No Wastelands

No Wastelands: How to grow seedbeds of Shalom in your neighbourhood is Rev Dr Ash Barker’s ninth and latest book.

Available to buy now on Amazon

Ash shares his odyssey of serving on the front line of urban poverty on three continents. Through stories, scriptures, and challenging insights, Ash inspires readers to release the unique potential of their local communities. This book is for those who deeply love their neighbourhoods and suspect more is possible. Let Ash’s experiences spark your imagination to grow seedbeds of shalom where you live.

‘Whoever you are, ‘No Wastelands’ will help you learn what I have been learning from Ash over the years: that making a difference is neither as simple as we think nor as impossible as we think.’ Brian D. McLaren

No Wastelands will be launched at various events in early 2024 and is available to buy on Amazon now.

Extract

The desert can bloom. Watch time-lapse footage of what seems like a desolate place in drought come back to life after a heavy rain. What seemed a dusty and dead moonscape was merely dormant and in fact teeming with life ready to be activated. As the refreshing rains flow, the plants, flowers and even streams burst into life and colour. What seemed a wasteland becomes a paradise.

Local communities can sometimes feel like ‘wastelands’. Even after decades of intentional effort by well-intentioned governments, community activists and community developers, they can seem dry, arid and unresponsive. Fresh investment evaporates as fast as it’s given. The few with helpful leadership qualities leave as quickly as they can. Those left behind are exasperated, ‘Nothing ever changes around here’.

Listen to Rev Dr Ash Barker talk about his new book, No Wastelands, at the following book launches:

11am on Friday 19 January 2024 at Nazarene Theological College’s Cafe, Manchester, UK
6pm on Saturday 27 January 2024 at Seedbeds Centre, East Ham, London, UK
4pm on Sunday 28 January 2024 at Lodge Road Community Church, Birmingham, UK

5pm on Tuesday 20 February 2024 at Oikis Cafe, Ipswich, Brisbane, AUS

6:30pm on Thursday 29 February 2024 at The Aviary Cafe, 45 Robin Ave, Norlane, Geelong AUS
6pm on Friday 1 March 2024 at AuburnLife Baptist Church, Melbourne, AUS

7pm on Saturday 2 March 2024 at Bayview Church, Melbourne, AUS

12:30pm on Friday 15 March 2024 at Kelvinside Hillhead Church, Glasgow, Scotland. Book here
10:30am on Saturday 16 March 2024 as part of Forge Pioneers Course, Perth, Scotland
3pm on Sunday 17 March 2024 at Augustine United Church, Edinburgh, Scotland

Thursday 21 March 2024 as part of CMS Gather For The Day event in Bristol, UK

Time tbc on Tuesday 23 April 2024 in Dublin, Ireland
12pm on Friday 26 April 2024 at Forthspring, Belfast, Northern Ireland

12:30pm on Saturday 25 May 2024 at the Village Hall, Holy Island, UK
7pm on Thursday 6 June 2024 at Methodist Central Hall, Manchester, UK

7pm on Friday 14 June 2024 at Cafe, Mae Sot, Thailand
7pm on Friday 21 June 2024 at Cooking with Poo, Klong Toey, Thailand

7pm on Saturday 13 July 2024 at KIA, Frankfurt, Germany

TBC on 7-12 November 2024 at UETS, Kyiv, Ukraine

Endorsements

‘What we are seeing in our own time from Pope Francis to people like Ash and Anji Barker is a new and broad emphasis on orthopraxy (“correct practice”), which is gratefully returning after centuries of fruitless arguing about correct words, thinking of mere verbal truth as “orthodoxy”. This book will help you to both think with the universal mind of Christ–and to do what you must do with the endless compassion of God in local communities to see sustainable change happen. “What we received as a gift, we must give as a gift.” (Matthew 10:8).’ Father Richard Rohr, Centre for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

‘In a time where good news can feel hard to come by, here’s some good news. In a time when there is lots of deconstruction of things that need to be deconstructed, here is a book about constructing something beautiful and liberating. I’ve been honored to call Ash and Anji Barker friends, and partners in holy mischief, for two decades. They embody a version of Christianity that looks like Jesus, loves like Jesus… and their faith is a confrontation to the counterfeit Christianity that is so prevalent today. In No Wastelands, Ash reminds us that good stuff comes from the compost… even the compost of Christendom.’ Shane Claiborne, author, activist, co-founder of Red Letter Christians, Philadelphia, USA.

