NEWS
What do Brexit, Black Lives Matter, loneliness and austerity have in common?
A brand new report, published last week, written by Theos and commissioned by the Free Churches Group, asks the bold and provocative question, “What do Brexit, Black Lives Matter, loneliness and austerity have in common?” The answer, to emerge from the findings of this new report, asserts that, “They are all social cohesion issues”.
But what is social cohesion? How might you define this?
The working definition, used for the purposes of the report, suggests it is the “strength of our collective relationships”; that is to say, “what binds us together beyond our immediate social circles, whether in times of celebration or challenge. In more concrete terms, how far do you feel your own well-being is tied to the well-being of a person you have never spoken to, but who is sat next to you on the bus?”
I wonder, does this definition chime true with what you came up with?
So many issues and circumstances impact our lives and communities, such as the ways that COVID-19 has affected us, the debates and discussions around Black Lives Matters, the crucial and heart-breaking effects of loneliness and the deliberations and divisions in the Brexit debate; working these matters out are all core to how our society seeks to function well and are core to social cohesion. As Pastor Agu Irukwu, from The Redeemed Christian Church of God, says, the report is a welcome resource for our churches at a time when we are “dealing with [these] complex, emotional and often painful issues”; the report, he says, offers us encouragement and lays the foundation for the potential for greater social cohesion.
The report, which you can download and read in full, says, “At heart, social cohesion is about which communities we feel part of – locally, nationally, internationally, and even virtually – and how coherently these communities interrelate. It is about how connected and accountable we feel to others across society, and how fairly opportunities are distributed. It is about whether, and to what extent, we feel we belong. Simply, it is about how effectively we nurture what is most precious to us: the strength of our collective relationships.”
Social cohesion, the report goes on to say, “affects every aspect of our lives from happiness to economic flourishing. It has been towards the top of the policy agenda for several decades, over which time British society has become more culturally and ethnically diverse, older, less equal, and more geographically mobile… Time and effort are required to bring people together and nourish cohesive communities, and there is work to do.”
I wonder what part faith groups, and in particular our churches, might play in harnessing and garnering the potential in our communities and be the bridges for fostering social cohesion?
The report asserts that, “The nation’s churches have the potential to offer this time and effort in abundance,” but goes on to say that “neither the churches’ community contribution nor its wider potential have been considered in detail by policymakers,” so that is why the Free Churches Group commissioned Theos to assess the impact of churches on social cohesion in October 2018. The report has been commended from a broad base church leaders, MPs and community activists.
In the coming weeks, we will explore the report together, in greater detail, and see how our churches can fully engage with the issues emerging from the findings in the report, as well as find out ways we can activate our church leaders and congregations in developing how we work towards social cohesion and build stronger communities.
Article written by Rev Sara Iles
FCG Media Support Officer & Minister with the Congregational Federation
Theos say read all about it!
A new report, The Church and Social Cohesion, commissioned by the Free Churches Group, investigates how churches in England contribute to social cohesion.
The Church and Social Cohesion: Connecting Communities and Serving People is the concluding report of an 18–month project which seeks to understand the impact of churches on the cohesiveness of our communities across England. It was commissioned by the Free Churches Group, and authored by Dr Madeleine Pennington, Theos’ Head of Research.
Between November 2018 and September 2019, Theos researchers observed a range of local cohesion initiatives and conducted 361 semi–structured interviews in 14 English local authorities: Bolton, Bradford, Bury, Cornwall, Croydon, Derby, East Lindsey, Haringey, Middlesbrough, Newham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Solihull, and Thanet. Just under half of participants were church–based; the remainder were cohesion stakeholders from a wide range of non–Christian contexts (including council officers, elected representatives, other faith leaders, healthcare professionals, teachers, and more). You can read all about the findings from those conversations and see some suggestions about how your church can make bolder braver steps in your work in building a more socially cohesive community (links at the end of the article below).
The report begins with a brief overview of recent cohesion policy, particularly noting how it has often been directed in response to crisis rather than a sustainable consideration of community assets. It then notes that Christians have distinctive theological motivations for engaging with their communities, before considering churches’ community assets in turn. It notes six assets as particularly common features of effective church–based community engagement: buildings, networks, leadership, convening power, volunteers and vision. Finally, it assesses how effectively churches work with a range of other community stakeholders in pursuit of cohesion aims, through a more targeted consideration of churches’ working relationships with other faith groups, other churches, and local authorities.
The report offers six core recommendations for the future, three of which are directed at policymakers, and three of which are directed at churches.
It finds that policymakers should…
1. Ensure that they are working with churches wherever possible and appropriate as part of a move away from a crisis–driven approach;
2. Be prepared to engage with, and promote, both bridging and bonding opportunities as they emerge practically in local communities and beyond;
3. Take account of the specific ways in which churches operate in their communities.
Meanwhile, churches should…
4. Build on the natural strength of their embeddedness in community to tailor their engagement to the community in which they sit, what the community needs, and what their congregation will support;
5. Systematically reflect on their assets to ensure they are being used to their maximum potential in pursuit of better social cohesion outcomes;
6. If involved in providing services for the whole community, such as public service delivery or education, ensure inclusion and diversity are promoted in their spaces.
For further practical suggestions for how churches and policymakers can engage and work effectively together on cohesion issues, see the ‘How To’ booklets published alongside this report.
Download ‘Nurturing Social Cohesion: Why it matters and what your church can do about’ here.
Download ‘Nurturing Social Cohesion: A how–to guide for engaging churches’ here.
Launch day!
Launching today!
The Church and Social Cohesion: Connecting Communities and Serving People is the culmination of a major research project commissioned by the Free Churches Group and prepared by Theos think tank
The research project has consulted with over 360 people in England to assess the churches’ social cohesion contribution on the ground. Churches are an important element of the nation’s social fabric, and the cohesiveness of our societies will grow stronger if churches and policymakers alike recognise the distinctive assets that they have to offer.
Download the full report and
discover how your church can nurture social cohesion in the How To guide…
Building better back - launching new report - join us tomorrow!
Join us for the virtual launch of this report, hosted by FaithAction, to listen to a presentation from Theos on the findings of the report and participate in a panel discussion chaired by the Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP featuring:
Rev Dr. Hugh Osgood, Moderator of the Free Churches Group
Madeleine Pennington, Head of Research at Theos
Rev Dr. Joel Edwards CBE, formerly of Evangelical Alliance and Micah Challenge International
Dr. Manmit Bhambra, Research Officer at the LSE’s Religion and Global Society Research Unit
This event features as part one of FaithAction's three-part conference - Building Back Better: The Role of Faith. See below for details of the rest of the day's events.
The Church and Social Cohesion: Connecting Communities and Serving People is the culmination of a major research project commissioned by the Free Churches Group and prepared by Theos think tank, which has consulted with over 360 people in England to assess the churches’ social cohesion contribution on the ground. Join us at the launch event and find out more about how to get your church community involved!
The church and social cohesion!
Join us this Thursday for what is going to be a fantastic launch event for a very special report we are releasing in partnership with Theos Think Tank
Please do join us as we would love to have you there.
The report looks at the relationship between the Church and social cohesion in England. The project has been conducted by Theos, the UK’s leading think tank on religion and society issues.
The Report will be launched tomorrow
At the launch, there will be an online webinar
and a series of news articles to support our
member churches to get involved.
This will all contribute to the ways we can share the good news
of the report among our church congregations, communities and wider networks.
