Transformation Cornwall (TC) is an ecumenical partnership between the Diocese of Truro, the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Methodist District, Churches Together in Cornwall, and the Church Urban Fund. TC strengthens faith based social action, and our vision is to see faith in action at the heart of flourishing communities in Cornwall. We work with any and all Churches, people, and groups in that aim to tackle poverty, deprivation, and disadvantage.
Many Churches and faith groups in Cornwall are firmly embedded in their communities and are working tirelessly to better the lives of the people they serve. Transformation Cornwall’s role here is to help nurture and build the capacity of these groups to effectively carry out their projects and bring about change. We work in a number of ways, including one-to-one bespoke support, our Meet the Funders programme, and more recently, through our ‘Tools for Change’ initiative.
As part of our ‘Tools for Change’ project, we partner with community groups to develop toolkits which take readers through the key stages of making impactful change in areas such as anti-slavery, racism, or climate care. We know that these themes can sometimes seem immense so our toolkits are designed as introductory material which include light reading, prayers, reflections, sermon ideas, and signposting to further resources. They are intended to be accessible to all and thoroughly ecumenical, meaning Christians of all denominations are invited to participate in the vital work of social action.
Protectors of Creation
Our latest project has been a Creation Justice Toolkit for Cornish Churches. This toolkit was put together as a collaboration between Churches Together in Cornwall, Transformation Cornwall, All Saints Highertown, the Diocese of Truro, and Green Christian. Within the toolkit we have included all of the above and a series of interviews with young Christians on how they would like to see the Church respond to the climate crisis. The climate crisis is undoubtedly an immense challenge, but it isn’t one we should shy away from as Christians. Reading the Bible in the context of climate change reveals to us a vision of hope in God’s faithfulness to creation, and a call to practise love and justice to our human and non-human neighbours. In response to this hope, we are invited to participate in the healing of creation through prayer, preaching, and urgent action to reduce carbon emissions across our personal and Church lives. In other words, the hope of Christ lies in the action we take now to heal and restore his good creation and protect those most threatened by climate change.
Although the toolkit is written from a Cornish perspective, many of the resources and ideas are applicable well beyond the Tamar. We really hope that readers find the contents challenging, inspiring, and helpful.
Please feel free to follow Transformation Cornwall via our website or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube to keep up to date with any future toolkits.