‘We’ve spent so many years focusing on God as an architect with measured plans, imposed buildings, exact formulas, and dead materials that we’ve forgotten the God of Genesis: an expert Gardener who creates a wild, living, breathing, expanding and re-creating world. To hear the lived wisdom of Ash is to fall in love with Creator God all over again. The Barkers experience invites us to welcome dirt (often disguised as difficult places) and shit (experienced most often as rejection and pain) as necessary parts of the surprising, wonderful, living, creative PLAN for LIFE to bring beauty and flourishing to every part of this world. BE prepared for this holy seed to take root and grow in you!’ Danielle Strickland, author and advocate, Toronto, Canada.

‘I’ve often talked about living in community but I’ve never done it myself. Ash Barker and his family, on the other hand, have made a beautiful reality out of the idea of community. Where and how they have lived is a testimony to the integrity of his preaching and teaching. He and Anji have enabled people to live and grow together in ways that declare the Kingdom of God in the here and now more effectively than any sermon. In this book Ash takes us with him through the agonies and ecstasies of his journey, and shares his hard won wisdom about joyfully making a difference in the name of Jesus.’ Tony Campolo, Phd. Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Eastern University, St. Davids PA, USA

‘We have been incredibly inspired by Ash, both in the way he lives and serves people, but also in his teaching and training. His innovative mindset, and deep compassion for humanity, is a unique combination and we’re always keen to listen to anything he has to say.’ Tim and Rachel Hughes, Gas Street Church, Birmingham, UK.

‘No Wastelands, by Ash Barker, offers a powerful report from the frontlines and the messy middle of everyday community life. Spanning three continents and multiple disciples, most particularly theology, he weaves hard-won practice-based insights into a soulful narrative that reveals the sacred presence and potential to be found in every community, when the scales of deficiency fall from our eyes. This book is a revelation in that it calls our attention to the abundance that lies hidden behind the cloak of scarcity narratives. Narratives, that unintentionally put communities down in order to secure funding and top-down supports, with the promise such extrinsic interventions will lift them up. Such narratives are laced with a sickness idiom, that sees communities as wastelands. Ash Barker’s book provides ample evidence that such an approach by churches will result in harm to the very communities they hope to heal. It is an important antidote to the lurking Messiah complex and the wounded/wounding healer within us all. A timely reminder that the Good Samaritan foreclosed on the impulse to be the rescuer and provide unsustainable undercutting charity; instead, he turned to the community, with the question: “Will you be his neighbour?”. After many refusals. Eventually, the innkeeper said yes. The promised land is closer than we think, if we are prepared to fail at being God.’ Cormac Russell, author and Nurture Development, Dublin, Ireland.

‘I prepared these words on a crowded commuter train. The only free seat was by a young man. He was wearing his Jewish yarmulke and praying. I said: Shalom. He smiled, and with such warmth. I said: Shalom to Jewish folks. Shalom to Palestinian folks. Shalom to all humanity. He echoed back: “To all humanity.” We were blessed. I journeyed on. I witnessed to it in a talk to 100 people in the divinity school at Edinburgh University. There is the power of Shalom. This is a book that resets the seeds of peace, that resets the seeds of Eden. Even as I write these words, I have watched them germinate.’ Professor Alastair McIntosh, author of Soil and Soul and Poacher’s Pilgrimage, Glasgow, Scotland.

‘Ash Barker has launched Christian community development initiatives in diverse settings all around the world and here he shares the principles that have guided him in the hope that they might spark our imaginations for what might be possible in our contexts. Using the metaphor of a tree, he unpacks both the roots of community service (compassion, innovation, resilience) and its branches (connecting, learning, enterprise development). His insights, experiences and stories give tangible expression to his vision for a world made whole. This is an essential handbook for the planting of the tree of shalom in our own neighbourhoods.’ Michael Frost, author and Morling College, Sydney, Australia.

‘No Wastelands’; imaginative, perceptive, bathed in common sense born of experience and inspirational, all for one simple reason. Ash Barker is imaginative, perceptive, bathed in common sense born of experience and inspirational.’ Steve Chalke MBE, author and Founder Oasis Charitable Trust, London, UK.

