Back in Durham

Catherine and I were back in Durham for three days last month. I (Ayo) promise it had nothing to do with the splendid Bells fish & chips, (well, maybe…)

We were there for the Church Planting Conference at the Centre for Church Planting Theology and Research at Cranmer Hall in Durham.
This year we were not presenting a paper (phew!) but taking time to soak in and reflect on the rich presentations and conversations. The conference, now in its second year had a theme for the first time, which was ‘participation’.

Reflection on the parallels between Community Organising’s emphasis on relational listening and the conference theme of participation was fascinating and made for many interesting meal times in between the sessions.

My highlight of the conference was listening to Bishop Eleanor Sanderson who described the moment when as a young researcher working in development studies it dawned on her that at salvation “ … Jesus approaches us and draws us into a relationship of participation. Jesus meets us where we are at… genuinely - not just as a metaphor for the incarnation…but meets us where we are at…exactly as who we are”.

Community Organising is an invitation into participation with those around us, on our streets, our estates, our communities. We are invited into lives and stories and as we reciprocate we find common ground. And who knows on what journeys we might embark?

On a tour of Durham Cathedral while waiting for registration to start…