We had our midweek discussion today which has been a bit of a rollercoaster for me because I tend to take things personally - the buck stops with me because I'm the minister and when people aren't happy. it's my fault and I have to sort it. I know that's not true and anyway it is just so unpresbyterian where everyone has responsibility.
Anyway, today we were talking about the church in the community and talked about the few-ish congregations who are doing community projects and specifically focused work in the local neighbourhood. Everyone agreed that that was how the church was going to survive: faithful contact, concern, commitment to the community. It was a good moment simply because I agree that is exactly how the church will survive.
It's as if the church is pulling back from the direction h=it has gone over the last century and going back to what it has traditionally done. It's going back to the vision when the church provided the education, the children's homes, the social work etc, in other words the time when it was involved up to it's neck in social action. It's handed all these things over to govermnet agencies over the last long while. But, as if this is the natural state of the church, it is again looking for ways to be a part of growing a better, healthier, safer community.
So we're up there with our own community arts project and sit alongside all the other congregations who do everything from lunch clubs to major community initiatives. And we're doing it because we naturally do it. This is who we are. The church naturally gravitates towards the care for people locally and globally. Brilliant wee insight today which is kind of an obvious one but it just tied things together a bit.
So perhaps instead of just theology degrees we should have degrees in community engagement alongside the theology. Is that not practical theology? Why wasn't I shown how to fill in a grant form, or write a consitution, or explore community audits or consultation at university? That would have been the best practical training (nae, only practical training) I could receive. Long live the church, but in a different guise in every nook and cranny of the community. So say the discussion group. And they're always right!
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