Lent 2014
NEWS from
www.ridley.cam.ac.uk
In this issue: REFLECTIONS AND THANKSGIVINGS Jane Keiller looks back on 17 years accompanying students on their prayer journeys as Chaplain p 2
FOCUS ON FAITH IN BUSINESS Alpha and Omega: The Lifecycle of Business and Whatever Happened to God on Monday? p 3
CHILDLESSNESS: THE HIDDEN STORY
Who Touched Me?
Healing for us today p 2
The Tent: What every community, every church, every theological college needs p 4
YOUTH MINISTRY CPD OPPORTUNITY Continuing Professional Development course starts on February 10th p 5
LESSLIE NEWBIGIN SUMMER INSTITUTE Ridley’s Tutor in Mission Studies to co-organise an inaugural event in Cambridge in 2014 p 6 SHARING FAITH IN THE MIDST OF BROKENNESS Spotlight on Social Context Placements: exploring Christian faith in challenging contexts p 4 RESOURCES TO YOUR DESKTOP AND MOBILE From YouTube to ISSUU to hash tags: your quick guide to experiencing Ridley online p 7
Changing Times
My grandfather was ordained in Canada in 1924. After serving a curacy in a mining town on the edge of the Rocky Mountains, he decided to return to England. Permission was needed from the Archbishop of Canterbury. It was declined. Two reasons were given: my grandfather had not studied either Latin or Greek; furthermore, he had been ordained at the age of thirty-eight – just four years older than the average age of today’s students at Ridley Hall!
I discovered this during my sabbatical last year, thanks to the Diocese of Calgary’s archive. I found out too that my grandmother earned a certificate in theology and evangelism from the Diocese of London, about the same time, and preached at London’s Hyde Park Corner as part of her training as a Church Army sister. Both these discoveries provided raw data for my sabbatical research topic: being Anglican as times change. My grandparents eventually ended up in English parishes, via Scotland. I was able to revisit these parishes to see how they had changed in the intervening decades. At Ridley Hall, men and women are preparing for Anglican ministry in times that continue to change. My sabbatical research revealed encouraging ways
Alumni Gathering 2014 This year’s Moule Day will be held on Wednesday June 11th. The day will be a chance to catch up with peers and hear former Ridley Doctrine Tutor the Revd Professor Jeremy Begbie, this year’s C.F.D. Moule Memorial Lecturer. Professor Begbie is Director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts and the inaugural holder of the Thomas A. Langford Research Professorship in Theology at Duke Divinity School, North Carolina. He teaches systematic theology, and he specializes in the interface between theology and the arts. His
1
in which parishes and dioceses are responding to these changing times, while remaining faithful to our Anglican inheritance.
This edition of News from Ridley bears its own witness to ways that things progress and change. We look ahead to new awards with Durham University, we celebrate 25 years since the founding of the God on Monday project, we hear from a new staff member and one who is stepping down, and we prepare to catch up with a much-loved former staff member on our annual Moule Day. Times change, we look to the future, yet we remain connected with our past. We were further reminded of this when we circulated a survey to our alumni and supporters, as you will see.
Times change, we look to the future, yet we remain connected with our past
However, what ultimately keeps us rooted as times change is not simply memories or a shared hinterland. It is God himself. ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows’ (James 1.17). Let us thank God together for all he has given and continues to give us, as times change. Andrew Norman, Principal
particular research interest is the interplay between music and theology. Professor Begbie spends one semester each year (currently spring) at Duke Divinity School and the other semester at Cambridge, where he is Senior Member at Wolfson College, Cambridge, and an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Music at the University of Cambridge. His most recent book, Music, Modernity and God: Essays in Listening was published in November by Oxford University Press. To listen to last year’s Moule Memorial Lecture browse our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/ridleyhallcambridge
Reflections and Thanksgivings
Jane Keiller reflects on her 17 years as Chaplain It was a conversation with a group of Bishops’ selectors that crystallised for me why I have loved so much being chaplain at Ridley. They were speaking enthusiastically about all the extraordinary conversations they had with so many amazing individuals, and it was at that moment I realised just how privileged I have been to spend every day doing just that.
I shall be forever thankful for the constant stream of remarkable people who have come to Ridley in response to God’s call, and who, along the way, have chosen to share some of their journey with me. Each one has taught me something fresh of the ways of God, of his love and faithfulness and always the invitation to growth and transformation. So many memories will remain with me from Prayer Weekends at Launde Abbey and Belsey Bridge, from accompanying those
who have committed to Ignatian guided prayer, and from countless conversations over the years.
