Interfaith – Page 5

Bringing People Together – making the strapline a reality

Written on March 26, 2012. Posted in Dialogue, Interfaith, Near Neighbours.

Near Neighbours Development worker Jessica Foster writes: The small grants part of the Near Neighbours programme has been running for just over seven months now and we have funded well over 40 projects, distributing nearly £170,000 to projects and activities that will create and strengthen friendships between people of different faiths who live close to one another.

For some projects the planning is over and it has been an absolute privilege to have been invited to the launch of a job club in Handsworth and the evening celebration of Hodge Hill’s Unsung Heroes recently.

While both events were very different, responding to the different needs in different parts of the city what delighted me was that at both occasions I saw that very real friendships were being built and nourished between people of different faiths and ethnicities who discovered huge amounts in common – shared values, shared concerns and shared neighbourhoods.

On my table of heroes in Hodge Hill, people from different faiths and ethnicities chatted away, building and deepening friendships. Throughout the evening we saw people appreciating the contribution their neighbour was making and that appreciation was enthusiastic, heartfelt and warm as people saw in one another the shared willingness to work together for the good of Hodge Hill.

In Handsworth the commitment to give the most disadvantaged people a second-chance had brought a steering group together to support Alvin Henry and the Dorcas Club to set up a job club. Here people wanted to see young people skilled and equipped to achieve in a competitive employment market. There was a particular concern for people who had left prison and were struggling to quit the offending cycle without any hope of a job.

Amongst this steering group of people was Ajit from the local gurdwara. Alvin told us that the Near Neighbours grant meant he needed a steering group made up of people from different faiths and he had approached Ajit from the Nishkam centre expecting a formal half-an-hour meeting. Three hours later Alvin and Ajit had become firm friends and Ajit is now an integral part of the group overseeing the job club.

At a lecture I attended as part of the Muslim-Christian forum residential for women we heard that friendship is not only personal and intimate but also civil and political. Friendships have the power to bring about real and lasting change in communities. We sometimes think they are something that happen to us but in reality we choose and nurture our friends. We hope Near Neighbours helps to build hundreds of new friendships across this city – we do hope you can be part of it

Men and Inter-Faith

Written on March 22, 2012. Posted in Dialogue, Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre, Interfaith.

Why is it that inter-faith events seem to attract more women than men, and that women’s events are often better attended than ones for men. These were some of the questions we considered at the consultation on the 21st March.

First of all we recognised that there is lots of good inter-faith work going on, and that there is an issue of needing to get more women involved in leadership. We also weren’t suggesting that events for women should be in anyway curtailed or undermined by this discussion.

We also acknowledges that there are good examples of men’s interfaith events especially some of the sporting competitions that take place.

We spent a good deal of time looking at what we thought might prevent men attending inter-faith events. Some the the suggestions we came up with included:
Enjoying competative activities that are often missing in inter-faith events
Not seeing the need for just building relationships, more interested in networking or making contacts
Wanting to engage through doing not just talking
Not wanting to be made to feel foolish, for example by sharing in small groups
Different communitities having different expectations of how and when an event is run
Not being convinced that it is worthwhile, so needing the aims and motives to be better articulated

We went on to discuss what we could do to overcome sdome of these obstacles. Some of our conclusions included:
Ensuring joint leadership from different communities in the planning of the events
Finding appropriate competative activities to form the basis for the discussions and engagment
Less talk of relationships and more emphasis on activity, contacts and networking
Focus on specific interest or work groups eg local business men, the elderly, sports

This was a consultation not a conclusion so please feel free to add your comments and thoughts, or discuss these questions amongst men that you know.

A Faithful Conversation

Written on February 13, 2012. Posted in Dialogue, Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre, Interfaith, Training.

On the 9th of February we ran the Faithful Conversations training morning at the Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre. The morning included a chance for people to think through their own faith stories and then to have the opportunity to share those stories with others, to learn how to speak positively about faith and how to listen to others. It was also an opportunity to hear the faith stories, beliefs, practices and experiences of others.

The morning was greatly appreciated by all the participants. Read what they said about it:
There were really interesting discussions held with interesting people
The course was excellent, easy to get to and with parking available
There was a good balance between activities and discussions
It was very useful, I will definitely be having ‘Faith Conversations’

Due to the popularity of this course we are planning to run it again in the evening of Thursday 26th April. You can find all the details on our events pages

Near Neighbours on TV

Written on February 2, 2012. Posted in Interfaith, Near Neighbours.

The work of Near Neighbours in Birmingham and Leicester was featured on ITV Central News on Wednesday 1st February. The clip features projects funded by the Near Neighbours small grants progranmme and an interview with the Right Revd David Urquhart the Bishop of Birmingham.

