Research Reports

Our latest report is Organising for Growth: Growing inner-city churches in number, depth and impact which tells the story of our most recent work with Church of England parishes and Citizens UK.

In November, we will be launching Not Only With Words: Synodality, Community Organising and Catholic Social Action – the fruit of our participatory research on community organising and the Catholic Church’s Synodal process.

Community Organising and the Local Church reports

Organising for Growth
Growing inner-city churches in number, depth and impact
CTC / Church of England
2024
People of Power
How Community Organising recalls the Church to the vision of the Gospel
Angus Ritchie
CTC
2019
Realities are Greater than Ideas
Evangelisation, Catholicism and Community Organising
Dunstan Rodrigues with Angus Ritchie and Anna Rowlands
CTC
2018
Heart to Heart
Community Organising and the Power of Storytelling for Churches
Caitlin Burbridge
CTC
2015
Marching Towards Justice
Community Organising and The Salvation Army
Lieutenants John & Naomi Clifton and Majors Kerry & Nick Coke
CTC
2015

A companion study guide for use with Marching Towards Justice is here.

A Spanish translation of the report is here.

Theology for the Local Church reports

Grassroots Theologies of Inter Faith Encounter
Julia Ipgrave
CTC
2015
From Houses to Homes
Faith, power and the housing crisis
Edited by Angus Ritchie and Sarah Hutt
CTC
2016
Church Growth in East London
A Grassroots View
Beth Green, Tim Thorlby & Angus Ritchie, with Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell
CTC
2016
Just Church
Local Congregations transforming their neighbourhoods
Angus Ritchie, Caitlin Burbridge & Andy Walton
CTC
2013
God and the Moneylenders
Faith and the battle against exploitative lending
Angus Ritchie & David Barclay
CTC
2013

Research for the Local Church reports

21st Century Stewards
The rise of operational management in churches and the need for new vocations
Tim Thorlby
CTC
2017
A Time To Sow
Anglican Catholic Church Growth in London
Tim Thorlby
CTC
2017
Assets Not Burdens
Using church property to accelerate mission
Tim Thorlby
CTC
2017

Two case studies of churches using buildings for mission:

Carry Each Other’s Burdens
How Churches can better support those serving on the margins
Laura Bagley
CTC
2017
Love, Sweat and Tears
Church Planting in east London
Tim Thorlby
CTC
2016
Our Common Heritage
Housing associations and churches working together
Tim Thorlby & Alison Gelder
CTC
2015

Executive Summary here

Deep Calls to Deep
Monasticism for the City; Experiences from East London
Tim Thorlby & Angus Ritchie
CTC
2015
Churches Collaborating for Urban Mission
Learning from the Shoreditch Group
Tim Thorlby
CTC
2014
Taking back the streets
Citizens’ responses to the 2011 riots
Angus Ritchie & Caitlin Burbridge
CTC
2013

Other reports

Building Community
Local Church Responses to the Housing Crisis
Miriam Brittenden & Tom Sefton
CTC/Church of England
2019
Abide in me
Catholic Social Thought and Action on Housing Challenges in England and Wales
CTC / Caritas Social Action Network / Catholic Bishops of England & Wales
2018
Money Talks
Christian Responses to Debt in the North East and London
CTC / Durham University
2017
Too Old, Too Young?
Theology on the Ambiguity of adolescence and the impact of neglect
Angus Ritchie, Rowan Williams et al
Children’s Society
2015
Keeping the faith
A short guide for faith-based organisations
CTC / Theos
2015
Who Bears the Burden?
Christian theology and the impact of debt on children
Edited by Angus Ritchie
Children’s Society
2014
Tax for the Common Good
A study of tax and morality
Angus Ritchie et al
Christian Aid
2014
The Case for Christian Humanism
Why Christians should believe in humanism, and humanists in Christianity
Angus Ritchie and Nick Spencer
Theos
2014
Making Multiculturalism Work
Enabling practical action across deep difference
David Barclay
Theos
2013
From Goodness to God
Why religion makes sense of our moral commitments
Angus Ritchie
Theos
2012
The Gospel and the rich
Theological views of tax
Paula Clifford & Angus Ritchie
Christian Aid
2009
Winning Ideas
Lessons from free-market economics
Angus Ritchie and Sabina Alkire
Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative
2008