Art of the Possible
Introduction
Does politics have a role in the Church or is it a distraction from our mission? Is politics about compromise - what is possible - when our Christian faith is about truth?
At a time when a lot of people say they are turned off by politics, many people in our churches are still concerned about what is going on in our world. What does politics mean for our faith - and what should our faith mean for our politics?
The Art of the Possible is a resource produced by the Joint Public Issues Team of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church to help people to explore these questions.
About the sessions
Each session begins and ends with a prayer - you may wish to use the prayers provided or have time for silent or shared reflection.
People learn in different ways - each session contains a variety of learning activities, eg doing, listening, thinking visually, discussing, studying the bible, and reflecting. Depending on the balance of your group, some ways may work better than others...
About the group facilitator
Each session will require preparation from you, the leader.
The leader's notes offer guidance on the structure, input and activities for each session. Do not feel you need to stick rigidly to this - you know your group and what will work.
Activities are inset in bold together with a suggested timeframe.
Input is in normal type. You will not want to read these sections out to the group as they will make for very boring sessions. Instead try reading through them beforehand to identify what you think are the important things that the group takes away. Then either use these points to guide a discussion or summarise what the learning points might be.
You may choose to work with a co-leader to prepare these sessions.
About the authors
The Art of the Possible was written by David Bradwell, Rosemary Kidd, Rachel Lampard, Graham Sparkes and Geoff Thorington Hassell, with illustrations by Steve Walker, on behalf of the Joint Public Issues Team of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church.
The Joint Public Issues Team was set up to work together in living out the gospel of Christ in the church and in society. The Team aims to promote equality and justice by influencing those in power and by energising and affirming local congregations. It has produced The Art of the Possible to help churches to explore the importance of Christian engagement with public issues.
We want to learn from your comments and improve future editions of this resource. Please complete the evaluation forms at the end of session six and return them to us.
Download the Sessions
Session 1: What does God look like?
Leader's Notes Handout 1 - Biographies of people and movements Handout 2 - Jesus in Scripture
Session 2: Where's the Justice?
Leader's Notes Handout - Symbols of Justice
Session 3: Change Makers
Leader's Notes Handout - Political Bingo
Session 4: Church and State
Leader's Notes Handout 1 - Hymns Handout 2 - Church and state roleplay
Session 5: Parliament
Leader's Notes Handout 1 - How well do you know Parliament? Handout 2 - Devolution
Session 6: Politics in the here and now
Leader's Notes Handout - The Pastoral Cycle
Evaluation
Evaluation Form for Group Members Evaluation Form for Group Leaders
Thank you for exploring the links between faith and the world of politics. We hope that this will be a useful resource for you and your church as you discern what God is calling you to in your local community and in the wider world.
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