final faithful capital

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FAITHFUL CAPITAL

A report on Church-based community action in Leeds

Detailed findings

Preface

The contribution of faith to the life and work of a great city is often taken for granted andsometimes underestimated. The research undertaken by Leeds Churches Together inMission, in partnership with Network:Leeds and Livability demonstrates the contribution of thechurches to the life of the city of Leeds, and challenges Christians to play a still greater part inthe renewal of our city.

The idea of ‘faithful capital’ has been explored in ‘Faithful Cities’ (2006) to indicate how the

tradition of faith and the contribution of churches can support the vision of a city for all itspeople. Christians work alongside those of other faiths and none in the exciting, inspirationaltask of regeneration.

I am grateful to all those who work for the benefit of our city, and to those who havecontributed to this research process. I look forward to our responding to the challenges itpresents.

John PackerBishop of Ripon and LeedsJune 2008

Thank you to all those who participated in this project, particularly those who took time and care to complete questionnaires.

© Leeds Churches Together in Mission, 2009

Leeds Churches Together in Mission (LCTiM)Fred Shed, 45 Westfield RoadLeedsLS3 1DG07946 085 [email protected]

Detailed findings written by MargaretHalsey (Director, Leeds ChurchInstitute) and Sue Hoey (Developmentworker, Leeds Churches Together inMission). The research project teamincluded: Anita Dorsett (LCTiMmaternity cover), Tim Jones (formerlyNetwork:Leeds), Ruth Smith (Livability)



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Contents Page number

Headlines 3

Introduction 3

Methodology 4

Who took part? 6

Detailed findings 8

1. Activities 8i. Beneficiariesii. Activity typeiii. Issues addressediv. Methods

2. Resources 13i. Buildingsii. Moneyiii. People

3. Wider community involvement 16i. Researchii. Partnershipsiii. Other initiatives

4. Motivation and vision 17i. Sharing faith in words and deedsii. Plans for development

Discussion 19

1. Activities 20

2. Resources for community based projects 21

3. Research 24

4. Mission, values and vision 26

Recommendations 28

Conclusion 29

References 30

Appendix 1 – List of participants 32

Appendix 2 – Questionnaire 36

Appendix 3 - Breakdown of self-defined activities within each category for Q3e 40



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Headlines

(Based on information from 43% of the church in Leeds)

• 85,200 people (11.4% of the population of the city) touched in some way bythe work of the church

•495 paid full-time equivalent workers and 3,022 volunteers

• A combined annual turnover of £13.7 million• 46 instances of church youth work

• 27 projects for older people

• One quarter of mission activities run citywide• 37% of groups working in partnership with non-faith groups, 12% working in

partnership with groups from other faiths.

• 64% seek to address community bridge-building, 35% financial poverty and30% health and disability through their activities

• Three quarters of the activities take place on church-owned premises, withover 230 other groups using church buildings

Introduction

This report presents data gathered via questionnaire between October 2006 and April2007. It focuses on what churches are contributing well to the life of LeedsMetropolitan District, and where there is potential for them to operate moreeffectively.

The material indicates that there are many significant grassroots communityinitiatives coordinated by the Christian church in the city – including mainstreamChristian denominations, ‘new’ churches, Black Majority congregations andorganisations with a Christian ethos. Of 341 contacts approached, 147 responded, a

43% response rate.

Churches operate as a distinct group within the faith communities and part of thewider voluntary sector. The recent ‘Ripple Effect’ report from Leeds Voice (2008)indicates that the contribution of the Voluntary, Community and Faith sector (VCFS)to the economic development of Leeds should not be underestimated – its annualturnover is in the region of £430 million, approximately 5% of the city’s GDP.

We hope these findings will:

• Highlight the contribution that churches currently make to the well-being of Leeds

• Stimulate further reflection and increasing strategic action within the church regarding mission in the city

• Give confidence in the potential for partnerships with Christian groups

A commentary has been produced, to accompany these detailed findings. Copiesare available on request from Leeds Churches Together in Mission [email protected] or 07946 085 575 or Leeds Church Institute [email protected] 0113 245 4700.



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Methodology

The research team aimed to discover a comprehensive and detailed view of missionactivity across Leeds. A survey was decided to be the most appropriate method, asused by other projects of a similar nature.

In common with classic geographical surveys (Denscombe, 1998) it aimed toprovide:

• Wide and inclusive coverage

• A snapshot of how things are which is time-specific

• Empirical evidence which is measurable and recordable

The method chosen was a self-completion postal survey, followed by a telephonecall.

Background

The questionnaire was devised by the project team and shown to a consultative

group from across the church denominational spectrum with professional experienceof research method and community involvement. Their suggestions wereincorporated into it and the final one was checked with a representative from each ofthe larger denominations.

Churches, chaplaincies and projects were initially identified from the Leeds ChurchInstitute database and updated when the group were notified of changes.Questionnaires were sent by post to all the identified churches, chaplaincies andprojects that met the inclusion criteria, numbering 341 in total (279 churches, 56projects and 7 chaplaincies).

An online version of the questionnaire was set up with an online questionnaireservice to capture those who would prefer to respond in this way. Responses wereinput manually into a project database by volunteers and this data was then exportedinto a statistics package for analysis.

Criteria for Inclusion

Geographical criterion The geographical inclusion criterion was that the postal address of the church orproject fell within the current boundary of Leeds Metropolitan District.

Denominational criterion Although not all of the congregations or projects involved belonged to adenomination, all would fit within a broadly Christian context as defined by the West

Yorkshire Ecumenical Council.

Organisational criteria Projects were included only if they had a properly constituted governance structure.Although Christian activity outside formal congregations and projects is far-reaching,practical considerations meant that such initiatives had to be omitted.

Mission criterion for projects



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Projects were included only if they directly served the wider community.Infrastructure projects that exist to support church activity, such as Leeds ChurchesTogether in Mission and Network:Leeds, were excluded.



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Who took part in the survey?

Of the 341 questionnaires sent out 147 completed questionnaires were returned, aresponse rate of 43%. 17 recipients (5%) declined to take part, and there was noresponse from 178 recipients (52%). This is a reasonable response when comparedto similar projects undertaken elsewhere, for example: in Brighton 47% of

questionnaires were returned from 301 projects; in Portsmouth 60% ofquestionnaires were returned from 73 distributed.

The breakdown of questionnaire response by church denomination, project orchaplaincy can be seen in the graph below.

C h a p l a i n c y

P r o j e c t

O t h e r d e n o m i n a t i o n

H o u s e C h u

r c h

N e w F r o n t i e r s

L u t h e r a n

C h u r c h o f t h e N a z a r e

n e

B l a c k M a j o

r i t y

S o c i e t y o f F r i e n

d s

S a l v a t i o n A r

m y

I n d e p e n d e n t e v a n g e l i c a l

E c u m e n

i c a l

U n i t e d R e f o r m

e d

P e n t e c o s t a l

B a p t i s t U n

i o n

C a t h

o l i c

M e t h o d i s t

A n g l i c a n

Church denomination, project, or chaplaincy status

100

80

60

40

20

0

N u m b e r o f q u e s t i o n n a i r e s i s s u e d

Questionnaire response by denomination, project, or chaplaincy status

Declined

Not completed

Completed

Questionnaire response

Alongside the mainstream denominations such as Catholic and Baptist, other smallerand newer groups were approached where they had been identified, for exampleemerging groups focusing on a particular ethnic identity, such as an Ethiopiancongregation. However, response rates were low from these groups – for a whole

range of issues, which may have included capacity, culture/language and the natureof their current activities.

Response rates were also low in some postcode areas, (most notably LS28, whereless than 20% of the 16 contacts responded). Eight other postcode areas achievedless than 40% response rate: LS2, LS4, LS7, LS9, LS13, LS14, LS16 and LS21. Ofthe others, most achieved around 50%. LS3 was the only area to receive 100%.



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The reasons given for declining to complete the questionnaire included:

• there being no-one suitable in post to complete the questionnaire

• lack of capacity, heavy schedules• some questions being too personal (particularly around finance) or not

seeming relevant•

not feeling part of Leeds• the focus of recipient’s activities being within rather than outside the church

community

• the focus being on equipping people to be mission-minded in their everydaylives rather than setting up programmes within the church

• not engaging in political/mission activity (although this particular projectinterpreted ‘mission’ as evangelism, whereas under our definition they had aclear mission remit)

• feeling ‘accountable only to the diocesan authorities who coordinate ourmission’.



