The growing edge
Many people today feel that they are "one the edge" or even "over the edge" of institutional religion. This can be a lonely, and a risky place to be. But it can also be a "growing edge" of the...
The importance of story in a soundbite culture
With the current overwhelming availability of information, and the demand for that information to be both instant and image-based, our culture is losing the ability to share and value our stories....
Speaker(s): Jon McGregorKisses of life
Conversion stories from around the festival and the world. What do we mean by this year's theme, KISS OF LIFE? How does God 'kiss' breathe new life into our souls? Is conversion a once-in-a-lifetime...
Mustard Seed vs McWorld… one world ready or not!
Overnight we have become a part of a new one world economic that works well for the wealthy but nearly as well for those at the margins. In this seminar we will describe new challenges from the...
Beneath the cassock
Joy talks about her new book that reveals the 'Real life Vicar of Dibley'. In writing it, she has tried to demystify the often complex and inaccessible world of the church and its clergy. Come and...
Kiss & Tell
Christians who have written about "mysticism" have struggled to work out how to speak about intimacy with God. This session will look at what "intimacy" means in this context, and at some of the...
God’s Passion for People
A vision of God's passion for human beings and an exploration of it's implications for twentyfirst Century Christians. Fran has been Chief Executive of the Shaftesbury Society since 1995. She is...
The Making: knowing the Father
We explore the Christian view of creation and our place within it. Using wisdom from a thirteenth century theologian and the English football league Bishop Lindsay unfolds how it's not just about...
Back by popular demand: a beginners guide to the Palestinian territories and Israel
Everything you've ever wanted to know about the Middle East but were afraid to ask. Confused by what you see on the television? Really wish you understood more about the situation? Want to know the...
The great spiritual confidence trick?
The new age mix, Oprah Winfrey style self-designed spirituality, spirituality without church, prosperity doctrine, 'feel-good' worship without high personal cost, success not suffering, and...
Five Pagan Values Christians Love: when evil looks good
In this final talk from Mike Yaconelli, he guides us through five pagan values that look fantastic ... tempting. Mike Yaconelli heads up Youth Specialities, an organisation that trains and provides...
Impersonating Ourselves
Mike encourages us to keep it real in our faiths, and above all stay true to who we are. Mike Yaconelli heads up Youth Specialities, an organisation that trains and provides resources for youth...
Between Holiness and Hedonism
Between Holiness and Hedonism a reflection on the trend in the church and society to avoid awkwardness, live by the soundbite, and let the rest of the world (and the Gospel) go by. John Bell is a...
Speaker(s): John BellLasting the distance in short-term culture
Old timers used to think in terms of life commitments. In a postmodern age we may change our jobs a dozen or more times in a lifetime. Most people experience relocation of housing due to career...
White Like Me
What the church can learn from critical white studies How unmasking 'whiteness' can provide the space for a more inclusive and diverse Church. Dr Robert Beckford is the director of the centre for...