PEN Update for October

PEN Coordinator, Susanne Mitchell is transfering monthly updates from email to blog.........
Autumn is certainly the conference season! A lot of PEN time this month has involved meetings and visits. The national Presence and Engagement task group met in Leicester to reflect, update, and plan ahead. Working in inter faith relations/presence and engagement can be a lonely arena at times and the existence of networks and opportunities to meet with colleagues (who remain 'virtual' most of the time) is greatly valued.
FbRN (Faith based Regeneration Network) took Faith Social Action and Big Society as the theme for its National Conference and afforded another opportunity to think outside of the London box and remember that there is more than one model for effecting change.
Conflict and Change celebrated its 25th birthday. This amazing grassroots, capacity building, life changing organisation is based in Newham but has a growing influence. Training in conflict resolution and mentoring, volunteers who do the mediation also pass on the skills - seeds and mustard trees. Might they be just what you are looking for in your patch?
Listening to individual's stories and visiting projects is always inspirational. I am constantly exploring how best to present them on the website so they become a resource for others.
To round off the month I am looking forward to the opening of the Prayer Space and base for the Greenwich Peninsula Chaplaincy. Another example of patience, collaboration and transformation.

Resources and Events
Look out for two new titles from Grove Books:- 'Friendship and Exchange with People of Other Faiths: A Context for Witness and Dialogue', by Celia Blackden, and 'Church Schools in a Multi-faith Community', by Peter French.
Also, from St Johns (Nottingham) Extension Studies, in the Faith for Life series of workbooks is 'The Cross Cultural Christian', by Stuart Buchanan

Three websites to check out:- Faith Matters, another organisation working towards conflict resolution and cohesion. It currently has available to download 'Our Faiths and Our Shared Futures' a resource from Derby to help develop a local narrative against extremism.
Also, keep up to date with opportunities for churches to make the most of the Olympics in 2012 in terms of outreach, hospitality and service with More than Gold,
Thirdly, New Philanthropy Capital offering a wealth of advice under the strapline 'Helping charities and funders do good, better.

On the subject of doing good better I have available a paper 'The Impact of Equality Leglisaltion on Faith Communities and Faith-based Organisations' which can be emailed (or even posted) on request to
pen@theology-centre.org

The British & Irish Association for Mission Studies, BIAMS, is holding a day conference at St Philip's Centre, 2a Stoughton Drive North, Leicester LE5 5UB on Wednesday 3rd November on Extremism/Mission: Responses to racist, religious and political zeal. See the BIAMS website for details of how to register and speakers etc.

Following on from 'Interfaith Encounter from an Evangelical Perspective', St Ethelburga's is hosting 'An Evangelical-Muslim Dialogue' on Tuesday 23rd November at 7.30pm. Dr Chawkat Moucarry and Rashad Ali will be in conversation. See the St Ethelburga's website for more details.

In Reading, Churches Together in Berkshire are hosting a Youth Inter-Faith Conference on Thursday 25th November from 5.30 until 9.00pm. Dr Eleanor Nesbitt is the keynote speaker at 'Who Am I? Religious Identity and Young People'. Venue is Friends Meeting House, 2 Church Street, Reading RG1 2SB. email ctberks@btconnect.com or call Richard Christopher 0118 966 850 for more details.

Lastly don't forget the PEN conference Seek the Welfare of the City at the end of November - see you there.