'Living God’s Future Now’ is our mini online festival of theology, ideas and practice.
We’ve developed this in response to the pandemic and our changing world. The church is changing too, and - as we improvise and experiment - we can learn and support each other.
This is 'Living God’s Future Now’ - talks, workshops and discussion - hosted by HeartEdge. Created to equip, encourage and energise churches - from leaders to volunteers and enquirers - at the heart and on the edge.
The focal event in ‘Living God’s Future Now’ is a monthly conversation where Sam Wells explores what it means to improvise on God’s kingdom with a leading theologian or practitioner.
The online programme includes:
- Regular weekly workshops: Biblical Studies (Mondays fortnightly), Sermon Preparation (Tuesdays) and Community of Practitioners (Wednesdays)
- One-off workshops on topics relevant to lockdown such as ‘Growing online communities’ and ‘Grief, Loss & Remembering’
- Monthly HeartEdge dialogue featuring Sam Wells in conversation with a noted theologian or practitioner
Regular – Weekly or Fortnightly
Tuesdays: Sermon Preparation Workshop, 16:30 (GMT), livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/theHeartEdge/. Please note there will be no Sermon Preparation workshop on Tuesday 6 April.
Wednesdays: Community of Practitioners workshop, 16:30 (GMT), Zoom meeting. Email jonathan.evens@smitf.org to register.
Fortnightly on Mondays: Biblical Studies class, 19:30-21:00 (GMT), Zoom meeting. Register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcOmgrTgsHt2ceY7LepLhQYqQxS1G1ix9 2021 dates - Gospels & Acts:
- 12 Jul: Lecture 13 Parables and The Kingdom of God
- 26 Jul: Lecture 14 Parables and The Kingdom of God
- 9 Aug: Lecture 15 The Quest of the Historical Jesus
- 23 Aug: Lecture 16 Christological Titles in the Synoptic Gospels
July
Creation Care Course: Thursday 1 July, 16:00-17:30 BST, zoom- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/4-week-creation-care-course-tickets-145829458837?fbclid=IwAR0GX9eziBXIu-maafuP_nAMtoHRdbBthqoV9J-PI83mpQ_Yq46SftYMfb4. The environment is God’s gift to everyone. We have a responsibility towards each other to look after God’s Creation. Tackling climate change is a vital part of this responsibility. In a recent address to faith leaders on 4th February, ahead of the Glasgow conference on climate change in November 2021, the Archbishop of Canterbury said: “To think climate change is a problem of the future rather than a scourge of the present is the blind perspective of the privileged. We look around and see that Mozambique has been hit again by tropical storms. In Nigeria, desertification has contributed indirectly to conflict between people competing for dwindling resources. Floods and cyclones have devastated crops in Melanesia, risking poverty and food insecurity.” In this 4-week Creation Care Course, we will provide you with vital information about climate change, its impacts on people, and reflect on our role as Christians in taking practical climate action. Week 3: Living Climate Change – Stories from Melanesia (1st July 2021, 16:00-17:30), we will learn about the effects of climate change on people and draw upon examples of climate impacts and human responses in Melanesia.
God’s Unfailing Word: Sunday 4 July, 19:00 (BST), zoom. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gods-unfailing-word-tickets-154549695299. A three-part series of conversations on the nature of Christian-Jewish relations in the 21st century. With Rabbi Daniel Epstein (Western Marble Arch Synagogue) and Revd Dr Sam Wells (St Martin-in-the-Fields). Based on the recently (2019) published God’s Unfailing Word (https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-11/godsunfailingwordweb.pdf).
Art in Worship: Tuesday 6 July, 19:00 (BST), facebook premiere at https://www.facebook.com/theHeartEdge. A lecture by Jonathan Evens exploring approaches to and understanding of the relationship between art and faith. This lecture highlights different facets to this relationship from the fourth century to the present demonstrating ways in which the intimate linkage which exists between the visual arts and Christianity was forged and sustained. Within this story, he explores the sacramental nature of art in worship over the years.