The clip has now been posted on youtube and you can watch it by following this link: Near Neighbours Video

Near Neighbours, The Feast and the Faithful Neighbourhoods Cetnre also featured on the Nikki Tapper show this week when Jessica Foster and Jenny Creasey of the Feast were interviewed on the WM Gospel Lounge. The interview starts at 16 minutes into the show which you can listen to by following this link to the Gospel Lounge.

The Bishop of Birmingham has been working hard to promote Near Neighbours. He also gave the work we do in the community a good plug in his monthy Bulletin that is sent to clergy and other church workers in the Diocese of Birmingham. You can read his article by following the link to the Bulletin here.

Diary Getting Full for 2012

Written on January 13, 2012. Posted in Christianity, Dialogue, Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre, Interfaith, Near Neighbours, Training, Uncategorized.

We have updated our calendar with all the training events planned in the next few months. But, in case you want to see them as a list, or copy the whole lot and forward it to everyone you know, we have added a list of all the events here in our blogs. We hope there is something to please everyone so do book on through our administrator, Parm, and we look forward to seeing you.

Christian Muslim Engagement
Our next major event is on Tuesday January 31st and is aimed at Christians who want to engage with Muslims but have some questions about the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of interfaith dialogue. The event is being held at St George’s Newtown from 10 am to 4pm and being run in partnership with the Christian Muslim Forum (www.christianmuslimforum.org)

Faithful Conversations
On Thursday February 9th we are running a training event here, at the Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre, for people who bring people of different faiths together and want to make sure meaningful conversations take place. The training runs from 10 am to 1 pm.

Muslim Christian Engagement
On Thursday March 8th we are working with the Christian-Muslim forum to run an event aimed at Muslims who want to engage with Christians and need some support and encouragement. The event will run from 10 am to 3 pm and is being held at the Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre.

White Working Class – a response to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Report
On Tuesday March 20th we are holding a consultation with the Rt Revd Andrew Watson, Bishop of Aston, to consider our response to the views of those interviewed for the report who felt left out of regeneration and community cohesion programmes.

This is a chance to hear more details about the report, to reflect on whether the findings are relevant in our areas (part of the research was undertaken in Birmingham) and to share some ideas and thoughts of how Near Neighbours might be helpful in addressing this. This event is being held at the Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre from 10.30 am to 12 noon.

Engaging with Men
Many of our interfaith events seem to bring women together successfully but it is often harder to get men together for meetings or events. What can we do to engage with men and find ways of meeting their needs? This event is being held at the Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre on 21st March from 10 am to 1 pm.

Pakistani Awareness Training
Led by Karamat Iqbal this course is a chance to learn more about the Pakistani-British community here in Birmingham thinking about the history and development of the community, the issues and needs generally and of particular groups and the particular role of the church.
The course is being held at the Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre on April 25th from 9.30 to 4 pm. For more details please contact karamat@forwardpartnership.org.uk

For details of the other courses advertised here please contact Parm Sidhu at the Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre on 0121 675 1156 or e-mail: parms@faithfulneighbourhoods.org.uk

Talking about Faith

Written on December 21, 2011. Posted in Dialogue, Interfaith, Training.

Getting people of different faiths into the same space is the beginning of process that can be hugely enriching, transformative and exciting but it does not happen naturally. How do conversations move from the superficial to the spiritual without feeling artificial and stilted?

To help people think through how they can have conversations about faith that have integrity and honesty we are running a training day at The Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre on Thursday 9th February 2012.

The course will run from 10am to 1pm and will include lunch. The cost of the course is £15 (£10) concession. To register contact Parm Sidhu the Centre Administrator.

Archbishop launches Hindu Christian Forum

Written on November 25, 2011. Posted in Christianity, Dialogue, Hinduism, Interfaith, Near Neighbours.

Archbishop launches Hindu Christian Forum – an opportunity for ‘dialogue and depth’

The Archbishop of Canterbury and Sri Shruti Dharma Das Ji launched the Hindu Christian Forum at Lambeth Palace yesterday evening, at an event which featured addresses from Andrew Stunell MP, Baroness Richardson and Lord Popat.

In an address at yesterday’s launch, the Archbishop said “The conversation of interfaith dialogue is always one where we look eagerly and expectantly for enrichment. We’re not playing for victory, we’re seeking understanding from one another… by learning the depth of one another’s commitment and vision – dialogue and depth is what we all hope for.”

He praised the launch of the Hindu Christian Forum and the role it will play in facilitating dialogue: “I believe that a dialogue is about work, real labour, but also about surprise and excitement, and it is with that vision in mind that I commend this forum to you, thank you for your support of it, and ask for your continuing prayers and solidarity with the work it will do in the future.”

Dr Williams also spoke about his own early encounters with the Hindu faith. He described reading a children’s version of the Ramayana in the school library when aged 12, and recalled the beauty, complexity and depth which captivated him at that early age. He went on to say how later in life, while contemplating his own spiritual identity during a visit to India, he realised that “the historic Christian identity is something that constantly needs to be opened and enlarged, challenged and enriched in conversation”.

