
PO Box 35328
London
E1 0YZ
 enquiries@urbanexpression.org.uk
www.urbanexpression.org.uk
April 2013
Dear Friends
The Urban Embrace event is now only a few months away, so I am writing with some information about the event and to encourage you to book in if you intend to come but have not yet formally registered.
Registration can be done through Eventbrite on www.urbanembrace.eventbrite.co.uk
or by emailing
Doreen McIntosh, the UE administrator, at doreen.mcintosh1@gmail.com
This is the first time we have run Urban Embrace. Our aim is to bring together a group of experienced practitioners and academics (and everything in between) from a range of disciplines and backgrounds to explore together the pressing issues that we face as Christians involved in ministry and work in the city.
Through structured and informal conversations we will seek to develop both theology and practice that relate to our spheres of engagement.
We hope that people from a wide variety of professions ranging through private, public and voluntary sectors would benefit from joining us, as well as those involved in ministry, mission and theological education.
Venue
The event will be held at ‘The Castle’ which is run by members of the Eden Project. The address of the castle is 29-31 Lewis Street, Eccles, Manchester, M30 0PU.
Food and Accommodation
Lunches and evening meals will be provided and costs are covered by the registration fee. These meals will be an important part of our time together. You are, of course, free to arrange your own overnight accommodation and breakfast, but we do have some spaces made available by local Christians in their homes. If you would like to stay in a local home for bed and breakfast, please contact Doreen Westley and we will arrange that for you.
If you have special dietary needs, please let Doreen Westley know well in advance of the event.
Programme
I have sent out copies of the programme and you may well find one attached when you got this information. If you still need a programme you can get one from Mike Pears pears@pobox.com
or Doreen.
Relationship Humility
Registered charity in England (1090734) and in Scotland (SC039100)
Creativity

Contact Numbers
In case you need to contact any of us who are hosting the event, here are our contact details:
Doreen McIntosh, on 07941 970552 doreen.mcintosh1@gmail.com
Mike Pears, on 0780 4639120 pears@pobox.com
Tim Presswood, on 07966 417502 tim@openshawconnection.org.uk
Stuart Murray Williams: 07867 543873 stuart@murraywilliams.co.uk
I think that is everything, but please contact me if you have any queries.
Best wishes,
Mike Pears and the Urban Embrace Team
PROGRAMME OUTLINE AND CONTENT
Relationship Humility Creativity

Here is an outline of how our time together will work. This is an opportunity for everyone to bring something to the conversation—so do come with stories and ideas to throw into the pot! If you would like to share something a bit more formally then drop ideas to Mike Pears on pears@pobox.com
The aim of our time together is to explore key themes in urban mission and ministry and to push the boundaries in terms of thinking and practice. With this in mind, we will take two main themes—those of
‘place’ and ‘forming communities.’

Place: mission and incarnation always take place within ‘places’. How should we think about and engage with ‘place’? How does thinking about ‘place’ help the way we approach mission? How does the New Testament talk about ‘place’? Should mission include ideas about ‘place making’ or
‘transforming of places’? How do ‘place’ and power relate to each other and could engaging powers take place by engaging with places? How do Christian ideas about ‘place’ play out within the city (of
Manchester?)

Forming Communities: what have we learned about the key characteristics of incarnational community? What are the important stages in forming community? What are we aiming at in forming
Christian community and what are the typical pathways of growth we might expect to follow? How do communities stay Jesus centred? What does it mean to be a convictional community and how might values or convictions be more developed within the life of a community?
We will explore these two themes by drawing on a variety of creative approaches:
Telling stories
Eating (eating as a way of forming place and growing community)
Conversation (structured conversations involving short presentations followed by open conversation)
Making bread
-
Walking the city (using walking as a way of ‘exploring spiritual landscapes’)
Creating liturgy
Outline of Programme
Monday
12.00-1.30pm
1.30-5pm
6-8pm
Arrival and lunch
Exploring ‘place’
Food and conversation
Tuesday
9.30-12.30pm
12.30-2.00pm
Exploring community formation
Food and conversation
Walking the city / bread making / creating liturgy
Food and conversation
2.00-5.00pm
6-8pm
Wednesday
9.30-11.30am
11.30-1.00pm
1.00-2.00pm
Exploring ‘place-making’ – the presence of Jesus as the centre of a ‘new place’
Drawing things together – what are we learning?
Lunch and leave
Relationship Humility Creativity