Kingdom at Work
Project
Online Handbook
The Basics
The vision is underpinned by the five hallmarks of community - life, liberation, love, learning and leadership (the 5Ls). The 5Ls define and give meaning to the kingdom community as the supreme model of community. Having a firm grasp of the 5Ls and their importance as building blocks of community is fundamental to making our communities the best they can be. The Kingdom at Work model is based on the premise that the 5Ls are already present and active within the world as God-given expressions of community that are truly universal and inclusive in nature. The challenge in implementing the model is that the importance of the 5Ls is not necessarily recognised and, even when it is, evidence of their presence can be patchy - though the 5Ls are present in all sectors of society, including the world of work, they aren't necessarily all found in the same place, to the same extent, or at the same time. However, when steps are taken to encourage them all to take hold and grow, they have the power to transform, enrich and enliven any social grouping, from work communities to society as a whole. As such, the 5Ls provide a frame of reference for us to use when we think about the characteristics of the communities we are part of by enabling us to discern areas of strength, identify where elements of the 5Ls are weak or absent and see the opportunities that exist for improvement. As part of our preparation, we will explore each of the 5Ls in more depth to ensure a shared understanding and basis to work from.
Hallmarks
"The 5Ls define and give meaning to the kingdom community as the supreme expression and model of community"
It is well accepted that people working effectively together, can achieve a whole lot more than people working on their own. This is why 'teamwork' and 'collaboration' are encouraged at work, but creating kingdom community is much more. Practicing the 5Ls will foster relationships that go beyond merely delivering the task in hand and the development of a real community spirit based on mutual respect, concern for each other, along with shared values and aspirations. This concept of community connects people at a much deeper level, bringing the best out of them as individuals and enabling the quality of life for those at work to become more fully human and more fulfilling by being part of it.
The kingdom of God lies at the very heart of Christ's life and teaching. The concept of the kingdom community describes the kind of society and world, including the world of work, that he was totally committed to bring into being and which he spent his ministry explaining using stories of everyday life. The kingdom community implies the transformation of human society at every level - collectively, culturally, spiritually, politically, economically, environmentally, organisationally, technologically, institutionally, internationally - by releasing the power of the 5Ls to create a community that serves the common good and ensures the physical, mental and material health and wellbeing of humankind and conservation of the planet we inhabit.
The Kingdom at Work model depends on like-minded people discerning the presence and activity of the 5Ls in society and their work situations and then being committed and equipped to help encourage and nourish them to enable communal transformation to take place. As part of this process, we will consider each of the 5Ls in more depth to build the knowledge and understanding required for users to feel confident applying them at work.