And then, of course there has been the Simeon Centre with all the opportunities this has provided to offer something of the life of prayer, that we take so much for granted at Ridley, into a wider sphere – quiet days, conferences, teaching days and parish weekends. I must confess I am not sorry that I won’t have to help plan any more large events, but I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be involved with some truly memorable ones. Certainly, I have enjoyed the great good fortune of working alongside wonderful colleagues, who have cared, inspired and encouraged me. People always ask, “What next?” and the simple answer is, I don’t yet know. I hope to remain a member of the Simeon Community, and look forward to continuing to be involved as long as that seems appropriate. And I’m keeping the diary clear between Easter and September, trying to listen, hoping to discern God’s call for the next stage of the journey.
Thank you Ridley. I have had the best job in the world.
Who Touched Me? Healing for us today
10am to 4pm • Saturday March 1st 2014 Ridley Hall • Cambridge CB3 9HG with speakers Michael Thompson and Pam Thorn
Scan QR Code
to book your place
Registration Fee: £20 Book your place at www.simeoncentre.co.uk or call 01223 746593 Please bring a packed lunch with you; drinks will be provided 2
The Lifecycle of Business 4–6 April 2014 Faith in Business Spring Conference Ridley Hall, Cambridge ‘For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven’ These profound words from the Old Testament surely apply to the lifecycles of organisations as well as to people’s careers. We need God’s wisdom and discernment to know the appropriate time to initiate each significant stage: seed idea and start-up; growth and expansion; maturity and often decline, which may lead either to rebirth or death. We will explore all these different stages of a company’s Alpha to Omega from a Christian perspective, drawing on the wisdom of a team of lively speakers with a wealth of relevant experience.
For more details and to book your place follow News and Events on the Faith in Business website:
www.faith-in-business.org
Whatever Happened to God on Monday? There are two answers to that question. The first is that God remains as interested in how people worship him in the workplace on Monday as in church on Sunday. The second is that God on Monday, the workplace project launched at Ridley Hall in 1989, is now called Faith in Business. But its aims are still the same: to affirm the role of business in God’s purposes and to explore the application of Christian values in business. Faith in Business believes that Christian faith can be an enormous power for good at work. It achieves this when it stimulates enterprise, reduces poverty, promotes integrity, ensures sustainability and fosters discipleship. There are impressive examples of this from the past and in the present. We want to ensure it’s true of the future, by working alongside practising businesspeople, church leaders and Ridley students. 3
Scan QR Code to book your place
2014 is the 25th anniversary of Faith in Business. We are marking this by: • a stimulating day seminar which took place in November, discussing themes from my recent book Faith, Hope & the Global Economy • our annual spring conference (4–6 April 2014) on Alpha and Omega? The Lifecycle of Business (see above for details) • launching a research project interviewing Christian entrepreneurs, spearheaded by Kina Robertshaw, a recent Ridley student • continuing involvement in equipping Chinese businesspeople and pastors – through a course in Hong Kong in August • a celebratory event at the Athenaeum Club in June, hosted by our Chair of Ridley Hall Council, Bishop David Urquhart To finance this programme we are seeking to raise £50,000 a year for each of the next five years. If you’d like to be involved or know others who would, please email me on rah41@cam.ac.uk Richard Higginson, Director of Faith in Business
The story of the tent
Everyone has a story, but for a story to be told we need the voices to tell them and the ears to hear them. Last year a group of childless spouses from Ridley met around a table and shared their stories. They started with the facts – the losses, the waiting, the medical diagnoses, and they were listened to.
They met again, around a different table, to share their sadness and their tears, and they were listened to. Around the next table they expressed their fears and insecurities, and they were listened to. Each evening, around a table, these women found their voices, learnt to tell their stories, and they were listened to. As their voices grew stronger, those who
“I love the way that people think at Cambridge CYM, the way that people challenged us” Rebecca Hamer, CYM graduate
Congratulations to the 2013 graduates from Ridley Hall’s Cambridge Institute for Children, Youth and Mission! We wish them a fruitful ongoing ministry.
listened started to talk. They talked about hope, shared prayers, scripture and liturgy – providing the words to articulate the depths of grief, the need for faith and the longing for hope. This group of women called ‘The Tent’ meet around a table to share their stories – the messy, incomplete ones. The Tent provides a safe space where they are encouraged to articulate their suffering, enabling them to move forward and find hope. This gift of being listened to has validated their pain and enabled them to re-engage with the community they are a part of. Every community, every church, even every theological training college holds these hidden stories of childlessness, but they are rarely told. The NHS cares only for the physical, the broken returning home in silence with the shame of childlessness hiding their story from view. Sadly these stories also get lost in churches, where the childless find themselves surrounded by growing families and services celebrating them – causing many to disconnect with church life. I was given my voice by the people who first listened to me. Imagine the stories that could be told if we did the same thing. Lizzie Lowrie
Find out more about The Tent at: saltwaterandhoney.org
Common Awards: An Update From September 2014 every Church of land training institution, with a very exceptions, will begin teaching a brand suite of common awards and modules, dated by Durham University.
