jonnybaker

blah... tour in the summer with brian walsh and sylvia keesmaat

brian walsh and sylvia keesmaat are over in the uk doing some stuff for bristol diocese. we have managed to scoop them up to do three blah... days. i absolutely love their book colossians remixed (i review it here) and have been a fan of brian’s writing over the years. his book transforming vision changed my life! i expect these days to be really good. please spread the word. we are not doing printed publicity – just e-mail, blogs etc. the oxford and manchester days are on colossians remixed and the birmingham day is on romans with some new material. i know already of two other things it clashes with so sorry if that affects you.

people can book online as follows -
Manchester June 5
Birmingham June 17
Oxford June 18

shaping the values of business

upcoming day organised by NET on shaping the values of business on the HMS president again. johnny and mike from groundworks are really good...

A NET event in association with the Blah... network

Mike Morris and Jonny Sertin from Groundworks  facilitate a day on

The Values of Business

Who are you? What are you doing and why?

Saturday 9 February 10:30 - 4:30

A great event wherever you are in your process (an existing business, a startup, or even if you are just thinking about getting started)

The aim of Groundworks is to give a forum to encourage people in their journey, to inspire global collaboration, and connect them with something bigger than the stage that they are currently operating on, and to create space for friendship and mutual learning. This certainly fits with the aims of NET and we are ecxcited to host this day and have them with us.

£15 including lunch

For further info contact Shannon Hopkins or Sam Hardwick

NET is a network of entrepreneurs engaged in social enterprise.  Using business as a platform for change.

NET meetings are now held on the fourth Monday of each month.

Book online here

a space to be honest - blah... oxford

i really enjoyed taking part in blah... oxford last night. the bar in the phoenix cinema was a great space for it. the theme was on emerging church and i was given the task of getting the conversation going which i did by sharing a few stories and reflections. what struck me about the evening is how valuable it is to have spaces to talk where you can be honest and real, ask questions and express fears and so on. i think i take that for granted as i am often in spaces that are like that but it was clearly new for some people there which is great. it was hosted by maybe and home, two emerging church communities in oxford and i hope the conversation continues...

as i was writing this post i remembered ian at maybe saying something about their spirit (what we call our ethos at grace) so i had a read through it and i found it really interesting to read another community's values at their core -

grace | space | wonder | grit | resistance | laughter | presence

blah... lots happening

blah... began as a one off meeting in london a few yars ago to think about faith, mission and culture over a glass of wine after work. it went so well that lots more blahs have happened in london and been spawned in manchester, birmingham, nottingham, sheffield. if you are nearby do join in these...

nov 3 - learning day in london on emerging and fresh expressions of the catholic and/or contemplative traditions

nov 13 - evening in birmingham with ben edson

nov 17 - day in nottingham on new age new mission with steve hollinghurst

blah sheffield have a couple of things lined up but are now using facebook to talk about them so i can't see what they are!

nov 20 - and i'm pleased to be invited to take part in the first blah... evening in oxford being planned by home and maybe

blah... days in london in the autumn

there are two blah... learning days planned in london in the autumn

sept 15 looking at issues around leadership and emerging church with doug gay and maggi dawn should be fab. you can book here. this is part of the blurb

As money for fully paid staff is an increasing luxury, and as the church is seemingly in increasing decline, how can we faithfully re-imagine church leadership and ministry today? And what would an authentic model of leadership look like today in a society where suspicion of hierarchy and of institutions is increasing? What does it mean to be ordained leader and be lay leader? And are these terms even useful today?

and on nov 3 Emerging and Fresh Expressions of the Catholic and/or Contemplative traditions - book here

pilgrimage

not much action on the blah... front in london lately - we'll get our act together again in the autumn but sheffield had a blah on pilgrimage with mark berry and others from telford. a video and notes are on mark's blog

nottingham

this week is hectic to say the least... madly busy spinning various plates. in the midst of it i was pleased i managed to get up for a first visit to blah...nottingham yesterday. they had ray simpson as a guest speaker. he is the guardian of the communtiy of st hilda and st aidan. this is a dispersed celtic community which i find fascinating i must admit and i think some of the new monastic communities have lots to learn from guys like this who are a bit further down the road. they are running a summer school at durham on new monasticism - i'll put more info on here when i find it. tom, the guy who is co-ordinating the blah... there is part of the team at the malt cross, a pub in the city centre which is run by christians. it is a wonderful space - i remember years back when it was run as the potters house. they even have leffe on tap - i am easily pleased i know!

so there's loads of blah happenings...

a few things going on in the next couple of weeks...

this thursday 10 may sees the first evening blah... in london for a while. we've moved venues to the horsebar. come along for a drink and some conversation. ian mobsby will be sharing some nuggets and we are celebrating his book launch. it's free but please book in so we have an idea of numbers. see you there if you are going.

then saturday has a learning day on catholic and contemplative fresh expressions of church. again please book in if you are coming - [update: thius has now been postponed - apparently a number of people wanting to come couldn't make the date so it is being rescheduled for the autumn]

i am heading up to nottingham next week on may 17 to visit blah... there which has just got going. ray simpson is speaking on celtic christianity. he sounds really interesting and is the guardian of the community of st hilda and st aiden. so if you are in that part of the world come along.

blah... birmingham is also planning its first evening for a while on may 23 and have got an amazing evening lined up with aradhna and pall singh. aradhna played at greenbelt the year before last and are incredible. the evening is titled journeys to christ within asian spirituality. if you are anywhere in the midlands get yourself along there.

and also on a blah tip, sheffield have an evening on may 15 on film and the divine

blahs coming up

we have the first evening blah... in london for a while coming up on may 10 with a change of venue - upstairs in the horse pub, waterloo.

ian mobsby will be exploring the significance of emerging & fresh expressions of church from the insights of practitioners. drawing on research findings, ian will explore the trinitarian theology that seems to underpin the projects involved, and explore their dreams & hopes regarding engaging with new/old forms of mysticism of many who are spiritually searching in post industrial western nations.

this is also a book launch/party to celebrate with ian and you can pick up his book at a reduced price. it would be great to have a good crowd.

admission is free. we are no longer providing drinks but there is a bar.

we are changing the way we track bookings so rather than e-mailing to say you are coming please register for the event here. it really helps to have an idea of who is coming.

May 10th | Blah London & Book Launch | From 6.30pm | The Horse Pub, Waterloo

then there is also a blah... learning day on may 12 exploring emerging/fresh expressions of church in the catholic and/or contemplative traditions of the church. here's the blurb:

Over the last year, a number of new and exciting emerging churches or fresh expressions of church drawing on the specifically catholic and/or contemplative traditions have developed and joined other emerging churches coming from or out of a more evangelical perspective. These voices are few - but are nevertheless important voices. This day will then give room to explore how Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church drawing on the catholic and Contemplative traditions bring particular resources to engage with those who are spiritually searching and what it means to be church.

May 12th 2007 |10-3.30pm | Emerging & Fresh Expressions of the Catholic and/or Contemplative traditions
Venue: Conference Centre, St Matthews Westminster (Home of Moot)
Cost: £8 waged, £6 students and unwaged
Timing: 10am-3.30pm

book/register online here

in some circles there is a criticism or suspicion that fresh expressions of church are just an evangelical thing so it's great this day is happening. don't feel that you have to be catholic/contemplative to attend though. it would be great to network across the traditions.

a few people have been asking me what's happening so now you now. there is also stuff going on elsewhere in the country - check the blah... web pages to see. delighted that nottingham have started a blah... now. their evening with ray simpson on celtic christianity and the move of god today looks really good.

if you are in london tomorrow

don't forget...