Diocesan News13 May 11

Churches Go The Extra Mile for Local Communities

A new book entitled The Extra Mile has being launched at the General Synod in Armagh this week. It is designed to help churches find new and imaginative ways to serve practical needs in their local community.

Rev Robert Miller, Archbishop Michael Jackson, Bishop Ken Good and Rev Earl Storey at launch of The Extra Mile

There is much talk about ideas such as the Big Society at present. The truth is that many people all across our community, including in churches, already work hard for their own locality. It is also true that the place of churches in local communities is changing and members are re-imagining their role.

The Extra Mile aims to do two things very simply. The first is to help church members see where volunteering their time and energy to meet the practical needs of others fits into what the church is meant to be about. Moving on from that it helps the reader to look at some of the practical questions a church should ask itself when wanting to engage in community work.

Archbishop Michael Jackson, in launching the book said, “The Extra Mile encourages people of all generations to do simple things. It manages to communicate that it is the simple things people do that can make the real difference”.

The Extra Mile was written by two members of the Church of Ireland diocese of Derry and Raphoe, Rev Robert Miller and Rev Earl Storey. Also speaking at the launch Bishop Ken Good (Derry and Raphoe diocese) said “This book is accessible, practical, down to earth and relevant not just to churches but to community groups as well”

The Extra Mile is available free of charge at The Diocesan Office, London Street in Londonderry or by visiting www.derry.anglican.org It was funded by the Derry and Raphoe Diocesan Volunteering Project through the Department for Social Development and the Department for Rural, Community and Gaeltacht Affairs.