Lay Ministry Celebration Day

This is a day for celebrating, equipping and reflecting together on Lay Ministry in the Church of England, and is for anyone engaged with, training for or interested in Lay Ministry.  We will gather together from across the South-East to meet with opportunities for reflecting and resourcing from a variety of lay people currently engaged in ministry in a variety of different settings.

This event is open to anyone (not just current and former lay students) engaged in some way with lay ministry.

We are delighted that Jo Henderson-Merrygold Head of Lay Ministries for the Church of England with deliver a Keynote.

Seminars:

Alastair Daniel // Storying the Word

Alastair K. Daniel is an artist educator, performance storyteller and independent scholar working in the UK and abroad. He gives storytelling performances for adults and children, teaches storytelling and its application in educational contexts and advises organisations on the strategic use of storytelling and narrative communication. Alastair trained as a Reader in Southwark Diocese and his doctoral research investigated Church of England liturgy as performance.

Storying the Word:

Storytelling is the way in which we make sense of other people’s lives, and represent our lives to others. In this practical workshop, we will explore both the skills of oral storytelling and the process of creating coherent and engaging narratives to support the ministry of the word.

Mim Oliver // Reclaiming Rites of Passage

Mim has a PGDip in Contemporary Youth Work (2016) and has worked with young people and their families since 1998 in the voluntary sector, schools, adoptive families, neurodiversity, cadet forces, church and most recently with Porchlight, Kent’s largest homeless charity.

Her work has spanned both England and Canada.

Reclaiming Rites of Passage:

What do rites of passage look like in the 21st Century? How are young people grappling with adolescence? How can we better understand their context and enable them to shape their adolescent journeys with more celebration? How can we restore rites of passage that move beyond tokenism, exam success or failure and whatever passing fad that social media presents to them?

Harvey Howlett // Growing into the Christian Story

Harvey Howlett is the tutor in liturgy and worship at St Augustine’s. He has been involved in teaching those training for ministry for over 20 years beginning that work particularly in training for Licenses Lay Ministers and Readers. He is a member of the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation and serves on the Council of Societas Liturgica, the international ecumenical body for he study of Christian Liturgy and Worship

Growing into the Christian Story

The worship we offer to God is an end in itself, but the experience of worship drowns us ever deep into the mystery of faith.

This workshop will provide an opportunity to consider how the shaping and framing of the material we choose to use in worship to support the formation of the faith. Looking at the annual cycle of the churches seasons and feasts we will explore how this telling and retelling of the Christ story helps us draw communities of faith deeper into the paschal mystery we proclaim.

Julia Burton-Jones // Anna Chaplaincy

Julia Burton-Jones works part-time as Anna Chaplaincy lead for the dioceses of Rochester and Canterbury. Her other part-time role is as training and development lead for Anna Chaplaincy at BRF, the national home of Anna Chaplaincy.

She works with those who sense a vocation to ministry with older people, supporting them and their churches in discerning their calling, then providing training and support as they develop their role offering chaplaincy to those in their later years.

Workshop description:

In an era of focus on ‘growing younger’, the Anna Chaplaincy workshop will ask how churches benefit from appointing ministers with a calling to work alongside older people. What are the distinctive skills and qualities for those offering spiritual care in later life, and how might Anna Chaplaincy training and support allow it to flourish?

Notes

St Benedict’s Car Park has limited car park spaces availability. When the car park is full, an alternative is Ryarsh Lane car park (map attached; post code ME19 6QP), free only on Sundays and Bank Holidays Ryarsh Lane car park, West Malling – Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (tmbc.gov.uk), High Street/Tesco Car Park located at West Malling (ME19 6NA) or station car park, West Malling ME19 6HJ.

Lunch will be provided, there is also coffee and tea available.

Getting here

By train:

Regular service from London Victoria, Canterbury West or Ashford International to West Malling Station, then 10 minutes gentle uphill walk – turn right down the station approach road, then left (beside railway bridge) onto Swan Street. Opposite the Police Station Road is a little private road. Turn left into this road and follow it along to the end. The St Benedict’s Centre is on the left. There are taxis available at the station.

By road:

M20, Exit Junction 4 on to A228 going south, turn right onto A20, left onto Town Hill which continues over the railway as the High Street. Turn left into Swan Street. The entrance to the St Benedict’s Centre drive which leads to the Car Park is on the right just before Police Station Road which is on the left. (7½ miles from M20). Parking for those with mobility needs is at St Mary’s Abbey in front of the Abbey Gatehouse.