Gather was conceived and born during lockdown as a place to strengthen our connections, purpose and work. It’s a space we value our collective wisdom and knowledge and share in an open-source culture.
This first event gathered over 500 people in the digital wild lands of Gather town. The year after we hosted Gather in the wildernesses on the Isle of Anglesey. This was another wonderful and beautifully curated space to be together.
This year Gather is going on tour! As a movement of pioneers our call is prophetic, our work is with the edges and our concern is what faith and the future looks like in a post Christian world.
So, we are taking this year to do some deep listening. We are using a framework of questions with anticipation we become present to ourselves and for a new imagination to open up the way. The questions are:
- What time is it?
- Where is God?
- Whose are we?
- What shall we do now?
We are hosting a number of spaces across the British Isles to gather together for this. There are two environments. For small groups there are supper clubs, to share a meal and explore these questions. With a larger group there is a whole day together. For both we are using the Art of Hosting as our method of listening and capturing our conversation. The critical underpinning works on the assumption the wisdom is among us and we design the future from our collective imagination.*
*At the event in Birmingham we are fortunate to have Shane Claiborne with us who will be sharing some of his own reflections in response to these questions. He will also be presenting the 2023 Newbigin lecture in the evening.
If you’d like to join the tour in a location of your choice, here is a list of the venues and corresponding contacts. Please get in touch with them directly to reserve your spot. Different leaders across the hubs will be in attendance to co-host. (Places are limited.)
If you’re unable to make it to the physical tour dates, you can still participate in our online Gather Tour by reserving your spot through the provided Eventbrite link.
We sincerely hope you can join us somewhere on the road.
Gather tour dates
Gather for Supper
London – 20 April
Phil Hoyle: phil.hoyle@ccx.org.uk
Poole – 3 May
Paul Bradbury: paul@poolemc.org.uk
Wells – 4 May
Tina Hodgett: tina.hodgett@churchmissionsociety.org
Chelmsford – 18 May
Belinda Ngugi: belindajo72@gmail.com
Cumbria – 22 June.
Lori Passmore: lori.passmore@carlislediocese.org.uk
Gather for the Day
Birmingham – 7 June
Sharon Fraser: sharon.fraser@seedbeds.org
Register for the Newbigin Annual Public Lecture with Shane Claiborne on this day: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/newbigin-annual-public-lecture-2023-with-shane-claiborne-tickets-592318499577
Newcastle – 21 June
Elaine Lindridge: elaine@lindridge.org.uk
Gather Online
Date: 13 June
Register via eventbrite: pioneer.churchmissionsociety.org/gather