Creation Care Course: Thursday 8 July, 16:00-17:30 BST, zoom- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/4-week-creation-care-course-tickets-145829458837?fbclid=IwAR0GX9eziBXIu-maafuP_nAMtoHRdbBthqoV9J-PI83mpQ_Yq46SftYMfb4. The environment is God’s gift to everyone. We have a responsibility towards each other to look after God’s Creation. Tackling climate change is a vital part of this responsibility. In a recent address to faith leaders on 4th February, ahead of the Glasgow conference on climate change in November 2021, the Archbishop of Canterbury said: “To think climate change is a problem of the future rather than a scourge of the present is the blind perspective of the privileged. We look around and see that Mozambique has been hit again by tropical storms. In Nigeria, desertification has contributed indirectly to conflict between people competing for dwindling resources. Floods and cyclones have devastated crops in Melanesia, risking poverty and food insecurity.” In this 4-week Creation Care Course, we will provide you with vital information about climate change, its impacts on people, and reflect on our role as Christians in taking practical climate action. Week 4: Taking Action – Caring for the Environment, Caring for People, we will hear about various options for climate change mitigation and adaptation that we can take as individuals, as parishes and as a Christian community.
Living God’s Future Now conversation – Anthony Reddie: Thursday 8 July, 6.00 pm, Zoom. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/living-gods-future-now-conversation-anthony-reddie-tickets-154141971787. ‘Living God’s Future Now’ describes a series of online seminars, discussions and presentations hosted by HeartEdge. They are designed to equip, encourage and energise church leaders, laypeople and enquirers alike, in areas such as preaching, growing a church, shifting online, deepening spirituality in a congregation and responding to social need. The focal event in 'Living God's future now' is a monthly conversation in which Sam Wells explores what it means to improvise on God’s kingdom with a leading theologian or practitioner. Earlier conversations have included Walter Brueggemann, John McKnight, Chine McDonald, +Rachel Treweek, Stanley Hauerwas, Barbara Brown Taylor, Kelly Brown Douglas, Steve Chalke, and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, among others. At 6.10 pm (GMT) on Thursday 8 July 2021, Sam Wells and Anthony Reddie will be in conversation to discuss how to improvise on the kingdom. Dr Anthony Reddie is Director of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture. His main research interests lie at the intersection of Black liberation theology and Practical theology. His scholarly work has focused on developing a Participative model of Black theology that seeks to impact on the consciousness of ordinary Black people, particularly, those living in inner city, poor communities in Britain. His more recent books Include Theologising Brexit: A Liberationist and Postcolonial Critique (Routledge, 2010), and the republished Is God Colour? Insights from Black Theology for Christian faith and Ministry (SPCK, 2020) and Intercultural Preaching [co-edited with Seidel Abel Boargenes and Pamela Searle], (Regent’s Park College, 2021).
Miranda Threlfall-Holmes and Sam Wells | How to Eat Bread: Thursday 8 July, 20:00-21:30 (BST), zoom. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/miranda-threlfall-holmes-and-sam-wells-how-to-eat-bread-tickets-160452611079. Launching her new book ''How to Eat Bread - 21 Nourishing Ways to Read the Bible', Miranda Threlfall Holmes joins Sam Wells for some lively conversation on 21 nourishing ways to read the bible. Join in the discussion via this live event on Zoom. 'How to Eat Bread' - available here.
Mission Summer School: 12 – 16 July 2021
An opportunity to engage more deeply with the theology of mission and to explore how it relates to your own practice. Input structured around the four Cs of Commerce, Culture, Congregation and Compassion. A mix of teaching and conversation with leading scholars and practitioners including Andrea Campanale, Revd Heather Cracknell, Revd James Hughesdon, Professor Anthony Reddie, Dr Cathy Ross, Rachel Summers, Revd Dr Sam Wells, and Revd Erica Wooff, among others. Workshops to engage with the themes and issues presented. Encounters with churches, organisations and projects (HeartEdge and Fresh Expressions) to get a hands-on feel for how it works out in practice including: American International Church, Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, Forest Church, Notre Dame de France, Sacred Space Kingston, St John’s Waterloo, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St Paul’s Marylebone, and The Table Southall, among others. A week aimed at practitioners wanting to engage more deeply with the theology of mission and explore how it relates to their own practice. Also for those already studying providing an opportunity to be immersed in the theology and practice of mission.
Register at https://bit.ly/3pHkwWE.
Church-related community work - tactics, ideas and approaches: Wednesday 14 July, 15:30-17:00 (BST), zoom. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/church-related-community-work-tactics-ideas-and-approaches-tickets-160596373075. What is church related community work, how is it vital for your church in a post-pandemic world - and how do you deepen your community work? For HeartEdge, church related community work is an essential part of Christian living - it's what we do! And church related community work is even more significant in a post-pandemic world. How do we deepen your community work? What are the skills and tactics - the approaches that deepen church in community? And what makes it so essential? Join a collective of experienced church-related community workers, for stories, ideas, tactics and encouragement.
