Leading Your Church Into Growth URC Conference 2025Lay preachers' virtual gatheringGrandparenting for FAITHWe need 100 grandparents to test the Grandparenting for Faith Course during the next two weeks... The course will usually cost £30 but anyone who is able to start the course (individual or group) by the w/c 3rd June will be given free of charge access. Plus, the first 100 grandparents to complete the course will receive a £10 Amazon gift voucher, upon completion. Sign up here.
Additionally, we also need a ‘control group’ …. For this, we need 50 Christian grandparents who do not wish to do the course in the next three months, but would be willing to complete a short online survey now and in three months’ time to tell us about their experience of being a Christian grandparent. Anyone participating in this survey will be entered into a prize draw as a thank you. Register here. The GREAT BIG GREEN WEEK - 7-15 jUNE 2025Great Big Green Week 2025 is when a million people – just like you and me – will come together to be part of a wave of actions for friends and family, climate and nature.
The theme this year is 'let's swap together for good'. We can all make small swaps, large swaps and swaps that change the system, to make our communities better. By coming together, we’ll also send a message loud and clear to our politicians and decision makers that we need to swap old ways for better ways now. In this spirit, Faith for the Climate is collaborating with Quakers in Britain for a two-part series of webinars on how we can swap false climate solutions for real climate justice. Register for Part 1 (Thursday, 5 June): Spotting false solutions Register for Part 2 (Wednesday, 11 June): Identifying real solutions There is now global consensus - the majority of people in every country support more ambitious action on climate change. We also know that climate change is a grave issue of injustice. Those who have done the least to cause climate change are suffering its worst impacts, while those who have contributed to it the most are still avoiding the responsibility to redress and undo the damage. Against this background, we are seeing growing pledges of ambitious climate solutions by business and political leaders. But how do we know which solutions are truly effective and equitable? And why should this be of concern to people of faith? Join our two-part series of webinars, organised in collaboration with Quakers in Britain for this year's Great Big Green Week, which will explain the difference between false and real climate solutions. Find out:
Our movement builder Rosh Lal is also compiling a list of all the faith-related events registered for the Great Big Green Week. The list is growing (we still need to get our webinars on!), so keep checking to see what's on offer. Great Big Green Week 2025 faith events Youth mental health first aidType in the web link at the bottom of the flyer into your computer browser or use your smart phone to scan the QR code for more information using the Camera app.
Faithtalk webinarFaithTalk: everyday evangelism in the URC
The next webinar, An Evening with Trey Hall, is on Tuesday 23 September at 7pm. Trey is the Director of Evangelism and Growth at the Methodist Church and will be helping us to grapple with the question: Faith Talk and Church Growth: How does prayer make a difference? Come and join us for a relaxed conversation praying and talking about our faith with others. Please email [email protected] for the link. Shropshire Worship GatheringWe are delighted to be hosting a 12 hour worship event bringing together bands and acoustic sets from across the county on Saturday 7th June 2025, the day before Pentecost Sunday, at the Halfway House Pavilion on the Wrekin. Transport will be available for those unable to manage the 15 minute walk up the hill.
Further details about booking your Church a worship slot will be available in January. Please do put the event in your diary/calendar and let others in your networks know. Wholehearted MonthlyYou are invited to join a new online gathering hosted by the Methodist Church, for people who are passionate about joining God in mission.
Each month, we'll hear testimonies from local leaders, learn from a well-known guest speaker, and break into groups to share with others who are committed to gospel justice, evangelism, inclusion and growth. JPIT will be working with Rachel Lampard, Director of Social Justice and Social Action for the Methodist Church, to host a ‘Justice-Seekers Lounge’ as part of this monthly gathering. It takes place on the second Tuesday of the month, and the second session will take place on 8 April, 7-9pm. The next two guest speakers will be: Rowan Williams is a theologian, poet and former Archbishop of Canterbury, and is author of fifty books on literature, politics, and being Christian. (Tuesday 8 April) Chine McDonald is a writer, broadcaster and author, and is Director of Theos, the religion and society think tank. (Tuesday 13 May) To buy tickets, please click on this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wholehearted-monthly-tickets-1082365166349 Volunteering with the URC TEAM AT GREENBELTThe online application form to volunteer with the URC team at Greenbelt festival 2025 is now available to complete by visiting the URC Greenbelt webpage here:
https://urc.org.uk/greenbelt/volunteer-registration The festival takes place on Thursday 21 – Sunday 24 August 2025, at Boughton House, near Kettering. If you would like more information about the festival itself, head over to https://www.greenbelt.org.uk. Please feel free to share this information with colleagues, friends and family who may be interested in getting involved. You may even be tempted to volunteer yourself? We have a double-sided postcard which explains more (see below). The closing date for volunteer applications is 24 April 2025. If you are interested in joining the Youth venue team at Greenbelt (which is a different team to the URC venue) please contact the Children and Youth work team directly. I attach a flyer which you are free to share. Greenbelt’s theme for this year (and the theme we have adopted) is called "Hope In The Making". Find out more about Greenbelt’s theme here: Hope in the Making - Greenbelt Please get in touch if you have any questions. Third Thursday ThriveTo enable the young people across the West Midlands URC to connect, Helen Laird (Children & Youth Development Officer), Claire Kerrigan and Isaac Irvine (Youth Executive reps) are arranging a monthly meeting for those aged 11-17.
The session will be called "Third Thursday Thrive" and will take place as the name suggests on the third Thursday of each month, 7pm -8pm. To enable as many young people as possible to attend we have made the decision to use the online meeting tool ‘Zoom’. If any young person is interested, please get your parent or guardian to register your interest so that we can send parents our safeguarding policy and Zoom consent form. Songsmiths and psalmists![]() "Songsmiths and Psalmists" has been organised by St Thomas' Church, Aldridge and curated by United Adoration in the UK.
Songsmiths and Psalmists is a regular gathering of writers for worship in the West Midlands, focusing on how the Church can continue to help steward the earth and continue to move towards meaningful action. How does our worship motivate us to continue to look after the earth God has created for us? Join them on Saturday 5th April in Aldridge, for an afternoon of prayer, conversation, creativity and collaboration. Anyone writing in a church or Christian context is welcome. Sign-up is essential but free. Click here to register: https://subspla.sh/rdffj4d |
Please see appropriate page for training opportunities for ministry.
EVENTS @ WESTMINSTER COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE To Resource the Life and Worship of the Local Church |