During Forum there will be a chance to attend two workshops. Yes, sadly only two!
Forum delegates will have been sent an email with a link to make their workshop choices. Please do look through the rich selection of options below and make you choices.
1: Intercultural Church
The English ecclesial landscape has been changing for the last 50 years and today many of our towns and cities are blessed by the gift of men, women and children from across the globe who have moved into the neighbourhood and joined churches.
This workshop will unpack what intercultural church is and explore though questions, examples and theologising what it might mean for us to journey to being more intercultural.
Some of the material from this workshop will be drawn from Ben Aldous, Idina Dunmore and Mohan Seevaratnam’s book Intercultural Church: Shared Learning from New Communities.
Facilitators: Revd Dr Benjamin Aldous CTE Principal Officer for Mission and Evangelism and CTE Trustee Dr Elizabeth Joy, of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
2: Accessible Church: “Many parts but one body”?
‘Only 5–10% of disabled people hear the gospel in their lifetime!’ (Lausanne Committee for Evangelisation).
We’ll share a kingdom vision that can reverse this disheartening statistic. Through Scripture, real-life stories and discussion explore how disabled people can reach their full potential in Christ. Join the conversation about the ABC model of disability inclusion – a framework to enable all people to glorify God.
Facilitators: Tim Wood and and Katie Budd. Tim Wood is CEO of Christian disability charity, Through the Roof. He has 28 years’ experience of serving disabled people in education, sport and church life. Tim and his wife, Lynne, have six children, the youngest of whom they adopted with various additional needs. Katie Budd is Team Leader for the ‘Roofbreaker’ project which equips volunteer disability champions in UK churches and ministries. Katie has Cerebral Palsy and is a wheelchair user with a background in health and social care law and disability advocacy in the NHS and charity sector. Katie lives in Cardiff with her husband Andrew.
3: Exploring Forest Church
Have you heard of forest church? Wondered about wild worship? Open your eyes to the outdoors with Melanie and Rachel, as they share with you some of their muddy meanderings and wind blown wisdom out of their own forest church type practices.
We will explore the whys and the hows, and have a chance to play through some ideas together under God’s good sky. Come dressed for the weather, expect the unexpected, and prepare to never look at slugs (or snails or beetles or spiders or slimy stuff!) in the same way again.
Come with questions, a willingness to experience, and a heart to explore how Creator uses their great outdoors and you could too!
Facilitators: Melanie Carroll and Rachel Summers. Melanie is County Ecumenical Officer in Lincolnshire and Executive Officer for the Association of Interchurch Families and leads Lincoln Forest Church. Rachel has published several books including Wild Lent and Wild Advent and is an Anglican Priest in Walthamstow and winner of the Churches Together in England MA Mission Prize 2024.
4: Reflecting on Chaplaincy
Chaplaincy is one of the most vibrant and sometimes overlooked spaces in the ecumenical landscape. Join us to hear from a range of voices sharing their reflections on their work in chaplaincy across different contexts in England.
Facilitator: Mark Burleigh, Baptist minister, healthcare chaplain and County Ecumenical Officer for Cambridgeshire this workshop provides an opportunity to hear from a number of CTE’s Charities and Networks in Association who minister in a chaplaincy context. Speakers include Naomi Nixon, from the Student Christian Movement, Warren Evans from Sports Chaplaincy UK and Deborah Akinlawon from the Christian Police Association.
5: Theology Slam on Why bother with ecumenism?
In collaboration with the Society for Ecumenical Studies and hosted by Trey Hall of the Methodist Church join three young ecumenists (up to the age of 35) in a friendly competition to see who gives the best presentation.
While this event is light-hearted, it intends to offer the chance for fresh and deep thinking.
Entrants will present their ideas on Why bother with ecumenism? in as engaging and challenging way as possible. Humour is recommended, creativity demanded, and originality in presentation and thought dearly sought after.
Come and join them!
Workshop 1: Entrants TBC
Workshop 2: Entrants TBC
6: Money Matters: Acting justly and caring for creation through our finances
There’s a growing movement of Christians seeking to act justly with the money we steward, motivated by our faith and the vision of a greener, fairer economy. It’s a broad movement, including those who are championing the work of credit unions to tackle financial exclusion, individuals switching to greener banks, and churches using their investments to tackle the climate crisis. Join us for an inspiring workshop where there’ll be space to share experiences and explore areas for further action and advocacy, including initiatives like the Green Investment Declaration and the Big Bank Switch.
