Contemplative & Catholic FE Network - Recently Updated Pages

Home Page for Contemplative & Catholic FE Practitioners

ianmobsby — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:20:33 CST

we are currently in the process of moving this site to something more interactive - click here

Welcome to this new initiative to develop a network of practitioners and in general to support Fresh Expressions of Church of the Catholic & Contemplative traditions.

On the navigation panel on the left hand side - you will see a number of sub-pages related to developing the network. As this is a wiki site - all those who are subscribed can contribute - whether by including your own thoughts and ideas, either by editing and adding content using the page toolbox on the right hand side - or by adding a comment. Please help us to shape things up!!!

This site is an experiment to see if we can build relationships and content through participation. The contemplative/catholic practitioners have a reputation for being slightly Luddite, so help us prove this wrong by adding your content.

If you are not already subscribed to this site, and want to be - click the link to request joining...

MONDAY 8 DECEMBER 2008 - NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE TO COVENTRY CATHEDRAL WITH THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Pilgrimage

TCW — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:28:51 CDT

National Pilgrimage - For nothing will be impossible with God
Monday 8 December 2008
Coventry Cathedral 10-4

Pleased to say that the Roundtable have now agreed a day pilgrimage on the Monday 8 December 2008 at Coventry Cathedral to promote Fresh Expressions of the Catholic and Contemplative traditions in Coventry Cathedral with the Archbishop of Canterbury and other Anglican Bishops.

You are warmly invited to join the Archbishop of Canterbury in a day of pilgrimage and prayer on Monday 8th December in the striking setting of Coventry Cathedral. The day is filling up fast, so if you haven't yet booked then don't leave it long!

In recent years, the Church of England has discerned a vocation to form fresh expressions of the church in a time of significant cultural change. In fulfilling this calling we stand in the great missionary traditions of St. Paul, of Hilda and Bede, of Claire and Francis, of Keble and Newman, of Roland Allen and Vincent Donovan.
This work of forming new communities through contextual mission is steadily becoming established in every social context and every stream of the Church of England’s life.
This day will focus on the opportunities and challenges of forming fresh expressions of church within the catholic tradition of the Church of England.
Renewal in mission comes through returning to our roots. The day will therefore focus on opportunity for prayer and reflection centred on a creative Eucharist and prayer in different parts of the Cathedral.
Booking information
The day is designed for up to 300 people only. Advance booking is essential.
There is a nominal charge of £5.00 to cover some of the expenses of the day. Lunch will be provided.

To sign up go to: http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk//standard.asp?id=3790&cachefixer=
And click on Add to Cart

Life Prayer - Southwark Cathedral 2008

TCW — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:43:28 CDT

LifePrayer Five days offering a variety of opportunities to discover more about prayer and spirituality as well as modern and traditional forms of monasticism at SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL 17 - 21 September Full details of the programme from www.southwark.anglican.org/cathedral

Ten Anglican religious, monks and nuns from all over the country, are forming a small residential community for ‘LifePrayer’ at Southwark Cathedral. A variety of opportunities will be available to discover more about prayer, spirituality and the religious life. Some of you may never have met an Anglican monk or nun before: well now is your chance. Children and young people are often fascinated to meet a monk or nun: not least to discover about the gear they wear! Full details of the programme from www.southwark.anglican.org/cathedral EACH DAY (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) 8.00am Morning Prayer and Eucharist 10.00am - 4.00pm “Nun in a Tent ” (or occasionally a monk in a tent) just outside the Cathedral for the curious to ask questions or to leave prayer requests. 8.30pm Compline WEDNESDAY 17 5.30pm Evensong 8.30pm Compline THURSDAY 18 10.00am - 12noon. A meeting for clergy and Readers 1.00pm - 4.00pm Quiet Afternoon led by one of the Community designed primarily for clergy and readers. FRIDAY 19 10.00am until 4.00pm “Drop in and Meditate’, On the hour one of the Community will lead a fi fteen minute meditation 12.30pm - 1.30pm “Coping with stress” a session led by a member of the Community (bring your sandwiches), 7.00pm A Reflective Contemplative Service: organised by Contemplative Rhythms SATURDAY 20 The Life Rhythms Day 10.00am - 12.30pm When there will be sessions on: Stress/Balance; Rule for living, how to pray; how to meditate/contemplate; song and chant. The day allows everyone the chance to meet, pray with monks and nuns, and discover something about balance in life, and engagement with God, from those who have dedicated their lives to prayer. SUNDAY 21 9.00am Eucharist: Preacher Brother Colin Wilfred SSF 10.00am - 10.40am A Prayer Time especially for families and young children led by some of the Sisters of the Community 11.00am Choral Eucharist: Preacher Brother Colin Wilfred SSF (The final service of the LifePrayer event) It is true to say that LifePrayer is about the “whole of life becoming prayer” as well as gaining an insight into the life of prayer of the monks and nuns. So do come along to some of the events 17 – 21 September: full details are on both the Diocesan and Cathedral websites.
Click here:

Events 2008

TCW — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:39:52 CDT

If you have events planned for 2008 - publicise them here....

Day: Sunday
Date: 4th may
Timing: 7.30pm
Title: Transcendence for Ascension
Information: An Ancient-Future Mass, in the crypt of York Minster.

Link: www.transcendenceyork.org

Day: Sunday
Date: 1st June
Timing: 7.30pm
Title: Transcendence for Trinity II
Information: An Ancient-Future Mass, in the crypt of York Minster.

Day: Sunday
Date: 6th July
Timing: 7.30pm
Title: Transcendence for the weary
Information: An Ancient-Future Mass, in the crypt of York Minster.

Day: Sunday
Date: 3rd August
Timing: 7.30pm
Title: Transcendence for Transfiguration
Information: An Ancient-Future Mass, in the crypt of York Minster.

