Cities and communities full of celebration; basic food, housing and belonging needs met; young and old contributing meaningfully to society; people living lives that contribute to the common good; all in a reconciled relationship with God? The prophet Isaiah believes this is not only possible, but that in fact it is God’s design for our communities.

For our world to reflect this image, it needs to be transformed. To effectively engage in the work of transformation, we need to answer some fundamental questions: How can God’s Kingdom be expressed in such a way that encourages the Church to actively engage in the community? What is the internal shape of the Church necessary for effective engagement? What’s the cultural context of our communities and cities? And what are some concrete methods and connecting points we can use to engage?

Starting with a snapshot of Australian society Building Communities of the Kingdom goes onto build a contextualized theology around the important task of community development. A selection of stories from the field and personal reflections set a lively tone and help to ground the theories and concepts.