HeartEdge Churches & Commerce event

 

 

HeartEdge's Churches & Commerce event was a day to explore the benefits of commercial activities for churches (including social enterprise).

Many churches struggle to cover the costs of their buildings and the ministry needed in their area. Finding other sources of income in addition to congregational giving can help significantly and can also extend the church’s engagement in God’s mission. ‘Churches & Commerce’ was for anyone interested in making churches sustainable in their mission.

This event at St Martin in the Bull Ring enabled participants to hear from people for whom commercial activities, including social enterprises, are making a real difference, not only to their church finances but also to their wider mission.

Allyson Hargreaves told the story of St Martin-in-the-Fields in regard to commerce. Within her telling of our story, Allyson highlighted support structures at different stages of development and issues regarding the balancing of commerce and mission. Richard Frazer, Minister at Greyfriars Kirk, shared his thoughts on approaches to a theology for entrepreneurs and Richard Higginson, Director of Faith in Business, shared results of research with 50 UK Christian entrepreneurs from a variety of business sectors.

Representatives of Anthony Collins Solicitors, Cinnamon Network, Grassmarket Community Project (recently named Social Enterprise of the Year in Scotland), Jericho Foundation, Mindful Business Services, NexGen Marketing Ltd, Salt Business Network, and The Bridge at Waterloo shared insights and expertise in relation to: Digital Futures, Legal Structures, Marketing, Outsourcing, Partnership projects, Scaling up, Values and Wood recycling. 

Delegates had travelled from as far afield as Aberdeen and Chatham for what proved to be a day full of ideas, inspiration and information. Find out more about HeartEdge at https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/life-st-martins/mission/heartedge/.

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Eric Bibb - Don't Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down.

HeartEdge: Churches & Commerce

Many churches struggle to cover the costs of their buildings and the ministry needed in their area. Finding other sources of income in addition to congregational giving can help significantly and can also extend the church’s engagement in God’s mission.

Organised by HeartEdge, ‘Churches & Commerce’ is a day at St Martin in the Bull Ring (Edgbaston St, Birmingham B5 5BB) on 7 March (10.00am – 3.30pm) for anyone interested in making churches sustainable in their mission. This event enables you to hear from people for whom commercial activities, including social enterprises, are making a real difference, not only to their church finances but also to their wider mission.

Contributors include: 

Allyson Hargreaves (Executive Director, St Martin-in-the-Fields Limited), Revd Dr Richard Frazer (Minister, Greyfriars Kirk) and Dr Richard Higginson (Director, Faith in Business), Revd Canon Giles Goddard (St John’s Waterloo), plus Anthony Collins Solicitors, Cinnamon Network, Grassmarket Community Project (recently named Social Enterprise of the Year in Scotland), Jericho Foundation, NexGen Marketing Ltd, Salt Business Network, and The Bridge at Waterloo. 

The programme includes sessions on: Christian Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurial Theology; and Structuring Missional Commerce. Additionally, there will be a panel discussion with entrepreneurs and small group input sessions led by specialists (on specific aspects of commercial activity e.g. structures, marketing etc or particular commercial opportunities e.g. social enterprise, training programmes etc).

To book contact me on jonathan.evens@smitf.org or 020 7766 1127.

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The Style Council - Our Favourite Shop.

plus+ presentations: adding value to the City

As part of further developing the relationships St Stephen Walbrook has with the business community in the City of London, we have begun a new series of events to explore the place of faith in the world of business.

This new ongoing series of events is entitled ‘plus+ presentations’, as the series is one part of the way in which St Stephen seeks to add value to the City.

The inaugural plus+ presentation was given by Douglas Board, founder of Maslow’s Attic, on 21 September. Douglas, who is a senior visiting fellow at Cass and also writes on management, faith, society and humour, as well as careers, share practical, intellectual and spiritual reflections on flourishing at work in a presentation entitled ‘In an open plan office, can anyone hear you scream?’

