HeartEdge Introductory Days

The latest HeartEdge Introductory Day was held at Jesmond URC in Newcastle on 11 June and drew together an engaged group from across the denominations. 

Sam Wells began the day by speaking about going beyond the benefactor and steward in the way we fund churches. Then we heard about local initiatives exemplifying the 4 Cs: Faith in Our Community CAFÉ Together in Easington Colliery run a community lunch once a week with cookery classes, summer activities and a pop-up restaurant also happening regularly; Forget Me Knot organise a community pantomime with the URC church and community in Roker; St Michael's in Byker work with youth and community to rebuild the church and its activities; and Churches’ Key Project in South Tyneside provide young people with accommodation, mediation with family members and life skills to help them find their way. 

Jonathan Evens described HeartEdge as a ‘movement for renewal fuelled by its members’. After a wonderful lunch provided by Social Chef, we heard from Sunderland University Chaplain Chris Howson on healing communities in the midst of Brexit. The afternoon was spent in workshops including how to … run a community lunch, develop enterprise, engage your community at Christmas and nurture good mental health. Speakers were from community projects across the region and gave participants a more in-depth look at how to set up these kinds of projects and what challenges and rewards they give us. The day closed with some Theological reflections from Fr. Chris Hughes and Sam Wells. 

Feedback after the event included:

• ‘The day at Jesmond URC was a wonderful time of learning, sharing and fellowship with a real and obvious enthusiasm from both speakers and participants for getting involved in the community.’
• ‘What an interesting and lively day at Jesmond yesterday. I'm so glad to have been there. There's plenty to consider prayerfully and challenges to broaden what being church is about.’
• ‘I especially liked the view of church as Congregation, Compassion, Culture and Commerce emphasising that a church was not solely spirituality.’

The next HeartEdge Introductory Day is on Thursday 27 June at St Thomas' Derby. Working across Derby, Nottingham and the surrounding area? Urban, suburban or rural? We would love you to join this practical one-day intensive introduction to HeartEdge with Sam Wells and guests. We're ecumenical and open to all. The day will explore approaches to mission, do theology, develop ideas and help build on the community of practice in Derby. Book in here.

In addition to Sam Wells, the programme also includes: Paul Morris (St Peter’s Derby), Christopher Harrison (St Peter’s Nottingham), Joseph Chivayo (Derby City of Sanctuary), Simon Cartwright (St Thomas'), Michael Gladwell (Derby Language School), Beth Honey (Derwent Oak), Pat McMenemy & Courtney Smith (Women of Faith Nottingham) and Julian Penfold (St James Riddings).

To register for a free ticket click here.

The day will explore approaches to mission, do theology, develop ideas and help build on the community of practice in Derby and Nottingham. We'll do this by referring to:

• Congregation: Liturgy, worship & new congregations
• Commerce: Being entrepreneurial, growing income via enterprise
• Compassion: Grow participation to address social need
• Culture: Art, music connecting with communities

We'll start with refreshments from 10am and a programme from 10.30am.

• Programme will include panel discussion and practical ‘how to’ session.
• Lots of opportunity to build networks, make connections, with time to meet over lunch & refreshments.

Practical, inspiring with lots to celebrate and take away - we hope you can join us.

HeartEdge is a growing ecumenical network of churches and other organisations, in the UK and overseas, initiated by St Martin-in-the-Fields. Joining HeartEdge is easy - find out more here.

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Lifehouse - Everything.

HeartEdge conference - Commerce, Compassion, Culture, Congregation … It's All Church!

Commerce, Compassion, Culture, Congregation … It's All Church!

Commerce, Compassion, Culture, Congregation are essential – in our view it’s all church! This September attend the HeartEdge two day intensive – theology, ideas, resources, plus time to make connections, find encouragements and Jazz!

12 & 13 September 2018 - Day 1 at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Day 2 at Lambeth Palace.

Contributors include:

• Rt Revd Paul Bayes
• Ann Morisy
• Professor Ben Quash
• Revd Dr. Paul Goodliff
• Professor Anthony Reddie
• Russell Rook
• Baroness Sherlock
• Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby
• Revd Dr Sam Wells
• Revd Lucy Winkett

Programme includes:

• Bread for the World
• For Good: The Church & the Future of Welfare
• Great Sacred Music
• Live Jazz

Programme: Day 1 at St Martin-in-the-Fields begins from 10.00 am and includes an evening Eucharist followed by live Jazz. Day 2 at Lambeth Palace begins from 9.30 am, with conference close at 3.30 pm.

