Events back to 2003

2025 Events

Relaunching Churches Together – a further follow-up – by Rev’d Rachel Leather – Thursday 15th May

Good afternoon friends

Since the “Relaunching Churches Together” event back in March, I’ve been reflecting on and praying about the way forward. It’s important to state I am not in charge of this – it has to grow out of our collective desire to build relationships and come together as witnessing disciples. Having said that, whilst there are some differing opinions, I am proposing some suggestions for the next 12 months.

Whilst there was some appetite to formally relaunch Churches Together, this is no small task and would require a body of people to organise this and hold regular meetings. The advantage of this is that there is a ready-made structure and a helpful guide about setting this up: Flexible_Framework_Toolkit_final_online_version.pdf If anyone wants to take the initiative and do the legwork, I am sure this will be supported.

Having had several conversations over the past couple of months, I feel perhaps a less formal way forward is two-fold; firstly, communication. One option is to establish either a website or an administered email address which can be used to share information and events. These events could be in-house church events, or outreach missional events, training sessions available to a wider audience, or social events. A website would mean we could use some form of noticeboard to promote what could be opened up ecumenically. Inevitably this would involve someone designing and setting up a website, but there are free packages out there for people to use who have digital skills. Alternatively, we could establish a central administrator who periodically emails out a newsletter (monthly?) in which we all contribute events we wish to promote. Now, unless someone is prepared to do this as a volunteer, there would be a cost in paying someone to coordinate this of a few hours every month, and we would need to address who would meet this cost, and then recruit someone with the time and skills.

The second suggestion is based on relationship-building. There are many ways in which we can do this. I have received feedback that the event in March is something people would value becoming an annual event, and this is fairly straight-forward to organise. This allows one evening a year to showcase events and organisations which are or have been run ecumenically, followed by a time of networking. Unless we formally create a Churches Together in Cheltenham, this would need another name; “Network Cheltenham” has been suggested to me, and in the absence of anything else, that is what I’m calling our collective group for now. It has also been suggested we hold an annual event around the time of Pentecost which has wonderful symbolism for us all. Another suggestion is that we hold clergy fellowship sessions, perhaps termly, where clergy can deepen their relationships and encourage partnership working. This might lead onto a ‘Partnership Sunday’ in which churches can sign up committing to either share notices and pray for one particular town church on one specified Sunday, or invite someone from another church to participate in worship, or even a pulpit swap! Finally, there have been some comments on the need for joint worship, although with differing styles and theologies this will need sensitive organisation.

None of these suggestions will happen quickly, and require some commitment from us. Below is a survey offering you these suggestions, but do come back to me with other ideas. I will try and coordinate replies, although I cannot promise to do this quickly! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LQYJFC5

Can I please ask for you not to send me anything to promote within this group at this stage – I repeat it is not for me to organise how ecumenism progresses in our town, and apologies for those who have sent important notices asking for them to be circulated. Administration is not one of the gifts God has bestowed upon me!

Whilst we are all busy people, if you would like a deeper conversation, please let me know and we will try and make time to grab a coffee.

I am assured of your continued prayers as collectively we discern the work of God and what is ours to do.

Kind regards

Rachel

Relaunching Churches Together – a follow-up – by Rev’d Rachel Leather – Thursday 27th March

Good afternoon friends

A huge thanks to all of you who attended Monday evening’s ecumenical event, and thank you to those of you who gave apologies and expressed an interest in staying in contact. Particular thanks go to our five speakers: Sarah Baker, Maureen McBain, Paul Bennet, Yvonne Penn & Julie Jeffries. Thanks also to Rev’s Paul Graham and Andrew Blythe for bookending our time together in prayer.

Relaunching Cheltenham Churches Together – 24th March 2024

Attendees: 77 representing 23 churches, along with 9 different organisations

The event arose out of a couple of conversations Rev Rachel Leather (Bethesda & St Mark’s Methodist) had; one with a member of her congregation who is a committed life-long ecumenist who expressed sadness there are not more formal links between churches in our town; one with Rev Paul Graham (Charlton Kings Baptist Church) where ideas were shared forming the structure of the event, to showcase where ecumenism was already working well through issue-based organisations and events.

