Resources and Information
**new** Kent Workplace Mission
Their latest newsletter is available to download, here.
Spurgeon's College
Free Taster Day for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Studies in Theology
10 December, 10am-2.15pm
Spurgeon’s College, South Norwood Hill, London, SE25 6DJ
Come and train to be a competent, capable changemaker in our world today by studying Theology at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
We are inviting you to join us at our Campus during a teaching day to get a feel for life as a student at Spurgeon’s College You will be able to attend our short chapel service, join a lecture, meet with students and staff, tour the campus including the library as well as finding out more about the courses we offer.
For more information, please register here or contact the admissions department for further information: admissions@spurgeons.ac.uk
*We have a café where you will be able to purchase hot or cold drinks as well as snacks and lunch.
The College of Preachers
Preaching at Baptisms
Tuesday 14 January, 10.30-13.00 | Online via Zoom
Workshop Leader: Jennifer Brown
In this workshop, we will explore ways to communicate the meaning of baptism, drawing on relevant scriptural passages and the symbols used within the baptism service itself. We will also look at how baptism preaching can be evangelistic, an invitation to those present to start their own journey of faith. The workshop will be led by the Revd Dr Jennifer Brown. Dr Brown is the Director of Training for the College of Preachers and a parish priest in the Church of England's Oxford Diocese, and has more than a decade's experience as a theological educator.
Preaching the Story of Holy Week
Tuesday 25 February, 10.30-13.00 | Online via Zoom
Workshop Leader: Michael Beck
This workshop will explore the narrative that connects these events and consider ways in which our preaching through Holy Week can tell a coherent story of the journey to the cross, while still managing to be effective ‘stand-alone’ sermons. The workshop will be led by the Revd Dr Michael Beck. Dr Beck has been a priest for 44 years in a variety of settings: mainly parish but also 5 years in a major cathedral, as well as having been a police chaplain and a locum hospital chaplain alongside parochial work. He has been a member of the College of Preachers since 1980 and a tutor for over 20 years.
Preaching and Apologetics
Saturday 22 March, 10.30-13.00 | Online via Zoom
Workshop Leader: John Woods
“Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3.15)
This workshop will explore the importance of apologetics within the Church, the relationship between preaching and apologetics, and how our sermons can become effective and powerful tools for equipping Christians to think and speak confidently about their faith. This workshop will be led by Rev Dr John Woods, who is the Training Director of the School of Preachers Trust. He has had four decades of experience in pastoral work in the UK and since 1993 has taught preaching in Latvia and other parts of Eastern Europe. He is the author of God is in the House, which seeks to reimagine how we prepare sermons.
The Language of Resurrection: Finding the Right Words
Wednesday 2 April, 10.30-13.00 | Online via Zoom
Workshop Leader: Rod Garner
This workshop is for preachers wishing to engage with preaching the resurrection in a secular age. Preparing for Holy Week and Easter provides the fitting, even urgent context, in which teaching and faithfulness to the word of God can be enriched by the fruits of theology and the creative imagination. This workshop will be led by Rod Garner, Anglican priest, writer and theologian. Rod has served in four urban parishes and taught at colleges and universities in the UK and America. He is an Honorary Fellow at Liverpool Hope University and Emeritus Canon of Liverpool Cathedral. He is the author of numerous books, his most recent being Outsiders: Marching to a Different Drum (Liverpool Hope University Press 2022).
For more information about these workshops, including prices and links to book tickets, please visit www.collegeofpreachers.co.uk/events.
Save the date! In addition to our workshops, our next preaching conference, with the theme of ‘The Wonder of Words’, will be taking place in 2025. The conference will be held at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick from 9th to 11th September.
Baptist Union resources
Project Violet International Symposium
15 & 16 January 2025
Online
The Centre for Baptist Studies in conjunction with Baptists Together are organising this online Symposium, to which we are inviting academically-engaged Baptist women from around the world to discuss the findings of Project Violet and the actions arising from this extensive investigation into women’s experiences of ministry. There will be three 2-hour sessions each day; 8am to 10am, 2pm to 4pm and 7pm to 9pm. All times are GMT, please check how these work for attending from your time-zone. The cost is £45 for online access to all content from both days. We don’t want cost to be a barrier to attending so please contact the conference organizer if cost is a concern as we have some bursaries available. Building on the experience of Project Violet we are making this a woman-only space in order to encourage women's participation. Further details and the link to register can be found here https://www.cbs-oxford.com/pv.html
The direct booking link is https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/centre-baptist-studies/t-zzqlklv