Connected Worship Conference 2012
Connected Worship 2012 is Conference for local
preachers, worship leaders and anyone interested in enabling people
find ways to connect with God and communicate Good News in
effective ways in today's society.
When and where is the
conference?
The conference will take place between 2-4 November 2012, in
Warrington, Cheshire.
Map and Directions to Venues can be found
by clicking on the link. Two venues will be used, The Pyramid
and Bold Street Methodist Church. They are walking distance
from each other, and both have good access to all levels of the
building.
Who is the Conference for?
The Conference is for people who lead worship in local
churches. You can be a Local Preacher, Worship Leader, or
someone who is doing these roles in your church and in training or
exploring ministry in different ways.
It is for people who want to be more creative, but don't quite
know where to start. It's for people who want to know more.
It's for people who are trying their best and want to be
encouraged. It's for people who are tired and want some space
away from normality.
Sometimes we all need a little inspiration, some new friends, a
good mug of tea, and something to help us remember why we've been
doing what we've been doing in the first place.
What
will the conference include?
Keynote sessions will include:
'Listening to the soul of your community' with international
writer and broadcaster Sheridan Voysey, and 'Faithful reflection'
with the current chair of the West Yorkshire district, Roger
Walton.
Workshop sessions will be streamed into three areas:
Preaching- lead by
Ron Willoughby. Titles of sessions include: Preaching with
the Audience in Mind; The Value of an Overheard Conversation; and
Engaging the Imagination: Preaching for Revelation and
Transformation.
Worship- The
worship stream will be led by 24/7 prayer who will be encouraging
us to be creative in our worship. This will be an interactive
series of sessions exploring how to use creativity in worship, and
enable people to hear from God and to respond in prayer and
action
Life on the
frontline- how do we communicate the gospel in our work
and daily lives? What do we have to share and how do we
'preach in all circumstances?' Where is our frontline?
Army chaplain Stephen Hancock will lead this session using his own
military background as an illustration of what living the gospel
might look like.
Worship at the conference will be provided by our hosts, New
Song Network - and led by Jackie Bellfield, Helen Cameron and
Joanne Cox.
I want to attend more than one stream - will they be
recorded?
We are going to try and record some of the sessions, but we
can't promise success. We'll do our best
Better yet, come with a group, attend different streams and meet
over meals and coffee to swap notes!
What happens on the Sunday morning?
On the Sunday morning, we will join with the local church, and
have the choice of worshipping at Bold Street Methodist Church with
the Chair of the Liverpool District, Jim Booth - or joining with
New Song Network for an alternative communion service.
Conference participants are also invited to stay on for the
evening service, where Helen Cameron will be preaching.
Will there be a place for me to find resources to take
home?
A marketplace will be available throughout the conference, as
well as a well stocked bookstall for recommended reading and early
Christmas presents!
There will also be conference packs available for you at
registration, where you will receive a number of resources to help
you through the weekend and beyond.
How do I book my place?
The booking period has now closed.
How much will it cost?
- £125 per person (this includes all meals and the conference
fee, but NOT accommodation)
- £65 per person for Saturday only
This is a lot of money. Are there grants
available?
Grant applications are welcomed by LWPT.
Your local circuit or district may be able to offer you some
financial support - contact them directly for more details.
I'm not sure whether to come for the whole
thing. Is there a programme available so that I can work out
what I should come to?
Of course. A full programme will be provided in your
conference pack and is available to download here
What about food? Where are we eating?
There is plenty of space in the programme for the meal
breaks. All meals are being provided by the fabulous people
in Warrington, and will mainly be served around the marketplace
venue at Bold Street (although you may want breakfast in your
hotel before we start). On the Saturday evening will go to a
local restaurant and share with the local church. There are
rumours of a Chinese buffet and a roast dinner.
Where do I send the cheque?
Please make your cheque made payable to "Methodist Church Fund"
and write your name and email address on the back of the cheque.
Please send your cheque to:
Connected Worship 2012
Discipleship & Ministries Cluster
Methodist Church House
25 Marylebone Road
London
NW1 5JR
Confirmation of your booking will be sent by email on receipt of
your payment. Please note that places will be allocated on a first
come first served basis and your place will not be secure until we
receive full payment.
Why is accommodation not included?
Accommodation is not provided, because part of the conference is
designed to help each participant engage with a new context.
By finding accommodation yourselves, you are already achieving one
of the aims of the conference.
Hotels nearby:
Why Warrington?
Because it is good to do things outside of London.
Because next year commemorates 20 years since the IRA bomb
destroyed the heart of the town, and it is important to experience
peacemaking, reconciliation and resurrection in context.
Because it is a vibrant town with lots of things happening both
in terms of growing churches and with relationships with the local
council.
Because Good News does not rely on geography.
Because it is really easy to get to - with transport links by
rail, road, air and sea.
Because we were invited to share in the work and ministry of
Bold Street Methodist Church, and it is good to accept exciting
invitations.
