Kingdom at Work
Project
Online Handbook
The Basics
This handbook is based on a vision of community - the kingdom community. We are social beings and so, for us to thrive and fulfil our potential, we need communities where everyone feels safe and appreciated for who they are, where their input is valued, where there is a spirit of togetherness and sense of belonging. The main aim of this Handbook is to help you realise the importance of building community in all walks of life but especially at work because it represents such a large part of our lives. Before you can move into the practical section of the Handbook, you need to understand the vision of community that underpins it and the hallmarks that define it. Only with this knowledge will you be able to reflect on your work community and discern what might need to change. By helping you to transform your work community so that the lives of everyone belonging to it or interacting with it are enriched by the experience, the hope is the effects will spread so that ultimately the quality of life of society and the wider world will be similarly transformed.
Vision
"The bottom-line is that nothing will change unless we commit to being part of the change that’s required. Community has to be built and maintained by its members."
Sociology has long stressed the importance of community to human development and wellbeing, in terms of the identity, value, security, sense of belonging, common purpose, sharing and learning opportunities that community brings. Open, inclusive, respectful and supportive communities are the foundation of a caring, compassionate and progressive society and provide hope for peace and reconciliation in a divided world.
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This vision of community aligns with Christian understanding of the Kingdom of God. At its heart is a concept of creation that recognises the interconnectedness of the World and all its inhabitants. However, this kind of community isn’t naturally occurring. The reality of our situation is a long way from it. When we look around, it is clear that social groups don’t always display these qualities and behaviours. Communities can be subverted by self-interest, inequality and controlling forms of leadership so that they become closed, insular and exclusive.
The idea of ‘building the Kingdom’ is about building community. It is essentially a process of reconciliation to redefine and rebalance relationships between God, humanity and the World to create an environment in which all can survive and thrive. Christ was totally committed to bringing this about by challenging the ideas and vested interests of his day. He spent his ministry describing and demonstrating how attitudes and behaviours needed to change through stories of everyday life and his encounters with others. Ultimately, it cost him his life but his spirit and vision lives on.