Engfew new vali-
The majority of students will emerge with a Diploma, BA or MA in Theology, Ministry and Mission. The Ridley teaching staff have been thinking through how we can use this opportunity to enhance yet further our preparation of ordinands for ministry in a rapidly changing context. Sorting out the details and fitting in with the BTh teaching (for which we have gained an exemption) will be an enormous task in the coming year, but one that we trust will bring lasting long-term benefits. 4
Who are your influences?
Youth Ministry CPD Opportunity
The question’s asked by Jimmy Rabbitte in a memorable scene in The Commitments and it helps him sift out which of the many would-be stars are going to make it into his soul band.
Cambridge CYM are offering a continuing professional development opportunity for people who have a role tutoring, supervising or supporting students or workers undertaking work based learning.
It’s not a bad question to ask theology teachers either. Who are your influences? Who has set the horizon of your imagination? Who do you look to when you want to know how to do the stuff?
Supporting Professional Development in Work Based Learning
Among many who have influenced me as a student and now teacher of theology, I look first to David Ford – presently Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, former member of Ridley Hall Council, and more importantly for me, my doctoral supervisor. One of David’s recent books is a manifesto – The Future of Christian Theology. It’s a manifesto for the whole church, but due to its attention to the wise and creative theology of the Bible, I believe it is especially relevant to the ordinands, staff and alumni of Ridley Hall.
The course is accredited through Staffordshire University at level 4 (year 1 undergraduate) and level 7 (postgraduate) as a 15 credit short course. It can also be accessed as a non-accredited course or as individual standalone training days. The programme runs for three Mondays, 10.30am to 4pm at Ridley Hall and starts on February 10th. Visit our website for more information and to book your place today.
In it, David sets out his vision for theology, a vision grounded in Scripture and informed by four key elements of wise creativity that he finds in the Bible itself. David writes of the theology that is committed to retrieving the past – returning to earlier sources, beginning with the Bible itself, to understand the thoughts and contexts of those who have gone before us in the faith.
He goes on to advocate a theology that engages with the present – with what God is doing today in our communities and in our world. David next reminds us of the need for creative, logical and systematic thinking in our theology as we read past sources and engage with our present reality. Finally, David pleads for clarity of communication as an integral part of the discipline of theology, for the expression of our theology in relevant and accessible forms. If you want to know what’s influencing Ridley’s new doctrine tutor, read The Future of Christian Theology. Maybe it will become one of your influences too. Rob McDonald, Tutor in Doctrine
David F. Ford’s book, The Future of Christian Theology, was published in 2011 by Wiley-Blackwell. 5
CONTACT CAMBRIDGE CYM for more information: T 01223 746583 E info@cambridgecym.org.uk W www.cambridgecym.org.uk
Scan QR Code for full course details
Lesslie Newbigin Summer Institute
Sharing faith in the midst of brokenness
Ridley’s Tutor in Mission Studies Paul Weston is partnering with Scot Sherman and Michael Goheen of the Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco to organise an inaugural Newbigin Summer Institute in July 2014 here in Cambridge.
Social Context Placements (SCPs) give valuable opportunities to explore the way the Christian faith relates to issues of contemporary secular life.
Lesslie Newbigin
The conference, which will be held on 7–11 July in Trinity Hall, Cambridge, will draw delegates from both Britain and the United States. Taking a narrative overview of Newbigin’s life, particular themes and their impact on the mission of the church will be explored.
Paul Weston, whose PhD focused on Lesslie Newbigin’s engagement with Western culture, will be speaking on “Lesslie Newbigin: Prophet to Western Culture”. His Lesslie Newbigin, Missionary Theologian: A Reader has become a standard text and he has recently co-edited Theology and Missionary Perspective: Lesslie Newbigin’s Legacy.
Supporter Survey Thank you to everyone who completed and returned our Supporter Survey, sent last year. The response has been exceptional, and a source of great encouragement to us all. Here is a small selection of comments and favourite memories shared with us, which we hope you enjoy.
