Living God's Future Now - w/c 5 September 2021

'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

Find earlier Living God’s Future Now sessions at https://www.facebook.com/pg/theHeartEdge/videos/?ref=page_internal.

This Week

Biblical Studies class, Monday 6 September, 19:30-21:00, Zoom meeting. Register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcOmgrTgsHt2ceY7LepLhQYqQxS1G1ix9.  Gospels & Acts: Lecture 17 The what, why and where of the Fourth Gospel. With Rev Simon Woodman, Minister, Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church.

Sermon Preparation Workshop, Tuesday 7 September, 16:30 (BST), livestream. Join here https://www.facebook.com/theHeartEdge. Discussion of preaching and the lectionary readings for the coming Sunday with Sam Wells and Sally Hitchiner. 

Community of Practitioners workshop, Wednesday 8 September, 16:00 (BST), Zoom. Email jonathan.evens@smitf.org to register. A gathering for church leaders, lay and ordained, with opportunities for reflection on experience and theology.

Living God's Future Now conversation – Ben Quash: Thursday 9 September, 18:00 – 19:00 BST. Register for a Zoom invite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/myevent?eid=162702913795. At 6.00 pm (GMT) on Thursday 13 May 2021, Sam Wells and Ben Quash will be in conversation to discuss how to improvise on the kingdom. Ben Quash is fascinated by how the arts can renew people’s engagement with the Bible and Christian tradition, and is directing a major 7-year project to create an online Visual Commentary on Scripture.

Called to the Feast art workshop: Friday 10 September, 16:30-18:00, zoom. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/called-to-the-feast-art-workshop-tickets-164816778421. This pre-conference workshop for (Still) Calling from the Edge, the 10th annual conference on disability and Church in partnership between St Martin-in-the-Fields and Inclusive Church, will help create an exhibition of images and words for an inclusive Last Supper.

Theology Group: Sunday 12 September, 19:00 (BST). Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/theology-group-tickets-167228024523. A monthly opportunity to reflect on issues of today and questions of tomorrow together with Sam Wells. 

Check out

Recordings from our Mission Summer School and also Telling Encounters: Stories of Disability, Faith, Church & God 2020 are now available.

The Mission Summer School was 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/3sTjSYT for the opportunity to access recordings from the Mission Summer School (£10 fee).

Telling Encounters: Stories of Disability, Faith, Church and God was our 9th annual conference on disability & church in partnership between St Martin in the Fields & Inclusive Church. Recordings of sessions from the conference can be viewed here.

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Telling Encounters - Path Through the Woods.