‘Increasingly I want to be with people who are life-giving. Not just people who just make you feel better because they tell you everything is just fine – but people who bring the LIFE. And they are invariably characterised by joy, hope, challenge and humility. Ash is such a person. For a world, and a church, which can trip over itself in an understandable desire for results, Ash’s book is a gift of paying attention to conditions, values, practices and hope in an entirely Christian way. The poet T S Eliot said, ‘ take no thought of the harvest, but only of proper sowing.’ In Ash’s company we can’t fail to get our hands dirty in sowing the seeds of the gospel, as we faithfully and sacrificially join the call to partner with the God who is the giver of all life.’ The Revd Canon Chris Russell, Archbishop of Canterbury’s Advisor for Evangelism & Witness, Lamberth Palace, London, UK.

‘The world is in a mess. Poverty, injustice, suffering, exploitation, warfare, cruelty, bigotry are everywhere and we’ve probably all had moments when we’ve said that “someone” should be doing something about it. But what if that “someone” is meant to be us? Where could you possibly begin to get your head around it all, let alone manage to make some sort of difference? There will be many pathways to a lifegiving future, but the inspiration most of us need is likely to come through stories – stories of those who have made a difference, who aren’t afraid to get out there on the edges and just see what’s possible. While telling the story of his own family Ash Barker introduces us to some ordinary people fired by an extraordinary vision and who are making a remarkable difference. They are mostly people you’ve never heard of and are never going to meet but the thing they all have in common is a vision inspired by a story of divine love and translated into human action. Ash writes as a reflective practitioner so if you need a deeper understanding of the how and why of it all, you’ll find some of that here as well – not to mention an introduction to some Celtic themes that speak into our concerns alongside practical suggestions for how you can make a start on bringing fresh hope to your own community. Read, enjoy, be inspired, but above all take up the challenge to action!’ John Drane and Olive Fleming Drane, spiritual entrepreneurs, mission consultants, practical theology professors, but first and foremost followers of Jesus, Glasgow, Scotland

‘Ash Barker is a proven cultivator of hope. He digs in, gets his hands dirty, and the seeds he plants nurture growth and community. This book conveys the essence of what he’s learnt and what he lives. Always listen to the practitioner who has road-tested his faith.’ Rev Tim Costello AO, author, advocate and Executive Director of Micah Australia, Melbourne, Australia.

‘In No Wastelands Ash Barker writes of the protagonist in the Parable Of The Sower: ‘The Sower is not ridiculed for trying to grow a harvest in … diverse soils. The Sower is willing to give opportunity to all kinds of terrain and to see what can grow over time’. This book is the autobiography of the Sower in today’s world.’ Dave Andrews, author and activist, Brisbane, Australia.

‘No Wastelands is a capacious invitation to discover afresh that you are somewhere! That where you are matters. And that God whispers to you through your place, wooing you to discover Shalom with your neighbours and neighbourhood. Ash Barker has invested his life listening for God’s invitation through the places he’s called home becoming a trustworthy guide unto fullness of life by joining God’s mission in the Here and Now. If you are anything like me, as you read No Wastelands you will feel a profound YES deep within, expanding your imagination for “the good life” and arousing desire for community, goodness, and beauty. Ash is pointing us toward a spirituality that is far more than religion; it is loving neighbour and neighbourhood as a faithful expression of loving God and self. I recommend you pick up three copies; giving a couple to neighbours, reading it together and wondering as a collective, what God might be whispering to you through your place and all its inhabitants?’ Dwight J. Friesen, Professor of Practical Theology at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, author of numerous books, including: 2020s Foresight, The New Parish, and Thy Kingdom Connected, Seattle, USA.

‘This is a kaleidoscope from one of God’s unique entrepreneurs. His journey takes us through pains and joys of earthing a bit of God’s Shalom in some of the world’s neediest places. Hectic, unique, it gives us glimpses of ‘God in Benefits Street’, offers us tools, insights into how to release local talents, and even links us with the saints uprisings.’ Revd. Ray Simpson, author and Founding Guardian, The international Community of Aidan and Hilda, Berwick-upon-Tweed, UK.

‘We are deeply moved by the powerful narrative and transformative message that this book carries. It beautifully captures the essence of community development, faith, and hope. The challenges and obstacles Ash and Anji faced, along with their family, are presented with raw vulnerability, never sugar-coated. This approach makes their triumphs all the more inspiring. Their unwavering commitment to nurturing seedbeds of shalom in Winson Green and beyond is truly commendable. The honest storytelling compels readers to see how their own well-being is intimately connected to that of their own local communities and, a powerful, heartfelt reminder that even in the most challenging circumstances, hope and the potential for growth and renewal is present, regardless of how dark things may seem. Yay God! We wholeheartedly recommend “Wastelands: Seedbeds of Shalom” to anyone hungry for a renewed sense of purpose at a gut level. Be prepared to be moved, challenged, and inspired as you embark on this remarkable journey of faith, hope, and the pursuit of shalom.’ Arthur and Dani Cherrie, Winepress church, Melbourne, Australia.

