HeartEdge update & events

We had a great day yesterday at the HeartEdge Deepening Spirituality day with the London Centre for Spiritual Direction.

We experienced different approaches to deepening the spirituality of congregations and individuals with: Nigel Rooms, Partnership for Missional Church UK, CMS; Richard Carter, Associate Vicar for Mission, St Martin-in-the-Fields; and Antonia Lynn, Community Warden and Referrals Coordinator, LCSD. A wide range of approaches were shared through presentations, interactive exercises, table talks and workshops. Lots of people came and there was lots of interest. Also, lots of wisdom in the room and lots of insights shared.

Upcoming events from HeartEdge and our partners include:

• Greyfriars church, Edinburgh are 400 years young! At that age you'll be celebrating and they are. Visit here for details from their minister Richard Frazer and a year long programme of celebrations.
• 11th February, Urban Spirituality: Looking at living out your faith in a city: 7:30-9:30pm St Thomas Derby. Do Christians need to retreat to country to find God? Explore living out your Christian faith in a city environment with Simon Cartwright and the St Thomas' community. Book here.
• 12 February, 10:00 – 3:30pm, East of England HeartEdge Day, St Peter Mancroft: Exploring mission, sharing ideas, uncovering solutions and finding support, this is an ecumenical day with Sam Wells and guests. Book here.
• 12th February 2020 from 6.30 - 7.30 pm, My Spirit Sang All Day, St Peter Mancroft, Hay Hill, Norwich NR2 1QQ. A Choral Concert with singers from St Peter Mancroft and St-Martin-in-the-Fields. Tallis - Gjeilo - Ireland - Finzi. St Peter Mancroft Choral Scholars & St Martin's Voices. Jody James - Conductor. Andrew Earis - Conductor. Free - Retiring Collection. More information here.
• 19 March, 2.00-4.30pm ‘Inspired to Follow: Art & the Bible Story’ Mission Model workshop, St Martin-in-the-Fields. An opportunity to experience one of the sessions of ‘Inspired to Follow’ and to learn how to make the most of the resource. Free to HeartEdge partners, £10 for others. Book here.
• 1 April 2020, Liverpool HeartEdge Day: Exploring mission, sharing ideas, uncovering solutions and finding support, this is an ecumenical day with Sam Wells and guests. Book here.
• 29 April. West Cornwall HeartEdge Day: Details to follow!
• May 18 - 20 San Antonio - Texas. Faith+Finance: Reimagining God’s Economy is a new gathering with a bias for action. We are bringing together pastors and impact investors, theologians and social entrepreneurs to respond with courage and imagination to the most urgent and demanding economic, social, environmental, and spiritual challenges of our day.
• 19 May, 10.00am – 3.30pm, Wessex HeartEdge Day: Christchurch Priory. Exploring mission, sharing ideas, uncovering solutions and finding support, this is an ecumenical day with Sam Wells and guests. Book here.
• 21 -22 September - London: HeartEdge Annual Gathering - an exciting smorgasbord of theology, ideas and 'how-to' plus curry, catching up, sharing stories and making connections. Make a weekend of it - from Sunday evening's Sacred Space to Wednesday visiting projects. Save the date - more details next time.

This month the HeartEdge mailer includes:

• Kelly Brown Douglas on befriending the outcast. St Isidore Episcopal church on food pantries, plus 'how to' set up a 'Soft Play' project.
• Walter Brueggemann and Kenyatta Gilbert on economics and Marilyn Robinson on Trump and the battle for good and evil.
• Sarah Cave and Rupert Loydell on poetry, Plus Barbara Glasson on inter-faith, and politics and preaching with Doug Gay.

Plus Lucy Winkett writes on looking back, making plans and avoiding the dead eye in the 2020s.

Click here to read the January Mailer.

HeartEdge are hiring - we have an exciting 6-month research and development project, that might be just right for you. Interested? Details plus the application pack here.

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Arcade Fire - Neon Bible.

HeartEdge events & activities 2020

In 2020 HeartEdge will be creating new resources for members based on the 4Cs (compassion, culture, commerce, congregation), introducing HeartEdge hub churches to provide more regionally based support, holding Introductory Days in Norwich, Liverpool, Penzance, Christchurch and other locations, organising consultancy days as requested by members, holding 4Cs events (such as the Deepening Spirituality day in London on 1 February), organising our 3rd national conference (21 and 22 September, London), beginning a new community of practitioners, and further developing our partnerships and networks in Europe and the US.

Some upcoming events include:

Rooted in Jesus workshop - Resourcing Innovative Mission

Rooted in Jesus involves four days together, talking about discipleship, leadership, evangelism, formation, preaching, and much more—so we can go out and be the Body of Christ. HeartEdge will be there together with our partner TryTank Experimental Lab:

Workshop 3: Thursday, January 23, 2020; 2:00PM - 3:20PM, Resourcing Innovative Mission, Rev. Jonathan Evens, Associate Vicar HeartEdge, St.-Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London. HeartEdge is an international, ecumenical movement for renewal of the Church, initiated by St Martin-in-the-Fields. This workshop will use key HeartEdge concepts to enable reflection on innovative mission and ways in which such mission can be resourced. The workshop will provide opportunities to share ideas, identify key challenges and assets for future initiatives. and assets for future initiatives.

