Thriving: Searching for sustainability in life, faith and pioneering

Might there be other ways of looking at growth?

The climate crisis is one of the clearest demonstrations of the way an assumption of growth has been hugely problematic.

What if instead of aiming purely for growth we looked for sustainability? What might it look like to frame mission as sustainability rather than growth?

This year, our Conversations Day will focus on this theme, reflecting on thriving in sustainable ways.

Picking up themes such as sustainable economy, sustainable planet, sustainable church and sustainable pioneering the day will host a series of talks, workshops and conversation exploring the big picture and the day-to-day details.

The event will be hybrid, with a limited number of tickets available for venues in Oxford and Cumbria.

Attend online or in person

If you are coming in person, please bring your own lunch (due to on-going COVID uncertainty). Tea and coffee will be provided. (See details below for details about which workshops are available at which venues.)

Oxford venue

There are 40 places available to attend in-person at CMS House, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ.

Cumbria Venue

There are 30 places available to attend in-person at The Resource Room, Church House, 19-24 Friargate, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7XR, hosted by the Northern Mission Centre.

Online

There are plenty of spaces available to participate online. We'll send you the zoom links once you have bought your ticket.

Plenary Speakers:

Israel Oluwole Olofinjana - Sustainable Planet: An African Eco-Theology (Speaking in Oxford and Online - streamed to Cumbria)

This talk will explore three ideas that can help us develop a sustainable future: Reparative Justice, Redeeming the collective notion of human identity and an Eschatological Eco-theology

Israel Oluwole Olofinjana is the director of One People Commission of the Evangelical Alliance. He is the founding director of Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World.

Janet Williams - Grounded in Not Knowing: A Sustaining Spirituality? (Speaking in Cumbria and Online)

Mining ancient apophatic traditions, finding energy and wisdom for pioneering sacred terrain.

Janet Williams is Vice Principal of St Hild College in Mirfield, Yorkshire. From a beginning in London, her route to Mirfield went via a Classics degree and Masters in Theology from Oxford, teaching in colleges and universities in Japan and England, ordination and a move from ministry in secular employment into theological education in Cuddesdon and Mirfield. Her particular interests are in Christian and Buddhist spirituality; her most recent book is Seeking the God Beyond: A Beginner’s Guide to Christian Apophatic Spirituality.

Alison Webster - Connecting together: Building Sustainable Communities (Speaking in Oxford and Online)

Human connection and relationship are crucial to building sustainable communities, but how to do we cultivate the habits of making and maintaining relationships, developing new leaders, and enabling a diversity of people to tell their stories, challenge power imbalances and change the world for the better?

Alison Webster is a writer, educator and facilitator, focusing on themes of spirituality and social transformation. She is author of numerous resource books that draw together social action and contemplation. She has a longstanding interest in identity issues – particularly gender, race, sexuality and disability, and is author of books on gender, sexuality, health and wellbeing. Alison has worked for the Student Christian Movement, the Institute for the Study of Christianity and Sexuality and the Christian Socialist Movement. Most recently (from 2003), she worked as Deputy Director of Mission for the Diocese of Oxford (Social Responsibility), and prior to that was Social Responsibility Adviser for the Diocese of Worcester. Her most recent book is ‘Found Out: Transgressive Faith and Sexuality’ (DLT 2017). Alison is Chair of the Malvern-based charity Amaka Beautiful Child (ABC), www.amaka.org, empowering people through story-telling and the arts. She is also author of ‘Found Wanting: Women, Christianity and Sexuality’ (Cassell 1995), ‘Wellbeing’ (SCM Press, 2002) and ‘You Are Mine: Reflections on Who We Are’ (SPCK, 2009). She is the founder editor of two international journals, ‘Theology and Sexuality’ and ‘Political Theology’.

Oxford Programme:

Morning Plenary Speaker: Israel Oluwole Olofinjana

Afternoon Plenary Speaker: Alison Webster

Morning Workshops:

Sustaining community spirituality – Ali Boulton

Sustaining beyond measure – Tina Hodgett and Paul Bradbury

Afternoon Workshops:

Sustainable entrepreneurship – Rosie Hopley

Sustainable pioneering – Matt Finch

Cumbria Programme:

Morning Plenary Speaker: Israel Oluwole Olofinjana

Afternoon Plenary Speaker: Janet Williams

Morning Workshops:

Sustaining Pioneering when there’s no room at the table - Augustine Tanner-Ihm

Sustainable pioneering with teenagers - Alison Riley

Afternoon Workshops:

Flourishing in the Landscape - Nick Mayhew Smith

Sustaining personal spirituality - Caroline Kennedy

Online Programme:

Morning Plenary Speaker: Israel Oluwole Olofinjana

Afternoon Plenary Speaker: Alison Webster or Janet Williams

Morning Workshops:

Sustainable entrepreneurship – Rosie Hopley

Sustainable pioneering – Matt Finch

Flourishing in the Landscape - Nick Mayhew Smith

Sustaining personal spirituality - Caroline Kennedy

Afternoon Workshops:

Sustaining community spirituality – Ali Boulton

Sustaining beyond measure – Tina Hodgett and Paul Bradbury

Sustaining Pioneering when there’s no room at the table - Augustine Tanner-Ihm

Sustainable pioneering with teenagers - Alison Riley

Workshop Leaders:

Rosie Hopley is founder and former CEO of the charity Beloved, co founder of a social enterprise LoveWellUK, co founder of Bristol prayer gathering Vision for the Vulnerable.

Paul Bradbury is a pioneer minister based Poole, a teacher and enabler of pioneers, and is currently studying toward a Doctorate in missional ecclesiology.

Nick Mayhew-Smith is a researcher and travel writer specialising in sacred landscapes, pilgrimage and Celtic spirituality. He has produced several books and BBC television programmes on the subject, his books including Britain's Pilgrim Places (2020), Landscape Liturgies (2021) and The Naked Hermit (2019), the latter of which is based on his PhD thesis on Celtic nature devotions. He is an honorary research fellow at Roehampton University, where he is also deputy head of college and works with the Susanna Wesley Foundation on a range of environment and theology projects.

Alison Riley is a youth minister in Cumbria, working with the 11-18 age group as part of the Carlisle Diocese Network Youth Church; she seeks to enable young people to hear and respond to the Gospel through curating community spaces and relationships in which young people can explore and go deeper in Christian faith in ways which support and sustain their everyday lives.

Ali Boulton is a pioneer Baptist minister living on a new housing estate, blessing residents and birthing a community relevant church. She co-founded the ecumenical New Housing Hub, is a national Baptist Pioneer Ambassador, and is involved in pioneer mentoring, consultancy, and training. She is the assistant undergraduate programme lead at CMS and is undertaking doctoral research into missional new housing engagement.

Augustine Tanner-Ihm is assistant curate and has responsibilities for Students and Community Outreach and Engagement at St James and Emmanuel Didsbury. Growing up in Chicago, he has travelled the globe speaking on matters close to his heart, such as race, gospel inclusion, reconciliation and spirituality.

Tina Hodgett is a child of God, priest, teacher, pioneer, Russian and German linguist, convenor of the CMS Southwest Region hub, fosterer of rumpusses, one-time leader of the Bath and Wells Pioneer Project, writer, blogger, speaker and many other (some yet to be discovered? things).

Caroline Kennedy

Matt Finch