CHRISTIANS from all denominations are to hear more about putting their churches at the heart of their local communities.

The Rev Steve Chalke

Baptist minister and TV presenter the Rev Steve Chalke will inspire Christians taking part in the Anglican bishop’s ‘Kairos’ initiative. Steve is the founding director of Faithworks, a movement that empowers churches to be at the hub of their communities. This echoes the principles behind the ‘Kairos’ process launched by the Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Kenneth Stevenson, in February.

Steve, who has presented series on BBC and ITV and has written more than 30 books, will speak during a specially-organised service at St John’s RC Cathedral, Edinburgh Road, Portsmouth, at 7pm on October 6. The service will also include worship led by a group from Holy Rood Church, Stubbington, and drama from the Portsmouth-based group, Top Cat Theatre Company.

Before the service, Steve will spend time talking to church leaders and clergy from all denominations from 5.30pm about the practicalities of churches working with each other – and with secular local authorities – to ensure that the Church is trusted as a provider of local services.

Steve, who was awarded the MBE earlier this year for his services to social inclusion, is senior minister of a church in London and founding director of the Oasis Trust, which tackles social issues across the world.

This event will come at an opportune time for Anglican parishes in south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. They are in the middle of collecting information about the social, spiritual and physical needs of people in their local communities as part of the audit phase of the Kairos process.

Steve’s talk is designed to help them as they start to use that raw data to think about how parishes could get involved more effectively in helping to meet those needs.

The audit phase is the latest stage of the bishop’s four-phase Kairos process, which aims to create a Church that has a broader base in its local community, a deeper spiritual understanding, but is leaner in its structures in order that it can respond more quickly to opportunities.

Thousands of Christians from across the diocese were involved in the previous phase, in which they studied the theology behind Kairos. Parishes watched videos presented by Bishop Kenneth that outlined the principles behind the Kairos process, heard sermons on the same theme and discussed the issues in small groups. Virtually all the 250 videos and 5,000 Kairos study booklets produced were snapped up by parishes.

Parishes have now been grouped together in clusters to audit the needs of their communities; to find out what their churches and other denominations, and what secular agencies are already doing to help meet those needs; and to identify where the gaps are.