The evening started led in prayer by Rev Paul Graham. He also spoke about his previous experience of Churches Together in Suffolk, and for the publicity at one event there was a typo which stated “Church Together” and how this is a more accurate reflection of what we are trying to achieve: there is only one church.

We then heard from five organisations working locally, staffed ecumenically:

Cheltenham Foodbank: Sarah Baker Page of Elim Pentecostal spoke of its existing ‘to make the community liveable again’.
Street Pastors: Maureen McBain described their nighttime work in the town centre, assisted by more than 100 volunteers from 27 local churches.
Youth For Christ, Gloucestershire: some arresting stats were shown on slides by Centre Director Paul Bennett.
Christian Aid: Yvonne Penn, the local Church Engagement Fundraising Officer, told us about their current Restore Campaign: ‘Together,’ she said, ‘we can harness the unstoppable power of hope again’.
Cheltenham Pray for Schools Network: its work was described by Julie Jefferies.

We broke for refreshments to network and consider the “what next” question. Our feedback session was facilitated by Cllr Victoria Atherstone.

Feedback points included:

Is “Churches Together” an old-fashioned name? Do we need a different/ new brand?
Being together is what matters – we don’t want the enthusiasm of the evening to die out
Cheltenham Laudato Si’ Circle was mentioned along with the fact it was good that we were meeting in a church with a Gold Eco Award
Following up on the Youth for Christ presentation, young people are seeking meaning and need to be given hope. Churches Together can be a powerful force for hope. We need a common purpose statement or a shared document to agree on and circulate
Churches Together is not a meeting to exhaust us. It is an ecumenical instrument to share what it is we’re already doing. It is not sectarian (which might be the current reality in Cheltenham). Together with the Interfaith Forum, it is the broadest tent for us to sit under. We do not need a common purpose statement because Churches Together already has a document. We don’t have to agree on everything. We need regular worship events such as in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We can build upon what has already happened in Chalton Kings which has set up a Churches Together group. It is about sharing information and inviting everyone. Churches Together is the umbrella which holds us together in Christ
Can we have a digital platform to facilitate communication?
The chair of Charlton Kings Churches Together explained the group was relaunched last year and the first thing the group did was to affiliate to Churches Together England and had access to the logo. Can we do the same thing across the whole of Cheltenham? We could have a united walk of witness. In Charlton Kings they have posters for every church service for Holy Week and each church advertises every church service. Churches Together is about planting seeds.
The Churches Together logo is visible and nationally recognised
The most important thing is developing deep relationships. It is difficult to coordinate and there is difficulty in communication. To develop relationships we need to hang out together. Joint services are not well attended apart from the host church. We need to answer the question: what do we want to do? All of the ecumenical organisations we’ve heard from have done it without Churches Together
Joint services are important and can be successful
Do we need a relaunch because we’re already working together? Ecumenism is already happening
A plea was made for more churches to join in those existing actions local Christians were already doing, to help refugees and in relation to the climate crisis

Rev Andrew Blythe from Cheltenham Deanery spoke briefly about Love Cheltenham – an informal gathering of clergy, to which all local clergy are invited to their monthly lunch meetings, plus regular worship/prayer events. He then closed the evening in prayer.

So, friends, we have not resolved the “What next..?” question, but conversations will continue and options discussed. I was happy to facilitate this week’s event, but have no sense of ownership about the future. If one of you feels called by God into stepping up, I will happily hand this to you! I feel enthused by what has happened so far, and have learned so much about where Christians are already working together.

With kind regards

Rachel

2024 Events

Evening of Reflection & Hindu Community Centre Celebration at

Extract from post Event CWR Newsletter:

We celebrated Inter Faith Week

We were invited to talk about our work in the Cheltenham community on 13 November as one of several events during Cheltenham’s annual Inter Faith week which ran from 10th to 17th November, organised by Cheltenham Inter Faith.