‘I have taken groups to visit Ash in Winson Green over the last 7 years and they always come away challenged and inspired. The reason is simple – they are living out the gospel in their neighbourhood in ways that are bringing visible change and shalom. Ash has so much experience having done 4 cycles of living in urban neighbourhoods round the world facing multiple challenges. No Wastelands distils the wisdom of that experience, practice, and theology into one accessible volume. It’s a mix of inspiring stories, gritty honesty, practical ideas, advice and frameworks, spiritual practices, theology and missiology, combining into an amazing handbook to guide anyone else wanting to follow in this direction, of which I hope there will be many. It is rich and deep. Ash’s passion for enabling innovative leaders and changemakers from inside those neighbourhoods shines through – that’s the thing that has grabbed me personally the most. I will be coming back to this again and again and passing it on to others.’ Jonny Baker, author and CMS, Oxford, UK.

‘Ash and Anji Barker inspired us when we met them 25 years ago in their early years of UNOH and they have been inspiring us ever since. Not many people hold the deep theological reflection right alongside the amazing neighbourhood engagement. The Barkers consistently have. So, we’ve always kept an eye on what they’re thinking and how they’re living it out (including a trip to Birmingham on our recent sabbatical where we came away once again declaring them to be faithful/faith filled legends of community transformation). In this latest book Ash once again puts out the prophetic challenge with actual guidance to those of us who want to make a positive difference with the one life we have. In No Wastelands, Ash addresses the big issues, challenges and angst of our moment in history. Rather than becoming overwhelmed or remaining disillusioned he brings us fresh wisdom and sustained passion, grounded as usual in real stories of struggle and hope . Empowering community leadership, not just in our solidarity and care but in supporting people to actually flourish, is Ash and Anji Barker’s life calling. Using the metaphor of growing good seed Ash’s book is fresh, critical, honest, practical and hopeful. After 30 years of our own missional engagement, this is a book that leads us and our community forward.’ Bishop Justin and Jenny Duckworth, Urban Vision Aotearoa/New Zealand and Diocese of Wellington, NZ.

‘There are books about theory and then there are books like ‘No Wastelands’ – a book written from the deep well of lived experience and practice. Ash Barker sheds light, shares insight and brings restorative wisdom that helps the rest of us discover how to join in with the revolution of hope – and not just momentarily – by inviting us to step right in with others, working together and being together as one to see, to be bringers of change, and grace and peace.’ Jill Rowe, Oasis Ethos & Formation Director, London, UK.

‘The opening chapter challenges with its inspiring account of Ash’s “Jonah” journey. As an honest account of the transformational journey of the apostolic prophet it is in itself essential reading for all who sense that calling – from ideal through ordeal to the new deal! The rest of the book is also worth reading for its practical insights, but also for the testimony to the costly grace of God in Ash’s life, thank you’. Peter Neilson, author and Church of Scotland Minister, The Kingdom of Fife, Scotland

‘Ash has been an insightful and inspiring voice for our work over the years as we’ve been reimagining  what communities of Shalom in post-Christian Europe can look like. His life demonstrates the extraordinary impact community-driven initiatives can have in fostering peace and hope. His insightful strategies and real-life examples make him an invaluable resource for community leaders and activists.’ Eric Smith, Church in Action, Frankfurt, Germany

‘There are few people who live with such integrity and meaning as Ash and Anji Barker and this book is a brilliant distillation of a rich life laced with stories, practical tips and biblical reflection. No Wastelands reminds us again that the redemption of people and place is at the heart of God’s mission and for those seeking proximity in relationships and community this deeply practical and thoughtful work will be a valuable guide.’ Sarah Small, Head of Eden Network UK, The Message Trust

‘Ash has written many powerful books, but this may be his best yet. I have co-laboured with Ash and Anji for thirty years and have witnessed the identity of Christ steadily formed within them. I trust them implicitly. Their actions speak louder than their words and that is good news in a world that casually reverses that dictum. The longer I live, the more I hunger for messages that confront the cynical perspectives that are the serial killers of hope. As the founder of a global order whose members live and serve in marginal places, I can testify that our world doesn’t just need better leaders, it needs completely different leaders, like Ash and Anji and those they are helping to raise up. ‘ John Hayes, Founder of InnerCHANGE