Day: Monday
Date: 8th December 2008
Timing: 10am-4pm
Title: For Nothing Will be impossible with God
Information: Pilgrimage with Archbishop of Canterbury to Coventry Cathedral
Link: http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk//standard.asp?id=3790&cachefixer=

Day:
Date: 17-21 September 2008
Timing:
Title: LifePrayer
Information: Southwark Cathedral Hosting
Link: http://www.southwark.anglican.org/cathedral/whats_on.htm#cr

Day: Saturday
Date: 20 September 2008
Timing: 10-12.30
Title: The Life Rhythms Day at Southwark Cathedral
Information:Stress/Balance; Rule for living, how to pray; how to meditate/contemplate; song and chant. The day allows everyone the chance to meet, pray with monks and nuns, and discover something about balance in life, and engagement with God, from those who have dedicated their lives to prayer.
Link: http://www.southwark.anglican.org/cathedral/whats_on.htm#cr

Stories of FE from the catholic & contemplative traditions

SueWallace — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:55:35 CDT

This is a space for practitioners to talk about what they are doing and the projects they are involved in - and links to websites etc. There seems to be quite a lot going (of the different streams listed in the background page) but little is know about what you are doing - so come on go public!!

To add your story to the list in Alphabetic order of surname - please click on the edit content button to the right on the page toolbox >>>
Johannes Arens, Saturday Sanctuary, Manston (Leeds). Our story here in Manston started with a battleground I inherited from my predecessor: the monthly Parade Service. This developed into something with which everybody was unhappy: the music was too happy clappy, the children too noisy, the nave altar a disgrace, the music group horrible, the music too old-fashioned, the service too long, too short etc. Trying to give something to every group quid pro quo helped, but a considerable group of people were not happy with the services on offer and kept asking for something different. The time was ripe to try something different: there was a nucleus of people happy not only to complain but to work for something different (and to take responsibility for something new) and there was an obvious mission target: the population of our church school.
I am used to a Vigil Mass, in my two previous parishes we had them as well, but they were fairly standard services (less formal family Mass). The idea to be more radical developed in Walsingham (of all places) during the children's pilgrimage: excellent eucharistic worship, accessible for children without dumbing the message down. If they can do it...
Saturday Sanctuary tries to be truly and fully church, not a stepping stone towards something else. It is weekly, it is sacramental, liturgical and eucharistic even though about half the people attending do not receive communion (yet). The timing is perfect: 5.30pm seems to be so much easier for families. Otherwise it is not too different from a Family Eucharist: we use a projector and a screen, hence nobody needs to bother with sheets or books and we can use pictures and short movies during presentations (thanks to Fr Simon Rundell, he helped a lot!). We sit and stand in the sanctuary and stand around the altar together during the Eucharistic Prayer, praying towards the East and the coming Lord. So far about 60 people attend this service, half of them children. This is work in progress: the large proportion of children asks for even more radical thinking about how to make the Eucharist accessible (and to stay legal). The huge challenge is not to bowdlerise our faith for children. Again, Walsingham taught me that children are happy to attend a Youth Mass which takes 90 minutes if they are taken seriously and the music is right. Get in touch if you would like to know more, or come along and see!

Francis Jon, Sacred Space, Romford. Not sure whether our small initiatives really count under this banner, but having listened to so many of those who have recently joined us I have begun two new - small - ventures. An informal, short Saturday evening Mass and a Sunday half-hour which I have called 'sacredspace@standrews.romford' Half an hour of silence/reflective music, prayer/readings - not all at the same time) before the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar. The former is already showing that there's a need (someone even drove up from Kent to attend!!) but no one has come to the latter. But I find it of value and I believe that, in opening the church more often, people will 'find' the space. It's there for whoever passes by and wants to drop in.

Contemplative Rhythms & Michael Hart. Like many others interested in contemplative prayer I have been excited by many new opportunities for alternative forms of worship and community. As a priest associate of the Sisters of the Love of God, an Anglican Contemplative order based in Oxford, I have been looking for ways to enable people to engage with contemplative prayer. After a Diocesan Conference on Alternative Worship and following on from conversations with some members of Moot it seemed appropriate to do three experimental services in Southwark Cathedral.
The idea was to have a safe space for busy people to think , pause, stop and worship. The one hour service contains silence , ritual, worship and time for contemplation. Each service reflects a seasonal theme. The first of the Contemplative Rhythm services was held on 20th March 2007and in July a Contemplative Eucharist to complete the Spring/Summer Programme of three CR services. The Autumn series, again on Tuesday at 7pm, will be October 16th; Nov 13th; and December 4th. The venue is Southwark Cathedral near London Bridge,( entry via the North west door, Lancelot Link). More details from Fr. Michael Hart. (Michael is Canon Missioner for the Southwark Diocese)

Andy Macqueen & "Stillness on Sunday"
Here's what we've been up to....

We are a four church urban Team parish, with the town centre church holding Evensong on Sunday evenings. It seemed to me that there could be a place for an additional, alternative monthly evening worship event in our daughter churchwww.allsaintsbasingstoke.org.uk. I pondered a number of possible ideas, based on things I've done in the past, but wasn't sure what would work best.

I believe there is constituency of people in the town who might see themselves as "spiritual seekers", but are not presently engaged by our Sunday morning Sung Eucharist, for a variety of different reasons. There are also core and fringe members of the Team churches, who would value an approach to spirituality and worship that is different, or additional, to their Sunday services. In my mind's eye, my "target group" was young adults, 18-30, with some residual attachment to matters of faith, or who are seeking to make sense of their experience of the transcendent and the meaning of life's events.

So we settled for a format that will give space for future development in a variety of possible ways. We've had two services so far, 15 people came to the first, 6 to the second - but with some different faces. We were joined on the first Sunday by a newly-arrived young Polish couple, who recognised the Taize tag. But otherwise, we've not yet seen any brand-new people from my target group, however a sub-set of regulars from across the Team have clearly found the format helpful. Even if it's just me, Him and the angels I'm happy to sit in stillness for an hour on a Sunday evening. It's still a very new fragile venture, waiting to evolve but we've agreed to commit ourselves to a year's run, gently tweak the format as we see who comes, and then do an evaluation.