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Detailed findings

1. Activities

1.i Beneficiaries

Respondents were asked to indicate who benefits from the wider communityactivit ies that they lead or co-ordinate. Between 110 and 118 respondents answeredthis set of questions.

Noparticular

familystatus

OtherYoungfamilites

Widowedpeople

Singlepeople

Singleparents

Marriedpeople

Extendedfamilies

Divorcedpeople

60

40

20

0

N u m b e r o f R e s p o n d e n t s

68

35

20

26

16

8

2425

16

Family status of those benefiting from church activities in the wider community

Family status of beneficiaries Beneficiaries specified in the ‘other’ category included students, homeless people,old people, young people, workers, and refugees/asylum seekers.



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No particularethnic group

OtherChinese / other ethnic

group

Black / Black British

Asian / Asian British

MixedWhite

60

40

20

0

N u m b e r o f r e s p o n d e n t s

67

3

13

1716

25

46

Ethnicity of those benefiting from church activities in the wider community

Ethnic group of beneficiaries

Other beneficiaries specified in the response to this question were Jewish, asylumseekers, Middle Eastern and Eastern European. The ethnicity categories used arethose used in the government’s national census.



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Noparticularreligion

Otherreligion

ZoroastrianSikhMuslimJewHinduChristianBuddhistBahaiAgnostic / atheist / secular

80

60

40

20

0


71

53

8

13

58

61

55

33

Religion of those benefiting from church activites in the wider community

Religion of beneficiaries Beneficiaries specified in the other religion category were Messianic Jews, New Age,Pagan and Interfaith.



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The responses received to the question of the age of beneficiaries for activitiesindicate that people under 24 are better catered for than those over 24, as can beseen on the graph below. Within the under 24s, 12-15 year olds were most wellserviced, followed by the under 12s, then 16-24 year olds. The 65+ age group wasthe next best catered for, which also agrees with the findings in the previous section.The 25-64 age range benefited least from activities run for people in the widercommunity.

Respondents were asked how many people they have made contact with throughtheir community activities over the course of a year. The number of contacts per yearranged from 15 for one small Methodist congregation, up to 32,118 for one large-scale city-wide project. In total, 70 respondents (one fifth of the church in Leeds)recorded contact with 85,200 people, over 11% of the population of Leeds.

1.ii Types of Activity

Respondents were asked what activities they co-ordinate or lead for the widercommunity (‘wider community’ being the target audience or users for projects, andpeople outside of the regular membership in the case of congregations). This

question was answered by 116 respondents. The graph below shows the number ofrespondents who said they offer each activity.

C o f f e e s h o p

H e a l t h c a r e a c t i v i t i e s

A d d i c t i o n w o r k

V i s i t i n g

C o m m u n i t y f o c u s

W o r k i n g w i t h

p r i s o n e r s

W o r k i n g w i t h p r o s t i t u t e s

W o r k i n g w i t h

h o m e l e s s

W o r k i n g w i t h l e a r n i n g d i s a b i l i t i e s

D e b t c o u n c e l l i n g

C o u n c e l l i n g / s u p p o r t / a d v

i c e c e n t r e

S h a r e d m e a l s

M a r r i a g e / p a r e n t i n g c l a s s e s

N u m b e r a c y / l i t e r a c y c l a s s e s

A s y l u m & f o r e i g n c o m m u n i t y w o r k

C o m m

u n i t y s h o p

C

h a r i t y s h o p

S o c i a l e v e n t s

F

u n d r a i s i n g

C h r i s t i a n n u r t u r e

S p o r t s

Y o u t h w o r k

I n t r o u d u c t o r y C h r i s t i a n i t y c o u r s e s

M

e n ' s g r o u p

W o m

e n ' s g r o u p

C h u r c h s e r v i c e s

W o r k i n g w i t h t h e e l d e r l y

P a r e n t / c a r

e r & t o d l e r

T r a i n i n g p r o g r a m m e s

H e l p i n g a t w o m e

n ' s r e f u g e

E n t e r p r i s e

A r t s a c t i v i t i e s / o r g a n i s i n g e v e n t s

50

40

30

20

10

0

N u m b e r o f a c t i v

i t i e s

8

53

11

15

21

53

1

8

55

1

12

32

15

5

1

7

46

8

5

19

37

27

23

4

11

25

Mission offered by respondents for the wider community (outside the church)

Mission type

A wide range of specific projects are run by the church for the benefit of the widercommunity. These include 46 instances of church youth work, 27 projects for older



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people, 24 men’s or women’s groups (combined total) and 23 carer and toddlergroups. These are often the areas in which churches have traditionally investedconsiderable time energy and resources.

There are a significant number of other activities being run by congregations andprojects; these include arts activities or organising events (25), social events for thewider community (15), working with people from abroad (including people seekingasylum and international students) (12), charity, community or coffee shops (13) andorganising visiting schemes (11). Other examples include working with vulnerablepeople (e.g. offenders, sex workers, people with learning disabilities) andcounselling/advice centres.

Apart from charity, community or coffee shops, there were no practical examples ofsocial enterprise highlighted in the responses to the questionnaire.

1.iii Issues that churches are seeking to address

In addition to outlining their specific activities, respondents were asked to identify theissues they seek to address through their initiatives and the methods they use.

Broad categories were presented in a tick box list to generate the responses.

1.iv Methods of addressing the issues

In terms of how they respond to the issues they are seeking to address, respondentsoutlined the following:

Types of initiatives run by churches to address issues: Percentage

Social activities 67Prayer 67Art/creativity 42Meeting material needs 41

Training/education/discussion (e.g. schools, adult education) 35Providing care (e.g. after school club, residential support) 33Helping people to access other services/agencies 32Counselling/advice 22Campaigning 13Other methods specified included networking, building personal relationships andcomedy.

This information highlights the variety of needs which the church is seeking toaddress and the wide range of methods it uses to do so.

Issues that churches address through initiatives: Percentage

Spirituality 74Community bridge-building (including intergenerational, inter-faith) 64Financial poverty (including homelessness, debt and unemployment) 35Health and disability 30Environment 22Addiction 21Exploitation 19Crime 16Other issues specified in the response to this question included human rights, crosscultural contextualisation and social justice.



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2. Resources

2.i Buildings

Church-owned buildings still play an important role in city life, with 75% of the

activities identified as run by the church taking place on a group’s own premises.Activities were also held in rented premises, people’s homes or weremobile/peripatetic (21% for each of these). 22 % of respondents held activitieslocated in ‘various’ premises, which included on a double decker bus, in universities,hospitals, theatre spaces, the street, and parks. The response to this question addsup to more than 100% because respondents were permitted to choose more thanone answer.

A total of 237 activities were identified of another group using church property, asshown in the table below. Exercise classes and sports groups were the mostfrequent at 35, with art/craft clubs, music rehearsal/performance, uniformedorganisations, pre-school groups, slimming clubs and special interest groups eachnumbering between 11 and 16.

O t h e r

C

o n f e r e n c e s / a w a y d a y s /

m

e e t i n g s

P r e - s c h o o l g r o u p

R e s i d e n t s ' / c o m m u n i t y g r o u p

A l c o h o l i c s A n o n y m o u s

S p e c i a l i n t e r e s t g r o u p

C o f f e e m o r n i n g / c a f e

H e a l t h s e r v i c e

D r a m a g r o u p

A d v i c e c e n t r e

W o m e n ' s g r o u p

B e f o r e / a f t e r s c h o o l c l u b

E x e

r c i s e c l a s s / s p o r t s g r o u p

M e d i t a t i o n

S l i m m i n g c l u b

S o c i a l a c t i v i t y

O l d p e o p l e ' s g r o u p

P a r t i e s

U n i f o r m e d o r g a n i s a t i o n

M u s

i c r e h e r s a l & p e r f o r m a n c e

B i n g o

A r t / c r a f t c l u b

A n o t h e r c h u r c h

A d u l t e d u c a t i o n

40

30

20

10

0

N u

m b e r o f g r o u p s

31

9

15

9

4

12

5

8

466

4

35

3

13

56

1214

16

2

11

43

Activity type

Groups and activities run by others on church premises

42% of the 73 respondents to this question cited ‘other’ regular users of theirpremises, including Alcoholics Anonymous, adult education, bingo, drama groups,health services and advice centres.

Respondents were also asked whether they charge other groups to use theirpremises. This question was answered for 210 of the activities held on church



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premises. 77% of these were charged, 20% were not charged and 3% gavedonations. Least likely to be charged were residents’ groups, where 6 of 9 groupswere not charged.

2.ii Money

Respondents were asked about the combined total annual turnover of all theiractivities. For churches this figure included ‘in house’ congregational activities as wellas wider community activities. Therefore this is the one question in these findingsthat covers all church activity, not just those focused on the benefit of the widercommunity.

The total annual turnover for the 80 respondents to this question ranged from £1,400to £6.1million. The total annual turnover for all 80 respondents combined came to just under £13.7 million.

If this information is extrapolated out across the whole of the church in Leeds, it canbe set in the context of the wider VCFS in Leeds, as identified in The ‘Ripple Effect’report by Leeds Voice. Using the median average of £45,750 turnover per

respondent, this gives an estimated total annual turnover of £15,600,750 across thechurch in Leeds. This is 3.5% of the total voluntary, community and faith sectorfigure of £429,397,473 quoted by Leeds Voice.

More respondents were willing to disclose their sources of funding (again, this figureapplies to all church activities). As indicated in the graph below, over half the fundingcame from individuals. The small amount of funding from grant-making trusts, thelottery and government sources is worth noting, with a combined total of less than20%. ‘Other’ sources were most frequently specified as room rental, and alsoincluded providing teaching to the University, the NHS, legacies, and money fromperformances. Least funding came from corporate sources, for example businesssponsorship, which attracted less than 1%.



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O t h e r

G i f t a i d

F u n d r a i s i n g

O t h e r c o n g r e g a t i o n s

D e n o m i n a t i o n a l n o n - m i s s i o n

g r a n t s

D e n o m i n a t i o n a l m i s s i o n g r a n t s

C o r p o r a t e s o u r c e s

G r a n t - m a k i n g t r u s t s

L o t t e r y

G o v e r n m e n t

I n d i v i d u a l s

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

M e a n a v e r a g e ( % )

11.8

5.13.4

1.72.40.70.6

7.82.4

6.8

55.6

Source of funding

Sources of funding

2.iii People

Staff Respondents were asked about their full-time and part-time paid staff and volunteers,and the number of hours worked by each of these. The focus was on those whoserved the wider community, so while responses may often have included clergy andleaders, it did not include anyone working specifically on ‘in-house’ activities.

Between them the 114 respondents to this question said that they employed 200 full-time paid staff, 231 part-time paid staff, 27 full-time unpaid staff, 305 part-time unpaidstaff. This equates to 495 full-time equivalent staff members (assuming the averagepart-time employee works half-time) in just one third of the church in Leeds.

Assuming the respondents are representative across the church in Leeds, this

provides an estimated figure of 1,485 full-time equivalent staff. Again, setting thisinformation in the context of the wider VCFS in Leeds, this is 6.5% of the totalvoluntary, community and faith sector figure of 22,820 quoted by Leeds Voice in the‘Ripple Effect’ report.

Volunteers The survey respondents employed a total of 3,022 unpaid volunteers. Respondentswere asked to estimate the average number of voluntary hours which thesevolunteers contributed each week to their wider community activities. The 83



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respondents reported a total of 6,532 hours per week. If these hours are costed outat the monetary value of the minimum wage (£5.52/hour in March 2008) this amountsto £36,056.64.

When extrapolated out across the whole of the church in Leeds, the figure becomes£148,381.23 per week. If this is multiplied across a year, it provides an estimate thatvolunteers working on church-led community activities would cost £7,715,824.20 peryear, if they were paid. This is 12% of the voluntary, community and faith sectorfigure of £64,757,655 quoted by Leeds Voice in the ‘Ripple Effect’.

3. Wider community involvement

3.i Research

The questionnaire asked people how they had identified the need for their communityactivities. 103 people responded to this question.

OtherPrevious workin similar

environment

Directexperience

Conversationswith other

groups

Statisticalinformation

Survey of localindividuals

80

60

40

20

0


14

27

76

50

26

22

Methods used to identify the need for their wider community activites and projects

Method used to identify the need for the activity

3.ii Partnerships

When asked whom they work in partnership with to run their activities, 65% work withother Christians, 63% work on their own, 37% work with non-faith groups and 12%work with other faith groups.



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In terms of other partnerships they participate in, of the 112 respondents:

Partnership group Number

Churches Together group 84School governors 47Local community forum 32

Local residents group 26Voluntary sector forum 26Cross sector themed forum 22

This indicates a level of participation in wider forums and networks, particularly at alocal level and a willingness to work with others on community initiatives, both ofwhich are foundations on which to build. However, the main focus of joint workingremains with other church-based congregations and projects and many activities arerun in isolation.

3.iii Other initiatives

It would be impossible to capture all the ways in which individual Christians express

their faith in activities throughout the city. However, the questionnaire providedspace for respondents to note their contribution to projects which do not fall under theumbrella of their particular congregation or project.

64 respondents said that they are regularly involved as a congregation or project withother Christian activities or projects that they do not co-ordinate or lead. Theseprojects were wide ranging in their scope, objectives and geographical remit, andincluded Christian Aid, Cafod, the Children’s Society, a refuge for single parents,Caring for Life, Moor Allerton Elderly Care, the Leprosy Mission, St George’s Crypt,Leeds Faith in Schools and the Armley Deanery Youth Development Project,amongst others.

42 respondents said they are regularly involved as an organisation with activities or

projects that would not be labelled as church-led. These projects included AmnestyInternational, Leeds Debt Forum, Leeds Co-op, Leeds Asylum Seekers’ SupportNetwork, Anti-Trident Protests, Campaign for the Accountability of American AirBases, Save the Children and Village in Bloom.

71 respondents noted projects which individuals from their membership regularlycontributed to (i.e. which are not supported by their group as a whole). Responsesincluded the North Seacroft Good Neighbour Scheme, Macmillan Nurses, Relate,Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, Trade Injustice and Debt ActionLeeds, Football coaching and Kidz Klub.

4. Motivation and vision

4.i Sharing faith in words and deeds

The questionnaire asked contacts for their perception of how the gospel (i.e. theChristian faith) is verbally proclaimed through their activities. The aim of this questionwas to provide some indication of how integral sharing faith in words (as well asdeeds) is to wider community activities run by the church. Respondents were onlyallowed to tick one definition.



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Of the 123 respondents, 50% said the gospel is verbally proclaimed as often as theycan, 30% said they proclaim it through actions, 15 % proclaim it only when asked and5% proclaim it all the time.

4.ii Plans for development

An important part of the survey was to find out about respondents’ plans for thefuture, including the perceived inhibitors to seeing these plans fulfilled. The desirewas to connect respondents with others where appropriate and establish how theycould be better supported in their mission activities. 78 respondents briefly outlinedtheir plans. Although the main purpose of this is follow up, it is worth giving a flavourof the responses here.

Ideas for development included seeing the congregation grow, increasing ecumenicalco-operation for the benefit of the community, developing an arts centre, increasingyouth work provision, enhancing premises to make them more suitable for communityuse or improve disability access, starting a women’s group to build self-esteem, andexpanding education work into more schools.

Whilst 22 respondents said that they had the resources to meet their plans, doublethat number listed resources requirements if their plans were to be fulfilled. For themost part these needs were financial; the other requirements given were: a closerrelationship with church congregations, a broader contacts base, a more widespreadunderstanding of the project, and more rehearsal time; and a congregation whichsaid it needed more committed membership and a clearer understanding of itsmission among members.

59 respondents said that they needed volunteers of various descriptions, both in theirexisting activities and planned developments.



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Discussion

“The church is the only society which should exist for the benefit of those who are notits members.”

This comment made over 60 years ago by Archbishop William Temple within the

context of a society whose religious profile was predominantly, but not exclusively,Christian, challenged many churches to look outwards in service of the widercommunity. An understanding of the church existing for those who live beyond it ismirrored in the work of church based community projects today.

Although contemporary society encompasses a far wider variety of faith traditions,this survey has confined itself to church based activity. The questionnaires in thesurvey have clearly given a snapshot of the scale and level of church-relatedcommunity involvement within Leeds and set the churches’ contribution to the lifeand work of the city in a wider context. Although the coverage is not comprehensive,the number of volunteers and level of financial investment illustrate how churchesand individual Christians in Leeds are: keen to make a positive difference to the lifeof the wider community, willing to invest considerable time and resources in so doing

and also wish to effect its transformation.

This discussion aims to pull out some relevant themes for consideration from thefindings, links them to other recent reports and publications within the area, anddevelops an understanding of motivation and vision based on some thinking aboutthe theology of mission. Caring for one’s neighbour, offering hospitality to strangers,and serving immediate material need are part and parcel of the Christian faith whichideally aims to link words and deeds, faith and practice, prayer and action.

At the same time, the community work of faith based organisations has often createdan ambivalent response within wider society. Thus for example, some may besuspicious of the ways in which they may be proving services which should beprovided by the state. Others may be suspicious that an evangelistic motivation

underlies the provision of social care. This has thus challenged the churches and thewider faith communities to analyse the effectiveness and purpose of their own socialoutreach.

At their best, church related community projects do much to ensure that churchesgenuinely reach out to meet the needs of local communities, breaking down thestereotypes which some have of churches as an inward looking and self preoccupiedcommunity. Although there are many historic examples of Christian philanthropywithin Leeds, the work of the churches has not been widely publicised, and thissurvey goes some way to offering a self-critical reflection on its work.

Addressing faith leaders in 2006, Tony Blair commented:

“There is a big difference between the perception of what you do, which is out there in the public domain, and actually what you do. For example, a lot of discussion about religion is about declining church attendance or whatever. But there will be relatively little coverage of the enormous work that is done in communities up and down the country. This is something you have to be more confident in proclaiming.”



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1. Activities

A quantitative survey of this nature inevitably does not capture some of nuances andflavours of church related community projects, and a number of questions aboutstyles and approaches to the work inevitably remain unanswered. However, thestatistics indicate a number of trends amongst those who benefit from church basedwork in the community, how churches were responding and the issues they wereseeking to address.

1.i Who benefited from church involvement?

The headline statistics indicate that over 11% of the population have been touched insome way by the work of the church in community outreach, which is a considerablecontribution in itself. When considered by category some reflections are pertinent.

First the age group of those who benefited from the work had a fairly accuratecorrelation with wider statistics within the city. In reaching out to both young andolder people, churches are clearly caring for some of society’s most vulnerablepeople and offering appropriate experience, skills and resources. It is notable that

less work takes place with adults between the ages of 25 – 60, where in some caseschurch congregations are less well attended.

Although valuable work is taking place with and alongside other faith communities,the statistics did not correlate with city wide distribution. This may partly be becauseall faith communities have social concern for both their own members and that ofwider society and also because work across the faith communities often depends ona variety of complex factors. Leeds as a city has a long history of interfaith dialogueand cooperation across the faiths, but as the infrastructure of all faith communitiesdiffers widely, it has been hard to develop work strategically. The contribution ofwider faith communities to faithful capital requires further research, building on thefindings of the Leeds Faith Forum’s report in January 2006 which explored the widercommunity impact of 23 different faith communities within the city.

Similarly, although valuable work is taking place across racial backgrounds, this toodid not correlate with wider statistics. Lower return rates of questionnaires in placeswith higher capacity needs, and the complex ways in which churches have grownand developed across the city, are contributory factors in interpreting them. It maybe notable that some of the work that churches have done about the implications ofracism within the city would have fallen outside the scope of this survey.

1.ii Types and methods of activity

In exploring the types of activity which churches run, the responses illustrated avaried mix of styles and approaches. For some it was appropriate to build onstrengths already inherent already within the church – for example in work with older

or younger people, running charity, community or coffee shops, and organisedvisiting schemes. For others, social events run with the wider community had offeredmore informal ways of meeting inherent need, and a number of advice centresoffered valuable localised service. For still others, new vision and imagination hadbeen generated both within churches and community by projects sponsored byindependent trusts.

The methods used to address the issues threw up clearer patterns which were insome sense easier to analyse Prayer and worship in this context were important inenabling churches to build a common vision for their work, reflecting on areas of



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opportunity and difficulty, and continuing to look outwards to the wider needs in thecommunity. Initiatives through using art and creativity were perhaps the mostunusual and had broken new ground within local communities.

The balance between providing care, meeting material need and enabling peopleaccess other agencies could be interpreted as an indication of effective ways thatchurches are embedded in local communities and also recognise their limitations inserving it. However, it may also reflect concerns about strategic development whichwill be explored in a later section of this discussion.

1.iii Issues that the churches are seeking to address

Not unexpectedly, a high priority for the churches was that of addressing spirituality,which would make their contribution to the city distinctive. This has been researchedin more depth elsewhere – for example in the work of the William Temple Foundationin areas of Manchester in 2006 . The ongoing task of linking spirituality to action andtheir diversity of belief and practice means that these links are complex and multi-layered.

Alongside this distinctive contribution, many of the material issues that churcheswere seeking to address are ones which featured on the city council’s Vision forLeeds and contribute positively towards it. Thus for example, community bridgebuilding, financial poverty, health and disability, the environment, addiction,exploitation and crime would all feature in the ‘Leeds Strategic Plan’. There is morework to be done in enabling these to dialogue with each other, learning from goodpractice, and continuing to find realistic, effective and imaginative ways of respondingto need.

A recent report ‘Effective Christian Presence and Enterprise’, conducted by theChurches Regional Commission and Faithworks in 2008 , explored diverse forms ofChristian community action. A number of features were defined by the projectsthemselves as important in delivering an effective service to the wider community.

These included meeting essential need, being attractive to those who benefited,engendering trust, having transparent motivation and being credible andprofessional. Finally, the importance of an open, inclusive and non-judgmentalattitude was one which generated an increased sense of accessibility for members ofthe wider community.

2. Resources for community based projects

2.i People – the importance of volunteering

Within churches and faith communities, volunteering is second nature. Manychurches contain a number of retired people whose contribution both within andbeyond the church to the well being of the city is considerable – not least because of

the wider range of skills that they bring from life-experience. In terms of a beliefsystem, concepts of volunteering may be rooted in an understanding of service toothers – a value which Christians share with many other faith communities within thecity.

Many projects expressed concern about their longer term sustainability, in commonof course with many projects within the wider voluntary and community faith sector.This is particularly true of congregations where the age profile is high and also oneswhere there is a struggle to maintain the church plant. How to encourage and



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support volunteering is particularly pertinent, given increasing financial constraintsand the rising number of adults who work.

The research did not discover what proportion of church members volunteer forproject work and how they are trained and supported or what their needs were. Thiswould be valuable in itself, as it would have consequences for the sustainability ofchurch-led community initiatives. Motivation and vision, clarity about task, andsupport and encouragement are all vital ingredients of a process that needs toencompass the best professional standards in terms of its practice.

At its best volunteering is also a learning experience. Commenting on the ways inwhich a church based community advice project was set up with great enthusiasm inBirmingham, in 1987 , only to find it was not attracting those who needed advice,Laurie Green describes how the group explored what they were doing with referenceto their underlying beliefs and values. In doing so they developed a deeperunderstanding of what it meant to be marginalised, linked it to the experience of thewilderness, and the empathy that this generated enabled them to see this as acreative time of reflection. New ways of responding were discovered so thateventually the group found a sense of creativity, effectiveness and empowermentwithin and alongside the wider community.

Although churches are often clear that the faith based nature of their work isimportant, surveys on the correlation between religious conviction and volunteeringhave produced conflicting results . As noted by a number of sociologists of religion,faith communities constantly hold together the tension between bonding, in whichstrong relationships are built within the church community, and bridging, in whichrelationships are built with other organisations. The consequences of this forcommunity cohesion are explored in some depth in the report published in 2006 ,‘Faith as Social Capital – Connecting or Dividing?’

In the ‘Effective Christian Presence and Enterprise’ report, it was noted that the waysthat projects assessed their effectiveness would be very familiar to the no-faith

voluntary sector. They did not necessarily believe that their work was better than thatof other agencies. However they did acknowledge that their success wasunderpinned by the resources available to them from the faith communities and theway that they approached their work – its underlying ethos. The way in which acommon belief system can enhance a sense of being part of a team is often aconsiderable encouragement to volunteers working in difficult and challengingcircumstances.

2.ii Money

The amounts of money invested in church related community work in Leeds isconsiderable and from the 80 respondents to this question came to a combinedannual turnover of £13.7 million. Extrapolated across the whole church, the combined

annual turnover came to about 3.5 % of the total voluntary community and faithsector of the figure estimated by Leeds Voice in the ‘Ripple Effect’ report.

Those who were willing to disclose their financial sources of money indicated thatover half came from individuals, with smaller amounts of money coming from roomrental and about ten percent from grant making trusts. It is notable that churcheswhere finance is largely dependent on congregations are often faced with hardchoices between maintaining the fabric of their buildings and engaging in widermission based activities.



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The reasons for this lack of money from trusts would be many and varied, but two areworth mentioning. First the experience of making grant applications can be lengthy,time consuming, and requires specific skills and support. Second a limited number oftrusts would be likely to donate money to faith based organisations and in some thereticence is due to the desire of funders to separate faith and action.

Along with many voluntary sector organisations, church related projects are oftenexperiencing pressure from a culture which depends on contracting work out to otherorganisations and at time an increasing control over how services should bedelivered. Often voluntary and faith sector organisations are competing with oneanother for limited funds and whilst all wish to deliver a professional service, somewish to retain a greater sense of freedom in the way that they do so.

With one or two exceptions, there were few examples of the churches adoptingprojects which were based on the social enterprise model. This may again be due toan absence of confidence or experience and perhaps too because of l imitedknowledge of good practice. However this could resolve some of the difficultieswhich were voiced about longer term sustainability and funding and much is to belearned from it.

2.iii Buildings

The study uncovered a whole variety of ways in which church buildings contribute tofaithful capital within the city. In hosting a variety of events and activities for thewider community, churches perform both a valuable service and give importantsignals about their accessibility.

The range of activities and events which are housed by churches in Leeds can oftensay as much to members of local communities as the worship which takes placewithin them. In a society in which in 2005 an estimated 6.3 % of the populationattend church on Sunday , churches are often as well known by a wider populationfor the public events which take place within them as for the worship that takes place

there.

This in turn raises questions about how policies are made about building use, whatcriteria are used to decide which groups use the building and how decisions aremade about appropriate charges. Ensuring that buildings are well maintained can bea major demand on time and resources, and is not necessarily an end in itself.However, the experience of being made welcome in a building is often crucial inbuilding bridges with a wider community and local people may express a feeling ofownership for a church building, even if they are not part of its worshippingcommunity.

Within some communities, churches can provide one of few opportunities of spacefor wider community activity. Tensions can exist here between the values associated

with a sacred space and the restrictions on usage which can be an integral part ofthis, and the desire to show hospitality to others. In addition, the realities ofvandalism and theft in some communities can mitigate against a policy of totalopenness. But within the Christian tradition there is also a call to show hospitality tostrangers and to welcome those who are on the edges of society.

In 2008, writing about the experience of transforming the use of a city centre churchin Edinburgh where congregational numbers were declining, into one which housed anumber of related voluntary and community projects, Peter Anderson describes howits congregation wrestled with the tensions of inclusion and exclusion. Inspired by



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the writing of Henri Nouwen, he talks about the way the church created an openspace in which:

“Hospitality is not a subtle invitation for the guests to adopt the lifestyle of the host,but the gift of a chance for the guest to find their own.”

Respecting diversity and accepting difference in a city as multicultural as Leeds is achallenge to the way that those of all faiths and none make best use of the buildingsthat are in their care.

3. Research

3.i Origins of community projects

Often church related community projects are initiated as a response to an immediateneed. Individuals, who for one reason or another have ‘fallen through the net’ ofsocial care, may often turn to churches as a source of immediate practical help. Sofor example, the experience of those without money for food arriving on the doorstepof a local priest or minister, or asylum seekers who have joined a congregation

because of their common faith, may well sow the seeds of a more coordinatedresponse from the church as a whole.

In other cases, projects may have been initiated as a result of a mission orientationand expertise with a particular church tradition. The work that the Salvation Armyhas undertaken over generations with those who suffer from addiction, poverty orhomelessness is a case in point. So too are the variety of approaches tohomelessness which have been undertaken by the Anglican and Catholic churches,and the tradition and reputation of the Methodist churches of care for older people.

The section on the methods which the churches use to identify the need for the widercommunity involvement suggested that the majority of projects had been initiated asa result of either direct experience or conversations with others. Fewer projects

appeared to have arisen as a result of detailed survey of local need, or an analysis ofwhat needs were being met by others. Whilst the strength of this approach is that itis essentially personal and relational, its potential weakness is that it could involveduplication of provision, and an absence of wider social analysis of the problems.Many projects have developed organically as a response to an immediate need, andreasons for this would be many and varied. However, the research team noted therewas much scope for churches to develop better practice in researching the needs ofa local community before setting up new social initiatives in order to work morestrategically.

One such example of a more strategic approach is given in Ann Morrisy’s book‘Beyond the Good Samaritan’. She explores how forms of community ministrycombined practical forms of social care with a challenge to learn more from those in

need and an analysis of their social context. Her wide experience of working withchurch related community projects across London drew on the experience of theGulbenkian Foundation to establish a six stage process at the heart of communitydevelopment:

1. Study the situation2. Establish rapport and a network of relationships with the locality3. Gather information to identify live issues and establish possible community-

based responses4. Design a project to create a basis for the organisation



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5. Work on the initiative, modifying procedures and prioritising objectives6. Review and evaluate progress to ensure that aims are being met and agree

further action.

Whilst not wishing to be entirely prescriptive about how to research the wider context,this type of social analysis ensures that the churches’ response to community offersa more focused, strategic and effective approach.

3.ii Partnership working

Within the survey, although it was clear that most projects either worked on their ownor with other Christians, a sizeable number worked with non-faith groups and fewerwith those of other faiths.

Working in partnership can bring the opportunity of new insights, encouragement andthe possibility of sharing and learning from good practice. In some cases it hasincreased the credibility of the project and developed new ways of accessingresources. Partnership working at its best often increases trust between thechurches and other organisation, and can break down suspicion and prejudice – between those who engage in it on both sides. It is thus potentially a form of missionactivity in itself.

One of the central tensions within partnership working is that of maintaining adistinctive ethos and that of collaboration with others. For some this might beexpressed in culture clashes between different styles and methods of working. Forothers it has more to do with their belief systems.

Many writers assert that the experience of working alongside others who do notshare one’s beliefs can be very enriching. Far from being a threat to one’s faith, theopportunities for new insights when responding together to a situation of jointconcern, is one which can lead to a deeper awareness and integrity about one’s ownbeliefs and values and presents an opportunity to develop a deeper appreciation of

those whose value systems differ.

3.iii Wider engagement

In terms of participation in wider networks, it is interesting to note that in order ofpriority, the church congregations and projects who participated in the survey weremost likely to engage with churches together groups, made a considerablecontribution to school governors, and were willing to work with others on communityinitiatives across the sector. Individuals who represented the faith communities onpublic bodies or local area agreements have often indicated that the experience of sodoing was in which it took time to build confidence and trust.

The report ‘Faith Representation on Public Bodies – a feasibility study’, explored the

complexities of representation within the North East of England. It noted four keyneeds – that of information sharing, development of resources to equip faithrepresentatives to do their work more effectively, the need to disseminate informationabout community governance, and to continue dialogue and partnership working withpublic sector bodies.

Faith representation in the city of Leeds has been undertaken in a number of areasfor many years – through Leeds Voice and Leeds Faiths Forum. At the time ofwriting, work is in progress to encourage the church and the wider faith sector todevelop this more effectively. We would wish to recommend that churches and faith



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based organisations are encouraged to engage more practically with the Vision ForLeeds and develop a constructive critique of some of its contents on a number oflevels.

The survey noted a wide range of ways in which Christians are involved in activitieswhich contribute to the well being of the city and the wider world. Concerns for worlddevelopment, the environment, homeless people, health, peacemaking, poverty anddebt, indicate a genuine commitment to people who are the most marginal andvulnerable within out society.

Finally, although church congregations as a whole do not often engage in politicalcampaigning, a number of church related organisations have often acted as focusesfor political activity. Regular statements from church leaders on issues such as debt,asylum seekers, or the rise of political extremism, indicate that for many Christianstheir faith has political consequences which extend beyond a care for individuals.This more prophetic understanding of the Christian faith is one which sets the needto care for individuals who are vulnerable alongside the need to transform society.

4. Mission, values and vision

“All the team live and worship locally, contributing to the life of the community. We want to see a restoration of hope.”

4.i Approaches to mission

The comment of a local church community worker interviewed in 2007, indicates that‘being there’ is crucial to the effectiveness of the churches’ contribution to the widercommunity. The presence of churches within a locality ensures they are rooted andgrounded within them throughout the year. Often its ministers may be the onlyprofessional people who live within an area of urban deprivation. This creates anenormous opportunity to remain in touch with local need and aspiration and respondto the wider community in so doing. This ensures that mission becomes a means of

‘working with’ others, rather than ‘doing to’ them.

On a more theoretical level, many of the projects within this survey may be linked toa more theoretical understanding of the tasks of mission. Inevitably the emphasesand understandings of within a local context vary, given the diversity of Christianbelief and practice within the city and the variety of places and situations in which ittakes place. The spectrum of understanding of mission within church communities isa broad one – expressed within the Anglican Church as the five marks of mission.

The first mark is that of proclaiming the news of God’s kingdom - whether throughwords, actions or simply a presence in the community. It is notable that all thosequestioned said that they proclaimed the gospel in some way or another through theirwork on a community project. Within the group selected, about 50% said they

shared their faith regularly, 30% said they did so through what they were doing, andabout 15% had a more implicit approach to the question of evangelism. All theprojects would aim to integrate their faith with their action, which did not necessarilyentail the aggressive proselytising which some people associate with some religiousgroups.

The second mark of mission lies in the educational work which the churchundertakes to teach and nurture people new to the Christian faith. A number ofcontacts noted the courses they run to help people understand the Christian faith,such as Alpha. It is also notable that 35% of the projects contributed to wider



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educational work – for example in contributions to school governors, but fewercontributed to the wider task of adult education and life long learning – an area whichis currently less of a priority than it was 20 years ago.

The third mark of mission lies in responding to human need by loving service. Therewere a wide range of examples of this kind of work - for example in the work carriedout with homeless and elderly people, projects which deal with addiction, and thosethat meet material needs. It was also notable that this involved a genuine outreachto those right outside the churches with a whole variety of people who would notnormally be associated with the organisation at all.

The fourth mark of mission lies in seeking to transform the unjust structures withinour society. Although many individuals were involved in political campaigning,churches as a group did not seem to be much involved in political activity in order tochallenge the injustices within the city as a whole. It was unclear whether this wasthe result of a wider sense political apathy, or a sense that the responsibility of thechurches was to care for individuals rather than interpret their mission as being oneto society as a whole or indeed that many individuals within churches are involved inthis sort of activity but it does not come under the banner of church activity.

The fifth mark of mission lies in striving to safeguard and renew the integrity of theearth. Although there were several examples of this at local level, it was perhaps theleast prominent emphasis within the survey. However in many situations theincreasing awareness of the dangers of climate change has led to many churchcommunities to rethink their policies about the environment more strategically andthus concerns are being tackled in a different way.

4.ii A wider vision

A number of organisations within Leeds who are involved in social care had theirroots within the churches as part of their mission activity and have since found theirniche as independent voluntary bodies. They share many of the values which were

inspirational in creating them, but have moved away from an explicitly confessionalfaith base to become more integrated in society. Similarly a large number ofrespondents indicated their involvement in wider mission activities outside thechurches, some of which has a faith base, many of which did not, but also sharedsimilar vision and values.

These findings may be related to an unpublished paper by Alison Elliot in 2008. Sheargues that faithful capital should not entirely be seen as the property of faithcommunities. Rather the faithful capital could be seen as the quality of relationshipthat churches build with those outside them and suggests three values ofcompanionship, hospitality and nourishment. Building relationships – both betweendifferent projects and with others engaged in similar work, might sow the seeds ofactivity which is more sustainable in the long term. This sustainability is not simply

about finance and resources, but according the ‘Effective Christian Presence Report’about ‘keeping the fire alive’.

This understanding of the mission is best expressed by those who emphasise thatGod’s activity within the world, often surprises and challenges Christians, or asArchbishop Rowan Williams writes:

“Mission is finding out what God is doing in the world – and joining in.”



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Recommendations

The research team wish to propose the following actions as a result of this report:

1. The contribution of churches to the well being of the city in the form of time,finance and resources it donates, should be communicated, explored anddiscussed with politicians, statutory agencies and potential funding bodies.

2. The churches should seek to coordinate their work for mission in the citymore effectively and strategically, in order to learn from one another, preventduplication of effort, and share experience and resources.

3. Further research should be undertaken into the contribution made to the cityby the wider faith communities. This should build on the understandinggenerated by the report by Leeds Faiths Forum in January 2006 and draw onreports from other areas of the country.

4. Church congregations and local Christian mission initiatives should identifyand build relationships with other local groups who are ‘seeking the peace’ oftheir locality. Partnership with other VCFS, statutory agencies both providesthe possibility mutual learning and understanding and of increasingeffectiveness where limited funding is available.

5. Attention should be paid to good quality research into demographic shifts andexisting social provision. Training on this (such as the ‘Bird’s Eye View’seminar provided by the Leeds Church Institute in 2006) to understand awider city context needs to be made widely available. Such research willreveal the shift in demography - including that of an ageing population and thediversity of ethnic groups in the city.

6. Before setting up local projects research should be conducted into theexisting needs and provision within the area.

7. Further attention should be paid to the possibilities of Social Enterprise, andtraining could be which could be sourced from West Yorkshire SocialEnterprise Link (http://www.wyselink.co.uk).

8. The ‘Vision for Leeds’ needs to be communicated and explored more widelywith local churches, in order that they can find a wider variety of ways to acton its recommendations practically and be involved in the process of itsupdating.

9. Training to assist Christian mission in Leeds needs to be presented in a

variety of formats. Recognising the new vitality that has been brought to thechurch in the city following the recent waves of immigration to Leeds, furtherwork needs to be done to ensure that such training is accessible cross-culturally.

10. More attention should be given to possibilities of strategic politicalcampaigning to combat injustices within the city, and to coordinate responseswith others to increase its welfare more effectively.



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Conclusion

The Faithful Capital data gathering process has generated some extremely usefuldata which provides a snapshot of church-led community activities across the LeedsMetropolitan District.

There is significant scale and variety of activities and community involvementidentified through the questionnaire. Together with the number of volunteers andlevel of financial support, this indicates that churches and Christians in Leeds havean underlying belief in the importance of community, and commitment to bringingabout community transformation. The basic worldview of a person of faith describedas ‘faithful capital’ in the ‘Faithful Cities’ report involves a desire to make a positivedifference within society. The contribution of the churches to the life of the city willcontinue and will develop as they live out this conviction within their local contexts.

One aim of this exercise was to highlight duplication and competition and it isencouraging to note that there are few examples where there is an obvious overlapbetween initiatives. Clearly, where there is a need for example for more than onecarer and toddler group in an area, it is appropriate that more than one churchbuilding is open for this purpose during the week. However, we would encourage allthose seeking to develop new initiatives to find out what is already going on in theirarea, both church-led and otherwise, to explore joint-working and pooling theirresources at every stage, to maximise the church’s potential for mission.

Finally, we hope that this report will encourage discussions amongst the church andother agencies and groups across the city, so that we can learn from theseexperiences, forge a way forward together and continue to develop the uniquecontribution that the church has to ‘seeking the peace and prosperity of [this] city’.



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References

Baker, C and Skinner, H (2006). Faith in Action ; the dynamic correlation between spiritual and religious capital. William Temple Foundation

Christian Research English Church Census 2005

Churches Regional Commission for Yorkshire and the Humber (2008). Effective Christian Presence and Enterprise. London: Faithworks.

