HeartEdge events - art, community & spirituality

Mission Model workshops organised by HeartEdge share a particular mission initiative as well as telling the story of how the idea for the particular initiative was developed. The next workshops in this series are:

Nazareth Community Workshop - Wednesday 27th February, 2.30pm, St Martin-in-the-Fields

The Nazareth Community was established at St Martin-in-the-Fields in March 2018, now with over fifty members, from the congregation and other churches.

The workshop will be led by Revd Richard Carter, and is an opportunity to learn about the life of the community, and to consider how it could be applied in your own contexts. The afternoon will mirror the Saturday morning sharing time, and will begin in the church.

The session will include: Welcome and introduction; Prayer & silence; Talk; Q&A; Refreshments; Small groups; and Close. There is the option to stay on for Bread for the World, at 6.30pm - a key component of the community’s worship.

Tickets are free for HeartEdge members and £10 for others. To register click here.

For more information, contact georgina.illingworth@smitf.org.


HeartEdge Workshop: Beach Hut Advent Calendar - Tuesday 19th March

The Beach Hut Advent Calendar was created in Brighton in 2008 to encourage people to connect with the Christian roots of Advent and explore spirituality through creativity. The workshop will reveal the journey of the Beach huts and some of the stories from the last 11 years, and will consider what can be transferred to your own setting.

The scheme was initiated, devised and curated by Beyond which was born in Brighton with a mission to create arts events, which inspire people to connect with Christianity.

Since then 264 art installations have been created by beach hut owners, professional artists, schools, churches and other community groups, helping people to understand some of the themes of advent and bringing light to the darkness of the Brighton and Hove seafront every night in December. This has inspired others to create their own versions of this mission event across the UK and internationally.

The workshop will give insight into the development of the Advent Calendar and explore principles which can be applied to your own setting.

Details: Led by Revd Martin Poole, of St Luke’s Prestonville, Brighton, and Revd Jonathan Evens, of the HeartEdge network.

2-4:30pm, Tuesday 19th March 2019

Austen William Room, 6 St Martin’s Lane, St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, WC2N 4JH

Tickets are free to HeartEdge members, £10 otherwise, at: https://tickets.myiknowchurch.co.uk/gb/ODYyLTEw/t



Additionally, we have also organised a Churches & Congregations day (Thursday 11 April 2019,
10:00 – 15:30) exploring ways to deepen the spirituality of congregations.

Explore approaches to deepening the spirituality of congregations including accompanied prayer, art, Godly Play, lay communities, open door retreats, spiritual direction, and more. An opportunity for personal refreshment also.

The day is being running in partnership between members of the team from London Centre for Spiritual Direction and HeartEdge members.

Contributors include:

• Neil Evans, Director of Ministry, Diocese of London
• Alison Christian, Advisor and Advocate for Spiritual Direction
• Richard Carter, Associate Vicar for Mission, St Martin-in-the-Fields
• Julie Dunstan, Director for Formation and Professional Development, LCSD
• Antonia Lynn, Community Warden and Referrals Coordinator, LCSD

To book free tickets go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deepening-spirituality-tickets-56331233235?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. For further information, please contact Jonathan Evens at jonathan.evens@smitf.org.

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Johnny Cash - Spiritual.

Simon Evans Goes to Market

How do you make economics funny? How do you put the comedy in commodity? That is the challenge that comedian Simon Evans has set himself with Simon Evans Goes to Market. The first series was interesting, thought-provoking and informative, as well as being funny. 'The market in radio comedy being what it is - [he] was rewarded with a second series.'

'In this new series for BBC Radio 4, he looks at the markets of four goods that might perhaps be referred to as 'Bads' - coffee, alcohol, tobacco and sugar. Addictive, stress inducing, even deadly - but a big part of our daily life that we just can't do without.

With the help of a variety of experts and regular co-host, presenter of More or Less, Tim Harford, he shows how economics really is part of our everyday life.'

Miranda Sawyer notes that Evans' humour 'doesn't quite fit the comedy norm' as he's 'not particularly leftwing, he has no time for cool posturing and he likes to know about stuff.' He laces 'proceedings with his clever jokes, some scripted, some off the cuff', and 'illuminates a subject as he riffs about it, takes it seriously and gets the laughs.'

Thanks to Paul Trathen for a good night out.

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Florence + The Machine - Ship To Wreck.