Facilitators: Rosie Venner, Director of Movement Building, Just Money Movement and Clare Fussell the Bright Now Campaign Director, Operation Noah.
7: Creating Healthy Cultures: Preventing Spiritual Abuse
So much is being reported about leadership failings across the Church globally. Often, these reports include the existence of spiritual abuse, but are we clear about what this is, where and how it happens? Once we are clear about what spiritual abuse looks like and its impact on those who are the focus of it, we can be more confident in identifying the early signs and mitigating this (and other forms of) abuse within healthier cultures and contexts.
This research-based seminar will address what has been learned from over 1000 individuals who have identified their experiences in churches as spiritually abusive. It will also focus on indicators, facilitating factors, impact on victims and healthy responses as well as ways to assess and develop cultures that will make it harder for abusive practices and attitudes to thrive at the expense of the people within any environment.
Facilitator: Justin Humphreys, CEO of Thirtyone:Eight, an independent, non-denominational Christian safeguarding charity operating across the United Kingdom.
8: Weighing It Up: How Do We Discern the Challenges of Society as Young Ecumenists?
In this workshop several young ecumenical leaders will share their perspectives on a number of societies big issues. Together we will consider questions such as:
- How social media impacts your ecumenical context?
- How social action can be best utilised through ecumenism?
- How ecumenism contributes to our spiritual life of Christians?
- How are we engaging with the climate change in different ecumenical contexts?
- How can we best strive for unity whilst stewarding the earth?
This is a workshop not to be missed! Come and join the conversation.
Facilitators: Emma Wright, County Ecumenical Officer for Churches Together in Herefordshire and Elliot Vanstone, Mission Advisor from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales will be joined with Phil Callaghan from the Trussell Trust, Rebecca Boardman, a representative from the Church of England and Asish Varghese from Churches Together in Merseyside and a member of the Mar Thoma Church.
9: Living with Diversity on Human Sexuality
What we believe about matters of human sexuality, as well as how we communicate with one another regarding these issues, has become a source of pain and division both between and within churches across England.
This workshop provides an opportunity to hear about CTE’s ongoing work to develop safe and reflective spaces to hold conversations about matters of human sexuality with those who hold different opinions.
This work is primarily carried out through CTE’s Living with Diversity Working Group (Human Sexuality) which seeks to provide a space for deeper understanding of each other while enabling honest and healthy conversations as we continue to walk together in unity. This work has also included training on non-violent communication and peace building as well as reflective leadership coaching.
Come and join the conversation.
Facilitator: Doral Hayes, CTE Principal Officer for Ecumenical Development and Relations. This workshop will include contributions from others involved in this important strand of CTE’s work, including Lindsey Brown of the United Reformed Church, Trevor Howard from Churches in Communities and Andrea King from One Body One Faith.
10: Ministry in New Housing Areas
There are many new homes planned for the UK in the coming years; this offers us a major missional opportunity.
This workshop will help us to explore together how we can respond to these new neighbourhoods with God’s love.
So, whether you already have new housing on your doorstep, or know that it is part of the future for your area, this seminar is for you.
Using the ‘New Housing Game’, we will look at ideas and tools for engaging in mission in these communities in a fun and interactive way.
Facilitator: Penny Marsh, Baptist Minister and member of the CTE Churches Group for New Housing Areas.
11: “Torn In Two”: The Israel-Palestine Conflict – Challenges and Opportunities for Ecumenical and Inter-Faith Solidarity
In the face of brutality, conflict and violence we often struggle to find the right way to respond as Christians. Sometimes the grief and the anger can overwhelm us. Within churches and between churches there are strong differences of opinion about Israel-Palestine and there are competing demands for solidarity with different communities. Hoe can we better listen to one another in spite of our differences? How can we stand in solidarity with Jews and Muslims in our own context whilst also being unequivocal in standing for justice and peace in the Middle East? In this workshop we will explore these and other questions, and reflect together on how we, as Churches Together, can make a meaningful response to a conflict that tragically shows now sign of being resolved.
Facilitator: Rev Dr Peter Colwell, Deputy General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.