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From Anger to Action: Effective Ministry in the North East in a Time of National Fragmentation
16th April @ 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
FREEOrganiser
Important: Advance bookings will close 2 weeks before the event, i.e. on Maundy Thursday, 2 April. If you would like to attend after this point, please email Minister@stjurc.org.uk to register your interest.
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This workshop is organised by the Clergy Caucus of Tyne and Wear Citizens and led by the Centre for Theology and Community, with registrations managed by Newcastle Cathedral as the workshop venue. If you have any questions about this event, please contact the Revd Ryan Sirmons (Central Newcastle United Reformed Church) at Minister@stjurc.org.uk.
The Bishop of Newcastle, the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, says: “Bringing Christian Leaders together from across the North East to share our experiences, listen more effectively to people in our communities and collaborate to build bridges rather than walls is an act of hopeful resistance in divisive times. This is how we live out the Christian values, which are alive and well in our communities. This is not to be missed!”
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How do we do effective ministry in the North East in this moment?
How do we listen, acknowledge, and act on the anger of our people?
9.30-10am – Registration and Refreshments
10am-12.10pm – Session 1
12.10-1pm – Lunch break
12.15pm – Chapel prayers
12.45-2pm – Session 2
We think it is true: a lot of people in the North East seem to feel ‘angry and forgotten’. Some are turning to Christian nationalism. Others find increasingly polarised outlets. Our communities seem fragmented, and many of us struggle with how to reach across these divides. We are disciples of Christ; we want to be alongside people. To do so, we may wish to work through our faith using the tools of organising to respond to these questions:
- We need to repent — turn back to God — from those practices that have insulated us from the anger that is suppurating in our neighbourhoods. What does repentance look like for us? Where should our attention be?
- Who is giving people in the North East hope? And because we know that ‘hope has to be resourced’, how do we resource hope?
- How does this become discipleship?
- How does organising work in this?
Led by the Centre for Theology and Community, this workshop will address these questions and work with each of us to identify ways we can do effective ministry alongside our communities. We’ll gather insights brought by you to create a ‘toolkit’ tailored to North East ministry, sent out after the workshop. We will also foster a network of practice so we can all continue to be in touch about how we best address fragmentation in our North East communities.
This workshop is organised by the Clergy Caucus of Tyne and Wear Citizens, with support from: The Church of England, Diocese of Newcastle, Jesmond United Reformed Church, Northern Synod of the United Reformed Church, Newcastle Cathedral, Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, St James’s United Reformed Church, St Michael and All Angels Church Houghton-le-Spring, and the Salvation Army North East Division.
Advance registration via TicketSource is required. Full details, including the workshop location and advance reading, will be shared with attendees ahead of the event.
