Stories

What does it look like to be the People of God in this time of deep change? We believe it involves upholding what it means to be a human person, building relationships with our neighbours in the local and putting Common Good principles into practice. Explore our stories to find out more.
 
Featured Image for “The Spiritual Poverty of the West”

The Spiritual Poverty of the West

Can African Christianity illuminate what the West has lost?
Featured Image for “A Personal Church for the Common Good”

A Personal Church for the Common Good

True solutions to social problems come from within communities, not from outside institutions, but from the people themselves
Featured Image for “Always Open”

Always Open

Too many churches are keeping their doors closed. An open church can fulfil an important role in the rebuilding of our common life
Featured Image for “Day of Transformation”

Day of Transformation

Things are happening in the neighbourhood – God is at work in and through our relationships
Featured Image for “The importance of connection”

The importance of connection

On the surface this is a story about how relationship with each other and with God makes it easier to face the natural reality of death. But it is also a story about the meaning of life.
Featured Image for “All hands to the parish pump”

All hands to the parish pump

Spirituality is not a personal holiness project. Churches are called to be places that irrigate relationships and which mediate between the realms
Featured Image for “A good neighbour”

A good neighbour

What does it means to be a follower of Jesus in fraternity with our neighbours?
Featured Image for “Pavilion”

Pavilion

Shaping a community of hope: God is calling us to join with the Spirit in an emerging story that will reweave the life of a desiccated world
Featured Image for “Ice cream social and curbside library”

Ice cream social and curbside library

God is calling us to practices of reweaving in our neighbourhoods to form community in the places where we live
Featured Image for “My hate-affair with economics”

My hate-affair with economics

Edward Hadas explains why the financial system is inherently unstable and argues that the Church must speak prophetically for economic reform
Featured Image for “Housing and land: a common good approach”

Housing and land: a common good approach

How can Catholic social teaching help to tackle the housing crisis and reform land use?
Featured Image for “From space to place”

From space to place

In an era of social fragmentation, how should the church pursue mission? Martin Robinson advises starting by listening to the neighbourhood
Featured Image for “Pilgrimages of Grace”

Pilgrimages of Grace

The ancient tradition of pilgrimage is an antidote to individualism and a countercultural sign pointing us to the Common Good
Featured Image for “Where the Kingdom is”

Where the Kingdom is

Middle class church is offputting to poor people. Read about a leader who decided to do church differently.
Featured Image for “The soil of community”

The soil of community

Alan Roxburgh advises church leaders to let go of programmes and listen to the life of the Spirit in the neighbourhood
Featured Image for “Wrestling in Church”

Wrestling in Church

How a posture of listening in the neighbourhood led to an unlikely relationship and revitalised the life of a local church
Featured Image for “Maranatha”

Maranatha

In the spirit of anticipation, amidst the unravelling, a church turns decline into renewal
Featured Image for “Feeding the roots”

Feeding the roots

More than just buildings, churches have a role in the local ecology, and like trees, their roots need feeding, says Andrew Rumsey
Featured Image for “Re-neighbouring: the upside down Gospel”

Re-neighbouring: the upside down Gospel

As the urban pressure to be ultra-mobile undermines the Christian call to place and proximity, we explore ways to “re-neighbour” the parish
Featured Image for “to live a decent life”

to live a decent life

Reflecting on the Great Dock Strike of 1889, we explore the covenantal relationship between Cardinal Manning and the dockers of London’s East End
Featured Image for “Divine irrigation”

Divine irrigation

Facing the reality of church decline, a vicar uncovers the true vocation of his parish
Featured Image for “Rebuilding the Broken Body”

Rebuilding the Broken Body

Why did so few see Brexit and Trump coming? Jenny Sinclair explores the underlying reasons and how the churches should respond
Featured Image for “Communities need jobs to thrive”

Communities need jobs to thrive

An inspirational story of church leaders’ collaboration with civic partners to keep and attract jobs to communities
Featured Image for “Solidarity in Hard Times”

Solidarity in Hard Times

The Christian way of tackling poverty must be relational and personal, not delegated to welfare or activism
Featured Image for “Down on the allotment”

Down on the allotment

Tim Lea reflects that God’s idea of mission is different from our assumptions: we should unlearn old practices and believe that it is only God who makes things grow.
Featured Image for “No God-forsaken Places”

No God-forsaken Places

How neighbours working together transformed their neighbourhood with a little help from the local church
Featured Image for “Modernity’s Mistake”

Modernity’s Mistake

We cannot liberate ourselves from the natural world and still flourish. We must cherish memory and place.
Featured Image for “Becoming one family”

Becoming one family

How a social action aim to feed hungry children grew into a multi-layered patchwork of flourishing local relationships