Deepening Spirituality, Saturday 1 February, London Centre for Spiritual Direction, St Edmund's Church, 59 Lombard Street, London EC3V 9EA

Many of us want to go deeper with our Spirituality, but often lack ideas of how to do that. This is a day to explore and experience a number of different approaches to deepening the spirituality of individuals and congregations including accompanied prayer, art, lay communities, spiritual direction and more. There will also be an opportunity for personal refreshment.

Canon Dr Nigel Rooms, Partnership for Missional Church UK, CMS; 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.

Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deepening-spirituality-tickets-84159333833. For further information, please contact judith.mensah@lcsd.org.uk.

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

East of England | HeartEdge Day
12 February 2020, 10:00 – 3:30pm, 'At the Heart - on the Edge' at St Peter Mancroft, Norwich.

A mix of theology, ideas and support for re-imagining Church. Developed by the Diocese of Norwich, St Peter Mancroft and St Martin’s the day explores, with input and examples from local churches, the HeartEdge 4Cs. The day includes input from Sam Wells plus local practitioners all experts by experience - sharing their insights about assets and obstacles.

The day is about exploring practice related to the HeartEdge 4C's. About what works - and why, and the learning from when things don't work out.

Details and book in here.

Liverpool | HeartEdge Day
1st April 2020 from 10am - 3.30pm, Liverpool Parish Church (Our Lady and Saint Nicholas), 5 Old Churchyard, Liverpool, L2 8GW

The Liverpool HeartEdge day includes input from Sam Wells plus local practitioners all experts by experience - sharing their insights about assets and obstacles.

The day is about exploring practice related to the HeartEdge 4C's. About what works - and why, and the learning from when things don't work out.

The day is organised and programmed locally, by practitioners who know about issues, challenges and opportunities in Liverpool. All participants focus on learning and sharing ideas and experience that are transferable. It makes the day useful!

To learn more and book your place visit here.

Members of the HeartEdge team will also be out-and-about giving presentations and/or preaching at HeartEdge partners:

• 26 January - Jonathan Evens will be giving a sermon at Watling Valley Ecumenical Partnership’s Covenant Service.
• 10 February - Jonathan Evens will presenting on HeartEdge at Redbridge Deanery Synod.
• 23 February - Jonathan Evens will be preaching at St Peter’s Nottingham.
• 10 May - Catherine Duce will be preaching about HeartEdge at Exeter Cathedral.

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Over The Rhine - May God Love You (Like You've Never Been Loved).

Deepening Spirituality

Deepening Spirituality was a day organised by HeartEdge in partnership with the London Centre for Spiritual Direction that was held at the Church of St Edmund the King, Lombard Street yesterday.

The day explored a range of approaches to deepening the spirituality of congregations including accompanied prayer, art, Godly Play, lay communities, open door retreats, spiritual direction, and more.

The day began with a session by Neil Evans, Director of Ministry for the Diocese of London, on strategies for developing congregational depth. Neil considered what ways in which we can talk about church growth in terms of depth of spirituality within congregations and asked what factors influence or shape the deepening of spirituality in congregations. He presented a case study demonstrating the strategic and contextual use of Lent Courses, Pastoral Care Teams, Godly Play and Weeks of Accompanied Prayer.

Beki Rogers, Director of the London Centre for Spiritual Direction, chaired a panel session on lay communities with contributions from:

• Nazareth Community – Richard Carter
• Moot Community –Emily Richardson
• St Thomas’ Community – Simon Cartwright
• Community of Spiritual Directors – Antonia Lynn
• St Anselm’s & Nazareth Communities – Georgina Illingworth

Each panellist introduced their community and explained how their community helps to deepen people’s spirituality.

The day also included table talks:

