HeartEdge: West Midlands event & October Mailer

At HeartEdge our passion is growing Kingdom communities - via four C’s - congregations, culture, commercial activity and acts of compassion. This month resources, ideas and theology featured in our Mailer include:

• Partnerships, community meals, Housing Sunday, hospitality and everything 'volunteers'.
• Plus #whoismycleaner campaign and social enterprise
• And Lucy Winkett on the 'need for speed' and living by the hour-hand.

Since February we've been visiting churches to find out about their work and share information, ideas and contacts. Everything from whole-site re-development, to church websites, inclusive liturgy and work with vulnerable people. We've also hosted visits to St Martin in the Fields to explore new ways of working. Contact HeartEdge to host a workshop, sharing session or consultancy day. Call me on 020 7766 1127 or email HeartEdge here.

'With Vulnerable People' (HeartEdge Resource - Ideas and Experience 1) is a new resource full of stories and ideas for churches and projects working with vulnerable people produced by practitioners - including workers with an evening centre for homeless people, an International Group and Soup Kitchen. If you're a HeartEdge member you can receive this by emailing me here.

Our next HeartEdge events are:

• 8 November Bristol St Michaels Centre: HeartEdge Day Gathering - 10am - 3pm - with Sam Wells and guests - click here to book in. 
• 21 November Edinburgh - Greyfriars Kirk: HeartEdge Day Gathering - 10am - 3pm - with Sam Wells and guests - click here to book in.
• 5 February 2018, St Martin-in-the-Fields: Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story, 2.30pm - 4.30pm. How to explore the Christian faith using a a more open-ended approach? How to engage a more visually-focused culture? ‘Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ is one resource developed by St Martin-in-the-Fields. The discipleship course uses fine art paintings from the National Gallery, a Biblical story and a short theological reflection to help people explore the Christian faith today. Workshop and input from myself and course designer, Alastair McKay to register for the ‘Inspired to Follow’ session contact me on 020 7766 1127 or email HeartEdge here. 

Our West Midlands HeartEdge day happened earlier in October at St Martin in the Bullring: 

• “Each element gave me food for thought and made me reflect and inspired.” 
• “A thought provoking, inspiring day.” 
• “Very well paced, well structured.”

Here is some of the twitter comment on the day to give a flavour of the event and those aspects to which people immediately responded:

• Sam Wells on Stewardship model of Church - “the mission of the #church shrinks to the imagination of a few.” Time for a change? #HeartEdge
• Sam Wells on the Benefactor model of Church... “Funded by a handful of powerful people... in the grip of a limited imagination.” #HeartEdge
• Sam Wells on the Enterprise model - “The Church is the Jewish Head Chef and the Muslim Head of Finance... Being the Church.”
• Asset approach “We combine & organise our assets. Approach the world not with need but green shoots of what we have. Our assets.” #HeartEdge
• #HeartEdge. What to do when the congregation is on its knees? Go where the energy is. Find where it’s released - in quite humble things.
• “Are you winning awards and succeeding in a cause that will finally fail? Or failing in a cause that will finally succeed?” #HeartEdge
• What was it like for Jesus taking on a congregation that no one else applied for?” Occupation, cuts, betrayal... #HeartEdge
• We must remember “we are the early church.” We reinvent church, as have every generation before. Reimagine, reinvent not decline.#HeartEdge
• David Alcock of @ACSLLP introducing the panel session of @HeartEdge_ W. Mids event hearing stories of what works
• More Enterprise Initiatives projects people? “Most important thing is finding your call. What God wants you to be doing.” @lloyd_cooke #HeartEdge
• I’m inspired by #HeartEdge - but my congregation are on their knees... what do I do? Where do I start?”
• Yvonne Gordon @springfield_p on adversity. “Keep your eye on God who is working at every step.” Encouragement #solidarity support #HeartEdge
• “We saw an opportunity...” Bryan Scott on acquiring a building from the council. @springfield_p “The Council always come to us..” #HeartEdge
• “In the church we have isolated ourselves.. Who wouldn’t we partner with? Gently & wisely exploring opportunities..” #Partnership #HeartEdge
• @heartedge_ version of speed dating in W. Mids event @inthebullring - building relationship + sharing experience

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Innocence Mission - Glow.