Frequently Asked Questions
Growing Good
What is Growing Good?
Growing Good is a community of people and churches who are committed to growing fruitful churches and flourishing communities.
To support the Growing Good movement, Church Urban Fund has developed the Growing Good Toolkit. This includes a six-module course to help churches connect the dots between social action, discipleship, and growth. The toolkit combines biblical reflection and practical insight to equip churches to grow in faithfulness and fruitfulness.
The toolkit is based on three years of research in churches all across England. You can read more about the research here.
Church Urban Fund
Who are Church Urban Fund (CUF)?
CUF was established by the Church of England as a practical response to unmet need and has been active in local communities for over 30 years.
We work through three core organisational streams, to deliver our vision of people and communities all over England flourishing and enjoying life in all its fullness. These are: Together Network, Near Neighbours, and Just Finance Foundation.
The Growing Good Toolkit
Who is the toolkit for?
The Growing Good Toolkit is for local churches who are committed to holistic growth and want to integrate social action, discipleship, and growth. The toolkit can be used by churches of all traditions. Whether your church is big or small, urban or rural, well-established or brand new, we believe this resource is relevant for you and your community.
How do I access the toolkit?
Complete the sign up form and create an account. Once you've activated your account you can login by clicking LOGIN on the top right hand corner of the Homepage. Once logged in, you can download all of the session guides and films or revisit the Toolkit as often as you like.
If you encounter any issues please contact us.
How much does the toolkit cost?
It’s free!
What is included in the Growing Good materials?
Each session has a session guide and film. There is also an intro film for you to download and share with your group before your first session together.
Do I need training to use the toolkit in my church?
No. The session guides and films are all you need. If you would like any further support in running Growing Good in your church, please contact us here.
Who should I involve in my Growing Good small group?
We encourage you to involve a variety of people from your church who will bring different perspectives. The material is accessible and engaging and does not assume any theological training. A group of 6-8 people works well, but you can include more or fewer. You can use the material in a small group Bible study, ministry team, or PCC.
Can I use the toolkit online?
Yes. If you choose to use the material online, then whoever is facilitating your group can share the session guides on their screen. You might want to suggest that your group members print off the session guides at home so that they can take notes during your time together. For the films, one option is for the facilitator to play them on your shared screen. Another option is to send the link to the films and have group members watch them separately during that 5-minute period and then reconvene.
Do we have to use all six sessions in our church?
No. You are welcome to use all six sessions, or to pick and choose the sessions that are most relevant to your context right now.
Do I need a session guide for each participant?
The session guide is primarily for the facilitator/session leader. Therefore you do not need to provide a copy for each participant. However, it might be useful to have a few extra copies if you want to ask different people to read out the bible passage or the closing prayer.
If you intend on splitting your group up for any activities, you will also need enough copies of the relevant pages e.g. the table on page 4 of the Presence session guide.
Tips on using the session activities
Some of the sessions include a group activity that will require a small amount of preparation, including gathering a few resources:
Presence session: A map of your parish or local area and stickers or pens. For parish maps go to: www.achurchnearyou.com
Perseverance session: Enough copies of the table on page 4 (if you are going to split into smaller groups) and pens.
Adaptability session: Enough copies of the table on page 4 (if you are going to split into smaller groups) and pens.
Participation session: Optional - copies of the Head Heart Hands activity if you choose to use this.
Next Steps session: Enough copies of pages 2 & 3 (or blank paper) for everyone; An audio version of ‘Your labor is not in vain’.
Using the parish look up tool (linked from the Presence session) outside England
The CUF parish look up tool draws on data for every parish in England. We are looking for similar tools that cover other areas of the British Isles. Please contact us if you can help with this!
Who developed the Growing Good Toolkit?
The toolkit is based on three years of research by Theos and Church Urban Fund (CUF). The research looked at over 60 churches all across England, to better understand how social action, discipleship, and growth fit together on the ground. In developing the toolkit content, CUF involved church leaders, ministry training coordinators, and community workers.
How can we share feedback on the toolkit?
After you’ve used the toolkit, we’d love to hear your feedback here: Share your feedback
Where can we find more resources to put our ideas into action?
On the Growing Good website, you can find lots of resources that can help you translate your ideas into action.