The strapline is: "Stillness on Sunday - a time for being still together with God - a sacred space - a little music - a few words." The website says: "We can all sometimes find that our hearts and minds are stretched by pressures from work, relationships, decisions and the pace of modern life. When this happens, it can be good to spend time in quietness, recognising God who is at the ground of our being, ready and willing to share our burdens.

On the second Sunday evening in each month at 7.30pm, we are going to start meeting together in stillness before another busy week starts. In the peaceful atmosphere of the candle-lit church, we will share silence,some gentle words and music, a time to pray and also talk over coffee and cake. If this sounds right for you, we'd love to see you"

We start at 7.30pm, which seems a more natural time for people's evening activities than the habitual 6.30pm. We use our lovely Lady Chapel, seating in a horseshoe, subdued lighting, lots of candles, Blessed Sacrament in the aumbry, tasteful amounts of incense etc. We start with a short responsive introduction, and intersperse a couple of gentle songs with flute, three or four very short readings, space for spoken and unspoken prayer, and two substantial periods of silence - first about 4 mins, second about 10mins. We have finished with a CD of Hildegard von Bingen and: "You may stay here in the stillness as long as you wish. The service continues as long as anyone is spending time here with God. Meanwhile, there'll be coffee and cake at the back of the Church."

I believe *good* coffee and home-made cake to be part of extending our hospitality. In due course this networking element might just develop into an enquirers or study or cell group maybe in the pub or a house - both available round the corner.

Now, I'm confident there's nothing "Fresh" here; churches have being doing similar contemplative things for centuries, eg Taize, Iona, Compline, Julian Meetings, Benediction, Adoration.... And of course not forgetting Quakers. But we might just fit into the remit of this wiki. I'd be glad to hear other people's experiences of similar types of service.

Ian Mobsby's & Moot's Story. I have been on quite a spiritual journey myself in recent years - coming to faith in my late teens thorugh the charismatic evangelical tradition and input from the Visions Community in York and NOS in Sheffield and St Michel-Le-Belfrey in York. When I came to London, I wanted to do something similar so got involved with others setting up what was called 'Epicentre' as part of St Marks Battersea Rise. Increasingly I grew dissatisfied with the gap between contemporary culture and the church - desiring a church of my culture rather than living a very strange non-whole-of-life-existence. Cutting to the quick - I pursued training & Ordination - as I increasing felt called to engage with those who are spiritually searching, of finding an artistic, philosophical and post-modern expression of local church and local theology. In so doing, I discovered catholic theology through celtic and contemplative traditions, and the place of the symbolic, ritual, of the Eucharist and incarnational theology - after being catechised into an overly redemptive theological faith. Moot, the project I have had the good fortune to be involved in forming - has grown and prospered out of the dialogue of affirming catholic theology, open evangelical thinking, contextual mission, new monastic understandings, desire to be some form of public space - such as an art centre/cafe (I know Mr Rundell has just squirmed) with a desire to engage with unchurched and dechurched people in the context of those who are spiritually searching - with an expression of church that draws on the ancient reframed into an urban postmodern context. These dreams have not been realised yet, and Moot remains small and fragile, but it is attempting to do what it can with a faithful group of bright and broke people, with few resources concerning what it is trying to do. Click here for the link to Moot. I am now working full time thanks to a grant - but need to income generate to cover the increasing costs - and I have no sense of certainty about how this is going to be sustained or whether Moot will arrive at its dreams - but I remain prayerfully hopeful!! Regarding boxes - doing mission in the context of a post-secular and post-modern urban context - I don't think I fit any of the traditional boxes anymore - I feel a strong allegiance to the Emerging Church & Fresh Expressions - and somewhere on the open evangelical - affirming catholic continuum of spirituality. I hold a high regard to the different traditions, and feel part of both. I think I have always had what Jonny Baker helpfully called "The ministry of not fitting in" seeing the bigger picture of attempting to be Christian and to facilitate church in an increasingly post-Christian post-Church culture.

