CHURCH LEADERS PLEDGE TO THE NATION

With Easter this weekend, HeartEdge partners YourNeighbourhood.org want to get the message far and wide that the Church is here for the nation. So, this Easter, together with them we are asking 1000 UK Church leaders to publicly commit to supporting their local communities, to bring a message of hope, so that no-one will be alone, without the help they need, during the COVID-19 crisis.

Here's a message about the pledge from Russell Rook:

Dear friends,

Please sign our YourNeighbour.org pledge to the Nation and encourage church leaders in your network to sign too.

Our nation is suffering, daily life is out of balance, the Covid-19 crisis is making life a challenge for everyone across the UK. For Churches in the UK this will be an unusual Easter. However, while our celebrations may look different, our message of hope remains the same.

This Easter we want to bring Churches together to send a united message to our nation; our pledge as church leaders across the UK. Our pledge is that we are committed to playing our role, alongside other groups, institutions and organisations, to bring hope to our communities.

With Easter this weekend, we want to get the message far and wide that the Church is here for the nation. We would like 1000 UK Church leaders to publicly commit to supporting their local communities, to bring a message of hope, so that no-one will be alone, without the help they need, during the COVID-19 crisis.

We are working with press and media to publish this pledge this weekend. Join us in spreading good news this Easter. You can read, and sign the full pledge here

Whatever the future holds, churches in the UK stand ready, willing and able to serve. We are praying for our country and our communities, and committed to caring for our neighbours in days and years to come.

Thank you for everything you are doing to support local churches at this time of crisis

Many blessings,

Russell Rook

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The Alarm - The Stand.

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.

Seek the Welfare of the City

"Inspirational"..."great"..."brain and soul food"... these were some of the responses to the Seek the Welfare of the City conference organised by the Greater London Presence and Engagement Network, King's College London and St Mellitus College last week. Many of the talks - including keynote addresses by Bishop Doug Miles and Bishop Richard Chartres, and sessions with Lucy Winkett, Giles Goddard and Russ Rook are online here. Over 250 people attended the event, held at Holy Trinity Brompton and St Paul's Hammersmith, with presentations on the theology and practice of urban ministry.

Earthed in practice this was an opportunity to reflect on urban mission and ministry through a mix of case studies, keynote speaches and panel discussions. The venue for the first day was Holy Trinity Brompton and the keynote speaker Bishop Doug Miles, Koinonia Baptist Church, Baltimore. Panel topics were:- Missional church in practice; Christian Social enterprise - developing sustainable and resilient forms of social welfare provision; Urban spirituality and discipleship - beyond the rural and the monastic.

The venue for day two was St Paul's Hammersmith. Panel topics were Christian social and political engagement in multi-faith contexts and a roundtable and plenary discussion of Christianity and Contemporary Politics: The Conditions and Possibilites of Faithful Witness by Luke Bretherton.

You can follow the conference Twitter feed here. Luke Bretherton's comments summed up the mood of the conference well: "Something rather special emerged as people began to connect outside of stereotypes and listen afresh - together."

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After The Fire - Life In The City.