Many Voices, One Song: Handbook for Intercultural Worshipping Communities
Practical tips and tools for the intercultural church journey
‘IN SCRIPTURE, WE GLIMPSE a vision for the future: a crowd from every nation, tribe, people and language gathered in worship before the throne.’ This vision lies at the heart of the Diocese of Leicester’s Intercultural Worshipping Communities (IWC) Project.
In 2019, the Church of England awarded a major national Strategic Development Fund (SDF) grant of £2.57 million to support the Diocese of Leicester to develop this vision within its churches and better serve people from its diverse communities.
Through the project, the diocese established five Intercultural Worshipping Communities (IWCs), aiming to increase participation and leadership in church life among Global Majority Heritage worshippers.
An IWC is a church community where people from different cultural and ethnic heritage deliberately interact with one another in order to deepen their understanding and experience of God and of each other. They learn and grow together to build communities which are transformed, shaped, and moulded from each other’s experiences.
The IWC project concluded in June 2026 with a Celebration and Learning Event. However, interculturality remains a diocesan strategic priority, supported by an Intercultural Steering Group, local Intercultural Champions and a regular Intercultural Network.
The project’s legacy handbook invites church leaders to reimagine church in ways that reflect God’s kingdom, listen carefully for voices that may be absent or overlooked, and recognise the rich diversity already present in their communities. It encourages churches to celebrate difference without expecting assimilation and to approach interculturality not as an overwhelming concept, but through practical, achievable steps taken together.
Gathering stories, insights and learning from across the IWC project, the handbook is offered as a resource and source of inspiration for churches on their own intercultural journey. Download it below.
Explore four five-minute video profiles from Intercultural Worshipping Communities across the Diocese of Leicester.
