A Weekend introductory course to Faith-Rooted Community Organising practices
Who is it for? People who want to develop, or are already nurturing a new Christian community within their circuit or district. Ideally, we would like people to come as a team (at least two people from each team, with a maximum of four), though each person needs to complete their own form.
What's it about? Faith Rooted Organising offers a way to resource and enable people to find out where God is at work in their communities, and join in.
What is distinctive about (Christian) faith rooted organising is that it is grounded in who we are as a people of Christian faith; rooted and centered in God, in our practices of prayer and worship, and in the way we live out and share our faith.
The weekend course (free of charge) is held at Cliff College, Calver beginning with dinner at 6pm on the Friday evening and ending after lunch on the Sunday. It is essential to be available for all of the sessions as the course builds on each element over the weekend.
BOOK HERE:
Choose from ONE of the following weekend dates PLEASE CLICK HERE and we will confirm your place, which includes accommodation at Cliff College, within a couple of days.
8 - 10 November 2024 - this course is now full
24 - 26 January 2025 - this course is almost full, please book quickly or make an April booking
4 - 6 April 2025
17 -19 October 2025
Travel costs to be paid by attendees (if this is prohibitive, please contact us).
Trainers: Carmel Murphy, Urban Life, supported by Kerry Scarlett, Learning Network, and Eunice Attwood, Church at the Margins Officer.
Faith Rooted Community Organising is a way of working together to enable positive change. It follows a clear methodology, similar to a practical theology ‘action/reflection’ cycle. It encourages building relationships, engaging in collaborative action and the development of local, contextual leadership.
Through organising, participants can seek the transformation of unjust structures alongside the growth and flourishing of church and community. Faith Rooted Community Organising practices offer a way for churches to engage in mission rooted in missio dei, bringing together social justice, social action, and contextual evangelism.
This reflects the understanding of mission articulated in the Connexional God for All and therefore New Places for New People alongside the Methodist Church strategy for Justice, Dignity and Solidarity.
This course is a starting point for anybody who is interested in community organising. It will help develop an understanding of what community organising involves and what it looks like in the real world. Participants will be introduced to the foundations of community organising: listening, power, and action.
Community organisers reach out and listen to people, then connect and motivate them to build their collective power. In this course, participants will start to explore how people come together so that they can understand and take action on their concerns to build community and overcome social injustice.
Participants will learn about:
Community Organising in your local context
You can find out more about community organising and regional/local training via Citizens UK and the work of Social Action Hubs. The core practice of community organising is the same methodology we are using for New Places for New People, and particularly for Church at the Margins.