Criteria for Project and Action Conversation listing

Future Church In Action is a action learning based project clearing house not a social network. It is aimed at linking congregations which are actually doing something in the outside world of nuts and bolts, ‘doing’, so to speak, or thinking seriously about ‘doing’ or determined to ‘do’ something, rather than only head ‘thinking’ – the world of ideas. Further ‘doing’ here means actual action in the physical world again rather than purely head or ‘thinking’ type activities such as writing or talking. This is not to suggest that the latter are unimportant. Far from it yet, to make a difference, we still need to able to take our ‘thinking’, writing and talking about our project ideas into the real world by having conversations about them with the intent of actioning i.e. actually ‘doing’ them. Further many of the ideas and projects can be helping others through the process of caring and engaging without actually ‘doing’ anything as such in the outside world, and finally even for prototypes we need to grow and develop our churches and communities are already in existence, we just need to implement i.e. ‘do’ them. This site aims to help us ‘do’ all three.

That’s why we formed this site – in order to seek to redress this and to learn from our actions.
By initiative we do mean these approaches:
(Y1) A project as a project – where you put your ideas to work in the real or physical world in order to extend your congregation or assist your community – doing things – see categories.
(Y2) An idea for a project – where you are getting your ideas into order through an ‘action conversation’ prior to undertaking an actual project – ideas about doing things – see conversations.

There are however many initiatives that focus on socialising rather than action and ideas rather than their implementation.

By initiative we do not mean these approaches:
(N1) Conviviality, socials, get togethers – this is a category of projects that may be called ‘friendship’ or ‘community’ or ‘conviviality’ or similar – our way of doing things
(N2) Ideas – there is no category ‘An idea as a project’.
For (Y1) we suggest your group nominate a person to fill in the project form which we will then put on our website and this will allow you to link via. categories to other related projects
For (Y2) we anticipate that you may wish to discuss your ideas with others, inc. us, to help focus them even harden them for actual enactment.

For (N1) we suggest adult fellowship or the UCA lay forum site http://www.layforum.unitingchurch.org.au/ and http://assembly.uca.org.au/fellowship/
For (N2) we suggest a think tank for instance on strategic ideas for mission etc.

For example: Candle making that makes actual candles (Y1) would whereas a plan to make candles would also (Y2) or even less a chat shop group to discuss a plan to make candles would not. Implementing a new order of service also would not could be included as (N1), and discussing the development of a project to re-organise a Sunday School or young people’s program of activities would be an ‘conversation’ and included as (Y2). Similarly a program for supporting social need in your community would be (Y2), whereas an idea to generate ideas bout innovative method of organising the church leadership team would not (N2).

The editorial group reserves the right to decline to include a particular project or conversation depending on these criteria.

Paul Wildman, Paul Inglis, Duncan Macleod
c/- the editorial team for Future Church In Action –
A Project of the Lay Forum – 15-06-2009: V7