HeartEdge Mailer | January 2018

HeartEdge Mailer | January 2018

Our passion is growing Kingdom communities via four C’s - congregations, culture, commercial activity and compassion.

Welcome to our January de-tox Mailer. This month:

• Culture: Churches as space for art and... comedy clubs
• Commerce: Macaroons and cakes as social enterprise - and 'start up' hints and tips
• Congregation: Looking Up with Annie Lamont, Harry and Chris on the Apocalypse, Maggie Dawn on submerging church and Barbara Glasson on diversity
• Community: Craftivist and introvert activism with Sarah Corbett - and Naomi Thompson on lessons from the Sunday school movement

Plus - Lucy Winkett on rare sympathy and holding fast in turbulent times

HeartEdge is making spaces where members give from their experience and take from others – an exchange that’s inspiring and mutually useful for all. HeartEdge works with members to find solutions, share resources and connect with others developing their church and community. If you have ideas or requests for topics on which you would like to share ideas and experiences with other churches, please call 020 7766 1127 or email Jonathan.

Join HeartEdge - detail here.

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David Gascoyne - Lachrymae.

Life stages and lives of Jesus

At St John's Seven Kings we have enjoyed some innovative thinking in sermons today and last week as well as in a spirituality workshop today.

Last week, for our Patronal Festival, we welcomed Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of Chelmsford. In preaching from the lectionary readings for the Feast of St John the Evangelist, he took the final statement of John's Gospel (John 21. 25) as a challenge to each one of us to be the extra books that could be written about the life and work of Jesus. As well as being a historical statement about the life of Christ, Bishop Stephen used the possibility of additional books about Jesus to convey the idea that the story of Jesus continues to be written in and through our lives and ministries.

Today, Rev. Ronni Lamont suggested that the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10. 38 -42) could be understood in terms of different life stages - youth as activity, work, child-rearing and family life; later life with more time and space for contemplation and reflection. Drawing on the thinking of Carl Jung, Richard Rohr and James Fowler on life/religious development stages plus writing on spiritual styles, Ronni led us into a workshop exploring ways in which our spirituality naturally changes in later life and raised questions about the extent to which this changed spirituality is reflected in Church services.

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Bob Dylan - Tryin' To Get To Heaven.
  

Spirituality workshop

Rev. Ronni Lamont will be visiting St John’s Seven Kings on Sunday 13^th October to speak about and discuss with us the spirituality of those who are 45/50+, exploring the extent to which our spiritual needs and interests have changed as we have aged. Ronni will preach at our 10.00am service and then lead a discussion session after the service on this theme.

Ronni brings a wealth of training and development experience for all who are interested in spirituality and creativity. She offers specialisms in creativity and innovation, children’s spirituality and pastoral training and has worked extensively for the training departments in the Dioceses of Rochester and St. Albans. Her MA thesis on childrens’ spirituality became the starting point for her acclaimed book, Understanding Children Understanding God (SPCK 2008). Her other books, co- written with husband Gordon include Children Aloud, (Church House 1997) and Work Life Balance, (Sheldon Press 2001).

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Jazz Church - Be Still For The Presence Of The Lord.