Theological Foundations
God’s preferential option for people in poverty: God’s character reveals a God of justice and an emphasis on our need to care for the vulnerable, the stranger and those who are living in poverty.
The Good News of Jesus Christ: We hold that to abandon people in economic hardship is to abandon the central theme of the liberating, life-giving message of the gospel for us all.
Evangelism and social justice: Evangelism and social justice are inseparable aspects of our Christian discipleship.
Interdependence: We recognise our shared brokenness and our capacity and need to receive from one another.
Inclusion: Whenever we ‘other’ people because of their economic circumstances, we cannot see the image of God in them and ourselves.
Reflection: How could you build on these theological foundations?
Core Values
Seek justice: We will seek opportunities to enable the voices of the economically vulnerable to be heard by those with power to instigate change.
Prioritise the lived experience of people at the economic margins: We believe people with lived experience are the experts and are essential partners in co-designing, co-creating, co-delivering and co-leading any project.
Share power: We will share power and recognise the dynamics and potential misuse of power.
Celebrate inclusion and participation: We will resist service-provider models of community engagement based on the rich doing something for the poor. We believe the whole Church needs to receive the gifts of those at the economic margins to be fully transformed by the gospel of Christ.
Enable leadership communities: We will nurture, enable, and develop local leadership within people already present and invested in their local context
Reflection: How could these core values nurture new communities in your contexts?
Resources
Click here to read the Church at the Margins chapter from the New Places for New People practical guide.
Click here for a downloadable leaflet of the theological foundations and core values.
Click here for a downloadable reflection on the Theology of Church at the Margins and Church at the economic margins beatitudes.