Hi
Welcome to the July edition of the Community Engagement eNews.
We hope the mix of stories, resources and articles, plus the events and funding suggestions will help you make your community more livable for everyone.
Join us this month as we:
- Reflect on how to build resilience into our spiritual, personal and work lives
- Find out what one church learnt from doing Ability Sunday last year
- Consider whether your church needs to stop praying for healing
- Look ahead to winter and the growing need for winter night shelters
- Discover how to help your community develop a healthier relationship with food
And don’t forget to check out our usual round up of events and funding suggestions.
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Join me to celebrate Ability Sunday - a message from Justin Welby
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Help remove the barriers that disabled people face in church.
Ability Sunday is an invitation to mark a day of inclusion and participation in churches, with special consideration for the needs of disabled people. As President of Livability, I would encourage every church to consider how they might support this day so we can work together to create communities where everyone can truly flourish.
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Stop trying to 'heal' me - when prayer is not appropriate
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Damon Rose is a BBC journalist who happens to be blind. He explains how he feels when Christians insist on praying for him to be healed and talks to theologians and disabled Christians about disability in the Bible. Many, including teenager Becky Tyler who recently spoke to 6,000 at Greenbelt through a speech synthesizer, believe that one biblical description of God’s throne sounds an awful lot like a wheelchair.
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The rise of homelesness - looking ahead to winter and the need for night shelters
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Recent figures show that all forms of homelessness are increasing, including rough sleeping. Thankfully, more churches than ever are involved in winter night shelters and are both transforming and saving lives. Is your church involved? Want to know how to set one up or offer more than food and shelter? Housing Justice’s Shelter in a Pack toolkit covers everything you need to know. They also offer grants (see funding section).
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Taste and See - A church-based programme for those who struggle with food
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Taste and See is a 10 week course for anyone who wants to develop a more healthy relationship with food. DVD clips discuss the psychology of eating and the science of nutrition alongside what the Bible says. The course is part of a research programme being evaluated by Coventry University designed to see how helpful a church-based intuitive eating programme, incorporating principles of the Christian faith, is to the local community.
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Building resilience into our spiritual, work and personal lives
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In this article from the Christian Medical Fellowship journal Triple Helix, retired psychiatrist Evelyn Sharpe explores what resilience is and why it’s become such a popular topic. She identifies the keys to maintaining personal resilience - being aware of our own vulnerabilities, exploring our emotions and developing effective coping strategies - as well as considering the role of relationships, faith, hope and purpose.
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// Read more
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Events supporting
community work
The Happiness Course Leaders Training & More Than Welcome
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Happiness Course training - 12 July, London
Happiness Course training - 3 October, London
More than Welcome workshop - 17 July, London
More than Welcome workshop - 12 October, Coaley Glos
Livability is currently offering two excellent training opportunities: Firstly, The Happiness Course training, for those who want to run this powerful four session course in their community. Many churches are finding it a great way to engage with those on the fringe about happiness and wellbeing.
And secondly, we offer More than Welcome disability training, a one day workshop designed to support and encourage churches to welcome and include people with disabilities in church.
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// Find out more and book online
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Livability ONE Celebrations
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23-27 August, Lincolnshire Showground
A Livability team of volunteers will be providing informal worship, teaching and different fun activities for adults with learning disabilities throughout this Christian teaching event. If you’d like to help, Contact us now, and if you’re going to be there, come and see us!
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// Find out more and book online
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23-26 August, Boughton House, Kettering
Livability will have a stand and we are also running a workshop/conversation event in partnership with L'Arche exploring the legacy of Jean Vanier. If you're planning to be there do come and say hi and check out the workshop.
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// Find out more and book online
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AllChurches Trust - Growing Lives fund
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Grants of up to £25,000 are available to help churches and Christian organisations connect with children and young people aged 0-18 and their families with a focus on improving lives and encouraging church
growth. Money can be spent on equipment, buildings or facilities but not salaries or running costs. No deadlines at the time of going to press.
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// Read more
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Housing Justice winter shelter grants
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Grants are available for churches to equip night shelters and to fund other innovative projects designed to combat homelessness this coming
winter
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// Read more
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Why funding applications fail
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BBC Children in Need have helpfully summarised some of the most common errors which lead to funding applications being turned down.
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// Read more
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