Cost: Early Bird rate £69 (until 20th July 2018); then HeartEdge members rate - £79 & non-members rate - £99. Tickets include conference programme, refreshments & lunch, plus complimentary Jazz on evening of 12th September.

Registration: Book tickets at https://tickets.myiknowchurch.co.uk/gb/ODYyLTU/t

For more information: Contact Revd Jonathan Evens on 020 7766 1127 or jonathan.evens@smitf.org

HeartEdge is a growing ecumenical network of churches and other organisations which supports churches in blending their mission around congregation, compassion, culture and commerce.

‘HeartEdge feels different, in that it is practical theology, where the theology is not just a veneer, but running right through it.’ Rev Andy Goodliff, Minister of Bell Vue Baptist Church, Southend

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Great Sacred Music - I Stood On The River Of Jordan.

HeartEdge launches on 8 February 2017 at St Stephen Walbrook

HeartEdge is a network of initiated by St Martin-in-the-Fields for churches working at the heart of culture, community and commerce with those at the margins and on the edge. HeartEdge aims to build association, learning, development and resource.

February 8 saw the launch of HeartEdge with a day exploring mission by sharing ideas, uncovering solutions and finding support held at St Stephen Walbrook, London and hosted by Revd Dr Sam Wells. 80+ attendees heard a wide range of contributions from Jonathan Evens (Priest for Partnership Development, St Martin-in-the-Fields and St Stephen Walbrook), Jessica Foster (Curate, St Peter's Hall Green Birmingham), Ruth Gouldbornne (Minister at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church), James Hutchings (Team Rector, Holy Trinity Exmouth), Ali Lyon (Consultant and member of St Martin-in-the-Fields), Rosemarie Mallett (Rector of St John’s Angell Town, Brixton), Sally Muggeridge (Curate, St Stephen Walbrook), Andy Turner (Project Co-ordinator, HeartEdge), Dan Tyndall (Vicar of St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol), Tim Vreugdenhil (Pastor of CityKirk Amsterdam), and Lucy Winkett (Rector, St James’s Church, Piccadilly).

Following the event Sam Wells said, 'I was so delighted to see so many energised and engaged faces at the HeartEdge launch as we spoke about structures, configurations, approaches, insights – but most of all of renewal of vocation, vision and common exploration. That left me full of hope for the emergence of HeartEdge – a movement as yet of many different words but one purposeful spirit. I hope you will sign up and encourage others to do so.'

HeartEdge supports churches in blending their mission around four key areas:

• Congregation – Inclusive approaches to liturgy, worship and day-to-day communal life
• Community – models of outreach serving local need and addressing social justice
• Culture – art, music and ideas to re-imagine the Christian narrative for the present moment
• Commerce – Commercial activities that generate finance, creatively extending and enhancing mission and ministry through social enterprise

HeartEdge works with its members in finding their stories, sharing resources and connecting effectively with others developing their church and community. We create spaces where members give from their experience and take from others – an exchange that’s often inspiring, always compelling, and mutually useful for all participants. We want HeartEdge to be an essential resource and a valuable community, as members develop their church and neighbourhood.

When churches join HeartEdge they receive:

• Connections: Access to all kinds of useful contacts and connections to help their church develop cultural, commercial and community activity
• Information: Grow knowledge and insight to help in their work via the lived experience of others
• Visits: Opportunity to meet those most relevant to them in situ, gaining understanding of their work and experience
• Mentors: Via phone calls and meetings, appropriate learning and support from others
• Events: Programmed with bespoke content useful for their context
• Publications: An emerging range of resources based on approaches to ministry used by HeartEdge members
• Projects: Support and resources to begin specific social justice initiatives
• Emails and Online: a monthly email with links to useful resources

HeartEdge is fuelled by its members. Members are people and churches who are makers and takers – people and churches that both give to the network and take from it.

For more information contact Revd Jonathan Evens, Associate Vicar for Partnerships on 020 7766 1127 or jonathan.evens@smitf.org or visit www.smitf.org/church/worship/partnerships/.