Simon Rundell and the experience of Blesséd. I've never been conventional: always been in trouble, always been at the back of class irritating the authorities who tell us how it should be done, and why it has to be like it is. Blesséd is, I suppose a reflection of this: the loose collection of individuals and their charisms that almost on purpose seeks to take what we know and love and do it differently. On one level, Blesséd is solidly traditional - deeply sacramental, unashamedly anglocatholic, soaked in gin and the cycle of the daily office, and on another it seeks to blow that world apart - to declare the whole of creation as sacramental, and our approach to God as immersive, multisensory and wildly, rabidly inclusive. As God moved within me, and I sensed His calling to the sacred priesthood, I was moved by sign and symbol, by sacrament and order and so I gravitated towards the anglocatholic. Intense religious experience at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham suggested that rather than turning from a past in IT and Youth Work, I should seek to embrace that within my priestly ministry; and so having begun to engage with Young People and Gen X's whilst a Youth Leader in Sussex, then at theological college at the College of the Resurrection and as a curate in urban Portsmouth, God pulled the strings to create something new. Unlike many practitioners in this space, I am a Parish Priest first: a vicar with the cure of 16500 souls in Gosport, and Blesséd has to inhabit the space around that given. Being catholic is not just about incense and candles (staple tools of alternative worship), it is more than Gregorian chant and any of the other affectations of faux catholicism, but is about a fundamental way of looking at the incarnation and the world as affected by the incarnation: the unknowable can be made partially known and the sacraments can provide a mechanism to that encounter – we should not be concerned with immediate effect [‘the souls won for Jesus’ requirement], but trust in the power of Christ to capture the spiritual yearning within most people young and old. The original multisensory worship was the liturgy celebrated in the Basilica of the 8th Century: a place where sight, sound, smell and taste ensured that we seek to engage with God’s wondrous creation and to try to express the inexpressible. By worshipping with more than just our lips and seeking faith without necessarily seeking understanding, we celebrate our humanity as glorified by the incarnation in all its diversity. In 2002, Blesséd was born - eucharist with funky backbeats, gloria with dancing, sacrament with attitude. Blesséd was a group which sought to be unconventional, to remain true to its anglocatholic heritage and yet embrace new ways of encountering God through sign and symbol and most especially through the sacraments. Fundamentally, I believe that our primary encounter with God in worship is not an intellectual one, but an emotive one. Worship is one of the first ways that seekers of faith encounter Christ, and when asked about their first dip in the worship ocean, they do not reflect on worship in terms of reason or logic: whether they were convinced by the argument, but how it made them feel. The mountaintop experience of the Transfiguration came about by a wondrous encounter with the divine, not by intellectual engagement. Blesséd sought therefore to replace the rather simplistic approach of evangelism: ‘let me tell you a story about Jesus, kids…’ and replace it with an emotional experience and a glimpse of the divine. Principally, this focused attention upon the Mass, but not exclusively, for God can be encountered through all nine of his sacraments. Sacraments are ‘an outward visible sign of an inward spiritual grace’ and are therefore a way for humans to seek to comprehend a facit of God’s nature by something tangible but without limiting God by either physicality or the boundaries of our own intelligence. When originally planned an act of worship, a number of our young people involved all said independently “well, it has to be a mass doesn’t it?” They sought to define themselves in terms of their relationship to the sacrament and yet not to be constrained by the traditions of it. Each element of the mass was seen as being up for grabs, for a radical interpretation and a retelling of the story. As Pete Ward discussed in his book Mass Culture the mass is an evangelistic opportunity and a missionary tool. It provides a unique opportunity for expressing the salvation story and the joy of the resurrection in word, song, action and ritual. The mass provides both fixed points of reference and an ever-changing cycle of encounter with God, and this mix of the familiar and the challenging provides a framework on which to hang new explorations of worship; rather than being a limit to fresh expressions of worship, it forms a skeleton upon which a new creation is formed. Within Blesséd we have spoken unashamedly of the Mass because it is a classical English word, and although has in recent years been hijacked by Roman Catholicism, it is the only word which describes effectively the whole service of word and sacrament joined together: ‘holy communion’ refers only to a small part of the whole ritual, ‘eucharist’ to a specific prayer within that ritual. It is a ‘Divine Liturgy’ in the Orthodox sense, an encounter with God in mechanisms which are not, and should not be, fully understood. Of course, given my background, they tend to be highly technological: deeply based on multimedia and recorded music, video and the sensual, probably to the detriment (and frustration) of the musicians I work with, but the tangible, visceral, community of encounter which Blesséd affords us cannot be under played. Jonathon Barnbrook is an artist whose work at the V&A Museum I value highly:

These are the mantra of Blesséd.

In order to facilitate this sacramental encounter, all have been welcome to participate and share in the sacrament. Within the Anglican tradition, it is customary for the sacrament to be denied to those who have not undergone sacramental preparation and the administration of another of the nine sacraments: confirmation. However, a God issues a welcome to all to encounter him; so at a Blesséd mass, the blessed sacrament will be offered to any who come forward for it. It is a valid sacrament, in the understanding of many the real body and blood of Christ (for he said that himself, and who are we to deny what Our Lord said of himself). Can any of us claim to fully understand these mysteries? Let us administer the sacrament freely and with grace and let God sort it out. Blesséd took something well loved and cherished and gave it a new slant. Nothing within the mass is not there without purpose or significance, and so it afforded opportunities for new ways of communicating this. By maintaining the shape of the liturgy as described by Dom Gregory Dix and radically at times reinterpreting them, the whole encounter with God is re-explored and new nuances and themes develop: Eucharistic prayers are mimed, Creeds are given a rave feel in a language not spoken by anyone in the audience, the Gloria is tap-danced and the liturgy is shared by all as dough is kneeded, baked and broken across a single act of worship. The end result is something which is at once both familiar and yet very challenging. The comfort found in ritual and repetition is transformed by new and risky ways of looking at them. The symbolism of a past age is brought crashing into a modern era as the gently tinkling bells of the Eucharistic elevation are replaced by a guitarist’s heavily distorted power chord. All the constituent and legal elements are there, but words authorised by Liturgical Committee or Curia? No, not ever likely! When asked to lead worship in the crypt of Lambeth Palace, the temptation is to leave a liturgical hand grenade in the fruit bowl rather than conform to neat 'catholic' expectations. Our greatest delight is our involvement at Walsingham, for so long regarded as a bastion of lemon-sucking anglocatholicism, but which welcomes the radical subversion of the form with open arms: we have put on the Labyrinth ('Labyrinth Classic') and a multisensory Via Dolorosa using MP3 players and immersive, shocking, challenging Stations of the Cross. Like many youth phenomena, the initial phase of Blesséd has passed, and the young people who came together for it have since moved on, to university, to work and at the same time to different expressions of church in which to encounter the sacred. The moment it starts to appear stale it must, like Brookside be discarded and replaced with something new, otherwise it will continue like those Christian gatherings in holiday camps which have moved from the radical to the establishment; and lose its place at the cutting edge of faith. Blesséd limps from one event to another without funding, too late and too messy for formal Fresh Expressions funding, relying on a few quid from one committed individual or other each time we come together. Yet, Blesséd in new incarnations also continues, for some time it existed as a sort of roving resource: parachuted into new environments to destabilise and reinvigorate groups of young people without a sacramental direction: to take something familiar like the mass and to give it a shocking new presentation which threatens to transform an individual’s encounter with the mystery of salvation. Latterly with my move to my own parish, S. Thomas the Apostle, Elson, Blesséd has found a permanent home and is beginning to discover what it might look like as a separate ecclesial community. To witness the achievements of the past and to see a glimpse of the future, see www.blessed.org.uk Blesséd continues to be a thorn in the side of the establishment: woefully irritating to all those Bishops who want the catholic wing to stick to authorised texts, to traditionalists who fear the advent of new paradigms of worship in their sacred spaces, to evangelicals who are challenged by the insistence that God meets us not just through the pages of a book but through our encounter with him in everything. Long may that be so, for although it may not be popular, or funded by the church or sitting nicely in class with its arms folded, Blesséd will continue to play with liturgy and meet God in his holy sacraments.