The Commission for Urban Faith and Life (2006). Faithful Cities: A call for celebration, vision and justice. London: Methodist Publishing House and ChurchHouse Publishing.

Denscombe, M. (1998). Good research guide: For small-scale social research projects. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Elliott, A. ( 2008 ) Bridging and Blurring ; a critique of Faithful Capital unpublishedpaper delivered at Leeds University

Green, L. (1987) Power to the Powerless . Marshall Pickering

Leeds Faiths Forum (2005). Faith Groups and Community Cohesion: Examples and Issues of work undertaken by Faith Groups in the Leeds area. Leeds: Leeds FaithsForum.

The Leeds Initiative (2004). Vision for Leeds 2004 to 2020. Leeds: The LeedsInitiative.

The Leeds Initiative (2008). Leeds Strategic Plan 2008 to 2011. Leeds: The LeedsInitiative.

Leeds Voice (2007). The Ripple Effect: The Economic Contribution of the Voluntary,Community and Faith Sector in Leeds. Leeds: Leeds Voice.

Letby, A. (2008) Faith Representation on Public Bodies Churches RegionalCommission in N.E. England ,

Macdonald, P. (2008) “The Tall Steeple Church” ; article in ed P. Ballard The Church at the Centre of the City ; Epworth Press

Morrisy, A (1997) Beyond the Good Samaritan Mowbray

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2006) Faith as Social Capital.Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The Shaftesbury Society (2004). Being Here . Brighton: The Shaftesbury Society.

The Shaftesbury Society (2004). Hidden Treasure. Portsmouth: The ShaftesburySociety.

Von Hugel Institute (2008) Moral but No Compass - Government Church and the Future of Welfare. Matthew James publishing



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Archbishop Rowan Williams (2003) Traditional and Emerging Church Address toGeneral Synod of the Church of England.



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Appendix 1: List of participants

Respondent name Geographical areaserved

Adel Friends Meeting House Citywide

All Saints - Barwick in Elmet East Leeds

Barwick - Methodist NE LeedsBlenheim Baptist - Woodhouse NW Leeds

Bramhope Methodist NW Leeds

Bramley Parish West Leeds

Caring for Life Citywide

Central Methodist - Morley South Leeds

Centre for Faith, Work and Economic Life Citywide

Chapel Allerton Baptist NE Leeds

Chapel Allerton Methodist NE Leeds

Chaplaincy for People with Learning Disabilities Citywide

Christ Church - Upper Armley West Leeds

Christ Church (LEP) - Halton East LeedsChurch in the home, Crossgates East Leeds

Church of the Ascension - Armley Heights West Leeds

Church of the Nazarene - Morley South Leeds

Church of the Nazarene - South Leeds South Leeds

Churwell Methodist West Leeds

City Church Leeds NW Leeds

Corpus Christi - Osmondthorpe East Leeds

Cross Gates Methodist East Leeds

Dayspring Church - Garforth East Leeds

Deeper Life Bible Church Citywide

Farsley Youth Development Project West LeedsFriends International NW Leeds

Garforth Methodist East Leeds

Gildersome Methodist South Leeds

Greek Orthodox Church in Three Hiearchies East Leeds

Guiseley Methodist NW Leeds

Hareshills Lane Baptist NE Leeds

Hawksworth Methodist NW Leeds

Headingley St. Columba NW Leeds

Healing Wings Christian Centre Citywide

Hinsley Hall Conference Centre NW Leeds

HMP Armley Chaplaincy West LeedsHolbeck Christian Fellowship South Leeds

Holy Spirit / Trinity (LEP) - Beeston Hill South Leeds

Holy Trinity South Leeds

Holy Trinity - Meanwood NE Leeds

Hunslet Baptist South Leeds

Imprint Theatre Company Citywide

Joanna Project South Leeds



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Just Fair Laughs Citywide

Kidz Klub Leeds Citywide

Leeds Autism Services Citywide

Leeds Bible Talks Citywide

Leeds Catholic Marriage Care Citywide

Leeds Chinese Christian Church Citywide

Leeds Church Institute CitywideLeeds Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission Citywide

Leeds Faith in Schools Citywide

Leeds Messianic Jewish Fellowship Citywide

Leeds Methodist Mission - Oxford Place South Leeds

Leeds Parish Church - St Peter Citywide

Leeds Pregnancy Crisis Centre Citywide

Leeds South Methodist Circuit South Leeds

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Chaplaincy Citywide

Leeds Youth Cell Network Citywide

Lidgett Park Methodist NE Leeds

Lister Hill Baptist NW LeedsMAECare NE Leeds

Manuel Bravo Project Citywide

Meeting Point West Leeds

Mosaic Church Citywide

New Hope Citywide

New Life Church - Otley NW Leeds

Newlands Methodist - Morley South Leeds

One City Projects Citywide

Otley Methodist NW Leeds

Oulton Methodist East Leeds

Pointed Arrow Theatre Company CitywidePool Methodist NW Leeds

Pudsey URC West Leeds

Rawdon Friends Meeting NW Leeds

Revive Baptist Fellowship Church - Burley Citywide

Rothwell Baptist East Leeds

Rothwell Methodist East Leeds

Roundhay Friends Meeting NE Leeds

Roundhay Methodist NE Leeds

Salvation Army - Leeds Central Corps NE Leeds

Salvation Army - West Hunslet Corps South Leeds

Scholes Methodist NE LeedsScott Hall Christian Fellowship NE Leeds

South Parade Baptist - Four Citywide

Space Citywide

St Aidan Roundhay NE Leeds

St Andrew - Bruntcliffe South Leeds

St Andrew - Roundhay NE Leeds

St Barnabas - Alwoodley NE Leeds



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St Bartholomew - Armley West Leeds

St Brigid - Churwell South Leeds

St Chad - Far Headingley NW Leeds

St Cross - Middleton South Leeds

St Francis - Morley South Leeds

St Gemma's Hospice East Leeds

St George - City Centre NW Leeds

St Giles - Bramhope NW Leeds

St James - Wetherby NE Leeds

St James the Great - Manston East Leeds

St John - Roundhay NE Leeds

St John - Wortley-de-Leeds West Leeds

St John - Yeadon NW Leeds

St Joseph - Pudsey NW Leeds

St Luke - Swarcliffe East Leeds

St Mary - Beeston South Leeds

St Mary - Hunslet South Leeds

St Mary - Kippax & Allerton Bywater East Leeds

St Mary - Swillington East Leeds

St Mary the Virgin - Garforth East Leeds

St Mary the Virgin - Middleton South Leeds

St Marys Lincoln Green Road East Leeds

St Nicholas - Gipton East Leeds

St Paul - Morley South Leeds

St Paul the Apostle - Alwoodley NE Leeds

St Peter & St. Paul - Yeadon NW Leeds

St Peter with St. Cuthbert - Hunslet Moor South Leeds

St Philip - Scholes East Leeds

St Richard - Seacroft East Leeds

St Saviour - Richmond Hill East Leeds

St Stephen - Kirkstall NW Leeds

St Stephen - Moortown NE Leeds

St Vincent de Paul Citywide

St Wilfrid - Farnley West Leeds

St Wilfrid - Halton East Leeds

Stainbeck Three Churches Project NE Leeds

Stainbeck URC NE Leeds

Swarcliffe Baptist East Leeds

The Church in Rodley (LEP) West Leeds

The Grove Methodist - Horsforth NW Leeds

The URC in South Leeds - Belle Isle South Leeds

The Venerable Bede - Wyther West Leeds

The Wharfedale Vineyard NE Leeds

Thorner Methodist NE Leeds

Transform Citywide

Universities Chaplaincy NW Leeds

Universities in Leeds Catholic Chaplaincy NW Leeds



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Welcome to Leeds Citywide

West Park URC NW Leeds

West Yorkshire African-Caribbean Council of Church Citywide

West Yorkshire School of Christian Studies Citywide

Wetherby Y.O.Institution Chaplaincy Citywide

Woodlesford Methodist East Leeds

Woodside Methodist NW Leeds

World Harvest Christian Centre Citywide

Yeadon Methodist NW Leeds



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Appendix 2 – Questionnaire



37



38



39



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Appendix 3 - Breakdown of self-defined activities within each

category for Q3e (what activities do respondents co-ordinate or lead

for the wider community?)

