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On the Edge

"On the Edge", the brand new dvd resource on ordained pioneer ministry in the Church of England, was launched in August at the Momentum festival. Copies have now been sent to all Anglican bishops, directors of ordinands and training institutions. It's essential viewing for anyone involved in selection or vocations support and, of course, for prospective ordinands. Please make it known and order it here, www.freshexpressions.org.uk/shop

'The Church of England is looking for people who can take risks for the gospel to be Ordained Pioneer Ministers,' says Archbishop Rowan Williams (from the booklet which accompanies the dvd).

"Hope Explored"

Lessons of 9/11 offer hope, suggests ‘new kind of Christian’ Brian McLaren in new short film.
“Hope Explored” is released today at www.hopeinfo.co.uk in support of Hope 2008. Timed to coincide with the seventh anniversary of September 11th 2001, this free, downloadable short film tackles major themes from interfaith relations to climate change and war and peace. No surprise then that the film’s contributor is author of a book called “Everything Must Change”, one of a number of best sellers by popular international speaker, thinker and activist Brian McLaren.

In the film, Brian shares a personal story of his reaction to his Muslim neighbours after the 9/11 attack in 2001. The prominent and sometimes controversial Christian thinker goes on to suggest that the way we are treating the planet, the gap between the haves and the have-nots, and the proliferation of violence and weapons, combine to dangerous effect.

But there is hope! The film points to a Christian faith that is a real hope for the present, just as much as it is a solid hope for the future. Watch the film and post your own views: www.hopeinfo.co.uk

Who is my neighbour?

There is deep concern within the churches and society about negative gang-related social disorder and violent crimes and their subsequent effects upon society, especially upon the young. This new publication, Who is my neighbour? – a church response to social disorder linked to gangs, drugs, guns and knives, is a timely and thoughtfully researched piece of work, covering perceptions of the level of gang-related social disorder, identifying its causes, and looking at some initiatives that address these. The role of the Church is highlighted as an agent of change where Jesus’ gospel message is a timeless and constructive alternative to the negative messages that influence gang members.

Published by Churches Together in England (CTE) and Churches Together in Britain & Ireland (CTBI), Who is my neighbour? can be ordered or downloaded as a PDF from http://www.cte.org.uk/

New lease of life for Jesus

rejesus.co.uk and Church Army have agreed a strategic partnership that will hopefully see the already phenomenally popular site spawn new life. See this post on the Church Army site for more and watch this space...

Breaking the mould

There are many schools of thought when it comes to the question of how best to communicate what it means to be a follower of Jesus. The one thing everyone agrees on is that at the end of the day, our activities should leave people feeling more inclined to explore further, not less!

I am amazed, and frankly depressed sometimes, at how often we generate precisely the wrong response by the way we relate to people, and, to each other.

Ekklesia this week have put it like this: "Church arguments miss the global challenge, says think tank".

Last week I was at a conference where Brian McLaren spoke similarly about how the polemic debates of our day, including debates between Christians, echo the setting of Jesus' day. The Roman Empire had its dominant narrative, and there were various popular counter-narratives from the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots and others. But did Jesus take sides?

Or was there something about the way Jesus acted and spoke that made people stop and think; called them to think differently, more deeply. As millions watch on over the coming days and weeks as the Anglican Communion struggles with complex issues, will the discussions be characterised by humility? And shot through with a unique, compelling love?

And will people be able to relate any of what is said to the big issues they face in their lives? As Brian McLaren says, we might be in danger of specialising in dealing with "spiritual" needs and personal "holiness", to the exclusion of social and physical needs; in danger of focusing on "me and my eternal destiny" and fail to address the dominant societal and global realities of our lifetimes: systemic injustice, poverty, and dysfunction.

Shouldn't a message purporting to be the best news in the world be doing better than this?

New appointment

A significant new opportunity
I am very pleased to announce that we have secured funding for 12 months to employ someone to work alongside me. Kate Yates has joined us after her excellent work on Set All Free, a national project of the churches to commemorate the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. Kate also comes to us with more than 14 years valuable experience gained at Bible Society.

BUT, we urgently need your financial support. Why? Although we have the funds to pay Kate, levels of funding generally have been falling recently. Perhaps because of the economic downturn, who knows. But we need several thousand pounds to enable our work to continue.

When did we see you...?

"WHEN?" - new Hope film available 2nd May and available for download

'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' Matthew 25 vs. 37b-39 (NIV)

WHEN?

The next Hope '08 'high point' starting around the May Bank Holiday weekend, "Hope Where You Live", is a great reminder to us to let our activities break out of our church buildings and to get onto the streets where we live.

To mark this, a new short film has been made for Hopeinfo.co.uk which is a snapshot of life on the streets, against the backdrop of the question: 'When?'

Why not use the film as part of what you're planning for May?

It will be available to download from the 2nd May, possibly earlier! Why not show it at whatever events you are planning? Why not buy or print materials or t-shirts with the web address on and point people to the film, one of seven? CPO have a wide range. Remember the Hopeinfo.co.uk site is a gateway for contact with the Christian Enquiry Agency that provides a range of free literature and services for those who want to know more about what we Christians believe - and what that means for our lives.

Sunday Life

This Sunday at 10am a new weekly religious programme begins on BBC1. "Sunday Life" is presented by Louise Minchin and former Olympic athlete Colin Jackson.