Favourite Memory
Going to Ridley Hall helped me to grow up as a Christian in many ways. It gave the space to explore, listen and think in a way I had not been able to before. Revd Andrew Vaughan Ry 2007 A group of us brushing out in very large letters ‘BOWLES FOR BISHOP’ promptly after a freak summer hailstorm in 1957 on the court grass. The likeable, godly Principal smiled but said ‘nowt’. Cyril was, of course, later Bishop of Derby. Very Revd Alan Warren Ry 1957
There are many different SCPs on offer to our students, ranging from working with healthcare chaplains to chaplains in the armed forces, prison chaplains, CRUSE bereavement counsellors and working with marginalised young people.
What did you learn on your SCP?
God is there, right amidst the brokenness, making all things new. Dennis Woodward (Littlehey Prison)
Patients in hospitals are the most spiritually hungry people I have ever met. David Lowrie (Addenbrookes Hospital)
It gave me the chance to wrestle with the question of whether there is any space for evangelism within chaplaincy of this kind. Andy Bond (Addenbrookes Hospital)
A dining hall entrance with ‘I am among you as one who serveth’ – a lifelong theme for my ministry. Canon Roy Braithwaite Ry 1960 Many years ago, on the day we were moving to St John’s Nottingham, we received a letter saying they had accepted too many students. Geoff now had no college place, I had signed a contract with the LEA and had to resign …. We now had no home. Someone suggested to Geoff that he apply to Ridley. It was August. He was given an interview, accepted straight away and we were given a flat in the college! I was accepted into a loving community. God blessed us through Ridley. Mrs Sylvia Percival Wife of the late Revd Geoff Percival Ry 1976
Comment I was very happy at Ridley in those difficult post-war years (5 years RAF war service) – and it enabled me to win the Cambridge University OTC long-range shooting cup in 1950!! Revd John Ouless Ry 1950 6
Resources and news to your desktop or mobile device Over the past months Ridley has been putting energy into expanding its social media presence, so that whether you are a longstanding Facebook fan or curiosity about Twitter is getting the better of you, you can find your own level to connect with the college’s resources and communities. A snapshot of what to expect from each social media outlet: YouTube: Latest recordings uploaded include Cambridge BBC Radio’s series “Hidden Ridley” and Steve Griffiths’ challenging Cambridge CYM annual lecture “Unmasking the Scarlet Pimpernel: Christian orthodoxy and youth ministry”. Issuu: Recent publications made available in online format include this edition of News from Ridley and Richard Higginson’s free e-book Preaching and Painting. Facebook: Facebook members who follow Ridley heard first about the youth ministry CPD course and the Simeon Centre’s Lenten day on healing. Twitter: A growing number of alumni are keeping in touch with what’s happening at Ridley by following us on Twitter. Most of our events have a hash tag assigned so that you can ‘listen in’ through live quotes and reactions.
www.youtube.com/ridleyhallcambridge
Federation Developments
Ridley isn’t the only institution within the Cambridge Federation developing its physical site. Our plans for a new building are part of a wider vision for the Federation as a whole. We asked John Proctor, Vice-Principal at Westminster College, to share about their own programme.
www.issuu.com/ridleyhall
Greetings from Westminster College, a few minutes’ walk from Ridley, at the far end of Queens’ Road. We belong to the United Reformed Church, and since 1976 we have worked with Ridley and other partner colleges in the Cambridge Theological Federation. Many of Ridley’s students do much of their learning on our premises and with our teachers – and indeed vice versa. We thank God for this Christian partnership. Westminster is building – not a major new construction, as Ridley has in mind, but a massive refurbishment of our late-Victorian college to serve the decades ahead. Generous gifts from far and near have arrived surely and steadily in the last two or three years. Of the target 7 million pounds, gifts and pledges have now passed 6.75 million.
Contractors began to take possession of our college in June 2013, and the project will take a year. The builders are moving through the property in phases, allowing much of our work to continue in the construction period. So the first set of teaching rooms and bedrooms came back into use at the start of the academic year. Dining hall and kitchen followed in November. Chapel and library will be last. The character of the place is being carefully preserved, but enhanced by new safety, smart facilities and necessary mod cons. The project will also improve facilities for the Henry Martyn Mission Studies Centre, which is based at Westminster. And we shall make land available to the Woolf Institute for interfaith studies, who mean to build on part of our site once our own work is finished. The Cambridge Theological Federation is a rich and diverse place to learn. Ridley is a key element in the mix. We wish you God’s guidance and blessing as you look ahead to your own building project. John Proctor, Vice-Principal, Westminster College
www.facebook.com/ridleyhallcambridge
www.twitter.com/ridleyhall