Opening New Doors will be working with local churches across Sandwell helping them to find new opportunities to engage with their local community. This project will help churches identify how best to connect the talents of their local community with their own assets including the use of buildings.

This Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach will give churches the opportunity to support and enhance existing schemes particularly with many of the Mutual Aid groups created during the Covid-19 crisis. Due tosome of the unique challenges Sandwell faces with poor levels of health, high unemployment, insecure jobs and an incredibly diverse ethnic population, many communities often feel like they “exist together” rather than have a deeper connection. With these challenges we believe our learning from Opening New Doors can be shared on a wider regional and national level.

With the many challenges faced by churches across Sandwell many church leaders are looking for different ways to work more collaboratively with their community. The Covid-19 crisis has seen many churches have to temporarily close and others have needed to adapt to new ways of connecting with their community. Sandwell Churches Link sees this as a significant opportunity now to link the assets and talents of a local area with the assets of a church including making their buildings a resource for local people.

Resources

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)- A Theological Reflection https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/publications/publications-by-topic/Documents/ABCD_Theological_Reflection_2013.pdf

Mission & Mortar-Online Resource Toolkit https://missionandmortar.hereford.anglican.org/

The GRA:CE Project- Growing Good: Growth, Social Action and Discipleship

You can download the report here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/research/2000/01/31/the-grace-project

‘Crossing the Threshold’- A Step-By-Step Guide for Developing your Place of Worship for Wider Community Use

There are two ways to obtain a copy of Crossing The Threshold:

1. Purchase a Print Copy

You can buy it in print format (Ringbinder binding) via the Church Print Hub for £25 plus p&p.

2. Download a FREE PDF Copy

You can also download the whole toolkit here

Alternatively, you can download individual chapters, in PDF format here: