Sharing Jesus in Contemporary Culture was the theme of this year’s well-received HEBA Ministers’ Conference. Linda Crebbin and Steve Derges share some reflections and look forward to next year! 

Rich variety in three days

After travelling through countryside swathed in snow more than 80 people attended the HEBA Ministers Conference at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire. The two  contrasting yet complementary main speakers Jason Clark (who describes himself as a reflective practitioner, involved in both church planting and academic theology) and Yvonne Richmond (Canon for Mission at Coventry Cathedral) took as their theme ‘Making connections – sharing Jesus in contemporary culture’.

Worship was led throughout by Mark Simmons. Marg Hardcastle led Morning Prayer inviting us to reflect on making connections with the stranger. Alan Pain, from BMS International Centre (the new home of HEBA offices), brought news of World Mission and the Regional Ministry team brought us up to date with some new ventures in leading issues, mission and church life.

As always the planning team take into consideration the feedback given through previous conferences. Consequently, a new addition this year was the ministers’ own optional sessions led by Keith Neville, Paul Campion and Neil Roberts. Another change this year was the moving of sharing communion together to the first evening and this was imaginatively and creatively led by the Regional Ministry Team.

Although the annual golf was called off due to snow there was plenty of time and space for relaxing, catching up with old friends and making new ones around a cup of coffee or a drink in the bar, good food and of course the entertaining ‘Evening with……..’ this time led by Fiona Lee – the ‘Nightingale on the Welsh Harp’ ably assisted by Paul and Liz Tyler and friends….. not forgetting the ‘right handed fan, the left handed gramophone, the nodding dog, the bicycle and the cuckoo clock’!

Thanks to the planning team for managing to fit so much rich variety into three days! Next year’s conference will again be at Swanwick but from Monday 8th - Wednesday 10th February when the main speakers will be Elaine Storkey and Joel Edwards.

Linda Crebbin (Kings Community Church, Oldbury)

Stimulating, inspiring ... and fun!

It's impossible to sum up this year's Conference in just a few sentences but I'm going to try using a few well chosen verbs and adjectives!

Stimulating: it was really refreshing to spend the best part of 3 days with around 80 church leaders considering topics that included:

• differences in culture between religion and spirituality
• impacting our communities effectively
• life's big issues (i.e. what un-churched and de-churched people are asking rather than what the Church is telling them - that can be a wide gulf)

Inspiring: is not a word I always use having attend a conference but this one was. I came away feeling I had been challenged in my thinking as well as equipped to confront some of the issues facing the Church when sharing Jesus' love in this day and age.

Controversial: yes, in some senses it was. I didn't agree with everything that was said but that's okay too as we need to work out these things in our own situations.

Unifying: having speakers from outside our Baptist tradition enabled us to learn from others' experiences reinforcing that our mission is about seeing the Kingdom of God increase and that we're all in this together.

Fun: at a Ministers' Conference? Actually yes, seeing the Regional Ministers perform some very strange antics at the evening cabaret event was worth the trip alone! There was also plenty of time to relax and chill-out.

Reflective: sharing Communion was a very special time - innovative and creative, excellently facilitated with sensitively-led worship. And Morning Prayers helped to bring focus to the beginning of each day.

Thanks to everyone on the team who put this year's Conference together - you did a fantastic job. I'll certainly be booking in for 2010!

Steve Derges (Bridgnorth Baptist Church)