Over the last few years a number of Justice & Peace workshops have been organised around the diocese on a deanery basis. The days are meant to help established groups by sharing experience with others and to enable groups that may be struggling to get off the ground. There has been particular appreciation for the emphasis on spirituality and biblical reflection and the outlining of a clear methodology for groups. However people who might have been interested have sometimes said they knew nothing about the days.
Since the Commission was relaunched in autumn 2005 with the appointment of an administrator we have managed rather better communication through a regular newsletter and a database of interested people to which names are being constantly added. The three annual Assemblies the Commission has held have confirmed the importance of deanery days and local networking. The hope is that with an up-to-date contact list we can have an outreach to a wider public. The plan is to organise workshops for any areas – like deaneries – that form a viable unit. These days have already taken place in North Staffs, Dudley, Stafford, Birmingham East, Oxford & Banbury, Coventry & Rugby and Worcester & Kidderminster. Currently workshops are being organised for Birmingham North and Warwick.
Based on feedback from the Annual Assemblies and from past workshops the main aims for the next round of days are the following:
· to raise awareness of Justice & Peace as part of the mission of the Church;
· to help provide the tools for more effective J&P activity;
· to highlight our grounding in spirituality, particularly through the Live Simply programme
· to enable local networking to take place.
Please get in touch if you would be interested in a day for your part of the diocese.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
