Discussion Groups
The following provides a short introduction of each of the discussion groups that are being run at the event. Please have a look at these and choose the ones that you would be most interested in being part of. We will try to give people their first choices but this may not always be possible given the size of the rooms that we have and the number of people that we hope will be attending the event. On the booking form, please indicate, both for the morning and the afternoon sessions your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices.
Morning discussion groups
a)Church Related Community Work (CRCW) in reality -the joys and frustrations (United Reformed Church)
This group aims to provide an opportunity for those involved inURC CRCW projects to get together and share the joys and frustrations and realities of working with organisations and people from ALL walks of life.
Facilitators: Pat Oliver & John Evans
Pat is the United Reformed Church CRCW in Tonge Moor, Bolton in her 5th year of working withthe local Church/Children's Centre partnership.
John, an Elder in Church at The Centre (Tonge Moor URC, Bolton), is currently Convenor of the Local CRCW Management Group.
For over a century, Tonge Moor church had a reputation for offering a warm welcome to anyone who came inside. Since 2006, instead of offering the Community the use of its out-dated building, the Church has become the guest in the Community’s building, and a partner with other agencies supporting the needs of local residents. It’s been an exercise in learning what the Church is really about and how to ‘let go’ of what’s not important or not helpful. The new purpose-built Centre is on the site of the old church building so that space and the work of supporting local families is now shared through the Local Authority Children's Services and the CRCW project 'Building Bridges’.
b)Community Based Pioneer Ministry (Centre for Youth Ministry)
The Centre for Youth Ministry (CYM), in partnership with StaffordshireUniversity, has been developing a new Foundation Degree in Community Based Pioneer Ministry. This group will provide the opportunity to hear about this new award and how it can support the mission and ministry of the church. There will also be the opportunity to explore what is meant by ‘Pioneer ministry’ and the new opportunities this can provide.
Facilitators: Jo Whitehead and Nick Shepherd
Jo is currently working as the Assistant Director at the Midlands Centre for Youth Ministry. Jo has taken the lead for CYM in the development of the Foundation Degree in Pioneer Ministry. Jo has a background in youth and community work, training and local church leadership and joined CYM in 2004.
Nick is the Chief Executive Officer for the Centre for Youth Ministry. Hehas over fifteen years experience in face-to-face youth work and management and extensive involvement with community regeneration projects. Nick is a Reader in the Church of England and has experience in both urban church planting initiatives and fresh expressions projects, such as MessyChurch. Nick’s current research interests lie in ‘Theological Action Research’.
c)Churches tackling homelessness and housing need: Small actions making a big difference. (Housing Justice)
Find out about practical examples of small (and larger) steps local churches can take to tackle homelessness and housing need in their communities. Bring your own experience to this discussion group to share and learn from Housing Justice and others.
Facilitator: Alison Gelder
Alison has been Director of Housing Justice (formerly the Catholic Housing Aid Society) since August 2006. With a background in law, business, theology and social research Alison has also volunteered with a Winter Shelter. Housing Justice is a national voice for churches on housing and homelessness issues and provides practical help for churches to help homeless people.
d)Mentoring to maximise potential (StaffordshireUniversity)
This group will discuss a range of ‘maximising potential’ projects whereby Christians have mentored people in a range of settings in Stoke-on-Trent to be more effective.
The discussion group will provide the opportunity to:considerhow mentoring might work within your context andwhat considerations are important for setting up asuccessful mentoringscheme.
Facilitator: Sarah Duffy
Sarahcurrently works as a SociologySenior Lecturer at StaffordshireUniversity and is theAwardLeader for theMentoring programme of courses. Sarahdevelopedthe Health Action Zone ‘Maximising Potential’small grant programme supporting organisations and charities to set upmentoring schemes to tackle health and social inequalities. Sarahalso worksas part of the presenting team forCross Rythms:aChristian Community radio station broadcasting locally on FM inStoke-on-Trentand internationally via the internet.
e) The Big Society – An Opportunity? - A Challenge? (StaffordshireUniversity) This group will provide the opportunity to consider the current position regarding the Big Society concept and discuss the opportunities and challenges that this presents to churches wishing to engage in community work, mission and ministry.
Facilitators: Nigel Pimlott and Pete Twilley
Nigel is currently undertaking his PhD at StaffordshireUniversity where he is exploring the links and relationships between Youth Work, Community Cohesion and the Big Society. He has worked for many years as a Youth Worker, writer and trainer for Frontier Youth Trust.
Pete is a Senior Lecturer at StaffordshireUniversity in Youth Community and Regeneration. He is also the Partnership Manager and Link Tutor for CYM and OasisCollege. He is a member of a local United Reformed Church that is actively involved in Community Work responding to the needs and concerns of the neighbourhood in which it is located.
f) Community Ministry in a multi-faith society
This discussion group will discuss and explore the issues and practicalities around being an effective Christian presence and witness in multi-faith communities and neighbourhoods, drawing upon the experiences of Christian community development workers and relating to the current and future political contexts.