Michael Volland & Gloucester Cathedral just thought I'd say a few brief words about what I'm doing in this network.
I am an 'ordained pioneer minister', one of the first batch through last summer. In fact, in my mind at least, this is just jargon. I was ordained deacon and will be priested in a couple of months. The 'pioneer' tag simply means that the Bishop of Gloucester is releasing me to do something unfettered in the city centre. My brief is to grow a worshipping community where there isn't one at the moment. I have no team or building or budget, just the good will of the bishop, a bit of reading I've done and gut instincts. My boss is one of the canons. He is about to leave however, which means that I get passed to another, quite different canon.
I'm serving my curacy at Gloucester cathedral which, in practice means that I have a rhythm of daily prayer and Sunday worship with the cathedral community. The rest of my time is spent working towards the emergence of the new community, which is mostly, but not entirely, outside the cathedral. Obviously in real life it's all pretty meshed together and a little more complex than it's appropriate to expand on here. I've been blogging about the experience since September 06. if you're interested it's here

Sue Wallace and Visions Its hard to know where to start really when sharing your story, but I suppose my story started quite early on. I came from a mixed Catholic/Anglican family, and went to a succession of (mostly convent) schools. I joined the C of E aged 17 due to the loving community I found in a local parish church Then, in 1989 I was asked to get involved with a group of people who were doing a warehouse and running it as a nightclub as part of a Summer outreach event. A number of these people wanted to carry on exploring culture and mission at the end of the project, and the group, which is now known as Visions was born. Although we started off ecumenical, we attached ourselves to St Michael le Belfrey because the vicar at the time, Graham Cray was an expert in mission and culture. During this time we also did a fair amount of commuting to Sheffield, and I must admit I was pretty blown away by experiencing the early years of NOS, with the blend of chants that I had known as a child, combined with the throbbing syths of my clubbing days. Suddenly I didn't have to pretend to be someone I wasn't anymore, or put different parts of my Christian experience in a box marked "do not touch". Anyway, before very long, we realised that we needed to start a service of our own, and in 1991 the "Warehouse" service, later renamed Visions, was born. Since then we've grown a bit, shrunk a bit, changed a bit, gone weekly, and produced 3 books on multisensory prayer. I've also done theological training and been ordained as a priest, but I am still working for Visons (they pay me, because some of the members give sacrificially to raise the cash). In the early days we also used to do nightclub visuals as part of our mission, but when the clubs we did visuals in closed, we were always left with a bit of a gap in our experience, and found ourselves asking the question, "how do we bring the church to the people rather than just expecting the people to come to church?" Now we're starting to realise new ways of doing this in the city of York, as we have been asked on two occasions recently to use our art out in the high street. I'm hoping to build on this in 2009 to get an outdoor stations of the cross up around the city, using multiple projections. (Easter came too early to sort this in 2008). The great thing about using art is that actually, its not too much work at all, and it creates some wonderful links with the artistic community.

The other part of my story is the part which is just beginning. At the end of 2007 we started a Fresh Expression in partnership with the York Minster staff. Its called "Trancendence - an Ancient-Future Mass" and happens in the crypt of the Minster, but we often move elsewhere as part of the service. We started with 2 trial services in October and November 2007, and were completely blown away by the warmth and enthusiasm of people's responses! So since then we've decided to become a monthly event. The wonderful thing about being in the Minster is it attracts spiritual seekers and so many visitors just wander into the building, sometimes just popping up at services, or hovering on the edges like an audience. It is a kind of unique place really, so it is fantastic that we can use a space where so much is already happening mission-wise. We have also had the wonderful privilege of being able to draw upon the audio visual expertees and community support of the Visions crew, while being introduced to the liturgical and musical skill of some of the Minster community members. Each time we have done the service it has been a little different, each time we have felt like we are exploring new territory and going new places, and yet the framework very clearly been a familiar and ancient one, but remixed to have a new impact to those who have never experienced it before. We now have a website with a selection of images and video footage of services at
www.transcendenceyork.org

Toby Wright, Saint John Peckham. I am committed to looking at ways in which Fresh Expressions can reach out to people in this area and support the work that we are seeking to do at Saint John’s. The ecclesial community is primarily Afro-Caribbean and our worship is rooted in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We are exploring ways in which traditional forms of church can engage and be enriched by patterns of emerging church. I have a particular interest in New Monasticism – especially looking at encounters with ancient monasticism, notably the C12th Cistercian Abbot, Isaac of Stella and the founder of the Cowley Fathers, Fr Benson, and how this can speak to us in our time. I believe it is important for the Church to draw on the treasures of the monastic tradition and see how these can inform our lives of faith today. At the end of 2006 I spent some time with the Jerusalem Community in Paris and have also spent time with the Taizé community in France and intend to visit the Saint Egidio community in Italy. These expressions of the monastic life have much to say for us living out our faith in Peckham and the encounter between traditional and fresh expressions is an exciting area to explore. As well as hoping to develop New Monastic patterns here, we are also committed to developing Fresh Expressions with our youth work and have used multimedia to engage with young people in worship, including a MultiMediaMass with the Blessed project. The Church here has a long tradition of working for Justice and we hope to develop Fresh Expressions that continue to speak out for Justice in our community and our world. ‘A witness that is not a witness to justice, that is not sufficiently inculturated so as to be understood as good news, that is not evident in the church’s life of prayer and ritual action, or that is not of a community that is reconciled and reconciling – such a witness is no witness at all’ (Bevans and Schroeder 2004 p.394)

Opportunities

ianmobsby — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:16:56 CDT

This Page is for work of course opportunities
**SUMMER 2007 to SUMMER 2008**
1. Pastoral Assistants for St Matthews Westminster, London.
The Vicar & Parish Council of St Matthews are looking for two full time Pastoral Assistants for one year starting in the late summer. Opportunities for experience in the life of a busy city centre church exists with particular reference to work experience in a Church School, Week day and Sunday Services, The Moot Community Fresh Expression of Church, and a great deal of other experiences. Please see below attachments for an application form and information sheet. For further information please contact Fr Philip Chester on 020 7222 3704.