This year’s theme was Better Together.

We had a good discussion and identified potential opportunities for future cooperation. The University of Gloucestershire kindly hosted us in the lovely chapel on the Francis Close Campus and we were treated to a wonderful musical interlude from the group that performed the show Home at the Everyman during Refugee Week, organised by Sheila Manders.

2023 Events

2022 Events

Inter Faith Week

For 2022’s theme, Sharing our Spiritual Homes, various Cheltenham faith groups opened their doors to welcome visitors between Monday 14 and Friday 18 November. To help to deepen our understanding of different faiths and to reflect on our own beliefs.

There were visits to Gas Green Baptist Church, St. Gregory’s Roman Catholic Church, the Hindu Community Centre, the Kadampa Buddhist Centre, the local Bahai community, the Lower High Street Mosque and Cheltenham Orthodox Jewish Community invited visitors in. The Week culminated in a gathering at the Hindu Centre for everyone to share their experiences of it and have a meal together.

The week’s events having been jointly organised by the University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham Inter Faith and Cheltenham Borough Council.

Cllr Flo Clucas, cabinet member for communities and safety, said: “We are delighted to support this fantastic opportunity for people of different beliefs to come together once more, to learn more about each other and to increase understanding. Everyone is welcome to join and take part.”

Revd Simon Witcombe, the Senior Chaplain at the University of Gloucestershire, encouraged people to take part in this year’s events. ‘This is a wonderful opportunity for us to visit each other’s places of worship and faith communities, and learn a little more about our different beliefs. We’re delighted that the Hindu Community Centre have offered to host our final evening, when we will reflect on our visits and share a delicious vegetarian curry together.’

2021 Events

2020 Events

Chris Hewer

A full house at the Friends Meeting House were entertained and informed by the internationally renowned speaker on Christian/Muslim relationships, Dr Chris Hewer. Chris gave us a overview of the history of Islam, its range and divergences and brought these tensions into the modern world to help to explain some of the reasons behind conflicts and disputes across the middle east and beyond.

Salvation Army talk

A good number of CIF members braved a wet and windy night to attend a witty and informative talk on the works of the Salvation Army. Our speaker, Paul Stanford, gave us a great insight into the wide range of activities conducted by ‘The Army’ both locally and internationally.

2019 Events

Unitarian Talk

Can you spot our speaker Mark Hutchinson of Cheltenham and Gloucester Unitarians glowing in “the Light of approval”? A lively audience of CIF members and friends were put in festive spirit with tasty multi-cultural treats and mulled (non-alc) wine, and very much enjoyed. Mark’s informative and entertaining talk was on the history of Unitarians both worldwide and locally. Such was the level of interest that a lively question-and-answer session had to be drawn to a close by Chair Jack as CIF ends its 2019 season.

We hope to see you again soon in the new year.

Inter Faith Week

Gloucester Pride

Three weddings

A lively evening learning about the customs and tradition of weddings across different faiths. Made all the more enjoyable by some delicious food before the meeting.

Oxford Friendship Walk

On 27th June several members joined the Oxford InterFaith Friendship Walk which
departed from the Jewish Centre in Richmond Road and arrived at the Central Mosque for a meal provided by the Mosque and the Jewish Community. Stopping for prayers, scripture readings and reflections at many points through the City with contributions from all the
world’s main religions.

Humanism

Who are the Humanists? What are their beliefs? How are they different, and similar, to an Atheist, a Secularist and other non-faith groups? These and other questions formed part of the illuminating and interesting talk by Humanist celebrant Hannah Hart of the Gloucestershire Humanists. It was a lively session with lots of interaction between our members and Hannah! She handled a range of questions and comments from the audience with great skill and empathy.

An evening well spent at the Hester’s Way Community Centre.