Our work with churches

We work with churches across the UK to build creative partnerships that bring communities together.

Livability’s work with Churches is changing

After many years of partnering with churches to build inclusive communities we’re changing how we work to achieve greater impact for people with disabilities. We’re now looking to partner with churches located near our services; we intend to support those in our residential homes and in our education establishments in new ways.

Significant barriers still exist which prevent full participation of people with disabilities, including the exploration of faith and spirituality. We‘re excited about new partnerships with churches and other community groups which will help us to overcome these barriers for the people we support. We believe the time has come for us to prioritise this work and we feel called to do so. Our Christian values remain at the heart of all we do, but the expression is taking a different shape.

What’s next?

There will be two strands to our new Community Engagement framework:

The first will focus on building local relationships and training others in inclusive practice using the tools of community development, with the help of those who use our services.
The second, with our inclusive Christian faith at the heart, will establish a chaplaincy and/or pastoral support all of those we support in their faith and spirituality.

Next steps for our previous work

Our Community Engagement team has offered resources, training and support to build connected communities across the UK. We are hugely grateful for the partnerships we have formed over many years and value the relationships we’ve built with so many.

Our training for churches on disability will continue, but will be locally focused in churches near our services. Find your nearest service.
Our resources, which have been downloaded tens of thousands of times, are still available on our website.
We will continue to communicate through our Community Engagement e-news. Sign up here to receive it.

Recent years have seen us working in dementia, disability, community development, mental health and wellbeing. Aspects of these will continue through our partners listed below:

Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries will continue Mental Health Training and Live Well Together. For more information visit their website and contact Corin Pilling.
Andy & Jill Parnham will continue Happiness Course Training and continue to run sessions and offer support to current licensees. For more information email: parnham.wellbeing@gmail.com
Dementia Inclusive Church (Livability will no longer train churches in this area). Charlotte Overton-Hart continues to develop new approaches to dementia inclusion at Story Chaplain.
Christian Community Development – While Livability will no longer offer strategic and theological training/facilitation in Christian Community Development Anna Ruddick continues to work as a community theologian, facilitator and researcher, primarily in the East Midlands.

Thank you for your support

If you have read our blogs, downloaded resources, attended training days, tried out some of our activities, listened to a talk, come to our stand at an event, thank you! Keep going! Keep building strong communities and churches where everyone can feel at home. And where you can, please support us. In the meantime our hope and prayer for you is from Isaiah 58 (The Message version):

“You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.”