Practice on Thursday 20 March from 8:30am – 9:30am for a networking breakfast, with a focus on sharing the progress of a whole person care project currently being piloted in Bethnal Green.

The Mission Practice is a Christian-run GP surgery in Bethnal Green. It has been successfully operating for many years, but recently decided to branch out more in the the developing area of ‘whole person care.’ The idea is very simple – to effectively enable people to live “life in all its fullness.”

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