Categories: uncategorized
Date: 30 March 2008 18:57:29
I sent off a bunch of letters to various organisations today, to see if any could contribute towards the funding or could point me in the direction of any trusts or organisations which may be able to get involved.
I have decided though, that just incase anybody is aware of any obscure funding bodies which might like to contribute to my package, (I am just as interested in applying for / recieving small contributions as well as big ones because it might just be that recieving a bunch of small grants is what makes this happen), I will post a brief overview of what I want to do on here. I know that you all know where my passion lies, but this is the tarted up version incase you happen to be in a position to copy and paste it back into a word doc to give to anybody. To clarify I have been accepted at a very good UK uni to start my Master of Letters (M Litt) - postgraduate research degree -this autumn with the possibility it may be upgraded to a PhD part way through. In terms of who I am key facts are: lone parent, female, mid-30's, already have various qualifications inc. MA in Applied Theology and have been a teacher in FE for the last 7 years.
Synopsis of research:
Including “The Other”—
Social Inclusion within Evangelical Congregations
The main aim of my research is to identify best practice in promoting social inclusion within UK evangelical churches. A secondary research aim will be to identify where the structure or practice of individual local churches is leading to people experiencing exclusion in some way. My focus will be on exploring the experience of those who are part of evangelical congregations, yet who are often referred to as “the other”. This primarily means such groups as lone parents, single people (without children) and those with a non-heterosexual sexuality. I intend to conclude the project by giving research-based recommendations on how inclusiveness amongst such groups can be more effectively promoted. Part of this will involve answering the question “in order to be an inclusive local church in late modern society, are approaches based around concepts of household more useful than those based around concepts of family?”
I intend using primarily qualitative research methods including questionnaires and in depth unstructured interviews with both church leaders and with attenders who fit into those categories I have identified as being “the other”. Through my research I will seek to encourage those I interview to reflect upon their own experiences.
I have already underlined that I believe it is important to give those groups often implied to be “the other” a voice, but I also believe it is important to give the leaders of the churches they worship in a voice as well. One reason for this is that too often debates around the family and sexuality have been reduced to, or portrayed as “fierce dialectic and polarised rhetoric” (Bradshaw, 2003,p1). I believe that if I can illustrate that there are those holding varying opinions who are none-the-less worshipping and building community together, (as is actually the case in an increasing number of evangelical churches), it will be a step forward. It will help reclaim the middle ground of constructive engagement that has been taken away by those of opposing views, who see no such centre. In my view this lack of middle ground has, in part, been caused by a culture of silence produced amongst ministers as well as the laity by the fear of disagreement on these issues.
Secondly I believe giving a voice to these “others” is important for both mission in late modern society and for seeking to address the decline of the church within the UK. One of the significant reasons for people leaving broadly evangelical churches, according to Jamieson (2003), Tomlinson (2002) and Lynch (2003) is the belief that churches are neglecting the concerns of, or being antagonistic towards, the types of groups I have indicated. If we are going to connect with those in wider society who have these social characteristics, and if we want to help support those on the edges of our churches, I believe we need to show what good, inclusive practice already actually exists and how inclusive practice can be further developed.