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PublicationsSome publications about Church Related Community Development Work and ministry.
We recommend the publications below for practical information and inspiration.
Ahmed, R & Salter, J: Ethnic and Faith Community Development. The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, 1999. The experiences of community development projects in partnership with local minority ethnic and faith communities.
Andrews, D: Building a Better World. Lion Publishing plc, Oxford, 1996. The challenges involved with putting community living and community development into practice.
Archbishop of Canterbury’s Advisory Group on Urban Priority Areas (ACUPA): Faith in the City: A Call for Action by Church and Nation. Church House Publishing, London; 1985.
Archbishop of Canterbury’s Advisory Group on Urban Priority Areas (ACUPA): Living Faith in the City. General Synod, Church of England; 1990.
Ballard, P (Ed): Issues in Church Related Community Work. Pastoral Studies, University of Wales and The Community Work Resources Unit of the British Council of Churches, 1990. A collection of papers about the theological bases for incorporating community work as part of Christian witness, the practical issues raised for local churches and the search for an appropriate spirituality for those in community development work.
Ballard, P & Pritchard, J: Practical Theology in Action. SPCK, 1996. A basic introduction to the subject for all those involved in pastoral care and in applying Christian thinking to the service of church and society.
Best, M & Hussey, P: Women Making a Difference. SPCK & CIIR, 2001. ISBN 0-281-05294-8 This book offers good news about what is happening in society in an easy-to-read storytelling manner. It celebrates the achievements of women who are working to overcome poverty, exclusion and disadvantage, to achieve dignity and a feeling of self-worth and effect positive change.
Bosch, D: Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in the Theology of Mission. Orbis, 1990.
Chalke, S & Jackson, T: Faithworks 2: Stories of Hope, churches that are changing communities. Kingsway Communications Ltd., 2001. This book tells of eight churches across the UK who are effectively tackling a wide range of social issues, describing the work and the motivation behind it. Inspirational and practical.
Church, C: A Better Place to Live: A guide for community groups to local action on sustainable development. Community Development Foundation, 2003. This excellent booklet is about ways to improve the place where you live, using a sustainable development approach to environmental, social or economic projects that benefit local people.
Churches Regional Commission for Yorkshire & the Humber Ltd: Angels and Advocates; Church Social Action in Yorkshire & the Humber. 2003. The report gives an overview of the scale of church social action in Yorkshire & Humberside.
COGS: Benchmarking Community Participation in Regeneration. Yorkshire Forward, 2000.
Community Development Resource Association (CDRA): Capacity Building, Myth or Reality? in Annual Report 1994/5. Craig, G and Mayo, M (Eds): Community Empowerment: A Reader in Participation and Development. Zed Books, London, 1995.
Davies, M; Kartupelis, J; Littlefair, A; Mason, A: Church Buildings in the Community. East of England Churches Network, East of England Development Agency & Cambridge Regional College. Evidence about the Churches involvement in imaginative, dynamic and effective community activities across the East of England, but a resource with contacts and methods applicable for all.
Evangelical Alliance: Salt & Light. 2004. The study measures the impact of Christian social action in the UK & found that church based social action projects have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the communities in which they operate. Projects also contribute the 'X' factor in terms of 'soft' attributes e.g. providing 'friendship, belonging, support, improved well being...' j.wensley@eauk.org Tel: 020 7207 2152.
Finneron, D: Faith in Community Development. Centre for Adult and Higher Education, Manchester University, 1990.
Finneron, F; Green, L; Harley, S; Robertson, J: Challenging Communities: Church Related Community Development & Neighbourhood Renewal. Church Urban Fund (CUF) & Churches Community Work Alliance (CCWA), 2001. This readable report maps out, with case studies and examples, the Churches’ distinctive role in the process of neighbourhood renewal & regeneration. It aims to equip residents and community groups to address their own concerns and to address questions such as: what does the church have to offer? How will different faith communities work with each other?
Finneron, D & Dinham, A (Eds): Building on Faith: faith buildings in neighbourhood renewal. CUF, 2002. The report explores how 7 projects run by 5 different main faith groups are having a positive impact on neighbourhood renewal. The accompanying video shows practical examples of how faith initiatives are benefiting the people they serve. The worksheet discusses how best to work with faith groups.
Galloway, K: A Story to Live By. SPCK, 1999. Stories about poverty, theology and community development which ask questions of meaning, of belonging, of identity and values; ‘a vision of community and a cry for change in the way we worship and in the way we live.’
Green, L: Power to the Powerless. Marshall Pickering, 1987.
Green, L: Let’s Do Theology. Mowbray, 1990. Theology is ‘brought out of the closet and the scholar’s den’, and into the neighbourhood where local people wrestle with the problems which radically affect their lives and the lives of those around them. Applying the pastoral cycle: Experience-Exploration-Reflection-Response to everyday experiences.
Green, L: Urban Ministry and the Kingdom of God. SPCK, 2003. A practicable theology that can be applied to our cities and towns.
Hancock, B: Evaluating Community Work as a Style of Ministry. Maybush Parish Project; copies from Maybush Parish Office, All Saints Church, Sedberg Road, Southampton SO16 9HJ (£3 cheque to Maybush PCC).
Harvey, R (Ed): Wrestling and Resting: exploring stories of spirituality. CTBI, 1999. Contemporary stories and poems as a variety of writers ‘explore their understanding of spirituality as they live it in their own context today.’
Hebblethwaite, M: Basic is Beautiful. Fount Paperbacks, 1993. An inspiring introduction to the subject of Base Communities where people meet to read and discuss the Bible, to celebrate and worship together and to live out their faith in many forms of social commitment. This is also a guidebook, rich in theological analysis, for those looking to put theory into practice in their own context and neighbourhood. Hinton, J: Changing Churches; Building bridges in local mission. CTBI, 2002. At a time when traditional Church institutions are eroding, this book gives stories and examples of how Christians at the grassroots can re-engage with their neighbours in a plural society and how effective mission can start from local communities.