• Weeks of Accompanied Prayer and Open Door Retreats: Alison Christian - How can we open up, deepen and support the prayer lives of the people we are alongside and give them a taste of retreat without having to go away? This table talk explores two tools that can be used to do just that in our own communities.
• Spiritual Direction: Julie Dunstan - Spiritual Direction is the best kept secret in the church. It’s not just for some spiritual elite, it’s available to all. Someone to walk alongside you and to help you to listen more deeply to the direction of the Spirit in your life. What’s not to like?
• The Art of Contemplation: Jonathan Evens - The experience of viewing art is contemplative in nature as the kind of looking that is involved has significant synergies with the practices of prayer and contemplation in the Christian tradition. The discipline of paying attention which is fundamental to the visual arts is also a useful discipline for Christians.
• Ignatian Spirituality: Antonia Lynn - The spirituality of Ignatius Loyola, described as a “journey into freedom”, is a spirituality of the whole person and for all walks of life, allowing each of us to find our own way of living out our deepest beliefs and desires in a growing intimacy with God in Christ. It invites us to a radical transformation of heart and mind, and the discovery of each person’s unique calling to “love and serve in all things”.
• Forming A Rhythm Of Life: Simon Cartwright - A rhythm of life is a set of statements that encourages a pattern of living for an intentional Christian community. It recognises that we all have uniquely different personalities, interests and vocations. But a rhythm of life enables people to explore their own spiritual journey, while finding support and depth with others who are joining them on that journey. In this table talk we will share how forming a rhythm of life helps shape Christian community.
• Lent Courses: Neil Evans - Lent Groups are a tried and trusted way of bringing people together to meet and discuss issues of faith. They can succeed where attempts to draw people together for more on-going group meetings can be more difficult. Using such groups fruitfully for mission and ministry can offer a real richness to parish life.
• Listening groups: Richard Carter - I first came across the idea of a listening group from the late Gerard Hughes. He said that often with discussion groups people try to show how much they know and ideas can quickly become competitive or an interaction dominated by a few. A listening in contrast aims to provide each participant a place to share and to listen. It allows space for the stories of others.

There were also a series of workshops. These were experiential, being with an experience of the approach or practice followed by reflection on the experience, plus background input and information combined with the opportunity to ask questions or comment on different approaches to its use in deepening spirituality:

• Godly Play: Neil Evans and Ali Lyon - A wonderfully simple, yet profound way of sharing the Gospel. So often when we tell bible stories we can put a spin or our interpretation on the story. Godly Play, rather, invites people – children and adults alike – into the story. Through open ‘wondering’ questions each person is given the opportunity to bring their experience and promptings of the Holy Spirit to the story. It helps people make the story, the bible, their own.
• Art Oasis: Jonathan Evens and Sarah Sikorski - Included quiet scripture reflection, prayer and practical art. Art materials were available to explore, play with colour and be creative through collage, painting, drawing or writing. Lectio Divina provided the prompt to our creativity.
• Silence: Alison Christian and Richard Carter - Cicero said, "Silence is one of the great arts of conversation."  This workshop will look at the value the Church has always placed on silence and consider the "conversation" we can have with God through silence.  The main part of the workshop will be largely experiential. We will explore ways which help us keep a deeper silence, explore how to face distractions, and reflect upon the places of silence which can enrich our lives.
• The Examen: Antonia Lynn - One of the simplest of prayer practices, the Examen enables us to make gratitude a way of life and to find and cooperate with the presence of God in all aspects of our daily living.

The day ended with discussion of how to evaluate growth and depth using methods that track personal spiritual development and approaches to evaluating a day such as this day on deepening spirituality. 

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Will Todd - Greater Love. 

HeartEdge developments

Deepening Spirituality is 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.


HeartEdge | Newcastle, Tue, 11 June, 10:00 – 15:30, Jesmond United Reformed Church, Burdon Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 3AE

Exploring mission, sharing ideas, uncovering solutions and finding support. A day with Sam Wells and guests.

• Congregation: Liturgy, worship & new congregations.
• Commerce: Being entrepreneurial, rethinking church buildings, growing income via enterprise
• Compassion: Growing participation addressing social need
• Culture: Art, music & ideas connecting with communities
• Refreshments 10am. Programme 10.30am. Finish 3.30pm
• Panel discussion, theology and practical ‘how to’.
• Networking. Connecting. Lunch & refreshments

Register for free tickets here -  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/heartedge-newcastle-tickets-57644431045?fbclid=IwAR26jmMF5TNHUKEewL3XzHW0xvYWPtv7T_HLQwn81abXIl_sRC-9TjKxwkA. 

Sheppard Scholars

We are looking for two enthusiastic Sheppard Scholars (new Pastoral Assistant scheme) to support new and refreshed mission and ministry projects. Both roles will take part in the worshiping life of St Martin-in-Fields, with the opportunity to share the life of the Nazareth Community. This is an exciting and inspirational year-long programme offering two people a unique chance to learn and grow with us.

These are interesting, wide ranging and supporting roles requiring a broad range of skills. You will be working closely with Clergy, congregation, office admin, verging team, events, catering, concerts, retail teams, contractors and others. Therefore, excellent communication and relationship building skills are a key part of this role, as well as an ability to be pastorally sensitive in all communications.

These roles offer not only breadth of experience but also a range of responsibilities from participation and involvement to roles of leadership. The aim is to be able to give a wide experience of ministry at the heart of the life of this church and at the same time to draw on the Pastoral Assistant’s own gifts and faith at a time of growth in the life of St Martin’s and HeartEdge.

Full details can be found on www.smitf.org. To apply: please submit a supporting statement and your full CV to hr@smitf.org. Interviews will be by appointment on 7 May 2019.

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Eric Bibb - I Want Jesus To Walk With Me.

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.