Creating Space for Grace is integrating our Christian faith into our leadership and organisational change in inclusive, creative & transforming ways.

Space for Grace

45E1E605-3344-49B9-AE07-386E93D28799

What is it? What does it mean? How can we create it? How does it influence my work? How can it be integrated into my busy work life?

This Space for Grace webinar explores these questions from three perspectives in different contexts. Ideas and practical experiences in applying the Space for Grace approach is shared by Rick James with Priya Raj Kumar in India, Doreen Kwarimpa-Atim in Uganda and Allan Ekstedt in Sweden. This Webinar was facilitated by Elaine Vitikainen.

What is Space for Grace?

Space for Grace is a way of working; a theory of change, indeed a theology of change. Space for grace is about integrating a spiritual dimension into change processes, in ways that bring life and acceptance. Creating space for grace is important for individuals to change; for organisations to develop and also to strengthen partnerships

It is vital to build from extensive human wisdom about change. We follow recognised good Organisational Development (OD) practice principles such as client ownership; experiential methods; emotionally engagement; contextual application and follow-through. We strive for professional excellence. But we also believe that individual and therefore organisational change involves a spiritual dimension as do many leading management writers. For OD to be effective with Christian NGOs, churches and mission agencies, any major change process should intentionally connect with their faith base. Faith clearly influences behaviour.

The following principles distinguish a ‘Space for Grace’ approach from simply good OD. As Space for Grace facilitators, we hold ourselves accountable to these principles:

  1. Discern how God is already at work and whether the timing is right.
  2. Pray for your client and get others to intercede for them.
  3. Listen to God and to the people involved.
  4. Design the intervention based on a biblical process of change.
  5. Facilitate with grace by seeking to understand, empathise, support and appreciate.
  6. Create safe spaces for more trusting relationships to develop.
  7. Create and hold spaces for God’s spirit to inspire change.
  8. Walk alongside the client after any intervention.
  9. Humbly recognise that we are only instruments in a change process.
b0a1abde-6006-4e1c-acea-da38d4f1a030