Movers & Shakers

Lee Scott MP talking with other participants

On the start line for the 'Movers & Shakers' cycle ride

Chris Elliott (left) one of the LCC organisers

Councillor Keith Prince, Leader of Redbridge Council, speaking after the ride

Elwin Cockett, Archdeacon of West Ham

Yesterday I was at the new Redbridge Cycling Centre, with its stunning views across London and links with the London Olympic site for 'Movers and Shakers', an initiative by local branches of London Cycling Campaign in which people of influence within the community act as role models to demonstrate that cycling can be for everyone.

'Movers and Shakers' culminated in yesterday's public event at the RCC, on Forest Road, Ilford IG6 3, beside Hainault Lodge Nature Reserve. 'Movers and Shakers' present included, among others:

• Richard Allen, Head of Business Planning, Barnardo's Children's services;
• Ravi Bhanot, organiser of the Sewa Week (Hindu) Ilford Charity Bike Ride;
• Paul Canal, Chair of Wanstead & Snaresbrook Ward Conservatives;
• Chris Carter, Editor, 'Ilford Recorder';
• James Cleverly, Mayor's Ambassador for Young People, GLA member Bexley & Bromley;
• Revd. Elwin Cockett, Archdeacon of West Ham;
• Chief Inspector Paige Kimberley, Met. Police;
• Cllr. Keith Prince, Leader of Redbridge Council; and
• Lee Scott, MP Ilford North.

The 'Movers & Shakers' tried out the Upper and full tracks at the RCC as part of their cycle ride before speeches and a buffet lunch. Lee Scott MP spoke about national cycle policy, Roger Evans, GLA member, about the Mayor's cycle policy, Chief Inspector Paige Kimberley spoke about cycling safely and Cllr. Keith Prince, Leader of Redbridge Council, about encouraging cycling in Redbridge.

I managed three circuits of the Upper Track and one of the full track (just!), on top of cycling to and from the RCC. All of which was probably the most exercise I've had in a long time! But well worth it to play a part in encouraging others to cycle and in order to see the excellent facilities at the RCC.

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Pink Floyd - Bike.

Reducing oil dependency (and other resource scarcity issues)

Redbridge Faith Forum have published a report from the meeting held with Redbridge Green Fair on 'What can Redbridge do to reduce oil dependency?'

At St John's we have decided, following our PCC Away Day, to look at some materials giving a Christian perspective on peak oil in our homegroups in the New Year and will be using materials that Sam Norton has posted to do so.

On Monday I attended a very useful day's training on 'Energy Efficiency and Community Buildings', again organised by the Faith Forum and delivered by the Energy Saving Trust. Their national support programme, Community Action for Energy, is a network of like-minded people with an interest in community-based energy projects. Membership of the network is free and offers:

• Community helpline;
• Community support network providing 1.5 days of professional consultancy;
• Travel bursaries;
• Training courses;
• A guide to energy efficiency projects;
• Website;
• Case studies;
• Newsletter;
• E-news updates; and an
• Annual conference.

Finally, last night I went to the Tomorrow Network event on 'The Future of the Food Crisis' at the Royal Society where I heard Duncan Green, Director of Research at Oxfam, and Alex Evans, of the Center on International Cooperation, discuss the current food crisis throughout the world and its future prospects.

Among the points they made were the following:

• Recent food price rises represent a structural shift not a temporary blip because of four resource scarcity issues: energy (tight supply fundamentals and effect of bio fuels); water (demand has tripled over past 50 years); land availability (only 12% usable arable land left and pressure for other uses of it); and effects on agriculture of climate change (low crop yields and emissions from agriculture).
• The cost of high food prices is 850m + hungry people selling their futures (e.g. livestock); getting credit from loan sharks; sending children to work; and parents eating too little in order to feed their children.
• Agriculture must be made pro-poor through: small farmer-based agricultural growth (e.g. Viet Nam and India); effective states with active citizens (e.g. consumer associations such as the grain banks in Uganda); shifts to low carbon production; addressing the challenges of supermarketization, biofuels and outmigration; and solving the dilemma of food vs feed vs fuel.
• Property rights matters for poorer people and women in particular. A fairer distribution of land leads to greater growth (e.g. Taiwan and South Korea).
• Build community resilience to climate change i.e. addressing the loss of inherited knowledge when climate patterns change.
• Actions needed now include: raising yield and making food production more sustainable, resilient and fair; invest more in agriculture; focus on small farms (largest employer in the world); aid donors to focus on the four resource scarcity issues; social protection for poor people; develop security of supply through buffer food stocks and equitable trade agreements with developing countries; address effect that Western lifestyle (bio fuels and diet) has on the rest of the world.

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U2 - Love and Peace or Else.