Youth work: Covers children and adolescents from school age upwards. There wasan array of youth work taking place, which included school visits and assemblies,

youth, junior youth and senior youth clubs, student outreach, the uniformedorganisations, mentoring, maths tuition, after school clubs, youth cells, and aChinese school for children.

One project did weekly youth work, which included taking out a youth café camperbus. They did intergenerational work in their area and carried out issue based youthprojects including film and theatre projects. Another project provided a team ofseven school workers to Leeds schools to offer RE, PCHCE, and sports lessons. Yetanother project gave advice centre outreach through paid detached youth workersworking with young people on the streets. Several projects offered free holidays forchildren.

Church services: Include worship, mass, bible study, bible fellowship, cell groups,"celebrations, missions and demonstration days", prayer gatherings, baptismpreparation, house groups, cafe church, services held at a sheltered housing centre,and a church maintenance group.

One congregation held community prayer events consisting of a biannual leaflet dropfollowed by call to 400 plus homes offering to pray for felt needs. One church said"We do organise a variety of programmes (e.g. workshops, seminars, crusades,revival/miracle services, etc) from time to time targeted at the entire community. Forexample, in October 2006 we hosted a miracle revival service which was publicisedthrough the radio, TV and publicity adverts." Another said, “We gather regularly toshare food, worship, pray and study the Bible together.” Another ran a Fridayevening Shabbat service with Hebrew Messianic literacy worship and a sermon to

build up messianic Jews in their faith, witness and walk.

Working with older people: Includes lunch clubs (one of which said they provide asafe warm meeting place, with a three course meal and social interaction with staff,volunteers and other members), drop-in centres, older people’s fellowship, olderwomen’s fellowship, live-at-home schemes, over 50s groups, a Monday meeting forolder people, a meals on wheels which delivered 39,000 meals in 2005, seniorcitizens open house, sheltered accommodation, and a day centre for over 55sproviding fellowship, classes, keep fit, holidays and meals. One project "Improvedquality of life for local people over 60 by acting as a link between needs and existingservices and by developing new services with the help of volunteers"

Arts activities and organising events: These were run together as there often

seemed to be overlap between the two. Includes craft groups (e.g. art, drumming,circus skills), film clubs, book clubs, pantomime groups, drama societies, carols inthe park, church fairs, arts events, local carnivals, community clean ups, and socialfunctions for local community, art exhibitions, and summer street BBQs.

One theatre group creates and tours full length productions, runs drama workshops,and facilitates community theatre projects. Another group creates theatreproductions, performance installations, and supports education work. Anotherproject “runs Fairtrade comedy nights and events, promoting Fairtrade, encouragingnew performers, providing positive contributions to Leeds arts scene, providing



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affordable entertainment and challenging the gentrification of the comedy scene”. Afinal project runs events to raise awareness, make relations between related andoften complex issues, and challenge assumptions.

Women’s groups: Include women’s fellowship, women’s guild, ladies circle, andMothers’ Union.

Men’s group: Include men’s fellowship, and men’s supper club.

Social activities: Include a social group with informative speakers; all agefellowship; a social club with bingo, trips, social events; a games afternoon for adults,with scrabble, chess, etc; quiz nights; bingo; coffee mornings. One project runs aweekly global cafe, social event for international students to meet friendly localChristians.

Community focus or leadership: Includes partnership working, resourcing existingorganisations, collaborating “with Methodist Christian and Muslim partners to meetcommunity needs”, “working alongside people”, school governance, providing "afocus for community leadership activity", attending meetings with groups in the areato discuss community cohesion, promoting active involvement in the localcommunity, writing articles for a local magazine and a parish magazine, schoolgovernance. One church opens up their facilities to allow both internal and externalactivities to take place for community use. One project facilitates creative activities,events and short courses to help bring the church and local community together, inan informal, fun and relaxed environment. It also uses creative activities as a meansof building relationships, and provides a link between local agencies, services, thechurch and local residents.

Asylum and other international community work: Includes refugee outreach,TEFL courses, and international students' clubs. At one project asylum seekers meetto practice English, use computers, get advice, make friends, share food, playfootball, and use the nearly new shop. Another project runs drop-in sessions for

refuges and asylum seekers, and friendship, house visiting, bible study, prayergroups, sewing group and court support. Yet another project, currently in setting upstage, will run a programme assisting asylum seekers in Leeds with their cases, andgiving legal advice/representation and advocacy from qualified legal workers andvolunteers.

Visiting: Includes pastoral, inpatient, home communions, and visiting prisoners. Oneorganisation with 250 volunteers in Leeds Metropolitan District does about 10,000befriending visits per year.

Introductory Christianity courses: Includes Alpha, Alpha homeless outreach,Alpha international outreach, bible study for those outside church, and an agnosticsgroup.

Counselling and advice / support centres: Includes free general counselling, ayouth counselling service, a community counselling and listening service, confidentialrelationship counselling to people of all faiths. One crisis pregnancy counsellingservice provides free post abortion and miscarriage counselling. One support centreexists to promote self-sufficiency and create opportunities for those burdened byloneliness, deprivation or debt, offering a diverse range of activities under one roof inthe heart of inner city East Leeds, including a second hand shop, education classesand a cafe as well as a counselling service. One service provides support,counselling and opportunities for worship for prisoners.



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Sports: Includes karate, keep fit, sequence dancing, tai chi, and badminton.

Shared meals: Includes tea time together, church and parish lunches. Excludeslunch clubs for the elderly, these are covered under the ‘working with the elderly’category.

Marriage / parenting class: This includes an organisation which runs a multi-faithand multi-racial parent’s resource centre, which includes a playgroup, furthereducation, an inter-faith group, and office space.

Homeless work - homeless outreach, food and drink for homeless peopleon Sundaymornings.

Healthcare: Includes free pregnancy testing, a stroke club. One hospice providesspecialist palliative care for people who have a terminal illness that is advanced,progressive and active, and offer support to their families and carers. Onechaplaincy offers spiritual, pastoral, religious support to NHS patients and staff.

Training programmes: Includes a programme providing education in a wide rangeof subjects and issues from a biblical perspective, and a Christian citizenshipprogramme. One training programme has trainees having training once a weeklooking at theological and social issues, spending 20 hours a week in placementsand a further 10-15 hours in paid employment. Each trainee has a mentor to helpwith character and spiritual development. Another project runs a selection of coursesincluding integrated programmes, retreats on the streets, walks of awareness,seasonal and customised programmes.

Community shops: Includes community clothing and furniture stores. One projecthas community shops in deprived areas providing low cost goods and householditems to disadvantaged individuals and families, offering a listening ear, and whereappropriate, arranging for local members to visit those most in need nine community

shops in deprived areas provide affordable household goods and a social focus forabout 1500 people/week. One community furniture store provides free furniture toabout 50 disadvantaged families per week.

Learning Disability work: Includes a service with a residential home for 8 adultswith autism, and an autism resources centre for 30 adults. One communitymovement brings together people with a learning disability, their carers and friends,particularly young people, to pray, to share and to celebrate together, and groups linkto share outings and pilgrimages. One chaplaincy offers friendship and support toindividuals and families of individuals who have learning disabilities, holds specialservices, raises awareness, and supports church initiative in this area across theDiocese. One project provides supported homes, floating support in the communityand therapeutic daytime activity projects to those with learning disabilities and also to

homeless and vulnerable people.

Addiction work: Includes drug/addiction support meetings, and a project which aimsto show love and concern to all people with connections to addiction and to theirfamilies and friends.

Christian nurture: Includes developing faith and Christian life, attracting others tofaith, care for families and family l ife, care for bereaved and sick, building upnetworks of support for people.



Prostitution work: Outreach to women working in street based prostitution. Oneproject takes food and drinks to the women and build relationships with them, andoffers to help them access professional services, pray for them and befriend them.

Debt counselling (free debt counselling)

Enterprise: One centre runs projects and resources designed to help peopleunderstand the value of faith in the work place. It runs a work place chaplaincycoordinating Christians to places of work, and a faith in the economy project offeringconsultation and information sharing on economic developments in Leeds.

final faithful capital

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