The thinking behind the course
Tearfund and Livability share a passion to equip local churches to put a commitment to the gospel into practical action. We believe that the mission God calls us to is holistic, or integral, encompassing prayer, proclamation, practical service and political action.
The Just People? six-week interactive course brings together down-to-earth theology, reflection, inspiration and experience with practical exercises. It will help your church or youth group grapple with issues of justice and poverty and think practically about how they can respond effectively as an integral part of their mission.
The course is also supported by the Micah Challenge UK, a coalition of Christian organisations and churches in Britain, united in their concern to fight poverty.
Course overview
Micah 6:8: justice, mercy and humility before God
One passage sums up the aims and focus of the course better than any other and this is Micah 6:6-8, in which the prophet asks God what is required of him:
‘With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
The answer, comes in verse 8:
‘He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercyand to walk humbly with your God.’
What does God ask of us and our church? What does it mean to live out what we discover, both in our local community and globally?
These are the questions that Just People is designed to help you begin to address.
The big idea: integral mission
Just People? explores the notion that Christian mission cannot be reduced to either verbal proclamation of the good news or social activism on their own. Authentic Christian discipleship and mission combine personal and social transformation; words and actions.
What is integral mission?
Integral mission is a new way to explain a very old concept. It has emerged from the church in Latin America to describe joined-up or holistic Christian mission that involves actions and words. ‘Pan integral’ means wholemeal bread, bread with no part of the grain left out. Similarly, integral missio is more than lots of things held together, it communicates the fullness and integrity of mission which leaves nothing out, embracing the fullness of God's work to restore and redeem the whole of creation.
integral mission communicates the fullness and integrity of mission which leaves nothing out, embracing the fullness of God’s work to restore and redeem the whole of creation.
It is a concept very much rooted in the Bible’s insistence that faith and action must go hand in hand. ‘Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.’ (James 2:17) The biblical challenge is to integrate our faith with our actions. We need to talk about mission in an integrated way that draws together the different aspects of the church’s activity, rather than drives them apart. One of the greatest debates has been between the importance of ‘proclaiming’ the gospel and ‘demonstrating’ the gospel through actions. We contend that promoting either at the expense of the other sends mission in an unhealthy and unbiblical direction.
For more on community mission and the thinking behind the course, read Jon Kuhrt's article Getting started in community mission
The name: are we Just People?
The course title Just People? asks two questions:
Firstly, are Christians just people who are concerned to see a world marked by greater equality and opportunity for all? Are we ready and willing to combat poverty, injustice and oppression? Does the UK church carry the radical and challenging message of prophets such as Micah? Are we embodying the values of God’s kingdom here on earth, as Jesus taught us? Is the gospel we speak actually good news for the poor in any real sense?
Secondly, are Christians just people – ordinary, flawed human beings who can’t really do much about these huge issues? Everyone wishes the world was a better place and most people want to see justice but what can we actually do about it? Surely it’s a job for governments and big corporations? What can a group of people – a small, local church – actually do to make a difference in a complex world of injustice?
A journey of discovery
We ask these questions because we believe that the UK church as a whole needs to wrestle with them. But the answers that will emerge as a result of this course will not be prescriptive and there is no blueprint for local actions. The key aspect of this course is that we encourage an honest and open engagement with what the gospel means for us today. Community Mission believes that the radical message of justice in Scripture needs to be re-awakened in the life of the church. We believe that faithfulness to God’s word leads to a passion for justice and a personal and collective lifestyle that bears witness to it.
Community Mission believes that the radical message of justice in Scripture needs to be re-awakened in the life of the church. We believe that faithfulness to God’s word leads to a passion for justice and a personal and collective lifestyle that bears witness to it.
We need to be just people. Community Mission also believes that when the church is faithful to the gospel of the kingdom and courageous in living it out, there is no limit to what can be achieved. We are not just people if we have the power of the living God working through us. It is God who enables us to fulfil our highest calling – to be the body of Christ in a broken world.
An honest and open space
The course is participatory; every week there is space for people to share their own experiences, their own journey, their questions, and to engage in small groups with Bible passages about injustice and poverty. It is important that this course provides a safe place for people to discuss these issues, to wrestle with the challenges of our context and God’s word, and to allow God’s Spirit to lead them to respond.
Structure of sessions
The course divided into six sessions, plus a day of action.
1. ROOTS - The theology behind the Christian concern for justice
2. MISSION - The joined-up, or integral, mission we are called to
3. COMPASSION - A church that is merciful and compassionate
4. POLITICS - A church that works for justice
5. CHURCH - what does all this mean for how we operate as a church?
6. COST - the personal challenge for us to be just people
Plus, ACTION! - apractical day or event that embodies activism for compassion and/orjustice. This is an opportunity to take collective action that gives anexperience to reflect on and learn from
The structure of each session
The large and small group sessions have a different structure to them, but they all involve the following elements:
1. Feedback on last week’s take-away action
2. Case study from another church (2-3 minute film on DVD)
3. Biblical input (on DVD or presented as a talk)
4. Discussion
5. Action (to take away)
Which version?
The main/adult course is aimed at two different groups – which we have divided into ‘large groups’ and ‘small groups’. If you plan to use the course with your homegroup or cell group, and the number of people is 12 or less, then the small group version is probably the best one to use. It is also designed as an ‘off-the-shelf’ package to suit those leaders who only have time for minimal preparation before each week’s meeting.
Youth & Student versions are now available for purchase online for the bargain price of just £2. Buy yours now!
A Northern Ireland version is also available. Please call 028 9068 2828 for more information and to request your copy.