Part 21. Community engagement

Many manuals have been published on the subject of community engagement/development. All the writing in the world does not prepare you for the issues to be faced initially when out in the field. It's a bit like learning to drive: all the theory is of little use when you take the controls for the first time.

Community engagement/development is an industry. Community engagement/development staff are to be found in local authorities, housing associations, churches, NHS, police forces and voluntary organisations. All backed up by providers of training courses and qualifications, not forgetting the development of tools to measure engagement: inputs, outputs  interim outcomes and final outcomes. Then there is the raft of funders and the army of people trained to apply for funds. 

Add to this various government initiatives: Community Plans, Community Legal Services Partnerships, Partners and Communities Together.  The Lottery Community Fund made funds available for the Health of Communities Together Fund.  Doubtless people living in areas of severe deprivation are impressed by all this activity!

It is a huge circus and I regard it with deep cynicism. This is not to demean the practitioners who have the wellbeing of people at the heart of what they do and often are engaged in posts with uncertain futures given the vagaries of time limited funding.

The sad reality is that huge resources have been dedicated to patching up a failing system.  When the ship is in danger of sinking you mend the leak. You do not rearrange the seating. 

However I do not advocate that churches and individual Christians walk away. The Christian voice needs to be heard.  We must not withdraw into piety bubbles and become introspective.   That was not how Jesus went about his ministry and we can hardly love our neighbour if we are not out there.