Self - supporting Ministers Conference

written by Nudrat

Ayo and I had the opportunity to facilitate in the Self-supporting Ministers Conference organised by Oxford Diocese, last Sunday. Having been encouraged by Bishop Steven to “make a difference …..with gentleness, compassion and respect..” and to “…begin where people are…” the participants spent time in focused workshops exploring what that might look like in relation to Discipleship, Environment and Poverty and Inequality.

The workshop that we led on Poverty and Inequality focused on intentional conversations as a starting point to further develop the thinking around this particular issue. Listening (in this case the participants to each other) has to be the starting point before any solutions can be offered. ‘Why do you do what you do?’ was the starting question for our workshop; many participants had not explored this question giving it the time that it required. Any cycle of action must be followed by a time of reflection to re-centre our thinking, our energies and passions. This question may be the right one for us to explore individually, from time to time.

Let’s continue this conversation and if you want to share specific ideas or ask questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Nudrat (or any of the Staff Team) our Community Organiser on nudrat@stfrideswides.org