Faith & Light Experience

Alan Lowe, Evangelism and Learning Disability

Grove Book on the work of the Faith and Light Communities - an international ecumenical initiative seeking to make space within the church (& world) for people with learning disabilities, and their parents, carers (with a small ‘c’) and friends. These small communities follow the threefold structure of Welcome, Prayer and Celebration (p 7).

Alan Lowe undertakes a brief theological exploration about belonging. He cites McFaddyen’s work on personhood and relationships. Based on this he makes a significant suggestion that, ‘God communicates via Spirit, not just grey matter, and those with even the severest learning disabilities are as capable of this vertical relationship... But the horizontal side of relating, person to person, is closely linked to this... Any communication between people promotes creative relationship and a sense of belonging’ (pp 10-1). The act of communal intrafacing is fundamental for Lowe as he then extrapolates how a community that embraces diversity should operate evangelistically, or in ‘discovering God together’ (p 16ff). He proposes an ‘incarnational’ [maybe?], simple, relevant, intimate, holistic, creative, experiential and prayerful approach [embracing all learning styles]. Again, the Trinity appears as the reference point (though in retrospect),

Creating community is at the heart of Christian theological tradition in the doctrine of the Trinity [yes, but how exactly?]. Individualism, separateness, and fragmentation give way to individuality, mutuality and belonging... Community is where the learning disabled, and others, become true people, in that they give and receive (p 15).