Links

SueWallace — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:43:17 CDT

Blog Sites
Ian Adams Blog
Jonny Baker Blog
Moot Blog Blog
Maggi Dawn Blog
Ian Mobsby Blog
Michael Volland Blog

Websites
Alternative Worship Website
Blessed Website
Emerging Church Website
Fresh Expressions Website
MayBe Website
Moot Website
FliX cinema Website
Transcendence Website

Resources
Agnus Dei - Video and Images Resources

International Links
Transmission - New York, USA - Website
Church of the Apostles, Seattle USA - Website

Notice Board

andymacqueen — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 08:52:29 CST

This is an important space for people to flag up events and other resources useful to the network....

Stations of the Spirit - St Cuthbert's Church, Copnor, Portsmouth
Sunday 20th January 2008 from 4pm to 9pm

Multimedia meditation based on the crash between Tracey Emin and Galatians 5 - a multimedia meditation of the fruits of the spirit. Takes approximately 45 minutes. Booking a slot suggested (details for booking to follow)

Visit www.blessed.org.uk

Fr. S

Interesting Radio 4 programme on contemplative practice inside and outside religious traditions. Includes Susan Blackmore as a small-b buddhist! Currently available on "Listen again", but not for long.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/beyond_belief/

Resources

frsimonrundell — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:28:53 CST

This page is for people to add links for resources

BOOKS

This new book promises to be a great resource - to see further details in Amazon.co.uk click here

MP3 & PODCASTS
MP3s of talks on ecclesiology and emerging/fresh expressions of church. There are a number of talks by Catholic theologians including Bishop Lindsay Irwin and Angela Tilby, click here.

Podcast feed from Fresh Expressions Welcome to our podcast feed page. Subscribing to this podcast is free and you can cancel your subscription at any time. To subscribe to this podcast, you will need to have podcast software on your computer. When you subscribe to this podcast, new episodes will be automatically sent to your computer. Follow the instructions below to subscribe to this podcast.

Copy the following URL: http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/podcastxml.asp?id=2569
Paste the URL into your podcast software. The details of how you do this will vary depending on your software, but you should look out for buttons or links which say "Add" or "Subscribe".
For more information, please refer to your podcast software help pages

SACRAMENTAL ALT WORSHIP RESOURCES

Advent is Near - new video meditation for Advent. Words by Ron Cole (thewearypilgrim.typepad.com), Music by Bowie.

Agnus Dei - Audiovisual Tools for Sacramental Worship. Videos and images freely available for use. Note: running off a broadband so not a very fast site.

Via Dolorosa - Multisensory Stations of the Cross from the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham

MUSIC

The Abbess Music site on Soundclick. 37 songs tolisten to and 7 free downloads of music from the Visions service in York.

Monthly Bulletins

ianmobsby — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:27:55 CST

November 2007

Dear Colleagues
Please find below a compilation of information & resources

Vision days
These are one day introduction/explorations of mission shaped activity and fresh expressions – led by members of the Fresh Expressions team and practitioners. Details for these are on the website – see http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk

Online Fresh Expressions Guide
SHARE has been launched http://www.sharetheguide.org as a cyber resource for shared learning. Great to have comments and stimulate debate among more catholic networks and to connect learning networks of practitioners.

Mission Shaped Training
Fresh Expressions have instigated a ‘Mission Shaped Ministry’ (MSM) course with 7 centres with 350 students. FE hope to have 20 centres by September 2008. Most areas of the country are now covered. First edit of the material is almost complete and a second edit begins in December – if you are interested in seeing or reviewing this material get in touch with Steven Croft at Fresh Expressions.

Mission shaped Intro
This is a free downloadable introduction to parishes, available from the Fresh Expressions Website from January 2008. This material again has been extensively piloted and is in final edit and design now.

Speakers for local SCP gatherings
As some know we are working in partnership with the Society of Catholic Priests, to explore the possibility of regional groups inviting a FE practitioners to go and speak with them about FE from the contemplative and catholic constituency. If you are willing to do some speaking – or are an SCP group and want someone to talk – do contact Ian Mobsby.

Training Opportunities created by contemplative & catholic FE practitioners

1. Contemplative Fire in london Sun 2nd Dec | Evening Gathering | St Ethelburga’s Bishopgate, London 6pm
This event seeks to explore the theme of God’s wild wisdom, Spirit’s gentle grace. See http://www.contemplativefire.org for more details.

2. Contemplative Fire in London Sat 24th November 2007 | Workshop | London Centre for Spirituality, London 10-4pm
This is a workshop exploring the theme of The Christ Mystery: Revealing Wisdom, Healing Life. See http://www.contemplativefire.org for more details.

3. Blah Oxford – The place of the emerging church with Jonny Baker
Oxford is the home of ‘Home’ and ‘Maybe’ which like Moot in London are Fresh Expressions of church that draw on new monasticism in what they are doing. Matt and Ian who are Ordained Priests to these communities have started up Oxford’s own blah. Blahs are regional gatherings for learning and support. For more information on this – see http://blahonline.wetpaint.com/page/blah...+oxford?t=anon

Blah Learning Day London | Exploring Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church of the contemplative & catholic traditions
This day went extremely well, with Simon Rundell exploring the concept of Fresh Expressions of the sacramental tradition for youth in the context of the parish. Michael Volland explored Fresh Expressions in the context of Gloucester Cathedral, Ian Mobsby explored the use of rhythm of life in new monasticism for bringing centredness to fluid forms of emerging church as used by Moot, Tessa Holland and Philip Roderick explored the concept of contemplative and catholic FEs in the context of unchurched spiritual searchers.

The recordings and handouts of this learning day are available for £8 for the lot - by download from http://www.mootique.net under the blah learning days section. Those who attend Blah Learning Days will get copies for free.

