"What has been learned to date?

From a mass of evidence... seven key factors enabling local Christian communities (in Britain and Ireland) to engage effectively in the mission of God in contemporary society have been identified, as follows:

1. FOCUSING VISION. The importance of local churches articulating their specific calling through integrated strategies for community engaging, mature spiritual life, enabling leadership and appropriate structure.

2. BUILDING LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS. The significance of seeking and forming partnerships of action with those with similar concerns in the wider community inside and outside the church.

3. SHARING FAITH AND VALUES. A commitment to exploring respectful and creative ways to share values, aspirations and faith in and beyond church circles in relation to the Gospel story.

4. NOURISHING DAILY LIVING. The critical need for believers old and new to relate biblical faith to personal life, work and culture in society today through worship and reflection.

5. DEVELOPING SHARED LEADERSHIP. The importance of forming in context (clergy-lay and other forms of) team leadership, animated by one another and linked both to church learning institutions and to genuine community participation.

6. BECOMING COMMUNITIES OF LEARNING. Churches at every level need to become places where the lessons about how to be ‘bridge-builders’ with others can be developed, consolidated and extended.

7. WILLINGNESS TO BE ACCOMPANIED.The value of welcoming systematic accompaniment and evaluation in non-directive ways from beyond the local – and the networking of stories and experience in order to be able to look at each other with fresh eyes."
Building Bridges