How can I help make the conference even
better?
Pass it on! This is going to be a really exciting and
unique conference. Tell other people about what has inspired
you to apply. You can also download the Connected
Worship Conference 2012 Flier to pass on to
others who you think might be interested in the Conference.
I still have questions.
If you have any queries about the Conference please email: localpreachers@methodistchurch.org.uk
Who are the contributors?
Sheridan
Voysey is a writer, speaker and broadcaster on
contemporary spirituality. His study of society, culture and
Scripture, plus the insights gained from his 2000-plus radio
interviews, have led to two core convictions: that human beings
innately long for God and that God walks beside us incognito.
Sheridan relocated to Oxford from Sydney, Australia in June 2011
after creating and hosting the nationally-syndicated radio show
Open House. He is the author of four books, including the
award-winningUnseen Footprints: Encountering the Divine Along the
Journey of Life, and is currently working on a memoir due for
release mid-2013 through Thomas Nelson publishers.
Sheridan blogs at
www.sheridanvoysey.com and is active on Facebook and Twitter. He is
married to Merryn, loves dark chocolate and is working hard on
acquiring an Oxbridge accent.
The Revd Jackie
Bellfield is a Methodist Presbyter serving the
Sankey Valley Circuit in the Liverpool District. An experienced
worship leader and preacher, Jackie has pastoral oversight for
three churches and heads up the New Song Network. As the circuit's
fresh expression missioner Jackie seeks to encourage churches to
think creatively about mission and worship, and is passionate about
new and emerging forms of church.
The New Song Network is a growing ecclesial community which
meets for worship, discipleship and engages in acts of social
justice to encourage community cohesion. A governor at the
local Church of England High School, member of the local Mission in
the Economy group and trustee of a local hospice, Jackie believes
in fostering credible community relationships.
Prior to Presbyteral ministry Jackie worked for the Department
for Education and Skills and has been a local preacher since the
age of 14.
The Revd Dr Roger
Walton is currently Chair of the West Yorkshire
Methodist District. He served the Methodist Church in
circuits in Stourbridge, Liverpool and St Albans and was
Connexional Secretary for Adult Learning from 1987 until 1999, when
he moved to be Director of the Wesley Study Centre, Durham.
He was the William Leech Research Fellow at Durham University
2010-2011. Recent publications includeThe Reflective
Disciple(Epworth Press, 2009) andLearning for Ministry(Church House
Publishing, 2005). He is married to Marion, has grown up children,
Laura and Andrew, and since January 2012 has been a granddad. Yet
he still plays a mean game of table-tennis!
The Revd Stephen
Hancock was born in Whitley Bay,
Northumberland. He worked as an office clerk, salesman,
labourer and night-club doorman before entering the army in 1989 as
a Royal Military Policeman. He served as a soldier in the UK,
Berlin and Northern Ireland before entering Queen's University
Belfast, and on completion of his ministerial training was ordained
into the Methodist Church in Ireland. In 2002 he returned to
the Army as a Chaplain and has served in Germany, Cyprus and the UK
with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and in 2008 he completed an MTh
in chaplaincy studies at St Michael's College, Llandaff.
Currently based at Middle Wallop in Hampshire, he is also the
Instructor Army at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre, Amport House
where he is responsible for the initial training of New Entrant
Army Chaplains. He enjoys most sports, theatre and cinema and
is an avid reader of British Military History. He has been married
to Anita (a nurse) for 22 years and they have three children;
Rebekah (14) Thomas (12) and Matthew (10) - all of whom attend
Monkton school in Bath.
Carla Harding is the International
Prayer Director within the 24-7 Prayer movement. Carla was a
teenager in the first night and day prayer room that sparked the
movement of prayer, mission and justice. The experience of a
fresh, creative and missional way to weave prayer into all of life
propelled her into helping others discover the same all over the
world. She is passionate about God, encouraging others, unity
in the church and life-filled faith. Still based in
Chichester, Carla and her husband Steve Harding are part of
Revelation Church and enjoy music, friends, food, travel and good
stories. Find out more about 24-7 Prayer: http://www.24-7prayer.com.
Helen
Cameron is a Methodist presbyter and teacher.
She was given a note to preach at 16 after she had been preaching
and leading worship with others since she was 11. She is
interested in many things - including great worship, novels,
theatre and theology. She is deeply committed to the Methodist
Church which she loves (even when it drives her crazy) and wants to
work with others to improve the quality of our public
worship.
She lives in Birmingham, is Oversight Tutor at the Queens
Foundation, and is married to Iain, a GP and together they have
three teenage children. She has a bit of a shoe fetish
Ron Willoughby has been
preaching for 25 years, but he's been a storyteller for a lot
longer. He holds degrees from Charleston Southern University
and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been
married to his bride, Barbara, for 23 years. His daughter,
Kathryn, is 18. His son, Joseph, is 15. They have a cat named
Henry. He's English.