Fresh Expressions Roundtable 5 – promoting fresh expressions of the contemplative & catholic traditions
The Roundtable formally met on All Saints Day for its second formal meeting, from it a number of practical needs were identified – please see the wiki site for a downloadable version of the minutes.

Speaking at SCP Chapters
A number of practitioners of the C&C traditions are now available to explore the place of such forms of church with regional SCP chapters – if you are in a chapter and would like a FE C&C practitioner to come and speak with your chapter – then please let Jonathan Clark know or contact Ian Mobsby to request this. If you are a C&C practitioner and how not yet made a connection with us, please do contact Ian Mobsby on ian.mobsby@moot.uk.net so that we can add you to our increasing network.

Looking to develop partnerships
As with all Fresh Expressions activities, we are seeking to work with and include any Anglican & Methodist contemplative & catholic society or interest group to develop FE of the catholic and contemplative tradition. If you are wanting to increase links as has been established between the Round table and SCP – then please do contact Steven Croft or Ian Mobsby.

Developing Regional Learning Networks
The Roundtable is seeking to develop regional learning networks to include FE of the contemplative & Catholic. Tim Sledge is taking a lead in this, the Peterborough Diocesan Missioner – so please do get in contact with him if you are interested in being in one of these are assisting in starting one.

Organising a national pilgrimage for FE of the contemplative & catholic tradition
The Roundtable are seeking to organise a national pilgrimage in the autumn 2008 to promote networking and development of the C&C side of Fresh Expressions. If interested please let Ian Mobsby know.

Resources developed from the work of C&C Fresh Expressions

Forms of experimental & contemplative prayer for a postmodern generation
Contemplative Fire have developed a number of resources including a DVD to develop new/old ways of contemplative prayer – for more info see http://www.contemplativefire.org

Mootique
Moot have put together an online shop of resources at http://www.mootique.net with a number of resources with over 40 mp3 downloadable talks exploring aspects of the emerging church including catholic & contemplative traditions, new monasticism, leadership etc.

Firmly I Believe CD, RRP £8.99
John Twisleton, Diocesan Missioner with the Diocese of Chichester has compiled a double CD sponsored by his Diocese, the Christian Evidence Society and Premier Radio as a resource to refresh your understanding of the basic building blocks of the Christian faith and provide a rewarding and grounding experience for both established Christians and those who are just looking. For more information or to order a copy, see: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop

Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church Book
Ian Mobsby’s book drawing on extensive research remains an important resource for those interested in Fresh Expressions. Orders can be made via http://www.mootique.net under the research section.

Other news

Team Vicar Post for practitioner of catholic fresh expressions for the Bridport Team Ministry (within Bridport & Valleys Group Ministry)
The Diocese of Salisbury are seeking a Team Vicar to encourage, inform and inspire fresh expressions of church and worship with young people, families and schools drawing on Anglo-Catholic spirituality and worship Resolutions A, B & C. If interested contact the Sherborne Area Office, Little Baillie, Sturminster Marshall, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 4AD, 01258 859110, email: sherborne.office@salisbury.anglican.org

Lambeth gathering
Over 40 candidates for ordained pioneer ministry gathered at Lambeth two weeks ago for a one day consultation with Archbishop Rowan and each other. There was a whiff of history in the air as the first group of candidates compared notes on their experience of call and training and their hopes for the future. Listen to the Archbishop’s address to them as an audio file or podcast: http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/lambeth

October conference addresses
All the addresses from the National Church Planting conference are available on the Anglican Church Planting Initiatives and Sheffield Centre websites. There are addresses from Sue Hope, George Lings, Bob Hopkins and others. (www.acpi.org.uk, http://www.churcharmy.org.uk/ca/sc/SheffieldCentreHome.asp)

24/7 Prayer publication out
I really enjoyed meeting Andy Freeman and Pete Greig of the 24/7 Prayer Movement a few weeks ago. Their new book, Punk Monk, explores the creation of 24/7 communities – Boiler Rooms – following a contemporary monastic pattern. It’s very thought provoking and highly recommended.

Policy documents to go
Over 1,000 documents were downloaded from our main website in October. The top ten downloads included the three major Church of England policy documents on; ordained pioneer ministry, lay pioneer ministry and the new dioceses, pastoral and mission measure. If you don’t have them yet, here are the links: www.freshexpressions.org.uk/training/opm, www.freshexpressions.org.uk/training/lpm, www.freshexpressions.org.uk/dpmm.

Searching for key pioneers
And finally, we’re beginning to compile a national database of key pioneers:people who are working in fresh expressions of church who may be lay or ordained, paid or self-supporting and who have the resources and expertise to help others. If you are in this category or know someone who is, please let us know through the website. (www.freshexpressions.org.uk/contact)

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Sending emails
As a subscriber you can send emails to the entire network regarding questions and initiatives and information sharing by sending an email to:
fresh-expressions-catholic@klisia.net

Associated Blog Wiki Site
As you know – we have set up a wiki site to promote networking with many resources and minutes from meetings - see http://contemplative-catholic-fe-network.wetpaint.com/

We will be integrating a simple briefing blog page into this for the more techno phobic – but we do encourage people to engage with the wiki – it really is very straight forward – no more complicated than using MS Word – which I hope most people can use.

Unsubscribing
To unsubscribe from this send an email to listmaster@klisia.net with subscribe in the title from the email address you want to unsubscribe.

Round Table

ianmobsby — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:22:08 CST

The purpose of this round table is to promote the development of mission shaped activity and fresh expressions of the catholic constituency. Its role then will be strategic and to assist the Fresh Expressions team develop this important area of the Church of England in particular.

Pleased to say, that a number of people have now been contacted to join the Fresh Expressions Roundtable number 5 - to promote Fresh Expressions of the Contemplative & Catholic traditions.

We have now had several meetings at Lambeth Palace - please find minutes below.

Regional Networks

robryan65 — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:37:17 CDT

We are looking to develop a number of hubs around the country - for mutual support and encouragement, and also to ensure that the new Roundtable draws on the feedback of practitioners..... So we are looking for people who are enthusiastic - that geographically could relate to a number of Diocese.

