In the last 2 weeks I have been at 2 events about local communities. One was a churchy discussion that included an attempt to explain the legislation about Big Society and the Localism Act – brain aching stuff, an attempt by government to involve the local communities in decision processes but I couldn’t see how the practicalities will add up.
Last Friday I was at a Village SOS day event in the area. Yes them of the TV shows about dramatic projects in a few communities, it was a posh conference centre do – free to delegates. As far as I gather Village SOS is a project funded by the Big Lottery Fund to promote social enterprise in communities.
It was a good day in many ways, we heard about the development of a community run shop in a church building, had workshops about practical matters and the chance to connect with other people. Frankly they were talking about projects that left me feeling way out of my depth – community businesses, for the benefit of the community but still needing a profit to exist, and a heap of legal info.
There were 4-5 of us there explicitly representing parts of the church and the place of churches as venues in communities was mentioned from the front and not only in the case of the shop in the church. However I felt that the church was part of the conversation about community resources as a building not as a congregation - as a group of active people. Yet scratch the surface and churchgoing people are active in all sorts of community initiatives.
The church as a community of faith has a part to play in the future of rural communities, but is that acknowledged formally, or is it happening more subtly individually – and does the difference matter? On one hand not, but equally the church as a group of people has a role, if we can find our voice. But it needs to be the voice of the local congregation – with increasing numbers of communities to work with the clergy can’t invest the leadership time in vast ventures, but what we can do is encourage and support those who live in the village to find their place.
Mind you I am conflicted about the demands of community action – will it add to the multi tier hierarchy of village life, where those who do have power in so many areas and those who don’t get active are seen as hangers on regardless of personal circumstances? Will localism be democratic or feudal? Either way people of faith are in the midst of these places living out their values and beliefs in many different ways and on various sides of any debate.
You are not alone in wondering how a small scale of community can be imposed on a national, large scale! I suspect that the movers and shakers in any community will continue to be just that, and that those who aren't will continue to sit tight and support then things they find useful (in the broadest sense).
ReplyDeleteI like the reminder that Churches (wherever they are) are more than just buildings, but are communities of gifted people.