Some stories to start with

1
Some stories to start with

• A sea of boys from local mainly Muslim High
  school on a church visit. In a later thank you
  letter, one said I didnt want to go to a
  Christian church. I found the visit very
  interesting. I now know that you believe in God
  too Bradford
• On our Good Friday March, a Sikh man of middle
  age placed his hand on the large wooden cross
  that we carry and walked with us for
  approximately 300 yards. There is a genuine
  respect here for the church because of our many
  links with the community. Chelmsford
• Occasionally a Muslim has come to one of our
  Christmas services. Asian children are happy to
  visit the church on class visits and seem open to
  learn about what Christians believe. Relations
  with Muslim neighbours are good and friendly.
  Southwell
• Frustration by some who see the area changing,
  leading to a member of the congregation shouting
  out in response to a prayer for justice for
  refugees and asylum seekers what about justice
  for us whites? Leicester

2
A few more stories

• The Gurdwara has replaced the Church as the
  Established Church. It is they who have the
  processions and organise the street parties and
  they are superb. Our church used to fulfil this
  role 50 years ago. We are utterly irrelevant to
  their life they would be ten times our size
  but each Faith is well disposed to the other
  Birmingham
• I visited the Church school last week with a
  Pakistani Christian minister who took part in the
  morning assembly. Afterwards the year 6 teacher
  told me that her class couldnt get their heads
  around the fact that he was both Pakistani and
  Christian. Blackburn
• We see a regular flow of conversions from Muslim
  to Christian amongst refugees from Muslim
  countries. As a priest I do get spat at by
  Muslims on the street occasionally. London
• For about a year the vicar living next door
  allowed two Muslim families to park their car in
  his driveway before going to mosque. Now, a month
  ago the two families were baptised and
  confirmed. Southwark

3
The British context the recent experience

• How quickly it has happened -25 years
• Part of global change technology culture esp
  communications glocal
• Total change eg for Muslims 80 from rural
  Mirpur or Somalia to inner city
• Concentration and white flight
• Continuing connections
• Marriage, funeral, birarderi, satellite tv
• Western cultural pressures sex, alcohol, free
  expression
• Hard choices for the younger generation

4
The British context into the future

• Separated communities
• From multi culturalism to the search for
  cohesion/ citizenship
• The shocking violence of 9/11, Bali, Madrid and
  London
• Faith in the public square
• The XF generation

5
The British context some statistics

• 80 of all parishes have some people of other
  Faiths
• c.900 parishes 10 population all other Faiths
• c.600 parishes 10 of any or 25 of one other
  Faith
• c.300 parishes 25-50 of population all other
  Faiths
• One or more 10 parish in 80 of all dioceses
• 72 of parishes in London
• 34 of parishes in Birmingham
• 24 of parishes in Southwark
• 24 of parishes in Manchester
• 7 of all parishes but serving 23 total
  population of England
• 60 are Urban or Suburban not inner urban

6
The top twenty parishes

• Leicester NORTH EVINGTON ST
  STEPHEN 8784 80.50
• Wakefield PURLWELL ST ANDREW 6495 79.30
• Birmingham SPARKBROOK CHRIST CHURCH 8027 77.70
• London SOUTHALLST GEORGE 9175 76.50
• Bradford BRADFORD ST CLEMENT 10153 74.30
  
• Leicester LEICESTER THEODORE
  CANTERBURY 6116 74.20
• Birmingham SPARKHILL 20228 73.80
• Leicester LEICESTER ST PHILIP 9050 72.30
• Bradford MANNINGHAM ST PAUL ST
  JUDE 17494 72.00
• Bradford BRADFORD ST COLUMBA/ ANDREW 7266
  71.60
• Blackburn BLACKBURN ST MICHAEL'S
  CENTRE 9639 71.10
• Bradford MANNINGHAM ST CHAD 6076 69.20
• Chelmsford MANOR PARK ST BARNABAS 9826 68.80
• Birmingham SALTLEY AND SHAW HILL 15328 68.70
• Peterborough PETERBOROUGH ST BARNABAS 3524 67.7
  0
• Birmingham SMALL HEATH 24748 67.30

7
London

• St Dunstan Stepney 51.20
• St Leonard Heston 51.50
• St Dunstan Cranford 53.20
• NorwoodSt Mary The Virgin 54.10
• St James Alperton 55.10
• St George-In-The-East 60.60
• St Mary Cable Street 61.20
• SouthallSt John 63.50
• Christ Church Spitalfields 64.60
• SouthallHoly Trinity 65.50
• SouthallSt George 76.50

8
Southwark

• Plumstead St J w St J St Paul 25.40
• Norbury St Stephen 27.20
• Tooting St Augustine 28.50
• Thornton Heath St Jude/St Aidan 29.00

9
Chelmsford

• Great Ilford St Luke 52.6
• Great Ilford St Andrew 54.3
• Barkingside St George 54.5
• East Ham St Paul 57.8
• Forest Gate Emmanuel w St Peter 58.4
• Great Ilford St Alban 62.3
• St Edmund Forest Gate 64.9
• Manor Park St Barnabas 68.8

10
Some Faith statistics the 19ers
11
The elements of a broad strategy

• Inter Faith Relations
• Presence and Engagement
• The Church (of England) not a Faith community

12
Inter Faith Relations

• The language of interfaith
• The many dimensions of living peaceably together
• International/national/local
• Christian/Hindu/Jewish/Muslim
• Muslim/Christian
• Methods
• Understanding, Dialogue, common actions,
  discussion groups, forums

13
Presence Engagement

• The mission perspective
• Mission of God
• in the name of Jesus
• with the Holy Spirit blowing where it wills
• Presence
• Being present locally incarnation
• Engaged
• Being engaged close encounters

14
The Church not a Faith community

• Distinctives
• The 72 and the 5
• History, culture, law, constitution
• The churches contribution
• The assets everywhere, places, leaders,
  experience, schools, youth workers
• The theological distinctives in reality
• God as love, Trinity, Incarnation,
• the Cross, redemption, Holy Spirit

15
Presence Engagement- what would make a
difference?

• Dialogue initiatives (how to get engaged)
• Specialist resources (getting equipped)
• People
• Skilled people (training)
• Money
• Affirmation and encouragement
• Community actions
• Other Faith engagement
• Christian attitudes

16
Presence EngagementKeys to effective presence
engagement Scriptural theological foundations

• Theology is foundational
• The conversation between Scripture and experience
• Beyond exclusive, inclusive plural to the
  love of God for all in creation

17
Keys to effective presence engagement
Learning from their experience

• The multi Faith neighbourhood church as asset not
  liability
• The specialist ministries
• The diverse congregations
• The new Christians

18
Keys to effective presence engagementTraining
Equipping for a multi Faith world

• Assessing our collective needs and resources
• Training survey
• Are they sufficient and appropriate?
• Changing times
• How to extend and share
• Existing London IF Centre, London School of
  Theology, Heythrop College
• New initiatives Bradford, Leicester,
  Contextual Theology Centre

19
Keys to effective presence engagement Better
connections

• Between local churches with experience and with
  others
• Between Christian agencies
• Between specialists
• Between the institutional and other churches

20
Keys to effective presence engagement Better
information

• More and more shared information
• Stories
• Initiatives
• Publications
• Research
• People