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The fruit of two years of 'deep listening' in five different estate neighbourhoods across England, Finding the Treasure brings together local ministers and academic theologians to attend to the voices of estates residents. What do they love about the place they're in? What brings them joy as well as grief? And what do hope and good news look like?
Rooted in the real-life contexts of these local communities, rich in theological insights, and bold in the challenges it presents to the wider Church, Finding the Treasure offers inspiration and practical guidance for readers willing to engage in similar deep listening within their own communities.
In areas and churches that have all too often been labelled 'needy', 'failing' and 'deprived', Finding the Treasure shines a spotlight on an abundance of wisdom and resourcefulness, faith, hope and love that can be found in our estate churches, neighbourhoods, and beyond.
— Ann Morisy, Community Theologian and author of the bestselling Beyond the Good Samaritan and Journey
This is not a book for the theologically faint-hearted. It is deconstructive, wild, brave, and disturbing. It's the theological equivalent of a Big Dipper ride . . . This is an asset-based theology to challenge the deficit-based missiology that pervades much of the Church today.
— Adrian Newman, Church Times on Interrupting the Church's Flow by Al Barrett
Buy this book, but don't leave it on the shelf: hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest.
— Ann Morisy, Church Times, on Being Interrupted by Al Barrett and Ruth Harley
. . . a creative, interdisciplinary contextual missiology, which breaks new ground by incorporating a multidimensional analysis (race, class and gender) . . . an essential 'action book' for individual Christians and churches seeking to interrupt the long history of oppression(s) from, and in British churches.
— Robert Beckford, on Being Interrupted by Al Barrett and Ruth Harley
Contexts and contributors xi
Introduction 1
1 Finding the treasure: Rooting our reflections 7
2 Wythenshawe: The Garden City of God 15
3 Twydall: From here to the church 31
4 Rubery: Borders and boundaries 46
5 Eltham: The limits of being Christian 55
6 Durrington: The place of beauty 70
7 Listening for good news: Reflections on the process 82
8 How can I do this where I am? 97
The Twydall Declaration 100
Notes 103