Breakout Gathering for Pioneers, September 21-23, 2011

We're also very excited about the forthcoming Breakout Gathering for Pioneers which is the third such event designed to support all those who are involved as practitioners in pioneer ministry. It will be at High Leigh Conference Centre (Hoddesdon) from 21-23 September. We're expecting that most of the VentureFX pioneers will be there – indeed at least one of them will be helping to lead it. Ric Stott will be leading a session on creative arts, and I will also be leading a session about effective ways of working with permission-givers in our structures. The major input will come from Jonny Baker and Graham Cray, with other sessions including:

Juliet Gilpin (Urban Expressions) – discipleship
Ian Adams (author, Cave Refectory Road) - new monasticism
Andy Freeman (24/7 prayer) – prayer
Debbie Forman (pioneer minister) - worship
Bishop Paul Bayes – working with permission givers

The 24/7 prayer people will create a prayer room for us during the gathering, and there will also be plenty of opportunity for breakout groups for general conversation and sharing together, and there will be stimulating and reflective worship. It just seems like an amazing collection of people and activities which I am sure will be a tremendously rich resource for any of us who are involved in fresh ways of being church and who sometimes feel that we need a bit more support and time spent in the company of others who ‘get’ what we do.

The cost is fairly modest - £110 for a standard room and £135 for an ensuite room. Perhaps those who have responsibility for your support and well-being would recognise the worth of an opportunity like this and may be able to pay some, if not all of the cost of being there. More information and a booking form is available on the Breakout website, and it would be great if you could think about registering, and doing so as soon as possible, so we know how many to plan for. If you are a Methodist and do decide to go, it would be really helpful if you could send me a quick email to let me know, so that I am aware of who will be going from the Methodist network. And, most importantly – please pass this on to others who you think ought to hear about it.

Bishop Graham Cray to address VentureFX meeting at Methodist Conference

We’re very excited about the forthcoming meeting being hosted by the Fresh Expressions Team and VentureFX on the evening of Tuesday 5 July at the time of the Methodist Conference in Southport.  It’s going to be an interesting location – the Wayfarers Arcade, off Lord Street – and Bishop Graham Cray, leader of the Fresh Expressions Team will be giving a keynote talk on the theme, ‘Church Lite or Deep Church?’ – discipleship and fresh expressions of church.  There couldn’t be a more relevant topic, nor a more challenging speaker.  There’ll also be a chance to hear directly what some pioneer ministers are getting up to, and to see some clips from the brand new Fresh Expressions DVD.  Stephen Lindridge and I will be there to host and we expect it to be a great evening.  Please pass the invitation on – especially to anyone going to conference or living in the vicinity of Southport.