COMMON GOOD JOURNEY
Walking together - listening to the Holy Spirit, to each other and to our neighbours
At this time of profound change, many churches are feeling vulnerable and experiencing confusion and loss of confidence. At T4CG we believe that strengthening relationships with neighbours is the first step towards renewal. Building common good in the neighbourhood can open up new pathways and release unexpected energy. We recommend starting with a listening posture, asking first "What is God doing here? How can we join in?" In this way, we become "communities of place."
In recent years, T4CG has run a series of grounded experiments with churches. We help to cultivate a deeper sense of mission in the neighbourhood, using a unique approach we call Common Good Thinking, informed by Catholic social thought alongside expertise learned from missional experience from different traditions.
We help church leaders and lay people develop their unique vocation in relation to place, listen more deeply to the Holy Spirit, to each other and to neighbours to build Common Good together in the community.
Along the way we have developed materials, and built relationships with missional experts, to resource you and your church, diocese, or organisation. Every church is unique: there is no one size fits all. So careful discernment should be part of your journey determining the right approach for you and your congregation. We can help you with this.
Outcomes
- people become better rooted in their community, releasing their gifts to be Christ's hands and feet where they live and work
- people find a greater sense of vocation and fulfilment and an enrichment of their discipleship journey
- social action, outreach and community engagement is enhanced and local resilience increases
- mission drift is less of a risk as the church rediscovers a distinctive Christian vocation in relation to place
- a relational culture of loving friendship is developed, where people and communities come first
- people find they have the resources to build the Common Good in everyday life
- people are able to develop a sense of family and belonging so as to resist individualism and heal local divisions
- durable local relationships are developed for mutual wellbeing
- social solidarity is fostered so nobody in the community is left behind
Example stories
- Maranatha: in the spirit of anticipation, amidst the unravelling, a church turns decline into renewal
- Where the kingdom is
Next steps
If you would like to explore the possibilities for your church, network, diocese or deanery, please write to Louise Lambert to request an initial conversation, at louise@togetherforthecommongood.co.uk.
We will be delighted to hear from you.
