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2011 Missioners Conference

Dear all

We have a few places left on our Missioners Conference in Merville this summer. It runs from 28th June to the 1st July and this year we have Martin Cavender from Resource bringing us some encouragment from the Bible every day with George Lings of the Sheffield Centre, Steve Lindridge the Methodist Fresh Expressioners leader and our very own Robin Gamble from Bradford Diocese leading our 3 main sessions. This is one not to be missed!

If you haven't booked in and don't want to miss out follow the link below we would be delighted to have you with us.

When?         Tuesday 28th June to Friday 1st July 2011
Where?      Maison Diocésaine d'Accueil, Merville.
Cost:           £250 including Eurostar travel from St Pancras (or £200 if you want to make your own way to Merville)
Eurostar Details:
Depart St Pancras 14.34 Arrive Lille 16.54 on Tuesday 28th
Depart Lille 13.05 Arrive St Pancras 13.33 on Friday 1st July

Book online at www.nicolajamescommunications.com/booking/missionersconference2011.

We hope you can join us,

Rachel

Changing the Landscape Conference

Friday 6th May 2011, 10.00-16.00. Places are £30. The King's Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford, OX2 0ES.

A national day conference exploring how the mixed economy can thrive in deaneries, circuits and synods. Working towards a church in which tradition and dynamism, established ministry and fresh expressions of church inform, energise and complement each other.

Hosted by Stephen Lindridge and Graham Cray, with a keynote address from Rowan Williams and interviews with practitioners, pioneers and those working with them, the day will also include plenty of round table discussion and the latest Fresh Expressions learning, thinking and resources. 24-7 Prayer will surround the day with a reflective prayer environment and lunch and refreshments will be provided.

The day is for Christians of all denominations and streams - or none - for pioneers and practitioners, missioners, area deans, circuit superintendents, synod members and anybody else with an interest in fresh expressions, the mixed economy or mission-shaped thinking.

Book online at freshexpressions.org.uk/changingthelandscape

Courses at MCYM

The Centre for Youth Ministry (CYM) is a specialist institution which provides training and resources for Children and Youth Ministry. Our mission is to stimulate and support Christians working to transform the lives of children, young people, families and communities through developing and delivering practical theological education, professional formation and action-orientated research.

Midlands Centre for Youth Ministry (MCYM) based at St John’s College, Nottingham, offers full and part time degree programmes for those wishing to train professionally in ministry with young people, children and families or in schools.

BA Honours Degree in Children and Family Work and Practical Theology
BA Honours Degree in Schools, Youth and Community Work and Practical Theology (JNC validated)
BA Honours Degree in Young People, Communities and Practical Theology (JNC validated)
BA Honours Degree in Youth and Community Work and Practical Theology (JNC validated)

With all routes the students are based where their Professional Practice Agency is and travel to St John's for two days a fortnight for teaching. They are full time undergraduate courses which will be validated by the University of Gloucestershire or Staffordshire University. Most Professional Practice Agencies offer a bursary to students studying with them. The Schools and Youth routes will also give students a JNC professional youth work qualification.

"I honestly believe that I would not have made half of the progress here without being on the course - the ability to connect practice with theory has been the catalyst for much re-thinking and experimentation. My theology and principles have been challenged and developed through the teaching and diversity of the student body. I feel that the work I have been doing is at the cutting edge of the church because CYM pushes you to look at your context differently and have confidence in the steps you are taking."
Barry Voyce, CYM GRADUATE

"I thoroughly recommend CYM courses. They are informative, interactive and go a long way to increase youthwork skills and good practice. I would always favour an application from a CYM graduate when looking to appoint a youthworker in the Diocese."
Helen Tomblin, Bishop’s Adviser for Youth Ministry, Birmingham Diocese

For further details contact Gill Benson mcym@stjohns-nottm.ac.uk 0115 968 3222 or look at the CYM website www.centreforyouthministry.ac.uk

Creative Mission

From  Sue Fulford:

I write with details of a new book from Rona Orme who is Children’s Missioner for the Diocese of Peterborough. Creative Mission provides over 50 ideas for special days, celebrations, festivals and community-based projects and seasonal activities, to help the church engage with local issues and people.

For details go to http://www.brfonline.org.uk/9781841018065/ or download the press release below.

Download Creative Mission

Fitlives

Fit Lives is a small National Christian charity who seek to encourage Churches to ‘adopt their local gyms’. For more information go to www.fitlives.co.uk.

The Jesus Deck

From Penny Horseman:

Some years ago a US Games manufacturer  produced a children’s card game called the Jesus Deck. Later some Christians, mainly in the UK, realised the potential for using these cards to start conversations with spiritual seekers about Jesus. The cards were available on the internet and many people began to use them.

Penny Horseman, working for the Church of England in Essex was one of these, but as the years went on she noted that prices for the cards were rising. She suspected that the world wide stocks of the cards were diminishing. This has proved to be true and prices are now out of reach. Penny has trained a number of people in the use of the cards for Christian outreach and would like to train others. But without a supply of cards this is not possible. WHAT TO DO?   

Penny has been in negotiation with the firm that produced the cards and with the printers and has got agreement for a new print run of the Jesus Deck.. This will cost somewhere in the region of £10,000. Some money has already been promised. Penny would like to contact people who want to be involved in this project.

Money can be gifted or can be in form of “soft loans” or can be set against multiple copies of the Deck when it is printed.

Please pray for this under taking. We have wonderful  stories of people encountering the Living Christ through Christians who use the Jesus Deck. For  more information contact Sister  Canon Penny Horseman CA  phorseman@chelmsford.anglican.org         01206273615

Cheques can be made payable to Church Army and sent to Penny at The Rectory Ivy Lodge Road  Great Horkesley  Colchester  CO6 4EN

Individuals can Gift Aid their contribution by using the from below. For more information go to http://thejesusdeck.blogspot.com or Facebook.

Download Jesus Deck

Breakout Pioneer Gathering

High Leigh
Conference Centre
Weds 21 – Fri 23 September 2011

Breakout is the annual meeting place for pioneers — an opportunity to be together, learn from each
other and interact with the main speaker Jonny Baker. Jonny leads the CMS Mission Leadership and Communities team, developing and supporting both mission and new ways of being church within the emerging culture.

For more information go to www.breakoutpioneer.org.uk or download the booking form below:

Download Breakout 2011

Talking of God

From Joanne Cox:

Talking of God is a new faith sharing course. It will help individuals and congregations to talk about their faith journey.

Written by a group of evangelism and mission experts from across the country, the course will give people more confidence when it comes to sharing the stories of their faith in everyday life. It does this by encouraging conversations about conversations, and rooting it all in the Gospels.

“We have so many opportunities to talk about how Jesus continues to transform our lives,” said Evangelism in Contemporary Culture Officer Joanne Cox. “This resource is an exciting development in helping each of us to talk of God wherever we are.”

Talking of God is made up of four sessions:

• Starting the Conversation - each of us has a story to share
• Conversation Stoppers – conversations can be hard
• Conversations in Context – how our world can frame our conversations
• Living the Conversation – conversations are more than just words

These sessions (plus a preamble and concluding worship) can be held over consecutive weeks or even the course of a weekend or day. Each session includes opening and closing prayers, Bible study, discussion topics and practical ideas for getting conversations started.

All the material you need is free to download at http://www.methodist.org.uk/talkingofgod