Speaking of a recent visit to Bangalore, he described a day of dialogue with religious leaders from a variety of Hindu traditions: “a deeply enriching experience – a day in which we were able to speak simply and directly about our traditions. We were able to say together at the end of that conversation a number of things about our mutual respect and the understanding that we sought.”

The Hindu Christian Forum has been formed by a group of Hindus and Christians who have been meeting together since 2001. It has become a national forum partly in response to the findings of the ‘Bridges and Barriers to Hindu Christian Relations’ Report which was carried out by Dr Jessica Frazier of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government. In his address, the Archbishop described the report as a “very creative and stimulating piece of work, which provides an enormous resource for reflecting on how dialogue can be pursued, and how at the grassroots level it is to be understood and worked with.”

Faith Map launched at Birmingham Cathedral

Written on November 23, 2011. Posted in Interfaith.

A map of Birmingham faith communities was launched in the city’s cathedral on Tuesday 22nd November as part of Interfaith Week.

The web-based map allows people to search by postcode, ward or constituency and by faith tradition. It includes 632 places of worship from all the major religions practiced in the city.

The aims are to connect faith communities, help people new to the city find a place of worship, open and maintain links between the Council and places of worship in Birmingham, support inter-faith activity and provide academics and other researchers with access to information about faith.

Speaking at the launch at Birmingham Cathedral, Councillor Alan Rudge, Cabinet Member for Equalities and Human Resources said: “This is a website that serves the need of all faiths and helps encourage the values of trust, harmony and hope between people.

“I value and recognise the important role that faith communities play within Birmingham. They are at the heart of the city and help to support the on-going cohesion and integration between communities.”

Also speaking at the event, the Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Revd David Urquhart said: “I am delighted that we had the launch of the faith map in a religious building. Being in a secular society is one of the glories of living in our British society that has been replicated around the world.

“In a secular society religion should not only be respected but it should flourish. To be truly human, and to have a flourishing community of human beings, faiths must be allowed to flourish. With this kind of encouragement, that we have received today, people of faith will go on making their contribution, in a distinctive way, to making this city not one of the greatest, but the greatest, in the world.”

The faith map can be accessed at www.birminghamfaithmap.org.uk

Government Minister launches Near Neighbours

Written on November 18, 2011. Posted in Interfaith, Near Neighbours.

Eric Pickles launches Near Neighbours Eric Pickles launches Near Neighbours

Near Neighbours was launched nationally in London by Government minister Eric Pickles on November 14th. To complement the launch the communications team from the Archbishop’s Council produced a podcast based on Birmingham’s experience of Near Neighbours. Read more about the launch and listen to the podcast here.

New church-backed centre opens to connect communities

Written on October 18, 2011. Posted in Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre, Interfaith, Near Neighbours.

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Birmingham’s church leaders have launched a new centre which aims to build bridges between people of different religions and equip Christians to live out their faith in a relevant way.

The Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre in Court Road, Sparkhill, was opened on Tuesday October 11^th by the Presidents of Birmingham Churches Together, the Most Revd Bernard Longley, the Rt Revd David Urquhart and Major Sam Edgar.

Guests and dignitaries were welcomed to the centre by the parish priest, the Revd John Self of St John’s Sparkhill. The three presidents were joined by Dr Andrew Smith, Director of the new centre, to cut a cake to mark the opening and guests heard about some of the organisations based within or linked with the Court Road building.

More than 50 representatives of some of the city’s faith communities, church leaders and inter-faith activists joined in the celebrations to mark the launch of the Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre.

Dr Andrew Smith, the director of the centre and the Bishop of Birmingham’s adviser on inter-faith ministry, said: “We hope this will quickly become a place where people of all faiths and none can come together to deepen their understanding of one another and find ways of working together to improve and strengthen their local areas.

“It is really exciting to be the first director of the Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre and I look forward to working with a wide range of people from Birmingham to ensure this city is a place of friendship, hospitality and generosity and all who live here find a welcome.”

The Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Revd David Urquhart, said: “After the events of the summer it seems very timely that as one of the Presidents of Birmingham Churches Together I have opened the new Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre in Sparkhill.

“The new centre will help Christians in Birmingham live as ‘Good News’ in a multi-faith city, so that as followers of Jesus Christ we are equipped to build firm friendships and live out our faith in a way that strengthens communities, builds up belief and inspires other to seek the common good in our city.

“I am sure this centre will become a valuable shared space and the people who work in it will bring invaluable skills and expertise as we work together to make Birmingham a beacon of understanding and neighbourliness.”

The centre is a joint initiative between Birmingham Churches Together and the Church of England. It is one of four of the Church of England’s Presence and Engagement centres which aim to equip Christians for mission and ministry in a multi-faith society and build good relationships between people of different religions.

For more information please contact Jessica Foster, Near Neighbours Development Worker.

Category: Interfaith