Presence and Engagement is the title of a recent Church of England report, which:
"focuses on the situation of churches in multi Faith neighbourhoods, with the aim of re-affirming the commitment of the Church of England’s ministry in these areas, encouraging dioceses to review their strategies for supporting clergy, and encouraging theological reflection. The report includes research carried out in the Presence and Engagement project, which investigated the Church of England’s role in parishes with significant multi Faith communities."
Guy Wilkinson, a leading author of the report and the Archbishop of Canterbury's Advisor on Interfaith Relations is visiting Leicester on 28 February, and I'm hoping to bring him across to Oadby for a short time. He will be speaking at an open evening on 28 February at St Philip's Church, Evington, from 7.00pm to 9.00pm. Some of the questions under consideration will be:
- What does it mean to be a Christian community among different faith traditions?
- Are Christians a diminishing Community?
- What are the mission and theological issues?
- How can Christians be present and engage creatively with a diverse society?
I think we've got some good stories to tell about confident Christian mission in an area where we have many Hindu, Muslim and Sikh neighbours and friends but I'm looking forward to meeting Guy and hearing his perspectives. Do come along if you're interested.
