Difference Course
Topic outline
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Are you dealing with tricky issues in your church or community? Would you like to explore some simple biblical principles about how to discuss difficult things well? We live at a time when people are divided more than ever before. The world, society, and the church can feel complex and divided. Do you want to be involved in being part of bringing reconciliation?
Difference Course is for anyone who wants to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. It has never been more timely.
It is easy to follow, accessible, and packed with stories. It is not for experts, just ordinary people who believe that following Jesus means helping us understand each other better.
Difference is a five-session course that equips you to explore differences in a way that can bring genuine and healing change in everyday encounters.
We live in a world which is complex and divided – from global conflict to our own relationships. That’s why Archbishop Justin Welby has brought together leading thinkers and peacemakers to create Difference – a five-session course that explores how we can follow Jesus in our everyday encounters. The programme equips people to cross divides, navigate disagreement and pursue a just and flourishing world.
Lasting change happens when we allow God to shape who we are and the values we live by. That’s why Difference is about formation – discovering and building new patterns of thinking, speaking, praying and acting.
Archbishop Justin Welby’s vision is for the Church to be a reconciling presence in the midst of conflict. Deeply drawing on Jesus’ encounters in the Gospels and the wisdom of expert peacemakers, the course equips people with three habits with the potential to transform everyday relationships.
- Be Curious - Listen to others’ stories and see the world through their eyes.
- Be Present - Encounter others with authenticity and confidence.
- Reimagine - Finding hope and opportunity in the places where we long to see change.
Our next Difference course will be facilitated on zoom by a team of hosts, a partnership between Coventry, Birmingham and Lichfield Diocese. This is an offering for the wider West Midlands, with an extended welcome to our ecumenical neighbours.
Over five Tuesdays at 7pm this Autumn - October 17th and 24th, November 7th, 21st and 28th.
This course is being facilitated by:
Claire Wesley has been a member of the central team at Church of England – Birmingham in several roles for over 15 years. She is an experienced facilitator with an interest in promoting healthier church cultures.
Cerys Smith is a trained mediator and reconciler having researched and worked for peace and reconciliation over the last six years. She has delivered training in conflict transformation, reconciliation and facilitated difficult conversations in the UK and abroad.
Mark Johnson has over 40 years’ experience of working with minority ethnic communities on issues of racism and exclusion in public services and has spent the past 15 years working with agencies across Europe to ensure fair and appropriate access to health and care services for migrants and refugees.-
To book onto the Difference course or find out more, please contact Guy Donegan-Cross via email (GuyDC@cofebirmingham.com)
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Tuesdays at 7pm this Autumn - October 17th and 24th, November 7th, 21st and 28th.