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 “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
Featured Image for “Bridge-building leadership”

Bridge-building leadership

Andrew Bradstock reflects on the role of the Church in a time of division and examines the bridge-building leadership of Bishop David Sheppard
Featured Image for “A calling to build the Common Good”

A calling to build the Common Good

Jenny Sinclair, daughter of Bishop David Sheppard, takes a personal view of her father’s calling and how he fulfilled his ‘vocational responsibility’
Featured Image for “The Power of Loving Kindness”

The Power of Loving Kindness

Why did we forget how to be kind? What is kindness anyway? It’s not as obvious as you might think
Featured Image for “Queen Elizabeth and the Common Good”

Queen Elizabeth and the Common Good

A free resource to inspire young people to follow the example of Queen Elizabeth, to value relationships and take responsibility in the community
Featured Image for “Covenantal Listening”

Covenantal Listening

A church in a Jewish neighbourhood discovers that listening is the key to relationship building
Featured Image for “More than Food”

More than Food

An initiative to feed hungry children is harnessing gifts and bringing people together as well as fostering a sense of purpose in a parish…
Featured Image for “Imagining the Common Good”

Imagining the Common Good

Grace Davie explores how cathedrals can be places to inspire a sense of belonging, where our aspirations for the Common Good find expression
Featured Image for “Je ne regrette rien”

Je ne regrette rien

Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Kelly confesses his role in perpetuating a management culture that has affected the character of the church
Featured Image for “Restoration”

Restoration

The story of Grimsby Neighbourhood Church, committed to serving its local neighbourhood for the long term
Featured Image for “Walking to church”

Walking to church

What do we lose when we live and worship in different places? Sam Tomlin writes about what happened when he decided to walk to church
Featured Image for “Taking responsibility, finding purpose”

Taking responsibility, finding purpose

How does our Common Good Schools programme prepare young people to take responsibility for the Common Good in their community?
Featured Image for “Common Good and the asset based approach”

Common Good and the asset based approach

Asset Based Community Development methodology is much talked about. But how does ABCD relate to the Common Good?
Featured Image for “Neighbours pooling resources”

Neighbours pooling resources

By pooling resources and knowledge, neighbours can support their neighbours financially
Featured Image for “Holy time”

Holy time

In the modern world it is vital to spend ‘holy time’ in order to strengthen our ability to build the common good
Featured Image for “Restoring the dignity of work”

Restoring the dignity of work

Tim Thorlby calls the churches to be at the forefront of the movement to restore dignity to working people
Featured Image for “Illegal grazing”

Illegal grazing

How a local dispute over horse grazing revealed the weaknesses of contract culture and the strengths of covenantal relationships
Featured Image for “We Grieve”

We Grieve

From vulnerability and loss to Common Good: how a parish community remembered their neighbours lost to Covid-19
Featured Image for “Do you know who emptied your bins today?”

Do you know who emptied your bins today?

Cleaners are often underpaid and ignored, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Together we can bring fair pay and dignity to all low paid workers.
Featured Image for “Transformational politics for the Common Good”

Transformational politics for the Common Good

Enabling local leadership brings tangible results when churches help to tackle not only financial poverty, but political and cultural poverty too
Featured Image for “Common Funds for the Common Good”

Common Funds for the Common Good

Pooling charitable donations through Giving Circles can bring donors into relationship with communities and so build the Common Good…
Featured Image for “Finding the treasure”

Finding the treasure

After a long period of neglect, estates churches are receiving attention, and proving to be a gift to the whole Church.
Featured Image for “A Politics of Hope”

A Politics of Hope

As social and political confusion reigns, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains what’s going on and what we can do build the Common Good
Featured Image for “Walking the parish”

Walking the parish

Consider the parish as a shared inheritance in which all can participate: the local church can animate a renewed civic conversation
Featured Image for “The discomfort of the working class graduate”

The discomfort of the working class graduate

As Brexit reveals the social and cultural disconnect between the educated and uneducated, Michael Merrick tells his own moving story
Featured Image for “Forgiveness builds the Common Good”

Forgiveness builds the Common Good

In a society scarred by division, an unlikely friendship reveals that forgiveness is a freedom and helps to build the Common Good
Featured Image for “The Church of the Table”

The Church of the Table

A priest in Italy wanted to help the homeless and the destitute migrants in his parish. From nothing, a community has been created
Featured Image for “Tackling homelessness, the Common Good way”

Tackling homelessness, the Common Good way

Our Common Good Builder process is helping churches bring civic partners together to tackle homelessness in Bournemouth…