Bids..... Please add your details to the table.... use page toolbox on right hand side

City/Place	Diocese	Happy to host	Want to be involved
London	London, Southwark, Chelmsford, St Albans, Guildford	Ian, Toby, Sally?	Mark
Cambridge	Ely	Maggi	Maggi, Kat, Gareth
Medway	Rochester	Rob	?
?	?	?	?
?	?	?	?
?	?	?	?
?	?	?	?
?	?	?	?
?	?	?	?

Blah Learning Day for Contemplative & Catholic FEs

ianmobsby — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:37:39 CDT

Venue: St Matthews Westminster (Home of Moot)
Time: 10-3pm
Date: 3rd November 2007
We are running a Blah Learning Day on the Emerging Church drawing on the catholic and/or contemplative traditions of the Church of England. These are usually on Saturday - and we are proposing this for a day in May. For info on blahs see here and for info on other Blah Leaning Days click here
click here for info or to book places

Blah Learning Day on Leadership - 15th September
Venue: St Matthews Westminster (Home of Moot)
Time: 10-3pm
Revd Maggi Dawn dialogues with Doug Gay about leadership and the emerging church. For more info and to book click here

Discussion & Reflections Board

ianmobsby — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 15:33:18 CDT

This is a space for people to write up thoughts, concerns, idea - a space to pitch things - what ever if you think it helps us shape things up or challenge us then great!!

click on the page toolbox edit the content button to add stuff >>>

July 2007
Interesting article by Revd Will Scott on inspriation for catholic anglican/episcopal approaches to mission and justice - click here

The Hard Questions tour talks by Catholic Anglican Theologians are now available as below by sound mp3s.

1. Rt Revd Lindsay Urwin, Bishop of Horsham challenges leaders to 'both rediscover the possibility of an encounter with Jesus in sacramental terms and to enable the experience in new ways for the sake not only of those who do not yet believe but to rekindle the desire in existing believers'. For audio clip - click here

2.Looking at Fresh Expressions from a New Testament perspective, Professor James G D Dunn argues that the origins of Fresh Expressions might lie in the way in which Jesus dealt with the faith traditions around him at the time � from which we have much to learn - click here

3.Revd Dr Angela Tilby of Westcott House, Cambridge,explores what it means for Christianity to engage with, and challenge our currentculture. She asks what asceticism we are prepared to embrace for the sake of mission, and whether that is revealed in commitment to the poor - click here

4.Revd Professor John Drane, from Fuller Seminary, California,explores the idea of inclusivity, as it is practiced in many fresh expressionsas hospitality. It is needful because, 'Today�s people are all lonely. We don�t know each other and we are scared of making the connections which we need ...at the same time as our inner lives are collapsing.' - click here

5.Professor John Hull, from the Queens Foundation, Birmingham,explains his commitment for fresh expressions of church and the need for them to be undergirded by a clear theology of the kingdom of God - click here

6.Revd Professor Loveday Alexander of the University of Sheffield, presents the book of Acts as a story of the starting of fresh expressions, claiming that Luke is always interested in recording the new patterns of church planting - click here

New Email Group

ianmobsby — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:36:57 CDT

Following the first meeting of the Fresh Expressions Round Table No 5 seeking to promote Fresh Expressions of the Catholic Tradition - a new email group was requested. If interested in joining this - aimed at supporting the following:

- Practitioners of Fresh Expression initatives drawing on the catholic and contemplative traditions.
- Are involved in doing mission-shaped activities drawing on the catholic and contemplative traditions.
- Are postively interested in initiating a Fresh Expression initative drawing on the catholic and contemplative traditions

If this is you - then please send an email to listmaster@klisia.net with subscribe to Catholic FE in the title - with your name and email in the message body.

Background

ianmobsby — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:28:32 CDT

In the last couple of years a number of new extremely fragile catholic & contemplative mission ventures have been birthed, somewhat catching up with their evangelical colleagues. In February of 2007, a national consultation day on fresh expressions of the catholic tradition established the need to promote development of this new and extremely fragile area of church life.

The Fresh Expressions Team, have therefore responded with the expressed intention to support, network and develop mission-shaped and fresh expressions of church drawing on the catholic/contemplative context.

Please find below a number of key documents following the consultation and reflections on future activity.

Aims:
1. To establish a Fresh Expressions Roundtable (No5) - to support and develop fresh expressions of the contemplative and catholic traditions of the Church of England & Methodist Church in England.
2. To promote and develop networks of practitioners and the catholic constituency to support and develop fresh expressions of the catholic traditions of the Church of England & Methodist Church in England.
3. To explore training and dialogue events to further the development of fresh expressions of the contemplative and catholic traditions of the Church of England.
4. To encourage and develop emerging church/fresh expressions practitioner networks regionally through out the Church of England of the contemplative and catholic traditions of the Church of England.
5. To support the following cohorts or subsets of known practitioner groups:

• Practitioners involved in youth and so called younger adults initiatives who are of an affirming catholic perspective
• Practitioners involved in youth activities coming from a conservative catholic perspective
• Practitioners from a middle of the road/evangelical/charismatic or other background who are working within a catholic context –
whether Cathedral/Parish/Benefice
• Practitioners drawing on the contemplative or monastic traditions to inform their mission initiative
• Practitioners or soon to be Ordained practitioners in Pioneer Ministry training planning to be involved in starting up or developing Ecs of the catholic tradition.
• Educators/trainers of lay and pioneer ministers coming from or going to ECs of the Catholic tradition (although there already exists a
round table for training establishments).

Residential Training Weekend for Conservative Catholics

ianmobsby — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 08:54:37 CDT

There are specific issues and ecclesiological questions for the specifically conservative catholics, particularly with the agenda of Fresh Expressions responding to culture. One thought - was a specifically conservative catholic gathering to explore the whole Fresh Expressions initiative with the specically conservative catholic constituency in a venue favoured by Conservative Catholic Anglicans. We would value your responses to this if you are from this constituency....