It aims to profile inspiring personal stories and provide thought-provoking discussion. On this first show Gill Hicks, who lost both legs in the 7/7 bombings, launches a walk for peace. Plus, actress Georgia Slowe, whose mother had a miraculous escape from the Nazis, visits Auschwitz with British schoolchildren.

Future programmes will feature Arthur White from Tough Talk and St Pixels virtual church.

My PVR is set to record the whole series. No idea whether it will be worth watching, but I do want to know what is being broadcast and how it might impact public perceptions of religion. I'm not religious myself, as they say, but still.

If you have any inspiring or perhaps quirky stories let me know. I'll suggest them to the programme makers.

Fanning the flames

In a few weeks’ time it will be Pentecost and a new way to celebrate starts this year: Pentecost Festival - www.pentecostfestival.co.uk - organized by Share Jesus International. Over the weekend 9th-11th May 2008 this high energy missional festival will be hitting the streets of Central London – a fitting place for this particular celebration given the wonderfully cosmopolitan make-up of 21st century London.

This weekend-long party is a visible celebration by the people of the Christian faith, but is open to all faiths and cultures. Two years in the making, Pentecost Festival will celebrate cohesion, collaboration and service to society, and deliver 100+ free events from urban-dance performances, theatre productions and graffiti artists through to speed-dating and more! The idea is to break misconceptions about Church as boring, cold and with no life or creativity, by bringing the Church body out of the building and into the streets to celebrate.

This fits nicely with the ethos of Hope 2008 to which the festival is linked. Hope ‘08 aims to celebrate at Pentecost too, by getting Christians all over the country joining together to give one million hours of practical help to their communities.

This theme of ‘living the Gospel’ will also be picked up by www.hopeinfo.co.uk – the online public face of Hope ‘08. The website will feature a new film highlighting Christians making a difference in the lives of others, based around the parable of the sheep and the goats from Matthew 25: 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

Over half of Britons believe Jesus rose from the dead

New research from Theos indicates that more than half of us here in the UK believe that Jesus rose from the dead. But only half of those (~30% of the total sample) accept the traditional Christian belief in the bodily resurrection of Christ and the rest (27%) believe that Jesus rose in spirit form.

If the research is accurate - and there is no reason to think it not - I wonder how these millions of people will react to The Passion, the BBC's new production about the last week in Jesus' life.

Well, we'll start finding out from this Palm Sunday evening, when the first episode of four airs. The final episode is on Easter Sunday, with the two and a half hours of the preceeding episodes repeated beforehand.

With a number of resurrection appearances, the final episode is sure to drive many a conversation across the country about the possibility of life after death.

At the same time, the HopeInfo.co.uk website - the online public face of Hope 2008 - releases a new film of its own dealing with the question of life after death. It includes vox pops filmed recently in which people give their reactions to questions about death.

Poverty and Justice Bible

Bible Society have launched The Poverty and Justice Bible, a new resource that (literally) highlights verses in the Bible that show what it has to say about poverty and justice.

Find out more about this new version of the Bible at www.povertyandjusticebible.org/

This Contemporary English Version translation could well be a helpful resource for people who care deeply about the extreme suffering in the world and can't reconcile that with the existence of a loving God.

News release from the Churches Media Council

CHRISTIANS WELCOME BBC’S PASSION SERIES - 25 Feb 08

Representatives of the UK’s biggest denominations have urged Christians to welcome the BBC’s forthcoming drama series The Passion. The Churches’ Media Council has published guidance for Christians saying “There's no need to debate whether or not the Christian community should welcome this production. We celebrate the fact that the story of Jesus is being retold for an audience of millions.”

The Chair of the Council Rev Dr Joel Edwards said “from time to time opportunities arise nationally that provide significant moments for the Christian faith to engage with our culture. One such opportunity will be the forthcoming BBC series The Passion.” He expects the series to make “a huge national impact” over the Easter season.

The series will be scheduled in peak time on BBC1, with the first episode on Palm Sunday 16^th March. It is likely to attract audiences in excess of 10 million. It tells the story of the last week of Jesus’ life, his trial and crucifixion. The last episode, to be broadcast on Easter Sunday 23^rd March, dramatises his post-resurrection appearances. It has been made by award-winning drama producer Nigel Stafford-Clark, who was responsible for Bleak House and Warriors. The cast includes Cold Feet star James Nesbitt as Pilate and EastEnders actor Paul Nicholls as Judas Iscariot. The part of Jesus is played by the relatively unknown Joseph Mawle, who at 33 is the same age as Jesus during the events of the Passion.

More at: http://www.churchesmediacouncil.org.uk/passion/

Free book offer update

Apologies if you tried to follow the link to the free book offer this week and found it not working. It is now fixed: www.christianity.org.uk/contact_cea.html

How to be evangelistic without being religious

76% of the population report having spiritual
experiences, yet only 6.3% currently attends church. Why?
A new book, "How To Be Evangelistic Without Being Religious", provides insights into that question, as well as a handy summary of recent research findings.
The Christian Enquiry Agency is offering you a free copy of this book, as part of its commitment to promoting best practice in mission and to helping churches to connect effectively with the millions of people interested in questions of faith, spirituality and meaning, but who do not automatically see church as a place to find answers to their questions.
Many such people contact us each year and we provide them with high quality materials, put them in touch with someone local to them who can answer their questions, and when they’re ready, help them find a church.
To learn more about how we do this and for your free copy of "How To Be Evangelistic Without Being Religious", contact us using THIS FORM, specifying you would like a copy of the book.