Sowing Seeds with Songs of Joy: Growing God’s Garden In Forgotten Places

"Churches with the fewest resources face the highest and most complex needs." Most books about church in areas of deprivation focus on urban and estate contexts, however this book understands the catchment area extends to rural and coastal areas, recognising that a key demographic of these areas is those with a disability. Using a mix of personal anecdote, interviews with church leaders and social research, alongside extended reflection on Scripture, this book aims to help those with few resources see who and what God has given them and build from there. It commends the reader to look locally, plough their field, throw on fertiliser, and see what grows. The challenge is to let the church reflect what appears, not prune on the assumption of a preconceived vision. Leaders must not be slaves to a system or structure, but servants of the people God has given them, growing them to His glory and service. Where this happens one sees that while you need more skills to lead this kind of church compared to a larger one, God is with you and does provide. Jonathan Macy is a Vicar in South East London & Chair of NECN (National Estate Churches Network)