This document describes the history and context of the Dandelion Community, a spiritual community that was formerly a United Reformed Church congregation in Wythenshawe, Manchester. It provides background on Wythenshawe and the church's Presbyterian and Congregational roots. It then discusses the community's approaches to theology, including listening to the context and stories of people. It also describes the transition from one congregation to multiple congregations or "streams," including a two-year process involving prayer, interpretation, and discussions around images like a river, bread, apple tree, and dandelion. The community ultimately took on the name "The Dandelion Community" to represent its approach.

1. The Dandelion
Community
A spiritual community A United Reformed Church
Wythenshawe
Facebook: The Dandelion Community
Web & Blog: The Dandelion Community

2. Context of Wythenshawe
 Wythenshawe 75,000 people in 6 areas – Northern Moor,
Northenden, Baguley, Peel Hall, Benchill & Woodhouse
Park (14,000 residents)
 High levels of ill health & unemployment, around 55%
residents in housing trust homes, 2 high school
academies, high investment in regeneration
 Wythenshawe – The Garden City of Manchester – was
gifted farmland by Lord Simon (Simonsway named after
him), large Wythenshawe Hall & Park, lots of
greenspaces, trees over 60 yrs old, ancient fruit varieties

3. Churches & URC
 About 26 churches Portuguese and Tamil speaking
 4 Reformed congregations in different Wythenshawe
locations with a Reformed presence since 1862
 United into 1 church on 1 site in 1959 – attendance
around 50 people Sunday worship
 Congregational & Presbyterian roots became a United
Reformed Church
 Traditional church with minister, deaconess, elders,
deacons, members, adherents
 Community ministries & community outreach -1980s

4. Approaches to
doing
theology here:
• Early on people told me ‘
we are a practical church
not a spiritual church’ – I
did and didn’t believe it!
• We worked to bring these
aspects together
• I assumed theology is done
first and reflected on
second and that the bible is
a participant in
conversation
• All elders are the spiritual
leadership team with the
minister
‘We are a practical
church not a spiritual
church’
If the church is a river
where are our blocks, &
where are we flowing?
I had a dream about…

5. Approaches to making
theo/alogy
 There are different ways and different people to try
them but I lead by Seeing Interpreting Acting (See
Judge Act)
 Listen into the context, discern, translate and
interpret what is done, by whom, how, what is said,
by whom and how
 Listen into the stories of people, place & power
 Listen and look for what Spirit is already doing –
fruits are: peacemaking, tending the powerless,
hope, courage, living witnesses to alternative ways

6. Theology in practice
 The church is a movement and not primarily an
institution
 The Spirit is at work in the world and we join in
with it anywhere and with anyone
 God, Jesus, the Bible, prayer and healing salvation
are open to all and people do not need a mediator
such as the church but a community if co-
conspirators – to breathe together, and be
companions

7. Where is Spirit – what is
she doing
 Everyday & regular rituals – cooking, collecting
benefits, going to sign on, meeting in the café,
watching tv, playing bingo, walking to volunteer –
all involve opportunities – Reading the Bible in
public with 4 people – Acts as main focus
 Change is all around us in the seasons and in
natural world – notice and become more aware of
this in the Garden City – growing, cooking,
planting, eating

8. Transition
 1 congregation to 3 congregations or more –
through streams
 2 year process of prayer, waiting, dreaming with
bible and interpretation, trust and expectancy
 4 images: river, bread, apple tree and dandelion –
presented 2 to the Sunday morning congregation
and 2 in many conversations (elders tried to have 5-
10 conversations each about them over several
months) & dandelion stood out…

9. Dandelion
 Who are we now
 How are we now
 What are we saying about God
 Why did we change our name
 What are others saying
 What is Spirit doing in Wythenshawe/Dandelion
 What next – prayer, name, membership, growth