Douglas began by referencing a sense of loneliness versus connectivity as characteristic of digital age and workplaces. Managers have become attuned to giving pseudo-recognition but there are not often "authentic" connections between people as work. There is a sense of "investing in people" but the reality is usually different. This is often due to leaders lacking emotional intelligence. Loneliness in the workplace is a poverty of recognition. Genuine/authentic connections are needed, not the round-robin "well done" one-liner emails etc. Is there a role for church here? Listening, supporting? Outside of the politics of workplace and away from familiarity at home? He suggested the example of authentic listening as developed by Samaritans, as pioneered at St stephen Walbrook. Douglas talked about our "real" hierarchy of needs, not with individual/self at the peak - but relationships with each other: (Peak) Recognition (Mid Tier) Respect (Foundation Tier) Unconditional Love. What can we do to overcome the issues he addressed? More face to face contact, less reliance on email. More time to get to know people. Create space to talk.
The format for ‘plus+ presentations’ is:

• 6.15pm: Evening Prayer (optional)
• 6.30pm: plus+ presentation
• 7.00pm: Drinks reception & networking
• 7.30pm: Close

Going forward, we plan to run the plus+ presentations on the third Thursday of each month, although the remaining 2017 dates will be 19th October; 9th November:

• 19th October Revd Sally Muggeridge, Curate at St Stephen Walbrook, will speak from personal experience about campaigns to increase the numbers of women on Boards. 
• 9th November Barbara Ridpath, Director of St Paul's Institute, will speak on Transitions: how to make life-changing career changes by choice or necessity.
• 18 January 2018, our presenter will be Professor Richard Higginson (Director of Faith in Business, Ridley Hall Cambridge) speaking about Christian entrepreneurs living out their faith.
• 15 February 2018 - Revd Dr Fiona Stewart-Darling, Canary Wharf MultiFaith Chaplaincy.

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Peteris Vasks - Lord, Open Our Eyes.

plus+ presentations: adding value to the City of London

As part of further developing the relationships St Stephen Walbrook has with the business community in the City of London, we plan to begin a new series of events in the autumn to explore the place of faith in the world of business.

This new ongoing series of events is entitled ‘plus+ presentations’, as the series is one part of the way in which St Stephen seeks to add value to the City.

The inaugural plus+ presentation will be given by Douglas Board, founder of Maslow’s Attic, on 21 September (6.30pm). Douglas is a senior visiting fellow at Cass and also writes on management, faith, society and humour, as well as careers. Previously, he was consultant, director and then deputy chairman of Saxton Bampfylde, a top 10 UK search firm.

Douglas will share practical, intellectual and spiritual reflections on flourishing at work in a presentation entitled ‘In an open plan office, can anyone hear you scream?’

The format for ‘plus+ presentations’ is:

• 6.15pm: Evening Prayer (optional) 
• 6.30pm: plus+ presentation 
• 7.00pm: Drinks reception & networking 
• 7.30pm: Close 

Going forward, we plan to run the plus+ presentations on the third Thursday of each month, although the remaining 2017 dates will be 19th October; 9th November.

On 19th October Revd Sally Muggeridge, Curate at St Stephen Walbrook, will speak from personal experience about campaigns to increase the numbers of women on Boards.

On 9th November Barbara Ridpath, Director of St Paul's Institute, will speak on Transitions: how to make life-changing career changes by choice or necessity.

On 18 January 2018, our presenter will be Professor Richard Higginson (Director of Faith in Business, Ridley Hall Cambridge) speaking about Christian entrepreneurs living out their faith.

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Deacon Blue - Wages Day.

In an open plan office, can anyone hear you when you scream?

As part of further developing the relationships St Stephen Walbrook has with the business community in the City of London, we plan to begin a new series of events in the autumn to explore the place of faith in the world of business.

We are already marketing St Stephen Walbrook, and some specific business-related offers, using ‘plus+’ to talk about St Stephen Walbrook adding value to the City. As a result, this new ongoing series of events will be titled ‘plus+ presentations’.

The inaugural presentation in our new series of plus+ presentations will be given by Douglas Board, founder of Maslow’s Attic, on 21 September, 6.30pm, at St Stephen Walbrook

Douglas Board is a senior visiting fellow at Cass and also writes on management, faith, society and humour, as well as careers. Previously, he was consultant, director and then deputy chairman of Saxton Bampfylde, a top 10 UK search firm. Douglas will share practical, intellectual and spiritual reflections on flourishing at work in a presentation entitled ‘In an open plan office, can anyone hear you scream?’

The format for ‘plus+ presentations’ is: 

• 6.15pm: Evening Prayer (optional); 
• 6.30pm: plus+ Presentation; 
• 7.00pm: Drinks reception & networking; 
• 7.30pm: Close. 

There is no charge for the presentation/reception and no need to book. All are welcome – just come on the day.

Going forward, we plan to run the plus+ presentations on the third Thursday of each month, although the remaining 2017 dates will be 19th October; 9th November. On 18 January 2018, our presenter will be Professor Richard Higginson speaking about Christian entrepreneurs living out their faith.

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Arvo Pärt - Da Pacem.