When David Bown arrived in Wythenshawe, one of the largest housing estates in Europe, in the conurbation of Manchester, he found five Methodist churches struggling for survival. It would have been easy to close and concentrate the membership in one place, as a rational way of ‘managing decline’. But David wanted none of that. He set about working to devise a strategy for the future which built on the vibrancy and creativity of the local people. He went on to devise a myriad of tactical responses, based on the needs and opportunities he found.
The resulting 36 regeneration projects, which ranged from street dance to alternative therapies, and from rummage sales to community lunches, connected the people, activities and organisations in the communities around the 5 churches, creating a pathway to the Kingdom of God for ordinary working class people.
Foreword: Good News for the Working Class
A Compulsion to Share the Kingdom of God
How It All Began
Chapter 1: The Kingdom of God as the Foundation for Everyone
Chapter 2: The Kingdom of God; Its Principles and Values
Chapter 3: The Kingdom of God seen through Innovative Project Work 65
Chapter 4: The Kingdom of God seen through Testimony and Solidarity
Chapter 5: The Kingdom of God seen through Conviviality and Therapy
Chapter 6: The Kingdom of God seen through the Liturgies of the People
Chapter 7: The Kingdom of God seen through Portraits of Unforgettable People
Chapter 8: Ups and Downs
Frequently Asked Questions
Epilogue
Glossary
Bibliography
Biblical References