‘No Wastelands: How to grow seedbeds of shalom in your neighbourhood is an extraordinary book which is gritty, honest, and rich in faith and hope. Ash Barker tells his story in a powerful way but much more than that tells the story of the flourishing of shalom in so many people and places through the years. Ash and the people he describes, quite a few of whom I have had the privilege of meeting, live out resiliently and wonderfully what they have come to belief and experience of God. Experiences, practical ideas, and spiritual practices flow abundantly throughout this book but it never stops being rooted and I will be returning to it time and again as a source of inspiration, hope and challenge to my human life. At the heart of No Wastelands is rootedness both in community and faith. If there was such a word as ‘persivilience’ as Ash describes then it would perfectly describe him. It does not surprise me to find that just as I know firsthand how his ministry is about growing seedbeds so this book itself is already doing so in me and will surely do the same in any reader. A must read if you want to be inspired, resourced and provoked to transform your neighbourhood!’ Eddie Boon, United Reformed Church, UK

‘Over the last 20 years or so, I have had the privilege of watching and learning from the work of Ash and Anji Barker. Don’t tell them but they are absolute heroes of mine! No Wastelands represents the culmination of their incredible work living with people doing it tough in places like Noble Park, Melbourne, Australia,  Klong Teouy, Bangkok Thailand and most recently Winson Green, Birmingham, UK. It is a cliche, but they walk the talk, putting into action what we are commanded to do, namely to “love God and love our Neighbour”. In the way they live, they model how to follow Christ in ordinary ways –  persisting through many personal challenges with grace and a sense of humour – to bring about profound transformation in the communities in which they dwell. They find the gold – the strengths – in almost every person and neighbourhood they encounter, which, more often than not, leads to positive change in that individual or community. In individuals, this leads to the flourishing of the person emotionally, socially, and spiritually. In communities, their work leads to what can be described as multi-layered shalom, bringing about wholeness at a street level, at a community level, and at a structural “justice” level.  This book gives the reader an insight into how to do both and I cannot recommend it highly enough.’ Toby Baxter, pastor, author and co-founder of Empowered Faith Communities and COACH – Community Mentoring, Melbourne, Australia

Rev Dr Ash Barker – Bio

Husband to a force of nature (Anji) and Dad to two amazing young people (Amy and Aiden), Ash has spent over 30 years living and serving on the front line of urban poverty and has a passion to release the unique potential of urban people and places.

Since 2014, the Barkers have been based in Winson Green, inner city Birmingham, UK. They founded Newbigin House which started two new local congregations as well as innovative organisations such as Newbigin Community Trust (NewbiginTrust.uk), Red Letter Christians UK (RedLetterChristians.org.uk) and Urban Shalom Society (UrbanShalomSociety.org). Ash and Anji are also United Reformed Church Ministers of Lodge Road Community Church in Winson Green with Anji also leading Newbigin Community Trust.

A strategic focus for Ash is leading Seedbeds (the public name for Newbigin School for Urban Leadership) that grows leaders and communities into fullness of life. This includes ‘School for Urban Leadership‘ accredited programmes and ‘Change Makers‘ emerging leaders programmes, ‘Change Incubator‘ empowering leaders in Myanmar and ‘Newbigin Pioneering Hub‘ nurturing a community of pioneers.

An inspiring speaker and lecturer, Ash earned his PhD on the rise of urban poverty from the University of Divinity, Melbourne. He has lectured in Theological Colleges around the world, as well as designing and leading accredited programmes with Nazarene Theological College (University of Manchester), Stirling Theological College (University of Divinity, Melbourne) and Tabor College (Melbourne). Ash is the author of eight books including Risky Compassion, Make Poverty Personal and Slum Life Rising with his new book No Wastelands published in December 2023.

Ash is an instigator. For over 20 years he co-founded and led Urban Neighbours of Hope (UNOH.org 1993-2014) beginning in his native Melbourne in 1993 before relocating to Bangkok’s largest slum in 2002 for 12 years. Ash led UNOH to grow 12 neighbourhood transforming teams in five cities in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand as well as developing training, conference and publishing arms. He also started and handed on leadership of Surrender Conferences (Surrender.org.au 2003-2007), Urban Shalom Society (UrbanShalomSociety.org Nov 2012-2018, formerly known as International Society for Urban Mission) and Red Letter Christians UK (RedletterChristians.org.uk 2018-20) all of which are led by others.

Ash is available for interview about his new book, please email sharon.fraser@seedbeds.org to book.