We are excited that our partnership to bring our “Here: Now: Us People” lay leadership engagement resources into five dioceses is getting off the ground.

All the partners recently met together on zoom and pledged to be a support for each other in the months ahead. Between them the partners will train up to 400 parishioners, staff and volunteers.

The partnership comprises T4CG and Caritas bodies in Nottingham, Brentwood and Shrewsbury, plus Nugent in Liverpool and St Mary Moorfields in the City of London.

Chris Knowles, leading the project for T4CG, has worked with us before and brings wide ranging skills and experience to the task. Each partner will get their own branded materials and train the trainer sessions in their own setting. Each context is different and tailoring of the Here: Now: Us People resource is already underway.

Together for the Common Good (T4CG) won a strategic award to deliver this 12 month lay leadership engagement programme within church communities. The start had to be delayed due to Covid-19, but it has now been resumed. The face to face part, comprising workshops, will be held after Easter 2021, all being well. However other aspects can commence sooner than that.

The award, from the Charles Plater Trust, was presented to T4CG by Cardinal Vincent Nichols who said:

“Together for the Common Good is exploring some of the most important themes in our society today: how do we build a more resilient sense of shared endeavour? What will bring about a common effort across our society? These challenges are so important as we face deep-seated changes in our way of life, in new relations with Europe, and with the created world. I am delighted that this work will be strengthened by this award from the Plater Trust.”

Underpinned by Catholic Social Teaching, the programme inspires and equips lay people to fulfil their vocational responsibility by putting Common Good principles into practice and by working with others of different opinions and backgrounds. Through building local relationships, participants will tackle the breakdown in social trust within their communities.

Jenny Sinclair, Founder Director of T4CG said:

“We’re excited to be working with five fantastic partners. The Here: Now: Us programme makes explicit the connection between faith and action. It acts as a catalyst to inspire lay people to play their part, from the grassroots to the boardroom. In this era of social fragmentation, developing Common Good lay leadership is a gift the Church can bring to help strengthen our communities and contribute to national renewal.”

The resource fills a gap in lay formation and parish development, strengthening engagement within local communities and cultivating more diverse and collaborative forms of lay leadership. As well as working in parishes, the resource also provides effective and accessible Catholic Social Teaching formation for staff and volunteers in charities and other organisations. It helps people to articulate why they do what they do, helping to guard against mission drift.

Partners anticipate that the programme will strengthen lay leadership, deepen the sense of shared mission and increase engagement within communities.

T4CG is seeking funding to roll out the programme more widely and actively looking to partner with Anglican, Free Church and others.

For more information:

• about the Here: Now: Us People Common Good programme, please click here
• about the Common Good Partnership project please contact: info@togetherforthecommongood.co.uk

This is an extract from our winter 2020 mailing. To access the full newsletter click here.