Our united resources are called for to minister to the needs of a broken and divided world: to bring hope.


Our History

Together for the Common Good started with an idea in 2011. We were inspired by an unlikely partnership between church leaders in Liverpool a generation ago. They saw that God's reconciling love was calling them to work together for the common good of the city. They put local people and communities first, before their own institutional self interest.

That partnership was characterised by a combination of gifts from different Christian traditions. In particular praying together, the "outward-facing church" and the body of thinking known as Catholic social thought, from which we derived a simple Common Good Thinking framework.

Our first steps were to explore what was effective about their partnership. We saw how they worked together and learned from each other. We saw how their commitment to place and their relational approach catalysed positive change in the city. This is how our journey started, and we became a charity in 2017. 

Today, T4CG focuses on the civic vocation of Christians and churches, their relationship with people and place, and how they can be a blessing in an era of profound and rapid change.

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our inspiration

Over two decades, Liverpool's Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops David Sheppard and Derek Worlock forged a celebrated partnership, emerging as trusted community leaders. Along with Free Church leaders, they played a key role in bridging the city's divides and strengthening social trust. The two bishops were held in deep affection by the people they served. 

In a time of division and political instability, they set aside their differences and worked together for the good of the city. Alongside communities, they contributed to the renewal of civic pride. While our own times demand new approaches, we find in their story of unity an inspiration, now not just for church leaders but for everyone. T4CG was founded by Jenny Sinclair, Bishop Sheppard's daughter.

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working together

Once blighted by serious sectarianism, from the 1970s Liverpool became a model of ecumenical collaboration. The city was proud of its church leaders as they trailblazed a partnership of shared purpose for the good of the city. Free Church leaders from the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church, the Baptist Union and the Salvation Army  worked alongside their Anglican and Catholic partners to strengthen community and bridge divides.

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UNITY FOR THE CITY

As spokeman for the Merseyside Free Churches from 1987, the Methodist Dr John Newton depicted the vision of the Merseyside churches with beautiful clarity: “My hope and prayer is that, as Christians draw closer together, so they will work more effectively as one in their mission and service to God’s children. Our united resources are called for to minister to the needs of a broken and divided world: to bring hope to the poor, the homeless, the unemployed, those who have lost faith or never had it." The churches working together in service of the community was Newton’s dream.

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Tree image courtesy of by mohanednimhas at www.vecteezy.com