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Arvo Pärt - The Woman with the Alabaster Box.

HeartEdge

‘At the Heart – on the Edge’ is a day exploring mission by sharing ideas, uncovering solutions and finding support. Starting at 10.30am (coffee from 10am) on 8 February 2017 at St Stephen, Walbrook, London we’ll finish at 3.30pm. The conference will launch HeartEdge, a new network for churches growing practices and patterns of sustainable mission, initiated by St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Hosted by Revd Dr Sam Wells, our focus on 8 February is on:

• Congregation – approaches to liturgy, worship and day-to-day communal life
• Commerce – activities generating finance and developing social enterprise
• Charity – addressing social needs while retaining congregational participation
• Culture – art, music and ideas to re-imagine the Christian narrative for the present moment

Interested? Sign up for this launch event and attend what we plan to be an inspiring and practical first conference here >> https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/at-the-heart-on-the-edge-heartedge-conference-2017-tickets-29792821130.

On the high street or in the market place, churches these days make for unusual spaces. Often busy – from community projects and the arts, to hospitality and social enterprise – they frequently engage a wide mix of people including those more used to feeling marginalised and excluded. And if the church hasn't got there yet, it’s probably an aspiration the congregation are working towards.

We think this unusual blend of creative, commercial and community activity that works to include all kinds of people makes many churches essential places in a neighbourhood. It means being at the heart of a community while encountering God among those on the edge.

HeartEdge:

• A network of churches initiated by St Martin-in-the-Fields
• For those working at the heart of culture, community and commerce
• With those at the margins and on the edge
• Building association, learning, development and resource

HeartEdge supports churches in blending their mission around four key areas:

1. Congregation – Inclusive approaches to liturgy, worship and day-to-day communal life
2. Community – models of outreach serving local need and addressing social justice
3. Culture – art, music and ideas to re-imagine the Christian narrative for the present moment
4. Commerce – Commercial activities that generate finance, creatively extending and enhancing mission and ministry through social enterprise

HeartEdge supports its members in finding their stories, sharing resources and connecting effectively with others developing their church and community.

We create spaces where members give from their experience and take from others – an exchange that's often inspiring, always compelling, and mutually useful for all participants.

We want HeartEdge to be an essential resource and a valuable community, as you develop your church and neighbourhood.

When you join HeartEdge you and your church get:

1. Connections: Access to all kinds of useful contacts and connections to help your church develop cultural, commercial and community activity
2. Information: Grow your knowledge and insight to help you in your work via the lived experience of others
3. Visits: Opportunity to meet those most relevant to you in situ, gaining understanding of their work and experience, live
4. Mentors: Via phone calls & meetings, appropriate learning and support from others
5. Events: Programmed with bespoke content useful for your context
6. Publications: An emerging range of resources based on approaches to ministry used by HeartEdge members
7. Projects: Support and resources to begin specific social justice initiatives
8. Emails and Online: We’ll keep in touch with you via a monthly email with links to useful resources via our website

HeartEdge is fuelled by its members. Members are people and churches who are makers and takers – people and churches that both give to the network and take from it.

When you join HeartEdge you give us:

1. Information – about your story and journey as a church. This includes information about what is working well and what isn’t
2. Money – via payment of a membership fee. We want to resource HeartEdge and this needs paying for. We tell you how we spend the money elsewhere in this pack
3. Time – to meet other members and participate in a useful and resourcing network
4. Resource – We think you will have one or more of the following that we think will be useful to others members: ideas, stories, experience, approaches, knowledge, relationships, tactics, strategies and resources. By joining the network you agree, where possible, to share these with others

Generosity is central to HeartEdge – it helps the network to become a useful resource. Your generosity enables members to generate new stories across other communities.

HeartEdge was initiated by the congregation at St Martin-in-the-Fields and will be formally launched early in 2017, but we are seeking founder members now. Join HeartEdge now and you become part of the network as we start out, developing relationships and growing this new resource.

For more information and a membership pack contact Revd Jonathan Evens, Associate Vicar for Partnerships on 02077661127 or jonathan.evens@smitf.org.

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Great Sacred Music - A Hymn for St Cecilia.