July Update

Update

Last time we flagged up the launch of the Business Plan Toolkit. If you have an historic building in need of restoration and a vision to develop its use for the community, a business plan is a must to win friends and influence people i.e secure funding. You can now down load a ‘how to’ guide via this link. 

News

Sophia Hubs  - A new faith-based business hub was launched recently at St John's Seven Kings. (see picture) The Seven Kings & Newbury Park Sophia Hub is the first pilot of what will become a network of Hubs building on the community engagement of faith communities.Whilst there are increasing numbers of faith-based social enterprises starting up around the country, and a new emphasis on missional entrepreneurialism, there is as yet very little joining up of the different projects and adding up of their value to advocate for greater investment and support. The Sophia Hubs network will provide a network organisation for existing faith-based business incubators as well as developing a model for starting them up and providing services to enable that process which builds on existing community engagement. 

People can get involved with the pilot as business mentors, start-ups, investors, management group members and timebank volunteers. An initial Sophia Course will aim to empower people in making connections with their faith and wisdom traditions, understanding the basics about social enterprise and considering the local context, identifying resources and issues of shared local concern to generate ideas for new social enterprises. For more info contact : sophiahubs@yahoo.com   tel: 07766 451316.

Events
Tuesday 16^th July until 28^th July  Southwark Cathedral. Exhibition on South London Inter Faith Group’s Inter Faith Walks see the events page on the PEN website.

Friday 19^th July 4pm at Lumen URC 88 Tavistock Place WC1H 9RS.  SYRIA How Can we Help & How best pray for its people? – Meet Mary Mikhael spokesperson for the Evangelical (ie Presbyterian) Churches of Syria and Lebanon and until recently President of the Near Eastern School of Theology in Beirut .

Resources
Initiatives for Change is a worldwide movement of people of diverse cultures and backgrounds, who are committed to the transformation of society through changes in human motives and behaviour, starting in their own lives. Read their latest newsletter, and you can subscribe to receive regular bulletins via the same link.

ARC The Alliance of Religions & Conservation has republished  Faith in Conservation by Martin Palmer & Victoria Finlay (first published in partnership with the World bank in 2003). The book can be downloaded from the ARC website.  ARC's biggest projects currently are The Green Pilgrimage Movement (including Hajj); Wildlife, forests and faith; and Family Education and Water.

Courses

Now is the time to plan your studies (and encourage others) in the new academic year. King's College London and the Westminster Abbey Institute, The London Interfaith Centre and St Ethelburga’s have new programmes for 2013-14. Details on the Courses pages of the PEN website in the next couple of weeks.

Vacancy with JustShare

JustShare the coalition of churches and charities committed to global development and social justice is seeking a new Coorinator ................

JustShare Co-ordinator (part time)


Up to £22, 000 pro rata (dependent on experience) for 2 full days, or their equivalent each week (15 hours). The appointment is for one year only with the opportunity to extend if funding becomes available.

JustShare has a proven record of engaging the City of London on issues of globalisation and economic justice. It organises debates, lectures and seminars.

The Co-ordinator will be employed for two full days, or their equivalent each week (15hours), to enable the JustShare coalition to alert the institutions, businesses and enterprises of the City to the plight of the world’s poorest communities and the impact of their own assumptions and actions – chiefly by organising a programme of debates, lectures and other campaigning events.

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter, along with the name of two referees to the Rector of St Mary-le-Bow, the Reverend George Bush: grbush@london.anglican.org. References will only be taken up if you are successful and the post is offered to you.

Applications by Monday 22nd July. Interviews Thursday 1st August   A full job description can be downloaded from theJustShare website.

June Update

It would be easy to assume that the news this month has been mostly bad. That’s because the extraordinary attracts our attention and the ordinary is easily overlooked. It has been a great consolation that people of faith coming together in quiet acts of solidarity is now quite ordinary. That doesn’t mean it is unnecessary. I am grateful to the Archdeacon who emailed his Area Deans suggesting they remind clergy colleagues that it might be a good time to check how their Muslim neighbours are feeling; and suggested other Archdeacons in his Diocese might like to do the same.

I’ve chosen the blog pic from among those taken at the big IF rally earlier this month when 45,000 people of all faiths and none came together to demand of government four achievable actions that would make huge strides to end world poverty. Julie Saddiqi, Executive Director of the Islamic Society of Britain spoke alongside Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Movement Rabbi, Reform Judaism, and Dr Rowan Williams, Chair of Christian Aid.  Thanks to Julie Siddiqi for permission to use the picture.

Indeed it is a good time to remind ourselves that building relationships of trust takes time and patience but when we look back or when, if rarely, tragedy strikes all the effort is seen to be so worthwhile.

Talking of building relationships Theos, The Contextual Theology Centre and Contending Modernities have just published ‘Making Multiculturalism Work’ by David Barclay which can be downloaded via this link.

St Peter’s Walworth have long had a relationship with Old Kent Road mosque. They now have a Near Neighbours grant to begin a new group in the Autumn which will meet to explore their respective spiritual traditions (especially contemplative prayer), then come together to share silence followed by refreshments and a chance to get to know one another.

Dr Chris Hewer, ‘Understanding Islam’ tutor and author, has been working with Ahl ul-Bayht TV to produce a series called The Big Picture. The titles of each article/broadcast are available now and each week as an episode is aired the title will become a hyperlink to the article. The broadcasts will be uploaded as you tube clips to view - all on his website via the link above.

In other news....