Facilitators: Karen Campbell & David Jonathan (Johny)
Karen and Johnyare both engaged in community development work in Luton.
Karen is a United Reformed Church CRCW working with the ecumenical Bury Park Beech Hill Council of Churches (BPBHCC). Her remit is to work with the churches, helping them explore the challenge of being an effective Christian presence and witness in a multi-faith, predominantly Muslim community. She is also part of the Grassroots staff team.
Johnyis co-ordinator of Grassroots, a small ecumenical Christian project which aims to ‘develop communities across faiths and cultures’. Johny spends much of his time exploring and supporting channels through which inter-faith relations are strengthened, including various community projects and initiatives.
Afternoon Discussion Groups
g)Developments with the URC Church Related Community Work programme (United Reformed Church)
This group is specifically for anyone involved with the CRCW programme and ministry and will give the opportunity for Local Management Committee members to hear about and openly discuss the latest developments with the programme, including the new annual review process, CRCW Handbook, project application process and web pages.
Facilitators: Steve Summers and Samara Andrews
Steve hasworked part-time for the URC as Development Worker for the Church Related Community Work programme for the past 12 years and is also currently working on a part-time, short-term basis with Goldsmiths, University of London and the Faith-based Regeneration Network conducting research into quality assurance for faith-based organisations.
Samara has worked for the URC for four years, starting off as a part-time Receptionist and now, in more recent times, as the Programme Administrator for the Church Related Community Work office, which is also a part-time role. When not working for the URC, Samara works as a freelance illustrator and has had an agent in London for the last 10 years.
h) Developing Missional Communities (Urban Expression, Cobridge) Urban Expression is a mission agency that recruits, equips, deploys and networks self-financing teams pioneering creative and relevant expressions of the Christian church in under-churched areas of the inner city. Urban Expression is committed to incarnational ministry on the margins and amongst the poor and encourages teams to move into urban neighbourhoods to work with others to pioneer exciting, grass-roots, transformative way of being church which seek God’s kingdom of justice and peace.
This group will hear about the ways that this expression of church is developing community in an under-resourced neighbourhood.
Facilitators: Howard and Iona Jones
Howard is a Baptist Minister. Iona runs her own business as an Equality and Diversity Consultant. Having served in two Baptist churches over 21 years, in 2009 Howard and Iona took a leap of faith and moved to Cobridge as an Urban Expression team of two. In their discussion group they will tell some of their story and help the group reflect upon the realities of starting a community from scratch.
i) Local Community Action & Community Organising (Church Action on Poverty) This discussion group will explore how individuals, churches and local groups can use community organising to give an effective voice to people living in poverty. CAP has sponsored community organisers and Changemakers projects in Manchester, Stockton-on-Tees and Bradford.
Facilitator: Mark Waters
Mark is coordinator of Church Action on Poverty’s Changemakers programme – providing training and support for community organizing initiatives in Manchester, Stockton, Bradford and beyond, in partnership with the US Gamaliel Foundation – the organization that Barack Obama trained with as a community organizer in Chicago in the 1980s. Mark, an ordained Anglican priest, has over 15 years experience of community organizing and congregational development in the UK
j)AcademySchools and Developing a Community Approach (OasisCollege)
OasisCollege work in partnership with StaffordshireUniversity in delivering a range of courses for people involved in ministry with young people, children, families and communities. Another of the Oasis Family of organisations is Oasis Community Learning.
‘This is an educational foundation that was set up in 2004: Our mission is to create and sustain a network of excellent learning communities where everyone can realise their full potential.’
This group will hear about and discuss the development of the OasisAcademySchools and their community approach in the neighbourhoods in which they are located.
Facilitator: Paul Fenton and Jill Rowe.
Paul is Principal of Oasis College. His career has involved posts as youth pastor, youth ministry consultant, youth inclusion director, youth work training manager and an independent consultancy. More recently Paul held the post of Academic Coordinator for Children’s Services at the UniversityCollege in Lincoln prior to joining OasisCollege as Principal in September 2009.
k) Your Square Mile (Tear Fund / Livability / Evangelical Alliance) This discussion group and practical workshop willlook at Integral Mission and the church's responsibility to engage with and care for its community through various resources including. Just People, Discovery and Your Square Mile.
Facilitator: Mike Chesterton
Mike works for TearFund as the Church Relationships Manager. Tearfundbelieves that the local church is centralto overcomingpoverty and transforming lives and works alongside local partner churches and church-based organisations, supporting them as they seek tolift their own communities outof poverty.