Hinton, J & Price, PB: Changing Communities; Church from the grassroots. CTBI, 2002. This book looks at how the Churches in Britain and Ireland can flourish in the face of rapid change, cultural variety, non-traditional spirituality and social division. It offers invaluable, hands-on advice for small Churches and Christian communities.
Hope, A & Timmel, S: Training for Transformation; a Handbook for Community Workers. Intermediate Technology Publications Ltd., 1984. (4 books in the series) These excellent workbooks are designed to assist grassroots workers who are encouraging the development of self-reliant creative communities. The basic philosophy is the belief that we should all participate in making this world a more just place to live in and the books demonstrate the essential tools needed to transform communities; group methods, organisational development & social analysis
Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Engaging Faith Communities in Urban Regeneration. This research aims to locate both good and problematic practice in urban regeneration and to identify the means by which different faith communities might play a wider and more effective part. Practical recommendations are made to policy makers, regeneration agencies and to faith community networks
Lewis, J: Faiths, Hope and Participation: Celebrating Faith Groups’ Role in Neighbourhood Renewal. New Economics Foundation and the CUF, 2001. An invaluable guide for the role of faith communities in neighbourhood renewal with a wealth of practical ideas based on ‘Taking Part Workshops’.
Local Government Association: Faith & Community: a good practice guide for local authorities. LGA, 2002. Can be downloaded from the LGA website.
Lovell, G: Diagrammatic Modelling: An aid to Theological Reflection in Church & Community Development Work. AVEC, 1980.
Lovell, G: The Church and Community Development: an Introduction. AVEC, 1980. Community development principles are explained and assessed in the light of Christian beliefs and values and suggestions are given as to what community development can mean in practice in the day-to-day lives of Christians.
McLaren, B: A New Kind of Christian. Jossey Bass, 2001. A creative and insightful novel about the emerging Church based upon conversations between two people and their spiritual journeys. ‘Church exists to equip members for the benefit of the world. To do that, it is about three things: community, spirituality and mission –a kind of a triangle where each point is connected to the other two.’ p155.
McManus, J: Friends or Strangers? Faith communities and community safety. NACRO 2001.
Methodist Church and NCH Action for Children: The Cities – A Methodist Report. London, 1997.
Morisy, A: Beyond the Good Samaritan: Community Ministry & Mission. Mowbray, 1997. An excellent practical book that explains and demonstrates how community ministry unites practical social responsibility and active Christian mission with those around us. It links the good news of the gospel with work in the community, challenges churches and Christians to understand and learn from those in need. It suggests how Christians can bring about positive changes in society and shows how community ministry can awaken faith.
Musgrave, P: Flourishing Communities – Engaging church communities with government in New Deal for Communities. Church Urban Fund (CUF), Church Action on Poverty (CAP), Churches Community Work Alliance (CCWA), 1999. Examines regeneration programmes from the perspective of the church groups who were involved.
Northcott, M (Ed): Urban Theology: A Reader. Cassell, London, 1998. A powerful testimony to the creative potential of community groups, churches and statutory agencies in supporting urban regeneration. A unique textbook which combines urban social theory and analysis with theological wisdom and reflection.
Pike, M: Scarman Trust Experience of Social Entrepreneurs. Can do-ers. Paper to the Active Community Unit Seminar, August 1st 2000.
Proctor, J: Urban God. The Bible Reading Fellowship, Oxford, 2002. Bible readings and comment on living in the city.
Putman, R D: Bowling Alone: The Collapse & Revival of American Community. Simon & Shuster, 2000.
Rossiter, J: In the Middle of our Street (Community Development & the Catholic Church in England & Wales). Catholic Agency for Social Concern (CASC), 2002. (now Caritas-Social Action) This excellent publication documents and describes community development initiatives with Catholic connections. It documents many different types of community development initiatives being promoted by individuals, parishes and local and national institutions within the Catholic Church.
Skinner, S: Building Community Strengths – A Resource Book on Capacity Building. Community Development Foundation, 1997.
Smith, G: Faith Makes Communities Work: A report on faith-based community development. Shaftesbury & DETR, 2000. This report identifies elements within the existing Shaftesbury Community Worker Scheme and other faith groups’ initiatives that facilitate community action. The research aims to assist faith communities and other groups to participate in community development and regeneration partnerships. Survey data is available in an archive report at www.faithandcommunity.org.uk
Social Exclusion Unit (SEU): Bringing Britain Together. 1998.
SEU: A New Commitment to Neighbourhood Renewal –National Strategy Action Plan. 2001.
Taylor, M; Barr, A; West, A: Signposts to Community Development. Community Development Foundation, 1992, reprinted 2000. An introduction to community development that covers its history, methods and values and discusses what community development is all about
Vanier, J: Community and Growth. Darton, Longman & Todd, London.1979. A unique book, born from the practical experiences of L’Arche communities which provides ‘starting points for reflection’ on the nature and meaning of community.
Von Hugel Institute, St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge: From Story to Policy - Social Exclusion, empowerment and the Churches. 2001. A report of research into the relationships between socially excluded people, public bodies and the Churches. It looks at the potential contribution of faith communities in overcoming exclusion.
Wallis, J: The Soul of Politics: A Practical & Prophetic Vision for Change. Fount Paperbacks, 1994. A marvellous balance of sophisticated analysis, fascinating stories and ‘signs of transformation’ of renewed community living from around the world.
Zadek and Thake: Practical People, Noble Causes. New Economics Foundation, 1997.
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