The European Network on Religion and Belief – ENORB is an Anti – Discrimination Network which covers the Religion and Belief strand of the European Fundamental Rights and Equalities policy. It is a voluntary network with no funding but has a website and has just published a review of the previous 12 month’s work and reports from recent seminars on their website.

The Church Buildings Council and The Prince's Regeneration Trust have produced a Business Planning Toolkit to help faith communities deliver successful regeneration projects. The kit will be launched in Norwich on 4th July but watch the PEN blog for how to obtain a copy once available.

Essex Mind and Spirit have published the report of their 4th Tackling Mental Health in Multi Faith Contexts conference at www.essexmindandspirit.moonfruit.com  

The latest news from CUF includes the report ‘The Human Cost of Welfare Reform’ and news of their Tackling Poverty Together conference to be held in London on 13th November at which Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will be speaking

Events this month are on the news and events page of the PEN website here.

Early June Events

Wednesday 5th June;  6.05pm at St Mary-le-Bow the next JustShare Lecture on Social & Political Thought will be given by Professor Ben Quash (Professor of Christianity and the Arts at King’s College London), who will address the question ‘The art of shared spaces: where is the social value?’ All welcome, refreshments afterwards. You might like to register here, or just turn up.

Saturday 8th June  don't forget the BATCA fun day see earlier blog

also on Saturday 8th June Westminster Interfaith 28th Annual Multi-faith Pilgrimage for Peace this year in Hertfordshire email Jon Dal Din jondaldin@rcdow.org.uk or 07527758729

Sunday June 9th  Faiths Together in Croydon ‘Big Lunch’ Picnic   1.30-3.30pm
In Parkhill Park by the tennis courts; look for the FTiC sign. Entrances in Stanhope Road and Barclay Road
Bring your own picnic and something to share with others Drinks/Paper plates/cups will be provided
Come and meet Croydon people of faith

Wednesday 12th June Holy Trinity Clapham Common  SW4 0QZ the latest event from Nested , Jennifer Broadley of Healthy Chat on Respect: past, present and future. Tickets are £10 includes curry meal, pay on the door.  

also Wednesday 12th June at St Ethelberga's on Bishopsgate EC2N 4AG 3pm Conflict within faith commuities and faith-based conflict resiliance. A meeting for faith leaders and others to explore the kinds of conflict that occur within religious and spiritual communities, and to look at how we can develop faith-based tools and approaches to improve conflict resilience.  With input from Dr Zaza ElSheikh, Revd Andrew Corsie, and the Network of Buddhist Organisations and others more details  

Thursday 13th June Westminster Cathedral Hall SW1P 1QH 16.30 for 17.00 visit of Pope's Senior Advisor on Interreligious Dialogue see earlier blog


Friday 14th June 12 -4pm, Balham Baptist Church, Ramsden Road SW12 8QX Exploring Religious History in Wandsworth  with the Open University's Building on History team and Wandsworth Community Empowerment Network Explore the religious history of the area and discuss a prospective local history project. Contact Nadeene Morris for more details.

Two Job Vacancies

Faiths Forum for London is recruiting for a new Director and the deadline is Wednesday 5th June. Apologies for posting this so late. Please circulate to your networks and to anyone who may be interested in applying. Here is the advertisement:


"As you may have heard, our Director Philip Rosenberg has been appointed as Director of Public Affairs at the Board of Deputies of British Jews. He will be tying up some final projects over the next few weeks before moving on at the beginning of July. As such, we are now recruiting for a new Director. The position is a shared role between the FFL and the Fayre Share Foundation."

Please click here for the full job description and person specification, but the main details are below:

Location: Central London
Salary: £30-35,000 per annum
Contract Type: Full-time for an initial period of 11 months, with the possibility of extension.
Reporting To:
Trustees of the Fayre Share Foundation
Trustees and Council of the Faiths Forum for London
Organisations’ Websites:
www.faithsforum4london.org
www.fayresharefoundation.org

Information for Applicants
Please submit a CV and Covering Letter (Max 2 Sides Each) to info@faithsforum4london.org by Wednesday 5 June 2013 at the latest.

AND

Sophia Hubs are local centres which foster new social enterprises and businesses, harnessing the ageless principles of wisdom. They are seeking a talented Project Coordinator and Developer to set up and deliver a pilot Sophia Hub in Seven Kings and Newbury Park, thereby helping to take the Sophia Hubs project into its next phase of development and growth. You can access the job description here

Applicants can apply by submitting their CV, a supporting statement explaining how their experience is right for this job and how they meet the person specification, and details of two referees.

Applications to be made by Friday 21st June 2013 to: Rev Jonathan Evens at jonathan.evens@btinternet.com  or Sophia Hubs, c/o St John the Evangelist, St John’s Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex IG2 7BB.

Interview date: Friday 5th July 2013.

Christians and Muslims working togther to engage with the wider community

Every year in association with Balham and Tooting Community Association (BATCA) Gatton VA Primary School and St Augustine's Church in Tooting host a fun day which raises thousands of pounds for the local St George's hospital. It's always fun to close a road and drag a fire engine but this is a true celebration of how communities can come together for the greater good.

Pope's Senior Advisor on interreligious dialogue to visit London

All people of good will are cordially inviteed to join representatives of different religions, who are coming together on the occasion of teh visit to England of Cardinal Tauran, the Pope's senior advisor on interreligious dialogue, to offer prayres  for peace in tehir differnt traditions, and to bear witness to their longing for a more just and peaceful world.

Thursday 13th June 16.30 for 17.00
Westminster Cathedral Hall SW1P 1QH