“Nurturing Social Cohesion” is a practical resource borne of a major research project conducted on how churches contribute to social cohesion of communities across England. In this study commissioned by the Free Churches Group, UK’s leading faith and society think tank Theos had conducted over 360 interviews with people across local authorities and observed local cohesion initiatives in several areas.
The result is a detailed report and a pamphlet with 10 principles to help churches engage more deeply with their communities and nurture positive relationships with secular partners. For practical suggestions, please click here to download this pamphlet.
The report recommends that churches:
- Build on the natural strength of their embeddedness in community to tailor their engagement to what the community needs, and what their congregation will support;
- Systematically reflect on and maximise usage of their assets for better social cohesion outcomes;
- ensure inclusion and diversity are promoted in their spaces if they’re involved in providing services for the whole community, such as public service delivery or education