Reconciling Mission: Building Bridges across Europe: Tuesday, 20 July, 14:00 (GMT), Zoom. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/building-bridges-across-europe-tickets-155781728343. The viral pandemic has provoked an increase in tensions between nations, and a stronger focus on defending national interests. Within the UK, this has been exacerbated by the country’s exit from the European Union. In this webinar, we will explore how Christians might contribute to overcoming current tensions by building bridges across some of the boundaries within Europe. Participants: Alastair McKay is director of Reconciliation Initiatives, and delivers learning and development programmes for Anglican church leaders in Britain and Ireland. Brother Matthew is part of the Taizé Community in France, helps with the formation of new brothers, and has travelled in Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. Cornelia Kulawik is a pastor in Berlin-Dahlem, who is on the board of the Community of the Cross of Nails, Germany. John Witcombe is the Dean of Coventry, who carries responsibility for the overall leadership of the Cathedral’s ministry both locally and internationally. Robert Innes is the Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe, with pastoral care of Anglican congregations in 42 countries across Europe, plus Russia, Morocco, and Turkey.
How to Try: Design Thinking and Church Innovation – Tuesday 20 July, 19:00 BST, zoom. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-try-design-thinking-church-innovation-tickets-161061243515. What if tried and true methods from the corporate world could raise your ministry’s probability of success by a considerable margin? Lorenzo Lebrija, director of TryTank, a lab for church growth and innovation, has developed a straightforward framework for experiments in new ministry based on research and interviews. With only three steps, this framework can have a lasting impact on any church that uses it. You can even start innovating today, using this specific and actionable process within your church community. Scripture is full of examples encouraging us to try new works in the name of God. This book gives the exact tools and templates for how to do just that, and to find God in the failures as well as the successes. Lorenzo will be in conversation with Jonathan Evens and Andy Turner.
Reimaging church spaces: Thursday 22 July, 19:00 (BST), zoom. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reimagining-church-spaces-tickets-160327595153. What are the implications of the HeartEdge 4 Cs for church buildings? How can our buildings be used as places of worship, a resource for community development, spaces for cultural expression, and sites for commercial enterprises? What place should concepts such as ‘Living Heritage’ and ‘Heritage for All’ play in thinking about the use of church buildings? With input from Phillip Dawson, Consultant for Fraser Brown Mackenna Architects (https://www.fbmarchitects.com/about-us/people/), Kathryn Harris of Nick Cox Architects (https://www.nickcoxarchitects.co.uk/kathryn-harris), and Nigel Walter, founding director of Archangel (https://www.archangelarchitects.co.uk/spirit/nigel-walter/). Phillip is a member of the HeartEdge Steering Group and an ordinand at St Augustine’s College of Theology. Kathryn is Cathedral Architect for Birmingham Cathedral, the Church Architect for St Martin-in-the-Fields, and sits on the London Diocese Advisory Committee. Nigel is a Specialist Conservation Architect, member of the Church Buildings Council, has set up the Church Build website (http://www.churchbuildingprojects.co.uk/) and is co-author of ‘Buildings for Mission’ (Canterbury Press 2015).
Jesus Is Just Alright: A Rock Agape – Friday 23 July, 16:30 BST, zoom. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jesus-is-just-alright-tickets-161194792965. We will aim to further demonstrate the potential for use of pop music in mission and ministry by extending the series and offering an experimental rock Agape in Zoom. The Agape meal is a Christian fellowship meal recalling the meals Jesus shared with disciples during his ministry and expressing the koinonia (community, sharing, fellowship) enjoyed by the family of Christ. It is not the same as Holy Communion or the Eucharist. Please have bread and wine with you when you join the Zoom room for this Agape meal.
August
Theology Group: Sunday, 8 August 2021, 19:00 – 20:00 BST, zoom - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/theology-group-tickets-155516023613?aff=erelpanelorg. The St Martin-in-the-Fields and HeartEdge Theology Group provides a monthly opportunity to reflect theologically on issues of today and questions of forever with Sam Wells. Each month Sam responds to questions from a member of the congregation of St Martin-in-the-Fields who also chairs the session and encourages your comments and questions.
St Martin-in-the-Fields and HeartEdge Theology Reading Group: Sunday 15 August, 19:00 (BST), zoom - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/theology-reading-group-tickets-155516364633. Explore and discuss Dante’s The Divine Comedy with Revd Dr Sam Wells, St-Martin-in-the-Fields congregation and HeartEdge partners. Join this journey through Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso - the greatest single work of Western literature – ending in this session with the Paradiso.
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Deacon Blue - Riding On The Tide Of Love.
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